ESC 2023, semi 2: what about the songs that left us?

All the envelopes have been opened and the line-up for the 2023 Eurovision final is complete. We'll get back to the finalists, but let's spend a moment contemplating the songs that were voted off the island tonight.

I did a terrible job predicting the finalists - I only got seven correct out of ten - but maybe it's not all my fault. It was an even field and the outcome was destined to be a bit arbitrary. Plus Europe made some odd choices. It's not me, it's you.

Anyway, the entries gone with the wind are:

ROMANIA. I have no idea what they thought they were doing but they sure worked hard to achieve it. The visuals were better than in the national final but nothing else was. Mystifying. Maybe Romania should give internal selection a go next year?

SAN MARINO is a little gem of sorts, a clunky schlager rocker with a shouty finish. Doomed from the word go but also entertaining in a way you wouldn't want to miss out on. I hope they don't give up on their national final for next year, all they need are better jurors.

Many spent the whole season thinking GEORGIA had it in the bag but when it mattered all the wild drama turned static and not particularly engaging. Only a minor surprise to see it drop out in the end.

ICELAND had showed great energy and a fresh approach to performing but the song never spoke to me. Few things jive less than a performer super excited about a song that is meh at best.

DENMARK went for an unusually contemporary sound for being them, a shame that didn't pay off. But while Reiley is an adorable personality he doesn't have the voice or the stage presence needed to carry a song by himself.

Finally my heart is bleeding a bit for Victor Vernicos from GREECE, who is really gifted but had the misfortune of getting chosen too soon. Had he been given two or three more years to grow and develop he could have been a Greek Paradise Oskar. I hope somebody gives him a hug and reminds him what a talent he is and that there's still a future in music for him. There must be.

I wasn't really surprised by Cyprus qualifying but Albania made my face grow long. Not to mention Poland. But more about them in time for the final where we could be heading for an epic battle of Sweden vs Finland. 

ESC 2023, semi 2: Tobson takes a guess

Let's be frank and not beat around the bush: Tuesday's semi was an awful lot stronger than the one we are offered today. Indisputable fact.

Isn't it a shame that the two semi finals turn out so uneven in quality? It really is. 

Is there something that could be done about that? That's a hard no.

The producers already have so much power in sequencing the running order. If they were also to divide the contestants into semi finals - based on such fluid criteria as what is a good song or not - then we would find ourselves on thin ice. Leave at least a few things to chance also in the future.

It's not like you won't be entertained tonight. There will be good songs and stuff to enjoy, but there is no potential Saturday night winner in sight. 

The biggest problem trying to predict these songs are that they are in many cases very similar in quality and therefore interchangeable. What people at home will vote for in the end is anybody's guess. What you are reading right now is my guess and it reads as follows:

I'd say AUSTRIA, AUSTRALIA and SLOVENIA are certain qualifiers. I think I dare count BELGIUM into this group since it is very distinct in regards to both sound and vision. 

Then there are the girls with ballads. LITHUANIA should sail through easily. It is maybe a bit square in its studio recording but lives and breathes on stage. Having a backing group obviously singing live is also an advantage in this year of extensively used pre-recorded backing vocals. ESTONIA should go through on vocal talent and intensity but you can never be totally sure.

ARMENIA and GEORGIA both have a somewhat artsy approach. Quality entries but are they accessible enough on a first listen? ALBANIA is basically Family Feud interpreted through song but will there be too much pathos at once?

DENMARK has a radio friendly song that sounds great in your headphones but will they manage to keep it interesting for three minutes on stage? CYPRUS raises similar questions as he is more interesting than the song he's been set up with. GREECE has a talented teenager whose future should be bright but who was possibly sent into the international limelight a bit too soon. I hope fate is kind to Victor Vernicos tonight.

ICELAND has great energy but unfortunately has a pretty weak composition. So does POLAND but this kind of dumb summer staple has an annoying habit of hitting home sometimes.

SAN MARINO and ROMANIA both give us some sort of rock vibe, but to no avail. Both songs feel unfinished (for want of a better word) and should pass the voters by.

