Eurovision 2021

[PR1Berske]

Estonia
"The Lucky One"

There is pop, there is cheesy pop, there is musical theatre pop, and then there is Eurovision pop. If you're happy with putting Radio 2 in the background, you'll be tuned to the sound of mainstream pop. Something in the construction, production, lyrical content, all which makes you comfortable with the expectations and tropes of the pop format. If something other to that gets played, it might take a few moments to readjust. And so we get to Uku Suviste, whose entry is demonstrably not mainstream commercial pop, and yet...it can't be anything other. It has all the tropes, but it's also clearly influenced by overegged musical numbers and is engineered to within an inch of its life towards a specific Eurovision audience.

I'm not much of a fan, even after a couple of listens while writing this section. He is trying to be very sincere and heartfelt. It just-comes across to me as pleading straight down the camera to potential televoters. Perhaps the first true dud of selection season.

 

[PR1Berske]

Serbia
"Loco Loco"

Moldova surprised me with its high-NRG gay frenzy earlier this week. Now its time for Serbia. who on the surface would not be my first choice for a country to give us Little Mix through the filter of early 2000s radio cheese, IN SERBIAN. Maybe things are more relaxed there than I thought, you don't hear much from them on the news any more.

Anyway, if you know anything about Eurovision in the modern era, you'd know that the Balkans love to dance, even if its to songs from a playlist you forgot to update about the time you left school. It's a song which might make you dance around your kitchen, or break out laughing, I can't say for sure if repeat listens have made up my mind either way. It's unabashed nonsense, however you end up feeling.

 

[PR1Berske]

Portugal
"Love is on My Side"

Of all the countries to take part in the unconscious madness of Eurovision, Portugal have a special place in the heart of "purists". They rarely sing in English, rarely follow trends. They have won, once, with a highly untypical slice of Portuguese-language pop that had no care for the bells-and-whistles of novelty or trends, either within or without the Eurovision bubble.

And now, after 40 odd years of participation, Portugal has finally selected a song entirely in English. And it's possibly the least Portuguese song they've ever sent for more than just reasons of language. It's a drab, and forgettable, slice of radio friendly pretend-soul, more Lighthouse Family or early era Christina Aguilera than anything on-trend, and somehow manages to stand up for itself despite all that. I'd like to say it grows on you. Only so do rashes.

 

[PR1Berske]

Denmark
"Øve Os På Hinanden"

You may have noticed that the English language dominates the modern Eurovision. Back in 1998, when the BBC held the show in Birmingham, there was a rule that ensured countries could only sing in their 'native' languages, which allowed for the UK, Ireland, and Malta to use English, and everyone else had to stick to their own. France occasionally wandered from this - they used Breton, Corsican, and in 1993 Antillean Creole - although this was very much exception, not the rule. All changed in 1999, when the language rule was abolished and since then, English has dominated. Since the 2010 contest onwards, English is 90% the Final running order.

Denmark abandoned its own language in 1999. Having sung in Danish since their debut in the 1960s, they took the opportunity to never use it again straight away, and have been using English every single year, including winning in the year 2000. This year, however, they've switched back to Danish, meaning that if they qualify for the Final, it'd be the first time since 1997 that Danish has been heard on British television outside The Killing and occasional slips by Sandi Toksvig. (Denmark couldn't take part in 1998 because the rules at the time relegated them for a run of bad results.)

Anyway, why am I stalling over three paragraphs, avoiding the subject of the actual song? Well, it's not very good. It's "disco" in the sense that Gary Barlow is a stripper or that Will Self is an interplanetary satellite. It's three minutes of music you thought had been retired years ago, and if the spirit of old Eurovision had not been fully expunged by now, here it lives again. I would like to say it's charming, and there is something about the unashamed novelty of it all I quite like, but I'm afraid you might have to take a toilet break rather than suffer choking on your snack of choice come the time.

 

[PR1Berske]

Italy
"Zitti e buoni"

Let me tell you about San Remo. Last night, RAI broadcast an 6+ hour show, on Saturday night, which ostensibly was about the selection of the winner of the prestigious San Remo Festival. It was this programme, back in the 1940s and 1950s, which ultimately inspired different television companies to create Eurovision, as a way to celebrate different cultures, singers, and songs,in a peaceful and friendly post-war sort of way. In the year 2021, that meant a programme which seemed to never want to end (it was already over-running when they brought on an 86-year old beloved veteran of Italian music but got her to do 6 songs either side of a commercial break anyway.) If you think you know how Europe chooses its entries each year, you need to experience the San Remo Festival, an all-week, all-night, all-singing/dancing/everything marathon of Italian attitude.

