#like the music! the lyrics! the whole vibe just screams serbia

[minqies]

i swear if this song doesn't get picked to represent serbia on eurovision this year i will literally kill someone

[hlurz]

Finlandia

Where's Pennywise?

I like the way they're dressed

It wasn't my favourite of UMK but I like it

Lauri viejo sabroso

It was good

Israel

Love the confidence

And the performance.

He gives a proper show.

Is a requirement for the Israel entry to always scream high?

Serbia

Me da miedito esa mina

KNEEL

I like it but is weird

Should look the lyrics

El curita saltando memuéh

One thing that we all learn those last years was to wash our hands

It's catchy

Please don't tell me I will try to learn the hand's choreography

Azerbaiján

I remember that I didn't like it that much

But nice curls

Is kinda simple but powerful

The expression of the dancer!!

Georgia

Catchy af

Another ones with weird costumes

I asume that a trip induced by drugs would feel similar to this

They're cool

But is kinda repetitive

Malta

Such beautiful eyes

Why bring a piano if you are only using it less that 10 seconds?

Sounds like a teen movie song (but not the really popular ones)

Idk why she remembers me of Efendi

I like her vibe and energy

San Marino

They speak in Italian? That makes sense but I never realized before

The music is so cool

Purple hair my beloved

I fucking love it

The guitars. The fire. The mechanic bull

They're next level

Achille Lauro ft Måneskin when?

Australia

It's really impressive

I really really like it

Again, maybe knowing the lyrics I would like it more

But I love it

Chipre

I didn't like that start at all. Her voice sounds weird

But the performance is cool

It's giving me North African/Middle Eastern vibes but maybe is Cyprus culture?

It was enjoyable

Ireland

I like the song

Irish Dua Lipa

How she can dance and sing so well at the same time? I could never

Bye bye boy

Macedonia del Norte

Water again?

Genderswapped Suiza (Switzerland)

I like how expressive she is

Also nice voice

I was fearing she would start crying

Estonia

HIS VOICE

Not a fan of western cowboy things but this sounds cool

The guy is alone in a huge stage with 0 stuff and doing it all

Fucking love the energy

Everyone say a few words in Italian and I don't remember seeing something like that last year

Rumania

This year all is queerer that I expected. And I definitely not complaining

Why is always someone singing a few words in Spanish?

Not my fave but it's amazing

Polonia

His voice sounds kinda weird but is good

What's Eurovision without high notes?

Love the stormy thing

The dancers getting close to him make me nervous

The whole effect was amazing

Montenegro

Another blue one?

She's beautiful and her voice is really cool

Reminds me to Cirque du Soleil for some reason

Her eyes

Bélgica

Reminds me a Il Volo and Dove Cameron's Boyfriend

Is good but not super memorable

How cool they dance

Suecia

Epic chord instruments aren't always the key

Is a good song but I don't love it

I'm curious if they have to rehearsal every step that much as BC did

República Checa

Where are you now when I miss you?

Her dance

This woman is beautiful

I like this song since the first time I heard it

I love that they seem to have so much fun

España

Just to be clear, it wasn't one of my favorite from Benidorm

But is catchy

And again how is she so capable of singing and dancing like this?

Una reina

I really like it

Alemania

I really like this song

The lyrics, the way he sings, everything

(Also I think it wasn't my favorite from the preselection)

But is so raw and touching and personal

The stage looks so intimate and cozy

Reino Unido

This guy is so lovely

And the costume is amazing

I really really like it

The guitar part is so cool but so short

Francia

I'm weak for folk things

(And also for dudes who look like that)

I love that they reivindicate their culture

I feel like an antient ritual

[balkanballad]

Eurovision 2020 ranking

welcome to another year and another ranking. the last few years I used to put the songs in different categories, but this year I did that (from top 💐 to flop 🥀) AND gave every song an actual number AND added a comment. wow, so brave, I know. it’s a bit long, but here we go:

💐:

Norway: it was love at first sight and listen with this song. I connect with it, I love the lyrics, the instruments, her, everything about the nf performances. this is my very strong number one this year and, btw, the studio version is so much weaker than the live version

Switzerland: this song makes me very emotional and I love it. his voice is so lovely and with this one I, again, enjoy and feel the lyrics. I am very curious to see what they will do on stage

Australia: I wouldn’t say that I am always a huge fan of the songs with more goofy vibes and staging, but this one is a fave. I wasn’t in a great mood when I listened to this the first time and I remember crying because it was just very fitting to my personal situation. so, me and this song have an emotional connection now. also, I enjoyed the contrast that the staging in the national final gave it. it’s just.. same to everything about this song and performance. it’s also my favourite entry from Australia so far

North Macedonia: my only ‘dance’ song in this favourite category. it makes me wanna dance but in a tango and dimmed red lights way. I would also say that it made me think a bit of Switzerland last year, but I like this better

Croatia: another favourite entry that won a national final! I didn’t have a terribly bad year with national final faves. I might even say that I had a good year. anyway, a Balkan ballad :) with nice lyrics :) a bit sad and great violins :) of course I am into this. I love it

Portugal: I had this saved as a favourite before I saw the live performances and I really like that it won the national final. it’s super sweet, pastel pink vibes and my cup of tea

Finland: sweet! this makes me tear up a bit and I see a pattern this year for my personal preference: songs that make me melancholic and cry a bit. although, no one should be surprised because nostalgia and melancholy seem to always be with me

Denmark: while I was making this ranking and listening to the songs over and over, I think this song moved up the most. this is very sweet. last year was too sweet for me and I think this one is better, but on the edge to crossing that line. however, I love that we have a duet. I’m a big fan of duets. is someone going to propose this year again? this song would be at least perfect for that occasion. or maybe a bit too pushing actually.. 

