Eurovision has thrown up some surprisingly decent pop tunes the over the last few years. Despite cynics best efforts at deriding it, the contest has come a long way since the days of ‘Boom Bang-A-Bang’. Most entries these days are uplifting true pop songs, three minutes in length, and very commercial sounding. Take this uplifting pop/dance track from Sweden’s Jenny Silver.

A 2011 entrant in the annual Swedish final selection show Melodifestivalen, ‘Something In Your Eyes’ has hooks seemingly inspired by ABBA’s 1979 disco phase, and could easily have been written by super Swedes Benny and Björn. Jenny Silver even resembles a fresher, younger Frida. It’s not surprising she didn’t win and Eric Saade took victory, as her stage show paled in comparison, and that’s as much a part of the contest now as the songs themselves. But, you could argue her song was arguably better – a true modern Swedish pop classic.

Disco Moment from Bright Light Bright Light on Vimeo.

Reports might have exaggerated the death of pop music, but there’s been a lot of good stuff released in the last two or three years. One of my most favourite musical discoveries of the past year has been Bright Light Bright Light. Primarily a vehicle for front man Rod Thomas (he has a small band when touring), he makes bright and shimmering pop music that’s uplifting and I the sort I love.

Bright Light Bright Light’s first single, Love Part II was released in September last year and was a perfect slice of late summer pop. While on tour, Rod has released videos and even a five-track EP, the nearest there’s been to a Bright Light Bright Light full-to-the-rafters pop song-packed album. But, that album’s finally due in August, the same time as new single Disco Moment, hits digital stores.

Premiered on the Guardian’s music website yesterday, the track is typically Bright Light Bright Light, all electro pulsing synths and strong melodies. with echoes of Kylie’s All The Lovers bassline, the chorus instantly grabs you in, and while the song might have a melancholic lyrical tone, the soaring melody takes over. Disco Moment is undoubtedly worth the follow-up wait, and gives a taster of the album, which is – at last – not far away. Just the thing for a Friday…

Another month, another trip to see Kylie’s Aphrodite – Les Folies spectacle. While the tour juggernaut rumbles on non-stop around the globe (currently in Australia), the UK had a chance to relive the spellbinding blitz of colour and Kylie songs in a one-night only, 3D screening of the show on Sunday. Showing in selected cinemas as well as television channel Sky 3D, Aphrodite – Les Folies 3D really did bring something else to the Kylie event party. And I didn’t think that was possible, seeing as the night out at the O2 Arena back in April was something of a very special evening.

But yet, the film screening offered something spectacularly different, but not necessarily better, to the live night. The 3D glasses worked for a start, and right from the word go, it was easy to see what the multiple 2D and 3D cameras had captured. The titles and overlaying graphics really did seem to float into the auditorium. Working best on wide shots showing the enormous and elaborate stage, the catwalk, and the audience, the 3D elements really did make you think that the cinema screen was sunk into the wall a long way back.

Sweeping and long shots worked especially well, too, and the sumptuous costumes were brought into even more life as they brushed past the cameras. And, as you’d expect from such a screening, Kylie literally was larger than life in front of your eyes, her sparkling costumes even more colourfully radiant than they were on that evening back in April. Filmed over 11 and 12 April at the O2 Arena in London (the week after I saw it), the edit cleverly tricked you into thinking it was one night.

Showcasing a Kylie concert at its absolute best, Aphrodite – Les Folies 3D was a cinematic triumph, but one that missed the atmosphere of the live night (you were never going to get an atmosphere from around 20 viewers). No cuts ensured all the hits were there, too – the TV version had four songs chopped out to fit the broadcast slot. And the water fountain finale was as stunning as it was on the night itself. All in all, a fantastic couple of hours of spectacular escapism – one of the things a Kylie concert is supremely good at.

[Image: Kylie.com]

Did you watch it? Now that Saturday’s final has taken place and the winning song declared, the Eurovision Song Contest is all over for another year. And 2011 was the best contest for a couple of years. I bet no-one saw the winning entry coming, though. Azerbaijan romped home with the victory, with Ell/Nikki’s Running Scared (above) awarded 221 points with tallies coming in from almost every country. Second place went to rank outsider Italy with Raphael Gualazzi and Madness of Love (the country returning for the first time in 14 years), while my personal favourite, Popular by Eric Saade for Sweden took third spot on the podium.