Based on this, my guess is that the following ten songs will qualify tonight: Denmark, Armenia, Estonia, Belgium, Greece, Slovenia, Georgia, Austria, Lithuania and Australia. 

Out: Romania, Cyprus, Iceland, Poland, San Marino and Albania.

On Tuesday, I predicted eight out of ten qualifiers which is in no way extraordinary. I could get even less tonight: suddenly Cyprus hits a nerve (never underestimate eyes as pretty as his), Albania breaks through (never mess with an emotional Albanian family) or Poland finds the right key (unlikely but still) and then I stand there corrected.

As always I will hang out on Twitter, feel free to call me out on my prediction shortcomings over there.

Follow @TobsonHelsinki

ESC 2023, semi 1: what about the songs that left us?

The first semi final is over, we have ten new songs for Saturday and much more of an idea what this year's final could shape up to be. A few surprises because there had to be: there were more than ten songs tonight that would have deserved to qualify.

In my own prediction I got 8 out of 10 finalists correct and I have to be pleased with that. There were a bunch of songs that felt like they were drawing lots for who would proceed and who would flunk.

MALTA is my biggest disappointment. The band put up great energy and I find that saxophone hook really catchy. What a shame it didn't pay off to go for a song written by domestic songwriters, I really hope they won't go back to buying C-level Melodifestivalen rejects in coming years. Maltese songwriters deserve this chance to show off their craft abroad.

I'm equally sad about LATVIA. This was a quality entry performed in good voice and - at least by the end - pretty decent camera contact. I'm not really sure why Latvia keeps getting it wrong or what they should try for next year. Would it be time to do an internal selection and see if that would pay off better.

IRELAND deserved every inch of their NQ, I'm afraid. A very square and formulaic tune performed with zero conviction by a singer who couldn't even be bothered to pretend to sing the high notes.

AZERBAIJAN fills me with very conflicting feelings. Again I would have wanted to like it when they finally went for a local product again at long last. But while the boys were charming, their song was nowhere near strong enough. Every time it threatened to go somewhere it would stop and start over.

The NETHERLANDS had a very pretty song but already during the performance I know it was Game Over. While the duo hit their notes better than they had in the lead-up to the contest, they still seemed deeply insecure and it was anything but pleasant to watch and listen. 

As for the show, the BBC put on a really good show where great attention had been paid to graphics, inserts, interval acts and postcards. It all looked fantastic on my tv. However - and I will have to watch again before using too big words here - I'm not sure the directing of the entries was always the best possible. 

I'm also pleased how present Ukraine was in every heartbeat during the show, that was very well executed all throughout.

Time for bed - on Thursday we find ourselves another ten finalists.

ESC 2023, semi 1: Tobson takes a guess

It never gets easier, does it? You'd think that watching five-hundred years of Eurovision would at some point turn prediction into a piece of cake but that's where you are wrong. You can never fully know how the winds will blow at that final, crucial moment when everything is decided.

This year, there are also two major factors there to make prediction even harder (even though nobody needed it to be harder than it already was).

First thing: the juries are gone and will not be back until the final. Tonight the viewers are completely in charge of who gets the ticket for the final or not. It is easy to think that would favour simple songs with instant appeal but in recent years, the viewers often gravitated towards more demanding entries - far more so than the juries.

Second thing: it is always harder to predict a semi final with fewer songs.

Every year there is always one or two songs that turns out to have placed a lot better than anyone expected - maybe 12th in the semi instead of second last. When you only have fifteen entries, that unexpected support could suddenly mean a tenth place and a spot in the final. Tiny marginal coincidences could decide more than a few finalists tonight.

Tonight there is also a third thing, really. This is a very strong semi final and more than ten songs would deserve to qualify. It's unfortunate we will lose something good tonight and instead get a few fillers on Thursday.

So, who will it be? I am totally convinced that NORWAY, PORTUGAL, SWEDEN and FINLAND are in. ISRAEL is more of a show than a good song but will surely make the cut too. Then we head into question mark territory.