🌺:

(no. 9) Israel: maybe a tiny little bit too much going on in a 3-minute song and something about it reminded me a bit of JESC songs, but I love the rhythm and I think this performance will be fun 

(no. 10) UK: it’s a good song. the breath! part makes it more interesting and I have this song in my car playlist, which means that I am not skipping it usually. however, I also came across the BBC recording and I am not very convinced that the staging and everything will be enough to secure it a high placing in the end

(no. 11) Romania: oh look, I once again connected to a song because I feel the lyrics. that is probably not the best sign with this song but oh well. I am not the biggest fan of the live version here and prefer the studio recording. maybe another bad sign or maybe it’s just the weird screaming in the back and low quality of the equipment etc.

(no. 12) The Netherlands: I don’t think that they are trying to win another time this year with this, but it’s a cute and sweet song and everyone will cheer anyway. I listened to one live recording and there he sounded amazing

🌻:

(no. 13) Armenia: maybe this would be a guilty pleasure, but it’s 2020 we are just enjoying songs. I think the staging for this song will decide how it goes because the song itself is definitely.. different and not for everyone. the studio version is a lot better than the live performance, the lyrics are a bit repulsive to me and I feel like this could slip in the category ‘cheap’, but the whole song also gives me a weird kind of self-confidence boost when I listen to it 

(no. 14) Azerbaijan: okay, so the song title made me very excited. the lyrics are.. there. I don’t think I was looking for something relatable in this song, but they are just very random to me. funny enough, I think this will be competing with Armenia because of similar vibes and because a lot depends on the staging. however, I think that this might do better because it’s more esc mainstream and has a better flow, but then again, maybe don’t rely on me when I say such things  

(no. 15) Greece: this sounds a bit like a JESC entry to me and I have mixed feelings about it. with this I am also not sure what the message is supposed to be, but I really like the instruments  

(no. 16) Estonia: hm. I must admit that I like this song more than I want to, but I don’t love it. I like the dramatic touch, but it’s not relatable at all, which isn’t necessary a factor for a good song of course. I just like having my emotional support songs and this is not one of them 

(no. 17) Poland: this and Albania are in the same semi and sound too similar, so my prediction is that only one of these two will go through. personally, I like Poland better, but even if none of them makes it, it won’t break my heart I think

(no. 18) Spain: this song feels a lot longer than 3 minutes and it might be because it’s repetitive, but I can listen to it still. just not too often

(no. 19) Lithuania: this is a fan fave, right? personally, I’m just.. not in love. I like the message, but I don’t feel the need to listen to it regularly 

(no. 20) Iceland: it’s alright. it’s there. I can’t really think about things to say about this  

(no. 21) Italy: a ballad. in Italian. ground-breaking. just kidding, I think the fact that it’s in Italian saves it a bit, but I don’t really listen to this. I don’t mind it playing in the background, but it’s also not in my car playlist

(no. 22) Ukraine: I feel like I should technically like this more than I do, but I don’t really listen to this, sorry

(no. 23) Belarus: just like with Ukraine: I think I should like this a lot more than I currently do. I also find this song a bit boring

🌼:

(no. 24) Georgia: not a fan of the screaming, but I see why it fits the song. I am not sure, though, whether this will be the year that they make it back to the final 

(no. 25) Albania: did anyone ask for the English revamp? I don’t think so, but they did it anyway. it is too forgettable for my taste and reminds me of something that they sent already in the past few years, but now it’s in English, so even less original. it isn’t a bad ballad though

(no. 26) Ireland: I know what this song is trying to tell me, but it is trying very hard to make sure we all understand it. it also reminds me a bit of a song that they would play in a disney channel film and it annoys me a bit

(no. 27) France: I might not skip it always, but it’s very repetitive and I still stand with my association of the Netflix show YOU and this (sorry, Tom)

(no. 28) Austria: my friend said that this song sounds like it should be by Sweden and I think that she is right. I never really was into that kind of vibe though, so I am not the biggest fan

(no. 29) Germany: not terrible, but also kind of strange vibes. I don’t like the lyrics (I will tell my mama whatever I want). I also think that Germany took inspiration from Switzerland last year and who knows, maybe they will finally start playing their own songs on the German radio stations and stop playing Sweden’s 2016 entry

(no. 30) San Marino: San Marino is once again bringing the disco vibes, thanks. I can’t watch the video twice in a row because it makes me feel like I’m on a trip, but good for her! I should definitely also get a little more freaky myself sometimes

(no. 31) Sweden: I’m not a fan. I was a fan of other Melfest entries though.. anyway, this is not a bad song of course, but definitely a bit boring to me

(no. 32) Moldova: I don’t hate it, and some very few parts of the melody I even like, but this is my least favourite Kirkorov produced, or written or bought or pushed through or whatever he does, song

(no. 33) Bulgaria: if everyone should find a similar partner then Bulgaria could team up with Romania this year. I find Bulgaria to be a lot more boring though

(no. 34) Cyprus: keep on running and keep on running and keep on running.. etc. etc. etc. this is how I feel when I make myself jog once a year 

(no. 35) Malta: sounds very familiar, but I haven’t figured out yet which generic pop song it reminds me of

(no. 36) Belgium: yet another year and I am sadly bored by Belgium’s entry yet again

🥀:

(no. 37) Czech Republic: to this song I imagine the scenario of a school mate, that you aren’t too close with, but he is friendly, so you listen to the songs he made himself and uploaded and then you assure him that it sounds cool and you will add it to your music collection, but then you don’t ever listen to it again. this never happened to me, but that’s the vibe somehow. it’s just not really my kind of song and it also misses a bit of a real concept and flow because, even after the revamp, to me it still sounds a bit unpolished

(no. 38) Serbia: nop. I am very much for wmn pwr but I don’t like this. I get very strong mean girls vibes from it and I don’t say this as a good thing because I would rather not get bullied. I despise the lyrics and overall, everything, but I see why one would call it a ‘bop’ perhaps

(no. 39) Russia: when they were announced I looked them up and already was skeptical. most of the time this simply isn’t my kind of genre, humour and taste, and I was right. it annoys me. I am sure, like with every song btw, there is an audience for this, but I am very far away from being that audience

