Eurovision 2017 - Automatic Qualifiers and who will win

Here we go with part 3 of my Eurovision review, including the Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and last year's winners, Ukraine.

22 - Ukraine

Artist - O.Torvald

Song - Time

Comments - There’s a bit of a penchant for host countries to send not so great entries to avoid having to host the contest for a second year in a row, mainly because of the cost of staging it. Ireland allegedly attempted this in 1994 when they were hosting it for the second year in a row (having won in 1992, then hosted – and won – 1993), but then ended up winning! This was of course famously parodied by Father Ted in 1996. Have Ukraine gone down this route this year? Well, it’s certainly staged pretty well, and the vocals are decent. It’s also a rock song, which will definitely help it stand out among the other songs in the final, and it’s already drawn a decent slot in the running order of 22nd. Unfortunately, rock music doesn’t seem to have a terribly good history at Eurovision, with Lordi’s win in 2006 and maNga’s second place for Turkey in 2010 being the only real exceptions. I’ve seen a couple of comments online that O.Torvald give off a bit of a Linkin Park vibe in this song, and I think I can see that as well. I have a feeling it’ll probably end up finishing in the middle of the table, which is respectable. They should be aiming higher, but they probably don’t want to host it again next year, and know they don’t have to qualify through the semi-finals this year, so can perhaps get away with sending a slightly weaker entry. Still, I do think Ukraine’s entry this year is one of the better ones among a sea of ballads.

France

Artist - Alma

Song - Requiem

Languages - French, English

Comments - France last won in 1977, but haven’t fared so well recently, with their dreadful effort in 2014 finishing bottom of the table with only two points. As with Portugal, they have a penchant for mainly singing in the same language (obviously in this case, it would be French), which isn’t always a good thing. Last year, Amir’s excellent ‘J’ai cherché’ finished in a solid 6th place, which was their best result since 8th in 2009. Alma is flying the Tricolore this year, and her song has already caused a bit of controversy. Originally, it was just going to be in French, but it was discovered that she had performed it in 2015, which is completely against the rules for the Contest. There was speculation that the entry might be disqualified as a result. However, it was re-written as a bilingual French-English song instead, which must’ve got them off the hook. As for the song itself? Well, Alma’s got a good voice, and switches between French and English very smoothly. There’s a slight Latin dance feel to it as well, which I’m hopeful will be replicated in May, and the official video makes good usage of some Parisian landmarks. Live at Amsterdam’s preview party, I was impressed with Alma’s vocal performance. As an entire package, I don’t think it’s quite as good as last year’s effort, but it’s another solid entry from France that I think should see them finish in the middle of the table. Maybe in the top 10 if they’re lucky!

Germany

Artist - Levina

Song - Perfect Life

Comments - Germany may have won twice at Eurovision, but have finished in last quite a bit, with the ignominy of nul points three times (the latest of which in 2015 was incredibly unfair, in my opinion, as I thought the entry was quite decent, but the live performance on the night let it down). Levina won the right to represent Germany at Eurovision this year, and, erm…Oh dear. The introduction and opening notes have quite clearly been lifted directly from David Guetta and Sia’s ‘Titanium’, which is a cracking song in its own right. Levina’s vocals are decent, but the song itself just feels like it’s got nothing going for it. It’s too light for something that’s lifted bits from a dance track, and there’s no really strong contrast between the verse and chorus, either. There’s a bit more percussion towards the end, but to me, it’s too little too late. Her live performance at the national final did show some slightly out-of-tune and wavering vocals, which is a concern to me when it comes to performing in Kiev, and her performance at Amsterdam’s preview party had more of the same. A disappointment from Germany, and one I don’t see getting out of the bottom five.

Italy

Artist - Francesco Gabbani

Song - Occidentali's Karma (Westerner's Karma)

Language - Italian (Contains some words in Ancient Greek, English, Pali and Sanskrit)

Comments - Italy took a lengthy break from Eurovision in the mid-1990s and during the whole of the 2000s (making one appearance in 1997), but finished in 2nd on their return in 2011. They’ve had three further top 10 finishes since then, including 3rd in 2015 with the powerfully operatic ‘Grande Amore’ from Il Volo. Francesco Gabbani’s entry is odds-on favourite to win with many bookmakers, and it’s an entry that’s got so many people talking. Catchy music? Check. Vibrant on-stage visuals? Check. Dancing gorilla? Check. Yes, the song features a dancing gorilla (well, someone dressed up as one). Bet you any money there’ll be a few references to Harambe by the general public. Francesco’s dancing is a bit cheesy, I’ll admit, but the song itself is a bit on the cheesy side anyway. In a good way, mind! The dance in the chorus has apparently gone viral across Italy as well. Francesco looks like he’s loving the performance, and come the final in Kiev, it’s got great potential for staging. Most of the graphics should be able to be transferred over, if not all of them, and the dancing gorilla will certainly help to liven things up. The song itself makes plenty of references to Oriental spirituality, and how a lot of Westerners seek spiritual fulfilment in said spirituality. I could go into further details about this, but Wiwibloggs has a good article on the song. His performance at Amsterdam’s preview party was fantastic – so much stage presence, and his vocals live are superb – for me, the performance of the night there. The big question, though is this. Does it deserve the odds it’s been given? What are its chances of winning? Yes, and very strong. We might be seeing a first win for one of the Big Five since Germany’s win in 2010 (OK, it was technically called the Big Four at that point, given Italy weren’t competing that year, but it’s the equivalent). And I think it’d be a deserved win if it managed it! The song has annoyingly had to be shortened to comply with the 3-minute limit for Eurovision, but it’s still got pretty much everything that made the original version so, so good. The first video released has become the most-viewed Eurovision song in history on YouTube, now hitting over 100 million views! I know that may seem a bit like clutching at straws, but for one Eurovision song to get so many YouTube views weeks before the Contest has even happened is a pretty good sign for its prospects when it comes to the final in Kiev.

