Now that the semi-finals are over, it's grand final time! The biggest surprise was definitely Latvia qualifying as it was predicted to be the most unlikely qualifier in the odds. That said, I'd definitely consider it a deserved outcome as the vocals were top-notch.
In terms of non-qualifications, I was most gutted about Australia. Despite an off note or two, they had an amazing performance with otherwise great vocals, vibrant visuals, and a didgeridoo that gave me the chills. I would've loved to see them perform again on Saturday but alas, that was not to be. I was also expecting Belgium to qualify but the live singing was simply too weak. Azerbaijan is another entry that I would've liked to see in the final, though maybe the staging and the costumes felt a little disjointed.
Other than that, the semi-finals went rather expectedly and the shows themelves were great, as you'd come to expect from Sweden. Petra Mede remains a Eurovision legend and Malin Åkerman is also there. I'm surprised they haven't found a way to bring Måns out yet (he's like the Michael Bublé of Eurovision, every year he just pops out of nowhere), but maybe they're simply still defrosting him.
The interval acts were alright, just not on the same level as the past two Swedish-hosted contests. The segment about re-soundtracking Swedish film classics with Eurovision songs felt like a low-effort way to fill in a blank time slot, and the "We Just Love Eurovision Too Much" act somehow managed to read both self-depracating (yay) and condescending (nay) at the same time. While it started funny, it also just ran way too long.
All the same, Sweden still knows how to put together a show and that is something they do excel at, so props to them and thank you for a so-far marvellous Eurovision spectacle.
Yet, although the week peacefully enough all things considered, the situation has swiftly been devolving into a chaos over the past 24 hours. Italy's televote results for the second semi-final were accidentally leaked, showing a staggering 39% of the vote going to Israel (for reference, back in 2022 Ukraine received a 'mere' 24% share of the Italian semi-final televote). The results were apparently incomplete but together with Israel qualifying for the final, caused the country to spike in the odds.
Israel's participation has been a contentious topic this year and the tensions started showing in the press conference for the second semi-final qualifiers. Then the Dutch representative Joost Klein was reported to have been involved in an altercation of some sort with a photographer. The EBU has remained tight-lipped about what had transpired, which means that rumours are spreading like wildfire, but the Netherlands were then excluded from the rehearsals as well as the jury show.
Meanwhile, the EBU is rumoured to have had a crisis meeting about the situation, also cancelling a scheduled press conference with the automatic qualifiers. Executive producer Martin Österdahl was furthermore reported to have been absent in the rehearsals. To add fuel to the fire, there have been stories about Israeli journalists harassing and provoking people. And you know things have gone to shit when someone whips out John Lennon's "Imagine" as a way to soothe people (did they not learn anything from the pandemic times?).
How on earth did this all happen? Thing is not known. Despite the (now tame in comparison) Loreen vs. Käärijä drama last year, I sure bet Finland is happy they're not in charge of hosting this dumpster fire.
I am alredy dreading to see how things unfold come Grand Final night, but I'm here for the music first and foremost, and we've got a grand total of 26 finalists to go through, so let's get on with it.
1. Marcus & Martinus - Unforgettable (Sweden) 🇸🇪
In the first spot of the running order we've got the host country itself, Sweden. Who for some reason are represented by the Norwegian teen-pop duo Marcus & Martinus, go figure. Fret not, though – you will find some very usual Swedish suspects as songwriters (with Jimmy "Joker" Thörnfeldt having co-written six Melodifestivalen entries this year alone).
"Unforgettable" sounds like a songwriting camp trying to turn the classic Hall & Oates song "Maneater" into a modern Scandipop song. I mean, just compare the nearly identical opening lines: "She'll only come out at night" vs. "She comes alive at night". Or these lines: "Watch out boy she'll chew you up" vs. "She gon' chew you up". "Unforgettable"? More like unoriginal.
