If you are getting a slight case of déjà vu with this year's Eurovision Song Contest, you are probably not alone – the parallels between this year and 2013 are almost comical in nature. Loreen won the competition with a dramatic dance-pop number (again), bringing the contest to Malmö (again), where the show will be hosted by Petra Mede (again). Also, they are apparently reusing the slogan from last year. Now, I know that Sweden tends to get some flak for constantly relying on a tried-and-tested formula but this is just downright silly!
Jokes aside, Loreen is obviously a spectacular performer – it's just that her second win felt a bit anticlimactic, especially with "Tattoo" failing to reach the heights of "Euphoria" or even her 2017 Melodifestivalen entry "Statements" (in my subjective opinion, anyway). Either way, she is an undeniable powerhouse and it'll be interesting to see what kind of a career boost becoming Eurovision's second-ever double winner will translate into. Just... please don't come back to compete again, yeah?
Last year also sparked a heated debate about the role of the professional juries and whether they should have equal weight (or any at all) in comparison to the televote. Personally, I think that the bloc-voting-riddled and gimmicky televote-pandering years of the mid-00s are reason enough for the juries to exist. Mind you, just last year "Solo" ranked third in its semi-final and eighth in the grand final based on televote alone. Yes, you read that correctly.
The issue I have with the juries is not their existence or even their equal influence in the grand final (if anything, I'd love to see them back in the semis) but rather their homogeneity. The juries seem to collectively favour certain genres and dare I say countries to such extent that I wish they were more diverse in their composition. Not in order to steer voting outcomes, of course, but rather to make them represent a wider range of tastes and genres while still keeping musical quality as the focal point.
This year also sees slight changes in how the televote works. The Rest of the World voting now starts 24 hours in advance for all three shows and in the grand final, the remaining televoters too can start voting before the first performance even starts. This is absolutely ridiculous to me. Previously, the live performance was always a make-or-break moment for any given song. Successful stagings have launched overlooked entries to the top of the scoreboard, while lacklustre performances have sunk fan favourites regardless of their pre-contest hype.
While this might be just an attempt to increase viewer engagement and televote revenue, taken together with the allowing of pre-recorded backing vocals, this change continues to erode the importance of actually great live vocal performances and I find this trend concerning. Theoretically, all televoting in the grand final could take place before a single note has been sung. Not to mention that many casual viewers skip the semis altogether, meaning that they might not even have seen any of the performances before casting their votes. I can't say I am a fan of this. Or the new 'Producer's Choice' shenanigans, yet another instrument of producer interference in the running order.
Although as a silver lining, there is one very welcome change: starting from this year, all automatic finalists will perform their songs in full during the semi-finals, giving them an equal opportunity to hone their live staging and leave an impression before the grand final. Anyway, seeing that we're already on paragraph #7 with no discussion on the entries themselves yet, let's take a look at some actual songs now, shall we?
1. Silia Kapsis - Liar (Cyprus) 🇨🇾
Starting off this year's contest we've got Cyprus, opening the show with some pretty hard-hitting lyricism ("Waking up in the morning and I'm feeling like ooh-la-la"). She then expertly rhymes "ooh-la-la" with "truth la-la". Ugh, her mind.
In the music video, singer Silia Kapsis might be saving women from toxic relationship through the sheer power of dance, but the song itself is just another mediocre Eurovision girl bop, complete with an obligatory dance break and all. I guess it just wouldn't be Eurovision without one (or several, it's never just one). The production sounds dated and there is little that the songwriting adds to an already trite genre, but I'm sure that "Liar" will still hit the spot for certain audience segments.
Fun fact: Silia Kapsis is the second Cypriot Australian in a row to represent Cyprus, following in the footsteps of last year's Andrew Lambrou.
★★
2. Teya Dora - Ramonda (Serbia) 🇷🇸
We then move on to Serbia and Teya Dora. "Ramonda" is a nice little ballad that starts small and eventually grows into a big chorus. The song is pretty enough and performed well but I'm expecting it to struggle somewhat in terms of memorability. The chorus – consisting of only two words repeated over and over – is the only part that sticks to mind, and it takes nearly half of its runtime for the song to hit the first chorus. In terms of standing out, it is always risky for an Eurovision entry to take a while to get going, and the death slot Serbia was dealt in the semi will certainly not help.