Staged in the 24,000-capacity Esprit Arena Düsseldorf, the 56th running of the contest threw up some surprises. Ukraine took fourth spot in the winners list with Mika Newton and Angels, yet none of us in South Woodham Ferrers could recall it (bar the strange sand painting act on stage) and Moldova’s So Lucky by Zdob şi Zdub suspended belief, what with its shouty lyric delivery and pointy hat wearing, unicycling stage act. The much more conventional – but none the less anthemic – Denmark entry, New Tomorrow by A Friend In London, rounded out the top five finishers. The stage was almost a personality in itself, with very effective and enormous pulsating backdrop graphics and projections tailored to each act.

What of my favourites? We know of Eric Saade’s fate (third, but at one point, it did seem like he was going to win), and I noted the Azerbaijan entry as the last of my five to watch, so I’m pleased it did well – a worthy winner. Russia meanwhile came 16th with Alexey Vorobyov and Get You, while Hungary’s Kati Wolf’s What About My Dreams? came in a lowly 22nd out of 25. Armenia’s entry, Boom Boom by Emmy, was knocked out in semi-final number one, but two favourites in the top three isn’t bad is it? And other notable acts? Jedward’s novelty Lipstick for Ireland polled eighth and had a lot of support, while the UK entry, I Can by Blue, came in 10th with 100 points, 10 times a better score than in 2010. The German entry, Taken By A Stranger by reigning champion Lena came 10th.

It’s May, so it must be Eurovision. Once again, it’s shaping up to be a good competition, with lots of contemporary and commercial-sounding songs vying for top honours (the UK entry, I Can by Blue, is actually their new single). Either the contest seems to have really stepped up it game in recent years, or the songs now sound more contemporary due to my years away in the early 2000s. Anyway, this year, in a break from tradition, I’m going to post my five favourites on Twitter rather than on the blog itself. Starting tonight – the first semi-final show – check www.twitter.com/gooding2shoes each day until Saturday to find out which five songs from 2011’s entries tickle my fancy. (Clue: one of them is above.)

She didn’t disappoint. But then was she ever going to? I’ve seen Kylie on tour seven different times (and therefore seven different shows) and as Aphrodite – Les Folies was billed as her biggest and most extravagant show of her career, there was a lot to look forward to. I was a little perturbed by having to go to the O2 last night at first, largely because it’s such a big venue, and our seats weren’t near the front by any means. But, there was no reason to be apprehensive – the enormous scale of the stage, catwalk, projection screens and yes, those 30ft high fountains ensured everyone could see what was going on.

Rising from a golden shell, Kylie’s entrance was, as ever, well staged and more than a little camp, but from the moment she put a diamond-encrusted high heel on the vast temple-style stage, she didn’t put a foot wrong. From riding in a chariot pulled by muscled ‘slaves’, to flying on an angel with the most enormous feathered wings, suspended by heavy cables, this show was something else, and unlike anything or any Kylie show I had seen before. Old songs, new songs, tilting stages, coloured feathers, Busby and Berkeley-styled songs, a rock-inspired version of Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (probably the lowest point of the night), it was all there.

But nothing could beat the finale. Bidding the audience the traditional pre-finale goodbye, she returned in a gold bathing cap and matching cape to synchronised swimmer projections and slowly bubbling fountains, which erupted during On A Night Like This (particularly apt, I thought) but really came to life in All The Lovers. Squirting jets high into the arena, their eruptions were actually audible, and with laid down dancers suddenly rising from the small circular pool at the end of the heart-shaped catwalks, it all added up to a most spectacular finish, and one that I’ll remember for an awfully long time.

A fan of more almost 25 years, the spectacular Aphrodite – Les Folies marks a high in the career of Minogue, and rightly so. With the show going to the US, it’s a shame the water elements may be lost due to staging issues. Like a Las Vegas revue, it deserves the full staging and its breathtaking effect, and leaves the audience gasping for more, and leaving with memories of a very, very special evening.

