After having reviewed the entries of the first semi-final, it is now time to take a look at semi-final 2 and what it has to offer. The same rules apply here, i.e. the reviews are based on (mostly) first reactions, I will use official live recordings as preview clips whenever applicable, and the automatic qualifiers are included in the semi-final line-ups. Got it? Great, let's get going then!
1. Go-Jo - 'Milkshake Man' (Australia) 🇦🇺
First up we have Australia, going from milkali to milkshakes. Looking like if Ronn Moss (of The Bold and the Beautiful fame) was a pop star in the 70s, the titular milkshake man is looking to spread, uh, joy everywhere he goes: 'I wanna shake and make the whole world dance / They drink my milk all across the land'. Eat your heart out, Kelis. Somehow, with the risqué camera angles, suggestive shaker moves, shots of the van a-rocking, and lines like 'I wanna shake up all the milk I can', I suspect the song might not be about dairy-based dessert options at all.
The song itself is an enjoyable synth-pop romp with a catchy, uptempo instrumental. The low spoken-word pre-choruses and the, um, lyrical content actually remind me of a poppier and marginally more PG Mickey Avalon. The 'when I say X, you say Y' call-and-response in the bridge is some seriously lazy songwriting, though. An audience participation moment should feel spontaneous and not this telegraphed in nature.
It is a question mark how the confined party setting of the music video will translate on the vast Eurovision stage. Also, as the vocal track is rather heavily processed, I am curious to hear how Go-Jo's singing sounds live. He exudes charisma and has a fun, tongue-in-cheek quality to him, so with a well-executed staging, I can see the Antipodean thirst trap (and thirst quencher) do quite well in the voting.
Interestingly, the intro features an interpolation of 'Greensleeves', a traditional folk song often played by British and Australian ice cream vans, which I assumed not be allowed. According to the rules, '[t]he songs (lyrics and music compositions) ... must be original and must not have been released and/or publicly performed in part or in full'. But I suppose a six-second sample from a 16th-century composition doesn't really constitute a meaningful violation of that, which, you know, fair enough.
★★★
2. Nina Žižić - 'Dobrodošli' (Montenegro) 🇲🇪
Now that we've had a taste of the milkshake man and are all hot and bothered as a result, we can cool down with Montenegro. Making a comeback after an absence of a couple of years, the country has chosen to return with a returnee, namely Nina Žižić, i.e. the vocal powerhouse and Saiyan warrior lady from 2013's 'Igranka'. However, while 'Igranka' was a high-energy dubstep anthem, 'Dobrodošli' is a more mature showing with lyrics about a woman finding her strength in challenging times.
The song is a perhaps surprisingly traditional Balkan ballad set to an orchestral backdrop, with the French horns(?) and the strings infusing it with an air of elegance. Though rich in instrumentation and drama, the piece could nonetheless do with a more memorable melody. We all know that Žižić can sing, and a vocalist of this calibre deserves a stronger entry to return with and sink her teeth into.
Nevertheless, 'Dobrodošli' is still perfectly fine, and I have no doubts about Žižić elevating the material with her live performance.
★★★
3. Emmy - 'Laika Party' (Ireland) 🇮🇪
While Nina Žižić might not have taken us to space this time, Ireland's Emmy will. Or well, she might be representing Ireland but she is actually from Norway, and get this – she's competing with a song that was originally rejected from Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian national preselection. Wild, huh.
A quirky dance-pop tribute to Laika, a Soviet stray dog who was tragically sent to space to die in the name of science, the song is a reimagining of the pupper's fate in an alternate reality:
'I hope Laika never diedAnd that she spins around us stillAnd that she has a party in the air and always willI hope that she is dancing every night among the starsI hope Laika is alive'
Singer Emmys's peculiar vocals have an almost childlike tone to them, matching the starry-eyed innocence of the lyrics. At first I thought it was all post-production but nope, that is actually how she sings. She has a rather modest voice, which becomes apparent as soon as she does the slightest bit of choreo. Additional practice and better nerve control can help, of course. The high-pitched vocals and clear 90s Eurodance inspiration bring to mind Aqua (whose female lead vocalist is a fellow Norwegian, actually), even if the track never meets the band's infectious highs.
★★
4. Tautumeitas - 'Bur Man Laimi' (Latvia) 🇱🇻
We then have Latvia and the folk band Tautumeitas. Taking us to the more left-field side of things, their entry 'Bur man laimi' ('Bring me happiness') is an ethnic fusion number with a magical, ethereal feel. As you would hope from a group consisting of six vocalists, they deliver a top-notch vocal performance rich with layered harmonies.
