ESC 2024 ranking

Now the reviews are over and the rehearsals are *just* around the corner, it was time to do a very final Mr Gerbear sorter (please note that the sorter involves 35 of the 37 participating countries). 

You can also do yours at  https://esc.gerbear.com/sorter2024.htm

However before we start here's a short recap of all of this year's Eurovision entries

Click on the picture to get an expanded view !

SOA 2024

It's that time again!!!

We review all the songs (well, all but one) and give them a score from Parasite to Meteorite!

Then the winner of each podcast goes through to the 'Champions of Champions' to see what our favourite of the year is AND if we really think it has any chance of winning!

EPISODE ONE: Just A Mallett

Albania, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Greece, Finland and Italy!

Being a youtuber is REALLY up to date

Dan Laptop stole the show

Obviously her Gladiator name

Very North German

I'LL GIVE YOU PLAITS!!!!!!!

"because everyone else had one eye"

You can download or listen to it here https://archive.org/details/soa-2401

EPISODE TWO: Maybe She's Born With It, Maybe It's A Rotating Plinth

Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland and Switzerland!

ride on the metaphor rollercoaster

Je Téléphone á la Police

actually NOT the Swiss entry

remote controls (that work)

but they were past their prime

she just needs to use some Lego

and we also answer a query from Arianna!!!!!!

You can download or listen to it here https://archive.org/details/soa-2402

EPISODE THREE: Introverload

Austria, Croatia, Moldova, Portugal, San Marino and Sweden!!

writing BOOBS on a calculator

containers of ad-blue

bring the wrestlers!

I’m Teddy Ruxpin – tell me a story

An updating of folk songs

This is what Loic Noittet would do

You can download or listen to it here https://archive.org/details/soa-2403

EPISODE FOUR: Oscar Sings, Alex Swings, Teddy Swims

Armenia, Czechia, Latvia, Netherlands, Serbia and Spain!!!

the Billie Eillish technique

Liza Minelli with the Pet Shop Boys

he's really lost Mumsy this time

fiddler on the apricot

she shut down world of leather

you either love it or... you're... wrong...

and we also answer a query from Ebeneezer Nayhew !!!!!!

You can download or listen to it here https://archive.org/details/soa-2404

EPISODE FIVE: Rent A Thug From Littlewoods

Georgia, Iceland, Lithuania, Slovenia, Ukraine and United Kingdom!!!

and then they eat the worms

Death In Paradise

silver paint and a fern

rap is their deadly weapon

it was the performance that irritated me

a touch of the Jess Glynne

and we also answer a query from Dave Lang !!!!!!

You can download or listen to it here https://archive.org/details/soa-2405

EPISODE SIX: I Love Muffin

Australia, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Ireland and Malta!!!

someone's actually gone out to write something catchy

you wanna see me dance................ no

disco camo

the sound coming out of some headphones

nice guttural bass sounds

Olly Alexander's big brother doing Limmy

and we also discover who our podcast winner is (who almost definitely will NOT be winning the whole thing)

You can download or listen to it here https://archive.org/details/soa-2406

Eurovision 1974

Some might say it is 'bandwagon jumping' but I call it 'a good way to spend a couple of hours doing something constructive instead of worrying/panicking/worrying again about the London Eurovision Party event tomorrow'

Yes, 50 years ago today the UK jury gave *checks notes* NO POINTS to Waterloo and to commemorate this massive show of taste and decency, rarely equalled by any UK jury since, I am going to review the whole of the 1974 contest.

INTRO

We begin with some rather unflattering hand drawn pictures of "Brighton through the ages" as if drawn by a Lowry faker. These then are replaced by some black and white photos/footage which although still grotty at least have some realness to them! We then move to the modern age where the camera crew take us around the sights of Brighton, in particular pubs, and then show us the gentle folk of the city who all seem to be anglers... And now we are finally inside the amazing Brighton Dome where we get a good sight of the audience, the commentators booths, the scoreboard, the stage and finally the orchestra which has been playing the entire time under the direction of Ronnie Hazlehurst! And now to our host for the evening Katie Boyle -  a sight in salmon pink (if salmon were ever genetically engineered to have feathers, mind) She goes onto explain the rules and regulations of the contest in English then in French with a nice little mention of 'Intervision'.... 6 minutes in and our first song is being introduced!!!

1) Finland - Carita "Keep Me Warm"

The pre-postcard shows a wooden cabin, some forests, a waterfall and some daredevils on a boat. This is all shown with a piano accompaniment more suitable to a Charlie Chaplin 2-reeler. Carita is then shown behind the scenes doing an impromptu photo opportunity and rehearsing her song on the stage.Finally she is seen outside the Dome having a walk with her conductor, Ossi Runne who then appears in front of the orchestra as does Carina on stage wearing a blue dress with flower print on the top.

The song is a nice starter song and not overly 'eurovision-y' either. Carina's voice is very strong and her intonation and diction is perfect however I cannot help but heel like this song would sound better in FInnish although that would get absolutely no points. It does have a modern feel and would not feel out of places as a country-schlager song filler track on a Miley Cyrus album.

2) United Kingdom - Olivia Newton-John "Long Live Love"

We start with Tower Bridge, Beefeaters and some rather stereotypical views of men going about their business wearing hats (not Gustaph!) Once again we see the photo-ops and the rehearsing in the hall followed by Olivia going through the gardens with a rather Victorian pink parasol. Nick Ingman then appears to applause as does ONJ in her ode to those dolls that you used to get in the 70s that covered the sight of toilet rolls.

The song's intro is very military which seems a little misleading given the subject matter. The song is much more 70s ESC fayre especially with the bloke from Redex doing a turn on pounding that drum from beginning to end. The 'glory glory hallelujah' part has a few too many keys and tones to it feel comfortable. The backing girls seem to be having a whale of a time!

3) Spain - Peret "Canta y sé feliz"

Views of the architecture of Spain are quick and few and we zoom quickly to close-up shots of their performer on stage doing guitarography(?) and then finally we see our sideburned wonder in a nice drab suit also having a walk in a local/park. Entering the stage we have conductor Rafael Ibarbia and then onto the main stage Peret! The applause seems a little subdued probably aghast and in wonder as what what the hell he's got round his neck...

Peret's forgotten invention on the 'cravatophone' was soon overtaken when Kate Bush fashioned a clothes hanger into an portable mic adjustor. Shame. Well this one woke everyone up. Love the Spanish guitar rhythms, and the slapping the back of it near the end too.  The backing singers add so much depth and oomph to this song - as well as looking stylish. Absolute shock at how bad this did #NotInEnglish

4) Norway - Anne-Karine and the Bendik Singers "The First Day of Love"

First sight is of a youngster skiing, followed by  the sight of a ski jumping arena and a harbour all of the sounds of Norwegian Wood... The rehearsal footage very much concentrates on the lead singer and 'the singers' are nowhere to be seen... In walks Frode Thingaes to conduct and Anne-Karine to sing all to much applause.

Anne-Karine is dressed slightly more down for the occasion considering what we have seen up to now  but is using this free ness to her advantage by being very active and gestural with her arms. Not quite sure why the Bendik singers are there because they get very little air time and anybody could ooo-ooo-ooo like that... The chorus works well but the slightly sinister verses are a bit to 'down' to work

5) Greece - Marinella "Krassi, thalassa ke t' agori mou"

The sights of Greece (as well as a very busy roundabout for no reason whatsoever) astarts nd a beautiful sunset greet us before we meet Marinella. The rehearsal shots see her being rather chatty and happy which is reflected in the song. The orchestra is directed by George Katsaros and singing is Marinella.

No doubt THIS IS the Greek entry..Looks like she's kidnapped some folk from a local restaurant to so 'la la la' behind her though. Marinella has gone for a very erm, butch (?) look. Her singing is rather drowned out by that balalaika... Considering the very Greek start, it goes very Eurovisiony very quickly especially when she got handed the tambourine of doom.