(no. 40) Slovenia: I’m sorry, but I really don’t like her voice, which is not a good thing, obviously, when ranking songs. I also find the song quite boring and it is another example of songs that somehow feel longer than 3 mins

(no. 41) Latvia: this gives me a headache. I don’t understand the lyrics, the music makes me want to leave the room, it’s a no from me and my last place

[mexicaneurolover]

Eurovision 2016 my top 42

Hello and welcome to another episode of this ESC top series, as I go back to May 10, 12 and 14, 2016, when the 61st edition of the contest was held in Stockholm, Sweden, after Måns Zelmerlöw’s victory in Vienna last year. 42 countries took part, while Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Croatia returned to the contest, Portugal withdrew and Romania was disqualified because of a debt after they submitted a song. This year we saw the voting system change, now the jury votes and the televote are added separately to make the final result, and I must say this was a brilliant idea because it makes the contest way more exciting. The contest was won by Ukraine and Jamala with the song 1944, making this their second victory overall in the contest. Also this year is so special for me because it was the first year I saw the contest live in YouTube and it was the first one where I got involved with the fandom, and now this contest has a special place in my heart. And now, let’s review the songs in this amazing ESC year. 

1st Place: FRANCE/Amir-J’ai cherché (Real Placing: 6th-257 points) 

Oh sweet sweet Amir Hotdad, this song is perfect, I love him so much, and his voice is so beautiful, the music is amazing and the lyrics are perfect, and this was my winner back then and my love for this song grows with every listen because it’s very awesome, and it was so close for a top 5 result. YOUUUUUU 

2nd Place: UKRAINE/Jamala-1944 (Real Placing: 1st-534 points) 

At first I didn’t like this song, but it slowly and steady grew on me, and in the day of the second semifinal I fell in love with it, Jamala has such an amazing voice, the song is so sad, but powerful and the music is so perfect, and when it was the final I was thinking on a possible Ukrainian victory and it happened, and i was so happy for her, I think this is a 100% deserved winner and now I listen to Jamala in a daily basis because she’s so awesome. 

3rd Place: RUSSIA/Sergey Lazarev-You are the only one (Real Placing: 3rd-491 points) 

Another hot and handsome man, he’s like a dream... and the song IS SUCH AN AMAZING ONE, the music is epic, he has an amazing voice and the performance, THAT BLOODY PERFORMANCE IS PERFECT, I was rooting so hard for this one in 2016 and I was sad because he lost, despite winning the televote, I’m so in love with this song and I hope he returns for revenge. 

4th Place: ARMENIA/Iveta Mukuchyan-LoveWave (Real Placing: 7th-249 points)  

Another song that captured me when it was released, her voice is so stunning, she’s so beautiful, the music is very dark but it’s epic, and the performance is so perfect, I loved the lighting and the whole package is stunning. I also love the music before the chorus. Such a stunning entry. 

5th Place: BELGIUM/Laura Tesoro-What’s the pressure (Real Placing: 10th-181 points) 

Yeees this is a very good song as well, this always put a smile on my face, she has a lot of charisma, the music has a retro vibe which is lovely and her voice is so cool, also the performance is amazing and it’s perfect. I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH. 

6th Place: BULGARIA/Poli Genova-If love was a crime (Real Placing: 4th-307 points) 

POLIIIIII YOU’RE BACK, and with a very beautiful song, I love the music so much, her voice is stunning, she’s so cute and the message of the song is perfect, I always dance to this song and the chorus is so amazing, of course this was a powerful return, and what a result she had: a top 5 result, and I was so happy for her. 

7th Place: CZECH REPUBLIC/Gabriela Gunčíková-I stand (Real Placing: 25th-41 points) 

Awwww the first time they were in the final and they scored 0 points with the televote, which is a bit unfair because this is a very good ballad, she has an amazing voice, the performance was cute, maybe the number 2 position wasn’t the best idea for this song but still I like it so much, and I screamed when I saw they were going to the final. 

8th Place: MOLDOVA/Lidia Isac-Falling stars (Real Placing: 17th SF1-33 points)

I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but this is one of my guiltiest pleasures ever, I love the music, her voice is a bit flat but still is good, and the song is cute, maybe the performance was a bit boring, and this needed a brighter background, anyway this is a very good song and I love it so much. 

9th Place: AUSTRALIA/Dami Im-Sound of silence (Real Placing: 2nd-511 points) 

The runner up from the night, and I think it was a very good result for them, Dami’s voice is perfect, the performance was flawless, the song is so good, the music, the lyrics are fine and I was a bit shocked when I saw that she wasn’t going to win the whole thing. It would’ve been an amazing winner. 

10th Place: SPAIN/Barei-Say yay! (Real Placing: 22nd-77 points)  

Another song I can’t understand how it finished so low, the arena was on fire, the music is so good, she has an amazing voice and it’s a very catchy song, maybe the performance wasn’t the best one for this song, it was a bit lame, but still I always dance to this song and it’s one of Spain’s best recent entries. 

11th Place: AUSTRIA/Zoë-Loin d’ici (Real Placing: 13th-151 points)

I loved this song from the beginning, it has a French vibe that makes this so enjoyable, her voice is so sweet, the music is perfect, the staging was awesome and she looked like a princess on that stage. I was so happy when I saw her qualifying and getting in the televote top 10, a very deserved result. 

12th Place: GERMANY/Jamie-Lee-Ghost (Real Placing: 26th-11 points/last) 

Why this song came last in the final? I never saw it coming, the music is so mysterious, her voice was a bit shaky that night but I still think this entry is so good and deserved much more on the final, maybe her clothes were the problem here. 

13th Place: LATVIA/Justs-Heartbeat (Real Placing: 15th-132 points) 

So many hot guys this year, and Justs is not the exception, the song is so modern and perfect, the music is so amazing, his voice is so special, mostly in the chorus, the performance is amazing and I’m in love with his voice. I think this deserved a higher place on that night. 

