Salvador Sobral's Anti-Fast-Food Music Manifesto

MAY 15 2017 · 12:25

Salvador Sobral (acceptance speech) · "Amar pelos dois (acceptance)" · Portugal · 2017 Placement: 1 · Score: 758 · Language: Portuguese · Composers: Luísa Sobral · Venue: International Exhibition Centre · Host: Kyiv, Ukraine · Type: political statement · Broadcast: streaming era Salvador Sobral wins Eurovision 2017 with 'Amar pelos dois' — a melancholy Portuguese jazz-ballad composed by his sister Luísa — by an unprecedented 758 points, the largest winning margin in Eurovision history to that point. Accepting the trophy, frail from a heart condition that would require transplant within months, Sobral delivers a short speech criticizing 'fast-food music': 'We live in a world of disposable music, fast-food music without any content'. The speech becomes immediately controversial. Context Sobral had severe heart disease throughout his Eurovision participation. His sister Luísa wrote the song specifically for him. The 758-point margin was partly a function of the 2016-present split-jury-televote system; Sobral led both decisively. The acceptance speech was unscripted. Legacy Portugal hosted Eurovision 2018 in Lisbon. Sobral received a heart transplant in December 2017 and recovered. His 'fast-food music' comment sparked industry-wide debate about Eurovision's production standards. His hand-heart gesture during the performance became the song's visual signature. 'Amar pelos dois' is the most-streamed Eurovision winner in Portuguese history.