6) Israel - Poogy "Natati La Khaiai"

Sights of Israel is cut extremely short here - maybe there is not much to see or too much they don't want you too see. We then see the band in front of the logo all looking rather bemused a horrified to be honest.  After a few shots of them rehearsing we then see them commandeering a BBC tech bus and either smoking or chewing gum. Yonatan Rechter is the conductor and Poogy are now on stage.

Who knew that the Middle East was a hot bed of hairdressing and tank top industries...? Harry Hill got some sartorial inspirations from this lot for sure! After a bouncy rocky intro to the song the singing starts and it all goes a little weird to be honest. The visuals don't really go the they type of song they are singing. There is a very heavy ethnic feel to this in the chorus that isn't really needed. Am enjoying the layers and harmonies though.

7)  Yugoslavia - Korni Grupa "Generacija '42"

Once again the sights of Yugoslavia are few and far between and we go quite quickly into backstage footage. So much double denim in the room that Windows 95 Man might haemorrhage. However they show their light side by doing a little bit of slapstick comedy (or health and safety fail?) on the gardens with a rickety ladder. Taking charge is Zvonimir Skerl and on stage now is Korni

Gone are the denim outfits and they have come dressed in white dinner jackets with shirt and pants made out of the wrappers of Quality Street chocs (or the Communist equivalent) The start of the song is very ear catching but soon fades off into a weird Balkan ballad that really doesn't need all these instruments on it. The chorus is the best bit by far but is dwarfed by the mess around it

8) Sweden - ABBA "Waterloo"

Why does it feel like they are playing 'Run Rabbit Run' during this segment? Nordic buildings are seen for a few seconds before we see the main act posing for photo in front of the 1974 logo. Having them 'appear' on by one behind a giant spider plant is still very very funny.. And then, upstaging the whole show, Sven-Olof Walldoff enters the orchestra pit dressed s Napoleon himself.

As the first few pars hit, Agnetha and Anni-Frid trot down the walkway to start their song. As much as this song is really not my cup of tea; I can absolutely appreciate that time and effort has been taken to present this song well, especially when it comes to camera angles and the positioning of the two singers.

9) Luxembourg - Ireen Sheer "Bye Bye I Love You"

We get a couple of sights of Luxembourg (which is really underselling the place as it is bloody lovely!) mainly centred around a non-descript bridge before we move onto Basildon born Ireen (yes really) who is acting the star by conducting the photo op while slouching in the seat, holding a glass of something  and wearing dark sunglasses... We then see her merrily frolicking in the park like an animal set free from captivity. Waving the baton is Charles Blackwell and on stage is ar Ireen..

Ireen is a vision in mint and it must be said her and her backing singers look like they've just come from a local wedding. Ireen does sound a little tentative in French but sells the song visually very well. The chorus is a bit of a let down and it try to fancy rather than in your face.

10)  Monaco - Romuald "Celui qui reste et celui qui s'en va"

Unlike all the sights from other entries, the lucky camera people are able to get the whole of Monaco in one shot! It is just one big sight/site? Romuald does his meet and greet like he has just come back from a golfing trip with Ronnie Corbett. For a small change we see him sat on a park bench talking to his conductor Raymond Donnez, who then enters to Brighton Dome followed by Romulad himself.

Hang on? Have Lux and Mon done a time share on those backing singers?!?!?! Romuald has a very spangly jacket on which is very fetching! What follows is a very dreary French ballad which could have some from any French speaking nation for any period in time. It does sound VERY familiar in the chorus but cannot place it. I find myself transfixed by his hair which really is too puffy for his face.

11)  Belgium - Jacques Hustin "Fleur de liberté"

Some very random sights of Belgium here including a statue of someone holding a chair *shrugs shoulders* Jacques seems very happy and approachable in his VT although at one point seems to show a photographer how big his hands are *shrugs shoulders* Pierre Chiffre is here to conduct alongside Jacques's singing.

What follows is a rather pleasant song punctuated by Jacques absolutely overselling and passionately singing the song including some very abrupt armography. Shame no-one put 10p in the meter so we can actually see the backing singers. His collar/long hair combo makes it look like he has no neck. Slight lols when he finished the song then nearly falls over the plinth behind him

12) Netherlands - Mouth and MacNeal "I See a Star"

Sights of the Netherlands start us off and not a Tulip in sight (although the audio fills that gap!) Views of and from the many canals prove easy pickings. Rehearsal footage follows where the duo seen to be having a good time. These good times seem to get out of hand as they seem to join in Brighton University Rag Week. Oh those crazy Dutchies. Conducting is Harry Van Hoof and on stage is Mouth and MacNeil.

This is such a happy mish mash of the the Eurovision tropes and memes you would expect in the first 20 years of the show. Weird props, fairground instruments, call and response, whistling and two singers that should work as a duo but absolutely do. Even some bongo for no reason whatsoever! I've just realised the figures on the spinny thing are supposed to be them?!?!!? What craziness is this?!?!?!?

13)  Ireland - Tina Reynolds "Cross Your Heart"

Sights of Ireland include: a canal, random white office block and a church (of course) Most of Tina's section takes place outdoors, possibly because she's just come from a shift from serving tea and coffees on 'Brown's Coaches'. Tina seems really happy to be here which, considering the political situation between Ireland and the UK at the time, she must have been putting a brave face on things. Colman Pearce enters as does Tina.

Tina is wearing a very revealing lilac outfit for the time and is maybe wearing it to distract from the lack of 'song' and lyrics'. Behind her, three of her 'Brown's Coaches" buddies are on hand to sing and dance along with her. I feel like I have already heard this song several times tonight. The slew of la-la-las really twists the knife in.

14) Germany - Cindy and Bert"Die Sommermelodie"

The old and new of Germany (obviously West Germany) usher in Cindy and Bert. Is it me or are these clips either getting shorter and shorter or less interesting as we go along? Hand in hand they walk through some trees and walk about like they have not a care in the world. To much applause, Werner Scharfenberger and Cindy & Bert enter the auditorium.

Bert ,wearing a rather fetching green suit, and Cindy in a floaty pastel number both look rather summery, as the song suggests, however the start is rather minor and doesn't feel very positive. Although the song sounds better in the chorus, the pep and verve I was hoping for is much missing. At points one feels rather intrusive as they stare into each other's eyes and I feel myself mouthing 'get a room' We do get one nice close up of the backing singers which is nice for them.

15) Switzerland - Piera Martell "Mein Ruf nach dir"

Yes, the nation on houses, clocks and flags *makes a bit of a face* During the very brief section on rehearsal footage seemed rather focused and serious. In another nice change we see Piera interacting with some children in the gardens and looking *almost* human and happy! In walks Pepe Ederer to conduct followed by Piera.

Piera is wearing a(nother) floaty green outfit and her female backing singers are dressed similarly but in red and blue. The song starts off like a Germanic Alpine-driven Bond theme but slowly goes into bad soap theme tune not sung by Dennis Waterman. Piera has a very strong tone and a warble to her voice which to me does not suit this song. The German language also sounds very harsh here too. The chorus is much nicer than the verses. Feels more like two separate songs squashed together for... reasons...

16) Portugal - Paulo de Carvalho"E depois do adeus"

We start with the amazing slight of wonderful ancient plazas used as a massiv car park before short sharp shots of bridges, castles and walls. We then see Paulo doing his best silent comedy routine by messing about with the wires that make the broadcast possible and pulling lots of faces. Not only is he strong of mind but finishes off my doing pull ups on a local lamppost. George Formby could NEVER... Jose Calvario enters the fray followed by a more sobre Paulo...