14th Place: CYPRUS/Minus One-Alter ego (Real Placing: 21st-96 points) 

YEEEEES ROCK, this is a very powerful rock song, I love the main singer’s voice and he’s handsome, the performance is a bit weird, and full of light and cages, but still it’s according to the lyrics of the song, and I love the music so much, and I think I’ve heard this before somewhere, still I like this song so much. 

15th Place: BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA/Dalal & Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala-Ljubav je (Real Placing: 11th SF1-104 points) 

Seriously they couldn’t find a group name? This entry is pure epicness, and I fell in love with this song when it came out, and I thought they could be in the final, and I was shocked when they didn’t reach it. They sang it so well, the music is beautiful, maybe the problem here was the staging but this is a very good song. I think this song deserved so much the final.  

16th Place: ISRAEL/Hovi Star-Made of stars (Real Placing: 14th-135 points)

When this song came out I hated it so much, then the revamp came and this was miles better and it had a magical feeling to it, he has such a charming voice and the music is perfect, and I loved it when I saw the live performance, it was so beautiful and I was happy for him when he reached the final. A very beautiful song. 

17th Place: THE NETHERLANDS/Douwe Bob-Slow down (Real Placing: 11th-153 points) 

I love this entry because it has a country feeling to it and it’s very pleasant, his voice is so cool, the staging is so perfect for this song and he’s so cute on stage, that pause at the middle confused me so much but now I find it so lovely. Overall this entry is so good and I’m glad it finished so high on the night. 

18th Place: SERBIA/Sanja Vučić ZAA-Goodbye (Shelter) (Real Placing: 18th-115 points) 

Wow, the lyrics here are so strong, her voice is very good and the music inspires me so much, the only thing i didn’t like here was her dress, it was horrible, anyway this song is amazing and she defended it so well, and I thought she would’ve been top 10 because of that performance. 

19th Place: LITHUANIA/Donny Montell-I’ve been waiting for this night (Real Placing: 9th-200 points) 

Oh hey Donny, this song at first had me in a neutral status, but it grew slowly on me and I liked it so much at the end, and the fact he came 9th was so amazing because it was the second top 10 result for Lithuania, and his voice is as good as in 2012, and the performance is beautiful. 

20th Place: FYR MACEDONIA/Kaliopi-Dona (Real Placing: 11th SF2-88 points)

Queen Kaliopi is back, and sadly she didn’t reach the final that year, and it’s  a shame because the song is very good, it’s a very nice rock ballad and reminds me of the 80′s songs, her voice is as strong and powerful as she was in 2012, the staging wasn’t so good but she’s so stunning. She deserved so much more that night. 

21st Place: HUNGARY/Freddie-Pioneer (Real Placing: 19th-108 points) 

Hello handsome Freddie, this song is very very good, the music is so epic, his voice is raspy and I find it interesting, the performance is so powerful and he is amazing on stage, and I’m always distracted because he’s so handsome. 

22nd Place: ITALY/Francesca Michielin-No degree of separation (Real Placing: 16th-124 points)

Another lovely Italian song, her voice is so sweet, and she reminds me of Laura Pausini so much, the staging is so colorful, is like a garden on stage, the music is very lovely and yeah, I like this song, maybe the running order killed it a little. 

23rd Place: BELARUS/Ivan-Help you fly (Real Placing: 12th SF2-84 points) 

This song has a lot of power, and the music is the best part of this song, his voice is good and the performance is so cool, and when he said he was going to be naked surrounded by wolves I was like what? I like this song so much, it’s very nice. 

24th Place: NORWAY/Agnete-Icebreaker (Real Placing: 13th SF2-63 points)

The song with 3 songs in it, this is a very nice one, she has a nice voice and the music is so good, the performance is very icy and she looked so nervous on stage, and I was surprised when she didn’t reach the final, I was so convinced about it. 

25th Place: GREECE/Argo-Utopian land (Real Placing: 16th SF1-44 points)

This is historic, the first ever non qualification of Greece, and I can see why this failed to impress somebody, but I enjoy this song because it has a lot of Greek elements to it and they make this song so nice, it’s a guilty pleasure. Maybe they had a lot of confidence when they selected this song.  

26th Place: SAN MARINO/Serhat-I didn’t know (Real Placing: 12th SF1-68 points) 

Disco daddy Serhat is here bringing a nice song, I remember this was originally a ballad, but then the disco version came and this is epic, the music is so retro, his voice is so deep and causes me eargasms and he’s such a gentleman on stage. This is one of my biggest guilty pleasures, and the fact he was so high in the semi says something about this. 

27th Place: AZERBAIJAN/Samra-Miracle (Real Placing: 17th-117 points) 

This song is good, it’s very radio friendly, but I think it’s a bit dull and the performance was a bit disappointing, as well as her voice, she was a bit off key in the chorus, the music is powerful. This entry had a lot of potential, but it was a bit overshadowed for other pop songs that were better than this one. 

28th Place: UNITED KINGDOM/Joe & Jake-You’re not alone (Real Placing: 24th-62 points) 

This entry isn’t so bad, they sing okay, the music is lovely and it’s a cute song, but sadly this is a bit flat in a quite strong field of songs, still I think it’s a very good song and the performance is so nice. 

29th Place: CROATIA/Nina Krajlić-Lighthouse (Real Placing: 23rd-73 points) 

This song was one of my personal favorites before the contest, the music is beautiful, the lyrics are nice and it was so promising, but then the live version came with that horrible dress and a shaky voice so I can understand how this scored so badly in the night. 

30th Place: FINLAND/Sandhja-Sing it away (Real Placing: 15th SF1-51 points)  

Oh this song is very good, on studio, live it was a mess because she sang a bit off key, the music is so uplifting and the lyrics are so carefree. IMO the Finnish song that year should’ve been No Fear by Saara Aalto, but who knows the result she would’ve had. 

