This week NRK announced that the host city for Eurovision Song Contest 2010 will be as anticipated Oslo, Norway's capital city. It is not clear yet what will be the venue but it seems at this point that the decision is between the 1996 venue Oslo Spektrum in the city centre and the new Telenor Fornebu Arena that is situated just outside the city. A decision is expected shortly after negotiations have been made. The dates for next year were also announced, and the semi finals will be held Tuesday 25th and Thursday 27th of May, with the final kicking off on Saturday 29th of May.
It was reported earlier that the Telenor Fornebu Arena had already been booked prior to the win in one of NRK's news programmes, however they later announced this was not correct. I can't help but wonder that the mention of this was a slip-up and that perhaps it is indeed already booked. I will bring more news regarding this subject once there is an update.
In the official UK singles chart made official last Sunday, dated 30th of May (the date of the following Saturday) as many as 5 songs from this year's Eurovision Song Contest placed in the top 100, and 3 of them even in the top 50. The winner, Alexander Rybak, placed 10th with "Fairytale" making it the best charting winning entry since 1997's "Love Shine A Light" by Katrina & The Waves. Following the Norwegian entry are the British entry at no. 27, the Icelandic entry at no. 49, the German entry at no. 85 and finally the Finnish entry at no. 100. For reference, below is the full chart, positions 1-100:
1 DIZZEE RASCAL/VAN HELDEN / BONKERS 2 BLACK EYED PEAS / BOOM BOOM POW 3 TINCHY STRYDER FT N-DUBZ / NUMBER 1 4 EMINEM / WE MADE YOU 5 DANIEL MERRIWEATHER / RED 6 LA ROUX / IN FOR THE KILL 7 LILY ALLEN / NOT FAIR 8 SOULJA BOY TELLEM FT SAMMIE / KISS ME THRU THE PHONE 9 LADY GAGA / POKER FACE 10 ALEXANDER RYBAK / FAIRYTALE 11 IRONIK/CHIPMUNK/ELTON JOHN / TINY DANCER (HOLD ME CLOSER) 12 CALVIN HARRIS / I'M NOT ALONE 13 PRODIGY / WARRIOR'S DANCE 14 CIARA FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE / LOVE SEX MAGIC 15 AR RAHMAN FT PUSSYCAT DOLLS / JAI HO (YOU ARE MY DESTINY) 16 MILEY CYRUS / THE CLIMB 17 BEYONCE / HALO 18 ALESHA DIXON / LET'S GET EXCITED 19 PAOLO NUTINI / CANDY 20 DEADMAU5 & KASKADE / I REMEMBER 21 STAR PILOTS / IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT 22 METRO STATION / SHAKE IT 23 PINK / PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME 24 KERI HILSON/KANYE WEST/NE-YO / KNOCK YOU DOWN 25 MARMADUKE DUKE / RUBBER LOVER 26 ENRIQUE IGLESIAS FT CIARA / TAKIN' BACK MY LOVE 27 JADE EWEN / IT'S MY TIME 28 FLO RIDA FT WYNTER / SUGAR 29 GREEN DAY / KNOW YOUR ENEMY 30 MILEY CYRUS / HOEDOWN THROWDOWN 31 SHONTELLE FT AKON / STUCK WITH EACH OTHER 32 LADY GAGA / JUST DANCE 33 AKON FT K OFFISHALL/C O'DONIS / BEAUTIFUL 34 NOISETTES / DON'T UPSET THE RHYTHM (GO BABY GO) 35 JASON MRAZ / I'M YOURS 36 KATY PERRY / WAKING UP IN VEGAS 37 EMPIRE OF THE SUN / WE ARE THE PEOPLE 38 TAYLOR SWIFT / LOVE STORY 39 EMINEM / BEAUTIFUL 40 BRITNEY SPEARS / IF U SEEK AMY 41 PRODIGY / OMEN 42 FLO RIDA FT KESHA / RIGHT ROUND 43 LILY ALLEN / THE FEAR 44 TOMMY SPARKS / SHE'S GOT ME DANCING 45 KELLY CLARKSON / I DO NOT HOOK UP 46 ASHER ROTH / I LOVE COLLEGE 47 KERI HILSON FT TIMBALAND / RETURN THE FAVOR 48 KELLY CLARKSON / MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU 49 YOHANNA / IS IT TRUE 50 GIRLS ALOUD / UNTOUCHABLE 51 KINGS OF LEON / USE SOMEBODY 52 JAMES MORRISON & NELLY FURTADO / BROKEN STRINGS 53 KINGS OF LEON / SEX ON FIRE 54 ALICIA KEYS / NO ONE 55 ALESHA DIXON / BREATHE SLOW 56 EMINEM FT DR DRE & 50 CENT / CRACK A BOTTLE 57 FRIENDLY FIRES / JUMP IN THE POOL 58 TAYLOR SWIFT / TEARDROPS ON MY GUITAR 59 BEYONCE / SINGLE LADIES (PUT A RING ON IT) 60 TI FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE / DEAD AND GONE 61 FLO RIDA FT T-PAIN / LOW 62 DIZZEE RASCAL/HARRIS/ CHROME / DANCE WIV ME 63 BILL WITHERS / AIN'T NO SUNSHINE 64 STEVE ANGELLO & LAIDBACK LUKE / SHOW ME LOVE 65 LADY GAGA / PAPARAZZI 66 DEMI LOVATO / LA LA LAND 67 EMINEM / LOSE YOURSELF 68 KID CUDI VS CROOKERS / DAY 'N' NITE 69 JAMES MORRISON / PLEASE DON'T STOP THE RAIN 70 N-DUBZ / WOULDN'T YOU 71 KILLERS / HUMAN 72 BEYONCE / DIVA 73 KATY PERRY / HOT N COLD 74 MGMT / KIDS 75 LADYHAWKE / MY DELIRIUM 76 ELBOW / ONE DAY LIKE THIS 77 MICHAEL JACKSON / THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US 78 PINK / SO WHAT 79 SATURDAYS / UP 80 ALESHA DIXON / THE BOY DOES NOTHING 81 COLDPLAY / VIVA LA VIDA 82 MILEY CYRUS / BUTTERFLY FLY AWAY 83 EMPIRE OF THE SUN / WALKING ON A DREAM 84 PINK / SOBER 85 ALEX SWINGS OSCAR SINGS / MISS KISS KISS BANG 86 LENKA / THE SHOW 87 JOURNEY / DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' 88 LEONA LEWIS / RUN 89 BEYONCE / IF I WERE A BOY 90 TINCHY STRYDER FT TAIO CRUZ / TAKE ME BACK 91 BRITNEY SPEARS / WOMANIZER 92 SATURDAYS / JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH 93 LADYHAWKE / BACK OF THE VAN 94 KIG / HEAD SHOULDERS KNEEZ & TOEZ 95 TI / WHATEVER YOU LIKE 96 GIRLS ALOUD / THE PROMISE 97 SHONTELLE / T-SHIRT 98 ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWO'OLE / SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW 99 N-DUBZ / STRONG AGAIN 100 WALDO'S PEOPLE / LOSE CONTROL
Alexander Rybak for Norway won the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest winner title by a landlisde. He was in the lead with over 150 points more than the runner-up Iceland. Never in history has a winner scored more than 300 points, and thus has now broken Lordi's old record from 2006, who achieved 292 points. It is yet to be confirmed where in Norway next year's contest will be held but at the moment everything is pointing in the direction of Oslo and the Fornebu arena just outside the city. Below is the full results list with the points in brackets:
1. Norway (387)
2. Iceland (218)
3. Azerbaijan (207)
4. Turkey (177)
5. United Kingdom (173)
6. Estonia (129)
7. Greece (120)
8. France (107)
9. Bosnia & Herzegovina (106)
10. Armenia (92)
11. Russia (91)
12. Ukraine (76)
13. Denmark (74)
14. Moldova (69)
15. Portugal (57)
16. Israel (53)
17. Albania (48)
18. Croatia (45)
19. Romania (40)
20. Germany (35)
21. Sweden (33)
22. Malta (31)
23. Lithuania (23)
23. Spain (23)
25. Finland (22)
It was also revealed shortly after the show had ended that Finland was the jury choice from the 1st semi final, and Croatia was their choice in the 2nd semi final pushing the 10th places of FYR Macedonia and Serbia out. The winner of the 1st semi final was Iceland, while Norway won the second one.