The melancholic lyrics paint a picture of a tragic, likely war-torn world: "The world is on fire, every flower too / Where have lilac ramondas disappeared to?" Topical stuff. But despite the pain and the suffering, there is a morsel of hope in the end: "It rises from ashes / One lilac ramonda". The lyrics elevate the song and are probably my favourite thing about it, so I'd recommend checking the official English translation in the YouTube description of the video.
★★★½
3. Silvester Belt - Luktelk (Lithuania) 🇱🇹
Lithuania, on the other hand, definitely has some earworm potential, and if the simple yet effective chorus doesn't do it on its own, the thumping beat is sure to hammer it deep into your subconscious. I for example am largely indifferent about Lithuania this year, but there have been numerous instances of the song creeping into my mind out of nowhere. And that kind of instantaneousness never hurts in this context.
And "Luktelk" is indeed a decently catchy pop song with a danceable beat. Silvester Belt's vocal performance is similarly decent, if not particularly impressive, but fortunately it is a pretty uncomplicated song to sing. What does let the song down however is how one-note it is – you could easily cut the song short around the one-minute mark after the first chorus and not miss anything of essence by doing that. Perhaps the production could've added some flourishes and peaks and valleys to make the song more dynamic. The entry is not bad by any means, just a little lukewarm, lukewarm.
★★★
4. Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue (Ireland) 🇮🇪
Someone who does take us on a proper journey, on the other hand, is Ireland's Bambie Thug. The satanic ritual that is "Doomsday Blues" has an interesting juxtaposition of distorted metal verses and a surprisingly pleasant, jazzy chorus, with the middle eight somehow managing to marry the two diametrically opposed sounds quite satisfyingly. I suppose you should know to expect that kind of witchcraft from someone who's throwing hexes and avada kedavras around left and right in the lyrics.
While the entry at times teeters on the edge of weird for the sake of weird (Canadian artist Grimes comes to mind), it feels like a breath of fresh air to have Ireland go for something much more experimental and out-there, particularly after last year's ultra-beige "We Are One". I am looking forward to the live performance with curiosity, though, considering all the vocal processing. Such a witchy song should also lend itself to some pretty striking visuals.
★★★½
5. Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil - Teresa & Maria (Ukraine) 🇺🇦
I remember when back in 2022, I was listening to that year's Eurovision entries in advance blindly. "Stefania" started playing and I got immediate winner vibes from the intro alone, but as soon as I realised they were singing in Ukrainian, I got frustrated thinking about how naysayers would try to discredit their eventual success as little more than empathy voting. Well, in 2024, the same exact thing happened to me with "Teresa & Maria".
The song actually sort of reminds me of last year's Czech entry – only more mellowed out – with an overarching feel of Slavic melancholy, female vocals kind of emphasising women's resilience, and a rap verse thrown in for good measure. It has a highly atypical song structure that effectively boils down to chorus-verse-chorus. That's all! Yet, the production cleverly introduces new elements throughout the three minutes and as a result, the song never stagnates.
The studio version is gorgeous but their live vocals in the Vidbir performance didn't quite match it. Thankfully, they seem to have improved considerably throughout the duo's promotional appearances during these past couple of months, and we all know that Ukraine knows how to stage a show, so this is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Lyrically, "Teresa & Maria" seeks to inspire strength in the face of hardship by reminding that even the biggest of saints were once human, too: "With us mama Teresa, Diva Maria / All the divas were born as the human beings". Today of course Mother Teresa is considered to be a rather controversial figure and as such, is perhaps not the best lyrical focus for the song, but that's another discussion altogether.
★★★★½
6. Luna - The Tower (Poland) 🇵🇱
Poland's 2024 Eurovision entry is "The Tower", an upbeat indie-pop song with an instrumental emulating that sort of shimmery noughties pop sound that wouldn't feel out of place on a Lily Allen album from that era. To really drive the musical influences home, Luna delivers the lines with cursive singing quirky enough she might as well be singing about avocados.
