Every day this week I will add some songs to the list...
Once rehearsals are done this may well be a very different looking list!!!!
If you have NO idea of what to expect, maybe have a watch of this taster video which presents short clips of all the songs in alphabetical order. There are also loads of full length videos on the official Eurovision youtube page.
1 ITALY Mahmood - Soldi
This is just class. The different rhythms, rhymes and riffs are slightly intoxicating yet not annoying, the story of the song is contemporary and there is of course audience participation *clap clap*.
2 AZERBAIJAN Chingiz Mustafayev - Truth
The more I see this as the ‘answer back to Toy’ the more I bloody love it. It’s very contemporary, radio friendly and if they focus on the vocals than the visual show this could be a dark horse.
3 PORTUGAL Conan Ósiris -Telemóveis
Portugal will always send something Portuguese and since their win they seem to have gone Avant Garde, cool and frankly odd. The backing track is an actual work of art although its meaning may get lost in translation.
4 SPAIN Miki - La venda
There ain’t no party like a Spain Club party! If Europe wants an uptempo, happy party number this is the one that’ll do it. Miki is a great performer and the song is terribly catchy. !Vamos España!
5 SWEDEN John Lundvik - Too Late for Love
If Europe wants safe inoffensive gospel pop to win, this’ll walk it. John is a great singer and the interactions with his backing singers are very genuine. Do we want to go to Sweden *again*?
6 CZECHIA Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend
The run of great pop songs continues! The repetitive chorus is earwormy and the performance is fun and frothy. The spoken word bit is a bit naff but is the only time a performer directly addresses the camera personally.
If you have NO idea of what to expect, maybe have a watch of this taster video which presents short clips of all the songs in alphabetical order. There are also loads of full length videos on the official Eurovision youtube page.
1 ITALY Mahmood - Soldi
This is just class. The different rhythms, rhymes and riffs are slightly intoxicating yet not annoying, the story of the song is contemporary and there is of course audience participation *clap clap*.
2 AZERBAIJAN Chingiz Mustafayev - Truth
The more I see this as the ‘answer back to Toy’ the more I bloody love it. It’s very contemporary, radio friendly and if they focus on the vocals than the visual show this could be a dark horse.
3 PORTUGAL Conan Ósiris -Telemóveis
Portugal will always send something Portuguese and since their win they seem to have gone Avant Garde, cool and frankly odd. The backing track is an actual work of art although its meaning may get lost in translation.
4 SPAIN Miki - La venda
There ain’t no party like a Spain Club party! If Europe wants an uptempo, happy party number this is the one that’ll do it. Miki is a great performer and the song is terribly catchy. !Vamos España!
5 SWEDEN John Lundvik - Too Late for Love
If Europe wants safe inoffensive gospel pop to win, this’ll walk it. John is a great singer and the interactions with his backing singers are very genuine. Do we want to go to Sweden *again*?
6 CZECHIA Lake Malawi - Friend of a Friend
The run of great pop songs continues! The repetitive chorus is earwormy and the performance is fun and frothy. The spoken word bit is a bit naff but is the only time a performer directly addresses the camera personally.
7 SLOVENIA Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl - Sebi
A tiny slice of loved-up dream pop in a sea of screamy disingenuous meaningless nonsense. Would not feel out of place on modern contemporary radio stations and the Slovene language sounds lush.
8 NORWAY KEiiNO - Spirit in the Sky
This has been my grower. Didn’t think too much of this at first but it is very individual and memorable. The joiking might be a bit marmite but a bad memory is better than no memory at all.
9 SAN MARINO Serhat - Say Na Na Na
Bite me. I don’t care. The underdog of all underdogs. Serhat is back for more! It is what it is and it’s not pretending to be something it’s not. It’s cheap, cheerful, happy, simple, fun and downright catchy.
10 NORTH MACEDONIA Tamara Todevska - Proud
A nice understated ballad with a meaning that can be extrapolated to almost all audience members. The lack of a beat could help or hinder but she will need to have top notch vocals to qualify.
