After making their Eurovision debut in 2008, the tiny nation of Azerbaijan has only once placed outside of the top five, with their debut which reached a very respectable number eight.
They finally topped the Eurovision table in 2011 with Ell & Nikki's Running Scared - which made the two singers national stars and heroes for bringing the trophy home.
Though winning did come with a cost as the country spent more money than any other ever on hosting the event the year after. According to one breakdown of Government spending on issues related to the event, it estimates Azerbaijan spent a mammoth £433 million - so Eurovision is very big business there.
Enter Dilara Kazimova who has the weight of Azerbaijan on her shoulders. The 29-year-old singer is a relative unknown in the country, only recently coming to real prominence as a contestant on the Azerbaijian version of The Voice.
Representing her country at Eurovision has been a long-term goal of Dilara's with her twice previously competing in the national selection competition in bands - coming second in 2008 and 2010 - but will 2014 be her year?
Though as it is the Eurovision Song Contest, this is all about the music, so will Dilara Kazimova's Start a Fire be enough to get Europe voting for her?
Given that Azerbaijan take Eurovision so seriously it's no surprise that the song is as serious as a librarian organising a trad jazz festival while wearing tweed and a pair of sensible shoes.
Start a Fire is the sort of song that's played at the funerals of people with malfunctioning hearing aids - it has the veneer of being a good song, but listen closely and it all falls away.
There's nothing horrendously offensive about it, it's very well sung, and it would segue nicely into the shipping forecast on Radio Four but it's not exactly Eurovision material.
In fact the only thing remotely Eurovision about it is the lyrics, which include the question: "Maybe teardrops stain our eyes?" Well, no. Not unless you're crying Domestos anyway.
As for starting a fire - only if someone listening to it is holding a match and becomes so bored they accidentally drop it onto their bone-dry, deep-pile shag.
And let's not start on the video - whichever fool decided it would be a good idea to put her on a rooftop for it needs a good talking to. It's a wonder she didn't throw herself off.
The first Eurovision Song Contest 2014 semi-final will take place on Tuesday 6 May, followed by the second on Thursday 8 May - The winners will then perform at the Grand Final on Saturday 10 May, which will be broadcast on BBC One.
ANN.Az
