#serbia ukraine and moldova were good too

[themthistles]

finally catching up with eurovision and croatia is the true winner in my heart

[luceafarul-de-dimineata]

Romanian siblings posting

So, I think the current Romania character in Hetalia is very Transilvania. He lives in Sibiu, he has beef with Hungary and we never see him (from my memory) interacting with Turkey or Russia pre-USSR. So, Transilvania he is.

So that leaves the other 2 big parts of Romania up for nerds like me to write for. Wallachia and Moldova/Moldavia (they're Țara Românească or Valahia and Moldova in Romanian so I might switch between those names.)

Wallachia, Moldavia and Transilvania are all siblings, the children between Dacia and the Roman Empire. They barely got to see their parents because they were all too young to remember them.

The three got seperated soon after, Transilvania getting kidnapped by Hungary, Wallachia constantly bickering with Turkey and Russia breathing down Moldavia's neck.

So, here are the character introductions for my little ocs of them. I actually have a lot more toughts on Wallachia than Moldavia so this is more of a Wallachia post

~Wallachia~

She's the youngest of the siblings (around 19 years old in human years).

She just wants to be left the fuck alone to plant her veggies and take care of her goats

She loves impaling things, crushing potatoes, steak, poking Turkey in the ass with her pitchfork

She has a pet goat called Esus because it's gramaticly correct

She adores cheese and anything with lactose. She refuses to believe lactose intolerance is a thing.

She can speak a shit lot of languages: Romanian, Turkish, French, English, German and Italian. In that order.

Her and Serbia have matching tatoos and they both dyed a bit of their hair blue just because

Wallachia keeps begging Serbia to join the EU because she wants to hang out in the back of the class and get drunk on medical alcohol like in the good ol' days

Serbia and Wallachia are childhood friends. Serbia actually thought Wallachia a few words in serbian and slavic (including the word for love)

Back when Turkey was the Ottoman Empire, he would constantly try to invade Wallachia

He did succeed but only a bit

They fought a lot and Wallachia was one of the brattier territories

She really did enjoy seeing the turks impaled at her border

All and all, Turkey was the closest thing Wallachia had to a father, so, inspite of their previous conflicts, Wallachia still talks with Turkey

At some point Turkey let Greece in charge of Wallachia

They got along quite well, especially since Greece would pay her to get naked

Wallachia and Greece still keep in contact and they send eachother cringe christmas and easter gifts... usually socks or cards

Once Wallachia and Moldavia joined forces together, banboozling the West by electing the same president, they played rock paper scissors and Wallachia won.

She once beat the shit out of Bulgaria, to the point that some western powers had to stop her from doing it

Never leave Wallachia in a room with Hungary. That bitch will be dead in an instant

Wallachia loves her siblings a lot but she's also a firm believer in consensual bullying

She did basicly every college under the sun at England's place before he threw her out. Now she's staying in Italy with Felicio

Her and Romania constantly try to see which one is better: Cluj Napoca or Bucharest

It's Iasi, guys, come on

~Moldavia~

She's the middle child at about 20 years old in human terms

She's the scapegoat of the family

Moldova is her kid and she's a very proud mom

She makes the best alcohol in the family

She was a lot closer to Wallachia than to Romania

She's the only one of the three that still constantly goes to church

She created the ice bucket challange and she's amused by how people were using it

She's the best storyteller of them all. She just has a very sweet and homey voice.

She's dating Ukraine and they're in a loving relationship together.

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2023: #22 - #21

Mild like is not a zone I prefer to rest long in, so let's make the next two a package deal so that only 20 remain going into the new year!

22. SERBIA Luke Black - "Samo mi se spava" 24th place

Decade Ranking: 63/116 [Above Fyr og Flamme, below TBA]

Spaaaaavaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai

But I am getting ahead of myself.

In the days leading up towards towards the rehearsals I got the feeling that Luke would only barely squeak by despite being both Serbian and reasonably well-liked by the fans. This came with the slow realization that "Samo mi se spava" is kind of cringe, oop. All memes eventually become stale, and that rate at which they age accelerates further if the music's kind of not good lol. Not everyone can have the eternal resilience of "In Corpore Sano".

So yeah, I totes understand why the Latvia stans were pissed they missed out while Luke basically passed to the Grand Final based on flag. However, many acts sucked in the semis, so I'm not bothered if one I liked (sorta) qualified over one i did not (sorta).

Not to get things twisted though, "Samo mi se spava" was serviceable for what it was, as a Melovin-lite combination of shock horror and an art major's irreverent graduation project. Once you've accustomed to the senseless krumpcrat choreo and the atonal mewling however, you just have to recognize Serbia's 2023 entry was the vanity project of an ageing emo twink . Do I enjoy it? Yes, but only as ~A Piece~ (not as "a song") and only in small enough doses. Take, a listen every four months.

All that said, there are two small things about "Samo Mi Se Spava" that I greatly enjoy.

(1) the frogmarches remain hilarious so let's enjoy that in gif form:

What a great way to finish A Piece.

(2) I merely have to think of Luke to hear "SPAAAVAAAAI" and "HELLO?! GAyME OVuh" ring through my mind in his characteristic gaywhispervoice and that ALWAYS produces a chuckle. So ultimately, while "Samo mi se spava" was admittedly not very good, it does manage to lift my spirits somewhat, and for that I'm willing to carry it to 22nd in my list!