AZERBAIJAN has a breezy, Beatles-esque feel to it but remains the country's weakest effort to date. IRELAND suddenly has fans but the song must be too formulaic and tired in the end. SWITZERLAND is weak but has a polished performance and a good vocalist. I would leave all three out but am no longer as sure as I was.

The NETHERLANDS has a great song but dubious vocals, if they get it wrong tonight they're out. CZECHIA sounds great in studio but could turn into just another entry if they have bad luck. MOLDOVA is very much doing their own thing, I think they are in but the whole thing gets a bit repetitive before it is over.

CROATIA is the mad one, the one you'd think a viewing audience would swallow whole. But is it too messy? And will lovers of the weird find themselves rooting for Finland in the end?

Then it is my darlings MALTA, SERBIA and LATVIA. I want them all in the final but can see them all fail. Latvia is an excellent but demanding piece of music but I fear they will be the best song left in the semi (again). I thought Serbia were safe but it seems to pass over a lot of heads I thought would love it. But I can't be the only one hooked on Malta's sunny and playful saxophone beat?

Given all these circumstances, the ten finalists will be: Norway, Malta, Portugal, Croatia, Israel, Moldova, Sweden, Czechia, Netherlands and Finland.

Out: Serbia, Latvia, Ireland, Switzerland, Azerbaijan.

This is all impossible anyway, isn't it? I wish you could all see my face melt tonight when Ireland is the first qualifier they call out. 

I hope I am wrong about Serbia and Latvia (but not at any cost, mind you). I will tweet my way through the whole thing, so maybe I see you there.

Follow @TobsonHelsinki

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, semi 2: what about the songs that left us?

The two semi finals are done and the lineup for Saturday's final is complete. The second semi final saw an unfortunate amount of awkward pauses where the hosts had to improvise like there was no tomorrow and ended with a few surprises.

Eight entries lost out and in my prediction I got eight out of ten finalists right. I should feel pleased but some things surprised me as well.

Let's get back to the finalists before the final but who lost out and why? 

The saddest thing for me is that the force of nature that is Achille Lauro didn't take San Marino to the final. Admittedly "Stripper" was not the strongest number in his catalogue - far from it - and he should have entered something stronger. But still. Having one more Italian stage in the final would have been nice for Rai.

The other familiar face for the home audience that lost out was Malta's Emma, which was less surprising. Not an exactly spotless performance of a very anonymous song. I was way more disappointed to see Cyprus go but Andromache had very low energy and didn't break through the cameras. What a pity.

North Macedonia and Montenegro both performed well. The former had a weak entry and the latter just missed the beat on what the audience wanted. The Big Balkan Ballad's comeback moment isn't just yet.

Ireland had a trashy 80's energy that would have been welcome in the final but it came across as a tiny bit tame and disorganised. On a similar note, what could have been a piece of splendid and explosive madness from Georgia just turned surprisingly static. 

The one exit I must admit to being very pleased with - proving myself really petty at the same time - is Israel. Not only was the song a thin soup with few nutritious elements, his performance in the green room was one of the cringiest things I have seen in a long time. You do not disturb the hosts during a live show and that is the first rule in the book. Unbearable.

So. Let's recharge some batteries (and do some other things in between) and then it's time to pick a winner.

ESC 2022, semi 2: Tobson takes a guess

 

It is time to complete the Saturday lineup with the final ten songs and the question is always if predicting the second semi is easier than the first. Can you look at what worked on Tuesday night and make some waterproof conclusions on what works or not this specific year?

No. You can't. Sorry.

Thursday night has different jurors. Different viewers. And a completely new set of coicidences.

We have for instance no idea what songs advanced because the viewers loved them or the juries loved them and who just scraped by in a lucky accident because of a solid average. 

Worth noticing is however that the mid-tempo songs didn't eat each other's points the way I would have thought and if there's anything the final is beginning to lack a bit, then it is tempo and beats. But the people voting tonight won't necessarily know that and even if they knew I'm not sure they'd care.

