Hold on, it’s May already? But I haven’t even heard all of the songs yet! Better get cracking…
Oh, hi! Suddenly it’s May again, and in just two weeks we’ll be tuning in for this year’s ESC final. Or will we? I personally still don’t know yet. With all of the shenanigans that the EBU has been up to in the past couple of months, it’s really difficult to scrape together the bare minimum of enthusiasm for what should be a celebratory edition. But having followed the contest for about 35 years now, curiosity is getting the better of me anyway. So let’s find out which 34 (+1) lambs will be led to the inevitable slaughter in Vienna. Much like last year, I’ve only seen a handful of entries getting picked in their NF but otherwise this is an audio only experience and these are my initial, instinctive reactions. Here goes nothing!
Moldova – Satoshi – Viva, Moldova
Deceptive flute there at the start, luring you into the woods…only to immediately scare the bejebus out of you. Shouty rapping can really go either way and (sadly) this simply works. It just bursts with energy, it’s got a couple of really catchy bits and a dash of patriotism. Add in some folksy vibes, mix it with the opening slot and voila: guaranteed qualifier. Mid-table at best on Saturday though. But do I like it? Lol, no.
Sweden – Felicia – My System
One of the very few I’ve actually seen. It’s hard to get this out of your system, not in the least because the word system is repeated so often and so monotonous that it sticks like glue, no matter how hard you try. I’m here for the EDM vibes of it all, but that chorus is just so damn lazy. And the entire thing feels so tacky too. I’d venture into guessing this could be Sweden’s second NQ since the invention of the semis, especially since EDM isn’t performing that well at Eurovision and it’s slotted in second. But it’s Sweden, so I guess they’ll make it?
Croatia – Lelek – Andromeda
Wow, that is A LOT to take in. Too much, one might say. I’m all for chanting like a bunch of witches in the woods, but can we make it feel less churchy? And shouty? And a bit more catchy? A possible Eurovision hit should at least have one hook to latch into your brain. This feels like it belongs more on the soundtrack of a Hunger Games movie. If this makes the final, it’ll only be because they put a curse on the others.
Greece – Akylas – Ferto
Instant Käärja vibes, in a good way. The vocals worry me, even in the studio version. The talking already sounds semi off-key and I hear a lot of autotune. The composition feels coherent – oh wait, piano interlude…that totally ruins the vibe tbh. I get the impression this guy is visually all over the place, so this will certainly come across rather overwhelming. I guess qualification is pretty possible, but I don’t think this will trouble the top 5 on Saturday.
Portugal – Bandidos do Cante – Rosa
LOL, the contrast with Greece couldn’t be bigger. Oh, I hear the word ‘jardim’, immediate bonus point. Saudade, another bonus point. This is soft, warm and quite lovely but really a bit too goody-two-shoes to warm my chilly heart. It also sounds sooo out of place at Eurovision but that means it’ll probably qualify. And in these troubled times, it could even be a surprise on Saturday. No trophy-winning surprise, but some ointment for the soul nonetheless.
Georgia – Bzikebi – On Replay
Oh. So, anyone counting on something as catchy as their Junior ESC winning song should demand a recount. This sounds quite disjointed, with no real direction to go in. Non-existent verses, random tempo switches and a super lazy (albeit rather catchy) chorus – this one feels like it’s just there to have a good time without expectations and I don’t have any for them either. Also: the ladies sound vocally very strong…why is the guy getting the bulk of the vocal leads? Baffling.
Italy – Sal da Vinci – Per Sempre Si
Listen, I’m a disco queen, okay? I’ve got it running through my veins. It gets me through the greyest of days. So I fully expected to adore this. But something’s off. The musical production sounds a bit too empty to me, it needs more flourish, more fullness. And Sal’s voice sounds a tad too shrill to really carry this over the top for me. Maybe I need to see this on stage, but I’m not really falling for this like I suspected I might.
Finland – Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen – Liekinheitin
Apparently this is the bookies’ frontrunner for now and I simultaneously get and don’t get why. The drama is there of course, in abundance. In the chorus at least, as the verses are somewhat monotonous. And there’s something in the build-up that doesn’t sit well with me, even though I adore the lead-up to the end. I also don’t feel a great hook to pull the audience in. It sounds impressive enough, sure…but winning? Even though I would love for Finland to pull that off, I don’t see it happening just now. Should qualify easily though.