★★
2. Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil - Teresa & Maria (Ukraine) 🇺🇦
Ukraine's solemn anthem "Teresa & Maria" is one of the strongest entries this year and they sure know how to create a memorable staging. Jerry Heil climbing up that Pride Rock-looking cliff under a rain of rockets is easily one of the most arresting shots of the night (though I do wish they didn't show the floor in the same frame as it cheapens the visual effect to a theme park prop), as was the ending with them lying in a sea of women.
I found it interesting that Heil resorted to those vocal runs already in the first chorus, as opposed to waiting until the last chorus to do so, like in the Vidbir performance. With regard to that, I must say I preferred the latter as it helped the final chorus to pop more.
Either way, Ukraine delivers a powerful performance and will likely be earning their fourth top-ten finish in a row.
★★★★½
3. Isaak - Always On The Run (Germany) 🇩🇪
For the past couple of contests, Germany has consistently found itself at the bottom of the scoreboard (with two last-place finishes in a row most recently). I feel like they often fall in the 'not-bad-just-not-in-anyone's-top-10' trap, so I really hope they're able to shake off that curse this year.
The entry itself is a soulful, radio-friendly tune with lyrics about running away from your inner demons and self-doubt:
"All I do is keep my head up
But it's hard to keep the pace
Like I'm haunted by the voices deep within
Oh, they're just never gonna fade"
Singer Isaak gives a solid, committed vocal performance, and if you're one of those people who equate raspiness with lived life and authenticity, you're going to love his delivery.
I can see "Always On The Run" doing better with the juries than with the televote, and I'm not sure if they're going to be leaving the right side of the scoreboard. But let's just hope that they can escape the bottom of it at the very least – they deserve it.
★★★
4. Tali - Fighter (Luxembourg) 🇱🇺
Technically, Luxembourg now ties with Ukraine with its 100% qualification rate during the semi-final era of Eurovision, as semi-finals were not a thing when the country last competed. Congratulations are in order.
And while they were given the ideal last spot in the running order as a clear welcome-back gift, they did earn their place in the final fair and square. "Fighter" is a catchy, quirky pop number that was performed well (even if the choruses relied noticeably on the pre-recorded vocals and the dated CGI leopard were not needed).
I'm expecting a majority of Luxembourg's points to come from the rest of the French-speaking Europe and perhaps the Netherlands, so it might not be fighting for the top spots this year. Still, I can see "Fighter" doing reasonably well.
★★★½
5. Joost Klein - Europapa (Netherlands) 🇳🇱
Joost Klein is a massive fan favourite and the audience was clearly living for him, singing and cheering along like there was no tomorrow. (And considering the drama that has been taking place these past 24 hours, that might indeed be the case for the entry.)
Personally, I can't say I am a fan. I understand that Klein is supposed to more of a fun character than anything else but the vocals were non-existent and lacking at best, with the synthetised backing vocals (and the audience) doing all the work during the choruses. The rest of the performance consisted of dorky, amateurish choreo and silly faces.
Here is where I might sound a tad too harsh and cynical: Klein's grief from losing his parents at a young age is obviously genuine and tragic. Losing a loved one is of course heartbreaking and being able to pay tribute to them on such a huge stage must feel great. And I get that the song is just that, and that the happy hardcore in this context resembles forcing a smile through the pain, I understand.
But the puppy-eyed monologue at the end was not it to me. It's completely detached from the song and feels, and please excuse me for saying this, like an exploitative attempt to milk pity votes. The fact that that was the moment they chose for the recap clip only makes this worse – they're not even trying to remind the voters of the song itself (which is crazy as the entry is catchy and they had such an enthusiastic audience participation going on) but tug at heartstrings.
I feel like Klein could've achieved the same effect in a much more sincere manner just by projecting an image of his parents on the screens. The thing is, I'm sure many people performing on that stage have their own share of pain and grief, and that is not something that needs to be hidden either. But at the end of the day, this is not the Eurovision Trauma Contest.