[Image: Jelena Rudi/Kylie: Aphrodite World Tour Facebook page]

Kylie‘s been a bit of media darling on BBC radio recently. In the autumn she did a three-song live acoustic set for Radio 1′s Live Lounge, and last Wednesday, she was at the Beeb’s Maida Vale studios to perform a five-song, 20-minute set in the same style. While the first clutch of songs featured a beautiful torch song-style cover of Hurts’ Wonderful Life, the second featured no reinterpreted songs by other artists, but highlights from the Australian wonder’s 23-year musical career.

In front of an invited studio audience (I applied for tickets but was unfortunately unfortunate), ‘Min’ performed a lounge style version of Can’t Get You Out Of My Head, an orchestral variation of All The Lovers, a string-drenched haunting of Confide In Me, and rousing interpretations of In My Arms and new single Better Than Today. The first set of tracks for Radio 1 are the B-sides to Better Than Today (out 6 December), so fingers crossed this latest set get released, too.

Kylie also confirmed plans to release a whole album in the acoustic style next year. With pitch perfect vocal delivery and a stripped-down feel, it should be a belter. These two live sets have proved that the songs stand up on their own, without squelchy synths and multi-layered backing. If you missed the fantastic Maida Vale set, you can watch them on BBC Red Button until tomorrow, or alternatively, catch them on YouTube or at the BBC’s Radio 2 Ken Bruce clips page for the next 2 days.

Round to South Woodham Ferrers again to continue our series of Eurovsion re-runs (yes, Eurovision re-runs). Last night’s contest? 1991. Not a classic in Eurovision terms, but a memorable one, nonetheless. Memorable because of the winner (Carola – see clip above – is Eurovision legend, having taken part a total of 3 times. Her 1991 song Captured By A Lovestorm was also the first Eurovision single I ever bought); memorable because of Samantha Janus’ first notable appearance to UK viewers (she represented the UK that year); because of the male host’s – Toto Cutugno – general incompetence; and finally, memorable because of the epic saxophone fail during the Sofia Vassou’s entry for Greece (watch 02:58 to 03:13 in the video below). With our jury of four, it’s always fun, fun, fun, but always so late, late, late.

Not released until 25 September, Get Outta My Way must be a contender for the best Kylie single of recent years. Once it’s lodged in your head, it refuses to go away. And although she’s used lighting effects before in her video clips, this film for the Aphrodite-sourced track uses human-sized magic light tables and firework-type projections to great effect (this is a preview, catch the glorious full-length 3 minute, 52 second video here). So, will catchy song + brilliant video = hit? Here’s hoping.

We caught this year’s event in a hot and sweaty – but friendly – bar in Paris where American, French and Irish Eurovision devotees all stood glued to the big screens, waiting for their favourite entry to have its chance. We hot-footed it back to our hotel near Gare du Nord for the voting (and still amazingly got there before it had even started), and little did we know what surprised lay in wait.

The revelation that was the most talked about (bar Lena’s success, which was all over French TV for at least a week) was the UK’s dix points. And by that, I do of course mean literally dix points. Yep, we got a measly 10 points the whole night, finishing last behind even Belarus. I think that was a little unfair. There was talk of political voting (or non-voting as the case may be) once more and a sub-standard performance, but I don’t think Josh Dubovie could have given it much more. But what of my other songs to watch? Denmark, my favourite, finished fourth with 149 points (still 97 behind Germany’s 246), while Switzerland got knocked out in the second semi-final.

Contemporary pop-sounding entries from Albania and Iceland finished 16th and 19th respectively, even though both singers gave fantastic hi-energy performances, proving that modern isn’t always the way to go. Other drop-outs included Bulgaria in the second semi, and Latvia in the first. My final tips, Armenia and Romania, did quite well, taking 7th and 3rd places respectively.

So, a pleasing result in the grand scheme of things, and some surprises, be they good or bad. Germany’s win does mean that once the venue has been announced for 2011’s 56th running of the show, we might have the most decent chance of watching it live. After all, with my German friend Rainer already living in the country, it could be two Eurovision Song Contests in a row watched from different countries in Europe…