31st Place: GEORGIA/Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz-Midnight gold (Real Placing: 20th-104 points) 

When I saw the name of the group I was like “oh a Japanese themed band” but then I realized it wasn’t the case. This song is weird, but the best part of this one is the last part when everything is like psychedelic. Such an interesting choice. 

32nd Place: ALBANIA/Eneda Tarifa-Fairytale (Real Placing: 16th SF2-45 points) 

Speaking of ruined songs, this song when it was in Albanian and it was the FiK version it was very good, but the revamp came and it was a hot mess, the song lost it’s charm and the performance was so stiff, and I was sad about it because she has a strong voice. 

33rd Place: IRELAND/Nicky Byrne-Sunlight (Real Placing: 15th SF2-46 points)

When this song was released, it was my favorite song at that date, and I thought this had a chance of reaching the final, but then the live performance came and it was quite a mess, and that background was depressive. Still this is a very enjoyable song. 

34th Place: SLOVENIA/ManuElla-Blue and red (Real Placing: 14th SF2-57 points) 

This is like a Taylor Swift song, and she looks a lot like her, her voice is good and the music is pleasant, I must say that this song is nice but nothing special. Still the performance is very good and she knew how to defend her song. 

35th Place: SWITZERLAND/Rykka-The last of our kind (Real Placing: 18th SF2-28 points) 

This song is good, nothing out of the ordinary but I liked the NF performance more than the ESC performance, here she’s only doing squats throughout all the songs and it looked very cheap so I can understand how this song failed to impress somebody. 

36th Place: MALTA/Ira Losco-Walk on water (Real Placing: 12th-153 points)

This song is good, the music is nice and she has such a strong voice, sadly I find it a bit flat and boring at some point. I must admit that I liked Chameleon more than this song, and her 2002 entry was miles better than this song. 

37th Place: ICELAND/Greta Salóme-Hear them calling (Real Placing: 14th SF1-51 points)  

Another song I couldn’t understand the hype around it, the best thing of this song is the chorus, but at the same time almost all the song is the chorus repeated many many times in different ways, her voice is good and the performance was great, so I thought this would’ve reach the final, but it didn’t so I was kinda happy, still I don’t hate the song as I did back in 2016. 

38th Place: MONTENEGRO/Highway-The real thing (Real Placing: 13th SF1-60 points) 

Since the first time I listened to this entry, I never understood it, the music has a lot of changes that I always find hard to process, they aren’t bad singers but this song isn’t my cup of tea. 

39th Place: DENMARK/Lighthouse X-Soldiers of love (Real Placing: 17th SF2-34 points) 

Hmmmm, this song is nice but it’s a bit flat, and it’s a shame because this song had a lot of potential. The music is okay, it’s like a song from a 90′s boyband but they don’t sing so well. Also the performance was a bit of a letdown, which was a bit sad. 

40th Place: POLAND/Michał Szpak-Color of your life (Real Placing: 8th-229 points) 

Another song that many people like, but for me it’s a very boring song, his voice is nice, I love his jacket but still this isn’t very special for me, I try to like it but no, nothing happens. Also I was surprised when I saw the televote result, it was shocking. 

41st Place: ESTONIA/Jüri Pootsman-Play (Real Placing: 18th SF1-24 points)  

Ummmm this song isn’t my cup of tea but I thought it was going to be in the final, but when I saw that performance I was bored by it, the song isn’t so special, his voice is awesome but no, I don’t like this song like most of people do. 

42nd Place: SWEDEN/Frans-If I were sorry (Real Placing: 5th-261 points)

NO NO NO NO NO, this song isn’t good, he’s talking and it makes the song so boring, I thought this song wasn’t a top 10 contender and when I saw it finished 5th I was so angry. IMO one of the worst songs from Sweden, that years Mello had way better songs. 

[eurovosion]

 some thoughts on this year’s entries

or i guess just a ranking with comments tacked on

albania - this year’s nf season was a let down for me, partly because a lot of the winning songs weren’t the best on offer, and partly because albania picked first and nothing could live up to it. i love the depth this has, the dark, almost tribal vibes, and most of all i love how they didn’t fuck up the revamp like they usually do. if this is staged correctly, i think this could do really well. 10/10

greece - i feel like this has been overlooked in the wider fandom, which is odd because greek entries are usually pretty polarising, for better or for worse. regardless, i really like this. it’s atmospheric, powerful as hell, and katerine is more than capable of nailing it live. don’t count greece out just yet! 9.5/10

portugal - festival da canção was easily the best nf this year and the portuguese public picked wisely. telemóveis is such an intriguing song with a really curious sound, so traditional yet so modern at the same time. i’m not 100% on the staging, but they have time to figure it out. 9.5/10

spain - la venda wasn’t the song i was rooting for in the selection (rip todo bien, never forgotten) but i’m fully on board with it now. this works so well with a big audience, and you just know that the crowd will be on his side. if this doesn’t go top 10 at the very least i’ll be stunned. 9/10

cyprus - this is just as instant as fuego for me. not sure if tamta will do as well as eleni, but the cypriot delegation has definitely found their winning formula. 9/10

malta - malta is not fucking around this year. this is a verified banger, and their best entry in years, perhaps their best ever. take as many youtube ads as you want, michela, you deserve them. 8.5/10

azerbaijan - without a doubt, azerbaijan is back with a vengeance. you can tell they’re determined to set the record straight and prove that last year was just a blip, because this is great and hopefully the live performance reflects that. 8.5/10

denmark - i really should hate this, but i can’t. it’s so innocent and cheerily optimistic in a way that i can only be jealous of whilst humming along to the chorus. this deserves to do well. 8/10

italy - it took me a little while to warm up to soldi, but once i finally got there i really started to appreciate it. i don’t think it’s a winner, but it’s a very good song, and in the end that’s all that matters. 8/10