Tonight is the night! The main event, what we have all been waiting for the last six months since the national finals started up... 10 songs have advanced from each of the semi finals to join the 5 directly qualified songs in the final. Below I have tried to predict the outcome after the 42 countries have cast their votes.
01 Lithuania (position 16-20)
02 Israel (position 21-25)
03 France (position 6-10)
04 Sweden (position 16-20)
05 Croatia (position 21-25)
06 Portugal (position 16-20)
07 Iceland (position 6-10)
08 Greece (position 4-5)
09 Armenia (position 6-10)
10 Russia (position 16-20)
11 Azerbaijan (position 1-3 / potential winner)
12 Bosnia & Herzegovina (position 1-3 / potential winner)
Yesterday evening the second semi final of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow went live. The reactions to the show that I have read/heard are much the same as for Tuesday's show in that the presenters again did a terrible job. Luckily they will be replaced for the grand final. However on the positive note amny people feel the camera work and the way the stage and artists came across on stage, including the sound, were improved. Below are the 10 qualifiers from last night's semi final:
Croatia (my guess would be that either this or the Lithuanian entry was the jury choice) Norway Denmark Azerbaijan Greece Lithuania Moldova Albania Ukraine Estonia
Congratulations to myself once again as I got another 8 out of the 10 right in my prediction. Like on Tuesday, a press conference followed an hour after the show finished where two representatives from each country drew their start number in the final. After the draw the complete line-up for the final now looks like this:
01 Lithuania 02 Israel 03 France 04 Sweden 05 Croatia 06 Portugal 07 Iceland 08 Greece 09 Armenia 10 Russia 11 Azerbaijan 12 Bosnia & Herzegovina 13 Moldova 14 Malta 15 Estonia 16 Denmark 17 Germany 18 Turkey 19 Albania 20 Norway 21 Ukraine 22 Romania 23 United Kingdom 24 Finland 25 Spain
Finally another evening of Eurovision again tonight! Approximately 21:00 CET the second semi final will begin live from Moscow. Like I did two days ago, I have again tried to put down which 10 songs I think will go through to the grand final on Saturday, based on the rehearsals for the last week or so and the way I think Europe will vote.
Almost certain qualifiers: 01. Norway (99%) 02. Azerbaijan (99%) 03. Greece (99%) 04. Ukraine (95%)
Very likely qualifiers: 05. Estonia (75%) 06. Albania (65%) 07. Moldova (60%) 08. Denmark (60%)
Just making it: 09. Serbia (55%) 10. Ireland (50%)
Last night the first semi final of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow kicked off. The reactions I have read/heard are that most agree it was a fabulouus show, however the flashing lights on stage were somewhat distracting, the presenters were disappointing and did an amateurish impression, and lastly that the interval act lacked the big impact it should have or could have had. Hopefully many of these aspects will be improved by tomorrow's show. Below are the 10 qualifiers from yesterday's semi final:
Sweden
Armenia
Turkey
Israel (my guess is this was the jury choice)
Iceland
Romania
Finland
Portugal
Malta
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Congratulations to myself as I got 8 out of the 10 right in my prediction. Not bad. A press conference followed an hour after the show finished where two representatives from each country drew their start number in the final. After this draw the final now looks like this:
Tonight's the night! Approximately 21:00 CET the first semi final will kick off live from Moscow. I have tried to put down which 10 songs I think will go through to the grand final on Saturday, based on the rehearsals for the last week and the way I think Europe will vote.
Yesterday and today the 5 finalists had their rehearsals in Moscow, consisting of the Big 4 countries and host nation Russia. This concludes the rehearsals part of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.
