FRANCE 2025

The French song was unveiled on March 15th with a live performance of the song during the half-time of the France V Scotland Six Nations rugby match at the Stade de France in Paris. January 2025, France Télévisions, announced their selected representative and the track would be released at a later date. Going to Basel is Louane with the song "maman" (mum)

Louane's real name is Anne Peichert; she is 29 years old and from the Pas-de-Calais region of France. Her first foray into talent shows was in 2009 when she took part in the second season of the show L'École des stars on the D8 channel. Four years later she was persuaded by Bruno Berberes to enter "The Voice: La Plus Belle Voix". Sadly her father died during the filming for the show but vowed to continue in his honour and got all the way to the semi-finals. A year later, her mother also died. She was spotted during The Voice by Éric Lartigau, who cast her in the lead role in his film "La Famille Bélier" which required her to learn sign language. She then won the César and Lumière Awards for Most Promising Actress for this role. Since then she has also participated in a number of film and TV roles as well as dubbing animated films such as Trolls and The Incredibles. In total, Louane has released 5 studio albums, 19 singles and 5 concert tours. Her music spans all the realms of French Pop from dance to chanson.

After an elongated introduction and set up to the show the song proper starts quite quickly with a rather long verse which goes straight into the chorus which repeats the title several times at the end. The second verse is a little shorter but this is followed by two renditions of the chorus, both with extended endings. The song finishes with a shortened chorus and a child's voice in the background saying 'maman'. Louane is wearing a long sleeved black dress studded with crystals which gently glitters. The Stadium is mostly in darkness with the lights of the crowd visible all around - a sight probably to be seen in the competition itself.

The reveal video, although grand, does not give us much idea as to what might be in store in Basel. The only thing I can fathom is that Louane may be static on stage with musicians around her. The song doesn't lend itself to much action on stage, apart from maybe some contemporary dancers. I have to admire Louane's tenacity, courage and control at being able to sing live in front of such a big, and possibly hostile audience (they were mainly there for the sport, not the Eurovision) as well as the nerve of singing so high in the air. There were some wobbles vocally but I feel that performing like this will make performing at Eurovision a breeze. Her concert experience will be invaluable when it comes to showing experience and stagecraft. The fact she is known across the Francophone world will help get votes from the jury and televote. The song feels like a female version of last year's entry which will give it some memorability. The tune is simple to remember and the repetition of 'maman' means even those with rudimentary French will get the gist. This is a nice ballad with a simplistic core and a pure heart but I wonder, compared with the entries around it, if it leaves the listener a little underwhelmed and wanting more.

ARTIST - Louane
SONG - maman
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Anne Peichert, Tristan Salvati

CYPRUS 2025

The Cypriot song was officially revealed on March 11th with the official video release. Way back in September 2024, the Cypriot delegation announced their internally selected representative and that the chosen track was being finalised and would be released at a later date. Going to Basel is Theo Evan with the song "Shh" 

Evangelos Theodorou (Theo Evan's real name) was born in Nicosia and started singing and dancing early on. He was in the school choir and took part in theatre and talent shows across the island. He studied at The English School in Nicosia and then went to Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied music and performance.  In 2021, he released his debut single "The Wall" and has released another 7 after this in the intervening years. Theo is the first Cypriot-born entrant to compete for Cyprus since 2017. His music is mostly in the genre of Mediterranean pop but he also encompasses harder dance genres, reggaetón and R&B.

The music video contains a mish mash of different themes which hinge on the mystery of pyramids and the secret within. It feels a bit Indiana Jones meets James Bond in a three minute video. The song follows a verse, pre chorus, chorus structure which is run through twice. The verses are syllabic, almost spoken and have a rather odd intonation to them. The pre-chorus has a slight Mediterranean/Middle Eastern sound which acts as a nice bridge between the styles following and preceding it. The chorus has a clearer timbre and uses long notes for the 'hush hush' part of the song and also expands into the higher register. Just after the two minute mark the song breaks down a little before going back to the outro which refers back to the end of the chorus. The instrumentation leans into the electronic and dance music genre, starting off rather mystical and trancey but by the second verse the beat has really kicks in.

