ESC 2023: what the final looks like from here

As every year, the ESC week is really intense. Suddenly we find ourselves with 26 finalists and a correct running order and even though we lived with these songs all season it suddenly feels like everything is suddenly thrown in the air and exciting and new.

At least to a limit. All season we had two songs that are clearly the universal favourites to win and that has not changed during the week.

This is my quick guide to the final with modified grades after seeing all songs in action on stage.

01. AUSTRIA

In theory a logical opener but this fan favourite had a difficult transition onto stage where it became surprisingly static. Also a victim of a bad trend in recent year where directors pack as many camera cuts as possible into their three minutes but forget to establish any sort of contact between the performers and their audience.

Grade: 3/5

02. PORTUGAL

In a largely functioning running order, this stands out as a huge question mark. Portugal is warm and vibrant and could easily have inserted some temper into the show, so why dump it in the number two spot? Between two other songs that are also very red? Mimicat seemed a little bit tired in the semi final but still showed a professionalism that reminded me of Monika Liu. I still think this could do reasonably well in the end.

Grade: 4/5

03. SWITZERLAND

A weak song remarkably elevated by a talented singer and a clever staging. It worked so far but now the competition is way more difficult and this first ballad of the night will struggle.

Grade: 1/5

04. POLAND

Little more than a dumb beach ditty but that is not necessarily something to be sniffed at. Doesn't take itself as seriously as some others in this lineup but should not expect any jury love.

Grade: 2/5

05. SERBIA

For the second consecutive year, Serbia is the arthouse of the final. Experimental and interesting but also dark and messy. Would need an extra gear to improve on stage.

Grade: 2/5

06. FRANCE

Sophisticated and well performed, with more than a touch of class. Could easily turn stiff but could also become the song the jury suddenly throws it highest marks at. 

Grade: 3/5

07. CYPRUS

Same as Switzerland: interesting singer meets flat and uninspired song that is also a tiny bit too demanding for said performer to fully pull off. Then the best arms in the line-up won't help.

Grade: 1/5

08. SPAIN

The big divide of the year. Is this fantastic or horrific, a hit or a miss? Or a bit of both? I really like what they attempt to do, Blanca Paloma is great and the staging is impressive but the song never goes anywhere. Instead it tries to compensate with intensity and volume and in the end listening to it feels like standing under a waterfall. Will get high points from some juries but I doubt very much this will be a big favourite with the average televoter, especially given what comes right after.

Grade: 2/5

09. SWEDEN

Loreen still knows how to put on a remarkable show. Even if "Tattoo" is nowhere near as groundbreaking as "Euphoria" was, it is still a quality song through and through. The most likely jury winner.

Grade: 5/5

10. ALBANIA

The biggest surprise among the semi final qualifiers in my book. Well sung, well staged and with an abundance of pathos. Will end up where Albanian entries tend to end up in the final.

Grade: 2/5

11. ITALY

The best singer in the lineup, performing a devastatingly captivating and well-crafted song with a rare presence and emotion. Must have a chance of being in the top five but inexplicably juries tend to be surprisingly cold towards Italian quality.

Grade: 5/5

12. ESTONIA

One of the strongest female vocalists of the year comes right after Marco Mengoni and it is puzzling how they put these two songs neck to neck, almost like the producer wanted them to steal points off each other. 

Grade: 3/5

13. FINLAND

The best staging of the year, genius from beginning to end. Käärijä delivers (even when he gets a bit out of breath by the end) and so do his brilliant dancers. Catchy and bonkers in equal measure. The most likely televote winner.

Grade: 5/5

14. CZECHIA

Time to take a little moment to breathe after Finland. Czechia does a good job - even if the identical outfits and general church vibe can get a bit much - but doesn't feel at all like a contender anymore. Also visibly relies heavily on pre-recorded vocals in a way that could annoy jury members and viewers alike.

Grade: 3/5

15. AUSTRALIA

80's rock with everything on it. It is a bit much but also totally shameless in a pretty liberating way. An extra gold star for the remarkable guitar solo played by Simone Dow.

Grade: 3/5

16. BELGIUM

A real happy pill and one of the most urgent messages of the year as lgbtiq-people again find themselves under attack, not least in this year's host country, the UK. Excellent vocals and a fitting tribute to club culture. A dark horse and possible surprise in the making.

Grade: 3/5

17. ARMENIA

A very pretty song but unfortunately another stage show where more attention have been paid to special effects and special lighting than to create any sort of camera contact. That could cost Brunette a top ten placing in the end, but at least she has the most graceful dance break of the evening.

Grade: 3/5

18. MOLDOVA

Folksy and fun. Pasha is still a terrific presence and this will have its fans, but the whole thing does get a bit too repetitive by the end. Could have needed some sort of breakdown at some point.

Grade: 2/5

19. UKRAINE

Many high expectations are placed on this entry - of course since you can almost never count Ukraine out - but is it just me or does it never fully take off? Will get a solid placing in the end but nowhere near a top three finish.

Grade: 3/5

20. NORWAY

This hot favourite suddenly feels surprisingly cold. It has not turned bad since Tuesday but suddenly there is no buzz around Alessandra anymore. I still think this one is headed for a generous score from the viewers in the end.

Grade: 3/5

21. GERMANY

For a long time, I thought Germany got it right and would have a shot at the top ten at least. But something about this song never clicks into place. Impeccably produced but the chorus falls flat. 

Grade: 2/5

22. LITHUANIA

With so many pre-recorded backing vocals it is a relief to finally see some backing vocalists in action on stage (even if also their singing has been enhanced on the tape) and Monika really elevates this several levels live on stage. Could be a surprise top ten finish if she's lucky.

Grade: 3/5

23. ISRAEL

Wants to be bubbly and youthful but ends up cold and calculating. Not even that hyped-up dance break is particularly impressive. Will have fans and receive some solid scores from here and there, but not a fave in this household.

Grade: 2/5

24. SLOVENIA

The last really warm-rather-than-slick entry in this lineup. Catchy and extremely easy to like. Slovenia has every chance in the world of getting their best placing ever this year.

Grade: 3/5

25. CROATIA

I honestly have no idea what to expect. Terribly out of sync on Tuesday and could well be on zero points after the jury vote. What will the viewers make of this?

Grade: 2/5

26. UNITED KINGDOM

A really fun album track that - similarly to Austria that opened the line-up - had problems translating itself onto stage. Mae Muller is a bit too insecure on stage. Juries can forgive an uneasy appearance or wobbly vocals but rarely they forgive both. But there will also be a thunderous reception to this in the arena.

Grade: 3/5

I save my final prediction for a bit later but I can promise you it will be worth the effort to sit through this final. With a bit of luck it will also end up a big thriller before we can crown out winner.

Tobson speaks up: ESC 2023, the finalists

More than a few times since 2008 - when the semi final formula changed and the pre-qualified finalists consisted solely of the host nation and the Big Four/Five - writing the last part of your Eurovision reviews was a bit painful.

For many years, most of the Bigs made absolutely zero effort and would come up with entries destined to crash and burn and the very bottom of the result. Almost all interesting songs would appear in the semi finals and leave the chapter on the finalists dull and dry.

Luckily, in later years things have improved. Last year, Italy was the host country while the UK and Spain both ended up in the top three. France was a bit of a surprise flop and only Germany was a truly predictable failure.

So - how do the six pre-qualified songs measure up this year? Well... like this.

FRANCE La Zarra / Évidemment

For the second time in only six years, France scrapped its national final format in favour of an internal selection and gave the ticket directly to La Zarra. She cooked up a number that starts out like a dramatic chanson before developing a beat, turning into more of a pop entry with some very French touches to it. Sounds fresh but also works better on repeat listenings, which could be a bit of a problem in a televote. Possibly a jury darling and if so, a top five finish could be within reach.

Grade: 4/5

GERMANY Lord of the Lost / Blood & Glitter

Finally Germany has left the dull concept of streamlined, inoffensive "radio friendly" songs that nobody votes for behind in favour of some good old metal. Rock often hits home pretty well with ESC audiences and while this doesn't really bring anything new or innovate to the table, there is personality, temper and a hooky chorus on offer. 