FRANCE
Patricia Kaas is a well known singer through most of eastern Europe and of course France as well as other French speaking countries. When she started singing you could tell this was an experienced and top class singer. I am not very keen on the song itself but she oozes professionalism and quality. I am in fact incredibly impressed. Not often you can say that someone is actually better live than on record. This should place high on the scoreboard if there is any justice. (10 out of 10)
RUSSIA
She sings well live although I am not sure if I like the background, consisting of pictures of herself and was today replaced by moving images of her miming to the song and having some sort of nervous breakdown towards the end. It's a very dramatic and theatrical number. I am sure the eastern part of Europe will embrace this and I can see this doing quite well. Today she was wearing a plain white dress, however I do hope this is not the final outfit. Something along the lines of what she wore in the Russian final would be far more effective. (7 out of 10)
GERMANY
Very professional performance from Germany this year. Vocals are very good, and there is plenty going on the stage. Not a dull moment. The act also look very relaxed and everything flows very nicely. Time will tell how the audience will perceive this. With a little luck they may end up on the left side of the board. (8 out of 10)
UNITED KINGDOM
Jade Ewen has had quite some experience now performing this song practically all over Europe. And this is definitely the best performance I have seen her done yet. And the vocals were even stronger in today's rehearsal compared to yesterday. This definitely has a winner feel over it and the rumoured appearance of Andrew Lloyd Webber on the piano will put this up there in the top. Very elegant staging, very pleasng on the eye, and a pure joy to listen to. (10 out of 10)
SPAIN
The Spanish singer is a bit of a P!nk-look-a-like, and she looks very comfortable on stage. The opening of the song has been changed to a much slower intro which I feel is very effective. Lots of dancing on stage and everyone looks great. The only downfall is that it looks a bit crowded from time to time. I think this could be Spain's best result in years. Soraya sings very well and even handles the newly invented operatic ending note with ease. (9 out of 10)
More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/
Wednesday 6th of May was the 4th day of rehearsals, and time to hear the last half of the songs in the second semi final on the Moscow stage for the very first time. The second rehearsal of these songs and countries took place on Saturday and Sunday. We continued where we left off the day before with the tenth song and country, Slovenia...
SLOVENIA
The performance is quite similar to the one presented in the national final except that the first part of the song is sung in Slovenian. I must say I prefer the full English language version. It's all very pleasing to both the ear and eye, however I am unsure if this will make a great impact on the night. (7 out of 10)
HUNGARY
This camp George Michael-ish dance song comes across very well on stage. The vocals are good but yet again it is one of those songs that neither impresses or disappoints. And I fear this is one that the viewers may easily forget about as there is nothing here to grab you. (7 out of 10)
AZERBAIJAN
This act has everything the former two didn't. It's lively, dancey and definitely sets the mood. Arash's vocals have been a bit shaky but was much improved on the second rehearsals. Aysel's vocals were almost flawless. I think this is one to watch out for, and a definite qualifier. (9 out of 10)
GREECE
This is another favourite and one that everyone expects will qualify. Sakis Rouvas brings a prop with him on stage, which at first looked a bit out of place. However on the second rehearsal it came more into use and I must admit the whole performance looks quite impressive combined with the flashing neon lights of some of the song's lyrics. Saki's vocals are not perfect as expected but seems much improved compared to his 2004 performance. (8 out of 10)
LITHUANIA
The background for this song is very dark and the artist comes on stage looking a bit like Frank Sinatra. The vocals are very good but I feel there is too little happening on stage. The song doesn't really grab me and it may turn out to be the perfect toilet break on the night. This is another one of those performances and songs that leave me completely indifferent. (6 out of 10)
MOLDOVA
From the dull to the explosive. This is very lively on stage, lots of dancing, and the costumes fit both the song and the background. Vocally this is also very good. (8 out of 10)
ALBANIA
Being one of the youngest artists in the competition this year I feared the Albanian singer would fail live due to nerves. However she sings just as well live as on record and her vocals are in fact very strong. Unfortunately she seems to look a tad uncomfortable on stage from time to time, and some of her movements appear a bit odd. Still I think this might do very well unless nerves kick in on the night. (9 out of 10)
UKRAINE
From the sweet to the vulgar. The song is the most sex-fixated song of this year's contest and from the beginning I have felt this performance comes across as a bit cheap and tacky. The use of the now famous/infamous hell machine has now been shown on stage. It looks quite impressive I must say but it may be a bit too much of a good thing. Certainly a song that will be remembered, and probably another certain qualifier. Vocally this is also good but I think it would gain more votes by toning down the performance a couple of notches. (8 out of 10)
ESTONIA
Another country and song that uses blue costumes next to a blue background. The lead singer sings well, and there are no problems at all vocally. It looks a lot better on stage in the second rehearsal than the first, yet still I feel it would look better if the members of the group stood closer together while performing the song. Despite this I think this is another likely qualifier. (8 out of 10)
NETHERLANDS
last country out in semi final 2. The performance is as camp as can be expected, complete with handheld lights attached to palms of the three male singers. The interaction with the 3 black backing singers wearing blonde wigs looks a bit corny and for me it is difficult to take this performance seriously. I think yet again Netherlands will fail to qualify, but vocally this is very well sung. (6 out of 10)
More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/
Tuesday 5th of May was the third day of rehearsals. This also marked the beginning of the rehearsals of the second semi final. The second rehearsals for the below countries and songs were held Friday and Saturday. To kick it off is Croatia...
CROATIA
A reasonably good performance although it's not the best way to open a show with a ballad. The artist sings well, the only drawback could be that it gets a bit anonymous compared to a lot of songs that are to follow. (7 out of 10)
IRELAND
The first rehearsal was not the best for Sinead Mulvey and the girls, both vocally and visually. However they made massive improvements upon the second rehearsal. The flashing letters spelling the song title "et cetera" in the opening of the song is very effective. Sinead has a great vocal throughout the song except the very last note that is a bit shaky. The background still looks a bit gloomy but other than that I was really happy with this rehearsal. (8 out of 10)
LATVIA
It is no secret that I don't care for this song at all. However the act put on a very good performance and background fits the song well. Yet I fail to see the impact this song will have coming right after Ireland. Nonetheless a good effort (7 out of 10)
SERBIA
Things certainly get more bizarre with this number. Could be the joke act of the year, and as much as I hate it these types of performances tend to get a lot of the protest votes. The colours in the background comes off very well, and the act is certainly eye-catching on stage with their odd appearances. Vocally this is good as well. (8 out of 10)
POLAND
This song is very pleasant to listen to, that is in the studio version. It seems that live this song is too much for the singer to cope with. A lot of the notes are off key and whilst hearing her sing it I actually can't wait for it to be over. Very disappointed with this performance as Poland initially had one of the better songs in this semi final. Neither does it help with the dancers on stage who only distract....but in this case maybe a good thing? (3 out of 10)
NORWAY
The big favourite of the year, and still way ahead of the others in the polls. Alexander Rybak puts on a very good performance, both vocally and visually. The background is of a fairytale village at night, with flashing lights in the windows of the wooden houses and the sky above filled with stars. The whole thing appears a bit christmasy, not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but the colours are perhaps a bit dark. My only other criticism would be the space. It looks as if the dancers are struggling with the space on stage, as they appear to almost dance over Alexander in the rehearsals. And it therefore looks slightly clumsy. But overall this was a very good rehearsal. (8 out of 10)
CYPRUS
Luckily Christina sings a lot better now than she did in the national final. Her costume and the props on stage look very nice. Yet I feel this still lacks the wow-factor. It's nice but nothing more. (7 out of 10)
SLOVAKIA
In my opinion one of the most dreadful songs in the competition this year. The background is pictures of candlelights which give a romantic feel. I must admit both singers give strong performances and despite the many difficult notes stay in tune throughout the song. However I still feel there is too much screaming, and it appears nothing can or will hold them back. (8 out of 10)
DENMARK
The Ronan Keating-sound-a-like is up next. Yet another strong performance. He makes the most of the song and the background fits the song well. This has a good chance of qualifying. (8 out of 10)
More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/
Apologies for the delay in bringing updates from the rehearsals due to unforeseen circumstances. However let's roll it on.... The second day of rehearsals was held Monday 4th of May, with a second rehearsal of these songs held Thursday and Friday. I will do another review of the performances themselves and give them my score.