san marino - yes, serhat is in my top 10, and what of it? you only wish your fave could write a song in ten minutes and have it go off like this. and yes, if he doesn’t qualify you’ll catch me openly sobbing in the streets for weeks. 8/10

switzerland - an unabashed bop with some actual choreography, but lacking lyrically. then again, so was fuego and that popped off live. he’s also working with the same stage director as eleni, which can only be good news for him. 7.5/10

the netherlands - don’t get me wrong, it’s a very polished song and i’m sure duncan’s great but like... is that it? this is the big fan favourite? i’m very whelmed. 7.5/10

armenia - i was expecting something like yete karogh es from srbuk, so this came completely out of left field in the best way possible. i thought we’d lost our token edgy pop song when ukraine dropped out, but armenia saved us at the last minute. the only thing i’m worried about are her vocals, because, from what i’ve seen, she isn’t the most confident performer. 7/10

serbia - another respectable but ultimately pretty safe pick from serbia this year. nevena has a really strong voice and she sells the song well, so i think she’ll avoid another moje 3 style placement. 7/10

germany - first of all, aly ryan was robbed. secondly, thank god the surprise song didn’t win. thirdly, this is alright. nothing spectacular, but it’s cute and the spinning stage was a great stylistic choice. 7/10

latvia - thank you latvia for letting this win and rejecting markus riva’s basic ass for the sixth year in a row WHEW i really love the whole atmosphere that surrounds this. barring a miracle, however, i don’t think it’ll qualify, but it’s still a good attempt. 6.5/10

sweden - i don’t think it’s john’s most solid composition, but it’s a decent entry nevertheless and it’s nice to see sweden picking an entry that isn’t generic pop again. 6.5/10

united kingdom - my only faint glimmer of national pride so far this year is that we managed to pick the only good song from the flaming garbage pile that was our nf. yeah, the lyrics are redundant and it’s a ballad by numbers, but michael gives it his all and it really pays off. 6.5/10

ireland - this will absolutely not do well but who cares, it’s fun and harmless. super chill and easy to listen, and i think sarah’s a big eurovision fan already which is nice. also i’d just like to take this opportunity to thank her for ditching the ylva and linda song she originally applied with. 6.5/10

iceland - hm. this is one where you need to listen a few times to get a full impression of what the fuck you’re hearing/seeing. i really did not like this when i first heard it alongside all the other söngvakeppnin songs (and most of them sucked lbr), but now i’m kind of ambivalent towards it. i still don’t like the screaming or the key change, but it’s something different and i can admire that. 6/10

slovenia - fine, but forgettable. she has a nice voice, but there’s a distinct lack of stage presence from the two of them and i fear that this might get lost in the semi final. 6/10

israel - i’m conflicted here. i definitely don’t think home is as bad as the fan polls and reviews imply, but it’s not great either. a verse or two in hebrew would have really elevated this and i’m a little baffled as to why the writers didn’t include even a little bit considering the contest is on home turf this year. still, kobi’s a very convincing performer and israel probably didn’t want to win again anyway. 6/10

poland - this is an odd one, which isn’t a bad thing at all in a year full of safe entries. not sure if using the bilingual version was the best shout, but it’s clearly still very polish and i’m glad to hear that they’ll be wearing the traditional clothing on stage in tel aviv. 6/10

czech republic - the chorus absolutely slaps, and if i was judging by music alone this’d probably be in my top ten. unfortunately, though, the rest of the song exists. the lyrics are truly abysmal, with some of the lines ending awkwardly and without proper rhymes where they’re needed, and the spoken-word section is genuinely unbearable. 5.5/10

austria - i honestly don’t know where to place this one. very underwhelming when it was first released, but now i feel like there’s potential here. most of austria’s recent entries have been very under the radar only to end up doing quite well. i’m not as optimistic about this as some of those, but only time will tell. 5.5/10

hungary - not a patch on his previous entry, but pleasant enough. he’s a good performer and unless the staging really sucks, he’ll do fine. 5.5/10

north macedonia - it’s a nice ballad? i guess? and, unlike a lot of their recent entrants, tamara is an established singer who we all know can sing live. there are also rumours that the delegation has been planning the performance for a while, so who knows, perhaps this’ll qualify. 5/10

georgia - this has been growing on me lately. the song itself is a bit of a bust, although the revamp helped, but oto really brings it to life on stage. even if you don’t understand what he’s saying, you can tell by the emotion in his voice that he really means it. 5/10

russia - the nightmare dream team hasn’t produced a good song in over a decade at this point, this included. kirkorov needs to quit fooling himself and let someone else have a go. 4.5/10

belgium - belgium’s had quite the glow up since 2014, but i fear they’ve gone for style over substance this year. wake up is very polished, but it doesn’t go anywhere and eliot’s live performances haven’t been convincing as of yet. 4/10

lithuania - i don’t know what was more shocking, him winning the selection or me finding out that he was lolita zero’s real voice in 2017. this isn’t awful, just very repetitive and strangely put together. 3.5/10

norway - sue me, i don’t like this. the bald guy feels out of place and out of tune, it sounds like it was written by a child, and oh my god it’s so unbearably cheap. 3/10 

estonia - eesti laul was such a let down this year. usually there’s a good mix of mainstream and alternative genres, but the new producer doesn’t seem to give a shit about variety, which is a real shame. anyway, victor’s performance is slick, but he can barely sing and the song itself is nothing to write home about. 3/10

romania - when this was first selected i didn’t mind it, probably because i just really didn’t want laura bretan to win, but as the season drags on i’ve really soured to it. it feels like it lasts for a minute longer than it actually does, and the whole ay-ay-ay part was not a good choice. 2.5/10

australia - as someone who was a big fan of estonia last year, this is honestly the furthest thing from that. it comes across as quite cheap (even without the questionable staging), and the chorus really grates on me. 2.5/10

belarus - i didn’t watch the entirety of the belarusian auditions for them to reject the potato monks in favour of lidl’s own brand zara larsson. 2/10