The piece has a lush soundscape with exquisite percussion work and minimal electronic undertones. During my first listen, I did keep thinking that the songwriting didn't take it all the way, like there was just that little extra something missing. As if it felt more like a proof of concept rather than a fully fledged composition. I was hoping for a more focused and varied melody perhaps, or maybe for the production to dip ever so slightly more into its hinted electronic sounds.
Then something clicks into place once we get to the bridge and the subsequent final chorus, easily the best part of the song. Although I would've loved for 'Bur man laimi' to hit that sweet spot more consistently throughout its runtime, it is a sublime entry for Latvia – if not a particularly casual-friendly one.
★★★★
5. Parg - 'Survivor' (Armenia) 🇦🇲
Let's move on to Armenia. When you see a song title such as 'Survivor', you expect a certain share of platitudes about perseverance, and Parg delivers in spades:
'I’m a survivorStay aliverDo or die in my primeI’m a fighter'
Stay aliver? Hilarious, if unintentionally so. To really drive the point home, the singer dons an armour-inspired outfit. Quick, let's do a side-by-side with Norway – who wore it better?
A gritty rap-rock number in the style of Imagine Dragons that wouldn't sound out of place in a sports video game trailer, 'Survivor' sees Parg give an energetic performance with macho swagger aplenty. But vocally... boy oh boy is it messy. The singing is appallingly rough, sounding like what he is surviving from is a hangover after a week-long bender.
Often out of breath and occasionally out of tune, he is less singing and more just semi-melodically shouting. The chorus is almost entirely pre-recorded which I now consider an act of mercy. And look, most Eurovision performers singing in English do so with English as a second, third, or fourth language, so you have to cut them some slack, but here the lyrics are virtually unintelligible most of the time which, when combined with the horrendous vocals, does not leave a particularly strong impression.
In a moment of unexpected calm, the bridge features some beautiful traditional instrumentation, but it's a little too little and a little too late.
On a side note, can you imagine it took ten songwriters (including some of the usual Swedish suspects) to come up with this?
★½
6. JJ - 'Wasted Love' (Austria) 🇦🇹
Austria seems to be taking a leaf out of Switzerland's book by sending a young operatic vocalist. Their this year's entry 'Wasted Love' is a lament of a jilted lover. The love-struck narrator has given himself completely to his lover ('I’m an ocean of love / And you’re scared of water'), only for the latter to abandon him and leave him wallowing in his unrequited love ('You left me in the deep end / I’m drowning in my feelings').
Starting as a theatrical power ballad, 'Wasted Love' eventually amps up tempo with a thumping build-up and some crazy high notes. Although I don't personally care for singer JJ's vocal tone (I find his higher register a bit tinny), he has an astounding range. And 'Wasted Love' is an extremely ambitious song to perform live, so the quality of the live vocals is absolutely going to be a make-or-break factor for this. I am already curious of how this is going to translate live, particularly the last part.
★★★
Remember Monday - 'What The Hell Just Happened?' (United Kingdom) 🇬🇧
The United Kingdom is the first automatic qualifier in semi-final 2. Now, when there were whispers about a female vocalist trio being internally selected as the UK representatives, I was cautiously perched for the possibility of that being the Sugababes. But I'm sure Remember Monday is an equally lovely ensemble as well.
'What The Hell Just Happened' is an interesting entry with constant playful tempo changes and a fun energy throughout, but it does feel profoundly derivative. It kind of sounds like something created with an AI prompt to rewrite Katy Perry's 'Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)' into a Queen song, to be performed by a girl group. While well produced, the Queen reference feels so heavy-handed that the track struggles to find its own sonic identity.
The group's harmonies are the big selling point here and I'm sure the three have great voices, so it's a mystery to me why they have been autotuned to oblivion on the studio version. I have no doubts about them delivering an excellent vocal performance live, though, and I hope they continue with the Bridgerton-esque aesthetics in Basel as well.
★★★
7. Klavdia - 'Asteromáta' (Greece) 🇬🇷
Next, we have Greece. As far as Eurovision power moves go, starting a song a cappella has got to be up there. And the instrumental track doesn't fully kick in until over 30 seconds later – damn! Klavdia certainly owns that stage.
'Asteromáta' has a timeless, haunting quality that conveys an emotion that transcends language. Written as a dialogue between a mother and her child and drawing from her own family's experience of living in exile, the lyrics are inspired by people who have lost their homes and loved ones. But you do not need to understand the lyrics in order to grasp the overarching sense of melancholy.
