SF1 round up

Pol – Magdalena starts us off and gone are the hip enhancing outfits of the rehearsal. The beginning does not seem to have the impact it ha had in the past. Her voice certainly seems to be suffering from nerves but gets more confident as the song progresses. The dancing is good but the stage from the camera angles looks really empty. The ending is a little screechy

Nor – As the song starts the audience get into it. Stella’s voice is not god today and sounds very strained. The chorus seems to rely a lot on the backing singers. During the second verse she already sounds really tired. The outfits, especially for the backing singers are terribly unflattering and make some of the larger back girls look awful. As a memorable finale, confetti is released during the last chorus.

Alb – The stage starts with a slight red tinge. The dress does not really look good close. Aurelia really gets into the song and is able to show a lot of power and control during the chorus. It is on the brink of shoutiness though. The backing singers still looks rally additional to the act and don’t seem to fit in with their dancing and outfits. Aurelia looks to be getting very sweaty during this too.

Arm – Emmy is sitting in her large boxing glove and the dancers are in boxing robes. She is in white with a faux title belt. Emmy and the dancers seem to be doing a lot of dancing. It becomes clear very early on that a) Emmy is not a very good dancer and b) she is unable to sing after she has been dancing. Her voice at times was so breathy. We know she can sing it this has really put her off the game.

Tur – The band seem to have taken to wearing a cross of black, gold and a really horrid goblin green. The lead singer looks ever so old (and portly) now! Not very modern. The ‘show’ is a bit of a let down. The girl in the globe is a good idea but seems to be totally disconnected to the rest of the band and to the meaning of the song. At the end she escapes from the sphere wearing wings *yawn*

Ser – Nina is joined by 3 girls who do some singing and dancing. The song has a definite theme and makes it stand out even if you don’t understand the lyrics. The camera angles are tight of the girls so you don’t see a lot of the empty stage. Her voice is not bad tonight, definitely better than some of the rehearsals I had seen. The backdrop to this at times is really too fast and makes me feel a little bit ill.

Rus – The song starts off slow and then picks up. The stage looks really busy during the song, possibly a bit too busy. There are lots of gimmicks and none of them are really needed. Alex had 3 backing dancers and 2 singers who are stuck behind the moving Led screens *tut tut tut* Alex’s voice is not on top form here and he does sound quite tired today and cannot reach all of the notes (especially the end one)

Swi – this quite folksy song could get lost and slip through the cracks. Anna is joined by her 2 musicians, as I has been since the beginning. The backdrop of this song is very clever and really suits the song. Anna sings really well and not only is she on tune but you can actually hear what she is saying! I still don’t get the “na-na-na” bit in the middle. A very confident and a true singers performance.

Geo – this song is definitely a stand out track. They look different and sound different and nothing quite like this has graced the ESC stage. The outfits look very strange and it is not helped by the very bad makeup. Thankfully the lead singer ha a strong vice and is able to pull out a strong vocal. The rap part in the middle is not quite as good and the shouting for from the other bloke is totally unnecessary.

Fin – Paradise Oskar takes to the stage by himself. He is dressed modestly and let’s the song do the talking. His vocal is very small and simple but suits the song. The backdrop of the earth is a little twee and a bit of a heart string puller but it totally suits the song. Is a very memorable performance for a song and performer who actually does very, very little. However much you hate it, it is very clever.

Mal – Glen and his troupe take to the stage. The set starts off very dark and this makes it quite difficult to see everyone on the stage. Glen sings and dances in his own exuberant style although is accent is still a little weird. Although I like the dancers I am not sure if the routine really emphasises the song. The backing singers are very good but they need to be a tad louder and in much more eye-catching outfits.

San – Senit and her band are on stage and she has thankfully got rid of the blue/grey thing she was wearing in rehearsals. Her vocal is not that bad, saying that the song is a quiet song which needs just a little bit of power behind it. The performance is not that bad although she looks a little nervous. It is a shame that they have not made more of the backing singers who add a lot to the song.

Cro – Daria is one tall lady and this performance seems to show that off. Starting in a back and gold unfit the DJ/magician (who looks like Jerry Sadowitz) helps her quick change to a pink one and finally a long silver number. Her voice is very good, especially in the low bits at the start. She is not the most natural of dancers, and her height makes her legs and arms look a bit uncontrollable. Not a good song though.

Ice – Probably the most emotional song of the night. The boys look and sound tight and it just looks and sounds right. The back drop is a little strange but it is gentle and does not overtake the song. In fact it is nice to see an acoustic band on stage playing non-electric instruments. The boys sing well and the slow part at the end really works and you find yourself singing along. A very good ending too.

Hun – Kati is still in the short blue dress. Her hair is a little manic and she looks a bit worried. As she starts you can hear a small crack of nerves but she is really focussing on the song and her voice. As the chorus kicks in she seems to sing much better. The dancers and backing singers are not really focussed upon by the cameras-which is a good thing. She loosens up by the end and has a good finish.

Por – there is really not very much to say about this one as very little has changed since it won the national final. To give them some due, for what they are dong they have quite good vocals it is just a shame no-one understands what they are on about. Possibly if they had had crowd scenes like in the video behind them, it might have made the message a bit clearer. An on-starter really.

Lit – Evelina is joined on stage by a pianist and piano. She sings the song very well and is at least pleasant to listen to. Her dress is a little bit strange and doesn't seem to suit her. Maybe she would look better with her hair slightly pulled back. Half way through she signs the song too, hence why the mic stand is at a funny angle. This entry focuses on the song and her voice, which is actually very good.

Aze – The choreography of the entry has been weel thought out. The duo is backed by 4 very lovely and short skirted ladies who do lots of singing and arm movements. His voice is clear and string. Hers is shaky and you don’t feel confident in her. As the song progresses you notice that his mic is up loud and hers has been all but turned off. More like Eldar and 5 backing singers.

Gre – Stereo Mike starts us of with is rapping skills (although by the sounds of it he has very few). Loucas joins in for the choruses that have so much soul, meaning and heart to them that when you go back to the rapping you are left very disappointing. The dancing is good and I like the way the dancing mirrors the change styles. Should not qualify but will. Can we have 3mins of Loucas next time please?
So after the jury and televoting - Europe has decided !
The number afterwards is the number they drew to appear in the final

SERBIA (24)
LITHUANIA (4)
GREECE (9)
AZERBAIJAN (19)
GEORGIA (25)
SWITZERLAND (13)
HUNGARY (5)
FINLAND (1)
RUSSIA (10)
ICELAND (21)