-----------------------------------------

21. UKRAINE TVORCHI - "Heart of steel" 6th place

Decade Ranking: 62/116 [Above Luke Black, below Kalush Orchestra]

Yeah, Tvorchi did well for themselves. Given the war and the general air of misery surrounding last year's Vidbir (unironically a contender for worst NF this year, even under the circumstances) and the fact that Ukraine picked their most disappointingly heterosexual entry yet, there was no way "Heart of Steel" could become good. Like, who does this appeal to? What sort of person listens to this edgelordian church cabal, and thinks "ah, my favourite has arrived." Just the Musk fanboys, right?

Fortunately for us, Ukraine is the one Eurovision country that always understands the assignment. What do you do when your song below par? You provide a good show at least.

and it kinda nibbled.

...

...

Yeah, there's no punchline. Sorry but it's NYE, i cooked the family dinner by myself and you may think it's a small step to go from roasting broccoli to roasting mediocrities, but the latter action takes up too much thinking space for a brain semi-operating on sparkling wine that is trying to weave in and out of social conversation. Jeffrey sang well, I liked the presentation and it didn't drag the more enjoyable entries around it down, what else can a one ask for? It wasn't going to get any better than what we got. Count them lucky stars, and all that.

Fourth place in the televote is a VERY stupid result (this is more in range of a 14th placer if it were any other country) but let's not end the year on a sour rant. "Heart of steel" could have been a morose drag. Instead it was moderately bemusing. Upward and onward to better things.

THE RANKING

CONGRATZ FOR MAKING THE TOP 20 to the following:

ALBANIA / ARMENIA / AUSTRALIA / AUSTRIA / AZERBAIJAN BELGIUM / CZECHIA / ESTONIA / FINLAND / FRANCE ICELAND / LITHUANIA / MALTA / MOLDOVA / POLAND PORTUGAL / SLOVENIA / SPAIN / SWEDEN / UK Some of you kind of don't deserve to~ ps: Happy New Year Everyone!!!

[columba1234]

My 16 7 winners from this year Eurovision 2023 (in no particular order)

1, Czechia: Vesna - My Sister's Crown

(this is my earliest personal winner when the songs were selected lol)

2, Finland: Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha

(I once rank it last after the first listen, but after a second time, I regretted it. Käärijä, you are my winner)

3, Latvia: Sudden Lights - Aijā

(If this one doesn't qualify, I'll riot. Anyone who can vote in the 1st semi, please vote number 4 please. Thank you)

4, Spain: Blanca Paloma - Eaea

(Spain is really stepping up for Eurovision this year. From SloMo to Eaea (both of them are really good, I just don't really like SloMo last year), so having Eaea this year is perfect)

5, Slovenia: Joker Out - Carpe Diem

(Ljubjiana 2024? A high chance indeed)

6, Serbia: Luke Black - Samo mi se spava

(Like Spain, Serbia is stepping up their Eurovision quality from last year's success of In Copore Sano. Belgarde 2024 is a high chance too.)

7, Austria: Teya and Salena - Who the hell is Edgar?

(POE. POE. POE. (Why the hell can I almost forget Austria? It's one of your winners, @columba1234))

Honorable mentions:

Moldova: Pasha Perfeni - Soarele și luna

Norway: Alessandra - Queen of Kings

Germany: Lord of the Lost - Blood and Glitter

Malta: The Busker - Dance (Our Own Party)

France: La Zarra - Évidemment

Portugal: Mimicat - Ai coração

Croatia: Let 3 - Mama ŠČ

Ukraine: TVORCHI - Heart of Steel

Australia: Voyager - Promise

(actually, this is my top 16 post lol (and they are soooo good, 2023 is truly a strong year) and Eurovision 2023 is in less than 2 weeks now and I still can't watch semi 1 live due to exams....)

[no-gays-in-russia]

ESC 2023: my favourite lyric from every song

Albania: Krejt tuj pas, e krejt tuj pas, s’po muj mu knaq (Having everything, and having everything but not being happy) 

Armenia: I’m so hypnotised by someone that I’ve never ever met

Australia: If you’ve never done anything like this before, then you haven’t been alive

Austria: Edgar cannot pay rent for me

Azerbaijan: If I ever learn again to feel the way I did, I'll die from the emotions that I kept down for years

Belgium: Told me to love myself a bit harder than yesterday

Croatia: the most iconic of them all, Mama kupila traktora (Mum bought a tractor)

Cyprus: I loved you but you loved to do me wrong

Czechia: Blood’s on your God’s head

Denmark: I’m not scared to love you, but I’m scared of breaking my heart

Estonia: There is one more thing you need to know, that I forgive myself for all the lies I’ve said before

Finland: Enkä pelkääkään tätä maailmaa (I’m not scared of this world anymore)

France: C’est toujours trop beaux pour etre vrai, mais c’n’est jamais trop laid pour etre faux (It’s always too good to be true, but it’s never too ugly to be false)

Georgia: Words getting worthless, love is a wordless

Germany: What we are is but a choice

Greece: As a writer, but I’m not an actor, no, I don’t live my own life

Iceland: I’m releasing all of you in gratitude

Ireland: When we rise, we rise like the sun

Israel: History caught in a loop, don’t you wanna change it?

Italy: Siamo i soli svegli in tutto l’universo, e non conosco ancora bene il tuo deserto (We’re the only ones awake in the whole universe, and I still don’t know your desert well)

Latvia: You still think we live in a world so beautiful; you see, I think I don’t believe in this stuff anymore

Lithuania: Had to taste it and embrace it, all the bitterness of failure, to find myself within me

Malta: Might be the drinks or the social tease of anxiety

Moldova: M-am pierdut și e de vină (I lost myself and it’s your fault)

Netherlands: I don’t believe in God anymore, ‘cause where did He go?