Grade: 3/5

ITALY Marco Mengoni / Due vite

Every year there is at least one song that should count as a big favourite but that somehow seems to fly under everybody's radar. This year, that song is obviously Italy's massive pop ballad, masterfully performed by the remarkable stage presence of Marco Mengoni. This absolutely should and must score well but has seemingly no buzz in the predictions. Maybe people have an appetite for something other than Italian craft this time around.

Grade: 5/5

SPAIN Blanca Paloma / Eaea

This is obviously the part where my comments section could explode but I have to be honest and honestly this entry is not my cup of tea at all. Blanca Paloma is an excellent singer and I have found her live executions interesting to watch, but when the single starts to play in my headphones I find it exhausting to listen to. Songs can do well at the ESC even when I don't fancy them - it happens regularly - but while I expect a fair share of jury points as a reward for good vocals, I doubt this entry will exercise any major mass appeal on your average viewer. If this places better than 10th or so, it will come as a real surprise to me. 

Grade: 2/5

19. UKRAINE Tvorchi / Heart of Steel

Last year's winner enters something musically totally different and - as always - served up in a slick and professional fashion. A less obvious points magnet this time around but still very likely to do really well, not least because people will look out for Ukraine and pay attention to whatever they have on offer.

Grade: 3/5

26. UNITED KINGDOM Mae Muller / I Wrote A Song

Last year's second place clearly gave the UK a large chunk of their old confidence back and it is not unlikely that the audience reaction to Mae Muller will blow the roof off the arena in Liverpool. That could definitely be an advantage - remember Denmark 2001 - not least since various reports from various fan events suggest that the UK entrant hasn't hit all her notes brilliantly so far. That is a problem for later - as a single, I find this captivating, contemporary, fun and catchy. 

Grade: 4/5

There is nothing to predict here as all of these songs are already in the final, but if I ranked them in my personal order of preference in their current pre-live show versions it would be: Italy, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ukraine and Spain. 

Feel free to check out my views on semi one and semi two as well. 

Tobson speaks up: ESC 2023, semi 2

After dipping my nose into the first semi it is time to move on and see what the sixteen songs of the second semi are like. Will it be an equally hard battle to conquer one of the ten available spots in the final on a Thursday night?

These are my personal opinions as well as my highly personal pick of ten finalists.

01. DENMARK Reiley / Breaking My Heart
A logical choice to open the second semi. Almost shockingly contemporary and chart-friendly for being a Danish entry, it will possibly suffer from being designed for radio and streaming and subsequently not really including a lot of build-up or dynamic - it goes on and then it ends. Another question mark is if Reiley - who is otherwise charming and likeable - will be able to keep this interesting for three minutes.

Grade: 3/5

02. ARMENIA Brunette / Future Lover

Starts in a quirky and almost absent-minded way, almost as if the performer was talking to herself rather than singing on a stage, before turning into a full-blown orchestral drama ending in an intense chorus in Armenian. A peculiar choice for the number two slot but an original, high-quality song that maybe wants to be a bit more special than it really is.

Grade: 3/5

03. ROMANIA Theodor Andrei / D.G.T (Off And On)

Where do I begin? This songs has a few little hooky things going on but altogether it doesn't feel complete or fully finished. Someone would have needed to clean this track up and give it some overall polish. Also don't get me started on the visual choices made for the national final. I'm thinking maybe Romania should try internal selection for a year or two and see if they could come up with something better.

Grade: 1/5

04. ESTONIA Alika / Bridges

Another very dramatic ballad by another skilled performer: just what you'd expect from a modern day Big Eurosong but with a certain freshness. Perhaps not unforgettable but should easily impress enough viewers to make it through.

Grade: 3/5

05. BELGIUM Gustaph / Because Of You

I must admit I got this entirely wrong on a first listen and discarded it as a bit of jokey nonsense when it's in fact a rather fabulous throwback to 90's club culture. Pure joy and excellent vocals. Given Gustaph is also the first really happy pill of the evening, I doubt very much the viewers would make the same mistake as I did.

Grade: 3/5

06. CYPRUS Andrew Lambrou / Break A Broken Heart

In a really puzzling move, Cyprus hired a singer/songwriter all the way from Australia to do the job for them. But they wouldn't let him write his own song and set him up with one of those typical anonymous "written-for-Eurovision" kind of ditties. Not bad but oddly forgettable. Will need a firestorm of a performance in order to hit home.

Grade: 2/5

07. ICELAND Diljá / Power

I like a lot of things here: I like Diljá, I like her raw energy on stage and her attitude towards performing, I like some of the ideas in this arrangement. And yet - oddly enough - the final package does very little for me. I feel nothing when listening to it and often forget it exists. Strange.

Grade: 2/5

08. GREECE Victor Vernicos / What They Say

A really talented teen who wrote, recorded and produced his own entry. Very impressive but I can't help thinking it would have been better to let Victor wait a year or two before getting shipped off to the big time. The song is a bit clunky but in a charming way and seeing this youngster in action is touching but will it be enough?

Grade: 2/5

09. POLAND Blanka / Solo

This reminds me of any of the Real Housewives installments where one of the participants gets bored and thinks you can do a pop career as a hobby on the side without really making any sort of effort. "Solo" is your average fun and stupid beach ditty - nothing wrong with that - but Blanka's performance was almost breathtakingly lazy with zero investment. Will be a classic for years to come but if there's any justice in the world, this will crash and burn.

Grade: 1/5

10. SLOVENIA Joker Out / Carpe Diem

After a number of wobblier efforts, Slovenia's boy band will have Europe eating out of their hands. This is funny, catchy and engaging and again we get proof how singing in your own language is an easy way of making your song stand out as more personable. Slovenia's best chance of a top ten finish in many years.

Grade: 3/5

11. GEORGIA Iru / Echo

This year's art installation is bursting full of eccentric ideas and an abundance of oddities, all performed in fine voice and with a great deal of conviction. Is it good? Hard to say, but I think it is. Does it stand out? Indeed it does. 

Grade: 3/5

12. SAN MARINO Piqued Jacks / Like An Animal

Last year they gave us an Italian star, this time they settled for a local Italian rock band that has received a lot of beating from the certain demographic of fans who seem to enjoy giving things a beating a way lot more than actually liking anything. There is a trashy charm to this but it never really goes anywhere and unfortunately ends up in an unnecessarily shouty finish.

Grade: 2/5

13. AUSTRIA Teya & Salena / Who The Hell Is Edgar?

The winner of the second semi in a number of ways. What could have been "only" a bit of comic relief suddenly finds itself standing out in many ways as a - yes, funny - uptempo stomper that is also clever and catchy. If they can only build a stage show to match the energy of the track, this is bound to do very well. Especially as almost all of the major favourites have been drawn to sing in the first semi.

Grade: 4/5

14. ALBANIA Albina & Familija Kelmendi / Duje

Could you do the ESC without having a dramatic family stand on stage, giving a rousing ode to avoiding divorce at any cost? Yes, you certainly could. While the message feels oddly conservative on a show like this, the song in itself is quite okay. "Scenes From A Marriage" if Bergman had been a pop composer from Tirana instead. Hardly a points magnet but enjoyable in its own way.

Grade: 2/5

15. LITHUANIA Monika Linkytė / Stay

This is that one song that could seem a bit basic and plain when you just hear the studio version but live Monika and her backing vocalists turn this into a living, breathing thing that keeps growing and pulling you in. Not a potential winner or anything but could certainly end up doing a lot better than people expect it to.

Grade: 3/5

16. AUSTRALIA Voyager / Promise

My first impression was that they had crammed too many things into one song and wanted to much, in a Saara Aalto meets Montaigne sort of way, but then I warmed to the whole thing. Engaging and entertaining. Should qualify with ease even though it will find itself wrestling with Germany for the rock vote in the final.

Grade: 3/5

So, if I was the only juror who could pick ten finalists all by myself based only on the studio versions and preview presentations, my choices would be (in order of appearance): Denmark, Armenia, Estonia, Belgium, Greece, Slovenia, Georgia, Austria, Lithuania and Australia. 

My preferences can still change before the live shows - as history has shown - but what ten songs would you pick and what six would you leave in the semi?

Tobson speaks up: ESC 2023, semi 1

 

It's almost upon us, the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. This year hosted jointly by last year's winner and last year's runner-up: Ukraine gets to add flavour while the UK takes care of the actual hosting.