ISRAEL
They have chosen to go for the remixed version of this song in the sing-back rather than the superior original version which is a shame. I have felt that since the remixed version was presented in the music video of the song, it sounds slightly as if the music and the vocals are two different songs which gives a messy sound picture. That aside, the girls gave a near perfect vocal peformance, only the costumes need improving especially the one the Jewish girl wears. (8 out of 10)
BULGARIA
I wasn't sure what to expect of this as the live performance from the Bulgarian semi final and final was disasterous. However, the vocals are now much improved, due to the backing vocals taking over a lot of the high tones. Still it is a bit too much screaming for my liking but at least they are now in tune. The second rehearsal was not as good vocally, still not bad. However the stage show featuring two people on stilts are very distracting from the performance. Neither does it help with the lead singer's medieval outfit. (6 out of 10)
ICELAND
Yohanna sings beautifully, perhaps even a notch better than she did in the Icelandic final. The song comes across very well on stage, a very nice background. However the only thing she needs to work on is her stage appearance, as she looks a bit tense. In the second rehearsal she wore a big blue dress that looked completely wrong in my opinion next to the already blue background. (9 out of 10)
FYR MACEDONIA
Well performed without really impressing me nor disappointing me. I can't help but being somewhat indifferent to this song. Fairly decent background. But I am afraid this could be easily forgotten. However, vocally this is spot on. (8 out of 10)
ROMANIA
The first rehearsal of this song was a tad messy, the second rehearsal was much improved. Elena sings well without ever giving me the wow feeling. Catchy song with a decent dance routine, but is not as effective on stage as it could or should have been. (7 out of 10)
FINLAND
This song sounds like a hit on record, however the live performance has let me down quite a bit. The girls doing the vocals can definitely sing but live it sunds a bit screechy. The performance doesn't flow very naturally and I feel there should be more action on stage during a dance song like this, instead we get 4 people standing almost side by side rapping and singing. Although I like the studio version a lot the live performance is making me feel quite indifferent. (6 out of 10)
PORTUGAL
Not the most outstanding song in this year's contest, however the background they have chosen is perfect and the singer looks a lot better than she did in Portuguese final. Vocally, this is flawless, it comes across very naturally and effortlessly, a very charming performance. There is nothing here I feel need much improvement. (10 out of 10)
MALTA
We all know Chiara can sing. The background was luckily changed from the 'fish in the sea' to a now almost magical 'sky filled with stars'. Despite being alone on stage, Chiara gives it her all. A powerful performance and a sure qualifier. We have not yet seen the outfit she will be wearing but this looks very promising. (9 out of 10)
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
The last song of the first semi final. And what a way to end the first show. Vocally, this is again flawless. We saw the group in their full costumes in the second rehearsal and it looks and sounds fabulous, very pleasing to both the ear and eye. A perfect choice in matching colours and visual image. (10 out of 10)
More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/
Today, 3rd of May, was the first day of the rehearsals in Moscow. The first 9 countries and acts performed their songs, and below I have given my views and verdicts based on the performances alone (as I have already given my full reviews of the songs).
MONTENEGRO
Performing in the same order as they will appear in the semi finals, Montenegro had the job of opening Eurovision once again this year. The performance was not bad, neither disappointing or impressing me. From the video clip available on youtube we could only see one male dancer and the singer on stage. First impression is that this was a bit tame, I think the song would benefit from a more lively presentation, but this could change. The vocals were ok. (6 out of 10)
CZECH REPUBLIC
This song has everything that the first song lacked in originality and uniqueness. Despite my feelings for this song I must admit they put on a very good performance, bizarre as it is. Vocals were good, and there didn't seem to be any major technical issues, the group also appeared very relaxed on stage. (8 out of 10)
BELGIUM
The presentation was very similar (if not nearly identical) to the one seen in the music video. Even the costumes looked the same. Fairly good vocals again, neither disappointing or impressing me. Unlike Montenegro, we can actually see all 6 people on stage for this song. Decent effort. (7 out of 10)
BELARUS
One of the best rehearsals of the day in my opinion. The singer is very strong vocally even if he lacks that little extra in stage presence. The only weakness was the woman covered in a veil dancing by his side. I feel it distracts some attention away from the artist and the song. (9 out of 10)
SWEDEN
Visually this was near perfect, beautiful costumes and stunning contrasts in colour. However I felt Malena was not quite on shape, possibly she was holding back a little. Unfortunately she seems to struggle a bit in the low parts of the song, and the choir seemed a bit too loud in the mix in the refrain. I am expecting that this will be much improved on the night. (6 out of 10)
ARMENIA
Another highlight of today's rehearsals. Vocally this was almost faultless except for one note that was sung lower than in the studio recording. Nice choreography for the dancers on stage but I was very puzzled to why the famous/infamous dance that goes with it was omitted from the presentation. Seems like a strange decision taking into account that it is one of the things people remember the most from their video. Still a strong performance. (9 out of 10)
ANDORRA
This was a lot better than I had imagined it would be. The vocals were a tiny bit shaky from time to time but she managed to carry off the song well without any major problems and looked like she was enjoying herself on stage. The guitar she is playing in the first half of the song also had the number 07 imprinted on it, so let's hope the viewers remember to vote. (7 out of 10)
SWITZERLAND
Gorgeous background pictures were used for this song ranging from skyscrapers to snowy mountains. Vocals were fairly good, although with room for improvement. The image however could be a factor though as the group seems very anti-gimmicky, which in Eurovision can be dangerous, and may even come across as a bit dull to the viewers. Still a very decent first effort. (7 out of 10)
TURKEY
One of the favourites this year. Unfortunately this performance was very disappointing for me. I think the background colours was way too intense (bright red), in addition to that the fireworks used seemed a bit over the top and unnecessary. Hadise did also sound off key several places in the song, and was drowned out by the choir in the refrain - especially towards the end where it was impossible to separate Hadise's vocals from the choir. This needs a lot of improvement. (4 out of 10)
More thorough reviews of the performances are also available in the blog of the fabulous Irish website All Kinds Of Everything: http://akoe07.livejournal.com/
Today the rehearsals schedule for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest was revealed, details are below. I am sure ESC fans all over Europe will follow the events intently, some will be disappointed with their favourite act/song while others will be pleasantly suprised. It is only then we will start to see which acts can really deliver when it counts. Last year most of the rehearsals were posted on youtube, and I am sure this year will be no different.... The press conferences themselves can be viewed on http://press.eurovision.tv/.