★★
6. Eden Golan - Hurricane (Israel) 🇮🇱
Israel was an expected qualifier as "Hurricane" is an objectively well-produced song and singer Eden Golan's vocal performance was largely great (even if the highest notes in the last chorus were flat).
It's just unfortunately hard to judge the entry in a vacuum. Do I agree with some of the Israeli broadcaster's actions leading up to and during the Eurovision week? No. Do I think Golan should be held personally responsible and deserves to be booed at? Also no. Yet, the anti-booing technology dating back to 2015 seems to have been utilised to drown out the booing at the arena, with the word on the street being that canned cheers have furthermore been added to make everything appear as normal.
As mentioned before, no matter what Israel was sending this year, it was always going to be highly divisive. As you cannot vote against an entry, only for one, this will probably mobilise a number of televoters to cast their votes for Israel, which could result in a surprisingly high share of votes for the country. Typically, songs like this tend to do well with juries as well, but I have a hard time imagining the juries being able to stay impartial regarding this song (this way or that). As a result, "Hurricane" is all but guaranteed to storm the scoreboard. And it will be messy.
★★★
7. Silvester Belt - Luktelk (Lithuania) 🇱🇹
Lithuania's fist-bumping Troye Sivan-look-alike Silvester Belt made his way to the final as predicted, and deservedly so – "Luktelk" is a catchy, if rather repetitive dance floor track with a thumping beat. The staging was effective, although due to the dim, monochromatic lighting, it was at times hard to tell what was happening onstage.
That said, there are quite a few uptempo dance-pop numbers in the final and I do feel that "Luktelk" will get lost in the mix.
★★★
8. Nebulossa - Zorra (Spain) 🇪🇸
Spain's "Zorra" combines 80s synthpop with modern production to a great effect and is an instant classic in my books. The male-sung "Zorra, zorra, zorra" chant gives me some Village People vibes and I can see this becoming a dance floor staple in any given European gay club or Eurovision party (as if that Venn diagram wasn't a circle).
Lyrically the track addresses sexist double standards: while the male form of the word 'zorro' (Spanish for 'fox') has positive connotations and means someone who is clever and crafty, the female form 'zorra' translates to 'slut' or 'bitch'. This song flips the script, reclaims the word, and does that ever so fabulously. Having a concrete example of sexism in its core also gives the song more bite than your regular vague female empowerment Eurovision number.
It is fantastic to hear how well the audience is responding to the song, and hearing them shout the line "Soy más zorra todavía" with such gusto is an iconic moment. I think the only thing that is holding Spain back from being a real contender for the top spot is the fact that the singer's vocals aren't particularly strong. When the synths are unleashed after the second chorus (which is one of my favourite song production moments this year), her voice sort of disappears in the resulting wall of sound, and in the final chorus it is overpowered by the backing vocals.
Nonetheless, "Zorra" is a fantastic anthem with an important message and incredible synthwork.
★★★★½
9. 5miinust x Puuluup - (Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi (Estonia) 🇪🇪
I wasn't expecting Estonia to qualify for the final but I'm happy that they did. This is just such a wacky entry that encapsulates the spirit and trademark weirdness of Eurovision with its folk instruments and off-the-wall silliness. It is absolutely not going to win but you know, either way we're getting another serving of crazy Estonian folk hip hop in the final and that's all that matters.
★★★
10. Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue (Ireland) 🇮🇪
Ireland is another qualification that I was rooting for but didn't consider certain by any means. But what a spectacular show they gave us!
The theatrical "Doomsday Blue" definitely had some of the most successful visual storytelling this year. The camerawork throughout the week has been hit-and-miss but here it worked perfectly. The 4:3 aspect ratio makes you feel like you're watching a horror film on an old-time TV and crops the image in a way that keeps the focus on Bambie Thug and the dancer. The pair executes their choreo well and Bambie Thug delivers a good, varied vocal performance.
This demon-summoning tutorial is sure to do well come Saturday, mark my words.