The contest has shrunk a bit and the number of entries is the lowest since Copenhagen 2014, but the countries that did show up have given us a pretty diverse and updated lineup.

Soon the rehearsals will start in Liverpool and distort our first impressions with footage and clips and soundbites of varying quality, so before that: here are my reviews of the songs as they are in their preview versions as well as the ten songs I would pick for the final if I got it my way.

01. NORWAY Alessandra / Queen of the Kings
This is a pretty great opener but also an odd choice by the producer. This is clearly one of the favourites and it is unusual to throw one of those out there already at the start of the show. For me, this is a catchy little number that easily gets stuck in your head but it is more of a cool beat than a really good song. Something about it makes me think of "Boten Anna" but maybe that's just me. Solid but maybe not the winner candidate many consider it to be.
Grade: 3/5

02. MALTA The Busker / Dance (Our Own Party)
Malta ditched the international songwriters and went for a local tune at long last. Clearly the right decision and in my opinion this is Malta's best entry in a very long time. Best since Claudette Pace? It has a cool groove and a joyful relative of the Epic Sax Guy. The only warning sign here is the disastrously low energy shown by the lead singer in the national final. Get that sorted and this could be a pleasant surprise.
Grade: 3/5

03. SERBIA Luke Black / Samo mi se spava

The first semi opens in style with several really strong entries and Serbia stays on the same track as last year: avantgarde and pushing limits of what a eurosong could sound and look like. Luke himself is very easy to like and the song is oddly captivating and hypnotic. The warning sign here is the slightly dark, messy and unfocused national final performance. Luke Black coming after Konstrakta is very similar to Justs coming after Aminata: not less enjoyable but less likely to score heavily.

Grade: 3/5

04. LATVIA Sudden Lights / Aijā

Latvia hasn't been in the final since 2016 but here we we find ourselves with the Latvia entry being a real dark horse: intense, claustrophobic, almost intrusive and with a clever climax as the soft-rocker turns into a lullaby by the end. Would need more camera contact in Liverpool and is far from a sure fire finalist, but it's very much a personal favourite of mine and I'd love for it to make it through.

Grade: 4/5

05. PORTUGAL Mimicat / Ai coração

This semi final is not slowing down and this is another firm favourite of mine: explosive, sexy and funny with a very vibrant performer being in complete control of her own show. Doesn't look or sound like anyone else in this semi and I'm here for every last drop of it. Exquisite.

Grade: 4/5

06. IRELAND Wild Youth / We Are One

Wild? Pedestrian, rather. After five really strong entries in a row I suppose we should all be very thankful to Ireland giving us a moment to breathe and refill our snacks and drinks. But seriously, when will the Irish get their act together again? Is this really the best they can come up with? Not bad as in terrible but bad as in genuinely disinteresting from the first note to the last.

Grade: 1/5

07. CROATIA Let 3 / Mama ŠČ!

Perhaps Ireland isn't terrible but Croatia has every intention to be and are really rolling out their heavy guns. This punk rocker about dictators buying tractors for each other is about as subtle as a horde of elephants in a glass shop. If it is good or not is beside the point: the Croatians are here to get noticed and remembered. Mission accomplished.

Grade: 3/5

08. SWITZERLAND Remo Forrer / Watergun

My first impression of this: nice young man with a nice ballad. Repeated listenings unfortunately made the song grow off me surprisingly quickly, not least thanks to the meek lyrics. My best advice to all songwriters: if you want to write a song about where when there is a war going on really nearby, maybe you should articulate an opinion stronger than "war is kinda bad I suppose". 

Grade: 1/5

09. ISRAEL Noa Kirel / Unicorn

Not so much a song, more like various bits and pieces thrown together in order to make space for a nice stage performance. Mind you, I like a few of the individual bits and bobs but it doesn't fully gel for me. In the end, I prefer solid songs to slick performances (if I can't have both). Chanel has a lot to answer for.

Grade: 2/5

10. MOLDOVA Pasha Parfeni / Soarele și luna

Pasha is back with a piece of folklore in Romanian, complete with the flute of last year's winner. Easy to enjoy for the moment with a few effective hooks but then it begins to wear thing surprisingly fast. Would have need something by the end to elevate it a bit further.

Grade: 3/5

11. SWEDEN Loreen / Tattoo 

It has been a risky business for winners to return to the ESC in the last two decades or so but Loreen is hardly taking any chances. This is beautifully crafted to remind the viewer of "Euphoria" without running the risk of feeling like a copycat. Highly engaging but would benefit from a slightly stripped down performance, allowing Loreen to focus a bit more on her actual singing, but that is a mere detail as this is one of the obvious potential winners this year.

Grade: 5/5

12. AZERBAIJAN TuralTuranX / Tell Me More

For the first time since their debut in 2008, Azerbaijan enters a fully local product instead of buying something from abroad. About time, so I really wish I could like this more. On the plus side, it's a breezy and careful little number with the clearest Beatles-vibe of all songs on their way to Liverpool but unfortunately nothing much happens for three minutes. Every time the song almost goes somewhere it instantly loses its way again. I also have to deduct points for that really annoying "quack quack" sound in the arrangement. Sorry, lads.

Grade: 1/5

13. CZECHIA Vesna / My Sister's Crown

The third entry of the night with clear political undertones (the fourth if you count Latvia) is an engaging song that sounds excellent in its studio cut but less convincing in its national final form. If they can improve the overall impression, this could be one of the better Czech showings to date.

Grade: 3/5

14. NETHERLANDS Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper / Burning Daylight

The real thriller of the first semi will be this moment when a well-crafted but demanding song will meet a couple of not so fine-tuned vocal chords to perform it. The selection of Mia and Dion has created quite a stir back home but all that matters is what it sounds like on the night. Heaven help the Dutch because this song would always need luck to break through in a competition that is televote only.

Grade: 3/5

15. FINLAND Käärijä / Cha Cha Cha

"Finland being one of the top contenders of winning the ESC with a song in Finnish" was not on my bingo card when the season begun but here we are. Finland's pop scene is full of brilliantly creative madcaps and finally that is fully on display also in this contest. A wild blend of rock and techno that descends into a solid schlager chorus, complete with a mesmerising performance you just can't look away from. Hard Bop Hallelujah.

Grade: 5/5

Completely disregarding who sang badly in their national finals or in various fan events, the ten songs I would personally pick for the final out of this bunch are (in order of appearence): Norway, Malta, Serbia, Latvia, Portugal, Moldova, Sweden, Czechia, Netherlands and Finland. These are all songs I genuinely enjoy listening to but I would not mind if Croatia made the cut either.

This is, however, my personal taste and not a prediction. What ten songs would you select?

ESC 2022: what the final looks like from here

The final lineup is completed and as every year it feels like everything went through a major earthquake. Everything looks different and everything you believed all through the season has been turned upside down. 

Loads of the songs who looked like contenders still in the semi final have been put in the shade - some because of the new mix, some because of their spot in the running order - and some new favourites may have emerged.

This is not my final prediction - you'll get that later today - but this is what the twenty-five songs in the final feel like with the new running order.

01. CZECH REPUBLIC

A good and energetic opener that has a retro electronica beat that I am very fond of. This was never in the running for victory in any way but opening the ball could possibly make it stand out in a better light than it would have at, say, spot 12. 

Grade: 3/5

02. ROMANIA

The finalist where I really totally and completely fail to see what the rest of you see and enjoy and judging from its spot in the running order, host broadcaster Rai is with me here. Regardless, I am genuinely happy for Romanian tv to be back in the final. Hopefully this will inspire them to send more solid entries again.

Grade: 1/5

03. PORTUGAL

Wonderful singing but maybe not enough action to convince the audience this early on in the running. The average viewer isn't yearning for an oasis just yet but this is a high quality entry and further proof what good shape the Portuguese national final is in right now.

Grade: 3/5

04. FINLAND

Energetic commercial radio rock with a nerve, presented with experience and a certain amount of gravity. A bit too much of a shout out to what was hot in the charts two decades ago to be a real contender but it is always a victory of sorts for Finland to be in the final.

Grade: 3/5

05. SWITZERLAND

Sometimes it's nice to be surprised and I honestly never thought Marius Bear would surprise us like he did in the semi final. However, I can't see this very gentle little song and its slightly clumsy performance break through the same way on a Saturday night. 

