#79 Franka Batelić, "Ruža u kamenu"

Da l' sam još jedna ja, pomalo nebitna
koja bi dala sve, život za tebe
ili me iskreno, onako pošteno
u srcu imaš svom i gineš za mene

...

Da li sam samo gost ili do jutra most
kog zoveš u pomoc da kraca bude noc

The debut single from a young Croatian singer, the winner of a TV singing contest, "Ruža u kamenu" and its unveiling performance (particularly the outfits and the matching of the stop-start post-chorus section to the stop-start dancing) at a Croatian music festival mark a proper popstar moment, one I'd like to see as the arrival of a brilliant new artist but that's a prospect I'm not placing any bets on. "Ruža u kamenu" is brilliant and unique, two things that made it all the more exciting an arrival from Croatia; I know you might not guess it from the song's placement on this list, but I think my excitement around Franka and "Ruža u kamenu" is about equivalent to what some people probably felt when Girls Aloud unleashed "No Good Advice" upon the world, not because the song is equally as good (it's great but not quite that great) but because with its excellently crafted musical parts are all just so fresh, so well done, so imbued with attitude by Franka, and so...out of nowhere that it manages the dual feat of being fantastic while hinting at so much potential. That's potential that, as I said above and elsewhere, I'm not expecting to be fulfilled, but I desperately want Franka to get the music and care this song and her performance of it prove she deserves.

Find it on: I've got no idea--Franka has yet to release a debut album and I have no idea where you can buy Croatian singles