★★★★
11. Dons - Hollow (Latvia) 🇱🇻
Latvia was definitely the biggest shock qualifiers of the year based on the pre-contest odds. The song itself is nothing we haven't heard on the Eurovision stage before, but singer Dons's experience is evident in his skilled, competent vocals that elevate the otherwise average song.
A winner this is not going to be and will probably sink to the bottom quarter of the scoreboard, but congratulations to Latvia for qualifying for the final for the first time in 8 years. (Also, justice for "Aijā" – they were seriously robbed last year.)
★★★
12. Marina Satti - Zari (Greece) 🇬🇷
I was looking forward to Greece's performance with intrigue as I found "Zari" to have an interesting contast of traditional Greek singing and modern reggaeton sounds. Unfortunately, the staging sort of lost that for me and ended up looking like a TikTok dance challenge with its streamer visuals. Now, I'm not saying she should have been twerking in a chiton but I still wish that juxtaposition was more present in the performance.
The middling vocals were perhaps explained by her falling sick earlier this week, but she also kept pulling the microphone too far from her face, making her singing inaudible at times. And due to the staging being so choreo-driven, "Zari" is now firmly in the dance-bop category where it risks being eclipsed by stronger entries.
★★★
13. Olly Alexander - Dizzy (United Kingdom) 🇬🇧
This year, the United Kingdom has decided to rely on an internationally recognised name, sending Olly Alexander of the electropop group Years & Years. "Dizzy" is a catchy dance-pop track that draws inspiration from 80s/90s synth-pop acts such as the Pet Shop Boys. My favourite thing about the song is the baroque-esque synth arpeggio – sort of reminiscent of Kylie Minogue's "Closer" – and I wish it had been brought more to the forefront in the production. The spoken word bridge I could do without, and I don't think he's even actually singing it live.
This time, the United Kingdom delivers a very, very racy show that is sure to turn heads. The staging is creative with its changing 'gravity' effects and the dancers execute it convincingly. I am surprised that I'm able to view this shower room cruising session without having to click a button to prove my age first.
★★★½
14. Gåte - Ulveham (Norway) 🇳🇴
Norway's Gåte gave a phenomenal live show with stunning live vocals and a staging that remained faithful to their Melodi Grand Prix performance. Little has changed, but little needed to change – the group had an excellent package to begin with. The Malmö camera crew seems to love wide shots, whereas the camera runs in the national final did a better job at creating a more intimate, inviting feel. But this is just a minor complaint and "Ulveham" is every bit as spellbinding as it was before.
★★★★½
15. Angelina Mango - La noia (Italy) 🇮🇹
Italy's cumbia of total boredom is anything but boring – I would go on to say that it's easily the most original composition of the year with lots of peaks and valleys and catchy energy. I immediately had this pegged as a potential winner that I would have been satisfied with, even if that meant going back to Italy after only one gap year since their last hosting.
Then the second semi-final happened and some of the magic had decidedly been lost. In her Sanremo performance, Angelina Mango was alone on stage, sassily strutting around and there is a feel of spontaneity and playfulness to her presence. For some reason, for the Eurovision performance they decided to add five backing dancers and dress them up all matchy-matchy not just with each other but also with the graphics. This is a questionable choice as it causes the lot of them to camouflage into the background. Like, come on – surely Mango herself at the very least should be wearing a contrasting colour to make her pop more?
It's frustrating to see an entry as brilliant as "La noia" let down by its staging (even if it's not a disaster, just a disappointment). Although Mango's performance is great, her incredible charisma is now visually lost in the mix, particularly when the camera zooms out. They will definitely still be a top 10 finalist – the juries love Italy, after all – but before the semi-final performance, I considered them a serious contender for the top spot as well.
★★★★½
16. Teya Dora - Ramonda (Serbia) 🇷🇸
I'm glad that here the camera crew showed some restraint in terms of their love of wide shots – this one needed to be filmed up close. Serbia's Teya Dora delivered a beautiful, minimal, and effective rendition of the song. I'm not expecting it to stand out very much in a running order of 26 song but even then, "Ramonda" is a lovely little addition to the final line-up.