france - this is why delegations should be wary of selecting social media stars for their national selections. yes, they might get the viewing figures up a little, but they’ll probably win and the song will be Bad. i respect his message, but holy shit is this hamfisted as hell. 1/10

finland - if anyone was wondering how darude only ever had one hit two decades ago, here is your answer. 1/10

moldova - they really don’t want to qualify this year, huh. could’ve had ca adriano celentano, but nope. basic tune, painfully simple lyrics, but i guess her voice is nice enough 1/10

croatia - this... is awful. upsettingly so. at least jacques’ last entry had a novelty factor, but he’s doomed this poor kid to failure. 0.5/10

montenegro - i have absolutely nothing positive to say here. honest to god one of the worst songs i’ve ever heard, and no amount of clumsily shoehorned in folk instrumentation was ever going to save this. i can only pray that they’re spending their preparation time wisely and taking singing lessons, but considering that they probably blew half the budget on the music video, it’s unlikely. 0/10

as for potential winners,  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

a lot of the big fan favourites don’t have a winning vibe about them, so we might be in for a shock this year. please let it be albania or greece

also feel free to drop me an ask if you want to chat about last year’s entries since i kind of ditched tumblr for a year or two lmao

[the-chaotic-neutral]

I’m so unprepared this year! Due to a lot going on in life, I didn’t have time to watch either of the semi-finals or even pregame with the official music videos! So that means I’m going into the finals 100% cold. I feel both unprepared and excited. I haven’t gone into finals without research and preconceived judgement before. I have no idea what each country’s songs will be like or what style their stage shows may take.

So here’s to art, entertainment, and surprises! 🥂

Opening performance by TK. Last year’s winner, Salvador Sobral, championed authenticity (sometimes to the ire of other contestants and fans) and it feels like

I’m watching the US broadcast this year, which is presented by Logo and hosted by Ross Mathews and Shangela. Since Eurovision is still relatively new to the USA, and very new to Shangela, this broadcast is a perfect entry for American viewers. Ross explains the basics along with the idea of the Big 5[foot]The Big 5 are the countries that have contributed the most amount of money to Eurovision which guarantees them a spot in the finals without competing in either night of semi-finals. They are [/foot]. It’s also available as a live stream on Logo’s Youtube channel regardless of your TV package, so it’s accessible to literally anyone to watch.

01. Ukraine – Mélovin “Under the Ladder” A vampire rises. The song isn’t great, and the performance suddenly loses some of its exoticism when it becomes apparent that he’s singing in muddled English and not Ukrainian. It gains some back when his entire set catches on fire (on purpose).

02. Spain – Amaia & Alfred “Tu canción”

Super cute! Simple staging and great chemistry between these two makes this performance so damn endearing! But they’re really early and not much of a spectacle, so I worry they’ll get buried by later performances.

03. Slovenia – Lea Sirk “Hvala, ne!” She’s trying to throw down tough and maybe come off like Pink, but that’s hard when she’s got a huge, goofy grin on the whole time.

04. Lithuania – Ieva Zasimauskaitė “When We’re Old” A slow, sweet ballad with holograms. Holograms can be a real risk in a show. It can be a neat effect, like when Australia used it for a Minority Report computer interface, and it can be the show-stealer, like when it’s a nude clone with wolves. This came of as middling, especially because she seemed to reign in her own vocals. It felt more like a verse of a song rather than a full performance.

05. Austria – Cesár Sampson “Nobody but You” Great job utilizing the stage and lighting as a single performer, but this song is not up for the job.

06. Estonia – Elina Nechayeva “La forza” Estonia has a history of visually impressive performances, and this is not a disappointment. With this, the world comes one step closer to the Diva from The Fifth Element. Her voice is great and her dress is all projection mapping! This is how you make a strong impression while pushing the vocals to the forefront.

07. Norway – Alexander Rybak “That’s How You Write a Song” Shoobidoo dap dap, shoobay doop hay, that’s how you write a song.

No it’s not. This an adorable performance with incredibly inaccurate instructions on song writing. Major props on playing the violin, and the whole thing is really endearing, but I think it’s too breezy to stick in this competition.

08. Portugal – Cláudia Pascoal[h] “O jardim” This is the home team, the current champions, so they have a lot to live up to. I don’t know if it’s authentic enough for Sobral but I’m loving it.

Anyone else get a total Lola vibe (from Degrassi) from her? These are not the same person.

09. United Kingdom – SuRie “Storm” I’m getting Annie Lennox redux. Her song is not the Tim Minchin song, disappointingly, but this is one of the best UK contestants in years. Many of the Big 5 countries, which can go straight to the finals, seem to phone it in or at least submit very generic pop. This is the first time I can remember actually enjoying the UK contestant.

10. Serbia – Sanja Ilić & Balkanika “Nova deca” (Нова деца) Amazons and the grim specter of death! And discotheque! Unfortunately the visuals are the best part of this group. Their song is meh and I don’t think I’ll even be able to remember what they sounded like the next morning.

11. Germany – Michael Schulte “You Let Me Walk Alone” Really touching, personal ballad. The stylized screen show behind him came off as far more effective than the holograms. I was really surprised at how honestly the whole thing came off touching. The song and accompanying performance are all about Schulte losing his father, and that personal connection does a lot to elevate this from just another pop ballad to a standout act. Also Schulte looks like Philippe and I had a son together, so I am very proud of my boy.

12. Albania – Eugent Bushpepa “Mall” This is clearly a grunge or metal band performing their first ballad before they go soft. Okay song, but could have been more specific to Albania or the band performing it or, well, more memorable in any way. And the disconnect between the look and the sound is jarring, disappointing, and lackluster.

13. France – Madame Monsieur “Mercy” Velcome to Sprokets. Just a reminder that this isn’t Germany’s submission. Okay, enough about their look. There’s a fundamental problem with this song here, though the song itself is good. It’s a really good song about real life baby born on a ship of refugees fleeing to Europe. This song would have been great on an album, but in a music and performance competition the nuances get smoothed out and the striking visuals take, no pun intended, center stage. I’ll probably come back to them as a band, but think that they’ll be lost when the voting starts.

