ECUADOR V FRANCE
Guest referee:
Jason Lipshutz — Associate editor/Pop Shop blog editor, Billboard.com
'¡Salve, Oh Patria!'
“You have to respect a national anthem with not just defined movements, but also dramatic tension. After Ecuador's anthem struts in with a sprightly little refrain, the tempo change happens, and the burly men singing seem to furrow their brows, unsure whether they'll get to deliver that chest-thumping chorus once more. Breathe easy, Ecuadorian pop stans: the proud men once again get "turnt", and end the banger with a certain melodic splendour. With such peaks and valleys — the Romeo & Juliet of national anthems, some would call it — Ecuador's grand song deserves a pop star with storytelling chops to deliver it. How about Taylor Swift? The follow-up to 'Red' could very well be titled 'Red, Blue and Yellow: A Full-Length Tribute to Ecuador'. The follow-up to THAT album would be an album about breaking up with an entire democratic republic.”
Metallica — 'La Marseillaise'
“Hoist those devil horns high, France, because this isn't Before Sunset, it's a fucking 'metal' show! Here, the previously mulleted 'lads' of Metallica pair the legitimately sumptuous French national anthem with some treacherous guitar noodling otherwise known as 'Master Of Puppets', in an attempt to honour their host country with a song about self-destructive drug abuse. If the band had run with the idea instead of simply poked at it, a full crunchy rock version of 'La Marseillaise' could have been le magnifique; instead, James Hetfield and co keep chugging along and relegate the anthem to a kitschy introduction. Metallica once had an anthem on the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack, but their mission to perform a head-banging French national anthem appeared to be — wait for it — 2 impossible 4 them."
Jason's full time score:
Ecuador 3 — France 1
Now you can vote for your own favourite.
[poll id="56"]Next up: Portugal vs Ghana and USA vs Germany