This is one of the more "The Code" coded songs we have on this year's playlist. Although Theo does not have the vocal dexterity of Nemo, the fact that the song is made up of definable bits which are produced and sung in a particular fashion and the use of character and instrumentation to create interest and tension makes it feel that way. In a visual capacity I like the staging idea of people running around like assassins; I also like the idea of the pyramids as a mystical entity to keep secrets inside. In addition, having a pyramid on stage to sing on, jump off or run around might be an interesting take on Nemo's spinning top. The chorus is quite catchy but does go on a bit, plus the breakdown in the final minute breaks up the flow too much when there could be something more exciting happening. Personally I find the verses rather odd, in particular the description 'I've got golden locks' is a confusing beginning as you don't know who or what he is referring to. Maybe the riddle with be revealed during his performance? 

ARTIST - Theo Evan
SONG - Shh
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Linda Dale, Dimitris Kontopoulos, Lasse Nymann, Elsa Søllesvik, Elke Tiel

SWITZERLAND 2025

The Swiss song was officially revealed on March 10th with the official video release. A few days earlier, the Swiss delegation announced the act that would be the home performer. Going to Basel is Zoë Më with the song "Voyage" (Journey)

Zoë Alina Kressler is the person behind Zoë Më. She was actually born in Basel but spent most of her life in Fribourg. Here, she studied at La Gustav Academy which is a renowned educational musical establishment. She began writing her own songs at the age of ten and sings and writes in both French and German even though she was not brought up bilingual. Last year, she won the RTS Artiste Radar and SRF 3 Best Talent award and has performed at the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival. Over the past 7 years she has released twelve singles and two EPs. Her music is best described as Poetic pop and chanson.

The music is minimal and orchestral with sweeping violins, pizzicato embellishments and rumbles of the timpani to add tension and emphasis to the track. Zoë starts singing almost immediately with a long but nicely phrased verse. This and the pre chorus are a little wordy, but delivered in a soft way. This leads straight into the chorus which repeats the title of the song several times and has longer held notes. This structure is run through again but with some changes in the phrasing. After the second chorus there is a slight change of pace with the main line of the chorus being repeated over and over again. The tempo slowly accelerates as Zoë sings over a Tango instrumentation. But just as it starts getting faster the music peters out and Zoë brings the song out of a minor key, back into something more positive and returning to the familiar haunts of the chorus, for the last time, almost acappella. The video sees Zoe in a busy street, sometimes in broad daylight sometimes in darkness. There is a strong motif of flowers throughout the visual; this matches some of the lyrics which compares humans to flowers because "they grow better when the are watered".

In Eurovision terms this song reminds me a lot of Victoria's output in 2020/21 for Bulgaria. However I much prefer this Swiss entry to either of those songs, perhaps the French content makes it sound more palatable or that this style of singing seems more suited, or more culturally resonant, to the French language. The sweeping strings and pure instrumentation makes it stand out compared to the more bombastic and in your face entries this year. Her voice is very small, which lends itself to this style of singing and songwriting but it is intriguing to think how they can replicate an intimate vocal arrangement on a live stage. Her demeanour in the video is also slightly refreshing; she does not go overboard facially or gesturally and you focus on what she is singing and how she is singing.  Part of me hopes that the staging will be simplistic with basic lights and little movement. I almost imagine her alone on stage in a spotlight, adding minimal movement in the Tango part with a brightening up of the stage to the end. I expect French speaking televote to engage with this and a similar affect in the jury vote too, not just the French speakers.

ARTIST - Zoë Më

SONG - Voyage

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Zoë Alina Kressler, Emily Middlemas, Tom Oehler

PORTUGAL 2025

The Portuguese song and act were selected on March 8th using their long running national final "Festival da Canção". Prior to the final there were two semis with 6 songs qualifying from each. In the final, the ranking of the televote was added to an equivalent rank of regional juries. This, however, resulted in a tie for first place and the entry with the better televoting score was declared the winner of the competition. Going to Basel is the group NAPA with the song "Deslocado" (Out of place)

NAPA is composed of Francisco Sousa (guitar), João Guilherme Gomes (vocals and guitar), João Rodrigues (drums), Diogo Góis (bass), and João Lourenço Gomes (piano). They formed in 2013 on the island of Madeira under the name "Men on the couch" which is the name they released their first album with. The band changed their name to NAPA in 2023 before the release of their second album which saw them move towards more acoustic and classical instrumentation and use of choirs and more acoustic intonations and collaborations. Last year they undertook a national tour and made a concert film called "Teatro Maria Matos" where the band played in a big band style. Most of their output is in an indie pop style.