Spain
Artist - Manel Navarro
Song - Do It for Your Lover
Languages - Spanish, English
Comments - Despite two wins, Spain haven’t done terribly well as of late. Since 2000, they’ve had five top 10 finishes, but have otherwise been in the middle of the table, if not towards the bottom. So one would hope that they might send a decent entry this year. However, erm…Let’s see. The selection of the entry was controversial, with there being a deadlock at the national final between Manel Navarro and Mirela, both entries having achieved 58 points in the voting. It therefore went to the three-member jury to decide, and they opted for Manel on two votes to one. The crowd were not at all happy, and it was alleged that one of the jurors had a conflict of interest due to promoting Manel’s entry on his own radio show. An investigation was made, but everything was cleared. Anyway, back to the song. Yet again, it’s another sodding ballad ballad, and hasn’t really got anything that makes it stand out from anything else, other than it’s guitar-led. Manel’s vocals are decent, but there’s not much else going for it. There’s virtually no variation at all between verse and chorus, other than transitioning between Spanish and English, and the chorus just feels so repetitive. Honest opinion of this entry? I just get the vibe of ‘douchebag with a guitar’ whenever I hear this song, and even when I look at Manel, I get that feeling. Even live at the national final and at Amsterdam’s preview party, I can find no real redeeming features of the song at all. Despite being one of my least favourite songs this year, it’s irritatingly catchy. Spain will once again be lucky to get out of the bottom five.

United Kingdom
Artist - Lucie Jones
Song - Never Give Up on You
Comments - And now, we finally get to the UK. We’ve had a fair bit of success in the past, but have also suffered the dreaded nul points in 2003 (the less said about Jemini, the better, really). Since our last win, we’ve finished in 2^nd (1998), one 3^rd (2002), and 5^th (2009). We’ve tried a couple of different things to select a contestant and song (internal selection of a big-name act for 2011-2013, and then internal selection of an unknown act for 2014 and 2015), but they’ve come to nothing. Last year saw the return of a televised national final, with six entries being presented to us. How generous. Especially when Sweden’s Melodifestivalen had 28 this year. 28!!! Still, at least we have the choice of who represents us now, so if it all goes to pot, we’ll only have ourselves to blame. Which seems to be what happened last year with Joe & Jake. This year, Lucie Jones deservedly won the selection with the strongest live performance of the lot. It’s a ballad, I know, but I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for it. Plus one of the writers was the 2013 winner, Emmelie de Forest, so it’s also got that going for it. Lucie’s vocal performance is very good, and the backing is simple, but it’s worked well into the song. Staging-wise, it could do with some work. The camerawork in the national final was a bit off, and could do with focusing more on Lucie from different angles. Lighting could be used to help provide a greater contrast between the different parts of the song. Since the national final, the song’s seen a bit of a revamp. There are some added synths in the chorus, which certainly helps it along, and there’s a stronger beat that kicks in at the start of the second verse which carries on throughout the following chorus. Fading out to almost nothing for the middle eight also works, before building slightly to the pre-chorus and then kicking in a fair bit more for the last chorus. The revamped version is certainly better than the original by quite a bit, but the original was still good in its own right. It just needed that little bit extra to give it a bit more oomph when it comes to the final in Kiev. Her live performance at Amsterdam’s preview party was very good, and she can certainly sing it live very well. What surprised me with it was that the crowd were singing along in the chorus. I didn’t expect that at all! In fairness, you’d expect a former X Factor contestant and West End musical actress to be able to perform live (Lucie has played the part of Cosette in Les Miserables, for example, and more recently has played the role of Maureen Jones in the touring production of Rent). It’s not going to win, I know that, but I think it should get to the upper right corner of the scoreboard. If we’re lucky, it could jump over to the left hand side!

Who will win?

This is the really tricky part, not helped by the fact that so many entries are so similar. For me, the stronger entries in the first semi-final are Sweden, Portugal and Armenia, with Finland being a potential dark horse and Moldova being one of the more upbeat entries. In semi-final 2, I think the stronger entries are Serbia, Bulgaria and Belarus, despite me not really being overly keen on Bulgaria. As for the automatic qualifiers? Well, as much as I like Ukraine's entry, the best one of those six just has to be Italy. The worst entries are Montenegro from semi-final 1, Lithuania from semi-final 2, and Germany and Spain from the automatic qualifiers. With regard to the overall winner, I can see Portugal causing a potential upset, and they should be on course for their best ever Eurovision result anyway. In all honesty, I think the trophy this year is more than likely going to Italy.

Eurovision 2017 - Semi-Final 2

Here we go with semi-final 2. Same format applies for the structure of this post as did the other semi-final.

01 - Serbia

Artist - Tijana Bogićević

Song - In Too Deep

Comments - Serbia famously won Eurovision in 2007, their first time performing as a sovereign nation in their own right. Since then, they’ve failed to qualify twice, and didn’t participate in 2014, but have done relatively OK as well. So what is Tijana’s entry like this year? It’s certainly quite upbeat, which helps against a lot of the entries for this year. Decent vocals, decent lyrics, and the staging in the official video could transfer to the live performance quite well. If it gets to the final, then it could be one of those entries that does better in the final than the semi due to the wider range of countries available to vote. Also, I’m intrigued that it’s on first in the running order, but like Sweden in the first semi-final, it could be that the producers wanted the semi-final to start off with a strong entry. Can’t blame them, really. They were also the first country to perform in the second semi-final in 2012, where they went on to finish third in the final. Her live performance at Israel's preview party did seem a bit weak, though, which is a concern, and this might knock her down the rankings in the semi-final, which – if she does end up qualifying – could lead to her being given a less favourable slot in the running order for the final, which would be a shame, as it’s a pretty good song. However, she was better at Amsterdam, and she did manage to work the crowd quite well, so maybe Tel Aviv was just a blip.

02 - Austria

Artist - Nathan Trent

Song - Running on Air

Comments - Following Austria’s win in 2014 with Conchita Wurst’s ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’, Austria finished the following year with nul points, becoming the first ever host country to achieve this unwanted feat. Will Nathan Trent help them turn their fortunes around, like Zoë somewhat started to do last year? Well, the official video takes advantage of some stunning scenery, and Nathan’s got a lovely voice. It just feels a bit bland and doesn’t develop much, following pretty much the same chord pattern throughout the verse and the chorus. It’s pleasant to listen to, but it doesn’t scream potential Eurovision winner to me. It could be lucky to get out of the semi-finals, especially with it being second in the running order. Nathan’s good live, going off his performance at Amsterdam’s preview party, but I think he’ll be reliant on some good staging in Kiev to stand a decent chance of qualifying. Even then, I’m not confident that he will.