★★★
17. Windows95man - No Rules! (Finland) 🇫🇮
Although not among the top contenders, Finland was still an expected qualifier with their goofy 90s Eurodance rehash "No Rules!". It will however be competing for the same votes as bigger fan favourites (Croatia, the Netherlands) and I cannot imagine a reality where this doesn't tank the jury vote, meaning that Finland's trajectory will take a steep nosedive towards the bottom of the scoreboard.
I still strongly dislike the entry but I must admit that I got a chuckle out of the lengths that the staging went to in order to hide Windows95man's 'nude' crotch in all the different shots. For some reason that didn't click with me during the UMK performance. Maybe I had just buried my face too deep in my hands when watching it.
★★
18. Iolanda - Grito (Portugal) 🇵🇹
The Portuguese entry, on the other hand, is one that I have loved from the very beginning. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Iolanda will be responsible for some of the most gorgeous vocals of the night, with that big note at the end of the bridge especially being a highlight in that regard. And starting the song fully a cappella is still such a power move. No pre-recorded backing track needed here.
★★★★½
19. Ladaniva - Jako (Armenia) 🇦🇲
Armenia gave us one of the most joyful, exuberant moments this year. The wide-grinning singer Jaklin Baghdasaryan oozes charisma and confidence and feels right at home onstage, and that kind of star power is something you cannot rehearse or manufacture. The colourful visuals provide a fantastic backdrop to the vibrancy of the song and it's hard not to feel happy watching this.
"Jako" is a perfect example of folky, traditional elements combined with infectious energy that transcends borders and languages. This is Eurovision magic at its purest.
★★★★½
20. Silia Kapsis - Liar (Cyprus) 🇨🇾
Although our friends down under sadly didn't get to see their own representative in the final, at least they can rally behind the Sydney-based Cypriot Australian Silia Kapsis. I'd be lying if I said that this was anything to write home about, musically speaking – it is a very typical entry in the dance-break girl-bop genre – but Kapsis still gives a serviceable vocal and choreographic performance that becomes all the more impressive when you realise she's only 17 years old. Damn.
★★½
21. Nemo - The Code (Switzerland) 🇨🇭
An entry that is far removed from mediocrity, however, is the orchestral drum n' bass pop-rap-opera that is Switzerland's "The Code". Singer Nemo's does a lot onstage – with the manic energy being a tad much for my personal taste – but does so excellently. Desite all the jumping and spinning and sliding, the vocals remain great, and the singer effortlessly navigates the spinning platform that could otherwise be a risky staging element. "The Code" is altogether a highly accomplished effort and a very likely top 3 finalist, and justifiably so.
★★★★½
22. Raiven - Veronika (Slovenia) 🇸🇮
The entrancing "Veronika" was another slightly unexpected qualifier in the light of the pre-contest odds, but that just goes to show that they cannot be trusted blindly. The dark, dramatic aura of the song sets it apart from many of the other choreographed group numbers in the final, particularly when it isn't a dance-pop track like the others.
To me, Slovenia is one of the most unpredictable entries in the final in terms of voting outcomes, but I could see it placing somewhere in the middle of the scoreboard, perhaps even just outside the top 10.
★★★½
23. Baby Lasagna - Rim Tim Tagi Dim (Croatia) 🇭🇷
As one of the most hyped-up entries of the year, Croatia is currently perhaps the one to beat. Though not a rip-off as such, "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" is largely cut from the same cloth as last year's runner-up "Cha Cha Cha". Usually, the same concept seldom works two years in a row, so I find it surprising how that does not seem to apply here. "Cha Cha Cha" didn't win of course, which might be exactly the reason why "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" has so much momentum around it. Perhaps Käärijä walked so Baby Lasagna could run.
But one shouldn't discredit the song just because of its similar vibes to "Cha Cha Cha". The performance has a great energy and seeing the sea of lights bouncing up and down in sync with Baby Lasagna is a fantastic visual moment. Not to mention the song having some of the funniest lines of the year, such as the iconically memeable "Meow cat, please meow back".