Let's be honest, this is the kind of thing one could see in Festival da Canção any year EVER and would never ever sound out of place. This has a certain 'number from a rock musical' type feel to it and Paulo has an understated confidence in singing it and just stands there are gets the job done. Of course, nobody really knew what this song would later mean to the people of Portugal as this live performance was one of the secret signals to alert rebel captains and soldiers to begin the coup that started the Carnation Revolution. Chapeau sir!

17) Italy - Gigliola Cinquetti "Sì"

For a place of classical architecture such as Italy we see, well, very little of it, mostly a brick wall and some cherubs. We see Gigliola in rehearsal looking rather relaxed, if not nonplussed. Our final competitive conductor Gianfranco Monaldi appears as does Gigliola on stage.

On a similar note to the Portuguese entry I feel like this sound could literally have appeared at any Sanremo since the dawn of time. There is something effortlessly classy out this although I feel that the 'art' of this actually gets in the way of a decent humable tune. Gigliola also seems to have come dressed as a toilet roll cover and seems to be backed by a set of quadruplets. Love the dramatic turn into the second verse - a triumph for the orchestra!

INTERVAL

Les Wombles!!! They are going around Brighton picking up litter - how very wholesome and on brand! Luckily the weather doesn't look too hot otherwise I feel like it would have been murder in those costumes. They even get on a speedboat - lets hope those 'costumes' are water resistant or they can all swim...? They then get on what looks like Brum's grandad then have a go on some fairground rides.Glad to see they are using their second best song "Remember you're a Womble" in this segment as using the xmas one is rather out of timescale... At the end, one appears with a rose for Katie and a 'Vote for The Wombles' placard which is frankly too late in the process now!!!!

Does this mean we could have had Hey Duggee or the Teletubbies as interval in Liverpool???? I feel short changed now.... However I am now already campaigning for Australia to have a Bluey inspired interval act (with special guest star Jean Luc...??? Please....!!?!?!)

SEMI FINAL DRAW

As we have already seen, the draws for the halves of each semi-final have taken place. We know vaguely where in the running order they are but the producers of the show will ultimately make the final decision... But if I was in charge, what would I do....?

I think that the producers are going to have a hard time creating a fair and balanced programme as the semis themselves are not balanced in terms of act type and genre. The other main concern, that we are not yet privy to, is the consideration of certain acts' staging. Larger and more intricate props may need more time to get off and on: prompting the producers to give them a start/end slot, or one near a break (again we don't know when or how many there will be)

AZERBAIJAN 2024

The Azerbaijani song was revealed on March 15th - the music video premiere was made on the official youtube channel. A week earlier, ITV (the Azerbaijani broadcaster) announced details about their act and that the song would be released to the public in due course. Their act for Malmö is Fahree featuring Ilkin Dovlatov with the song "Özünlə Apar" (Take Me with You)

Fakhri Ismayilov (aka Fahree) was born in 1995 in Baku. He came from an artistic family; his father being a jazz drummer and his grandfather being an actor. However, he followed a more academic path and gained a Bachelor's and Master's degree in law. Then, during the COVID lockdowns, he devoted more time to msic releasing his first song "Dance" in 2022. Late October 2023, Fahree was revealed as one of the sixteen shortlisted candidates in the 2024 Azerbaijani selection. He will be accompanied on stage by İlkin Dövlətov. He was born in 1990 and has been singing since he was four. His big break came in 2023 when he came second in a special native songs edition of "The Voice of Azerbaijan".  İlkin was also of the other finalists of the country's selection process and is primarily a mughram style singer. 

The song is an ethnic ballad containing English and - for the first time in the adult contest - the Azerbaijani language. We start with a softly spoken intro before a longer verse - and what turns out to be the only verse in the whole song. The pre-chorus is where the song really starts to take shape. The off beat rhythm - which is replicated in many songs this year - comes in but doesn't really effect the song as it says firmly in ballad territory This flow is then maintained in the chorus although the language changes to Azerbaijani. This is followed by a short break accompanied by some mughram singing by both Fahree and İlkin. We then go straight into the pre-chorus but this time the beat kicks in after it has finished and İlkin enjoys the limelight once again. The beat continues under one last version of the chorus before fading out after more of the two guys' vocal gymnastics.

The video is rather basic and one will hope the delegation has something more memorable up their sleeve in May. Fahree is backed by two violinists, an electric guitarist and somebody on a soundboard/laptop type set up. İlkin's sections are filmed separately and spliced into the video. It might be nice to see how they interact on stage or how İlkin's parts are identified during the song. Bright coloured lighting is simplistically used. İlkin is highlighted by being bathed in a warm yellow light. As the song progresses, Fahree's stage goes from a dusky violet to a raspberry reddish-pink. On first listen I was a little underwhelmed: I was hoping the song would get much bigger and create a more dramatic crescendo. However on further listening this is a rather low-key ethnic ballad that has a sound and feel like nothing else this year. The shift from English to Azerbaijani is not clunky at all although I would have liked to have heard more of the melisma at the end of every line of the chorus not just the first line. Staging will absolutely effect how this is judged and being a less 'in-your-face' number means the impact needs to be strong. The song is interesting, but not immediate, and in a semi-final with very few slow ballads, it could unfortunately fall fowl of the 100% televote in the semis.

ARTIST - Fahree featuring Ilkin Dovlatov 

SONG - Özünlə Apar

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Hasan Haydar, Fakhri Ismayilov, Mila Miles, Edgar Ravin, Mado Salikh

ARMENIA 2024

The Armenian song was revealed on March 13th - the music video premiere was made on the official youtube channel. A few days earlier, Armenian broadcaster AMPTV announced their act and that the song would be revealed soon after. Going to Malmö is Ladaniva with the song "Jako".

Ladaniva (named after a type of vehicle) is a duo that was formed in Lille in 2019. Singer, Jaklin Baghdasaryan, was born in Armenia, grew up Belarus and emigrated to France in 2014 enrolling at the Conservatoire de Lille. French instrumentalist Louis Thomas makes up the other half of the duo. He is from Lille and also studied at the same conservatory. The two met by chance during a jam session in the old part of Lille. They have released 5 singles, and accompanying video,s and in 2023 they released their self-titled album. Their musical style is inspired by traditional songs and singers from Eastern Europe and, but also Latin America, Africa and Reunion Island - a department of France in the Indian Ocean.

The song is wholly in Armenian, which I believe is a first for the language in the adult contest, although the refrain is mostly a chorus of 'la la las'. The song talks about 'Jako' which is the nickname of the singer. The build into the song starts mainly with the trumpet which is a very prominent instrument in the track. This then feeds into the chorus refrain before the first verse. The verses are quite short and have a clear, almost spoken, quality and are followed almost immediately by the chorus again. After two verses and choruses, we a have a slight change in direction where the instrumentai trumpet is replaced with a more light hearted pipe/flute. Then follows a call and response part before a final reprieve of the la-la-las.

For the video, the two members seem to be in a typical rural Armenian village and Jaklin is dressed in ethic style clothing and has braided hair. The setting really reflects the ethic nature of the song and obviously reflects the language choice. There is a lot of movement and interaction which also reflects the pace of the song.They seem to have a good connection with each other and Jaklin really plays to the camera. For me, the backing track here is the absolet star. It has juch an infectious and ear-catching rhythm. Jaklins voice is so clear in the verses but seems part of the mix vocally and instrumentally in the chorus. I am intrigued as to how this might sound live for many reasons. Firstly, I feel like this might need some staging to come alive on stage. Just having these two on stage will feel very bare. Some dancers, some props, some background screens might be needs to either inhibit the stage or make it slightly more compact. I am hoping that the crowd will lift this performance, especially during the call and response part. I am hesitant but have high hopes on an interesting and individual show.