Norway: Can’t stay the same, in this world of change

Poland: the iconic BEJBAH

Portugal:  Amor, p'ra mim, assim não dá, porque parece que nem sou mais eu (Love without plans is a no no, because I don’t feel like myself) 

Romania: The scent of mistakes just reminds you of me

San Marino: Bring the party, Aphrodite

Serbia: It is all a game to me, I don’t wanna choose my fighter, who’s taking control of me?

Slovenia: Igra sovraštva je za vas, hvala lepa, ne računajte na nas (The game of hatred is your thing, thank you, don’t count on us)

Spain: Mi nino, cuando me muera, que me entierren en la luna (My child, when I die, may they bury me on the moon)

Sweden: Violins playing and the angels crying

Switzerland: We ain’t playing now, can’t turn and run, no water guns

Ukraine: Sometimes you just gotta know when to stick your middle finger up in the air

United Kingdom: When you said you were leaving to work on your mental health, you didn’t mention the cheating, you kept that one to yourself

[hopeshoodie]

This is late but here's the Islanders as ~2023 Eurovision Acts~

Kassam- Serbia

Obviously. This is just so obvious to me. The club beat, the slutty but very stylish costuming, the giant boss battle. It's giving Kassam DJ'ing at a rave.

Rocco - Moldova

Really this is why I'm making this post, the first time I watched this song I was like 'that looks like what Rocco's rain dance felt like in his mind'. The shawl, the flute, the revelry.

Chelsea - Czechia

It was between this and Norway, but I do think Czechia wins. The pink costumes, the feminist lyrics, the very feminine/girl power performance, how every time they showed the singer and her dancers off-stage they all looked like they were having so much fun and genuinely liked each other. I do think Chelsea would sing a more pop-y song, but visually the vibes are right.

Marisol - Austria

Super fun, goofy song for a fun and goofy gal. It's a little juvenile, weaker in the performance aspect, which kind of fit with how Marisol acts on camera. I fully believe Marisol would reference something like this if she had to because she wants people to think she's really profound. But really, the references she's making a little shallow.

Hope - Portugal

Stunning. Underrated. So energetic and fun. Beautiful costumes. Amazing vocals. This is exactly what Hope would do on Eurovision, something gorgeous.

Lottie - Sweden

Overrated. Very much is forcing the 'I'm a crunchy alternative cool girl" vibe. Takes the spotlight away from other characters/songs that absolutely deserve it more. Fan favorite. But also... I have to begrudgingly admit that she's good.

Rahim - Switzerland

I hate to say this because I love Rahim dearly, but he has a lot of character growth to do from what we see in the game. He tends to not consider the feelings of others and centers his own perspectives in conflicts, worries about other people not liking him, and definitely isn't as showy as the other islanders. Kind of like a swiss singer making a song about how the Ukraine war reminds him he doesn't want to go to war.

Shannon - Spain

This one makes a lot of sense to me too. Spain's staging was really intricate and dynamic but more understated than some of the acts (kind of like how Shannon is more subtle than the other islanders). It's a really beautiful and powerful performance.

No one's cool enough to be Croatia or Finland okay byeeeeee

[potatotalksculture]

Potato Tweet: Sooooo I’ve watched ESC yesterday and, as per usual, it was an evening full of surprises.

The very first surprise was that only a few performances (Poland, Cyprus and UK) we’re, in my opinion, just bad. Every other performance varied from “meh, not so bad” (Austria) through “I don’t like it but I can see other people liking it” (Croatia, Ukrain) to “that’s really good” (Portugal, Estonia) and “amazing, I wanna hear more” (Italy, Germany). (Just to name some examples.)

Another surprise came crushing in, as Israel started getting tons of jury points. The juries are always unpredictable to me. I do not understand how do they decide about their points. But Israel wasn’t the best vocal or musical performance, the directing and visuals were meh and the song in general was meh. So what did people like? The pretty girl? Probably… (I am consciously putting the political aspect of the whole Israel aside.)

The public votes were a bit less surprising except for… Germany. They were objectively not the worst performers. They did not deserve to rank last. UK and/or Poland should have taken the last place. Germany should have been, in my humble opinion, at least somewhere in the upper half of the ranking. Is it the politics barging into the heads of juries and the public? Is it “WW2. Germany bad” and “Germany in the UE too strong? Can’t let them win ESC, too”? Like, why? Lord of the Lost was far better than the worst.

The last surprise was the winner. The massive amount of public votes awarded to Finnland and their whimsical performance have brought me joy. The final win of Sweden crushed my good mood. And it’s not because I think she was bad. She wasn’t. She was good. To me, she was ok. Not my taste. What was really good about her performance was the illusion of her lifting up the top part of the scenography during her performance. The part played over and over again during the throw backs. I though her singing was good, but not as good as Portugal or Estonia. Her consciously subsided stage presence was underwhelming, cuz I’ve seen it done oh so many times. Am I being extra critical towards her? Yes. But she has won and that is a reason to look closer at her performance.

Oh! And she only has glitter on her nails, which, in my humble opinion, should be a valid reason to not win. ESC is about glitter, pyrotechnics, disconcerting artsy sets (looking at you, Serbia) - everything that makes a show.

To finish this post/tweet of, here are some honorable mentions:

Portugal for the expression, the voice and the dress.

Italy for the PR smartness in catching the attention of straight women in their postcard and then emanating vulnerable queerness in the performance. Also for the singing.

Estonia for the amazing voice that really stood out among the mediocre set and directing.