Grade: 2/5

06. FRANCE

Sometimes you look too closely at the running order in itself and forget how a strong song can break through on its own, regardless of where it comes during the night. Having said that, it feels like the producers failed this French piece of etno rave, dropping it very early without having anything properly building up to it. 

Grade: 4/5

07. NORWAY

The fun novelty song of the year, featuring anonymous wolves and dancing bananas, that would probably have landed a bit better some other year when the state of the world had a bit less gloom and doom about it. Will it be the relief the audience is longing for or just ultimately too lightweight? I have a good time but still lean towards the latter of the two.

Grade: 3/5

08. ARMENIA

A sweet little moment but the video clip feel of the performance came across as more alienating than impressive in the semi final. Maybe we just want singers to seem more close, accessible and present after the pandemic? A right hand finish in the final.

Grade: 2/5

09. ITALY

The best song in the final performed by two singers with a presence that can burn through a camera lense. Whenever they decide to turn it on. If everything comes together like it should, Italy could be the first host country to win since Ireland 1994. Maybe not the most probable outcome but far from impossible.

Grade: 5/5

10. SPAIN

Has emerged as one of the biggest favourites to win during rehearsals and this could be the point when I stand correct but I fail to see this one running away with the jury vote. Professional and a beat you can dance to but if the jurors do their job - they are explicitly told to favour originality - there should be other, stronger candidates. Top five is definitely within reach, though.

Grade: 3/5

11. NETHERLANDS

Intense and sincere but runs the risk of coming across as the quiet moment that lowers the tempo once we got the party started. Definitely not helped out by the running order.

Grade: 3/5

12. UKRAINE

A good song is a good song but Ukraine obviously has an emotional edge few others can compete with. Not everyone seems to get their head around this the way I had expected but in televote that won't matter much. One of the most likely winners.

Grade: 5/5

13. GERMANY

I thought the producers might flog poor Malik in the second slot - the disaster position - but maybe this is even worse. After four favourites in a row it will be blindingly obvious what a bleak effort this is, in spite of its spirited performance. 

Grade: 1/5

14. LITHUANIA

A very personable and original cabaret ditty in a national language making it to the final in a year when a lot of polite little numbers in English lost out is a very encouraging thing. Could get quite a bit of jury love but most importantly its presence makes the final better.

Grade: 4/5

15. AZERBAIJAN

Perfectly polished as always but also anonymous and surprisingly screamy in the semi final. Will probably pick up the odd vote from here and there but is hardly top ten material.

Grade: 1/5

16. BELGIUM

One of the best voices this year sang his way to the final and rightly so. Very impressive singing, and while the song maybe doesn't rise to the same level it's good to see Belgium getting rewarded for sending in young talent.

Grade: 2/5

17. GREECE

A well staged and well sung piece of drama that maybe lost a bit of its momentum with this running order. Four slow songs in a row was an ill-advised idea and Amanda is probably the one losing the most from it. 

Grade: 4/5

18. ICELAND

Too bad for Iceland but by now the viewers will have run out of snacks while waiting for the tempo to pick up again. 

Grade: 2/5

19. MOLDOVA

This seems like a golden (train) ticket: finally something fun and crazy and upbeat that will make everyone sit up in their armchairs. Nowhere strong enough to be a surprise winner but could maybe have chance at a top ten finish.

Grade: 3/5

20. SWEDEN

Maybe not an ideal spot right after wacko Moldova but Cornelia has an intensity and a presence forcing people to pay attention. One of tonight's most probable winners.

Grade: 5/5

21. AUSTRALIA

Another really good voice but a performer that doesn't always know when to hold back rather than to give full gas. This is a bit too much for my taste but will probably tickle the senses of more than one juror.

Grade: 1/5

22. UNITED KINGDOM

The winner? Has the UK desert walk come to an end? Yes and no. This running order wrecks its momentum a bit - coming after Sweden and the emotional storm that is Australia - and I have not been a huge fan of Sam Ryders performance style and wish also he knew how to hold back a bit. This will be by far the best UK placing in over a decade but I would be very surprised if it was enough to go all the way.

Grade: 4/5

23. POLAND

And a third consecutive entry with a male vocalist giving his vocal chords a wild ride. What were the producers thinking? A very good voice in a song that maybe resembles a few other songs just a bit too much for comfort.

Grade: 3/5

24. SERBIA

Known by the whole continent as the hand wash song, it now finds itself sandwiched in between a lot of boys at the end of the final. Probably not as good a spot as it looks on paper but just like Lithuania its main purpose is to make the final a better and more diverse place.

Grade: 4/5

25. ESTONIA

Hunky Stefan gets to close the presentation of entries with his country-flavoured little song that is solid but never really rises beyond being nice. A wide smile and good energy could prove to go a long way as Estonia has a lighter touch than the five songs proceeding it. Just how far will be very interesting to see in the end.

Grade: 2/5

Tobson speaks up: ESC 2022, the finalists

The best thing about the ESC being hosted by one of the big five countries is that we will have twenty-five songs in the final, which is a pretty ideal number.

I don't know why that one song makes such a difference but it does. It's as if there was some sort of invisible line between twenty-five and twenty-six, where many become too many. Maybe it won't be as much of a negative singing last in the final this time?

Anyway, it's not impossible also next year's final will have twenty-five entries since the Big Five have overall made big efforts (most of them) and it's not entirely unthinkable that one of them would run away with the trophy again.

Here are my (slightly longer) opinions on the songs already in the final.

ITALY

Mahmood & Blanco / Brividi

The burning question ever since Måneskin won last year has been if Italy would now be the first county to secure a home victory since Ireland in 1994. Sanremo has been in good shape as of late - thoroughly updated but still firmly focusing on songs and singing over visual gimmicks - something that seems to have slowly trickled back to the ESC as well. So, will there be a double? It is definitely not out of reach. "Brividi" is an outstanding song, superbly performed, and especially Mahmood has an incredible way of working the cameras. At least it will be the first host country act to place top five since Frans and if it isn't I will have to ask to talk to the manager.

Grade: 5/5

FRANCE

Alvan & Ahez / Fulenn

Pretty wild to go from French having its best showing in the contest for many a good day to the first year ever without a single song in the language of Voltaire. Instead we get a mashup between a rave party and a fest-noz in Breton and I'm very happy with that too. Musically, this is top crop with a lot of catchy elements and a really convincing backing track. If it hadn't been for the rather poor visuals and messy camera work we've seen so far, this could be a potential winner too. If we are given a tighter production, this could be a dark horse.

Grade: 4/5

GERMANY

Malik Harris / Rockstars

The last decade has lead me to think that the people in charge of the German participation has no idea what the ESC is, how it works and what you need to be successful there. Given what it looked like from the outset, Germany somehow got it surprisingly right this time. Malik isn't bad and the song has its inspired moments and has won a number of fans in the lead-up to the contest. Seriously, though. Germany has the potential to go top five every year and with that in mind, this just isn't good enough.

Grade: 2/5

SPAIN

Chanel / SloMo

What a lift the Benidorm Fest turned out to be for the Eurovision brand in Spain. It gave the audience high production values, loads of entertainment, a high rate of engagement and loads of media coverage. The one thing they have to improve for coming years is the lineup: while most songs were good, few felt like potential contenders at the ESC. Chanel is working hard and "SloMo" has a hit single kind of air to it, but is also fairly linear and lacking in climax. It will do better than Spanish entries have done of late but probably nowhere near as good as many fans expect.

Grade: 3/5

UNITED KINGDOM

Sam Ryder / Space Man

Seeing the UK enter a song that could potentially score points and end up on the left side of the scoreboard is such a seismic event these days that it made many people lose their heads a bit. It is a compelling piece of songwriting, very competently performed, put together from some very familiar bits and pieces (a pinch of Bowie, some late-60's psychedelia, and I swear that bridge is Something that The Beatles recorded at some point). But then there is one fact that applies also to the UK: you don't always get a good score just because you made an effort, you also need luck. In other words, this could place anywhere between 5th and 15th in the final. Unless Sam hits a bulls eye and knocks it out of the park on that Saturday night, then anything is possible. Best UK entry since Imaani either way. 

Grade: 4/5

Feel free to check out my reviews of the songs in semi one and semi two as well. 