Eight acts will leave the show tonight and I think it will be the following:

ISRAEL

Loud and without a melody, pretty much what was Albania's downfall on Tuesday. Michael does what he can but no. The Israeli qualification streak ends here.

MALTA

Emma is well known in the host country and it is sad she won't make it to the final. But if Maltese tv felt the need to go shopping for an entry elsewhere, why did they settle for this very bleak ditty? Who would stand up and cheer for this?

NORTH MACEDONIA

Another good singer with very little to work with. The song is competent but never takes off and goes nowhere.

ROMANIA

Very much like Latvia, this has caught the attention and liking of many a Eurovision fan. It has a pretty nice instrumental thingy and a compellingly gay atmosphere but it never rises beyond being endearingly rubbish. This year's Slavko (or was that Albania?).

IRELAND

This is where I'd hope to be wrong. I'd love a piece of slightly trashy 80's pop in the final but Ireland rarely knows how to row this sort of boat into the harbour. Strong "Et Cetera" vibes here. The Austria of this semi final.

MONTENEGRO

I thought this would be a qualifier and with a solid performance it still has its chances - the juries are never averse to a strong voice - but I put my finger in the air and feel the time for the big updated comeback of the Balkan ballad isn't here yet.

GEORGIA

An early fave of mine that I still ugly dance to in my kitchen but it has grown off me ever so slightly and I doubt the visual choices of the band will convince the average voter. I'd love to be wrong but I don't think I will be.

ESTONIA

Look, I don't want to have to do this. If it was up to me I'd leave out impeccably produced but anonymous Azerbaijan or overly theatrical Australia. It could just as well be Finland missing the mark, leaning too much on routine instead of connecting with the audience. It could be Belgium sounding slightly too aggressive. Stefan is a great singer but Estonia going all "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" comes very much out of the blue. I think people will enjoy it but not vote for it enough.

This would mean my final ten qualifiers are: Finland, Serbia, Azerbaijan, San Marino, Australia, Cyprus, Poland, Belgium, Sweden and Czech republic. (Personally, I'd gladly swap Azerbaijan and Australia for Georgia and Ireland but I don't see that happening.)

You agree? You disagree? I'll spend the semi final on Twitter, feel free to join the conversation there.

Follow @TobsonHelsinki

ESC 2022, semi 1: what about the songs that left us?

 

The first semi came to an end and here we stand with ten finalists. I am pretty pleased with having predicted nine of them correctly and at one point I admit I let out a tiny happy yahoo during the revelation segment.

I had already resigned to the fact that we'd lose Lithuania - one of my big personal favourites this year, but one I feared was too demanding to hit home on a first listen. I'll focus more on the tremendous Monika Liu and the other finalists later in the week, but what went wrong for the seven songs that left us?

Albania and Latvia - the two first to take to the stage - both wanted a lot but were visually all over the place. Frenetic while lacking a certain focus at the same time, difficult to pick up on if you heard the for the first time. Probably no jury favourites and left to the mercy of the viewers.

Bulgaria and Denmark both tried to rock the house down but both were let down by very basic songs. The Bulgarian rock uncles were doing the same poses that Denmark made with more conviction but both entries were surprisingly un-heavy in the end.

Slovenia's lads were awfully sweet but never stood any sort of chance and the same goes for Croatia. I can't even put my finger on what didn't work for Croatia - there was a polished song in a polished performance by a likeable singer - but probably the whole thing got a bit anonymous. I would not be surprised if Croatia ended in 11th place again.

The one I got wrong was Austria and I was a bit surprised to see it go. Maybe Pia Maria is not the most precise vocalist we have ever heard but the whole thing had energy and joy - Lumix is possibly the happiest DJ I have ever seen - and a sense of 90's nostalgia I thought would overcome the cascade of sick notes.

I'm especially surprised to see Switzerland being the one taking the spot I thought was Austria's. I like the song but thought the performance was stiff and a bit awkward. I can only suppose the jurors saw qualities in Marius Bear while tanking Austria completely. But I don't want to take the happiness away from Switzerland that now qualified for the third consecutive edition. Well done.

