All of this year’s songs have been selected, the running order has been decided: let’s get this show on the road! I’ll be reviewing all of this year’s participants three by three in running order. Lord, gimme strength… Let the Hunger Games…eum…fun begin!
NORWAY
The Song: Totally my fave in Melodi Grand Prix. Cool production, nice current sound. The bridge is a bit awkward at first hearing, so that might confuse audiences around Europe. But it’s got one of the catchiest choruses in this edition, so that might make up for it.
Standout lyric: ” I’m gonna kill that voice in my head ” We all have one. (Also: ‘I put my nerves in the coffin’ is quite the clumsy rhyme to get to ‘nothing’ in the next line.)
The Voice: A nice NF-performance, but there is so much electronic trickery in there that I really wonder what this will sound like in Kiev.
The Performance: Even though the DJ-booth approach isn’t always working on a Eurovision stage, I kinda dig the Daft Punk sauce they’re pouring over it. Could be a tad more eventful, but it suits the song.
In one line: Keep the coffin at bay (for now).
PERSONAL TOTAL: 
PREDICTION: If they get the live version right, I can see this achieving a nice mid-table result on Saturday. In this rather lackluster semi it seems like a more obvious QUALIFIER.
SWITZERLAND
The Song: It starts off rather ok, but then that chorus happens. It just sounds so uninspired! Saved by the title line though, which keeps on sticking in my head for days at a time even though I really want it out of my brain. The lyrics feel clumsy – they work towards a feeling they’ll never reach, simply because it’s all over the place.
Standout lyric: ” We’re in trouble but we got the love ” The first part is right, not sure about the latter…
The Voice: A bit uneventful, to be honest. Rather getting on my nerves towards the end of it, because of the overemphasized ‘O’-sounds that get repeated Over and Over in the chorus.
The Performance: #meih all the way. Wonder if they’ll go down the Greek God route for Kiev. Could be a nice distraction.
In one line: Wait, is she following Apollo (the rocket) to outer space? Cause I might be down with that.
PERSONAL TOTAL: 
PREDICTION: No clue. No clue at all. I’ll decide at the end of the semi. I know I sound like a broken record. But so do they.
BELARUS
The Song: Sounds like spring has arrived, with this cheerful little song that vaguely reminds me of Malta 2014. But it’s the better sibling of the two. I even don’t mind the crowd-pleasing cheering in the chorus.
Standout lyric: ” Today will give birth to new desires and better ideas” Now that’s the way to be glass-half-full!
The Voice: Both perfectly adequate, although Ksenia (gosh, I wanna write that with an X)is the real star here.
The Performance: Just amp up the NF performance a bit and people all around Europe will be cheering and clapping along.
In one line: All we need is a campfire to get this thing going.
PERSONAL TOTAL:
PREDICTION: One of the more obvious QUALIFIERs in this semi.
CURRENT RESULTS
– Belgium, Portugal, Armenia
– Sweden, Finland, Azerbaijan, Iceland, FYR Macedonia, Norway
– Montenegro, Poland, Latvia, Serbia, Hungary, Denmark, Ireland, Belarus
– Georgia, Australia, Albania, Czechia, Cyprus, Austria, Netherlands, San Marino, Switzerland
– Greece, Moldova, Slovenia, Malta, Romania
– Russia, Croatia
Tomorrow: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia & Israel!
Dimivision 