Saturday 2 May
8:30 Opening of the Press Centre and Accreditation Centre.
Time to give my comments on the directly qualified finalists' draw.
3. France
Even without knowing who comes before or after it doesn't seem the best draw for France. However if they get an up-tempo song drawn as number two and number 4 it might not be so bad, and they may still stand out. Having heard the French song several times already I must admit I still don't get it. It certainly is not a typical Eurovision ballad song and unfortunately that may be its downfall. Worth mentioning is Malta sang as number 3 in 2005 and still came 2nd.
Prediction: 15th to 25th place.
10. Russia
I suppose this was an earlier draw than they would have liked. But I don't think it would have mattered much for this song. Another song that I am not very fond of and I really can't see this doing very well unfortunately. Obviously there will be some points from the Baltic countries but I don't see this being top 10.
Prediction: 15th to 25th place.
17. Germany
Although this is very catchy and might have some appeal throughout Europe I don't see this either doing great. It is a quite good draw for Germany but I don't think it will make much difference. Germany has had better songs in the past and still not been able to crack the top 10....
Prediction: 11th to 20th place
23. United Kingdom
I am very optimistic about this year's British entry, and in my view is their best since 2002, and I also believe this will be reflected on the scoreboard. The draw couldn't be better. If the rumours are true that Andrew Lloyd Webber will be performing live on the piano with Jade on stage in Moscow this will bring it an extra touch of magic.
Prediction: 4th to 10th place
25. Spain
Fantastic draw for Spain. Excellent opportunity for Soraya to be singing "La Noche Es Para Mi" as the last song of the night. I don't believe this makes it a winner, but may push the song a couple of places higher up on the scoreboard than it normally would be. I believe Spain will get its best position with this song since the early 2000's.
And now time to have a look at the draw of the second semi final...
1. Croatia
Not the best way to open the second show. Maybe this ethnic Balkan ballad would have had a chance to qualify if it had come towards the end of the show. As it is now I don't think I will leave a lasting impression on the public.
2. Ireland
Of course the number two position is never good in Eurovision. On the positive note this could not be more different than Croatia's song. This is a catchy pop-rock song, and even quite contemporary. Despite the bad position I think this will have no trouble qualifying.
3. Latvia
This is in my opinion the worst song in the contest this year. Not the best draw for Latvia, that combined with a bad song, I think this will struggle to qualify even if they have all their neighbours in this semi.
4. Serbia
Bizarre choice for Serbia, and another bad song in my opinion. However I do think most if not all the Balkan countries will vote for this. As much as I hate to admit this it does have something catchy about it. Might also get the protest vote from many viewers. So for that reason a probable qualifier.
5. Poland
The second ballad of the night. Quite similar to the song that represented Poland last year, but in my opinion this song is better. Whether it will qualify or not is hard to predict. I think this is one of those that will be on the border of qualifying or not qualifying. However, I think this may be the song the juries might save.
6. Norway
Lucky for Norway they seem to be the big fan favourite this year, and I would be very surprised if this did not qualify. Despite not having the best position I think this will stand out, as it comes between two ballads, and is not close to any of the other big favourites of the night. Definite qualifier.
7. Cyprus
I think this will come across as a bit of anti-climax coming right after Norway, however at the same time it might be refreshing with a change of song style too. In the national final this did not come across very well on stage as the singer was very much out of tune. However, if she is able to master the song on the night this could actually qualify. There will no doubt be 12 points from Greece!
8. Slovakia
This is another song that I don't think highly of. After 11 years away from the contest it's a shame they have such a bad song, and their draw is not the best one coming between two mid-tempo songs. I fear all the screaming that is done in this song will put people off.
9. Denmark
In my opinion this is the best song we have heard from Denmark in a long time. This sounds very much like Ronan Keating (who even co-wrote it), and whether that is an advantage or disadvantage remains to be seen. I think this type of music may be more popular in the west than in the east, and therefore may struggle to qualify. Just my gut feeling.
10. Slovenia
Another big change in style. It might actually be refreshing with an almost instrumental song in the contest, certainly standing out from the rest. I was not keen on this song when I first heard it but it has grown on me. There is something classically Eurovision about this one. I think they may just make it with almost all their neighbours voting.
11. Hungary
A piece of disco in this semi final too, and even in the same spot... Decent song, again another refreshing change in style. Think also this song has a fair good chance of making it to the final although not a favourite of mine.
12. Azerbaijan
One of the big favourites in this semi final. This is a guaranteed finalist in my view. Catchy ethno pop/dance song. Along with Norway I can see this fighting in top of the scoreboard on the final night.
13. Greece
Another big favourite. Unfortunate for Greece coming straight after one of its biggest and most dangerous competitors, in addition to the songs being quite similar in style. However, I don't think it will matter too much, and Greece will easily qualify in my view. Remember, this also happened to Iceland and Sweden last year, and they both made it.
14. Lithuania
Time for a ballad again. Although a decent enough song I don't think it will have a great impact. But then again they do have just about all their neighbours in this semi, so anything is possible. For me this song is a bit dull even coming after 3 dance songs...
15. Moldova
Back to more ethnic music again... I'm afraid I don't quite get this song but I can easily this getting a lot of points as Europe seems to love this type of music. With a good stage show and good vocals I think this is another probable qualifier. Also they will benefit from the late draw.
16. Albania
At first I was not very keen on this song, and the Albanian language comes across as a bit odd in my opinion. However, the song will now be translated to English and also edited and remixed for Eurovision. This should only improve the song, and with such a late draw, I can easily see this also making it to the final.
17. Ukraine
Not at all impressed with Ukraine this year, in fact one of the songs I like the least in the competition. Very cheap and tacky dance song. However, I do fear that the eastern countries and especially the baltic countries may buy into this no matter how cringe-worthy it is, and for that reason alone another probable qualifier.