Australia for the expression, working the camera and the guitar player who looked like a lesbian from the 80s who’s playing gigs to collect money for taking care of HIV-infected gay friends.

Norway for growing on me after every throw back. Totally not my music taste, but I’d watch it again.

Czechia for representing eastern feminism.

Spain, Moldova and Albania for connecting with their cultural heritage. I’d also love to go to a grill party with this Albanian family.

[ajshaweel]

5: Semi final 1

Nemo Mettler

|Arena|

It was the day of the first semi final and everyone seemed to be nervous and excited. Tensions were definitely high.

Nemo wasnt performing in semi final 1, they were performing in semi final 2 but Silvester was. They hoped that Silvester did well enough to make the final.

All the contestants got to attend the final so they could watch everyone else when they were performing.

The hosts, Malin Åkerman and Petra Mede, began their introductory speech, the crowd very wild and excited. They begin their speech by explaining the location which is Malmö Sweden.

The crowd keeps cheering, making the hosts very happy and constantly smiling. After a detailed introductory speech, it was time for the postcards and the songs.

The big 5 and the host country are automatically in the final but for this year, for the first time ever, those 6 countries will perform in the semis and the final.

The countires from the 6 performing in the first semi final are Germany, United Kingdom and Sweden.

The hosts explain that the public votes are very important for the semis. Then they explain how to vote.

The running order for semi final 1 is:

01. Cyprus

02. Serbia

03. Lithuania

04. Ireland

05. Ukraine

06. Poland

07. Croatia

08. Iceland

09. Slovenia

10. Finland

11. Moldova

12. Azerbaijan

13. Australia

14. Portugal

15. Luxembourg

They explain that you can vote up to 20 times, but you cannot vote for your own country. So for example, you cannot vote for the United Kingdom if you live in the United Kingdom.

The first song to perform is Cyprus and it is sung by Sila Kapsis and the song is called Liar.

Every contestant watches backstage in the green room. Nemo likes watching the other performances as they are a very supportive person and if it was up to them, everyone would make the final.

As they watched the performances, they sit next to Silvester as he is quite nervous.

"You'll do great" Nemo reassures them

"I hope" Silvester mumbles anxiously

Next to perform is Serbia, Teya Dora singing Ramonda, and then afterwards it is Lithuania's turn.

Nemo gives him one more hug for good luck as he leaves the room, nervous but also excited. Silvester is performing Luktelk.

Nemos eyes seem to not be able to leave the screen as Silvester performs, feeling captivated. They found his performance incredible and the crowd seemed to love him too.

Nemo also liked the way the dancers moved in sync before he sang the final verse. Overall, Nemo loved the performance and definitely thought it deserved to go to the final.

Once Silvester left the stage, Nemo gave him a massive hug.

"You did great!" They spoke happily

Silvester smiled greatfully "thanks Nem, I really appreciate it"

Then, Bambi Thug performed Doomsday Blues for Ireland, one of Silvester and Nemos good friends.

All the performances finished and then after a long wait it was finally time for the results after the votes had been counted.

All the artists are shown again as they're sat in their groups as the crowd cheers for them.

They announce the qualifiers:

Serbia

Portugal

Slovenia

Ukraine

And then

Lithuania

And that's when Nemo cheers very loudly along with the crowd. They're ecstatic that Silvester made it and they hope that they can too when they perform in the second semi final.

Chapters

Masterlist

[frozencapybara]

It’s EUROVISON 2024 AW YEAH, time for semifinal 1! (which was yesterday, I'm just getting around to posting)

My rankings for Semifinal 1, best to worst: Croatia & Ireland (tied); Finland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Slovenia, Serbia, everyone else

And all seven qualified! That never happens. Even better, there weren’t any acts i couldn’t stand - nobody ranked lower than “eh, it’s fine”. That’ll probably change with semi 2 but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

Notes on all the acts behind the readmore:

Note that all this is based purely on the semifinal broadcast and zero research, just initial thoughts.

Cyprus (qualified): I understand you don’t want your backup dancers to upstage your outfit, but please consider something a bit more than “what I could grab off Target’s discount rack”? Overall a decent if not memorable entry.

Serbia (qualified): I’m not usually a fan of ballads, but this isn’t bad, and the Hot Topic On a Rock (affectionate) staging put it a cut above the usual.

Lithuania (qualified): Outfits from the Talking Heads Factory Outlet on Arrakis (affectionate). Slightly 80s new wave vibes, in a good way. Not my absolute top choice, but I would absolutely not be mad if this wins.

Ireland (qualified): OH SHIT THIS SLAPS SO HARD. Love a good scream session. Top pick. Very likely to be my “I’m super mad this only got two votes” entry.

Ukraine (qualified): Ukraine loves them a mid-song rap breakdown, which isn’t always my fave but much like in 2021, they make it work for them. Singer has a heck of a vocal range. Won’t be mad if it wins.

Poland (did not qualify): Good staging, mid song. Singer keeps saying she built this tower, which seems somewhat disrespectful to the stagecraft crew. Unless she did help, in which case I retract my objection.

Croatia (qualified): OH SHIT THIS SLAPS SO HARD. I was expecting Peak Eurovision Nonsense out of Croatia, but this just straight up slaps. I’m bad at predicting but I honestly hope this has a chance in the finals.

Iceland (did not qualify): Iceland heard they were gonna be in Sweden and sent the ABBA they had at home. It’s a perfectly cromulent example of what it is, but I’m not vibing with it.

Slovenia (qualified): Reminds me of Loreen, but not in a bad way. Tick off your “sheer bodysuit” bingo square. Overall a good pick.