Montenegro – Tamara Zivkovic – Nova Zora
Oh yes, give it to me, Montenegro! Again something’s off with the build-up here, it feels a bit randomly edited but I do adore the fierce and dramatic vibes here. Probably the first one I’d be tempted to add to my Temporary Obsession playlist. Which means it’s probably doomed. Sorry about it, Tamara.
Estonia – Vanilla Ninja – Too Epic To Be True
Too epic to be true? Remember the likes of “Don’t play that song again” and “That sounds good to me”? Yeah, neither does anyone else. The point is: this kind of song title tends to implode upon itself. This is no exception, judging by the studio version. It’s way too Avril Lavigne circa 2003 with ‘80s synths. And I remember Vanilla Ninja circa 2005. It doesn’t feel like they’re gonna be able to deliver what it says on the tin.
Israel – Noam Bettan – Michelle
NO. #stopthewar #respecttheceasefire #freepalestine #stopthegenocide
Germany – Sarah Engels – Fire
Gosh, the way this opens feels like it’s Generic Melodifestivalen Entry 286. Oh, and the rest of the song fits that bill too. Germany’s sent way worse, but after last year’s Baller I am hugely disappointed by this non-descript Fuego wannabe.
Belgium – Essyla – Dancing On The Ice
Oh my,… I hear a lot of good intentions but absolutely no resolve to really develop them into something substantial. Those verses are so empty and the lyrics make absolutely no sense, so by the time we’re getting to the only good part you’ve already gone and taken that toilet break. The first live performances left a lot to be desired too, so I guess it’s a safe bet to say we’ll have another Belgium-less Saturday evening.
Lithuania – Lion Ceccah – Solo Quiero Mas
Again a somewhat fickle composition with one too many tempo switches, but at least we get a clear-cut chorus and a hook or two. Plus a nice fat beat. The Spanish title feels so freaking random though, what’s up with that? Anyway, relieved to hear something that at least resembles a song. Curious to hear this live, on Tuesday as well as Saturday.
San Marino – Senhit – Superstar
Confession: I’ve fully developed into a Senhit stan. I’m still crazy in love with Adrenalina, she had some bangers on her album and I’m happy to see her back in the ESC game. This isn’t the most surprising song of the bunch, nor is it the most interesting. But it does have a comprehensible structure, a great hook and a beat that makes you want to move and groove. For me this is a sigh of relief in a very fickle field. Two bum notes though: the addition (or cameo rather) of Boy George is totally unnecessary, especially with his tainted reputation. And Senhit really needs to learn how to sing more and MC less. Would love to hear this in the final, and even though she’s discounted everywhere I don’t see why this couldn’t become reality. Delulu, table for two?
Poland – Alicja – Pray
As someone who grew up in a Christian cult I’m gonna go ahead and take a pass on this one. Kudos for the R&B/gospel vibes though, a unique sound in this line-up which could go either way. OK, just got to the end note – if she can pull that off live, we’ll see her on Saturday. I just kinda hope we don’t.
Serbia – Lavina – Kraj Mene
Possibly the laziest set of vocals we’ve heard in a long while…in the ‘sung’ parts obviously, as soon as the screeching starts it’s like a hurricane is unleashed. This feels impressive, but the song is not really memorable or captivating, is it? Still unique in this semi, so should be able to Q.
Preferences & Predictions
OK, so we need to find five non-qualifiers here… Gosh, that’s hard in this quite terrible semi. My three definite NQ’s right now are Estonia, Belgium and Georgia. For the other two… The problem is we’ve got three Balkan countries here – are they automatically in as a consequence? They are three very different entries and all three of them are flirting with the borders of being accessible. I am also very tempted to question Sweden’s supposed auto-qualifier status. And I acknowledge not everyone loves Senhit as much as myself. I’m just gonna flip a coin and say Poland and Montenegro for now. Begging for a better second semi.
How about you? How are you surfing the 2026 wave? And who would you predict and/or prefer?
Dimivision 