Tobson speaks up: ESC 2022, semi 2

After I published part one I realised I am doing it all wrong. In this review I should of course have listed the ten songs I myself would have wanted to make it to the final, not the ones I predict.

You see, these two things are not the same. When making predictions you should try to avoid wishful thinking as much as only possible, while some wishful thinking can be amusing to read too.

Hey ho, it doesn't matter all that much, it's just a blog after all and we have eighteen songs of the second semi to take a closer look at.

01. FINLAND
The Rasmus / Jezebel

One of the biggest names in this years line-up even if their biggest hit happened almost twenty years ago. It's no "In The Shadows" but an explosive opener all the same and very recognisable for the band's fans as well as for the people who had forgotten they were Rasmus fans as well.

Grade: 3/5

02. ISRAEL

Michael Ben David / I.M

Being gay and proud in the public eye always took a certain amount of audacity, not least now the way things have turned out lately. I would love to fully support this but while the performance has a shameless over-the-top-quality to it, this is one of my least favourite songs of the year. Three minutes of nothing, basically.

Grade: 1/5

03. SERBIA

Konstrakta / In corpore sano

The sharpest teeth in the contest come in the shape of a woman constantly washing her hands in a subversive piece of satire that refuses to be cute or whimsical. Catchy and almost hypnotic but possibly a hard sell to a mainstream audience. I hope everyone will see the brilliance but I could be hoping for too much.

Grade: 4/5

04. AZERBAIJAN

Nadir Rustamli / Fade To Black

Azerbaijan does what always worked for them: they opened up their large wallet and bought an impeccably produced song with no connection what-so-ever to anything local. Maybe this time the strategy came back to bite their own behinds: in a year where so many acts try to do their own thing, this song is so polished it is hard to remember in the end. Surprise non-qualifyer? Not impossible.

Grade: 2/5

05. GEORGIA

Circus Mircus / Lock Me In

Spaced out psychedelia not unlike the last song Georgia qualified with back in 2016. Just like that one, this will be saved or crushed by what the audience can see on their screens. Reports suggest this band isn't all that live on stage but maybe that could be sorted with nifty camera work. Let's hope so since the actual tune, while not as clever as it thinks it is, is a gem.

Grade: 4/5

06. MALTA

Emma Muscat / I Am What I Am

Why do they keep doing this to their singers (and to their songwriters)? Is this the best song they could come up with? While technically not a melodifestivalen reject, it sure sounds like one and will score like one.

Grade: 1/5

07. SAN MARINO

Achille Lauro / Stripper

One of my biggest questions marks of the year. I have enjoyed Achille a great deal in Sanremo over the years and he has an intensity that can melt tv cameras from quite a distance, but the song he settled for here is way more album filler than hit single and the star himself comes across as a tad uncommitted to the whole thing. Will this light up when it needs to or are we looking at the shock NQ of the year?

Grade: 3/5

08. AUSTRALIA

Sheldon Riley / Not The Same

Sheldon pours his heart out in front of us and while I'd like to respond to that, this entry does nothing for me. Just like last year, the theatrics get in the way and this just ends up being a lot of voice with no real chorus to work with. All things on display here are obviously the artist's own choices, but while I respect that I can only state that for me the package never comes together.

Grade: 1/5

09. CYPRUS

Andromache / Ela

Let's ignore that fact that a ridiculous ten people are listed as having written this song and just listen on the actual song. Cyprus let go of the party vibe and settled for a song that sounds international and very Greek at the same time, impeccably performed by a good voice. I'm smitten and I'm sure more people will be come Eurovision week.

Grade: 4/5

10. IRELAND

Brooke / That's Rich

Ireland goes pop and usually when they do it does not bode well for a great result. I find myself thoroughly amused by both the song and the performance but predict this will go down a bit like "Et Cetera" did. Unless being the first uptempo pop stomper in a while makes it catch the audiences attention, that is.

Grade: 3/5

11. NORTH MACEDONIA

Andrea / Circles

They do nothing wrong. The singing is good and the songwriting is technically fine. But nothing happens and this entry stands still for a solid three minutes. Nobody can afford doing that at this point in this semi.

Grade: 1/5

12. ESTONIA

Stefan / Hope

"The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" performed by The Handsome from Viljandi. It's a bit of an odd choice coming from Estonia but it is perfectly pleasant and lives very highly on Stefan's charm. A real borderline qualifier, like so many others in this semi. Maybe we are in for some big surprises?

Grade: 2/5

13. ROMANIA

WRS / Llámame

I have really tried - I mean really really tried - to get into the vibe of this one. I like that little instrumental thingy, you see. But the rest of it is very basic and uninspired and amateurish and unworthy of anyone's attention. Romania used to be so good at this game, where did they go wrong? Fourth NQ in a row, for sure.

Grade: 1/5

14. POLAND

Ochman / River

Clearly the best Polish entry in quite some time but I'm not quite as sold as many others. Ochman has a good voice but never really connected with the cameras in the national final. The song is also a patchwork of bits and pieces from songs that already exist, which is fine in itself until it becomes too obvious and takes your attention away from the actual performance.

Grade: 3/5

15. MONTENEGRO

Vladana / Breathe

Montenegro making quite the comeback with a catchy midtempo ballad that is not without chances, an updated take on the big so-called Balkan Ballad that used to create havoc in this contest in the previous decades. The big question is if people have missed this style or find it a leftover from times gone by? If Vladana nails her vocals, my guess is the first alternative.

Grade: 3/5

16. BELGIUM

Jérémie Makiese / Miss You

Every year there is at least one entry that you intellectually recognise as a quality entry that will go down well even when it doesn't really do much for you personally. For me, that is Belgium this year. Jérémie is clearly very talented and there are hooks aplenty in here. Not my cup of tea but I don't think that will constitute any major problem at this stage.

Grade: 2/5

17. SWEDEN

Cornelia Jakobs / Hold Me Closer

After years of impeccably polished if not terribly exciting entries, Sweden finally got it right. Cornelia offers drama, intensity and a beating heart, showing how you can be both polished and engaging at the same time. Easily Sweden's best attempt since Loreen and a very possible winner in the end.

Grade: 5/5

18. CZECH REPUBLIC

We Are Domi / Lights Out

The second semi ends on a tricky note for me. This moody electro pop is just the kind of thing that makes my heart beat to its very BPM but I still suspect this style could prove to be a bit too unspectacular to hit home at this stage. Fingers crossed this isn't a disappointing 11th place in the making.

Grade: 4/5

In conclusion, this semi feels much more open and a lot less easy to predict. I think Finland, Serbia, Cyprus, Poland, Montenegro, Belgium and Sweden can sleep easy but the rest will have to do their best to impress. In the end I say Georgia, San Marino and Czech republic will steal the final tickets to the final which would leave Israel, Azerbaijan, Malta, Australia, Estonia, North Macedonia and Romania out.

Please check out my predictions for semi one here and feel free to leave a comment or two.

Tobson speaks up: ESC 2022, semi 1

It is the time of year when I shake some life into this old blog of mine - usually I blog my way through the Eurovision history in Swedish here - to focus on the upcoming contest in Turin.

In this first blog post I will write my personal opinion about the songs in the first semi and then predict the top ten qualifiers based on the preview versions alone.

It's not a bad year we have ahead of us: if it is one lesson people seem to have learned from last year, then it is how being personable and having a song that sounds like it means something to the people performing it is a clever trick.

01. ALBANIA

Ronela Hajati / Sekret

A fine opener with ambitions to blend dance music and traditional lore together. Perhaps it ends up being more of a rhythm track than a functioning song and maybe people will find other songs they will like more before the semi final is over, but we will surely have a good time together with Ronela during these three minutes.

Grade: 2/5

02. LATVIA

Citi Zēni / Eat Your Salad

For a while it felt like Latvia really had a buzz going and would be the viral wonder of the year, but now the temperature has gone down considerably. A fun track that will have its fans, but ultimately the whole thing is probably too silly to stand a real chance.

Grade: 2/5

03. LITHUANIA

Monika Liu / Sentimentai

The first of my personal favourites to take the stage this year. France 2021 meets a very sensual and totally bonkers cabaret performer and magic happens. Not sure at all Europe will embrace this on a Tuesday night but I love it.