03 - Macedonia

Artist - Jana Burčeska

Song - Dance Alone

Comments - Macedonia don’t seem to do well at Eurovision, having qualified for the final only once in the past nine years, and with a top finish of 12th in 2006. They deserve a change in fortune, though does Jana deliver? Erm…Sort of. The song style does have a bit of a dance/house feel to it, which helps it stand out from a ballad-heavy year, and the vocals are pretty decent, too. The middle eight seems a bit weird and out-of-place from the rest of the track, and it does drag a bit towards the end. Despite that, I think it has a decent chance of making it through to the final. Originally, it was supposed to follow Russia in the running order, but since their withdrawal, Macedonia now follows on from Austria. Given their entry seems to be a bit on the bland side, I think Macedonia’s chances have increased a little bit. I really liked her live performance from Amsterdam’s preview party, and with some good staging, her chances should increase further.

04 - Malta

Artist - Claudia Faniello

Song - Breathlessly

Comments - As with Ireland, I’ve always had a soft spot for Malta. And it’s not just because Game of Thrones was filmed there. They’ve usually been relatively middle-of-the-table performers at Eurovision, so here’s to hoping that Claudia Faniello will give more of the same, if not more. Claudia’s vocals are lovely, and it’s got decent lyrics, but it’s a bit on the slow side to building and adding some extra depth to the backing music. I’m also a bit confused as to why the official video has the main plot (for want of a better term) being played in reverse. It doesn’t seem to make any sense to me. ‘Breathlessly’ is a pleasant enough song to listen to, but as with Austria, I’m a bit concerned that it’s not enough. One that could’ve been buried in the running order and therefore not have a good chance of going through to the final, but it’s not got terribly great songs being performed either side of it, so it may stand a better chance now. Claudia’s live performance at the Maltese national final was vocally solid, but I think it’s a song that could do with something like a low fogger to add something extra. I know it sounds a bit clichéd, but it might be what the song needs.

05 - Romania

Artist - Ilinca feat. Alex Florea

Song - Yodel It!

Comments - Romania were disqualified from last year’s contest only a couple of weeks before it took place due to the non-payment of debts by the broadcaster, TVR. This has been resolved, and they’ve returned for this year. You’d expect yodelling to take place in a typically Alpine country’s entry for Eurovision, such as Switzerland or Austria. But no, it’s appearing in Romania’s this time around. Ilinca’s dress in the video from the national final reminds me of what one would expect a stereotypical Irish leprechaun to wear, though the green on her dress is a fair bit darker. I just can’t understand why Romania seem to be so high up in the odds rankings. The vocal performances seem a bit out-of-tune in places, and there’s something about the entire package that I’m really not keen on at all. It might get through to the final, but I really don’t fancy its chances all that much. Then again, barring last year’s disqualification, they’ve got through to the final every time they’ve competed since the semi-finals were introduced, so they could well prove me wrong.

06 - Netherlands

Artist - O'G3NE

Song - Lights and Shadows

Comments - The Netherlands haven’t won since 1975. Since the semi-finals were introduced in 2004, they didn’t qualify for the final at all between 2005 and 2012. Their 2014 entry, ‘Calm After the Storm’, finished a surprise second in the final. To me, this was more than likely down to some great staging to go along with the song, which was performed beautifully by The Common Linnets. O’G3N3 are sisters and previous Eurovision winners, having won the Junior ESC in 2007. They were also the winners of the 5th season of The Voice of Holland, so they’re proven performers. The strength of the vocal performance is one of the best in this year’s Contest, with the harmonies between the three sisters being absolutely beautiful. However, it’s not easy to work out which of them is singing the main melody line, which isn’t a good thing if you want a memorable Eurovision song. The middle eight does serve as a nice contrast, and the start of the last chorus being performed largely a capella is also a lovely touch. Oh, and it’s also got a couple of key changes, which are worked in to the song quite nicely. Staging-wise, I’m not sure much can be done to help the song, which is a bit of a worry. Live at Amsterdam’s preview party, they were once again very strong vocally, and there seemed to be a much stronger vocal from one of the sisters during the harmonies, so it seems like they may have made some effort in sorting out that particular issue. I’m confident that it’ll get through, but it’d be a crying shame if it didn’t.

07 - Hungary

Artist - Joci Pápai

Song - Origo (Origin)

Language - Hungarian (Title is in Latin, and some phrases are in Romani)

Comments - Hungary have never won Eurovision, with their best finish being 4th in 1994. This year’s entry is…difficult to describe. Joci’s vocal performance is decent (even if what he’s singing is pretty much indecipherable, though it being in another language doesn’t help much – it almost sounds like he’s mumbling along), and I like the ethnic instruments, which gives it a bit more of an exotic feel. However, I don’t think the song really develops much, which is a disappointment. The song is supposed to be about the pain and torment Joci has suffered with being part of an ethnic minority, but I’m just not really getting it at all. As with Romania, I’m struggling to see how this entry is getting the odds that it is. The staging in the national final was good, though, with a belly dancer dressed in what I’m presuming is supposed to be a Romany gypsy outfit, which goes along with some phrases of the song being in Romani. It does stand out a bit from the rest, but not by much. Despite my views, I think it’ll probably qualify.

08 - Denmark

Artist - Anja Nissen

Song - Where I Am

Comments - Denmark won the contest in 1963, 2000 and 2013, but they’ve failed to get through the semi-finals for the past two years, which isn’t quite so good. Here’s to hoping that Anja will turn their fortunes around…Well, it makes use of a low fogger, and the staging is good, particularly the use of lighting and the backdrop for contrast between the chorus and verse. Anja also gives a solid vocal performance, though she does seem a little bit on the weak side in the middle eight. Regardless, she’s got time to polish things up for the semi-final in May, in which I think she will probably manage to get through to the final.