ARTIST - Ladaniva

SONG - Jako

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Jaklin Baghdasaryan, Audrey Leclercq, Louis Thomas

GEORGIA 2024

The Georgian song was revealed on March 11th - the official video was also available on the official Eurovision youtube channel. Early January, GPB announced their act and that the chosen song would be revealed in March. The Georgian act for Malmö is Nutsa Buzaladze singing the song "Firefighter".

Nutsa Buzaladze was born in Tbilisi but grew up in Turkey. As a child she sang as part of a children's choir and also played the guitar and piano. In 2011, she took part in "Georgia's Got Talent", where she reached the semi-finals. In fact, Nutsa also taken part in many reality talent shows including the Georgian versions of "The Voice" and "Your Face Sounds Familiar. In 2014 she was the Georgian representative at the New Wave song festival and became only the third Georgian to win the contest. In 2017 she submitted the song "White Horses Run" to the Georgian national final coming second place. Her biggest international breakthrough happened last year. She participated in American Idol 2023 making it all the way to the final 12. She currently lives in Dubai.

Firefighter has a middle eastern/eastern European quality to it - it also contains a slight dancehall off beat to it that is reminiscent of so many style of song.The song starts with an ethereal intro before going into a much pacier chorus and pre-shirus. During the start of the chorus the  backing track quietens and slows down which really affects the flow of he song the slowly builds up into the instrumental/dance break section. We then have verse two and the pre-chorus. This time about the chorus is slightly elongated with the first repeat being sung under a gentle string accompaniment. The second repeat the backing track combined the beat and strings and during the third and final part the strings and choir are prominent behind Nutsa's lead vocal to a big finish.

The video has a number of different settings; sometimes on her own, sometimes with a number of dancers. The dancing is very commercial most of the time and rather repetitive.The music video shows that Nutsa moves very well and has a good connection down the camera. I feel like the show will need dancers but I hope that the choreography is a little more imaginative than what is seen in the video. Her looks are quite diverse but I personally prefer her with her hair down. I also hope she is wearing something a little more exciting on the night as most the outfits seem to give off an interesting silhouette but don't lend themselves to dancing or to be memorable. Overall I am slightly underwhelmed by this entry. The verses and pre-chorus both have impact and really build the song up.  The way the chorus stops dead at the start and builds up again loses all the momentum gained in the verses and feels a bit like a lost opportunity. Also, the elongated ending just goes on that little bit too long and, again, could have been made into something a bit less typical. If this entry can gain a better and more visual identity, it might just tip it over the edge. Right now, this just feels a tad safe and lacklustre.

ARTIST - Nutsa Buzaladze

SONG - Firefighter

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Darko Dimitrov, Ada Skitka 

PORTUGAL 2024

The Portuguese act and song was chosen on March 9th through their established selection process "Festival da Canção". Before the final there were two semi-finals. Each semi consisted of two rounds of voting: in round one 5 songs qualified through a mixture of public voting (50%) and jury voting (50%)  then an extra finalist was voted for solely by public televoting. In the final the winner was selecting by a 50/50 mix of jury and public votes. The winning act was Iolanda singing "Grito" (Shout)

Iolanda Costa showed a great passion for music as a young child and as a result her parents sent her to study music at Tecnimúsica, a school in Pombal. She then moved to Lisbon where she graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP then moved to London, where she studied songwriting at the British and Irish Institute of Modern Music, at the University of Sussex. She also participated in a number of talent shows including the Portuguese versions of Pop Idol and The Voice. In 2022, she took part in Festival da Canção as the co-author/composer of the song "Mar no fim", performed by Blacci. Then last year she unveiled her debut EP "Cura" which was mostly written during the COVID pandemic lockdown.

The song starts acapella with the first two lines just voice alone. It very much grabs your ears but also your eyes. Iolanda is all in white, as are her dancers whose faces are also obscured by white lacy head coverings. The backing track overall is rather minimal and apart from some guitar parts and strings most of the song is driven by the drumming. The song flows nicely from verse to pre chorus to chorus and back again. The final chorus is elongated with the main refrain being repeated before a final reprieve. Just like the start, the backing track fades out so all you can hear is voice. Curiously, the title of the song does not appear in the song text. I guess the name "Grito" (Shout) reflects the anger or release of stress that the song deals with. There is also a moment when Iolanda elongates the end of one of the words to sound like a shout.

Out of all the songs in the national final this one probably had the most interesting, artistic and visual staging. The dancers' movements are rather exaggerated - almost mimelike - and the tableaux they make behind Iolande are almost reminiscent of songs like "Rhythm Inside". The backdrop pulsates from white to black and back again: sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes very slow. The song itself is very Portuguese, and that isn't just to do with the language. This kind of folky, artistic ballad is the kind of thing we have become accustomed to during "Festival da Canção". This song definitely tells a story and Iolanda has an amazing connections down the camera. I might have been tempted - in past years - to suggest this song may have had almost no chance of qualification. However, between all the brashness and weirdness, songs like this could well stand a chance. I also feel that if it were to qualify, this would be another song whose points would probably increase with the jury score. 

ARTIST - Iolande

SONG - Grito

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Iolanda Costa, Alberto Hernández

SWEDEN 2024

The Swedish act and song was chosen on March 9th through their annual extravaganza "Melodifestivalen". Before the final there were 5 heats with the 2 most popular entries qualifying from each. There was also a second chance round where the 3rd and 4th placed entries from each heat were re-polled and the top 2 were then forwarded into the final. In the heats, qualification was solely based on app/phone votes but in the final app/phone votes only accounted for 50% and an international jury had the other 50%. Representing the host country are Marcus and Martinus with "Unforgettable".

Marcus and Martinus Gunnarsen are identical twin brothers who are also known as M&M Although they are representing Sweden, they are both actually Norwegian! They may just 22 years old but already have a steadfast music career and a track record with Eurovision. When they were 10 years old the pair won Melodi Grand Prix Junior in Norway and the song reached number 8 in the Norwegian charts in 2015 they released "Hei" their debut album reaching number 1. In 2016 they joined up with Madcon to release "Girls" which came from the duo's first English language album "Together" reaching number 1 in Norway and Sweden and number 6 in Finland. Their third album  "Moments"was successful and many countries across Europe, The duo then announced the Jury points for Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. Last year they entered Melodifestivalen 2023 with the song "Air" finishing in second place behind Loreen's "Tattoo".

The song has a straight forward pop song structure. There is a verse-pre chorus-chorus flow which is repeated - although verse two is 2 lines long rather than 4.The last 20 seconds or so it taken up by an almost spoken outro which ends with the name of the song. The tone of the singing does not change much but the backing track is what gives the song its peaks and troughs. The two of them are very active throughout the whole song either doing gestural singing at the camera or doing mirror images between the two of them. During the instrumental parts the dancing is much more involved although not particularly cardiovascular.

The stage show, as you would expect from Melfest, is really impressive. The use of the side panels to create a strobing effect with the digital backdrop makes it busy but in a sort of ordered way. The duo are dressed in shiny black and blue suits which look a little drab within the confines of the studio, and actually looked better when just sat in the green room. I feel like the visuals need a little bit of fine tuning, especially in conjunction with the outfits. Maybe an addition such an neon/reflective trim on the edges might make everyone on stage a little more visible during the darker parts of the show. They are joined on stage by four dancers, also dressed in black. The backing track to this really is the star of the show. This, like many Eurovision songs his year, has a nostalgic feel to it. for me there is something of the Faithless about it, especially in the instrumental parts. The twins' vocals are rather low in the mix and I feel that this needs to be turned up for Eurovision. It just so happens that during the delegations meeting this song drew place 1 meaning they will be opening the grand final! This will be an epic moment in the hall and make for a great opening spectacle. It will certainly have its fans but I don't think this will be leading to a back-to-back win.