11 CYPRUS Tamta - Replay
Fuego round 2 ! In some ways this is a more complicated number than its predecessor but familiar enough to link back. Which Tamta from the video will turn up? Why break a winning formula?
12 BELGIUM Eliot - Wake Up
A simplistic song with a twang of 80s synths. Eliot’s voice is a wee bit thin but this helps push through the fragile nature of the song. I just wish the beat continued through the chorus at least once.
13 AUSTRALIA Kate Miller-Heidke - Zero Gravity
Dancy-trancy opera with a powerful female message. Plenty of earworms here depending on your fave style of music! The NF staging is gone so I wait with trepidation about what it’ll look like.
21 BELARUS Zena - Like It
Belarus’ music taste has finally caught up to the early noughties. A very young pop feel with a radio friendly edge. It’s also very repetitive which could be good or bad depending on your tastes.
22 AUSTRIA Paenda - Limits
Very, very low key. Her voice is small and quiet and the whole thing could be misconstrued as forgettable but if you really listen there is a lot to listen too. I just hope it has a good visual show.
23 RUSSIA Sergey Lazarev - Scream
Although the video is a rather cinematic masterpiece, it barely papers over the fact that there is no song. Once again the choir part is totally underused and the rhyming is abysmal. Also no actual screaming.
24 ESTONIA Victor Crone - Storm
Grrrrrr, I don’t like it when new songs have the same titles of old Eurovision songs!!!! One of the few dancey up-tempo songs this year but also another entry where the national final setup was really confusing.
25 LITHUANIA Jurijus - Run With the Lions
You have to win, you have to fight. Just don’t give up, get up and run with all your strength with all your might... ...with the lions…. I wish 🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈 (Get Frighten woz robbed)
26 HUNGARY Joci Pápai - Az én apám
Joci’s previous entry was so much up my street that unless it was a total copy it was going to be a disappointment. Not enough build from start to finish. The chorus just isn’t good enough.
27 FRANCE Bilal Hassani Roi
Not a bad song, not a bad singer but the two together creates a vacuum of meh. Although the song has a great meaning and Bilal seems like a total hoot, none of this infiltrates the stage whatsoever.
28 ISRAEL Kobi Marimi - Home
A safe ‘home’ entry. Literally. His voice is unique although I find him a bit warbled for my taste. Will go big in the hall, less so on the scoreboard but I get the feeling that is the point. But that Fuego !
29 IRELAND Sarah McTernan - 22
Hmmm, the question is 22 – placing or points scored? The retro styling and production gives this character but needs to be much more ott and in your face to make a real impact. It’s just nice.
30 POLAND Tulia - Fire of Love (Pali Się)
The slightly more conservative cousins of the Polish milkmaids from 2014 have turned up this year. Their choral style is very Marmite as is their folk/rock production style. Might be a bit shouty live.
31 DENMARK Leonora - Love is Forever
A twee, frankly jESC, Eurovision song. But this one is further confused by the addition of a levitating singer, an over-sized chair and two random strangers with ladders. FFS, whatever happened to just singing?!!?
32 GERMANY S!sters - Sister
Another song where the words about female empowerment and support is juxtaposed with two girls stomping in time with the music shouting in each other’s faces. The worlds worst frenemy anthem. Nein
33 ALBANIA Jonida Maliqi - Ktheju Tokës
Not actually a bad song but unless you are actually listening to it, it is totally forgettable. As decent as the theme and the music are, nobody bar the Albanian diaspora will be voting for this. Awful hair.
34 ARMENIA Srbuk - Walking Out
A song on the theme of control and abuse ends up being a shout fest and I start to lose all sympathy for her for being a wailer. Can’t help thinking it’s a slowed down version of the “Ducktales” music.
A tiny slice of loved-up dream pop in a sea of screamy disingenuous meaningless nonsense. Would not feel out of place on modern contemporary radio stations and the Slovene language sounds lush.