14. Czech Republic – Mikolas Josef “Lie to Me” The year is 1994. The soundtrack is The Mask. The costume is Minkus from Boy Meets World. The inspiration is Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The performer was having fun, so I guess that’s nice. And that’s really all I can say about it.

15. Denmark – Rasmussen “Higher Ground” Do you like vikings? Do you like Silent Bob? Do you like when people take a theme (in this case, All Aboard) 100% literally? Well, have I got the group for you!

16. Australia – Jessica Mauboy “We Got Love” And the Bland Award goes to… The only words I can think of to describe this is “Europop” and “gyrations”. There’s nothing more to say.

17. Finland – Saara Aalto “Monsters” The remix of this song could be a club hit, but not this version. As it is now, there’s not enough bass or and energy for a club and not enough complexity for a pop hit.

18. Bulgaria – Equinox “Bones” I can’t be the only one that sees this guy and thinks black Jack Black.

The song itself was not all that great, but as a group their voices sounded great together. Similar to France, I’m not a fan of this one but I am intrigued enough to keep an ear out for the rest of their singles.

19. Moldova – DoReDoS “My Lucky Day” They’re introduced as a folk-pop group but… well, that must mean something else in Moldova. They have the presentation of a Laugh-In skit and the emotional range of a Bar Mitzvah DJ team. Hard pass.

20. Sweden – Benjamin Ingrosso “Dance You Off”

SCENE I. A desert place

Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches

First witch

Performance of Bieber

Second witch

Face of Ephron

Third witch

Song of Timberlake

I’m assuming that’s how this performer was summoned. An amalgam of safe bets, it’s no surprise that the song is generic yet appealing. Coupled with a great use of stage lighting, I don’t really like this one but I’m betting it’ll be a contender.

21. Hungary – AWS “Viszlát nyár” Yet another country who’s music submission seems to be off by a decade or so. The look screams Fall Out Boy but the music is more of a mid to late 90s pop metal. Whatever their inspiration, I spent way too much time trying to remember what forgettable bands they reminded me of and had no time to actually pay attention to them.

22. Israel – Netta “Toy” Yasss! Netta! And then… Okay, so I am very much not crazy about the Asian appropriation, but I’m here for everything else. The whole kimono and maneki-neko motif is just not sitting right. Please, you can do but. But her amazing sneer, the bizarre incorporation of the chicken dance, and the dance-able Tel Aviv music is killing it! Also, it’s great to see my homeland with something that’s not some punchable dude-bros on a beach.

23. Netherlands – Waylon “Outlaw in ‘Em” When you think of the Netherlands, what comes to mind? High taxes? State supplied health care and other services? How about Ted Nugent tributes and awkward krumping? Well, it will from now on.

24. Ireland – Ryan O’Shaughnessy “Together” This is the reason that China lost the finale broadcast rights. The musicians are recreating the Broadway show Once while a So You Think You Can Dance routine plays out with two dancers. Honestly, I kind of loved this. It was intimate and sincere and lovingly executed. One of my favorites of the night.

25. Cyprus – Eleni Foureira “Fuego” Oh no! Cyprus has read from the Necronomicon and opened up a rift in time! Ash Williams, come save us! This is Cyprus expect a danceable track. Because that’s what you’ll get. Also, every year there seems to be a Beyonce impersonator. Just saying.

26. Italy – Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro “Non mi avete fatto niente” I immediately see this one as a real contender. Not because I love the song (I don’t) but because it’s engineered with brutal efficiency. It perfectly balances poignant lyrics, earnest performance, and a solid song. The lyrics come up on the video screen with stylized fonts, rolling through various languages in a brutal and brilliant method of bringing in the world audience. You could maybe find a performance that is better in each category, but none so perfectly balanced across the board as Italy’s.

And now we wait for the votes to come in and be tallied. There’s always a lot of confusion about how they work so I’ll break it down to the best of my knowledge for y’all.

The jury votes. Each competing country has their own jury of voters that rank a top ten list. Then points are portioned out to their picks, with a top 11th award getting 12 points.

Public votes. These are given out based on the call-in voting from across Europe. This are announced second as they completely reorder the competitors.

If that sounds convoluted, it is. And purposefully so. The system was designed to draw out the suspense of the announcement as long as possible. So really the jury votes set up a baseline that can be completely overturned.

And impressions of this year? Well, I’m happy that the “white dress and a ballad” phase seems to be over. No clear style came out as a successor so maybe next year we’ll see a clear group-think strategy emerge.

My top picks, in no particular order, are:

Estonia

Portugal

Germany

Israel

Ireland

And I want to draw attention to a few more musical performers from Portugal, that weren’t in the competition but performed in the opening and closing segments. Mariza, Sara Tavares, and Mayra Andrade all caught my attention. So if you’re actually looking for new music in the midst of this spectacle, those are a few people I’d like to draw your attention to.

After an insane amount of re-ordering, and a long stretch when it looked like bland-as-bland-can-be Austria might win, Israel won! I am so happy, as that was personal pick. I figured Italy would take a high place in the public vote, and they did with 3rd place.

However, I think I would have preferred that Germany (my precious boy) would have won, as I do worry about Israel hosting Eurovision and all of the possible repercussions. Between the security issues of the people to go, and the political statements of the people who won’t, it’s going to be interesting. So now we can all revel in the greatness of Toy (if not the Orientalism of the performance) for a year. In the meantime, I’ll start a betting pool for how many countries will pull out of Eurovision between now and then.

NEXT TIME IN JERUSALEM! !השלב הבא בירושלים

I watch Eurovision because I know you didn't! I was totally unprepared this year. Still had a great time, though. Eurovision 2018: Finals I'm so unprepared this year! Due to a lot going on in life, I didn't have time to watch either of the semi-finals or even pregame with the official music videos!