Finland (qualified): Most Peak Eurovision Nonsense of the semifinal. Love it.

Moldova (did not qualify): Look it’s fine, but I have expectations for Moldova based on past performances and this did not meet them. Also a huge waste of a violin solo.

Azerbaijan (did not qualify): If you told me Azerbaijan was going to bring a ballad to Eurovision, this is exactly what I would have expected. It’s fine, but I’m not sad it didn’t advance.

Australia (did not qualify): I kept going back and forth on this one. On the one hand, it gave big Prime-Time TV Appropriate Message energy. On the other hand, didgeridoo? Overall, not mad it didn’t advance. Especially since Australia will never win Eurovision (sorry Australians, you know it’s true tho) so if they’re going to take a finals slot they better bring it.

Portugal (qualified): As ballads go, it’s decent. It is still a ballad. Points for not being in English.

Luxembourg (qualified): I don’t think this will win the final, but it does have a shot at taking the obligatory “conventionally attractive young woman shaking her ass to a pop song” vote (not derogatory, just, it’s a specific eurovision category). I don’t hate it, it’s a bop, I prefer Cyprus’s song in that category but Luxembourg’s staging is better.

Bonus already-qualified songs:

UK: Homoerotic boxing match in zero-G is a staging choice and I’m here for it. Too bad the song doesn’t live up to it. It’s fine.

Germany: Staging: [this is fine dot gif]. Song: I have never heard a song be more Eurovision Bait (derogatory) in my life. Boring. Try harder Germany, I know you can do it.

Sweden: Bland white boys in the Borg cube. The lyrics are “she’s unforgettable” which is ironic as I’ve already forgotten the song.

[scherry-blossom-trees-blog]

thoughts on eurovision 2023 -

The UK's hosting was shameful and terrible. I was really looking forward to hearing Ukrainian artists and highlighting their country. It didn't happen at all; it was upsetting. Also, the hosting style was bland.

There were sadly some badly mixed songs where you couldn't hear the vocals, like Serbia, Austria and UK

Germany deserved to be much higher up! They put on a great show with quality music.

Moldova and Spain went hard and I appreciated that <3

Australia and Belgium were quality

Estonia sent a ballad I actually liked, wow

If Norway's live performance was as strong as their studio performance, they would have got my vote, but alas, it didn't stand out live to me

The acoustic version of Tattoo is way better than the original version that Loreen sang, I wish she had performed that one. She can sing.

I've known for some time that Eurovision is hella rigged, but this was embarrassing. I didn't want Cha Cha Cha to win because of the vocals, but it was charming and catchy and bold. It was in Finnish, which is good. It felt like a winner and was massively popular, and it had the spirit of risk-taking that makes Eurovision fun.

I don't think the juries should be abolished. They ensured Spain, Belgium, Ukraine and Estonia got deserved recognition this year. But gave too much to Sweden and Italy. I wish the weighting were different because the popular vote should matter more than corrupt rigging. But then again, a lot goes into hosting and making events big and profitable, including having the right host at the right time.

Outside of Eurovision, the popular vote does matter most! So there is that consolation. With internet streaming, the dynamics have changed.

So I am going to go listen to Queen of Kings now~

[moonmoonthecrabking]

another rtc eurovision post (i'm so sorry for my brainrot y'all) with me associating a song for each character

fair warning, this is *LONG*, so i'd suggest scrolling past if you don't really like long posts :)

i don't think that anyone pre-canon would've watched it but, you know, post-canon everyone lives au, afterlife, take your pick either works!!!

mischa: as previously stated, stefania by kalush orchestra (ukraine 2022) is his top of all time. wikipedia describes its genre as "alternative hip hop and folk" which is basically this song is awesome/talia. it being a tribute to the frontman's mother also deeply resonates with him, missing his own mother. other favourites include soldi (italy 2019), dark side (finland 2021), lie to me (czech republic 2018) and kuula (estonia 2012) because... in addition he loves everything ukraine's sent (aside from 2012. imagine being able to have pride and audience support for practically every entry from your country). he just finds so much enjoyment and nostalgia in it (ie me projecting onto my fave). he was so surprised when noel knew about it and that he had a buddy in this uranium hellhole to chat about it. has a crush on alexander rybak (norway 2009) and chanel (spain 2022). he still does not realise he is bisexual. he starts a betting pool with the choir for each new contest (and all the ones only he and noel have seen. the two get sad at first that they can't participate with those ones, but then decide to fuck with them)

noel: his winner of 2022 was in corpore sano (serbia) for The Drama and The Art, but he also supported fulenn because france (the man was so disappointed when they got second last). his all time favourite is l'enfer et moi (france 2013), because frenchwoman singing about how she would make her ex's life hell meant that he could graft on his dreams to that. because he's canadian i don't think he grew up with it like mischa, i think that he went down a youtube rabbithole when the march he turned 14 somehow or other and fell in love. he loves all the songs like n'oubliez pas (france 2015), voila (france 2019), tout l'univers (switzerland 2019), and bonds with mischa over zitti e buoni (italy 2021 who am i kidding everyone knows måneskin, thanks to @curious-georg for that idea!!!). sometimes he puts on playlists of the earlier competitions while he's studying to imagine a morning in france. has a crush on half the male entrants.