ARTIST - Marcus and Martinus

SONG - Unforgettable

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Marcus Gunnarsen, Martinus Gunnarsen, Jimmy Thörnfeldt

GREECE 2024

The Greek song was revealed on March 7th - the reveal was made during a special show on ERT called "Eurovision Se Eidon". The official video was also available to watch soon after on youtube. Back in October, the Greek broadcaster announced their act and that song submissions would be welcomed. The Greek act for Malmö is Marina Satti. singing the song "Zari" (Dice)

Marina Satti was born in Athens to a Sudanese Arab father and a Greek mother from Heraklion, where Marina herself grew up. As a result, her music combines traditional Greek, Arab and Balkan sounds with urban elements, rhythms, and production techniques. She learned classical piano at an early age and had classical vocal training in high school. She went on to to study architecture without graduating - but earned a first degree in lyrical monody (a style of Greek tragic ode) and then a second degree in advanced classical studies, In addition she also studied jazz at the Nakas Conservatory and at the Berklee College of Music. Her jazz prowess grew as she formed part of the EBU's European Jazz Orchestra.  In 2016, Satti released her debut single "Koupes", and her follow up single, "Mantissa" charted in the European Union's Official Top 100. 

Like many songs this year, the structure of the song is not what one may have expected. According to the lyric text, there are 5 verses, however some of these run into each other and others have a totally different tune and rhythm to the others. The beginning perks your ears up straight away as Marina begins in a rather high part of her vocal register. Here there are two verses using the same structure followed by a third verse with a totally different rhythm. There is a main earworm/refrain which has the 'ta-ta-ta' repetition with sang lines in between. This part is also repeated at the end of the song as a dance break refrain. During this last refrain the backing track is beefed up by extra instruments, mostly of Greek origin, which really cements that new/old synthesis.

The video for this song is rather fun; it is a take on a stereotypical tourism videos, blogs, vlogs and TikTok style shorts. They take in the stereotypical tourist traps of Greece as well as adding more urban and modern scenes of the country. You can see that Marina is trying to merge - in the audio and the video - the ancient and modern feelings and sounds of Greece. The message at the end of the video also sums up what she is trying to achieve. From what I have also seen, this song has received very positive reviews from the Greek press and many people seem to be behind this, which is a good sign! The song its seems rather unpredictable and, unless they make this their schtick, many watching at home might find this just too complex and strange. With the song sounding rather Greek, and being almost entirely in the Greek language, it could equally make this amusing, entertaining or rather unhospitable to the semi-final televoters. I quite like the start of the song, and I enjoy the main refrain, but the placing of everything is just too unconstructed for my brain to contend with. As much as the video is trying to help the the song into our consciousness, I feel like a more ordered and stage specific performance could hone and narrow the possibilities and give it a real presence. All in all this is an interesting listen (for all its messiness) but I feel you either get this or you don't - especially on first listen.

ARTIST - Marina Satti

SONG - Zari

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - K. Beshkov, G. Borri, N Kodonas, Oge, J. Palmer, M. Satti, M. Solidakis, J. Stolar, Vlospa

AUSTRALIA 2024

The Australian song and act was revealed on March 6th (Australia time) - with the première of the song on the Eurovision Song Contest youtube channel. Little information was known, or leaked, about the song or representative until the official presentation. The Australian song for Malmö is "One Milkali (One Blood)" by Electric Fields.

The duo Electric Fields is made up of Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross. Their music style is mainly electronic with soul qualities, integrating many aspects of Aboriginal culture and sing in a mixture of  Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and English. The pair have been performing as Electric Fields since 2015. Singer Zaachariaha Fielding grew up in Mimili, in the APY lands of South Australia.He has an academic background in Indigenous Australian music and is also a prize winning visual artist. The other half of the duo is Michael Ross; singer, songwriter, pianist and producer from Adelaide. Both were contestants on X Factor Australia albeit it on different editions of the show. Although their discography is not extensive - considering they have been around for almost a decade - they are a prolific live band and have been nominated many times for numerous National Indigenous Music Awards, National Live Music Awards and ARIAS for their live performances. February 2019, they attempted to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "2000 and Whatever". Although they were a solid fan favourite, they came second in both the jury and audience vote and were second overall behind Kate Miller-Heidke.

This song is very much in the Electric Fields signature style. The song begins with a short verse which has very minimal backing. The track then starts to grow during the pre-chorus and then the chorus proper. The outro part of the chorus is where the beat and the vocal really soars into something anthemic. During verse two the vocals are taken over by Michael which gives the song a slightly different feel but keeps the energy going forward. This time round, the outro of the chorus fades out and is replaced by some digeridoo which actually adds to the earthy, grounded feel of the song. The outro here is much extended and goes on until the end of the song.

The accompanying music video is very plain and doesn't reflect the outstanding live performances they are known for. Some have commented it is rather intense, bordering on intrusive, and slightly boring. Having the words on screen slightly helps driving the beat but isn't really needed as Zaachariaha's voice is so clear. On first listen I found this a little bit plodding and I had to concentrate quite a lot on what was happening. One second listen, however, I enjoyed the song much more and got into the vibe much easier. I feel like this is a song that just needs to listened to (and hopefully also watched) and not overly critiqued. This is all about the feels and the atmosphere. I can really imagine the last minute being all about the crowd waving their hands in the air - and their flags too. Most times when an act unveils a music video for their song, I feel reserved as I would really love to know how this can be performed live. In this case, though, I feel very sure about their live ability - in particular their vocal reliability. I would suspect there will be some kind of Aboriginal aspect to the backdrop, their clothing and potential dancers/musicians. I imagine that this stage show will look and feel very Australian and I think that this will have little problem qualifying. I might even suggest this song will do better in the final than the semis as I would hope the juries would reward their live credentials.

ARTIST - Electric Fields

SONG - One Milkali (One Blood)"

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Zaachariaha Fielding, Michael Ross

SERBIA 2024

The Serbian act and song was chosen on March 2nd through their process "Pesma za Evroviziju". There were two semi-finals of 14 songs each with eight qualifying from each one. During the semis and the final, the qualifiers and eventual winner was determined by using a 50-50 mix of televoting and jury score. The Serbian act for Malmö is Teya Dora performing the song "Ramonda".

Teodora Pavlovska was born in 1992 in Bor, which at that time was in FR Yugoslavia. After studying in the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, she received a scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduating she stayed in America, working as a songwriter. She returned to her homeland in 2018 writing songs for other Serbian artists as well as making her debut record  "Da na meni je", released in July 2019. Her big breakthrough came last year with her song "Džanum". In Serbia, this gained fame for being recorded for the TV series "Južni vetar: Na granici" However the song then gained momentum worldwide as it became the protest anthem for the Belgrade school shooting and was then used on many of the accompanying videos on youtube and TikTok. The single peaked at number 4 on the Spotify's Top Songs Global chart, becoming only the third Serbian artist to have over a million monthly listeners (the first two being Eurovision competitors Konstrakta and Luke Black).

This song is a very gentle and emotional ballad with lots of harmonies and Balkan qualities. The backdrop has a dreamlike quality, soaring through the clouds. This is also reflected on the floor which floods with smoke during the song. Teya Dora is sat on a rock type feature at the back of the stage from which she starts then moves off later in the song, She is wearing a black-grey outfit with slightly wet hair. The whole set up looks a little bedraggled and possibly needs some refining. The song begins with two verses in quick succession although neither are lengthy. The pre-chorus builds up to the chorus which has a very ethereal quality. After a short break, the pre-chorus is revived and then the chorus continues until the end. The song ends with Teya Dora back on the rock singing a short outro while a stylised purple flower is shown on the back wall. Teya is alone on stage but the camera work is clever and she never looks engulfed by, or lonely on, the stage.