Lyrically the song seems to be about self-empowerment, with the constantly repeated "I'm the one who built the tower" accounting for around one third of the lines. Such an odd lyrical hook to build a song around, sounding especially clunky in the bridge. And what even is the titular tower? Her self-esteem? Her success? An actual construction of brick and mortar? The world may never know. Maybe the real tower were the friends she made along the way.
Either way, "The Tower" is a perfectly cutesy little feel-good number, just not a very monumental one.
★★★
7. Baby Lasagna - Rim Tim Tagi Dim (Croatia) 🇭🇷
Last year's runner-up "Cha Cha Cha" seems to have inspired a number of acts in 2023, with not only multiple meme entries but also several songs that seem to mash together two or more genres. Of them, the closest thing to a spiritual successor to Käärijä is easily Croatia's Baby Lasagna and his song "Rim Tim Tagi Dim". Simple but catchy synth riff? Check. Heavy metal guitars? Check. A singalong bit and some easy-to-follow choreo for audience participation? Check. Hell, he's even headbanging in big, puffy sleeves!
That is not to say that "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" is a mere "Cha Cha Cha" rip-off, however, as it does have its distinct musical identity. As a genre mashup it is much more subtle and the contrast between the two instrumental parts isn't as striking. The lyrics deal with brain drain resulting from many young people emigrating in pursuit of better life opportunities. Yet, the societally difficult issue is coupled with some of the most memeable lyrics this year – the lines "Ay, I'm a big boy now / I'm going away and I sold my cow" and "Bye mom, bye dad / Meow, cat, please, meow back" in particular. All is topped off with a big, 80s dad rock chorus.
Baby Lasagna's vocals in the national final left room for improvement so hopefully he has been working on them since. Regardless, Croatia is a serious contender this year and is most likely headed for its highest result in 25 years.
★★★★
8. Hera Björk - Scared of Heights (Iceland) 🇮🇸
As first of the two returning artists this year, you might recognise Iceland's Hera Björk from her 2010 entry "Je Ne Sais Quoi". Back then she placed 19th, but will she manage to achieve a higher result on her second attempt?
I'm afraid the answer is a real quick 'no' as "Scared of Heights" is decidedly weaker than her first entry. The song is a harmless but generic take on 90s piano house, a genre whose revival already started a decade ago and has since peaked. Like, you could tell me that this was a discarded Rebel Heart era Madonna demo leak from 2014 and I would take your word for it. That is how half-baked this is. Consequently, the song sounds very dated, particularly as it fails to add anything new into the mix.
Which is a shame as Hera Björk seems like a lovely lady and she does deliver a serviceable vocal performance. On the plus side, she should be safe from vertigo on the scorebord as I don't see this placing very high.
★★
9. Raiven - Veronika (Slovenia) 🇸🇮
We then move on to the Slovenian entry. "Veronika" is a dramatic number with orchestral elements and brooding synths with lyrics inspired by Veronika of Desenice, a historical 14th-century figure who was falsely accused of witchcraft and, although acquitted by the court, drowned. A tale as old as time. The lyrics then draw a connection between all women who have been unjustly wronged: "Jaz sem / Ti si / Veronika" ("I am / You are / Veronika")
The story also explains the aquatic theme of the music video, although not the bizarre mud bath orgy.
I cannot say that "Veronika" fully clicks with me but this definitely strikes me as an entry that grows to its full potential in a live setting. Raiven's singing sounds powerful on the studio version so with a great performance, this could very well end up being one of the vocal highlights of the night.
★★★½
10. Windows95man - No Rules! (Finland) 🇫🇮
Finland's Windows95man is certainly another another contestant seeking to ride last year's sweet, sweet Käärijä wave. After all, what worked once must surely work again, right?
Well, no. For starters, "No Rules!" is nothing like its predecessor. With "Cha Cha Cha", the chemical formula was just right. Musically, the song was an innovative genre blend and took the listener on an unexpected journey of self-liberation. As a performer, Käärijä did not take himself too seriously but also didn't take the toung-in-cheek approach too far, while also captivating the audience with his genuine, infectious energy.