To me, this is easily the best Greek entry in ages and feels like a spiritual successor to 2018's stunning (but poorly staged) 'Oniro Mou'. Klavdia's vocals are spectacular even when (or perhaps especially when) completely unaccompanied, and the combination of traditional flute sounds and modern synths mirrors the parent-child interaction in the lyrics.
The writhing bodies in the singer's feet are a tad distracting, though, and something that the performance could do without. Other than that, no notes.
★★★★½
8. Katarsis - 'Tavo Akys' (Lithuania) 🇱🇹
Keeping up with the melancholic undertones, we then have Lithuania and 'Tavo Akys'. As a big fan of post-punk, I'm thrilled to see the genre get some representation in the Eurovision song selection. From the gloomy guitar notes to the genre-faithful drumming style, the band's sound fits right in with the post-punk revival of the past decade.
The bleak, depressing feel of the track is accentuated with the grey uniform-like outfits and the at times apathetic vocal delivery. There are two occasions where the singing becomes more animated – briefly halfway through the song and then again during its last minute – which injects some life into the number. While I love the instrumentation and the vocals when the singer allows himself to let go a bit more, the lack of a proper chorus and more memorable melodies is an unfortunate let-down. The last third of the song is quite literally just one word repeated over and over.
While the entry could benefit from added songwriting complexity, I nonetheless welcome the band into the Eurovision fold with gusto. Regardless of their eventual placement on the scoreboard, their back catalogue most definitely just ended up on my list of ones to look up afterwards.
★★★½
9. Miriana Conte - 'Serving' (Malta) 🇲🇹
Okay, let's move on to Malta and 'Serving', the song formerly known as 'Kant'. It was originally built around the lyric hook of 'serving kant', where 'kant' is obviously just the Maltese word for singing and totally not a thinly veiled homophone for... oh who are we kidding, they were just trying to drop the C-bomb on the Eurovision stage and get away with singing about 'serving cunt' – an expression that originated in the ballroom scene, was further popularised by RuPaul's Drag Race, and finally trickled on down into some tragic corners of the internet where it's now considered a meme.
Anyway, back to the song. They've very sadly had to cut out the 'kant' but they have savvily left a little gap there for the audience to fill in (see Latvia 2022 and Serbia 2023 for references). Lyrically, 'Serving' is a vapid story about self-empowerment and not letting others' judgment restrict you: 'Why should we let other people decide / when we could be having the time of our lives?'. Very predictable Eurovision fluff in that sense. What I take the most umbrage at is how the song tries to present the chorus line 'Serving aahh / Do-re-mi-fa-s-s-serving aahh' as somehow clever or creative.
But is she serving, though? Let's see.
Singing in Maltese? Not a single word.
Charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent? Eh, Miriana Conte seems like a hoot, but the song is giving stan TikTok personified.
★★
10. Mariam Shengelia - 'Freedom' (Georgia) 🇬🇪
Georgia is a country we've come to know and love for their bold and out there entries, so hearing 'Freedom' you shouldn't be too surprised of the country that sent it. But even then, this bilingual ode to freedom and picturesque Georgian landscapes is... bizarre, to say the least.
Kicking off with a dramatic, orchestral intro which then immediately switches to gentle piano notes, the song gives you constant whiplashes with the way it zig-zags between musical styles and time signatures. The frenetic first verse is written in a peculiar 5/4 time, but then the surprisingly old-fashioned chorus is in 6/8, and suddenly you go straight to the jazzy bridge leading to the final and only second chorus, before the song ultimately hits an abrupt ending. What a confusing journey.
The 23-year-old singer Mariam Shengelia's voice sounds strong and much more mature than her age might let you think, so I wish we could have heard it showcased on something a bit more contemporary and sleek.
While I have a soft spot for Georgia and the more unorthodox Eurovision entries, the whole thing feels like experimental musical theatre – the kind that you'd sneak out of during intermission. But even if 'Freedom' is disjointed and verges on messy, it is not afraid to take a risk and I do respect that.
★★
Louane - 'Maman' (France) 🇫🇷
France is the second automatic qualifier in the second semi-final. 'Maman' is a beautiful tribute to singer Louane's mother who died of cancer when Louane was 17. According to the lyrics, it was the singer's own motherhood that helped her come to terms with the grief and let go of it:
'I'm better now, I know the wayI'm done walking down this memory laneGuess the time is right, I'm moving onNow I am the one she calls maman'
The English translations are taken from the music video below.
Apparently, the song makes multiple references to a 2015 song of hers of the same name, meant to highlight her emotional growth between the two releases. Even without knowing the language, you can definitely hear the parallels in the chorus melodies.