09 - Ireland

Artist - Brendan Murray

Song - Dying to Try

Comments - I’ve always had a soft spot for Ireland, the most successful country in Eurovision history, though they’ve not done quite so well in recent years, not qualifying for the final in the past three Contests. Still, I actually enjoyed Jedward’s entries (I cannot believe I just said that) in 2011 and 2012. They were a perfect act for Eurovision, really, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they ever made a return at some point. But anyway, onto this year’s contestant – Brendan Murray. He’s got youth on his side, and his vocal line is surprisingly high in places, but he’s only 20. It does work, but he does seem like he’s straining a bit when it comes to the high notes, especially after the key change. His live at Amsterdam’s preview party was a bit better, though. One difference to most other songs this year is that it’s in a 3/4 time signature as opposed to the relatively standard 4/4. It builds slowly, and then when the key change comes in, it really gets some much-needed oomph. If it’s staged well, it should get through to the final, but I still have those doubts over Brendan’s vocals. I’m desperate for Ireland to have a song in the final again, and I’m hopeful that this will be the song that gives them that slot.

10 - San Marino

Artist - Valentina Monetta & Jimmie Wilson

Song - Spirit of the Night

Comments - Ah, Valentina Monetta. San Marino’s seemingly default choice for Eurovision, having represented them for three years in a row between 2012 and 2014, getting the country to the final for the first time in 2014. This time, she’s singing alongside Jimmie Wilson. Both give good vocal performances, with the harmonies working and a decent melody that’s quite easy to follow. It’s certainly a lot more up-tempo and upbeat than some of what we’ve got this year. I like the key changes as well – they’re slotted in very smoothly – but they’re just a little bit on the late side for my liking. The odds on it seem to be annoyingly and appallingly bad, but I have a hunch that those odds will shorten when the rehearsals commence in Kiev at the start of May. Their performance at Israel’s preview party was good, with the on-stage interaction between Valentina and Jimmie working well. It’s entirely probable that they’ll get several votes because Valentina is back performing once again, so it might sneak through to the final on that basis alone. I really like it, despite the poor odds, and I think it could be one to watch out for.

11 - Croatia

Artist - Jacques Houdek

Song - My Friend

Languages - English, Italian

Comments - Croatia haven’t done so well recently, not qualifying for the final between 2010 and 2013, but they had a decent run between 1995 and 2001, finishing in the top 10 six times out of seven. Jacques Houdek must be hoping that he’ll be able to get them back on track with solid finishes. He’s got a very good vocal range, and sings both the English and Italian parts very well, though the high notes in the English parts just sound really weird. They remind me of the frankly bizarre vocal line from Axel Hirsoux’s 2014 entry for Belgium. Despite this, it’s also nice to have a bit of opera back in the contest, but it’s definitely no Il Volo from 2015. The key change is also good. I’m just not sure that the two styles gel together terribly well. It could be down to the Italian/opera bit being sung at a lower octave and with a deeper voice than the rest of the song. It’s one that should be helped along by some good staging in May, and I’m thinking there’ll be quite a focus on lighting for this song. Could sneak in to the final. Annoyingly, I can’t find any live performance, so it’s not going to be possible to have a clearer idea of how well it’s going to do until the rehearsals start in Kiev at the start of May.

12 - Norway

Artist - JOWST feat. Aleksander Walmann

Song - Grab the Moment

Comments - Norway have three victories in Eurovision, and generally do deliver good songs, but have finished in last place and gained nul points more than any other country, and haven’t qualified from the semis on three occasions. Let’s hope this year’s entry doesn’t leave them to the same fate. Aleksander Walmann gives a good lead vocal performance, and the vast majority of the song is perfectly decent, with a good contrast between verse and chorus. Just enough to make it clear what’s what. I also like the masks on the backing musicians – reminds me of Daft Punk! The song does have a slight Daft Punk feel as well. The main sticking point for me is the middle eight. It just feels so discordant and out-of-place with the rest of the song, though this will apparently be changed for May. It wasn’t changed for Amsterdam’s preview party, although this may be because it was still being worked on at the time. I think Norway should get through to the final, but I’m not expecting terribly great things from it.

13 - Switzerland

Artist - Timbelle

Song - Apollo

Comments - Switzerland have had two famous victories. Their first was in 1956, with the very first Eurovision Song Contest. They subsequently won again in 1988 with Celine Dion. Since the semi-finals were introduced, their best finish was 13th in 2014, and they’ve failed to even qualify for the final nine times, so they must be hoping that Timbelle will be able to give them the result they need. It seems catchy enough, with a solid chorus and some good vocals from Maruna Manescu, the lead singer, though her winning performance in the national final did seem a little bit nervy and slightly off-key in places. Still, I have a feeling she’ll probably get through, and a bit of improvement in the staging will certainly help, as it just feels a bit static as it is at the moment. I did like the rose petals that fell towards the end in the national final, though that might not be practical for Kiev, so they may end up using the backdrop to project something similar on instead as a compromise.

14 - Belarus

Artist - NAVI (also called Naviband)

Song - Historyja majho žyccia (Story of My Life)

Language - Belarussian

Comments - Belarus have only qualified for the final four times since their first appearance in 2004, with their best finish being 6th in 2007. Interestingly, this year is the first time Belarus’ Eurovision entry (or any Eurovision entry, for that matter) has been in Belarussian. This could potentially be a bit of an undoing for them, but I really like the song. Naviband’s vocals are good, with both Arciom and Ksienija complementing each other, and the melody’s easier to try and work out than that of the Dutch entry this year. It’s also quite upbeat – definitely one of the more cheerful-sounding entries this year –  and, like the Irish entry, is also in 3/4 (though it could also be termed as 6/8 if you listen closely to the rhythm) as opposed to the more normal 4/4, which also helps it stand out. They could do with some backing dancers for the staging, and with the national final performance, neither singer really interacted with each other like they did in the official video, which was rather disappointing. Instead, they just stayed relatively static at their microphones, though there was some dancing from Ksienija, but she didn’t really move around the stage much. I really like the song, but the staging has so much more potential than is currently being realised, and I think it needs to improve. Still, I think it’ll make the final because it’s so much more upbeat than the other entries.

