"O jardim" (; ) is a song performed by Portuguese singer

Cláudia Pascoal Cláudia Rafaela Teixeira Pascoal (; born 12 October 1994) is a Portuguese singer who represented her country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 on home soil in Lisbon. Career 2010–2015: ''Ídolos'' and ''Factor X'' In 2010, Pascoal parti ...

and written by

Isaura Isauria ( or ; grc, Ἰσαυρία), in ancient geography, is a rugged, isolated, district in the interior of Asia Minor, of very different extent at different periods, but generally covering what is now the district of Bozkır and its surrou ...

, which represented Portugal at the

Eurovision Song Contest 2018 The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Lisbon, Portugal, following the country's victory at the with the song " Amar pelos dois" by Salvador Sobral. Organised by the European Broa ...

. It premiered on 25 February 2018, when it was performed live in the second semi-final of ''

Festival da Canção Festival da Canção (; "Song Festival") or Festival RTP da Canção is the name given to the national festival, produced and broadcast by Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) to choose the for the Eurovision Song Contest. It was first held in ...

2018'', Portugal's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. The song was released as a digital download on 9 March 2018 by Universal Music Portugal. The song features uncredited vocals from the song's lyricist,

Background

"O jardim" was one of twenty-six songs commissioned by RTP for

2018, Portugal's national selection for the

. The composers both created the song and selected the performer for their entry.

composed "O jardim" and chose

as the performer.

Composition

"O jardim" was written and produced by

. "O jardim" is a ballad with a length of two minutes and thirty-eight seconds (2:38) that moves at a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 60 beats per minute. Lyrically, the song is about loss and ''

saudade ''Saudade'' (, , , ; plural ''saudades'') is an emotional state of melancholic or profoundly nostalgic longing for something that one loves despite it not necessarily being real. It often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of long ...

'': "São as flores o meu lugar / Agora que não estás / Rego eu o teu jardim". Isaura stated that "O jardim" is a song about "adding tension, ..''saudade'', something we have on the chest, any sorrow, and basically for me this song is about preserving that tension".

Eurovision Song Contest

Isaura was announced as a participating songwriter in Festival da Canção 2018, Portugal's national selection for the

, on 27 September 2017. On 18 January 2018, Cláudia Pascoal was announced to be performing her song, titled "O jardim". Pascoal competed in the second semi-final, placing second with 20 points after coming second in both the jury vote and the televote. In the final, held on March 4, she came second in the jury vote and won the televote, placing first with 22 points and thus representing Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. As Portugal was the host country, the song automatically advanced to the final, which was held on 12 May 2018 in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

. On 12 March 2018, it was announced that she would perform 8th in the Grand Final on 12 May 2018. The song placed 26th, and last, in the Final, receiving 39 points.

Reception

Critical response

Charlotte Runcie of British newspaper ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

'' listed "O jardim" as one of the five best Eurovision entries of the year, and described it as an "electropop-tinged indie ballad, gorgeously intimate and contemporary too. Just lovely". Fabien Randanne of French newspaper '' 20 Minutes'' stated that the song "shines for its simplicity, modesty and the emotion that transcends language barriers". Hans Rollman of American online magazine ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' called the song a "moving tribute to Isaura's grandmother, and the garden that meant a great deal to them both".

Music video

The music video for "O jardim" premiered on 30 April 2018.

Track listings

* Digital download # "O jardim" – 2:38 * Promo CD # "O jardim" # "O jardim" (Instrumental)

Credits and personnel

* Cláudia Pascoal – lead vocals * Isaura – background vocals,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

, songwriting

Charts

Release history

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jardim, O 2010s ballads 2018 singles 2018 songs Eurovision songs of 2018 Eurovision songs of Portugal Pop ballads Portuguese songs Portuguese-language songs Universal Music Group singles