Altogether, 'Maman' is a well-produced ballad with a touching story. The main melody is effective and I like how the instrumentation, particularly the added percussion, helps the choruses pop more, making for a more dynamic listen without losing any of the sincerity of the song.
★★★½
11. Sissal - 'Hallucination' (Denmark) 🇩🇰
Denmark has really been going through a rough patch as of late: the last time they made it through to the final was all the way back in 2019. But might 2025 finally be the year to break their dry spell? Let's take a look.
The best thing about the entry is Sissal herself, and she delivers a solid performance with strong vocals very reminiscent of Adele. That's why it's such a shame that the song itself feels like a collection of generic club sounds from the past decade or so, thrown into a blender together with some banal lyrics about love messing with your head: 'I'm paranoid, slipping from reality / You're leading me into another fantasy'.
And when its own distinct identity is already lacking, it doesn't really help how much blatant inspiration the song draws from Loreen from the second chorus onwards – the chord progression in the beginning of the bridge is nearly identical to that of 'Tattoo'.
With such powerhouse vocals and stage presence, Sissal does manage to elevate the mediocre track and sell it to the audience. But just imagine what a star she would be with some more original material to shine on. Perhaps the song could have leaned more into the sort of rave/breakbeat direction very briefly featured in the bridge. And while we're at it, the choreo and the outfits could be improved upon as well.
Fun fact: Sissal is the second-ever Faroese artist to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest after 2023's Reiley.
★★½
12. Adonxs - 'Kiss Kiss Goodbye' (Czechia) 🇨🇿
Next up, we have... Adonxs, pronounced Adonis? Uh, show me one language where that would be the case. Nah, I'm going to obey the spelling and call him Adonks.
So, Adonks here is representing Czechia with his song 'Kiss Kiss Goodbye', a dramatic ballad with a big chorus. It tells the story of a final encounter between lovers ('One kiss of love, one kiss of desperation / In a moment two of us collide') before the narrator chooses to walk out on his insincere partner ('Kiss kiss goodbye / Now keep your half apologies / Drunk in apathy').
Singer Adonks has a nice vocal range, with singing alternating between deep notes and airy higher register in the pre-choruses. The song is written in 6/8 time, but after the second chorus, it suddenly morphs into a 4/4 disco beat in a cool, surprising twist. I actually would've loved for the song to stick to it until the end to indicate a shift in the narrator's mind, going from mourning his doomed relationship to being ready to move on with this life. A little disappointingly, the genre change ultimately amounts to nothing as it immediately reverts back to its original time signature.
Either way, 'Kiss Kiss Goodbye' is a great number that should be able to take Czechia back into the final after last year's non-qualification. Fingers crossed, Adonks.
★★★½
13. Laura Thorn - 'La Poupée Monte Le Son' (Luxembourg) 🇱🇺
In a pretty ballsy move, Luxembourg's song title 'La poupée monte le son' ('The doll turns up the sound') references the country's 1965 winning entry 'Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son'. But whereas the titular character of the latter was just a naive doll used by others, the narrator of the former declares that she is not a marionette to be toyed around with but the person in charge.
Considering the lyrics, the singer being dressed up as a literal doll and performing with robotic, mechanical movements is a tad on the nose. I also always find it creepy when adults dress up in a cutesy doll-like get-up, so that's a miss for me.
Vocally, Laura Thorn gives a serviceable (if at times slightly shaky) vocal performance with some big notes during the final chorus. The instrumental is fun and quite catchy, and there are some playful tango undertones to the track as well as the choreo of the male dancers.
★★★
14. Yuval Raphael - 'New Day Will Rise' (Israel) 🇮🇱
So, then we have Israel. The country's participation in the contest has been a controversial topic for the past couple of years, particularly after the outbreak of the Gaza humanitarian crisis. Last year, the tensions around the Israeli delegation heightened throughout the Eurovision season and the situation was altogether nasty on all fronts. Hopefully, 2025 will not be a 2024 redux... but we'll see.
The Israeli representative Yuval Raphael has a horrifying backstory: she is a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre where she had to hide from Hamas terrorists among dead bodies in a bomb shelter. Harrowing. Narratively, it's a great story for her to now be representing her country with a song about resilience and how everything shall pass:
'New day will rise, life will go onEveryone cries, don't cry aloneDarkness will fade, all the pain will go byBut we will stay, even if you say goodbye'
But just like with 2024's 'Hurricane', and I don't think it's just me being overly cynical, it's hard not find the entry to have a propagandistic air to it, especially when accompanied by a state-backed ad campaign, just like 'Hurricane' was. 'New Day Will Rise' is a mediocre ballad with sad, trilingual lyrics, which taken together with the singer's traumatic backstory, comes across as a calculated attempt to tug at the audience's heartstrings. And in terms of optics, perhaps the line 'But we will stay, even if you say goodbye' isn't the best choice of words for a country accused of illegally occupying territories not belonging to them. Intentional or not? Hard to say.