The eventual winning song, incidentally, has the option to reject going to Eurovision, which is why it sometimes takes days before anyone knows what Italy has actually offered to send. This time it just took overnight, which is no time at all if you're Italian, for whom time-keeping is someone else's problem. This song is the ying to Finland's yang. Rock without the gimmick, rock without the twee, early 2000s attitude and knowing irony. This is a rock song from the ages, and will have its time in the Final to which Italy automatically qualify. The Italian language works for a rock song like this, the verses spilling over each other into a confusion of attitude. Was it worth a programme lasting beyond the 1am time I eventually succumbed to sleep? Allora!

 

[PR1Berske]

A full post will follow later. But here is a screenshot from the entry from San Marino. You can see here Senhit, on the right, and the actual, real, genuine Flo Rida, on the left. No further questions will be answered at this time.

 

[PR1Berske]

Okay here goes.

San Marino
"Adrenalina"

Flo Rida is big business. His first album is certified gold in three jurisdictions, follow up "R O O T S" is certified silver, and "Wild Ones" has sold over 300,000 copies, again certified gold. He has sold millions of records around the world, with his debut single going 9x platinum in the US, and 2x platinum here.

He has worked with Timbaland, will.i.am, and Nelly Furtado, amongst others. He is, by most measures, one of the most successful and popular rappers in commercial music history.

Here is Flo Rida guest-rapping at the very end of the San Marino entry for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest.

 

[PR1Berske]

Russia
"Русская женщина"

It would take this thread into nerdy territory beyond all measure and reason were I to explain why Russia's television stations have a somewhat eccentric reaction to Eurovision. Things haven't always been...er...predictable. Or entirely honest. But anyway, here we are, 2021 and after months of radio silence Russia confirmed last week that they would organise a televised national final which might or might not have televoting and might or might not include last year's entrants Little Big and eventually it just appeared on an early Monday afternoon because of course it is.

From what I gather, the selected singer is Tajik-Russian and beats her own drum in what seems to be her own universe. Perhaps it's good timing or coincidence that on International Women's Day that the selected artist is singing about the difficulty of being a Russian Woman. I will need more than one viewing of this performance. It is bonkers. And quite beguiling. It's turning out to be quite the year.

 

[The39thStep]

Moldova
"Sugar"

You learn lots about other countries being a Eurovision fan. Moldova, for example, would just be a strip of land between Romania and the former USSR were it not for their constantly bonkers attempts at taking part in the greatest gameshow in the world (to quote the presenters of Eurovision 1992). They have tried pop-rock, traditional vibes, "popera", and they were responsible for THAT epic sax guy moment. Twice.

Here's this year's version of Moldova's dartboard approach to the contest: a full-on dancefloor filling high-NRG gay as badgers pop banger. It might not make any commercial radio playlists over here but I can imagine it will have pride of place on Spotify lists for a while. Take things too seriously and you might not fall for the candyfloss charms. I'm up to my armpits.

I'd have Yello do a remix of that

 

[MrCurry]

Russia
"Русская женщина"

It would take this thread into nerdy territory beyond all measure and reason were I to explain why Russia's television stations have a somewhat eccentric reaction to Eurovision. Things haven't always been...er...predictable. Or entirely honest. But anyway, here we are, 2021 and after months of radio silence Russia confirmed last week that they would organise a televised national final which might or might not have televoting and might or might not include last year's entrants Little Big and eventually it just appeared on an early Monday afternoon because of course it is.

From what I gather, the selected singer is Tajik-Russian and beats her own drum in what seems to be her own universe. Perhaps it's good timing or coincidence that on International Women's Day that the selected artist is singing about the difficulty of being a Russian Woman. I will need more than one viewing of this performance. It is bonkers. And quite beguiling. It's turning out to be quite the year.

No doubt this is a CIA conspiracy to undermine Russian efforts to win Eurovision.

 

[PR1Berske]

View attachment 257958

No doubt this is a CIA conspiracy to undermine Russian efforts to win Eurovision.

It's still quite early so maybe my skills are not quite up to scratch. It does seem however that all videos of her live performance have been purged from YouTube!

 

[MrCurry]

It's still quite early so maybe my skills are not quite up to scratch. It does seem however that all videos of her live performance have been purged from YouTube!