By the time I'm writing this, the Netherlands has been officially kicked out of the grand final, meaning that Baby Lasagna just lost his perhaps biggest televote competition. While this is great news for his chances of winning, I hope that should he actually win, people do not invalidate his placement as some kind of a victory-by-default scenario. That would not be fair to anyone involved. Mind you, "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" has been leading in the odds for ages to begin with.
★★★★½
24. Nutsa Buzaladze - Firefighter (Georgia) 🇬🇪
This year's contest is turning into a dumpster fire, so how lucky are we to have "Firefighter" in the final? "Put out the fire, put out the fire" sings Nutsa Buzaladze, but it might be too little too late.
Though well performed, "Firefighter" is unfortunately just too generic to have a real shot at success. All the same, congratulations to Georgia for qualifying for the first time in eight years.
★★★
25. Slimane - Mon Amour (France) 🇫🇷
As last of the automatic qualifiers, we've got France with Slimane. "Mon Amour" is a highly French, highly melodramatic love song where the singer keeps asking whether his lover loves him back or not. It sounds boring – which it is – but Slimane's stage presence and vocals certainly elevate the song.
The intimate close-ups are supposed to make you feel like he's singing directly to you (or to a selfie camera, pick one). They feel awfully schmaltzy, but maybe you're too busy being eyefucked by the singer to notice (pardon my French). You can also tell that Slimane went to the Barbara Pravi school of gesturing.
Obviously the main selling point is the part where he steps back from the microphone and sings into it from a couple of metres away. It's an entirely unnecessary showboat moment, of course, but an undeniably impressive one, and makes the last chorus sound triumphant. Considering their second-to-last slot in the running order, France has a real chance of winning the jury vote, and I could see this doing well in the televote as well. The live performance will launch the otherwise dull song into the top 10 with ease.
★★★
26. Kaleen - We Will Rave (Austria) 🇦🇹
Finally we have Austria and their cheesy 90s Eurodance regurgitation "We Will Rave". I found the staging to be oddly lacking in energy, failing to match the high-octane backing track. The lighting is also an inexplicable choice: it leaves Kaleen and the dancers poorly illuminated, meaning that you can barely see the choreo they are doing.
There is no shortage of dance numbers in the final and despite their optimal closing slot in the running order, I don't know if I see Austria standing out well enough to place very high in the results. But there clearly seems to be a wave of 90s nostalgia of sorts taking place this year, so I'm sure this has some televote potential.
★★½
Alright, those were our finalists. While I was in the middle of writing this review, the EBU released a statement that Joost Klein has been disqualified from the final, with their "zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour" cited as the reason for this. No details were still given about the events that actually transpired, but as a result, we now have a final line-up of 25 acts instead of 26. Here are some closing thoughts about the final.
Trend alerts
There are a bunch of trends that can be identified throughout the show. Here are some of them:
- Female empowerment and strong female characters are always popular topics in Eurovision song lyrics. We have Spain tackling sexism, Ukraine's ode to divas, and Armenia shrugging off externally imposed gender roles. Partially overlapping with the this but more in the witchy subcategory we have Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia.
- There were quite a few instances of people being perched atop different types of structures, such as rock formations (Ukraine, Serbia), spinning platforms (Switzerland), or both (Norway).
- Clearly there is some kind of a 90s Eurodance revival going on (and I'm not sure how I feel about that), with Austria, Finland, and the Netherlands all tapping into it.
- Eurovision wouldn't be Eurovision without its weird, humorous entries, which are this time represented by Estonia, Finland, and the Netherlands.