18. Estonia
Finally another song with some class. Despite being sung in Estonian I think this will come across really well after Ukraine, Albania and Moldova. I think we finally see Estonia in the final again, the first time since 2003!
19. Netherlands
The show ends with the cheesiest of all Eurovision songs this year. I do think Europe will see through the overly camp production and clichéed lyrics. Despite performing last I still cannot see this qualifying.
Predictions
Who I hope will go through: Ireland, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Slovenia, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Greece, Albania, Estonia.
Who I think will go through: Ireland, Poland, Norway, Slovenia, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Greece, Albania, Ukraine, Estonia.
Now that the running order of both semi finals are known I thought I would give my comments on the draw and predict the qualifiers...... Let's start off with the 1st semi final:
1. Montenegro
Great way to open the show. Up-tempo, good catchy song. Unlucky for Montenegro to open the 1st semi final two years in a row, on the other hand I think this song is a lot stronger than last year. But they don't have enough of their neghbours voting in this semi to secure them a place in the final.
2. Czech Republic
I am not keen on this song at all. Rap, gypsy music and in parts even sounds like it could be from a musical. It's a very odd song. Although I can see that people wanting something unconvential would vote for this. Still I think they will suffer from the number two curse. Although here it's not a curse at all, it's simply a bad song.
3. Belgium
This is not a great draw for Belgium. Two gimmick-songs in a row. And the third up-tempo song in a row. Although this is miles better than Czech Republic I also think this will fall through. Had this come later in the show it might have had a slight chance of qualifying.
4. Belarus
This must be one of the least popular songs this year on the fan polls. An early draw will not give them any advantages either, in addition to that this is now the 4th up-tempo number in a row. Although the new version of the song is a lot better than what we heard in the Belarussian final I still don't think this has much of a chance.
5. Sweden
I am sure Sweden would have liked a later draw for this song, and it would have stood out more coming later in the show. Although this is now the 5th up-tempo song, this one is so radically different from the rest that I think people will take note of it. This is definitely a love it or hate it song but I think there will be enough people "loving it" to make it qualify.
6. Armenia
The worst entry from Armenia so far in my opinion, and the 6th up-tempo song of the night. In a fair world this will not qualify, but this is Eurovision... With all the Armenian immigrants throughout Europe voting for their own song I think this will come a lot higher than it deserves. High enough to qualify? Time will tell.
7. Andorra
Finally a break from the up-tempo songs. This is more like mid-tempo, and one of Andorra's best songs in the contest so far. The Catalan language sounds gorgeous, and mixed with English in the chorus I think this may have a broad appeal. But again there seems to be a curse against Andorra in Eurovision for some reason...
8. Switzerland
From mid-tempo pop to mid-tempo rock. This song is one of my personal favourites. One of the most contemporary songs in the contest this year. The downfall may be that this is too "un-Eurovision" for the audience and that it does not fit in with this format. However, I hope this will not be the case.
9. Turkey
Back to the up-tempo songs again. This is typical Eurovision ethno pop like we have heard a lot of in recent years. Not sure if this type of songs are now starting to wear out. However due to all the Turkish immigrants voting for this throughout Europe, and the popularity of these types of songs in general I think this is a definite qualifier.
10. Israel
Back to mid-tempo pop again. Beautiful harmonies, great verses that remind me of something Madonna could have sung but the weakness here is the the almost non-existent chorus which only consists of the title of the song. Due to political reasons I think Israel won't get many points from the public this year, but I have a feeling the jury may save this one.
11. Bulgaria
We are now getting more variety in the genres as we turn to up-tempo disco again. This is like hearing Jimmy Sommerville on a really bad day. Sounds ok-ish on record but the question remains, will the singer be able to pull it off live? If it is a reprise of his performance in the national final this is going to be very painful.
12. Iceland
First real ballad of the night. And who said there were many ballads this year? This will come as a relief, great draw for Iceland. One of my favourites of the night, and I think this will come across well. I don't see any reason why this will not qualify.
13. FYR Macedona
A return to another mid-tempo rock song. But this one is much less contemporary, and I can't see any broad appeal in this song. It doesn't help being sung in Macedonian either. With only Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina as allies in this semi final there is not much chance of this qualifying.
14. Romania
More Eurovision ethno pop... With both Turkey and Romania in the same semi final, one may not make it, and if that is the case it will be Romania who will miss out I think. That being said there are many countries voting in this semi who usually award Romania many points so time will tell.
15. Finland
From ethno pop to 90s dance/rap.... I don't normally like songs with rap but this one is infectuous, and with such a late draw I think Finland is guaranteed a spot in the final this year. This song will have a broad appeal all over Europe.
16. Portugal
A new genre of the night. Folk music! Although not a big favourite of mine, I think this charming mid-tempo number will hit home in all of the southern and eastern European countries who are voting. Therefore a probable qualifier in my opinion.
17. Malta
A perfect draw for Malta, and only the second real ballad of the night. We all know Chiara can sing, and with the new version of this song I really feel they have brought the best out of it. Europe seems to like Chiara so I am very certain this will also qualify.
18. Bosnia & Herzegovina
These last 3 songs are such a perfect way to end the evening. This song is something in between a mid-tempo song and a ballad. The ethnic influences are strong and is also what makes this song so great. Definitely the strongest song from Balkan this year, and singing last, I would not be surprised if this wins the 1st semi final.
Predictions
Who I hope will go through: Montenegro, Sweden, Andorra, Switzerland, Turkey, Iceland, Romania, Finland, Malta, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Who I think will go through: Sweden, Armenia, Switzerland, Turkey, Israel, Iceland, Finland, Portugal, Malta, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
This afternoon live from Moscow the running order was drawn for both semi finals and the directly qualified countries in the final. The event was hosted by Yana Churikova, who also hosted the allocation draw determining which semi final the various countries would compete in, she also co-hosted the national Russian final this year. With her on stage was last year's winner Dima Bilan, who actually performed the physical draw. During the almost 1 hour long event we got the following result:
1st semi final (to be held 12th May)
1. Montenegro 2. Czech Republic 3. Belgium 4. Belarus 5. Sweden 6. Armenia 7. Andorra 8. Switzerland 9. Turkey 10. Israel 11. Bulgaria 12. Iceland 13. FYR Macedonia 14. Romania 15. Finland 16. Portugal 17. Malta 18. Bosnia & Herzegovina
CZECH REPUBLIC!!! For two weeks people in Czech Republic have been able to vote in an online poll for two songs, "Aven Romale" and "Do You Wanna", the smallest selection in this year's national finals in Europe. Czech Republic debuted in the contest in 2007 and has so far failed at qualifying to the grand final both in 2007 and 2008. At midnight the poll closed and this time they went for...