The ramonda is a flower and is an important flower in Serbian culture. It is also known as the "phoenix flower” due to its ability to flower again in atrocious conditions. This flower became a symbol to the Serbians during First World War and has a similar importance/resonance as British people would have to the poppy. The song has a solid grounding in Serbian culture but I am not sure this message gets through at all to the non-Serbian speakers at home. Luckily they are in a semi-final with other ex-Yugoslav nation that might understand the symbolisms more than most. The chorus is very ear-catching and memorable but is does sound like somebody mumbling along rather than having actual meaning. The whole staging is rather minimal and I think Teya Dora could do more physically and gesturally to get through the meaning of the words. Alternatively, there could be scope for dancers on stage or projected on the backdrop. This is a nice enough song which definitely stands out against so many up-tempo entries but this doesn't necessarily mean people will vote for it.

ARTIST - Teya Dora

SONG - Ramonda

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Luka Jovanović, Andrijano Kadović, Teodora Pavlovska

ICELAND 2024

The Icelandic act and song was chosen on March 2nd through their long running selection process "Söngvakeppnin". There were two semi-finals of 5 songs each and all songs in this part of the competition had to be performed in Icelandic. Two entries from each semi - plus a wildcard - got a place in the final where songs could be performed in any language. There were two rounds of voting in the final; first a combination of jury (50%) and televoting (50%) selected a top two. The televoting reopened and votes from both rounds were added together - the act with the most combined votes being the winner. The overall winner was selected solely by a jury vote. Going to Malmö is their 2010 representative Hera Björk performing the song "Scared of heights".

Hera Björk Þórhallsdóttir started singing at a young age: singing in commercials, as part of a children's choir and taking part in local competitions. She has had a varied musical background having taken part in musicals, recording her own material, collaborating with other Icelandic artists but also providing background vocals. In particular she participated on Björk’s a cappella album Medúlla. Outside of music she has hosted many TV musical galas, comedy shows and radio shows. As well as Iceland, she has worked and studied in Copenhagen and has worked a lot as a vocal coach. Hera Björk is a veteran of Eurovision selections having been involved in the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015 and 2019 Söngvakeppnin shows - and winning the 2010 edition. She also participated in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in 2009, placing second. However her competing song "Someday" was a clear fan favourite winning the subsequent OGAE Second Chance Contest.

This is a slow build pop song with dance influences. the song starts with anthemic bridge which is repeated throughout the song. The first verse is more subdued and the beat on the backing track is not that prominent. During the bridge the backing singers come in which starts the sligh gospel/choral feel on the song. The lyrics here also have a much quicker and memorable rhythm to that verse. The chorus also has a choral feel but the beat here is also strong. There are, however, some odd harmonies and tune pitches which sound a little off at first because it doesn't quite go where you expect - or maybe Hera Björk was singing an alternate tune due to confidence, nerves or illness. This cycle repeats again finishing with the opening bridge. We then have one final chorus and outro which finishes with the backing track completely dying out and the song ending on an almost a capella title of the song.

The performance of this includes pre-recorded video elements acting as faux on/off stage cameras. At times during the live shows this worked but at other times the video started out of sync and looked slightly amateurish and slightly cheap but this is more about the technicals than her. On stage there is a small plinth which Hera Björk gets up and down while the background flashes up words from the text and has a searching spotlight effect. She is wearing a red wrapped jump suit which really suits her and the colour is also slightly reminiscent of her 2010 outfit. This is a very middle of the road number and there is not much about the song or performance that makes this stand out. Most of the time, Hera Björk sings the song well although I have issues with the harmonies and tune of the pre-chorus. which I do not enjoy. Overall I much preferred the Icelandic version "Við förum hærra" to the version the final. The song's verses are slightly reminiscent of "Symphony" by Clean Bandit and,in an unfortunate turn, the song also has similarities to double zero scoring "Embers" by James Newman, a comparison one would want to stay away from.

Lastly, Iceland was one of the countries considering boycotting ESC due to the attacks in Gaza. Although the national final is now over, the broadcaster RUV has neither confirmed Hera Björk as their representative or Iceland's participation in Eurovision 2024.

ARTIST - Hera Björk 

SONG - Scared of heights

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Ferras Alqaisi, Michael Burek, Jaro Omar, Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir

AUSTRIA 2024

The Austrian song was revealed on March 1st - with the audio available on youtube. An official video was scheduled to be premiered alongside but this was delayed until the 4th. In January, broadcaster ORF announced their act; the song title was released the following month. The Austrian song for Malmö is "We will rave" by Kaleen.

Kaleen (real name Marie-Sophie Kreissl) grew up around dance and at just the age of seven she won her first Austrian ballet championship. She did however study a wide range of dance and chorography genres and in 2015 took part - with her dance partner - in the German version of "Got to Dance" going all the way to the final. Since then she has worked closely with Austrian broadcaster as a choreographer and director for many ORF programmes. During the last 6 years she has also been involved in the background work of many Eurovision projects including: a rehearsal stand in for "Fuego", dancer/choreographer of the 2018 interval act, director of the Spanish and Bulgarian jESC entries as well as stage director for the whole 2022 jESC contest. In 2021, she founded Wifi Records where she released her debut album in 2023.

This a dance-pop song with more than a nod to the techno genre. Here, the instrumentation is really key as it is truly portrays that European electronic '90s sound that seems to be so popular right now. Because of this, the background is full of changes of tempo, beat and instrumentation and certainly keep you on your toes. The song follows a verse-pre chorus-chorus structure with lots of music breaks and bridges in between with a rather rare trope of a false finish and a chorus to end. Before the last chorus there is a sizable instrumental which will certainly be used as a dance break for Kaleen. There also seems to be some vocal processing during the pre-chorus and it will be interesting to see if the song can work without this, unless the processing can be enabled live. Alternatively this could be left on the backing track but this is a very large section to be left like this.

This may well be a fun, dancy and nostalgic song but it has a very honest and serious heart to it. The '90s revival is back in full effect at Eurovision this year and would be very easy to compare this to similarly nuanced songs already on the menu .However,unlike some entries that have an obvious performance level to it, "We will rave" is a straightforward song, performed straight down the line and without an obvious shtick that other songs may have. This will go down very big in the hall and I hope that the delegation use the audience and the lights to really keep that evocative feel. The video, to me, was a little disappointing as it didn't really add anything to the song or have much of a narrative - apart from sex sells! Although a staging like this might give a plateful of eye candy to the viewers at home and in the auditorium, one might see this as a low move in order to get votes. It would've been nice to have had more extended sections of dancing because we know that this is something she excels at. I am a little worried about the live vocal performance because if the visuals are not up to much there will be little to hide behind performance wise. The changes in vocal style in the different parts of the song may be a stretch to accomplish live if there is also a lot of dancing. The jury will be out on how successful this will be until we hear a live performance. 

ARTIST - Kaleen

SONG - We will rave

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Julie Aagaard, Thomas Stengaard, Jimmy "Joker" Thörnfeldt, Anderz Wrethov

UNITED KINGDOM 2024

The British song was revealed on March 1st - with the song's release on streaming sites from midnight, the video premiere on YouTube later that morning and an in-depth interview with Graham Norton in the evening. On 16th December, during the grand final of Strictly Come Dancing, it was announced who the representative would be. The song title was made public at a later date, as were snippets of the song and video. The United Kingdom song for Malmö is "Dizzy" by Olly Alexander.