15 - Bulgaria

Artist - Kristian Kostov

Song - Beautiful Mess

Comments - Bulgaria have only qualified twice since they started at Eurovision in 2005, but managed 5th in 2007 and a best performance of 4th last year. Last year’s entry was one of my favourites, too! So it seems that when Bulgaria have a good entry, it’s a very good one. So what’s Kristian Kostov’s ‘Beautiful Mess’ like? Well, the odds are pretty good, for starters. He was also a finalist in the first season of The Voice Kids Russia, and the runner-up of season four of The X Factor Bulgaria, so he’s quite well-versed in singing competitions. And he’ll be 17 when the Contest rolls around in Kiev, so the youngest contestant this year. The song’s yet another ballad, but Kristian does a very good job with the vocals in both the official video and his live performance at London’s Eurovision preview party. He may look like he’s about 12, but his voice really makes you think he’s much, much older. The song builds slowly, but there isn’t much contrast between verse and chorus, and there’s just something about it that I’m still not 100% sold on. It just feels a bit too subtle and understated for my liking. Its placing in the running order isn’t too bad, and given it’s followed by what I think is this year’s worst Eurovision entry, it’ll probably get through to the final.

16 - Lithuania

Artist - Fusedmarc

Song - Rain of Revolution

Comments - Lithuania have never won Eurovision, with only two top 10 finishes. So not exactly great. As for this year’s entry? Oh dear. The backing music is cheesy. The graphics on the staging are good as well. And…that’s where the good bits end. The lead vocalist, Viktorija, sounds out of tune in places, and almost like she’s shouting as well. The backing vocalists are a bit better, but not by much. Also, whoever decided to choreograph Viktorija needs firing, as she’s just awful. Unless this has some big changes, and I’m struggling to work out what could be changed to make it better other than ripping the entire thing up and starting again, I honestly can’t see this song anywhere near the grand final.

17 - Estonia

Artist - Koit Toome & Laura

Song - Verona

Comments - Since the semis were introduced in 2004, Estonia have only qualified for the final on five occasions, but have managed three top 10 finishes on those occasions, so they can produce good entries. Both Koit and Laura have good vocals, but I’m really not sure on the staging at all. From the performance in the national final, we only see them singing together on camera after about 1m40s, with the initial period being just cuts between the two of them. I’ve seen one comment online saying that the staging should be changed so it’s more like Romeo singing to Juliet on a balcony à la Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and I think there may be something there. Sure, it’s a bit clichéd, given the song title, but it could work. The song itself is decent, with good harmonies between the two, but the staging could do with being changed a bit in order for it to end up with a better chance of making it through to the final.

18 - Israel

Artist - Imri

Song - I'm Alive

Comments - Since 1998, Israel have had four top 10 finishes, but have failed to qualify six times, including four consecutive years between 2011 and 2014. They could do with a bit of a change in fortune, really. Imri’s a decent singer, and there’s a good build up to the chorus, but there’s not as much of a ‘drop’ (for want of a better term) when the chorus does hit, which isn’t exactly great for something of a dance track. The ending just seems to feel a bit flat and abrupt, too, which is a bit of a downer. Furthermore, the lyrics come across as a bit ‘me, me, me’, and I’m not too keen on that. May get through to the final, especially given it’s last in the running order, but I’m not going to get my hopes up too much.

WITHDRAWN - Russia

Artist - Julia Samoylova

Song - Flame Is Burning

Comments - The whole situation surrounding Russia this year is complicated, but it's been summarised elsewhere. Though it's safe to say it doesn't make either Ukraine, Russia or - to an extent - the EBU look terribly good. But anyway, onto Russia's song. One thing that should be noted is that Julia uses a wheelchair due to her losing the use of her legs as a child because of spinal muscular atrophy. Her speech has been affected as a result of this, and her diction in the song isn't great. The song's pleasant to listen to, and does have something of an uplifting message, but there's not much else going for it. I did like the use of a low fogger in the official video, and I would've expected them to throw one in for Kiev if they hadn't gone and withdrawn. As with so many entries this year, I would've expected this to qualify and finish mid-table.

OK, that's Semi-Final 2 done and dusted. The automatic qualifiers and my overall concluding thoughts will follow shortly.

Eurovision 2017 - Semi-Final 1

It’s that time of year again – Eurovision 2017 isn’t far away! All 42 competing nations have now announced their artists and songs, and all have now been released. Thirty-six countries have to go through the semi-finals – eighteen in each – with ten qualifying from each semi-final to the final. Six countries have automatically qualified to the final – these are the Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and Ukraine, last year’s winners and the hosts for this year. This has been standard practice for many years (the Big Four have automatically qualified for the final since 2000, regardless of past performances, and were joined by Italy upon their return to the contest in 2011). I’ll be posting my comments on each country’s entry. Regardless of Russia’s withdrawal, their entry has been reviewed anyway. The countries are reviewed in the order in which they’ll appear in the semi-finals, and are colour-coded in terms of whether I think they'll qualify (green for 'Yes', orange for 'Maybe', and red for 'No'), though this doesn't apply for the automatic qualifiers. With respect to the voting, each country can only vote in the semi-final in which they’re appearing. As well as this, the Big Five and the host country vote in one semi-final each, with three countries being allocated to each semi-final. The first semi-final this year has Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom voting in it. The second has France, Germany and Ukraine voting. In the final, all participating countries vote, regardless of whether they got through to the final or not. Unless otherwise stated, entries are in English.

01 - Sweden

Artist - Robin Bengtsson

Song - I Can't Go On

Comments - I’m not gonna lie, I’m still rather bitter that Sweden opted for Robin Bengtsson over Loreen’s ‘Statements’. Still, I’m going to try and approach this entry with an open mind. Lyrically, it feels a bit cheesy and clichéd, but it’s relatively musically solid, despite lacking that crescendo towards the end. Interestingly, Robin somewhat struggled in the voting in Melodifestivalen, finishing third in the televoting, but getting saved by the juries. It’s not a bad song by any means – it’s definitely grown on me – but I am a little bit concerned that it’s going to struggle based on its performance in Melodifestivalen. Being placed first in the running order is an interesting decision by the EBU, but it’ll certainly be good to kick the semi-final off with a relatively solid entry. Furthermore, it’d be a shock if Sweden didn’t get through – they’ve only failed to get through the semi-final once, which is a pretty impressive record. The staging should transfer well to Kiev, but they might have to change how they did it in the first verse, with Robin starting the song off whilst backstage, and then finally getting on the stage at the start of the first pre-chorus. Oh, and he’s going to have to be careful to not sing the explicit version of the chorus when he’s doing it live. In fact, this is actually the first Eurovision entry I’ve ever known to have explicit language in it!

