Finalist: United Kingdom

While I applaud the new BBC approach to Eurovision - sending someone young and driven rather than a star whose heyday came and went many moons ago - their selected song keeps confusing me. I'm smitten and underwhelmed at the same time.



Molly - Children Of The Universe (United Kingdom 2014)

First of all I'd like to point out how many good things there are in this entry. It has a mix of interesting hippie and 60's elements, it builds very nicely, it has an intriguing instrumentation and the "Power to the People"-hook is ridiculously effective.

Molly is a good performer with a strong presence and an interesting voice, slightly reminiscent of a certain Bonnie Tyler at her best.

Unfortunately, the song takes a real nosedive in a chorus that never really takes off and becomes a bit too repetitive for its own good. Not that Molly is alone in that respect, there are far too many songs this year that have elegant verses and disappointing choruses.

However, this has emerged as one of the bigger favourites of the year. Perhaps it pulls enough strings to enthuse the audience, perhaps people have longed for a UK entry worth cheering for?

Potential winner: Yes, Molly could surely collect many consistent six and seven-pointers and then attract the odd top mark as well. In a year where the voting is all over the place, that could be enough.

My grade: 3/5