Thoughts about the running order
Following the introduction of the 'Producer's Choice', there is more room for producer interference in the running order than ever before, as if that was necessary. Some interesting choices stand out (and yes, I am in full-on tinfoil mode here):
- Placing Ukraine in the dreaded death slot of performing seconds seems to have a two-fold reasoning. On the one hand, it feels like an attempt to tank Ukraine's chances of winning in order to prevent another 2023 situation where a runner-up has to host on Ukraine's behalf. (Although it is possible that since all televoting starts in the beginning of the grand final unlike before, this could mitigate the adversity of having to perform early in the running order). On the other hand, since Ukraine is still bound to do well with both the juries and the televote, the producers might try to use this as a way to try to disprove the bad reputation of the second performance slot.
- Israel is buried in a fairly early section of the first half, originally coming right after the unity-promoting Dutch entry "Europapa". I wonder if this was their way of trying to make sure that "Hurricane" wouldn't stand out too much so that they could look the other way and go about their business.
- Both Croatia and France were given pretty ideal slots in the running order (23rd and 25th, respectively). Considering that Croatia is a likely televote winner, while France will probably smash the juries, it's hard to find this coincidental. Perhaps it would also be in the EBU's interests if the contest were hosted in a new country for a change: Croatia has never won before while France's last win was way back in 1977. Furthermore, some of the biggest pre-contest favourites of 2024 had just won the contest (Ukraine, Italy, the Netherlands) and having the same countries win again and again might discourage less successful countries from participating.
I promise, the tinfoil hat is coming off now.
Top 10 predictions
Alright then, let's try and predict the top 10 finalists (in alphabetical order):
- Croatia was always going to be a top contender, but the Netherlands' exclusion from the final strengthens their position even more.
- France shot up to my predicted top 10 with that live performance alone as the song itself is forgettable. But Europe will lap this French cheese up like it's going out of fashion (if only).
- Israel is extremely divise but again, you can only vote for entries, never against them. The calls for boycott against Israel may very well end up working in the country's favour by mobilising televoters.
- Italy has an extraordinary entry, but the staging might keep them from rising to the very top, boringly enough.
- Ireland is a total wild card but I do think that Bambie Thug has grown into a bit of a phenomenon (and it is refreshing to see Ireland be this daring for once). "Doomsday Blue" is probably the heaviest entry of the year and it has little competition in its genre, which should benefit it nicely.
- Norway has the only other rock/metal-oriented entry in the final. "Ulveham" is witchy and mystical, not unlike "Doomsday Blue", but perhaps a tad more accessible than the latter. Also, whereas Ireland sent sort of punky hyperpop, Norway relies on folk metal. There should be enough differentiation between the two for both to get votes.
- Adding Portugal here might be slightly wishful thinking on my part but I'm locking it in nevertheless. Iolanda is one of the most powerful vocalists of the night and I would love to see that being rewarded. I do fave a feeling that if it happens, it will largely be thanks to jury points.
- Spain has a ridiculously catchy and well-crafted synth-pop number that, in my eyes, devours all the other uptempo pop songs. With stronger vocals this could be a real contender but even then, the country has some potent televote appeal, for which I'll give you three reasons: "ZORRA ZORRA ZORRA".
- Switzerland is basically a shoo-in for the top 3. The genre-hopping "The Code" is an incredibly polished (if a little frenetic) song that will do well with juries and televoters alike.
- The death slot will not stop Ukraine from reaching the top 10. However, that might sink them towards the second half of it.
The top 2 will probably be Croatia and Switzerland with Croatia eventually snatching the coveted glass microphone trophy.
Phew, what a marathon that was! It is unfortunate how this week, though it started reasonably well and peacefully, has been deteriorating with every passing hour as we've gotten closer to the grand final. The Eurovision Song Contest is a beloved institution (with the Eurovision season being one of my favourite times of the year) and I hate to see it turn into such a troubled shitstorm. Don't you just wish we could go back to the good old 'did-Måneskin-do-coke-off-the-table' levels of nonexistent drama? I sure do.
But fingers crossed that the night goes civilly and fairly, and that there is enough joy and love to go around. Hopefully 'United By Music' will be more than just a slogan printed on merch.
If you made it this far, thank you very much for reading and have a wonderful Eurovision final night!
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