"No Rules!", on the other hand, is a derivative rehash of 90s/early-00s Eurotrash in the style of E-Type, Scooter, Basshunter, and the like. The stale lyrics describe the narrator living his life true to himself ("No rules, it's how I live / How I find the wind beneath my wings"), which of course is very inspiring when written by a white, presumably straight, nearly middle-aged family man. So brave. Singer Henri Piispanen at least gives a decent vocal performance, whereas Windows95man himself decides to deliver his lines with a Günther-esque grumble and an exaggerated, over-the-top accent, for maximum comedic value I can only imagine.
Now you might feel inclined to accuse me of being an uptight hater which, you know, fair enough. I do acknowledge that I am probably not in the target audience for this and I am at peace with that. For starters, I do not see extra-short jorts, socks with sandals, and 90s IT nerd aesthetics as peak comedy but I guess that's just me. It's one thing to not take life and yourself too seriously, but to me, the gimmicky entry comes across as treating the whole thing as little more than a joke. Kind of like an unpleasant time trip to the mid-noughties 'novelty act' era of Eurovision.
"No Rules!" is, for my personal taste, a travesty that might qualify only to be absolutely tanked by the juries in the final. I would be at peace with that, too.
★
11. Natalia Barbu - In The Middle (Moldova) 🇲🇩
Natalia Barbu is the second one of this year's returnees and long-time Eurovision fans might remember her 2007 entry "Fight". And what a tonal shift there is between the two songs! Whereas "Fight" was, as the name implies, an angsty, aggressive track ("To face this cruel world / We gotta just fight forever"), "In The Middle" is about a parent encouraging their child to embrace the world:
"I want you to be happy all of your life
My beautiful angel, a work of art
You live for sunshine, spread it around
I know your heart is filled with love"
I suppose a lot can happen in 17 years. The saccharine lyrics are interestingly set to a backing track written in a minor key, which prevents the song from sounding too schmaltzy. The instrumental is further garnished with some string arrangements and a nice violin middle eight.
The national final performance suffers from the vocals being a tad pitchy at times, so let's hope that the singing goes more smoothly in Malmö. Even if I can't see Barbu topping her 2007 result (she placed 10th in the final), "In The Middle" is still a nice, enjoyable listen.
★★★
12. Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov - Özünlə Apar (Azerbaijan) 🇦🇿
I cannot say that I am very much in tune with Azerbaijani music but having said that, "Özünlə apar" somehow feels like one of the most authentic Eurovision entries the country has ever sent. Performing the song partially in Azerbaijani undoubtedly helps and it's crazy to think that it took them almost two decades of participation to properly do so!
The song itself is an excellently produced mid-tempo pop number with dramatic strings and traditional, folky backing vocals. Despite the melancholic soundscape, the lyrics are about finding a safe haven in the arms of a beloved: "Only with you I feel / How the burdens of my life just disappear". The two singers' voices sound beautiful, with the high register vocals bringing an air of vulnerability to the song. I even feel tempted to say that "Özünlə apar" is my favourite Azerbaijani entry to date.
★★★★
13. Electric Fields - One Milkali (One Blood) (Australia) 🇦🇺
I think a quick disclaimer is in order: I am a big fan of this year's Aussie representatives Electric Fields. The duo captivated Eurovision audiences worldwide with their 2019 Australia Decides entry "2000 And Whatever" and I had a sneaking suspicion that it would only be a matter of time before they were selected internally.
Whereas "2000 And Whatever" was an instantly catchy tune, "One Milkali" is more of a grower that takes a couple of listens to fully appreciate. That, of course, is always a risk when the average viewer might hear the song for the first time during the show. But boy, does it grow! Starting with touches of groove and house, the song then evolves into a joyous, uplifting, and anthemic chorus that features a chant in Yankunytjatjara, an indigenous Australian language. In what I believe to be another Eurovision first, the song also features a didgeridoo that is used to a great effect, almost sounding like another synth in the mix.