02 - Georgia

Artist - Tamara Gachechiladze

Song - Keep the Faith

Comments - Solo female artist standing on a raised circular platform? That alone brings echoes of Conchita Wurst’s victorious 2014 performance for Austria. She will have backing vocalists for the Contest, though. The odds aren’t great for this entry, which I think is a bit of a shame. Tamara puts on a great vocal performance, and manages to incorporate not one, but TWO pretty well-timed key changes, ending on a powerful note. Lyrically, it’s pretty good, and the song’s overall message is quite uplifting, but I really don’t like all the images and footage that got put onto the backdrop during the national final performance. It just doesn’t seem to sit right, especially when Eurovision is supposed to be a family-friendly show and non-political. This did get sorted for the official video, which I think was much better, so it’s entirely possible that this will be carried over to the live show. It has a chance of qualifying, but I’m not sure how well it’ll do. Second in the running order isn’t the best slot, either, so as much as I want it to go through, I have my doubts that it will, especially when it follows a pretty decent song from Sweden and precedes Australia. Compared to Sweden, it does seem a bit on the flat side. However, I do think it’s entirely possible that it will go through to the final on just her vocal performance.

03 - Australia

Artist - Isaiah

Song - Don't Come Easy

Comments - To get 5^th and then 2^nd in your first two appearances at Eurovision is pretty good going, frankly. It suggests to me that Australia ‘get’ Eurovision, despite not having competed in it until 2015. After the great job Guy Sebastian did in 2015, followed by Dami Im wowing us all and finishing second last year with an amazing vocal performance, you’d expect another good song from Australia. Rumours were that they were going to send something more upbeat like their 2015 entry, but instead, they’ve gone for a ballad. In fairness, it’s actually quite good, and I’m sure it’ll improve when it gets closer to the Contest in May. It steadily builds throughout to a good final chorus, though understandably dipping down a little bit for the middle eight before the final chorus. Furthermore, Isaiah won the latest series of The X Factor Australia, and from one of the live performances, he certainly does well live, though I’m sure it’ll only improve as time goes along. Admittedly, the audio quality from the live recording I watched isn’t the greatest, but that could be down to the limitations of the device used, which I’m guessing was just someone’s mobile phone. Will he win? I’m not sure, but I think it’ll get through the semi-final relatively easily, and it’s followed by a not-so-great song in the running order, so it could stand a good chance.

04 - Albania

Artist - Lindita

Song - World

Comments - It has its good moments, with a good beat during the chorus. Lindita does sing it relatively well, though I was initially a little concerned as to how she’d cope doing it live, given she seems to strain on the longer and higher notes a bit. With her performance at Amsterdam’s preview party, these concerns of mine do seem to be somewhat founded – Lindita did seem to drop out a couple of times as the song went on. The verses feel a little bit on the bland side as well, though I do like the underlying chord progression throughout. Albania haven’t had the best history in Eurovision, with only two top 10 finishes, and all other appearances in the final being on the right-hand side of the scoreboard. They may sneak through this year, but don’t hold your breath. Also, being sandwiched between two songs that seem to have decent shots at making it through to the final doesn’t exactly help its cause very much.

05 - Belgium

Artist - Blanche

Song - City Lights

Comments - Belgium’s entry for this year seems to be one of the favourites to win. If I’m honest, I’m struggling to see why. It just feels a little bit on the bland side, and doesn’t seem to have that build during the song that one may expect from a Eurovision entry. Having said that, one thing I did pick up on is that the harmonising vocals are generally higher than the lead, which to me is unusual. Blanche’s vocal performance is decent, but she just sounds a bit weird when she goes up an octave and sings the chorus on her own towards the end. She almost sounds like a slightly more depressing Lana Del Rey at times. I have a feeling that in order to do well, this entry will be relying on some inventive staging, but I’m honestly struggling to see what on earth they could come up with to try and help Blanche along. Then again, it’s got those aforementioned decent odds, and also a relatively decent place in the running order (Montenegro, which follows this song, is just dire), so what do I know? Having listened to the song a few more times, it’s slowly grown on me, but I’m still not overly keen on it. Also, with her live performance at the London Eurovision Party, she sounded incredibly weak and nervy. The noise of the crowd was frequently louder than she was! I’m almost wondering whether she’s letting nerves and pressure get to her a bit too much, or maybe something major’s happened that’s knocked her confidence right back. Either way, it’s really not a good start, and she’ll need to try and get things sorted for when rehearsals begin in Kiev soon, or she could possibly face going out of the semi-final.

06 - Montenegro

Artist - Slavko Kalezić

Song - Space

Comments - Montenegro don’t have the best pedigree when it comes to Eurovision, having only qualified for the final twice since they first entered as a sovereign nation in its own right in 2007. Will their fortunes fare any better this time around? Hmm…In a word, no. I can’t see it getting out of the semi-final. It just feels a bit boring and I stand by that statement after a few more listens. Slavko’s vocals aren’t the best on the official video, and he’s not exactly great live either. I would be very, very surprised if this got through to the final.

07 - Finland

Artist - Norma John

Song - Blackbird

Comments - Finland’s entries have been a bit mixed in recent years, though the obvious highlight was when Lordi shocked everyone in 2006 with ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’. I’ll admit that I didn’t like that entry much at first, but as time’s gone on, and I’ve watched more ESCs, I’ve come to understand why it won. It was unconventional, and really stood out amongst what we’ve come to traditionally expect from Eurovision entries. So how does Norma John’s ‘Blackbird’ stack up? It feels understated and a bit simplistic, but it seems to works. The staging in the national final, with Leena being accompanied on stage by a grand piano, isn’t too bad either. Plus I spy a low fogger! I’m also a fan of the pulsating red lights used on the stage floor as well combined with the low fogger. I know I’ve mentioned about songs needing a bit of oomph for the final chorus, and ‘Blackbird’ has this, but it’s subtle. Having said that, the subtlety works for it. Vocally, Leena's not only good, but consistently good when live. I think I can see it getting through to the final, especially as it follows one of the worst songs this year! Finland’s definitely one to watch out for this year, I think – Norma John could possibly spring a bit of a surprise, depending on how the voting goes.