On paper this entry feels like a very straightforward but the song is much more complex. The start of the song comes in very quietly with an interesting piano line which almost sounds Japanese. Over the top there are some interesting harmonies before the guitars start up which gives it a loungy Beatles energy. The structure is just verse, chorus, verse chorus although each verse and chorus is slightly different in length than the other and have slight changes in tune and rhythm. The group are dressed very casually in a range of beigey, muted outfits and they are spaced out around the stage giving many of the band members room to move about a bit. The backdrop is full of glowing colours - more vibrant than pastel but dimmer than primary and secondary colours - which gives it a hazy summer feel. The ending kind of gently steers out just like it gently crept in.

The song ended up being a bit of an 'accidental' winner not only because of the tie for first place but also because the jury and televote scores really did not correlate. Even for Portugal this is not really the archetypal Eurovision entry, which could be its strength or its weakness. In a final or semi-final full of busyness, this song could easily fall through the net or could stick out as an idyll of calm in a sea of unpredictability. There is scope for a rethink in terms of the staging, costuming and camera angles to sell the story, which is kind of missed if you don't speak Portuguese. The lyrics are poignant (about missing where you come from and not feeling at home in a big city) and almost provide a sentimental follow up to Baby Lasagne's song last year. It slightly reminds me of Azerbaijan's 2023 entry which was a subtle retro pop song but just didn't go anywhere and ended up forgotten. NAPA's position may well be more effected my other acts doing badly and losing votes than more people voting for them. Unless the whole of the Portuguese diaspora vote for this wholeheartedly in the semi-final I just can't see this getting much further.

ARTIST - NAPA

SONG - Deslocado

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - D Góis, G Gomes,  J Gomes, J Rodrigues, A Santos, F Sousa 

SAN MARINO 2025

The Sammarinese entry was chosen on March 8th during the show "San Marino Song Contest". Leading up to the final there had been months of open auditions which lead to a number of semi-finals. Those that qualified joined the pre-selected big acts in the final. As ever, the winner was selected via a jury. Going to Basel is Gabry Ponte with the song "Tutta l'Italia" (All of Italy)

Gabriele "Gabry" Ponte is from Torino and came to worldwide prominence as part of the group Eiffel 65. He was the main producer of their biggest hit "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" selling over 8 million copies and their debut album "Europop" sold 4 million copies. In the year 2000, they won the European Music Award as the "Best Italian Artist In The World". As well as his work with the group Ponte also produced and remixed for other acts. In 2005 he left Eiffel 65 to concentrate on solo work and go give him time with his Dance and Love. He has remained very active over the past 15 years working with acts as diverse as Pitbull, Prezioso, Aloe Blacc and LUM!X. With the latter, he was a co-writer and producer of "Halo" which was the Austrian Eurovision entry in 2022. "Tutta l'Italia" was used as the theme music for the 2025 Sanremo Music Festival before being picked up for the San Marino preselection.

Gabry is stood dressed in white behind his mixing desk in the middle of the stage. Either side of him are two male singers, dressed in top hat, black jacket, white scarf and silvery blindfolds. There are also two female contemporary/folk dancers and a male percussionist playing a hand drum. The background is primarily green, white and red and displays the name of the song in a graffiti like way. Although Gabry is not the singer, he mimes and dances along with the song and does so good interpretive gestures to go along with the lyrics which touch on Italian culture an lifestyle. The song's structure is rather simple with a quite lengthy verse then pre-chorus and chorus although in some of the instrumental parts there is some football-esque chanting.

I have added at the bottom of this review the performance from the final night of Sanremo, showing an alternate staging .The vocalist on the recording, and at Sanremo, is Andrea Bonomo,. He is also a co-writer but was not on stage during the national final. It is possible the stage show was put together in a rush so there may have been issues getting personnel together. There needs to be more engagement between all of those on stage and the audience - the mood in the hall (which will be very positive) needs to be just as enthusiastic on stage. The singer - or singers - need to show energy and personality more like video from Sanremo and less like the national final. On the other hand, the static nature of the singers made the camera focus in on Gabry who is the name of the act after all, which is also a fair and understandable production decision. I liked the dancers' choreography, mixing tarantella with a more contemporary style, but didn't have enough of a visual impact. The song is catchy and the guaranteed crowd participation will transmit down the camera lens. The only thing is - it is not a bit odd that a song that repeats 'Italy' is representing San Marino? If they get to the final, how will it be made clear to vote for San Marino and not for Italy? Only time will tell...

