After eagerly waiting a year for yet another Eurovision night, I still remember my excitement for Eurovision 2010. Having missed Hadise’s performance in Eurovision 2009, my excitement for 2010 was even more elevated. After a year of waiting combined with crying and mourning for missing my childhood crush’s not-so-impressive performance, it was finally time. MaNga, the group representing Turkey that year, was not my favorite artist of all time like Hadise but it was the Eurovision. Obviously, MaNga’s rock/electronic music was not something that six-year-old Ekin could comprehend but that night was not about my personal music taste. Eurovision night was that one rare occurrence in which Turkey united despite all the differences. The feeling of rooting for your country’s victory was similar to that of waiting for your nation to win the World Cup. Winning Eurovision was indeed more complicated than winning any sports championship but it was a similar sense of union. Besides, that night was extra significant to me because I had fallen asleep on the night of the previous year’s Eurovision. This time, I was determined to stay awake until the end. I can still recall my six-year-old self, paying utmost attention in front of the TV without even breathing. Her heart beat for MaNga with the rest of the Turks although she was just six. Maybe because these were the last times when I could not feel the polarization in my country, that arbitrary 2010 night still manages to be retained in my memories.

After a series of performances from more than 20 European countries and anxious moments awaiting the results, MaNga ended up getting 2nd place on that night. After the win in 2003 of Sertab Erener, another Turkish artist, it was a phenomenal success for Turkey. Regardless, the outcome could not satisfy the Turkish people and it turned out to be one of the greatest disappointments for us despite the long history of dubious Eurovision results. It left us wondering how and why could MaNga not win. This question, with the disputable nature of Eurovision, then alluded to another unanswerable one: Was MaNga’s loss due to the political interests of other European countries, or was Germany’s singer Lena simply better than MaNga?

MaNga’s song was called “We Could Be the Same” and if I have to admit, it did not demonstrate skillful lyric writing. The song’s simple lyrics were heavily dependent on repetition. Apart from the two different verses, the bridge, pre-chorus, and chorus parts of the song were repeated. It was probably not the best use of three minutes for lyrics. However, despite its simplicity and repetitiveness, the song held meaning, unlike the winner of Eurovision that year. The line “For just one night, we could be the same/No matter what they say” was repeated three times throughout the song and it embodied the striking theme of the song. It directly referenced Turkey’s long-going desire to be involved in the European Union. Because Turkey’s relations with the EU were still being discussed at that time, the line deeply resonated with Turkey’s political goals. In the eyes of Turkish people, the Eurovision Night was that one night which Turkey could be treated as an equal to the rest of Europe and MaNga’s song was a plea for this desire. As Frances Robinson also stated, “Eurovision has always been as much about geopolitical drama as it has been about music,” and “We Could Be the Same” was a criticism of this political environment. Yet, as MaNga’s defeat highlighted, Europe was not ready to move away from politics even for a single night.

The real strength of MaNga in Eurovision 2010 undeniably laid in their performance. Despite the lack of brilliance in their lyrics, their style and delivery of the song were flawless. As one of Turkey’s foremost rock bands, MaNga’s performance was significantly different from previous Eurovision entries of Turkey. Following the previous year’s song “Düm Tek Tek,” MaNga daringly chose a mix of rock and electronic music, a less-represented music genre in Eurovision. As the representative of rock music with Anatolian effects in Turkey, it was a relief to see that MaNga made no compromises on their distinctive style. Because they participated in the competition with something they were confident of performing, they received the benefits of their choice on stage. Using predominantly black and silver for their staging helped establish the tone of the song. Their vivid presence throughout the performance as the heir of rock music was immaculate. Combined with their “solid vocals and a belting guitar riff,” they delivered an unforgettable example of a rock song in Eurovision (Percy). While it was visible that all band members were immersed in the song, they also had a robot shedding its skin as a part of their performance. At the end of their show, the robot turned out to be a woman, which served as a perfect metaphor for being the same despite all the physical and political differences the European countries held. MaNga concluded the performance with the robot-woman and the lead singer hugging as the song stated “no matter how different [they] are.” With all aspects of their performance, they indeed compensated for the insufficiency of their lyrics.