8 NORWAY KEiiNO - Spirit in the Sky
This has been my grower. Didn’t think too much of this at first but it is very individual and memorable. The joiking might be a bit marmite but a bad memory is better than no memory at all.
9 SAN MARINO Serhat - Say Na Na Na
Bite me. I don’t care. The underdog of all underdogs. Serhat is back for more! It is what it is and it’s not pretending to be something it’s not. It’s cheap, cheerful, happy, simple, fun and downright catchy.
10 NORTH MACEDONIA Tamara Todevska - Proud
A nice understated ballad with a meaning that can be extrapolated to almost all audience members. The lack of a beat could help or hinder but she will need to have top notch vocals to qualify.
11 CYPRUS Tamta - Replay
Fuego round 2 ! In some ways this is a more complicated number than its predecessor but familiar enough to link back. Which Tamta from the video will turn up? Why break a winning formula?
12 BELGIUM Eliot - Wake Up
A simplistic song with a twang of 80s synths. Eliot’s voice is a wee bit thin but this helps push through the fragile nature of the song. I just wish the beat continued through the chorus at least once.
13 AUSTRALIA Kate Miller-Heidke - Zero Gravity
Dancy-trancy opera with a powerful female message. Plenty of earworms here depending on your fave style of music! The NF staging is gone so I wait with trepidation about what it’ll look like.
14 NETHERLANDS Duncan Laurence - Arcade
A big favourite, but not so much with me. Don’t like the
stomp/clap section and find his falsetto a little bit irritating. Interesting
song but a bit worthy in places. Who’ll vote for this anyway?
15 ICELAND Hatari - Hatrið mun sigra
Something out of the box. At least nobody can say that this
is forgettable in any way, shape or form. Their vocals are a little ropey and
the show is shocking. I still wonder what it really means...
16 SWITZERLAND Luca Hänni - She Got Me
Male Fuego. The song has lots of little earworms and will
certainly have the crowd up and dancing. I suspect his vocals may be hindered
by too much dancing and the show lacking with not enough dancers.
17 LATVIA Carousel - That Night
A country-folky number which seems to creep up on you, enter
your ear then won’t go away. The sepia-cabaret setting gives the song a
memorable quality although it might be a little uneventful.
18 GREECE Katerine Duska - Better Love
Florence and the Machine does Eurovision. It’s not terribly
Greek sounding (which could go either way) and would not sound out of place on
Studio Brussel. The music video is a collection of oddments.
19 ROMANIA Ester Peony - On a Sunday
Ester’s warbly voice teeters on the edge here which makes it
rather intriguing, as is the slow but steady drum beat. Too much ‘ay-ay-ay’ ing
for my tastes. Does she not realise it should be ‘on a Saturday’?
20 UNITED KINGDOM Michael Rice - Bigger than Us
The song isn’t bad, if a not a bit wet, but it allows
Michael to show off his voice and personality which is at least something. More
a jury song than televote but should be a better result than last year.
21 BELARUS Zena - Like It
Belarus’ music taste has finally caught up to the early noughties. A very young pop feel with a radio friendly edge. It’s also very repetitive which could be good or bad depending on your tastes.
22 AUSTRIA Paenda - Limits
Very, very low key. Her voice is small and quiet and the whole thing could be misconstrued as forgettable but if you really listen there is a lot to listen too. I just hope it has a good visual show.
23 RUSSIA Sergey Lazarev - Scream
Although the video is a rather cinematic masterpiece, it barely papers over the fact that there is no song. Once again the choir part is totally underused and the rhyming is abysmal. Also no actual screaming.
24 ESTONIA Victor Crone - Storm
Grrrrrr, I don’t like it when new songs have the same titles of old Eurovision songs!!!! One of the few dancey up-tempo songs this year but also another entry where the national final setup was really confusing.