Oliver Alexander Thornton was born in 1990 in the former Eurovision host town of Harrogate. He studied Performing Arts at the Hereford College of Arts but dropped out after he started getting acting roles and prioritised these over his studies. Early roles included parts in CBBC show Summerhill, Channel 4's Skins as well as numerous film parts. He has also acted in the West End and was the main character in "God Help the Girl" a film was written by Stuart Murdoch frontman of Belle and Sebastian, The acting role he is most famous for was in Russell T Davies' "It's a Sin", which earned him much critical acclaim. Along side this he was also furthering his musical ambitions. The band Years & Years, which hired him as a singer, formed in 2010 and "I Wish I Knew" - their first release - came out in 2012. After signing with French label Kitsuné they released "Traps", their second song, in September 2013. In January 2015, they were announced as winners of the BBC's "Sound of 2015" poll. The band's most successful song "King" got to number 1 in the UK in 2015 as did the companion album "Communion". In 2021, Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen left the band leaving Alexander to pursue Years & Years as a solo project.

Dizzy is a trance infused song with pop influences. The main part of the song follows a verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure. The verses are more sparse and soulful in the vocal and the backing track reflects this tone. During the chorus, the tune and beat becomes much more prominent. Olly's vocal is lower in the range during this part and has an intriguing quality. The chorus is also cleverly constructed as it is the same section repeated twice each time.  After the shorter second verse and chorus there is a brief post chorus which leads to the bridge. This part is a spoken/rapped part where he repeats the same lines over and over again. This section really builds up the end of the song and gives the song (and Olly) a chance to regroup before one last repetition of the chorus. After this the music echoes out to a finish which is a little on the sudden/unexpected side.

The video is well produced and has a revolving house setup. The fast paced movement really reflects the name of the song (quite literally). The cuts between shots are longer in the verses than the chorus mirroring the changes of pace. Although the full set up would not be possible on stage some of the more technical and televisual ideas might be used. Olly's choreography and execution is amazing and I quite enjoy the jerky movements in the bridge. There are rumours that he will be on stage with 4 dancers which will hopefully really set off that pop edge as well as create interactions that will echo the mood and lyrics of the track.This is a nice friendly radio tune which would be heard around Europe and the world. The verses and chorus really take their weight in the song all the way to the end. My main concern is that although this is a wonderfully written and produced track, I have always had concerns about Olly's live credentials. I have not always found his live vocals to be that palatable as he sometimes looks carried away by the performance, the dancing and the response from the crowd. Will he be able to perform this to a good enough standard live and balance the needs to the visual show? Although the performance needs to be memorable, if it is at the detriment of the vocal then the juries (who should lap this up) will penalise this entry.

ARTIST - Olly Alexander

SONG - Dizzy

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Dimitris Kontopoulos, Elke Tiel

CYPRUS 2024

The Cypriot song was revealed on February 29th - with the première of the song on the Eurovision Song Contest youtube channel. Way back in September, CyBC revealed that they had internally selected their singer and the chosen song would be in production. The Cypriot song for Malmö is "Liar" by Silia Kapsis.

Vasiliki Silia Kapsis is Australian and has a Cypriot father and Greek mother. She explored the Arts from a young age as her father was a singer. She joined the Australian Youth Performing Arts Company which lead to numerous performances of acting, singing and dancing around the globe. She made her acting debut in a short film called Pearly Gates and also presents on Australia's Nickelodeon channel. Her debut single was released in 2023 with 3 follow up songs released throughout that same year She has also worked with the ImmaBeast Dance Company in Los Angeles and was nominated for Aussie/Kiwi Legend of the Year at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in 2023. 

Liar is a mid-tempo dancy pop song. The backing track is low-level during the verses and ramps up a little bit more in the chorus but overall it is rather nondescript and would sound rather boring on its own without the vocal. This track has a nice compact verse with lines that repeat in both verses. There is then a refrain which keeps up the same kind of feel but is a more upbeat  The songs then pulls back before dropping with the beat back into the chorus. The chorus has a lot of repetition of the title of the song although the the overall tempo feels a little bit stilted. During the final minute, 30 seconds or so is mostly instrumental which will almost definitely be used for a dance break section. There is then one final chorus before ending on the name of the song.

This song attempts to hark back to Cyprus' success period with female-lead dance-infused bangers. The video really leans into Silia's immense dancing ability and the connection she makes down the camera, with the male dancers and the other characters in the video. The narrative of the video is a little weak and I'd rather have watched a staged gig or club night than all the additional 'get your own back' storyline. Silia wears an eye-catching gold suit which stands out within the dark setting of the video. Silia can definitely dance but how well she can dance, sing, emote, fire up the crowd and get the televoters on side - all at the same time - is another thing. Although this track has a strong beat, the songwriting here is not up to scratch. The lyrics are simplistic and the tune overly complicated. I feel the melody and rhythm of the verses is more memorable than the chorus, even if the lyrics are pretty tame. Although there is a beat, it plods along rather than gee you up. I feel that quickening it up could make it into quite a fun pop song or even slowed down to make a more heartfelt ballad. Overall this song feels very posed and sassy compared to the more raw and emotional songs on the table. I am also not quite sure who would vote for this over some of the more diverse acts in semi one.

ARTIST - Silia Kapsis

SONG - Liar

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Dimitris Kontopoulos, Elke Tiel

NETHERLANDS 2024

The Dutch song was revealed on February 29th - the video and song was first played during a special afternoon broadcast of De Avondshow with Arjen Lubach where the singer was also interviewed about the song. The same video clip premiered on the Eurovision YouTube channel minutes later. In December 2023, AVROTROS revealed that they had internally selected their singer and the chosen song would soon be in production. The Dutch song for Malmö is "Europapa" by Joost Klein.

Klein was born in the Friesland area of the Netherlands in 1993. His early life was rocked by the death of both his mother and father in his early teens and was subsequently was looked after by his older brother and sister. He attended the gymnasium  school in Leeuwarden, but did not complete his education. He first came to fame through his YouTube channel under the name EenhoornJoost creating documentaries and sketches. he then branched into music with the release of "Dakloos" in 2016. the next year he set up his own record label, Albino. He also released a book of poems also entitled "Albino" which was inspired by his father's love of writing. Overall, Joost has 8 studio albums, countless singles - many as a featured artist - and has appeared at many of the Netherlands most famous concert halls and festivals.

This is the kind of uptempo high-tempo song we come to expect from Joost but one might suggest this is a lot more welcoming and 'user-friendly' than many of his past hits. As ever, with his work, the majority of the song is in Dutch although there are refereces to people and place names that you will be able to make out. The song starts with a very 90's jingly piano intro with a stereotypical 'dj shouting on the PA' type intro. We then have a quick chorus before entering verse 1 and finally finishing with a chorus and post chorus with the distorted sample of  'Europapa' This loop of verse-chorus- post chorus happens again and this takes up to just over the two minute mark. Here, the happy-hardcore section of the song pipes up with a synthesiser taking the place of the spoken 'Europapa' lyrics. The song then closes down with a spoken word finish reciting a letter written by his late father - although this part is on the video only and not on the streamable track.

The video, like the song, has lots of running themes and lots of European flag themes as well as nods to '90s culture. Joost's blue suit with the really big shoulder pads is very fun and striking although I am not sure this would make the greatest of stage outfits - but might make for a great costume reveal moment... It will be interesting to see if any part of the video, in particular any of the dancing parts, are replicated on the stage by extra bodies or projected on the back walls. The track does end rather abruptly and I feel that either the gabber section could be extended and made more of or there would be more of the chorus to really make a real big finish. Joost's popularity in a lot of of western Europe will stand him in good stead with a sizable chunk of the televoting public. Also I don't think this particular entry will have much trouble creating that rave ambiance given how the age demographic in the crowd will enjoy and appreciate such an authentic throwback having remembered it the first time around!

ARTIST - Joost Klein

SONG - Europapa

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Donny Ellerström, Paul Elstak, Tim Haars, Joost Klein, Teun de Kruif, Thijmen Melissant 

SWITZERLAND 2024

The Swiss song and act was revealed on February 29th - with the première of the song on the Eurovision Song Contest youtube channel. Very little information was known about the song presentation apart from some media leaks which were not substantiated by the broadcaster. The Swiss song for Malmö is "The Code" by Nemo.