More drama coming up on Thursday with ten new finalists to predict in what I find the weaker of the two semis this year.

ESC 2022, semi 1: Tobson takes a guess

So, here we are. Loads of rehearsals have lead up to the big moment when we are about to start losing some of this year's entries. Time for the first of two semi finals.

Following rehearsals - or rather following people's reactions to the rehearsals as I try to save myself some surprises for the live shows and avoid rehearsal footage - what unfortunately stands out this year is the very negative vibe surrounding the whole event this year.

It is fine to be vocal about things that don't work or when things don't live up the acceptable standards - boy, am I getting flashbacks to Baku or what - but there are different ways to voice your opinions. Until now it feels like Rai can't do anything right and that this goes down as the worst edition on record.

My big hope is that we will get served an okay semi final that is entertaining and engaging and fun to watch. Also I hope my prediction won't be completely disastrous.

Since there have been so many opinions flying about - many of which are VERY sure about how things are going to go - and I feel seriously confused by most of them, I am going to go with my gut feeling and also my initial emotion. Remember, to the crushing majority of the people voting these songs will be spanking new and will get judged on their three minute impression only.

So. In the first semi final we will unfortunately have to say goodbye to the following seven countries:

SLOVENIA

The lads are really doing their best and they look very sweet and feel very likeable but even though I enjoy this, I admit the song feels beige and overly complicated on a first listen. Simply too tame with no real hooks, this will probably fail to bring in serious points from any direction.

SWITZERLAND

Another one I personally enjoy but that I can't see collecting enough points to go through. Mainly because competition is fierce in among the emotional ballads in this semi. It's not possible that they all qualify and some of them will fall short. Switzerland is the easiest one to pick out of that lot.

CROATIA

A bit of a personal favourite with its gentle touch and light feel. Mia is very good but I don't know how Croatia keeps sending in these songs that lacks that final little something to make them qualify. I'll be sad seeing this one go.

DENMARK

Denmark has a way of sneaking into the final somehow ahead of songs that would deserve it better but can it really happen this time? This song comes across as trying to artificially connect two songs of different genres and end up being something I can't see anyone having as their favourite. Too constructed and not engaging enough. Surely?

LATVIA

It's a fun song that is dearly loved by many fans who love to shout that word the lead singer isn't allowed to pronounce, but for all the people seeing and hearing it for the first time I think it will appear to be your typical lightweight Latvian ditty that is nice for as long as it goes on and then too lightweight to be remembered once the phone lines open. 

ALBANIA

This is possibly where my prediction turns horribly wrong but ever since I first heard this, my thought was that it's mainly a fun rhythm track without a lot of melody to support it. It's fun and danceable but not very easy to get a hold of on one listen. Ronela seems lovely so I wouldn't mind being wrong for her sake.

BULGARIA

The only rock lads in the semi could appeal to a rather large demographic that listen to radio stations where anemic standard formula rock is the largest staple but do these people vote? Flawless production but not an outstanding song. How far can you go with cool pyro, aren't those days long gone?

This is a very tight race where many songs are pretty similar and fighting for the same pool of points while the standard is generally high. If my prediction is right, our ten finalists will be: Lithuania, Ukraine, Netherlands, Moldova, Portugal, Austria, Iceland, Greece, Norway and Armenia. 

Out of these ten, the one I worry for the most is my personal darling Monika Liu from Lithuania but I keep telling myself a good song and a strong personality must break through. 

I'll spend the semi final tweeting away so feel free to give me your hottest takes.

Follow @TobsonHelsinki

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, semi 2: What about the songs that left us?

 

The semis are over. The lineup is complete. We know what 26 songs will fight it out to take the title and win the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest.

Just like in the first semi final, my prediction turned out rather nicely and I managed to pick nine out of ten qualifiers correctly. But just like on Tuesday, the one I got wrong meant one of my personal favourites missed out.