Perhaps Putin wasn’t a fan when he heard it, and there will be a new Russian entry appearing soon

 

[PR1Berske]

Perhaps Putin wasn’t a fan when he heard it, and there will be a new Russian entry appearing soon

Honestly with the way Russia "chooses" its entry every year I wouldn't be surprised!

 

[PR1Berske]

Belarus
"Я Научу Тебя (I'll Teach You)"

The general understanding about Eurovision is that we're currently living through its biggest, boldest,most expensive and expansive age. From a small contest performed in front of a single camera and a curtain through to the week-long, semi-finals and televoting, arena-hosting megamonster machine of today, the journey has been from something small to an event far-reaching and ever growing. It has perhaps never been more infamous as an event, a strange and unusual 'happening' which allows countries to promote themselves in a fun, and slightly unusual, way, something like Gay Pride mixed with a World Expo.

Promotion of your country is, of course, something nations do for complex, layered reasons. Good and bad. Positive and nefarious. Belarus is sometimes called 'the last dictatorship in Europe' and its regime's leader, Alexander Lukashenko is notorious for his clamp-down on protesters, closeness to Russian President Putin, mountains of allegations of abuse of power and corruption, and much else besides. He is not a fit and proper person, and his regime is a dangerous, disruptive divided state which clamps down on dissent and protest without apology.

This year, as memories of Belarussian protest movements fade from Western memories and news broadcasts, Belarus sends to Eurovision a band with ties to the Lukashenko regime, with a song telling an unnamed audience that the singer will "teach them" to toe the line, and that their "sorrows" will be turned "into jokes." The video currently has 2,300 likes and 21,000 dislikes on YouTube, certainly one of the clearest rejections of a video to do with this silly, overblown, well-meaning song contest I can remember.

The general understanding about Eurovision is, "it's only a gameshow". This song from Belarus - a three-minute demolition job against freedoms and the right to protest nominated by unknown people with links to a repressive dictator - is everything against the ideals of the contest, and is a stain on this year's running order.

 

[PR1Berske]

Switzerland
"Tout l'Univers"

Man with fragile, high-register vocals singing an emotional ballad. Yes, the winner of Eurovision 2000 was "Arcade" by Duncan Lawrence. And now here's Switzerland, with a male vocalist with fragile, high-register vocals singing an emotional ballad. Sometimes we think about the possibility of the same country winning twice. Here's the possibility of the same song winning twice.

I am not entirely sold on the song, though the bookies have swung behind it, and the song is certainly well packaged. Switzerland has been looking for a win since Celine Dion in 1988, and I wouldn't discount it. But "discount" is the word here: this is a copy of the most previous winner, in French, and we see that for what it is.

 

[PR1Berske]

Austria
"Amen"

Male with musical theatre voice sings fragile ballad. "Amen" has its origins in Vincent Bueno's personal life, and the emotion shines through. It's not winner material, I think, it's a tad too repetitive for me, though the juries are suckers for this sort of thing.




Bulgaria
"growing up is getting old"

Female with fragile vote sings ballad. And yes, it's lower case spelling, because that's a trend now.


The influences are CLEAR, and if you like contemporary female singers then this Eurovision translation should do you very well. The lyrics are not usual fare and are very honest about the issues facing younger people today. I can imagine this is the darkest of dark horses. It could be swamped by the pop-bangers surrounding it.

 

[PR1Berske]

United Kingdom
"Embers"

So here we are. This is it. From doing quite well up to the 80s, then doing pretty rubbish, then winning once in the 90s, the UK has spent the last 30-odd years doing the total sum of not very good at all, and sometimes you can understand the sense of injustice, and sometimes you can fully understand why Europe just couldn't be bothered with us. Sometimes we have to admit that the BBC has not always chosen well, and the British public tend to televote for the most novelty/typically ESC entry, rather than something which might actually place on the left hand side of the board.

This year we've gone vaguely modern. It's got Avicii horns, Jason Derulo vocals, a vague sense of being written by a young person in the 2020s. It's got potential to be a decent placed entry, and we shouldn't be afraid of believing that. BUT just as the song finished playing on Radio 2, Ken Bruce sneered "if it doesn't place well it's got nothing to do with the song," so you know, the entries might get better, the attitude stays the same. Given some of the inward looking nonsense we've served up of late, this is our regeneration moment.