08 - Azerbaijan

Artist - Dihaj

Song - Skeletons

Comments - Of the winning entries from the past few years, Azerbaijan’s in 2011 was perhaps the most surprising of all. The song just wasn’t the greatest. They’ve qualified for the final in every year they’ve competed, though with varying degrees of success each time. So how does Dihaj’s entry compare? As a whole package, it’s pretty good, and seems to be one of the stronger entries from the first semi-final. The backing vocals and harmonies work well, too, but one thing I’m not too keen on (and it’s only relatively minor) is the line “I’m a skeletons” in the chorus. Being a bit of a stickler for grammar, it gets on my nerves a bit, but it’s a good entry from Azerbaijan, and it should do well. I’m a little bit concerned at Dihaj’s ability to perform live – she did seem a bit weak at Amsterdam's preview party – but that could’ve been because of initial audio issues, as she became a lot clearer as it went on. Despite Azerbaijan’s 100% qualifying record from the semi-finals, they haven’t been in the top ten for the past three years, and presumably want that to change. I think they might be in with a chance of getting back onto the left hand side of the scoreboard this year.

09 - Portugal

Artist - Salvador Sobral

Song - Amar pelos dois (Love for the both of us)

Language - Portuguese

Comments - Back after a year off for Portugal. They’ve generally been a solid yet unspectacular performer, with an almost constant penchant for singing solely in Portuguese. Whilst this is somewhat admirable, it is surely a good idea to experiment and try another language. Will Salvador Sobral give them the victory they’ve been wanting for so many years? The odds seem to be quite good, which is an encouraging sign. It’s a piano ballad, but it does work with Salvador’s vocals. It reminds me somewhat of ‘Moon River’ in places, which I mean as a big compliment. I don’t think a song like this is going to need much staging and embellishment between now and the Contest in order to help it out. Rather, the focus will more than likely be solely on Salvador, perhaps with some creative camera work. One possibility is a darkened stage with maybe a few lights in the background, and Salvador lit up by a spotlight or something. My initial reaction upon the song ending for the first time was “That was nice”, and I do think it could do well. Even in a year that seems to have quite a lot of ballads, there’s something about this song that makes it stand out from the rest. Going on at the end of the first half should help it along a bit, too. There has been some concern expressed about Salvador’s health, with his sister stepping in for some rehearsals, which is a bit of a worry, but it may well be that they’re trying to give Salvador as much rest as possible ahead of the rehearsal weeks in Kiev. At the national final in Portugal, he didn’t even have his ear monitors in, which was apparently due to a technical issue very shortly before he went on stage, so he had to rely on the floor monitors. And yet despite this, he still managed a wonderful and captivating performance that I’m confident will catch on.

10 - Greece

Artist - Demy

Song - This Is Love

Comments - Greece have generally been pretty good at Eurovision, with three 3^rd place finishes alongside their 2005 win. Their 2013 entry, ‘Alcohol Is Free’, is also another favourite of mine. Last year, however, they completely bombed with the dreadful ‘Utopian Land’, which was their first entry which failed to make the final. Demy’s entry starts off a predictable ballad, but it turns into something of a dance track. The constituent parts are fine, but the transition’s a little weird. Though having said that, it’s nowhere near as bad as the transition between verse and chorus on last year’s Norwegian entry! It’s certainly a pleasant song to listen to, and it should see Greece get back into the final. It’s certainly a damn sight better than last year’s entry! I’d like to see what they plan on doing with the staging, which I’m sure will help it along. I did see some backing dancers in one live performance she did in Greece, and they helped a bit, so I’d imagine they’d be included for Kiev.

11 - Poland

Artist - Kasia Moś

Song - Flashlight

Comments - Poland’s most memorable entry in recent years has to be what they put together in 2014. It was surprisingly divisive, finishing fifth in the televoting, but 23^rd in the jury voting. My suspicion is that the juries didn’t appreciate the suggestive nature of the performance. Still, I wonder what Poland have got for 2017…Oh dear. I have no idea whether Kasia is hitting the right notes or not, due to there being no underlying melody at all. In fact, she does sound out of tune in places, but that’s only going off the backing music. I’m not convinced that the multiple strobes can save it, either. That was going off the official video. As for live at London’s preview party? Not that much improvement, really, if any. One thing Poland’s got going for it is quite a widespread diaspora across Europe, with a sizeable number living in the UK. Crucially, the UK is voting in Poland’s semi-final, so that could be key to them getting a good number of votes and then through to the final.

12 - Moldova

Artist - SunStroke Project

Song - Hey, Mamma!

Comments - Yes, these are the people behind Epic Sax Guy in 2010. And yes, this year, he’s BACK! That alone should help Moldova win a few votes. The song itself is decent, and the vocals are just as good as they were back in 2010. If they keep the staging simple and fun, they should get through to the final. Plus the song does actually stand out quite a bit from what else is in the first semi-final! With their performance at their national final, they had three female backing vocalists dressed up as brides, each holding a bouquet of flowers. If my eyes were telling me the right thing, it would appear that the microphones were hidden inside the bouquets, which is another fun little touch. And in true bridal tradition, the bouquets were thrown over the brides’ heads at the end of the song. It should get through to the final, and I’m sure it’ll provide some light relief. It’s got a decent slot in the running order, too, and given it follows Poland’s weak entry, I think that should help it a little bit more. They were also pretty good at Amsterdam’s ‘Eurovision in Concert’, and the crowd seemed to love them, so I think it’ll probably be one that’s quite popular with the televote.