25 LITHUANIA Jurijus - Run With the Lions
You have to win, you have to fight. Just don’t give up, get up and run with all your strength with all your might... ...with the lions…. I wish 🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈 (Get Frighten woz robbed)
26 HUNGARY Joci Pápai - Az én apám
Joci’s previous entry was so much up my street that unless it was a total copy it was going to be a disappointment. Not enough build from start to finish. The chorus just isn’t good enough.
27 FRANCE Bilal Hassani Roi
Not a bad song, not a bad singer but the two together creates a vacuum of meh. Although the song has a great meaning and Bilal seems like a total hoot, none of this infiltrates the stage whatsoever.
28 ISRAEL Kobi Marimi - Home
A safe ‘home’ entry. Literally. His voice is unique although I find him a bit warbled for my taste. Will go big in the hall, less so on the scoreboard but I get the feeling that is the point. But that Fuego !
29 IRELAND Sarah McTernan - 22
Hmmm, the question is 22 – placing or points scored? The retro styling and production gives this character but needs to be much more ott and in your face to make a real impact. It’s just nice.
30 POLAND Tulia - Fire of Love (Pali Się)
The slightly more conservative cousins of the Polish milkmaids from 2014 have turned up this year. Their choral style is very Marmite as is their folk/rock production style. Might be a bit shouty live.
31 DENMARK Leonora - Love is Forever
A twee, frankly jESC, Eurovision song. But this one is further confused by the addition of a levitating singer, an over-sized chair and two random strangers with ladders. FFS, whatever happened to just singing?!!?
32 GERMANY S!sters - Sister
Another song where the words about female empowerment and support is juxtaposed with two girls stomping in time with the music shouting in each other’s faces. The worlds worst frenemy anthem. Nein
33 ALBANIA Jonida Maliqi - Ktheju Tokës
Not actually a bad song but unless you are actually listening to it, it is totally forgettable. As decent as the theme and the music are, nobody bar the Albanian diaspora will be voting for this. Awful hair.
34 ARMENIA Srbuk - Walking Out
A song on the theme of control and abuse ends up being a shout fest and I start to lose all sympathy for her for being a wailer. Can’t help thinking it’s a slowed down version of the “Ducktales” music.
35 GEORGIA Oto Nemsadze – Keep On Going
Although it is nice to see more songs in Georgian, and in the rock ballad genre, this one takes far too long to get into gear and the choir is underused, especially as their bit is the best bit. Plus Oto is scary af.
36 FINLAND Darude ft. Sebastian Rejman - Look Away
Less “Look away” more 'Hear Away'. A very generic piece dance-pop with obligatory 'Earth Mother' message. This isn’t the song to rejuvenate your flagging career. It's just no Sandstorm. End of.
37 SERBIA Nevena Božović - Kruna
Although this is a very earnest and well written song, the chorus comes across as a bit shouty and the English bridge is not well placed. It's just boring. I hope she has a better outfit in Tel Aviv.
38 MALTA Michela Pace - Chameleon
The intro sounds like a trombonist down a toilet, the chorus is stupid, and the video is a mess.
Give me ham I'm a hamster. I've got hips, I'm a hipster. I have ears, give me earplugs. PLEASE.
Give me ham I'm a hamster. I've got hips, I'm a hipster. I have ears, give me earplugs. PLEASE.
39 CROATIA Roko Blažević - The Dream
Dear Mr Houdek, please leave Eurovision alone. kthnxbai. Roko has a powerful voice but is wasted on this dreary over-emotional excuse of a song. Less said about the wings the better. Oh Bodyform...
40 MONTENEGRO D-Mol - Heaven
This was a mess in the National Final and its recent revamp is rather laughable. As decent as the individual singers are, this effort is rather amateur and dated. Music video sponsored by Daz (not Sampson)
41 MOLDOVA Anna Odobescu - Stay
Several months on from its victory in the National Final I *still* cannot tell you hot this song goes. All I do know is she's blond and the music video was very depressing. Please come back Mad Moldova.