 

[MrCurry]

Belarus
"Я Научу Тебя (I'll Teach You)"

The general understanding about Eurovision is that we're currently living through its biggest, boldest,most expensive and expansive age. From a small contest performed in front of a single camera and a curtain through to the week-long, semi-finals and televoting, arena-hosting megamonster machine of today, the journey has been from something small to an event far-reaching and ever growing. It has perhaps never been more infamous as an event, a strange and unusual 'happening' which allows countries to promote themselves in a fun, and slightly unusual, way, something like Gay Pride mixed with a World Expo.

Promotion of your country is, of course, something nations do for complex, layered reasons. Good and bad. Positive and nefarious. Belarus is sometimes called 'the last dictatorship in Europe' and its regime's leader, Alexander Lukashenko is notorious for his clamp-down on protesters, closeness to Russian President Putin, mountains of allegations of abuse of power and corruption, and much else besides. He is not a fit and proper person, and his regime is a dangerous, disruptive divided state which clamps down on dissent and protest without apology.

This year, as memories of Belarussian protest movements fade from Western memories and news broadcasts, Belarus sends to Eurovision a band with ties to the Lukashenko regime, with a song telling an unnamed audience that the singer will "teach them" to toe the line, and that their "sorrows" will be turned "into jokes." The video currently has 2,300 likes and 21,000 dislikes on YouTube, certainly one of the clearest rejections of a video to do with this silly, overblown, well-meaning song contest I can remember.

The general understanding about Eurovision is, "it's only a gameshow". This song from Belarus - a three-minute demolition job against freedoms and the right to protest nominated by unknown people with links to a repressive dictator - is everything against the ideals of the contest, and is a stain on this year's running order.

Not just the Russian entry, now Belarus is gone from YouTube....

Mind boggling if Switzerland is a favourite - doesn’t do much for me. You might want to double check which year Duncan Lawrence won with Arcade tho

Uk entry is kinda catchy, and does it strike a conciliatory tone to Europe, with the lyrics being a veiled reference to Brexit or am I drinking too much wine with Breakfast?

 

[PR1Berske]

Not just the Russian entry, now Belarus is gone from YouTube....

Mind boggling if Switzerland is a favourite - doesn’t do much for me. You might want to double check which year Duncan Lawrence won with Arcade tho

Uk entry is kinda catchy, and does it strike a conciliatory tone to Europe, with the lyrics being a veiled reference to Brexit or am I drinking too much wine with Breakfast?

The EBU, who run the whole thing, ruled that the Belarus song had political lyrics and threatened to bring the contest into disrepute. They have ordered BRTC to nominate a different song. President Lukashenko has, reportedly, vowed to submit something barely changed in its political content to "goad" the EBU/the west in general/whoever he hates this week.

I have neglected to update this thread in the past few days. Almost all songs have been released now so I might just do a summary rather than individual posts in a few days time :

 

[MrCurry]

The EBU, who run the whole thing, ruled that the Belarus song had political lyrics and threatened to bring the contest into disrepute. They have ordered BRTC to nominate a different song. President Lukashenko has, reportedly, vowed to submit something barely changed in its political content to "goad" the EBU/the west in general/whoever he hates this week.

I have neglected to update this thread in the past few days. Almost all songs have been released now so I might just do a summary rather than individual posts in a few days time :

Crumbs. Sounds like they are headed down the path of being excluded entirely. Still enjoying the verbiage around each song, as I usually watch Eurovision knowing nothing at all about the entires and without having heard them ahead of time.

 

[PR1Berske]

Russia
"Русская женщина"

It would take this thread into nerdy territory beyond all measure and reason were I to explain why Russia's television stations have a somewhat eccentric reaction to Eurovision. Things haven't always been...er...predictable. Or entirely honest. But anyway, here we are, 2021 and after months of radio silence Russia confirmed last week that they would organise a televised national final which might or might not have televoting and might or might not include last year's entrants Little Big and eventually it just appeared on an early Monday afternoon because of course it is.

From what I gather, the selected singer is Tajik-Russian and beats her own drum in what seems to be her own universe. Perhaps it's good timing or coincidence that on International Women's Day that the selected artist is singing about the difficulty of being a Russian Woman. I will need more than one viewing of this performance. It is bonkers. And quite beguiling. It's turning out to be quite the year.