I'm just as blue for Denmark now as I was for Croatia then. For Denmark, this looked a bit like a new beginning at the ESC. In the last fifteen years or so, no other country have sent in as many ESC-only entries: songs that could have been created in a Eurovision Lab and that can only live and thrive within the very context of this tv show. With no life outside of it.

This year, Fyr og Flamme had been digging in the Danish pop history and made a song that could have been a local smash hit in 1986 or so. (If you don't believe me, check out my Laban playlist.) It went to number one in the charts and made the band household names. 

I'm just afraid tonight's results tells Denmark they shouldn't be themselves and contribute stuff they like but to go back to their regular stuff. And I will have to wait another two decades for a Danish entry I can like.

During the show not everyone shone, to say the least. Estonia, Czech republic and Georgia all lacked energy, Moldova didn't exactly nail every note of that performance and Poland's Old Kid On The Block was never going to go far.

Latvia had great energy but not much of a song and coming that late in the running order, you can't afford that. Austria was my borderline qualifier all along. Excellent vocal performance of a repetitive song. It could just as well have landed on the right side of the qualification line.

I could never be unhappy about Portugal going to the final but I really don't see what you see or hear what you hear. Pretentious at best, but mainly dull. Let's see how far it carries in the final.

ESC 2021, semi 2: Tobson takes a guess

Overall the guessing game went fairly well on Tuesday. I lost one of my biggest favourites in Croatia but got nine out of ten finalists correct. That was nice. Let's see if we get even close in the second semi.

First of all, it is easy to point out the biggest loser of this semi as Iceland has withdrawn from performing live due to one of the band members testing positive for Covid. What a disappointing ending to the adventure for the entire team. I think Iceland will qualify for Saturday but they won't be able to perform then either. Imagine winning but not being there to receive your trophy? Heart-breaking.

Just like in the first semi, there are some songs that feel like obvious non-qualifiers. Not necessarily because they are bad but because they seem unlikely to be anyone's big favourite. Then some others fluctuate in some sort of danger zone and will need the millimetres on their side to go through.

ESTONIA and LATVIA are most likely to drop out - the first is too eager to please and the other wants too badly to be edgy at the expense of any real tune. Lithuania will represent the Baltics in final.

SAN MARINO managed to get their famous rapper into frame and that probably puts them firmly in the final. It is probably also the kiss of death for CZECH REPULIC, tapping into a similar musical pool for votes. If it was down to the song, I would clearly reverse the two.

AUSTRIA and PORTUGAL both aim for the musician vote, the one that Belgium supposedly got in the first semi. Both could possibly get away with it but I still think neither song is strong enough to do the trick. GEORGIA is also a very sweet effort that could sway musicians on the jury and - hey presto! - there are three songs to divide the musician vote. 

MOLDOVA and SERBIA are both going for the party vote and Hurricane clearly has the upper hand there. Reports have suggested Moldova hasn't impressed in rehearsals, but it still is a fun song. POLAND wants to be a fun song too, but their old-boy band approach isn't much by any standard.

GREECE is very good at going through and they have a strong chorus as well as a green screen. But they are also possibly eclipsed by Serbia. 

And then there is DENMARK. One of my two personal favourites tonight (SWITZERLAND is more than safe, though) and the first Danish entry I care for in almost two decades. It would be a real shame if their first relevant entry - in the sense that it would mean anything to anyone outside of the context of the ESC - got thrown out and it would definitely teach the Danish viewers the wrong lesson.

Since I clearly have no idea what I am doing, I will go out on a limb and predict using a fair share of wishful thinking. I'd rather predict the way I want it to be and stand there corrected in the end.

Tonight we will lose: Estonia, Czech republic, Austria, Poland, Georgia, Portugal and Latvia.

To the final: San Marino, Greece, Moldova, Iceland, Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, Switzerland and Denmark. (Please please pleeease let me be right about Denmark.)

I'll spend the evening on Twitter, please make me feel better if my predictions fall through.

Follow @TobsonHelsinki

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.