The music video is nonetheless a sweet tribute to the festivalgoers who perished at the massacre.
★★½
Abor & Tynna - 'Baller' (Germany) 🇩🇪
As the last of our automatic finalists we have Germany. Their song 'Baller' is an uptempo dance-pop song with lyrics about dealing with a post-breakup slump. Although otherwise sung in German, there is one random English line ('I shoot for the stars') that's featured a couple of times.
There are some interesting production flourishes on the track but to me, it comes across as somehow unfinished, like a demo tape that was accidentally sent in instead of the finished product. It sounds hollow, as if there were something missing. The revamped version did add the cello, but it doesn't really tie in with the rest of instrumental.
I'm also not a fan of the annoying, choppy vocal effect in the chorus, or how the song is super repetitive without ever really going anywhere. That's a pity, as I feel that with a fuller sound and a more varied song structure, this could be a fun little party number to bop to.
★★½
15. Princ - 'Mila' (Serbia) 🇷🇸
After a couple of more experimental recent entries (namely 2022's 'In Corpore Sano' and 2023's 'Samo Mi Se Spava'), Serbia has chosen to send a song that's as traditional of a Balkan ballad as humanly possible.
Singer Princ has a great voice that alternates between softness and strength, and he looks like an exceptionally well-groomed biker. I just wish that he had a song that matched his image better, something with a bit more edge and contemporary flavour. The electric guitar brings some nice oomph in the last chorus, but the rock influence could have been woven into the entirety of the song, not just its ending.
'Mila' is a perfectly fine song and performance as such, it's just that it's a very, very conventional entry in its genre.
★★★
16. Erika Vikman - 'Ich komme' (Finland) 🇫🇮
Finally we have Finland. Together with Australia, the second semi-final is bookended by some of the horniest entries we have ever had. It truly is the 69th edition of the contest, huh.
Although whereas 'Milkshake Man' was more nudge nudge, wink wink kind of a thing, 'Ich komme' is a full-on raunchfest that leaves nothing to the imagination, with the chorus consisting exclusively of Erika and her lover, uh, coming together.
Erika Vikman's music has drawn a lot of inspiration from Kikka, an 80s/90s Finnish pop singer known for her catchy, sexual innuendo-laden songs, and 'Ich Komme' feels like Kikka, produced by Chisu... and unfortunately, styled by Tuksu.
'Ich komme' has some considerable earworm potential and I like the melody of the chorus. But where the song really comes to life is from the bridge onwards, when the tempo starts picking up, and the song builds to a euphoric climax.
★★★★
Okay then, those were our second semi-final hopefuls, but who shall advance to Saturday's Grand Final? It's time to make some predictions!
Predictions
Certain qualifiers
- Polarising as they are, Israel has a dependable voter base to rely on.
Likely qualifiers
- While more jury-friendly than televote-oriented, Austria is not going to be wasted on the audience.
- Finland is coming through to the final for sure.
- Greece is likely going to have some of the best vocals of the night and a stunning entry, that... dare I say, almost gives me potential winner vibes?
Borderline
- I could see Australia's 'Milkshake Man' bringing all the voters to the yard.
- Denmark has an extremely derivative and pedestrian song, but Sissal's powerhouse vocals just might be enough to carry them through.
- Czechia has a well-made, polished song, and Adonks seems like a capable, charismatic performer.
- Latvia is beautiful and magical, and I hope that the audience will appreciate it enough.
- Lithuania is a question mark to me – on the one hand, there's little competition in the rock genre, but on the other, it isn't particularly instantaneous.
- Malta has the potential to be a campy, kanty fan favourite (but with a messy staging, I can also see it being a surprise fan flop à la Ronela.
- I find Luxembourg's doll dress-up a little icky and kitschy. Still, I wouldn't rule it out completely.
Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
- Armenia will not survive the semi-final.
- Georgia is far too erratic to do well, especially with the casual viewers.
- Ireland just doesn't take off.
- Montenegro and Serbia, while represented by two lovely vocalists, have far too uneventful songs to stand out.
Those were my two cents. Now, remember to tune in for my Grand Final review as well once we get a full lineup and running order for that!
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