In keeping with the general Urban75 vibe, it might be worth adding that Manizha is something of an unusual choice for Russia in more ways than one. So to summarise better than I did originally:

*Her song features put-downs of male attitudes towards women, including a mocking spoken-word middle section where she satirises the "why are you 30 without children? what are you wearing that for?"questioning faced by women.
*She's pro LGBT+ in a society which, well, isn't usually.
*Having been told to "Russify" and remove her ethnic Tajik background, she has now relented and puts her birthplace far more central to her appearance and music.

The reaction against her is, naturally enough, present and building. I dare say they won't chip much away from her.


New video link :

 

[PR1Berske]

North Macedonia
"Here I Stand"

I confess that this song just does something to me. It's camp. It's camp in the way that might not register if you're not tuned to the way musical theatre can be camp even when it's a ballad with the lights dimmed. Camp - true, real, authentic camp - can be in the overwrought, genuine, heartfelt, strings-and-chorus glory of a slow-paced song doing its things, with a knowing wink to the camera, with a sincerity that nonetheless reaches beyond truth and goes somewhere into the neverrealm of silliness. Or to put it another way, North Macedonia's Eurovision entry is three minutes of off-Broadway balladry performed with sickly-sweet theatrics and it's adorable. Puppy-eyed adorable. Just want to hug someone adorable.

It should qualify for the Final. I hope it does. Because I dread to think what would come from the heartbreak of not doing so. He might record a concept album.

 

[PR1Berske]

Sweden
"Voices"

Ireland in the 90s had the Eurovision game sorted, and coincidence or not, the growth of the Celtic Tiger went hand-in-hand with Ireland taking the title 4 times in a 5-year period. Their crown was then passed to a string of first-timers: Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine (twice!), countries which were not independent when the contest began, countries which landed into the show to, ultimately, shake-up the drab, complacent, outdated Saturday night shrug-shoulders it had become.

The current 'Ireland of the ages" is Sweden. They have a reputation for pop music excellence spanning generations, and these days a majority of chart-bangers will be written, produced or performed by a Swede. They have their own "hit factory" and this involves becoming a powerhouse at Eurovision. Having failed to qualify in 2010, they vowed to never be embarrassed again, and the entire national industry of music production got into action. It worked. Sweden are now threatening to out-Ireland Ireland, having won in 2012 and 2015, and finished in the top 10 eight times in the last 9 contests.

"Voices" is another example of the slick, clinical, mechanical and successful formulas being put to work. They take this sort of thing seriously. And just like the Dutch this year, they're sending an immigrant singing of empowerment, growth, and harmony. It's a potential winner, yet another title, and proof that certain corners of Europe have no qualms in taking the competition very seriously

 

[PR1Berske]

Ukraine
"Шум"

So who wants three minutes of Slavic techno-rave-folk? Anyone?

It's a folk song which turns, with each verse, into a 90s revivalist rave moment, building and building into an all-out techno assault. It's utterly magnetising and unforgettable. It might win the thing. Remember to drink water and look out for your friends. And 'av it large, etc.


Video

Another re-post.

The original version of Ukraine's "Prodigy goes Slavic" was over the three-minute maximum limit and used the lyrics and melody from an existing folk song. So they've gone away to cut things down, tweak the lyrics, and fix the melody.

So here's their revamped entry. And if you have taken anything this lunchtime, then please rave safe. And if this persuades you to try anything, don't forget to drink water.

It's bonkers. It's intense. It's very daft. It's dead-pan. It's folk-techno. It's Ukraine at Eurovision v2.0

 

[PR1Berske]

Greece
"Last Dance"

In a competition with so many stand-out songs this year, I've finally found a true dud. Not in the Belarus sense, where the problem was the band being political puppets. Not in the Portugal sense where it's all a bit dreary. For me, Greece has chosen a dud because.....it's not very good. It's very bad.

"Neon lights....satellites....sights of life tonight....black and white....night....." I know that pop songs can have simple rhyming schemes, and candyfloss pop shouldn't be analysed to death, and it's all a bit of fun. But I want something, some substance, and this is just too watery for me. I now expect it to finish top-5 and show me off as the old grump that I am.

 

[PR1Berske]

Iceland
"10 Years"

So. Lightning has struck. You've made a song about your new-born daughter, and it's gone MAD. The Internet has adopted you. Your video has millions of views. Your song is being parodied, celebrated, adored. You're a superstar, somehow, thanks to the fickle finger of fate. People have chosen you, nay, anointed you, as the winner of Eurovision 2020, and the king of pop, and the lord of all memes, and that bottled lightning is worth its weight in gold (so to speak.)