i haven't thought through how the rest of the choir gets exposed to it because it's pretty much a "after canon once they're friends, wherever they are, au or not i don't know". but basically i have a feeling that one time on movie night it's mischa's turn and he brings along the 2021 contest (because it's one of the best of the most recent and the hosts are so good) and noel goes BATSHIT and everyone else is just like "hey... what?? this is four hours long" and then it starts and they end up really enjoying it, with them going through all the contests (sometimes on mischa's night, sometimes on noel's, a couple for constance's too) and watching them live (because i said so)

ricky: they love the entries that are just a lil quirky. a lil different. their favourite from 2022 was eat your salad (latvia), mainly because the audience *screamed* out "PUSSY" to fight the censors (eurovision is a family friendly competition). the peak songs for them were at the start of semi 1 and then it all went downhill from there. and their goat? space (montenegro 2017). if you haven't seen that video, bestie, you should. they really do watch it for the memes, epic sax guy (run away aka moldova 2010), anti-crisis girl (ukraine 2009), "but in the end, they didn't" (the 2019 host talking to that year's cypriot contestant about cyprus coming in second in 2018).

constance: her 2022 winners were not the same (australia) and i am what i am (malta) because she loves the expression of the internal self and hearing peoples' emotions through the melodies. her all time favourites are monsters (finland 2018) and cry no more (netherlands 2017) because of how both are personal, one is upbeat in its self-empowerment, while the other is about familial love and support. she relates to and desires both. otherwise, anything with a gay kiss. she screamed at the full-on makeout session that occurred during this time (lithuania 2015). and marry me (finland 2013) made her VERY happy for that kiss at the end. even then, it takes her a while to realise she is Not Straight.

ocean: her 2022 winner was hold me closer (sweden), then river (poland) because it genuinely moved her, then die together (greece). she hates I.M (israel) with a burning passion, and everyone except her sees the irony in that. from other years she loves last dance (greece 2021), only teardrops (denmark 2013), popular (sweden 2011), lipstick (ireland 2011) and euphoria (sweden 2012). she has a spreadsheet ranking her placements for each year they watch, as well as the rest of the choir, and uses that to predict the results of the betting pool mischa started. sweden and greece are in her top five every year. she put if i were sorry as her first place when they were watching the 2016 edition and mischa refuses to talk to her for the rest of the night (this one actually isn't me projecting i just think it'd be funny).

penny/jane: because this idea isn't super-solidified, and her character isn't either, it's hard to know. i think that she's a menace and loves the voice cracks and mistakes (i feel bad if i direct people to certain entries for that!!! but if you know, you Know). the best guess i have is that her favourite 2022 entry is miss you (belgium) because of the religious allegory and shifting genres (like in the ballad of jane doe), but i will take suggestions!!

this was a really long post, thanks for sticking around if you got this far!

[tay0la]

Eurovision 23

As always me sharing my thoughts about the final Eurovision songs. Although no one asked me about it.🥰

Austria

It's a fan favourite. I do enjoy it but the staging was a bit off? Also, I don't know if the colours (black, red, white) were good ones to take.

Still very catchy. ✒/10

Portugal

So happy they made to the final. Would have been a great opening, I suppose.

💃/10

Switzerland

I listened to the German cover of it and that lifted my expectations for the original. Unfortunately, my expectations were not reached. Still ok.

Therefore: 🔫/10.

Poland

Every country that ends up behind them in the final deserves a hug. 🫂

🤡/10

Serbia

Not my cup of tea but appreciated.

🎮/10

France

French flag in the background. Is that fine?

🇨🇵/10

Cyprus

Personally, I like the song. Not that original but professional. He has a great voice. & Greece has someone to vote for. :)

💔/10

Spain

She's an angel. Or maybe I'm just bi. Love the song. Spain really delivered.

7/10

Sweden

Loreen is back but it's the ✨typically✨ swedish song and not better than Euphoria. But I love to see her again.

💅/10

Albania

It's good. I like the family power.

🇦🇱/10

Italy

Another comeback.🥰 The clip that had been shown at the semifinal didn't really catch me but at least it is in Italian.

5/10

Estonia

This is my surprise qualifier. It seems to be so flat. But I would love to have a self playing piano too. Maybe I am just jealous because she has one.

🎹/10

Finland

OHHH MY GOD AN ABSOLUTE BANGER. I like it.

🐸/10

Czechia

YAAAAASSSS. Love it Love it Love it. Love the energy, love the song, love the clothes I don't know what they're singing.

👯‍♀️👯‍♀️👯‍♀️/10

Australia

100% one of the best performances in the second semifinal.

🚘/10

Belgium

SOME GROOVE. KILLED IT WITH THE DANCING.

🕺/10

Armenia

Why isn't the full song in Armenian? I feel like there was a lot going on during the performance, which didn't help the song, but it's fine.

5/10

Moldova

A comeback. Woooohooo. Kidding. Love the energy. Although nothing beats last year's performance/song.

⚜/10

Ukraine

The duo is so cool. The song is a bit ordinary but maybe that's because Ukraine delivered absolute bangers for the past years.

🤍/10

Norway

Probably my most heard song of this year. Not that it is something HUGE but I do enjoy listen and dance weirdly to it.

👑/10

Germany

Not the worst big five entry this year. I like that they covered some songs and introduced the other acts on their Instagram account. Also the staging didn't look that bad

🩸/10

Lithuania

Their qualification surprised me, positively.

👀/10

Israel

??? The song is actually quite good but what was that staging ???

🦄/10

Slovenia

🥰/10

Croatia

I have no idea what is going on and to be honest, I feel like I don't have to know it.

🚀/10

United Kingdom

Yeah.

🎶/10

What's left to say:

I really don't know what I should think about the "rest of the world" voting

Hope Ukraine will be able to host the contest in the future. Alone. In their country.