Grade: 4/5

04. SWITZERLAND

Marius Bear / Boys Do Cry

A sweet song about comforting your inner child (I guess), sensitively performed by a likeable singer, but a most unfavourable spot in the running is likely to keep Switzerland in the semis after two strong showings. Unless Marius really works the cameras, then this could be a surprise in the making.

Grade: 3/5

05. SLOVENIA

LPS / Disko

If this was the talent night at the local high school, LPS would charm everyone and have us eating out of their hands. A charming little effort but the lack of experience becomes too evident in the end.

Grade: 2/5

06. UKRAINE

Kalush Orchestra / Stefania

Of course the entry of Ukraine was bound to be brilliant. They often are and this year it actually means an awful lot for them to be represented in the best possible light. And they are, reaching musical and emotional heights few others can compete with. The most obvious qualifier in this semi and not at all an unlikely eventual winner.

Grade: 5/5

07. BULGARIA

Intelligent Music Project / Intention

Not as bad as some people want to make out. An okay slice of a very beige version of rock that some people like a lot. Måneskin it is not and a qualifier it is not, but it is technically competent.

Grade: 2/5

08. NETHERLANDS

S10 / De diepte

This one ticks a lot of boxes in my list: an emotional song that seems to mean a lot to its performer with the added bonus of being sung in the local language. There are other strong contenders with a similar approach in this semi, but S10 has the big advantage of being the first of them. 

Grade: 4/5

09. MOLDOVA

Zdob și Zdub feat Frații Advahov / Trenulețul

If one act really got so lucky with the running order, then it is this happy rock/folk mashup that balances skillfully on that thin line between adorable and ridiculous. The ESC version is arguably less effective than the original mix but little does that matter at this point. Moldova will choo choo their way straight into the final with ease.

Grade: 4/5

10. PORTUGAL

Maro / Saudade, saudade

Lucky break for the next female emotional ballad to have Moldova between herself and the Netherlands. This is full of harmony and is pretty much balm for the soul. A wonderful little oasis with its very radio friendly take on traditional music.

Grade: 4/5

11. CROATIA

Mia Dimšić / Guilty Pleasure

Another radio friendly song with a solid performance. Competent but I'm afraid Croatia could again find themselves south of the relegation line, only by a couple of millimeters. Competent but definitely running the risk of not being striking enough on a first listen.

Grade: 3/5

12. DENMARK

Reddi / The Show

I see what is happening here, Denmark think they are going out on a limb and doing something daring and unexpected. Not a bad song but the whole package feels so constructed and calculated and not a bit like the punk pop they themselves think it is. 

Grade: 2/5

13. AUSTRIA

Lumix feat Pia Maria / Halo

Bang! Suddenly Austria came out of nowhere and hit me over the head with their entry and made me feel nostalgia for a genre I never in a zillion years thought I'd feel nostalgia about. Very catchy indeed and unless they make a complete mess of this live, then this should be a very safe qualifier.

Grade: 4/5

14. ICELAND

Systur / Með hækkandi sól

Musically very appealing, very First Aid Kit and very easy to enjoy. Not really a visual feast, perhaps. Will have to fight it out with Armenia over the same points. Borderline qualifier.

Grade: 3/5

15. GREECE

Amanda Tenfjord / Die Together

A very slick studio production and its biggest problem is exactly that - how super studio produced it is. What is this going to sound like live? I'm very fond of Greece sending entries that sound like real pop singles - I absolutely LOVED the studio version of "Better Love" - but it will be a challenge to make this one flow effortlessly on stage.

Grade: 3/5

16. NORWAY

Subwoolfer / Give That Wolf A Banana

Amusing, silly, catchy and the song that will end all hope Latvia ever had of qualifying. Almost as amusing as this song is watching all those eurofans hate is (mainly because it is amusing). 

Grade: 4/5

17. ARMENIA

Rosa Linn / Snap

Contemporary country vibe by another likeable singer - there are many of them in this lineup - and this could very well be the song that causes Iceland to miss the final. 

Grade: 3/5

My prediction at this point is that Ukraine, Netherlands, Moldova, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Norway, Armenia, Lithuania and Iceland will make the cut and that Albania, Latvia, Switzerland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Denmark will leave us. But what do I know? And how many times will I change my mind before the semi actually takes place?

Semi 2 review coming up soon.

ESC 2021: The final changes everything

 

The same story every year: we speculate and speculate until we go blue in the face and yet - the running order in the final will change everything. Whatever seemed likely and plausible and sometimes even inescapable only a few days ago: the landscape has changed. Everything looks different now.

For the last three contests in a row, Christer Björkman has been responsible for the running order and you can tell. He has a very good eye for this and makes excellent sequencing but it is also refreshing to have someone else do it. Tonight's running order is less predictable and that is a good thing.

The running order also clearly puts a few former favourites clearly out of the running. Their new position sometimes underlines what they were lacking to begin with, in other cases it just accidentally puts some in the shade. 

These are my new, quick reviews of tonight's 26 finalists and my new grades, based on what I have heard and seen this week.

01. CYPRUS

A brilliant opener - clean, understandable and energetic. It will do its Lady Gaga impression with poise and easy and people will like it. And then they will forget it as stronger entries come into view. Clearly a fallen favourite.

Grade: 2/5

02. ALBANIA

Will vocally blow Cyprus off the stage. Simple and tasteful and easier to grasp than many other Albanian entries. Being number two isn't necessarily the kiss of death and this could do at least as well as Albania usually does - anything higher than 16th place is better than usual.

Grade: 4/5

03. ISRAEL

A smooth number and the whistle notes are a joy, but the song in itself is a tiny bit too slick and anonymous to stand out. Would need a lot more energy than it had in the semi to stand out.

Grade: 2/5

04. BELGIUM

On Tuesday, this was a pleasant break from all the pop songs and all the dance routines and stage theatrics. Tonight, the break comes a bit too early. People are still in the mood to be thrilled, not calmed down, and this won't stand out like it could have later in the running. 

Grade: 3/5

05. RUSSIA

Wonky and wacky and that first gigantic dress will leave an impression. Vocally flawless but the song is pretty demanding for a first listen. It will also get upstaged by more outstanding visuals later on. Could get bonus points for message but is nowhere near a victory.

Grade: 2/5

06. MALTA

If Malta felt like the obvious winner for many during the run-up to the contest, I feel their hopes have crumbled now. They should have crumbled already in the semi final, honestly. Destiny is fabulous and the song is a fun little number, but ultimately it feels more like the Melodifestivalen reject it really is than a potential winner. Top ten probably but that's as far as it goes.

Grade: 3/5

07. PORTUGAL

I love Portugal and could never not be happy about them being successful. But. I don't get this at all. Competent but dull, and when I found out what the lyrics are about I like it even less, honestly. Being the first male vocalist of the evening could help, but they will clearly fight it out with Belgium over the "real music"-vote tonight.

Grade: 1/5

08. SERBIA

Belgrade's own Destiny's Child storm the stage and shake everything their mothers, designers and hair artists gave them. Three fun minutes but the performance is a tad too much out of sync to hit home big time. A bigger hit in future Euroclubs than in the voting.

Grade: 3/5

09. UNITED KINGDOM

The left-hand-finish some British fans dreamed of when this song was first released would always have been a difficult goal to obtain. With these staging and styling choices, all hope is lost. What is the matter with the country that used to be the obvious centre of pop culture in Europe? A strong contender for last place.

Grade: 1/5

10. GREECE

I have to give credit where credit is due: Stefania is a lot better on stage than I expected her to be and she fills the potholes in this song with ease. However, the green screen trickery is distracting and looks nowhere near as good as the people in charge thinks it does. This would have been so much better, had it had a focused performance and no pointless hocus pocus.

Grade: 3/5

11. SWITZERLAND

Bam! After three upbeat songs, Switzerland comes in with temper, depth and gravity. Felt like a winner in the semi final and if Gjon's Tears delivers like he did then, this must be a top three contender. On a level of its own compared to all songs coming before it.

Grade: 5/5

12. ICELAND

In the semi final I finally saw what everyone else have seen, I suppose. This is likeable and really well performed but won't get anywhere near a victory. Having a winner that can't collect the trophy would be a real anticlimax anyway.