ARTIST - Gabry Ponte

SONG - Tutta l'Italia

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Andrea Bonomo, Gabry Ponte, Edwyn Roberts

SWEDEN 2025

The Swedish song and act were selected on March 8th via their long-standing and popular national final "Melodifestivalen". There were 5 semi-finals prior to the final where two songs qualified from each, then a second chance vote making a final of 12 songs. The voting was in two halves; firstly an international jury vote then a public vote from either pone voting or app voting, the latter of which is segmented into age groupings.  Going to Basel is the group KAJ with the song "Bara bada bastu" (Just take a sauna)

The name KAJ comes from the names of its three members - Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman, and Jakob Norrgård. The trio are from Vörå which is a Swedish speaking part of Finland. After becoming acquainted through various sporting clubs they became close friends when they attended the same school, and formed the trio in 2009. The band performs in a variant of Ostrobothnian Swedish which many Swedes find hard to understand. Their music spans multiple genres often with a humorous and satirical edge. Over the 15 years they have been together they have six studio albums, a live album and 9 singles. On its release, "Bara Bada Bastu" got to number 1 in both Sweden and Finland - their only charting single in either nation. In addition they have toured Sweden and Finland three times and have also written and performed two musicals.

 

The song plays on the Finnish love of the sauna and, although in their Swedish dialect has the odd phrases in Finnish and namechecking other Finnish cultural touchstones. The song is also tied together with the short accordion earworm that comes in the instrumental parts. The song progresses as a verse, pre chorus and chorus and runs through this twice. There is then a bridge where the title is repeated before a final chorus - with a key change. As the song ends the title is repeated again and again. During the song the trio are dressed formally in suit jackets, trousers, ties and formal shoes. They are joined by four dancers who start off dressed in check shirts and hats but end up dressed - or should that be undressed - in bucket hats and carefully wrapped towels. The setting of the song changes half way through from an outdoor setting with the trio cooking sausages around a fire to being inside the sauna. In addition there is quite an simple but involved dance routine during the chorus.

On paper this shouldn't work. This walks that fine tightrope between fun & light-hearted with songwriting skill & performance ability without being ‘a joke’. The trio have honed this craft for well over a decade, and you can tell. They know how to work the crowd,  how to sell the song and how far to push the boundaries. This song is really fun but when it is twinned with a catchy tune, memorable lyrics, a well thought through stage show and a confident performance all makes for something really appealing. If feels very approachable and personable and appears to go way beyond its language barriers The last time a Swedish entry was in Swedish was 1998, and the last time Swedish appeared at Eurovision at all was in 2012 which was ironically, the Finnish entry of that year. At a time when the world seems a little bleak, gloomy and serious, maybe we all need a little bit of sauna in our lives...

ARTIST - KAJ

SONG - Bara bada bastu

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - A Åhman, K Holmström, J Norrgård, R Skowronski, K Strandberg, A Wrethov

UNITED KINGDOM 2025

The UK song and act were officially revealed on March 7th with the song's airing on BBC Radio 2,the  music video release on youtube and the track release on streaming platforms. Earlier in the year the BBC announced that the entry had been chosen but the song would be revealed at a later date. Going to Basel is Remember Monday with the song "What the hell just happened?" 

Remember Monday is made up of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele who are from Surrey in the south of England. In 2019 they performed on The Voice UK getting a 4 chair turn in their audition. After choosing Jennifer Hudson as their mentor, they won their battle round but were eliminated in the knockouts. During the pandemic, they posted acapella covers on TikTok, many of which became single releases, and accellerated their strong social media following. Last year they played the BBC Radio 2 stage at C2C Festival and performed a live session backstage with Bob Harris. Since their first song release in 2019, they have released twelve singles and two albums. Individually they also have a wealth of musical theatre experiences from Mary Poppins to Les Miserables, from The Phantom of the Opera to Matilda. The majority of their output is described as country-pop.

The video takes place in a grand house which has been used for a party. The 3 members are dressed rather similarly, in modern riffs on recency clothing in beige, cream, pinky tones. The outfits are complimented with expensive looking accessories such as fur (hopefully fake!) coats and jewellery. The girls connect well and the video narrative  - and song lyric -  gives the video a light-hearted and comedic edge. The song runs through three lots of verse and chorus however the first verse acts as an intro while the last chorus is a cappella and acts like a finale. There are many gear changes with the chorus being anthemic with long notes holds and vocal riffs, while the verses have a strong beat and is more wordy. The verses tend to be sang a person at a time, sometimes just taking a line at a time, while the chorus is where the trio sing together and in harmony.