ARTIST: Gipsy.cz SONG: Aven Romale
In my opinion Czech Republic had an almost impossible task ahead of them, picking one song out of two dreadful song choices. It came down to choosing the lesser of two evils. The song is part rap, part gypsy music (hence the name). The result is very messy indeed. However the frightening thing with this song is that it is so bad that it almost becomes good. I fear this could become quite infectuous on stage in Moscow and score quite a few points. However, it could not strand further away from my personal taste in music.
Czech Republic will take part in semi final 1 on 12th May.
Tonight the last national final was held in Europe, and Sweden finally chose their Eurovision entry after 4 semi finals and a second chance round. Sweden is indeed one of the big Eurovision nations with 4 wins (1974, 1984, 1991 and 1999), in addition to numerous top 5 and top 10 positions through the years. Unfortunately they haven't done too well the last couple of years, failing to reach the top 15 in the final two years in a row. On the other hand, worth mentioning is that Sweden has never failed to qualify to the grand final. This year Sweden went for...
ARTIST: Malena Ernman SONG: La Voix
The race was extremely close after the 12 juries had cast their votes, but the televote turned it all around making "La Voix" the winner despite the lack of big points from most of the juries. Sweden has this year chosen a song that will stand out in Moscow. There is nothing like it in the contest this year, and that I believe will be an advantage for them. The song itself is a mixture of pop/dance and classical/opera. The chorus obviously borrows from "Nessun Dorma" made popular to the public by singers like Luciano Pavarotti. If it is enough for it to be accused of plagiarism remains to be seen, personally I doubt this will happen. The song has a catchy groove, because of its dancey and classical touch may appeal to both lovers of modern pop/dance and classical/opera. I think this will easily qualify to the final in Moscow, however I do not think this is top 5. In my opinion a quite good song, enough to stand out, but personally I am not very keen on the singer.
Sweden will participate in the first semi final on 12th May.
Earlier today it became known that Georgia has decided to withdraw from the contest. Yesterday it was revealed that EBU would disqualify the Georgian entry unless they changed the lyrics of the song (due to the clearly political submeaning) or choose a new song altogether before the 16th March deadline. Obviously under pressure from Russia, Georgia has now decided to withdraw. For reference, this is what the EBU rule says:
4.9 The lyrics and/or performance of the songs shall not bring the Shows or the Eurovision Song Contest as such into disrepute. No lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political or similar nature shall be permitted during the Eurovision Song Contest. No swearing or other unacceptable language shall be allowed in the lyrics or in the performances of the songs. No commercial messages of any kind shall be allowed. A breach of this rule may result in disqualification.
Personally, I think it's a shame they are withdrawing, would have been nice to have them in the contest with at least an altered version of the song or a new song... But at the same time I can understand their decision. Now they still have their pride in tact and deserve the respect for not amending to EBU's rules. I really believe in freedom of speech. We have that in music released elsewhere (artists expressing their stand musically/lyrically) so why is it banned to have an opinion on something in Eurovision? I mean, if you don't like it you don't have to vote for it. To quote a message left in the forum of the website http://www.esctoday.com/: "In the name of keeping politics out of the contest, the EBU has actually allowed politics into the contest by allowing politics to affect their decision." I think that says it all.
With respect to the Georgian entry, let us one more time enjoy their entry, "We Don't Wanna Put In" by Stephanie & 3G.
Today Belgium made their Eurovision entry official at a press conference held this morning. Belgium is a country with a lot of ups and downs in the contest history. The absolute highlight being Sandra Kim's win in Bergen, Norway in 1986 with "J'aime La Vie" and another close win in 2003 with "Sanomi" by Urban Trad, but in the end had to settle for 2nd place. Other memorable moments include 1983's ridiculously funny "Rendezvous", 1984's "Avanti La Vie", 1987's "Soldiers Of Love", 1999's "Like The Wind" and the big fan favourites "1 Life" and "Je T'adore" from 2004 and 2006, respectively. Together with Estonia, Belgium is the only other country to have failed qualifying from the semi finals, since they were introduced, at every single attempt. This year they will be represented by...
ARTIST: Patrick Ouchene SONG: Copycat
As expected Belgium's entry this year would be a rockabilly song. Humouristically throwing hints to Elvis Presley, represented in the music video by a fat cat who is a rock and roll star. But will Europe be able to get the joke? Probably, seeing as almost everyone can recognise the object of the song. The song itself resembles more the style of the early works by American singer/actor Chris Isaak, than that of the King himself. The song comes across as quite catchy, and is a lot better than what I had expected, but it may prove to be too kitsch for even Eurovision. For me there are both a lot better and a lot worse songs in the competition. Unlucky for Belgium they will take part in the first semi final on 12th May, which seems to be the semi final with the most good songs this year. And for that reason I think they will again fail to qualify. Sorry, Belgium...
SERBIA!!! Scandal must be the key-word to best describe the Serbian semi final and final this year, and in more ways than one. Shock spread among Eurovision fans yesterday evening during the semi final when the big fan favourite Ana Nikolic was eliminated from the contest. However, during the day today it was revealed that an error had occured when counting the votes and that Ana and another qualifier should have been in the top 10 songs to go through to the final. It was then reported that these two songs would be added to the line-up of tonight's show. Apparently Ana Nikolic was so offended by Saturday night's fiasco that she refused to return on Sunday night. The other 11 songs went on as scheduled, and out of these the public and jury selected...
ARTIST: Marko Kon & Milan Nikolic SONG: Cipela
In an evening of already bad song choices this one was no different... It comes across as weird to say the least. Apparently this was not the public's favourite to win but due to the jury vote it still achieved the most points. It can be best described as a mixture of Serbian folk music and a comedy act. This was just about the worst song they could pick from the selection. Having treated us to the 2007 winner "Molitva" and the beautiful and haunting "Oro" from last year, in addition to that who could forget the magic "Lane Moje" from 2004 when they competed as "Serbia & Montenegro", high hopes had certainly built up around Europe. This song is definitely a huge disappointment to me. However, as much as I hate to admit it it does have something catchy about it. But will it qualify? In a fair world, the answer is 'no'. However stranger things have happened... Serbia do have a lot of their neighbours in their semi final. Only time will tell.
Serbia will compete in semi final 2 on 14th May, and that actually completes all 19 songs for that very semi final...