When their staging, band dynamic, and lyrics combined, MaNga’s performance was one of the most loved performances of that night. “We Could Be the Same” was recognized by many critics as one of the most successful rock songs in the competition (Percy). MaNga secured 170 points from other voting nations, as an indicator of their successful rock performance, placing them in second place. In any other year with a spectacular winner, like Norway’s “Fairytale” in 2009, this achievement would have been a reason for celebration. However, that year, the winner was Germany’s “Satellite” by a 19-year-old, Lena. Was “Satellite” inherently a bad song? If you enjoy mainstream pop songs, certainly not. Despite my dissatisfaction with that year’s winner, “Satellite” was catchy enough that its melody and some lyrics stayed stuck in my mind for years. To be completely honest, I can still hum that song. It was undeniably memorable that “Satellite’s” melody found its way into a chocolate advertisement in Turkey. Yet, the song with Lena’s performance did not meet the level of Eurovision. With her black dress and not-so-meaningful dance choreography, she lacked elaborate staging, an essential part of Eurovision. I give her a song that if an American artist like Taylor Swift produced a song like “Satellite,” it would be a major hit. Everyone would go crazy with the “Love, oh, love” line but is Eurovision a place for generating more mainstream love songs? My doubts linger. Nevertheless, she won that year’s competition with many good reviews praising her performance for its simplicity. After grand winners of previous years, juries and national voters decided to reward a simple performance, which was more similar to a girl singing in the shower than a Eurovision stage act. Lena’s ease on the stage, combined with her sympathetic manner, got Germany 246 points from other countries, bringing them the victory of Eurovision 2010.

For many critics, including myself, Germany's win was questionable. Although all critics wanted different winners and lineups for Eurovision 2010, Lena’s victory was quite unexpected. It was unreasonable that MaNga was able to receive 12 points, which is the highest score, from only three countries. One of these 12 points came from Azerbaijan, as predicted, due to its close political ties to Turkey. Compared to the previous year with Hadise’s fumbled performance, Turkey had lost three countries which it obtained 12 points from. Considering MaNga's outstanding performance, one would have anticipated more nations voting for Turkey’s win. As one of the critics emphasized, MaNga’s “song [was] just so freaking epic and MaNga deserved every single point they got and some more” (Percy). Unfortunately, some other factors influenced the voting process, as it often happens. Germany’s favorable relations with the other European countries and the fact that they had not won Eurovision in thirty years before Lena contributed to German triumph in Eurovision 2010. Once again, “it [was] not the first time things have gotten political” (Robinson). When it comes to votes, Eurovision has always been a show for political support rather than a music competition.

Following MaNga’s performance, Turkey participated in the competition for two more years without any notable success, and the government decided to withdraw from the competition in 2013. “Given that EU accession talks are basically dead in the water and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s increasing authoritarianism,” Turkey’s decision mostly signified political distancing from Europe (Robinson). While Turkey used dissatisfaction with the current voting system of Eurovision as an official reason for its withdrawal from the contest, Turkish Radio and Television Corporation’s explanation was merely an excuse to justify the withdrawal. Yet, it was true that the voting system was mostly corrupted and Eurovision itself was the hotbed of political controversies. Ukraine’s victory in 2022 after the invasion of Russia, Armenia’s song about the genocide during the Ottoman Empire, Israel’s attempt to enter Eurovision 2024 with a song called “October Rain” and many other performances and victories closely related to ongoing political movements constantly reminded us that Eurovision has never been just about music. In such a politically motivated competition, Turkey’s withdrawal was not just about a music contest. Rather, it was a sign of a shift in Turkey’s future political stands, moving away from Europe and European ideals after years of trying to get into the European Union.

To this day, my lingering questions about Eurovision 2010 also depict my yearning for the bygone days of Turkey. If Turkey had not withdrawn from the competition, perhaps the disappointment of losing to Lena on that day would not still remain. However, Eurovision 2010 and defending MaNga meant more than just a loss in a music competition. That is why, it is still possible to find newly posted comments under MaNga’s “We Could Be the Same” YouTube. While some critics state that “years on, [they] still listen to this track and secretly yearn for Turkey’s return to the competition,” Turkish people also go back to MaNga’s performance to remember those days of unity, tranquility, and prosperity (Percy). Uniting under MaNga’s performance reminds us that there was something distinctive about 2010s’ Turkey and my recollection of that Eurovision night shows that it surely is missed.