AND THEN. Disaster. The contest is cancelled. Your lightning has frazzled out. Your victory, almost guaranteed, is snatched from your hands. All is dark and forlorn.

AND THEN. You're asked to try again. And bottle some more lightning. Except now the entire world is waiting on you. And "Fire Saga" means that Iceland is now the mothership of all Internet memes ever created, you're expected to entertain the global audience you weren't entirely sure was your responsibility in the first place, and no pressure but if you don't do better than last time Reddit will never forgive you and you've let down the entire world and why don't you just never bother recording anything else again you LOSER?!

Yes, it's Iceland. Yes, they were likely winners in 2020. And yes, they've tried to bottle lightning again. Whether it works.....it's not hitting the same for me. But one-hit wonders sometimes struggle to keep audiences interested for a second go. That's how they're cemented as one-hit wonders. Sometimes fate really is fickle. Sometimes you just have to accept that you created something brilliant....and will struggle to do so again. Sometimes you might just work out the formula, fathom out the secret magic, keep people on board. Sometimes, just sometimes, you can have two bites of the cherry. Has he done it? Internet, it's over to you.

 

[PR1Berske]

Poland
"The Ride"

Rafał is quite the man. You might notice the Likes/Dislikes ratio of the video is showing at 10k/19k, about 1.7 dislikes for every 1 like. And there's a reason for that.

Poland is in a rough place at the moment. Their leading political figures are from the hardline "Prawo i Sprawiedliwość", or "Law and Justice". Under their leadership, the independence of the court system has been weakened, LGBT+ "Free Zones" have been established across the country with almost no consequences, and abortion law has been tightened so as to make access to abortion services almost impossible for millions of women.

TVP, the state broadcaster, is dangerously close to the government, with its own independence under threat. Rafał is a "personality" on TVP, and rarely puts a hair out of place while he seems, it is reported, to be given cushy presenting jobs and softball interviews. His selection as Poland's representative has gone down, well, gone down. He was chosen out of the blue by a pro-government TVP, and the government continue to run their anti-everything regime without any real, meaningful pushback from the media.

In short, Poland has "done a Belarus", but their song is a fluffy, parody of pop, so will fly under the EBU's checks and balances department. I dare say the song won't qualify for the Finals. Not even the televoting diaspora want to pick up the phones this time.

 

[PR1Berske]

Latvia
"The Moon is Rising"

And finally for now.

So....Samanta is quite the thing, too. But in a good way. She's on a mission to translate pop through her own distinctive filter. Unabashed, unashamed, fierce in the true sense. It's a feminist anthem, of sorts, and her voice could shake the dust of a passing asteroid. Is her womanly anthem of independence any good? It's something else, let's just leave it there.

 

[Dr. Furface]

Greece
"Last Dance"

In a competition with so many stand-out songs this year, I've finally found a true dud. Not in the Belarus sense, where the problem was the band being political puppets. Not in the Portugal sense where it's all a bit dreary. For me, Greece has chosen a dud because.....it's not very good. It's very bad.

"Neon lights....satellites....sights of life tonight....black and white....night....." I know that pop songs can have simple rhyming schemes, and candyfloss pop shouldn't be analysed to death, and it's all a bit of fun. But I want something, some substance, and this is just too watery for me. I now expect it to finish top-5 and show me off as the old grump that I am.

Come off it, it ain't that bad! In fact, it's not bad at all. Ok the lyrics are wibble but her vocals and the music work well. It won't win and doubtful not top 10 either (who knows maybe it won't even qualify) but I'll take it anyday over all the irritating, gimmicky or dreary pieces of crap on this page. The Swedish one is probs pick of this bunch - but it's almost too good - and the Iceland one should do well.

 

[MrCurry]

So if my counting is correct, we’ve seen 36 out of the 41 total entries, in @PR1Berske’s run down. I’m still a little bit obsessed with Norway and doubt anything better will emerge from the final 5 songs, but Lithuania, Ireland, U.K. and Sweden are also pretty good I reckon.

Such a shame the Ukraine entry has been neutered, it’s lost a lot of its appeal IMHO.

Finally, I know interest in Eurovision is traditionally a bit low in U.K., but it’s a shame you’re not getting more likes for your efforts in writing up and posting each song. Maybe a lot of Eurovision fans are keeping their powder dry and avoiding spoilers before the big contest and I’m sure this thread will warm up during May, but FWIW thanks again PR1Berske How do you know so much about Eurovision anyway?