The occasionally somewhat metaphysical lyrics describe finding a sense of belonging and unity in the world around you ("To see we don’t own the universe / Feel the borders blur / We belong to her") after initially feeling like you don't fit in. The song title refers to a painting, also titled "Milkali Kutju" ("One Blood"), by singer Zaachariaha Fielding's father. The painting celebrates the coming together of both indigenous and non-indigenous people alike, adding another layer of meaning to the lyrics.
Fielding is a charismatic performer and great vocalist and I can't wait to see how "One Milkali" translates live, particularly in terms of visuals. The shoelace-budget music video suggests they are operating on rather limited resources but hey, you don't need pyros to make an impression. Regardless of whether Australia is a likely contender for the top spot this year, they have gone criminally underrated by the wider fanbase and I do feel like they might end up surprising us all.
★★★★½
14. Iolanda - Grito (Portugal) 🇵🇹
Portugal's Iolanda pulls a power move straight off the bat: she starts the song fully a cappella. And she does it flawlessly, establishing herself as one of the best vocalists this year. And then she reminds us of the fact again with that big note before the outro. This is definitely going to be a live performance to look forward to.
"Grito" begins with an ethereal, dream-like vibe that brings Portugal's 2022 entry "Saudade, saudade" to mind, then growing in momentum towards an arresting finish. As a viewer, you feel like you're in safe hands with Iolanda's vocals, which makes it all the easier for you to immerse yourself in them. Just altogether impressive.
I could do without the coked-up backing dancers, though, as I find them unnecessarily distracting. With vocals like that, you don't need to fill the stage with anything else.
★★★★½
15. Tali - Fighter (Luxembourg) 🇱🇺
Since last year, we sadly saw Romania drop out of the competition. On the other hand, we've got Luxembourg making its return on the Eurovision stage after an absence of 31(!) years. Welcome back! I suppose the desired last performing slot in the running order was handed to them on a silver platter as a gesture of goodwill.
Modern-day fans might not be aware of it, but Luxembourg is actually one of the most successful Eurovision countries, having won the contest a total of five times (granted, the last time was some 40 years ago). With such a high bar set, it is disappointing that the country's reintroduction is a fairly mediocre affair. There are some quirky melodic and instrumental hooks but then there is an odd, momentum-killing pause in the chorus. The music video hints at this being a choreo-driven number, which makes me wish all the more that the chorus went off a bit more.
Overall, "Fighter" sounds like a song you would've heard in Eurovision about 10–15 years ago and as a result, it comes across a little dated. But to be fair, maybe they just missed that due to their decades of hibernation.
★★★
Predictions
Now that we've seen all the entries, it's time to make some predictions about the results.
Certain qualifiers:
- Ukraine is sure to continue its at this point unique 100% qualification rate.
- Croatia is a pre-contest favourite and should rim-tim-tagi-dim its way through with ease.
Very probable qualifiers:
- Although strangely overlooked in the odds, I see Portugal as a pretty safe qualifier.
- The Eurovision audience loves a danceable girl bop, of which Cyprus is the only one.
Could go either way:
- I will be crying milkali if Australia does not qualify. But with a great staging, I want to believe that they will.
- Azerbaijan has a great entry and should they nail the vocals, that might carry them through.
- Poland has a fun, cutesy energy that will probably stand out. Much depends on the live performance, however.
- Lithuania will likely go through but I'd still place it in the borderline zone.
- On the one hand, Luxembourg might be met with a lot of enthusiasm due to its long-awaited return. On the other hand... it is not that great of an entry. It also doesn't have any of its French-speaking neighbours to rely on, vote-wise. But I think they will still fight their way through.
- I expect only one (if any) of Serbia and Slovenia to qualify. Serbia does have the death slot, so... let's say that Slovenia advances.
- For shits and gigs, I'm going to predict Finland to be a surprise non-qualifier. If not, they ironically have the recent televote-only semi-final rule to thank.
- Ireland is a total wild card and I expect it to be divisive. We will have to see what she conjures up onstage but for the casual viewer, it might be a bit much.
Thank you, bye bye:
- Moldova will probably just not stand out enough to qualify.
- I think Iceland might end up at the very bottom of the scoreboard. I just... feel it coming.
So these were my last-minute predictions before tomorrow's first semi-final. Thank you for reading and have a happy Eurovision week!
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