13 - Iceland

Artist - Svala

Song - Paper

Comments - Iceland have produced solid entries in the past (in my view), but some just haven’t gelled with the rest of Europe. 2012’s entry, ‘Never Forget’, finished a disappointing 20^th. 2014’s entry, ‘No Prejudice’, ended up in 15^th. As for last year’s entry, ‘Hear Them Calling’? It didn’t even make it out of the semi-final, which still grates on me. Especially when the dirge of an entry from the Czech Republic somehow made it through! It almost makes me think they’d be better off sending someone mad like Björk! As for Svala’s entry? Well, the first thing I noticed were her earrings about 28 seconds in to the official video, which scream ‘Illuminati confirmed’. The song itself isn’t bad, with a good beat and a decent vocal performance from Svala, though she does seem to be a bit on the loud side with her vocals during the verses. It just feels a little bit slow to me, but that’s probably down to the style of the song. The staging could be what seals it. I’m liking the lasers in the official video, and for some reason, I’m almost thinking some dry ice or a low fogger could be a decent idea. Maybe some floor lights in a similar vein to Finland could work. I’m really, REALLY not keen on what on earth she wore in one of the live performances in the national competition – pretty much dressed in all cream with cream platform shoes. It’s almost as though she’s trying to look like a literal sheet of paper, which ain’t a good look. Also, in this video, there’s too much of a reliance on strobes, and more lasers than I would personally like. It just seemed a bit over the top to me, and could do with being toned down in order to make a more cohesive package. Otherwise, I think Svala could struggle to get through to the final.

14 - Czech Republic

Artist - Martina Bárta

Song - My Turn

Comments - The Czech Republic haven’t had a good past in Eurovision, only qualifying for the final once, and finishing second-from-bottom in that appearance. Will Martina mark a change in fortune for them? Well, it’s yet another sodding ballad in a semi-final full of the damn things. To be fair to Martina, she does have a solid vocal performance, but the song feels like it just plods along. It does have that building moment before the start of the final chorus, but it just fades away into nothing again. Staging could save it, but IF it does sneak through into the final (and I very much doubt it will), it’ll be towards the bottom end of the top 10. In one live performance, she did seem a bit out of tune in places, which doesn’t bode terribly well, and I can’t really find any other live performances to compare it to, which isn’t much help.

15 - Cyprus

Artist - Hovig

Song - Gravity

Comments - Between 2006 and 2013, Cyprus only qualified for the final twice, which isn’t exactly the best of records, really. Will this year see a turnaround in their fortunes? Hovig’s vocals are decent, and I’m sure it’ll be a solid entry in the semi-final with the addition of some good staging. It’s apparently themed around space, so it’ll be interesting to see how they manage to pull it off. There wasn’t much to speak of in terms of staging at Amsterdam’s preview party, but they could still be working on that at the moment for rehearsals in Kiev at the start of May. There are some more upbeat and uptempo songs in the first semi-final, I’ll be honest, but I don’t think that’ll matter terribly much. It’s one of the stronger four or five songs that end the semi-final, and on that basis, I think it’s got a good chance of getting through.

16 - Armenia

Artist - Artsvik

Song - Fly With Me

Comments - Armenia’s history at Eurovision is pretty solid, with only one complete absence in 2012 due to security concerns over Azerbaijan hosting the contest. The two countries have been at war for many years over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia have only failed to finish in the top 10 twice in all their appearances at Eurovision (excluding 2011, when they didn’t qualify for the final). Artsvik has a lovely voice, and does the song justice. It also has a bit of an exotic feel to it, which I think will go down well. In terms of staging, they’ll have to change things slightly, given that only six people are allowed on stage for Eurovision songs, and there were six dancers on stage during Artsvik’s video, but I’m sure this is something they’ll have considered. They could always go down the route of using projections on the backdrop, which a few contestants put to use last year. With the live performance she did at Amsterdam’s preview party, Artsvik was just on her own on the stage, but she did still put in a very good performance, and it’s probable that the actual staging for Kiev was still being finalised at the time. Even so, I can’t see this not qualifying.

17 - Slovenia

Artist - Omar Naber

Song - On My Way

Comments - Slovenia don’t seem to do too well at Eurovision, failing to qualify from the semi-finals nine times since they were introduced in 2004. Omar Naber has represented Slovenia before in 2005, and what happened? Oh, yeah – he didn’t get through the semi-final. So perhaps not off to the best of starts. And guess what this entry is? Yes, it’s another ballad. Eurgh. To be fair, it’s actually not that bad. Omar’s vocal performance is solid, and I like how in the national final performance, the camera went from black and white to colour when going to the chorus, and then in reverse when going back to the second verse. Nice little touch. It’s got a good key change, but the middle eight of just vocalising is a bit of a downer. It does feel a bit on the bland side overall, though, and it does sound like it was lifted right out of a Disney movie in a few places. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, mind. Its odds weren’t initially too bad, but upon the release of the running order, they seem to have lengthened MASSIVELY, which has come as a bit of a surprise to me, and isn’t really a terribly good sign for its prospects. I suppose second-to-last in the running order, and being sandwiched between two better entries, isn't great, as everyone generally remembers the last song. But then again, the UK won in 1997 when they were 24^th out of 25 in the running order, so anything’s possible, I guess.

18 - Latvia

Artist - Triana Park

Song - Line

Comments - Since Latvia won the contest in 2002, they haven’t fared so well, failing to qualify for the final for six years in a row between 2009 and 2014. So how does Triana Park’s entry do? I’m not sold on the visuals right at the start of the official video, as they seem a bit jarring to me, but they do improve a bit as the video goes on. The song itself, on the other hand, is OK, and should be helped along by some good staging. The vocals are good, but the chorus just feels lyrically repetitive. When she was at London's preview party, she did seem a bit vocally weak at first, but did then improve as the song went on. Also, I wasn’t initially too sure about ending the semi-final on this song (I would’ve changed things around a bit and put Cyprus or Armenia on to finish it off, moving the other countries up one slot in the order), but upon a few more listens, I think it could be a good one to end the semi-final on. It’s definitely grown on me.

So that's Semi-Final 1. I'll be posting my thoughts on the other semi-final and automatic qualifiers, along with some overall concluding thoughts, in two other posts.