Grade: 3/5

13. SPAIN

The song nobody believes in and I don't see why. Blas is a good singer with a pleasant presence and the song is an old-fashioned ESC ballad in a good way. If that jury is to be of any use this year, they should acknowledge talent and craftmanship and help this one along a bit.

Grade: 4/5

14. MOLDOVA

A fun and lightweight pop number in a glamourous package is always a welcome sight, but in the semi final this was anything but easy on the ears. Could and should find itself in the lower regions of the result tonight.

Grade: 2/5

15. GERMANY

Happy and colourful and positive but also preachy and a bit grating. Like a school lecture on how not to be a bully set to VERY cheerful music. It will put you in a good mood but also outstays its welcome by being basically one single idea repeated and repeated and repeated ad nauseam.

Grade: 2/5

16. FINLAND

For a moody rock band, it is the perfect place to come in after two lightweight happy songs and change the mood completely. All I hear is still a poor man's Linkin' Park but if the pop entries split the other votes between them, there could possibly be room for two rock entries in the top ten this year.

Grade: 2/5

17. BULGARIA

The mood whiplash is complete when Bulgaria takes the whole thing down with their intimate and emotional little number. One of few entries this year that brought a prop that actually works and doesn't detract from the song. 

Grade: 4/5

18. LITHUANIA

One of the songs that seem to have lost all its buzz during the week. I think its obvious TikTok-appeal could work in its favour and that we could see a small surprise tonight. I would love for Lithuania to at least better their personal best, but this could be the one everyone is underestimating so far.

Grade: 4/5

19. UKRAINE

The complete power outburst of the first semi but also Ukraine by the numbers: every single detail is fine-tuned and works wonders on television. I doubt it is what the EBU hopes for but this is one very possible winner in this final.

Grade: 5/5

20. FRANCE

This is the one moment where the producers weren't thinking. There are two songs that build up to an explosive climax and that go full accelerando in the end and they are placed neck to neck in the running? Maybe France will feel like an oasis after Ukraine but it could also be the viewers are nowhere near ready to take this in at this point. Did the producers just wrestle a potential victory out of the hands of France?

Grade: 4/5

21. AZERBAIJAN

They made it to the final - as they almost always do - but coming after five contenders in a row, this bleak little pop ditty should have pretty little working in its favour. Would have made more sense to put this between Ukraine and France to give the audience a moment to breathe.

Grade: 1/5

22. NORWAY

Azerbaijan and Norway neck to neck? I hope that doesn't mean the producers are buying into the silly - and truth be told slightly creepy and unpleasant - media stunt of the "romance" between the two singers? The song is pleasant and the visuals stay in the memory of the viewers, but this is where I think the whole package is beginning to wear thin. 

Grade: 2/5

23. NETHERLANDS

The best entry of a host country since Frans (or if that wasn't your cup of tea, since Lena in Düsseldorf) and hopefully one the jury will recognise and vote for extensively. A bold statement that would deserve top ten but that will probably have to settle for a bit less.

Grade: 4/5

24. ITALY

The sheer energy of that guitar intro shows exactly where this is leading: energetic verses and a noisy chorus leading into one heck of a bridge. Attitude and looks and basically taking what The Ark did wrong and doing it right instead. Is it finally time for Italy to win or is it ultimately a tiny bit too much?

Grade: 4/5

25. SWEDEN

"A dream position in the running order" according to the Swedish press as well as the Swedish delegation. I'd say this is the point where the audience is running out of attention span and where you have to be extremely gripping in order to get anyone to vote for you. This is the year when Sweden is clearly lacking momentum. Lately, Swedish entries have been attracting jury votes but struggled to convince the viewers. Prepare for the first right-hand finish since 2013.

Grade: 2/5

26. SAN MARINO

A good entry to close the whole line-up: a bit of a circus number where the main performer gets a bit too caught up in the whole act, gets swept away and comes across as a bit frantic - only to be saved by a bit of Rent-A-Rap Star in the end. Amusing and fascinating. Not a contender for anything else than San Marino's best showing to date, which is frankly more than good enough.

Grade: 2/5

Whatever you make of the songs, you will surely not find yourself bored in front of your screens tonight. Give me a little more time and you'll have my final prediction about who the winner is. It's not an easy pick to make, is it?

Tobson speaks up: ESC 2021, the six finalists

Sometimes, when you are in the middle of something - like the Eurovision week - it is difficult if not impossible to stop and take a step back and remember what you really thought about a song. Before you got the stagewear, the performance, the singing ability, the results. All of that.

That's why I decided to review all the songs before the shows started. This very blog post was written on Tuesday and I have no idea who the shock qualifiers and the jaw-dropping non-qualifiers are. But here are my views on the six songs that had a free ticket into the final: the Big Five as well as the host country.

SPAIN Blas Cantó / Voy a quédarme

A good voice, a likeable singer and very old-fashioned Eurovision ballad. Being old-fashioned isn't necessarily a bad thing and this one has grown on me a lot since it was selected, a bit like "Quédate conmigo" did back in 2012. Generally expected to flop big time in the final, I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Could there be a bunch of jurors out there who really enjoy this sort of simplicity and handicraft? Not impossible.

Grade: 4/5

UNITED KINGDOM James Newman / Embers

Hailed by many as a British return to form, I'm afraid I can't fully share the enthusiasm. It is different from anything the BBC has offered us in a long time, and it could have sounded like a hit single with a fresher production. But it still feels really empty. Like a cardboard cutout of a star instead of a real star. The left-hand finish the UK fans so badly long for would be a big surprise for me.

Grade: 1/5

FRANCE Barbara Pravi / Voilà

The universe works in mysterious ways and when Portugal won it was with a style they had offered many times before. They hadn't changed but the audience was suddenly open for it. It seems to be the same thing with France - one of the hot favourites to win - who have certainly offered us songs in a similar style without booking a victory since 1977. This is a intimate yet rousing chanson that could feel genuine enough to do the trick in case all the other top candidates steal each other's thunder and split the points between them. But I won't believe it until I see it.

Grade: 4/5

GERMANY Jendrik / I Don't Feel Hate

Sometimes when you hear a short but brilliant piece of music - like the fabulous "Agatha All Along" from WandaVision, for instance - you wish it could have been a full song instead of just a jingle or a piece of theme music. The truth is you wouldn't want that at all. A jingle is just a jingle. A theme song is just a theme song. And Germany's fun little plea against online hate is really just a jingle too. It has exactly one idea that it keeps repeating over and over. It puts me in a good mood but I expect the juries to absolutely detest this and I wouldn't be very surprised to see it with "nul points" from them. Maybe the viewers are more easily charmed but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Grade: 2/5

ITALY Måneskin / Zitti e buoni

On my list of things I didn't see coming was that Italy would out-rock Finland at the ESC. What I did expect, however, was for Italy once again to be at absolute top of this competition. Sanremo is such an incredible talent pool to fish your entries out of and this could very well be the year that their entry finally clicks with jury and audience alike. Noisy but awfully appealing to look at. Could be the hardest winner since Lordi.

Grade: 4/5

NETHERLANDS Jeangu Macrooy / Birth Of A New Age

I can't help but think of that paragraph in the rules stating no entry in the ESC can carry a political message when I hear the home entry. Jeangu - originally from Suriname - challenges the old Dutch idea that they were "cool colonialists" and good guys throughout history. And how he does it. Musically relaxing and intense at the same time, this is like a wonderful oasis in the line-up. This could easily become the best showing for a host country since Frans back in 2016 and the start of a brilliant career for Jeangu. I want to hear and see more, that's for sure.

Grade: 4/5

Can one of these six songs break through and win the whole thing? Possibly, but let me get back to that later. Let's just conclude that this is a strong year and the lack of an obvious frontrunner could make the voting very intense.

Tobson speaks up: ESC 2021, semi 2

 

In no way do preview clips tell us all we need to know in order to judge the entries at Eurovision correctly. But no rehearsal clip in the world tells you the truth other. They're not designed to.

Rehearsal clips are teasers, meant to feed our appetite without giving too much away. Like a good movie trailer they should pick our interest without giving away any major plot twists in advance.

Many of the blogs reporting from the rehearsals fall into the trap that I myself have fallen so many times when on location: you start paying too much attention to small details - what gorgeous lighting, what a cool backdrop, what an odd camera angle - and forget the big picture. If your song isn't strong enough in the first place, few things can help you. It can happen, but it is fairly unusual.