Welcome back, Luxembourg. 😊

[minervas-sandwich]

I made brief notes on every song as they came on because I have a bad memory, so here are some of my surface level passing thoughts on hearing these for the first time

Austria so real for just going “yeah its about a poet who’s been dead for 173 years”

I’m sorry that Poland got screwed over and didn’t get the song they wanted :/ song was pretty good tho

Serbia is the emo gamer anthem we needed. It was also written for the transmascs. Don’t ask why it just was

Something about France’s song just was so inherently french in nature

Spain had the first song that made me go “OH BANGER” and I love them and hope they place well; the strings hanging down was so fun and creative

Sweden’s song is good but she looks like she’s in a hydraulic press

Albania also a BANGER and they also seem like they’re doing a summoning ritual. Also they’re all a family and I love that for them

Italy. If you’re going to bother to use trampolines, actually do something with them please. You just had a couple guys doing small bounces in the background. Do something crazy. Please. I’m begging you, I want crazy trampoline stuff

Estonia was so powerful and definitely my favorite ballad of the whole contest

Finland- what is there to say about Finland that hasn’t been said already? EDM rave banger but make it slay

I really really liked Czechia’s staging and their use of the screens in the background, it was super cool and did a lot to emphasize their song rather than distract from it. Their harmonies were really cool, too!

Australia’s song is going into my regular playlist to listen to all the time

I feel like I can see Belgium’s song becoming a drag queen staple. Like every other season on RuPaul’s someone does this one. And honestly I think that is to its credit

Moldova also seems like a summoning ritual and the guy in the mask playing the flute and running around really did not do anything to dissuade that feeling

Ukraine’s song was really really good, just not my personal vibe. I thought the use of the screens they had was super cool!

Norway is a feminist power anthem and also sounds like it could fit into a Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack (this is a good thing)

Germany held *nothing* back and they’re so real for it. Slay. They did so much

Lithuania’s song felt very gospel

Slovenia had a banger bass line; also a song going into my playlist

Croatia also a vibe; no matter your opinions on their music we stan because they’re leftist punks who make fun of nationalism. They got arrested once for performing naked and protested it on the grounds of having corks in their buttholes. Icons and legends

UK’s song feels like it was written for tiktok. Also her voice doesn’t have enough breath support

[sir-klauz]

Eurovision semi finals song content contestants, and my favourite highlights in running order!

Eurovision

Norway was great, it was like they managed to make a pirate shanty into a pop song whilst looking like a monarch! She's queen of the Kings! Probably my favourite song.

Malta, all I can say is he'll be major hot onstage if they perform at gig with those on

Serbia, I saw him and was like yeah OK he's totally up in my wardrobe, loved the styles but the song wasn't my kinda thing.

Trans flag focused on very soon into the show, wonderful news! 🏳️‍⚧️

Latvia but they missed something maybe more oomph? With what they were going for.

Mention of Lordi in Elisha Dixons quick rap

Portugal was such a boppp? Red outfits and the music was grand

Ireland, well, this this gold edition Elvis Presley? Visually. Pot of gold?

Croatia THE OUTFITS, fabulous, beautiful, every military uniform should look like theirs, stripping, random goth in the background holding firing rockets with the best eyeliner ever.

Switzerland I THOUGHT THEIR NAME WAS RAINBOW WITH THE PRONUNCIATION SOUNDS THAT WAY?? Right?? I didn't question it until they shared the spelling. Sweet song. Song about people not wanting to be sent to war, which is sadly happening again during this time as we know all too well with us hosting instead of Ukraine 🇺🇦 🩷

Israel, good song called Unicorn. The lyrics are so true, with the use of Hebrew too is is nice.

Moldova mooonsss starrsss cool dancing oh my, this dude loves his wife, he's a goof egg. What a banger. The hairstyles, kinda reminded me of scorpion tails even though I figured they were representing 🌙. The looked awesome standing together and mirror sync dancing.

Focusing on people using rainbow 🌈 hand held fans! Yusss 🏳️‍🌈

The tirquoise carpet was fierce, everyone's style was outstanding.

Sweden, reminded me of ABBA especially the beginning. Awesome!

Azerbaijan, Jedward

Czech Republic very much enjoyed and a strong and beautiful performance, keep your hands to yourself reminder! And very empowering. Their hair!! Wow!

Netherlands they're so gorgeous and what a performance that shows such a connection. The pinstripe suit inspired outfits, I need. I love their gender.

Finland, once sold his moustache. Got to be done, brought a potable sauna to the venue as well. Sassy punk pole dancers, everyone else on the stage on giant dog leads. His dance moves are unmatched, the human centipede situation was and elbow jig leave them 10/10.

2010 Ukrainian representative, Alyosha telling her story of having to leave Ukraine and her husband in a heartfelt story. Beautiful and very sad stage performance and special effects, met with Rebecca Ferguson, X Factor 2010, I remember that when she was on!

"Where is my friend when I need toy the most?"

The heartbeat of all the countries flags uniting and the hole in the heart got filled with the heart made by the flags and bursting with light out of her chest. Very tear jerking and amazing performance.

[lrgcarter]

Okay, nobody cares about my opinion, but last night I sat through my first full length Eurovision. So here be my verdicts:

Best Songs

Germany's Blood and Glitter. Brilliant subversion of Nazi propaganda into a message that humanity needs to stand united and be fabulous. Can't believe they got so few points.

Croatia's Mama ŠČ. Great stuff. On any other day this might have my top spot. At least they got into column 1 of the ranking list, unlike poor Germany.

Other Songs I Noticed Were Good

Czechia's My Sister's Crown. Good stuff.