Nemo Mettler, from Biel in Switzerland, is an all round performer. Their music includes rapping and singing as well as being able to play the drums, violin and piano. Nemo's start in the music industry came at aged 16 with the release of the “Momänt-Kids” EP. This was followed up by another EP entitled “Fundbüro” the following year. As you can see, much of their early work was in the German language as well as self-written songs in the localised dialect of their home canton. Their later work was mostly in English. They received national acclaim in 2018 when they won 4 categories in the Swiss Music Awards 2018 including Best New Act and Best Hit for the song "Du". In 2021 Nemo was placed 5th on Masked Singer Switzerland where they were unmasked as Panda.

On paper, this song seems rather formulaic however on listening to it there is much more than meets the eye. The song starts rather small and with Nemo's vocal rather high in the register, almost spoken and with a very familiar tune. There is then a rather breathy and tension filled pre-chorus which runs leads into a rather timid chorus. Suddenly, verse 2 kicks in which is a very fast rapped verse. The pre-chorus here is much more angry and leads into a much more energetic version of the chorus with a stronger vocal. For the bridge the song goes back to a smaller vocal although the background music seems to do the opposite and build up to a slightly techno operatic section before the last chorus. Nemo really shows off their versatility here as they are able to tackle a wide range of vocal styles in a very short amount of time.

The video has a train theme, which could be replicated with video walls and/or props on the stage. I think this is a clever technique for the video as is really does help compartmentalise the different parts;  physically opening and closing doors to different sections of the song. Nemo wears a lot of different outfits and by the end the clothes and the lighting fluctuates between pinks and blues and purples. Obviously, this is a video and one cannot gain any idea how Nemo will sing this or how good they are at singing it. They obviously have no barriers to the style they sing in and feel comfortable doing so. However, changing genre within seconds and back on stage could prove tricky. Maybe the delegation has ideas for the amount of vocals on the backing track OR how people will be used on stage (singers or dancers) to give the song that power and depth it needs. This track is full of different bits and although this reeks of ambition and creativity it creates a real lack of flow in the song. Even when the chorus is repeated it sounds different every time and one might not even totally realise parts are the same. I feel like this song is trying very hard to be everything to everybody and the recorded version lacks warmth. However in person and on stage, this may well be different.

ARTIST - Nemo

SONG - The Code

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Benjamin Alasu, Linda Dale, Nemo Mettler, Lasse Midtsian Nymann

CROATIA 2024

The Croatian act and song was chosen on February 25th through their selection process "Dora". Before the final, there had been 2 semi-finals of twelve songs each with 8 from each qualifying to the final. During the semis, 100% televote was used; in the final a winner was determined by a combination of a European jury (made up of Germany, Iceland, Italy and Ukraine), a national jury (25% each)  and a public televote (50%). Going to Malmö is Baby Lasagna performing the song "Rim Tim Tagi Dim".

Marko Purišić (aka Baby Lasagna), started out as the guitarist for the rock group Manntra. The band took part in Dora 2019 coming a credible 4th with the song "In the Shadows". During this time he was also writing tracks for German gothic rock band Mono Inc. The record reached number one in Germany with many of the songs being released at singles. Purišić pursued a solo career releasing his first song "IG boy" under the pseudonym Baby Lasagna with his second song released in December 2023. Purišić then forwarded "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" for consideration for Dora 2024, however the song was not included in either of the semi-finals. A few days later, after the withdrawal of Zsa Zsa from semi final two, he and his song were given a place in the competition.

The song has a very immediate rhythm which perks your ears up straight away. The title of the song is used in a very different way to most song as it replicates and imitates the guitar riff in the background. Therefore it turns up at any point and even if you don't know the words you can just riff the "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" whenever you can. The song starts with the title interlude before going into the first verse and then back to the title sequence. Verse two and verse three are chopped in half with the title sequence in the middle. The chorus is a little less frantic although the background music barely changes at all from start to finish. At the 2 minute mark the instrumental dies down a little and becomes more synthy than guitary: there is also a short dance routine which keeps the energy up. There is then a final chorus and title interlude to the very end.

On stage there is a lot of smoke/dry ice; I don't think this is needed per se but does create an atmosphere straight away. There are 4 other people on stage behind te singer. Two of them are instrumentalists: one on the drums another playing guitar and keyboards.  Another two are dancers whose chorography include doing household chores and incorporating folk dance movements, Everyone is in a slightly anarchic version of folk dress, with puffed sleeves, covered faces and alternative materials. In addition some of the instruments are covered in what looks like doilies. On the back wall there is a myriad of iconic pictures from the outline of farm animals, random flashing colours and dancing neon-coloured cats. The whole presentation is so instant and satiates all the senses without feeling overwhelming. The obvious "Cha Cha Cha" comparisons will come and go but I feel like this stands on its own. As it did in Croatia, this will have no trouble hoovering up televotes but I also feel that this has enough musical merit and performance ability to get a sizable jury support too.

ARTIST - Baby Lasagne

SONG - Rim Tim Tagi Dim

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Marko Purišić

SAN MARINO 2024

The San Marinese act and song was chosen on February 24th during the show "Una voce per San Marino". The entire selection process started back in November '23 with the first round of auditions. By the end of January, 129 acts were still involved at the semi-finals stage with just 8 of these joining the 8 preselected 'big artists' in the final. In addition, the winner of a competition to find the best AI written song was also included the final. The overall winner was selected solely by a jury vote. Going to Malmö is Megara performing the song "11:11".

Megara is a four-piece Spanish rock/metal group from Spain which formed in 2015. Although billed as an alternative rock band, the group likes to play and mess around with the boundaries people may perceive that this music should be. Very soon after forming they made their first EP and the next year they released the first of their four albums. The band came to fame in Eurovision circles when they entered Benidorm Fest 2023 where they came a credible 4th in the final. The group then entered the Spanish preselection again with the song "11:11" but was not chosen for the live shows, so the band made some changes to the lyrics and was then was added to the San Marino process.

The song is a rather frantic and fact-paced song. The background sound is their trademark electronic-punk mix which drives the song on and on and on. It starts with what sounds like part of a telephone call although not much is made of this during the staging. We begin with verse one and a pre-chorus before the chorus comes in. We then run straight into a short post-chorus and another verse. This time we go straight into the chorus which works better than the time before. There is then another post-chorus followed by a few words in English. We are now up to the 2 minute mark when there is finally a sizable pause. An instrumental break with a prominent Spanish guitar gives everybody a short rest from the frantic beat an crunching guitars. The final chorus - albeit longer - comes back in to fire up the pace once again but then breaks down again for the outro.

The stage at "Una Voce Per San Marino" had a rather basic layout although the LED screens on the back wall were used effectively by all of the acts. As well as the four band members (mostly in black) they were also joined by two dancers initially covered in black and pink fur. During the instrumental break they disrobe to reveal black catsuits with the print of a pink skeleton but also white bald heads! It did look and feel slightly chaotic on stage but I would put the down to the lack of space rather than lack of direction. With more space, more scope for action and a better vocal mix this could look and sound a hundred times better without putting much effort in. At first listen I felt the song was a collection of bits and it took me a long time to re-listen and break it all up before I understand the cohesion of the piece. I feel like the group could easily lose some of the pre and post choruses to make more space for the viewer to breathe and feel the flow of the song.  Repeating the "We like to party" line more would also give a clear signal of the start or end a section - especially at the very end. The finish as it stands is a little underwhelming and could be helped by having a real full stop to make a proper moment. I don't mind too much the fact that this is mostly in Spanish as that particular language has that syllable driven beat which this style of song needs to drive it on.

ARTIST - Megara

SONG - 11:11

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Sara Jiménez Moral, Roberto la Lueta Ruiz, Isra Dante Ramos Solomando