SLOVAKIA!!! Tonight Slovakia selected their first entry for Eurovision in 11 years. They have never previously done very well in the contest on the few occasions they have taken part. In tonight's national final 16 songs took part, and out of these the public voted for...
Like so many other countries, Slovakia also goes for a classic ballad this year. Despite several decent songs in their national final they went for one of the worst in my opinion. The song might not have been so bad if the artists hadn't felt the need to scream their way through the song. It's almost as if it is a screaming competition between the two of them. This destroys the song completely for me. After such a long hiatus from the competition, I am sad to say I can't see this qualifying in Moscow.
Slovakia will compete in the second semi final on 14th May.
The 38th country to decide was Ukraine. In a show lasting more than 3 1/2 hours the country selected its 7th entry to Eurovision. Except for a couple of low positions Ukraine has on the whole done very well in Eurovision. From "Wild Dances", the winning song of 2004, to the top 10 placing of "Show Me Your Love" in 2006, the slightly bizarre "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" which finished 2nd in 2007 and not too mention the funky "Shady Lady" from last year's contest, which again came second. This year Ukraine opted for...
ARTIST: Svetlana Loboda SONG: Be My Valentine
The difference from last year's stylish offering from Ani Lorak couldn't be bigger. This comes across as the cheapest possible Madonna imitation. Even saying that would be a huge offense to the superstar. This is as tacky and trashy as it gets. Brain-dead lyrics, weak vocals and a chorus that gets more annoying than anything else. My only fear is that really annoying songs do tend to stick to the brain...
Ukraine will compete in the 2nd semi final on 14th May.
ESTONIA!!! This evening Estonia selected their entry, almost simultaneously with Russia. Estonia started out doing very well in Eurovision in the mid-90s to early noughties. Who could forget gems like 1996's "Kaelakee Hääl", 1997's "Keelatud Maa", 1999's "Diamond Of Night", 2000's "Once In A Lifetime", 2001's winner "Everybody" or 2002's "Runaway" (sung by Swedish singer Sahlene). Unfortunately the last 5-6 years they have not done very well and have in fact failed at reaching the final on every attempt since the semi finals were introduced. This year they have gone for...
ARTIST: Urban Symphony TITLE: Rändajad
They have gone the same route as Slovenia this year, choosing a song that is heavily backed up by violins. However, this song features far more vocals than the Slovenian song, albeit in Estonian. It is also a slower song than that of Slovenia. Ironically, they are competing in the same semi final as both Slovenia and Norway, which also uses a similar type of instrument (fiddle). It is a quite pleasant tune, with a lot of elegance and a touch of folk music, very different from anything they have done before. I can easily see this qualify as they have near all of their neighbours in this semi.
The 36th country to decide for Eurovision was Russia, and in a 3 1/2 hour show they selected their winner out of 16 possible entries. Russia has done extremely well the last few years in Eurovision coming second in 2006 with Dima Bilan's "Never Let You Go", 3rd in 2007 with Serebro's "Song #1" and finally winning the 2008 contest with "Believe", also sung by Dima Bilan. This year Russia selected....
ARTIST: Anastasiya Prihodko SONG: Mamo
This is a step aside from the modern and contemporary type of songs Russia has competed with in the last 3 years. Perhaps this is the type of music that is popular in Russia but I can't see that this will have a deep impact on the European audience in general, at least not in a good way. The song lies in the pop/rock genre with a strong Russian feel to it. The style is slightly reminiscent of their 2005 entry "Nobody Hurt No One" which didn't fare too well. If that wasn't bad enough the singer starts shouting in the end of the song turning what could have been a mediocre song into a quite bad one. Lucky for Russia they are directly qualified for the final this year.
Tonight the second chance round was held in Sweden. 8 songs competed for the last two places in the final, in addition to this the international jury chose one additional song that will compete as the 11th and final song next weekend. The following 2 songs were chosen to go to the final by the Swedish public: "Moving On" by Sarah Dawn Finer and "Snälla, Snälla" by Caroline af Ugglas. The international jury's choice was Sofia with "Alla" (a song sung in Greek!!). This brings us the following line-up for next weekend's grand final, in running order:
Måns Zelmerlöw "Hope And Glory"
Caroline af Ugglas "Snälla, Snälla"
Agnes "Love Love Love"
H.E.A.T. "1000 Miles"
Emilia "You're My World" Alcazar "Stay The Night" Sarah Dawn Finer "Moving On"
Sofia "Alla"
EMD "Baby Goodbye" Molly Sandén "Så Vill Stjärnorna" Malena Ernman "La Voix"
Unfortunately my favourite song by far in Melodifestivalen this year failed to qualify for the final, so let's take a moment to enjoy this fabulous song and think of what could have been...
The 35th entry to be made official this year is.... Azerbaijan!!! The country debuted in Eurovision last year in Belgrade and came 8th with the song "Day After Day". Much anticipation has been building up to this year's song since it became known that the supposedly well known producer/singer Arash (actually, I had never heard of him before...) had penned the song.
ARTIST: Aysel & Arash SONG: Always
The song sounds very professional and one that I believe many Europeans will enjoy and vote for massively. A typical ethnic pop song, similar to songs we have heard from eastern Europe the last few years. The catchy chorus will secure another good result for Azerbaijan but I don't think it is a winner. I predict a Top 10, or perhaps even Top 5 given it gets the perfect draw and with a near perfect performance. Definitely one to watch out for...
Azerbaijan will compete in the second semi final on 14th of May.
ISRAEL!!! Tonight Israel hosted a one-hour show in which 4 songs were presented to the public. Israel is a country who has experienced plenty of ups and downs in the contest includig 3 wins during the 35 years or so they have taken part. Many of their entries have become Eurovision classics like "A-Ba-Ni-Bi", "Hallelujah", "Hi!", "Ole Ole" and "Diva". Eurovision was even the beginning of an international career for the late Israeli superstar Ofra Haza. Tonight the selected entry was...
ARTIST: Noa & Mira Awad SONG: Einaiych (There Must Be Another Way)
This year Israel has chosen a mid-tempo melodic pop song with a message of peace. The harmonies of the girls singing are working very well, and makes this an above average song, and for me the only song that stood out in their national selection. However, whether this will stand out in Moscow is another question. There are already several better songs chosen, as well as a lot of worse songs in the competition. I'd say their chance of qualifying for the final is 50/50, all depending on the draw and of course most importantly how the song works on stage in Moscow and their performance of it.
Israel will perform in the first semi final on the 12th of May.