Norway's Queen of Kings. Fantastic chorus and costumes. The verses just never quite kicked into the higher gear they promised.

Spain's Eaea. The performers seemed to my musically illiterate ears to be Really Good At Singing. It's just the song they were singing didn't do much for me.

Honourable Mentions

Austria's Who the Heck is Edgar.For me, this didn't have enough Poe. The very next song was about a heart that wouldn't leave someone alone. Serbia sent the sort of person you would cast as Young Edgar Allan Poe in a steamy HBO show where he has way too much sex with his under age cousin. Austria's song was fine, but it needed something extra to rise above the other Poe themed entries.

Moldova's Soarele și Luna. A weak lead singer held back the piper and folks with scorpion hair.

Ukraine's Heart of Steel. I hear the performers found out mere minutes before show time that their home town was being bombed. Real mature, Russia. Real mature.

Belgium's Because of You. The lead singer stood on the light stage, looked up at the camera above him, and had the image of a splattering liquid shit explode beneath him. This is what I had been led to believe Eurovision was meant to be about. Full points.

Where My Tastes Are Different From Basically Everyone Elses

I hear Finland's Cha Cha Cha was popular. For personal reasons, a song about alchohol abuse is not for me. Perhaps I shouldn't have watched with translating subtitles?

All the other songs were kind of samey? Like, I get that all the performers were talanted and doing something I could never do, but none of them really stood out from the others? And even when they did make it into my list above, it was often as much because of the light shows as the music?

All of which is to say that none of these songs compared to New Zealand's 'entry'. That's still going round my head today. Let them join the contest!

[just-1other-nerd]

My comments on Eurovision this year:

(Disclaimer: like what you like, this is just my personal taste)

The opening song is fire, modern and traditional (but what the heck did Kate do there, our commentator even shout outed her *rolling my eyes*)

Loved that they brought back Go_A

Sometimes, the Eurovision can feel like a fever dream with it's crazy costumes, wild dance choreographies and over the top special effects

I think it's cool that non-European/non-Australian people can vote, too

I liked the energy of Austria's song and the idea is just so much fun

Portugal is really delivering, it feels like vacation at the mediterranean sea

Switzerland's song is very good, the singer has a great voice but there is this tiny bit that is missing in my opinion

I was already thinking she's pretty and then the commentary said she's not even the only model of her family, but the song isn't my thing and personally I think the only dance part was too long. Poland had a TikTok dance vibe.

I definitely heard the video game in Serbia's song but when the commentator said the singer is into anime I hoped it would have a lot more of the anime intro

I like the costume of the France lady but it looks better when she's not standing on a glittery mountain. The song is very good, her voice is fabulous (but in the refrain there's a little too much of that beat for my taste). My mother and the commentary guy both said that they shouldn't have fixated her on that tower thing because she could barely move.

Again, why did the Royals have to be there? And Peppa Pig and Drag Queens are also weirdly enough in the same montage (???)

Cyprus' singer really hits the high notes. The song has such a powerful vibe. I like it, well done.

The Spanish singer has a nice voice and it like the clapping rhythm but why is there this synthesiser-like sound in between.

My mum said something I could not not share: she thinks the presenters' outfits remind her of paw patrol, especially the yellow one

Loreen is back. I liked her song with which she won back then (more than this one). My mum and I were surprised to see her again. The song was more than fine. But what's going on with her nails? They are so distracting.

Albania is great and the voices fit together very well

Btw the Italian guy walking in with a pride flag was iconic because this competition is so fruity fr. The song is very good and I can imagine a dramatic dance scene to this. Our commentator called his shirt "made out of christmas decorations". The guys in the background falling up and down the stairs made me laugh a bit tbh

Estonia's singer has a fantastic voice, and I adore the song. Her outfit is so cool.

The music of Finnland this year isn't anything I normally listen to, just totally not my genre. And the box thing made me laugh out loud.

The Czech women are so pretty but the song, oh dayum I really like it, also it's giving a tiny bit blackpink.

I'm not so much into the Australian song but that's just because of personal preferences. The e-guitar was the best part

Belgium's song isn't my thing, it sounds like one of the songs you hear in the background when you're shopping

There is a woman behind the presenter making butter. I'm not even kidding, this is really happening

Armenia is really delivering, I love it, there are a bit of siren vibes and then it changes to harpy warrior vibes

Moldova has this very cool flute in there, it's a very powerful song and in my opinion it's fun

Ukraine's song is good but it's not my genre. I love the message though

Norway is definitely one of my favourites. What a power anthem!

Metal isn't really my thing, but the lead singer has a great voice, and overall, I like it a lot. Not a big fan of the costumes though

Lithuania has a great singer with a fabulous voice, the song is a vibe

In my opinion, Israels song is okay at best, mostly because I cringe at the line "the power of a unicorn"

Slovenia's song is cool if you ask me, but not extremely memorable

Nope, Croatia isn't my thing this year but like at all. But it's cool that they wear skirts, never mind why did they get rid of their clothes?

Sorry UK, I love revenge songs by , I've heard better (not that this one is particularly bad, but something just doesn't click)

Overall, most songs were pretty solid this year, a better average than most years

I like that they have disabled people on stage and the song isn't bad either, the e-guitar is fabulous.

I didn't expect Germany to loose against literally everyone, I think this year the song was way more original than some of the songs which got a higher rating but were way more basic and mainstream

Congratulations to Sweden

Oh no, our commentator said it was his last time to do this, but he's done it for the last 25 years, his voice is Eurovision, now I'm sad

Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