So these reviews are written before I have seen anything from Rotterdam (on Monday night to be precise) and here are my views before anything else began to blur my judgment.

01. SAN MARINO Senhit / Adrenalina

This was a clever move of course: get an okay song from a bunch of Swedish songwriters - this song has a staggering amount of TEN people credited who probably contributed 18 seconds each - and spice it up with the help of a famous rapper. I have liked Senhit since Düsseldorf but while this is another suitable opener it also has an air of desperation to it. One of the songs I wish I liked more - one I wish I had genuinely liked - but just like last year, I don't fully connect with the material Senhit is working hard to make work.

My grade: 2/5

02. ESTONIA Uku Suviste / The Lucky One

I can't help but wonder what happened to the quirky Estonia that did their own things and went their own ways - sometimes brilliants, sometimes plain puzzling - but never really made the effort to be liked. This is a well-crafted little song, very carefully put together in order not to offend or push anyone away. Three cosy minutes and entry that does nothing wrong but that won't really matter to anyone either.

My grade: 2/5

03. CZECH REPUBLIC Benny Cristo / Omaga

It might sound harsh, but Benny Cristo is the first one on stage in this second semi that comes across as genuinely doing their thing because it is their thing, not because they think it is a way to grab votes. "Omaga" is a fun trip and a good mood but possibly a bit too difficult to get a firm handle on already on a first listen. I hope to see this in the final but it is borderline territory for sure.

Grade: 3/5

04. GREECE Stefania / Last Dance

Last year I wrote that the Greek "Dream Team" sounded a bit tired and in need of a holiday. Maybe they got some time off at some point, since their entry this year sounds a lot sharper. Or at least they found themselves a really strong chorus, but just like Cyprus the song takes cumbersome ways of getting there with a verse that drags the whole thing down instead of lifting it up and clunky lyrics that makes it no favours. Good enough for a decent placing in the final but it could easily have been a great deal better than it is.

Grade: 3/5

05. AUSTRIA Vincent Bueno / Amen

The second song called "Amen" this year - I doubt the larger audience will remember much about Slovenia at this point anymore - and clearly the better one. Not sure the lyrics are the most suitable I could have thought up during a pandemic but the vocal delivery is strong and the overall impression is good. With a bit of luck - Austria is often in need of luck, very much like Finland - it could squeeze into the final and cause at least a minor surprise.

Grade: 3/5

06. POLAND Rafał / The Ride

Poland sidestepped their candidate from last year - which they were free to do, of course - in favour of a former singer who is these days a tv-host at TVP - once a public service broadcaster, these days a mouthpiece for the government - armed with a Swedish pop ditty straight out of the budget department. The old saying goes "if you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all".

Grade: 0/5

07. MOLDOVA Natalia Gordienko / Sugar

One of the greatest efforts of Moldova at Eurovision is to bring a sense of humour and fun into the competition, an ambition they stay true to also this year. A fun video clip helped selling the song, but this "Siren Song"-light works pretty nicely in its own right. Reports from Rotterdam suggest the rehearsals have not been all that, but at least Natalia will make a better impression than she did in Athens fifteen years ago.

Grade: 3/5

08. ICELAND Daði & Gagnamagnið / 10 Years

The dullest kind of party you can be in must be the one where everyone is having a great time and you just don't get what it is they all enjoy. That's where I sit with this Icelandic entry. I totally do not understand what it is other people see in it. I really liked this bunch last year, but "10 Years" never take off, it never goes anywhere until it is suddenly over. If I'm wrong and everyone else is right and Iceland wins, I promise to be happy for them. But please explain because I just don't understand.

Grade: 2/5

09. SERBIA Hurricane / Loco Loco

Serbia's Mean Girls come storming (yes, yes) with the kind of song that makes Euroclub go crazy and I really enjoy their energy. I'm not all that easily swayed by the regular fan pleasers but this has something unusual and personable and puts me in the mood for dancing. I see the risk that the performance could turn a bit messy but I wouldn't let a bit of chaos dampen my mood. In my list, this is Serbia's best entry in the last ten years.

Grade: 4/5

10. GEORGIA Tornike Kipiani / You

Honestly I had anticipated some sort of noisy and user-unfriendly rock thingy along the lines of the song he had in store for us last year, so when I hear Tornike's song for 2021 I was very pleasantly surprised. Soft and melodic - sometimes it makes me think of "Annie's Song" by John Denver - it revealed a beating heart I didn't expect. Totally and utterly chanceless unfortunately, but a song I personally enjoy listening to.

Grade: 3/5

11. ALBANIA Anxhela Peristeri / Karma

Even if you didn't know which song represented which country, it would be fairly easy to pinpoint the entry of Albania. As soon as there is a dramatic female singer performing a dramatic ballad - not seldom wearing something dramatic to match - it's usually the one. "Karma" is one of the best efforts in the genre as of late as it combines the usual Albanian passion with a hit sensibility and also has a strong hook. Should be bang in the final.

Grade: 4/5

12. PORTUGAL The Black Mamba / Love Is On My Side

In the first semi I had to eat my words about Israel, while the song that grew on me the most in the second semi is Portugal. When I say it grew on me, it means I no longer have it in my last place. Some people will appreciate this smooth piece of lounge music - maybe enough to even tilt it into the final - but I still find it bland and unexciting. And I'm still not a fan of Very Nasal Voices.

Grade: 2/5

13. BULGARIA Victoria / Growing Up Is Getting Old

It's a bit much to ask for anyone to be totally brilliant two years in a row. Last year, Victoria was my personal winner with a very emotional song and Bulgaria is sticking to the same recipe now. This is very good - don't get me wrong - but not quite as good. Understated and pretty and very well sung this is bound to do well and is only a minor disappointment compared to what we almost had last year.

Grade: 4/5

14. FINLAND Blind Channel / Dark Side

Rock from Finland - or violent pop, if you so wish - is a dear old phenomenon that we haven't seen for a few years. A hit on home ground and a pretty sure qualifier, this one still somehow fails to rub me the right way. "Put your middle fingers up"? That's a fifth-grader's idea of the dark side. This wants to be a big monster roaring but is merely a fluffy kitten hissing. It has grown on me since the national final and could do reasonably well in the final but is pretty far from my personal cup of tea. When there is rock, I'd like a bit more claws than this.

Grade: 2/5

15. LATVIA Samanta Tina / The Moon Is Rising

Let's start with the positives: Aminata is still a very interesting songwriter and Samanta has a strong personality - she is a joy to watch and has the vocal chords to match. This is not your typical eurosong, to say the least. That's good, I like it when people challenge the formula. The negative part is that very much like Australia, I have listened and listened and never really found my way in. Maybe there is a good song waiting for me in there somewhere but I am yet to set eyes on it. So it is very likely that this package will be too demanding to hit the viewers on one listen.

Grade: 2/5

16. SWITZERLAND Gjon's Tears / Tout l'univers

Out of all really fantastic singers that populate the lineup of this year's Eurovision (and last year's) my big revelation remains Gjon's Tears. There is something so captivating and fascinating about him, his way of singing, his appearance and his way of answering press questions - or not. I must admit to being a bit worried as to whether they'd find a new song that would suit him as well as the first one but there was no need to worry. This year's Swiss entry is a firm little number making use of all Gjon's assets and framing them even better. A personal favourite and not an unlikely winner. Not at all.

Grade: 5/5

17. DENMARK Fyr og Flamme / Øve os på hinanden

Denmark has sent many, many years in some sort of Eurovision Limbo where they have sent entries to the ESC that have done well or reasonably well but that nobody has cared for much outside of the contest. It's fascinating to see that when they finally make a U-turn, explore their own pop history and enter a song that made it to number one in the local hit parade, a lot of people expect it to flunk in the semi final. Maybe it will but I hear wonderful echoes of Hot Eyes, Snapshot and - most of all - Laban and can't help wonder if there are not plenty of people old enough to remember the 80's and willing to vote for this? Regardless, it is another one of my big personal favourites of 2021 and the first Danish entry I really care for in almost two decades.

Grade: 5/5

This whole post is a message from the past, written before the first semi final. My official prediction will drop on Tuesday and then we'll see if my antennae are as sensitive as ever or if they lost it.