There is a lot going on in this song. It is in a similar vein to "The Code" and "Cha Cha Cha" with multiple tones, timing changes and tempos used to create friction, grab attention and to make the watcher/listener stay interested. There is an underlying influence from musical theatre - notably SIX - focusing on story telling, vocal technique and harmonies. It could be a high risk strategy because if they get it wrong on the night(s) the vote will evaporate. The song's structure is enticing the juries who I feel will give this votes if they nail these elements. However, the televote may be more of a battle. Personally I find the song's stop-start nature jarring and the lack of flow stops me enjoying it. The song by itself doesn't work, which won't be good for radio play, but could be memorable for Eurovision if the show is good. This song is not for me but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its merits or appeal elsewhere. One question I can't wait to find out the answer to is -  in a song full of bits which bit will they use for the vote recap?

ARTIST - Remember Monday

SONG - What the hell just happened?

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - J Aagaard, S Brennan, L Byrne, T Hollings,  H-A Hull, K Kamara, C Steele, T Stengaard 

CZECHIA 2025

The Czech song was revealed on March 7th with the song being released on streaming platforms and official video premiere later that same afternoon. December 2024, ČT (the Czech broadcaster) announced their singer but that the song would be revealed in March. However, an acoustic version of the song was presented during the first semi of the Maltese Eurovision Song Contest show. Going to Basel is Adonxs with the song "Kiss Kiss Goodbye".

Adam Pavlovčin, the real name of Adonxs (pronounced Adonis) was raised in Senica, Slovakia. He took up dancing and singing at an early age; joining a junior dance crew, taking singing lessons and learning  to play the piano. However he stopped singing in his teens and concentrating on dancing, wining the Slovak street dance championships five times in junior and adult categories. He studied at BIMM in London where he gained a degree in Songwriting and Creative Musicianship. His big breakthrough was in 2021 after winning "SuperStar" ,the joint Czech-Slovak version of Idols and became the first openly queer winner of the show. His music style shifts from pop, rock, folk, alternative and synth although his lyrics often focus on love, heartache and loneliness. 

The video has Adonxs as bit of a human guinea pig, with scientists attempting to make him time travel. We see him in press conferences, undergoing physical tests and having therapy sessions all while being hooked up to various machines and drips. The colour palette is very muted and not at all colourful possibly alluding that the narrative is serious, sombre and a little bleak. The song starts with the first verse which has quite a slow beat but the lyrics can come quick and fast. The pre-chorus is a brief pause before the anthemic chorus comes in. This procedure is followed up again albeit with a shorter chorus. Then, surprisingly, comes a rather up-tempo dance break when he and some of the laboratory staff do a co-ordinated dance routine which lasts less than twenty seconds before reverting to the pre-chorus and then the title repeats over again before one final chorus to the end.

As a moody Viennese waltz ballad this is not bad. The backing track has gospel tones as well as a muted feel in the instrumentation. Adonxs vocal is high in the mix: breathy and intimate in the verses and more expressive in the chorus. The visuals, although well made, has a confusing narrative. It's certainly not the videol one was expecting and neither do I anticipate the video to be incorporated in the stage show. After the song's release, most of the discourse was about that dance break. Adonxs is an accomplished dancer and his performance in the video is polished however that instrumental and that chorography does not belong in that song. The dance break could've implemented the start of a faster tempoed section to finish but this was not the case. At the Maltese NF his acoustic version - just him at the piano - did not feel much different to this in retrospect. The future of this song may well hinge on the stage show and presentation because its identity right now is too mixed to judge.

ARTIST - Adonxs

SONG - Kiss Kiss Goodbye

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - L Calvo, M Charvátová, I Coulon, R Janeček, A Lopes da Silva, G Masters-Clark, A Pavlovčin  

AUSTRIA 2025

The Austrian song was revealed on March 6th with the song and video release on the Eurovision official youtube channels. Earlier in the year, ORF (the Austrian broadcaster) announced their singer had been chosen but the song would be not be revealed until March. Going to Basel is JJ with the song "Wasted Love" 

Johannes Pietsch - aka JJ - was born to an Austrian father and Filipino mother. He was born in Vienna, grew up in Dubai but the family then returned to Vienna in 2016. As well as German he speaks Tagalog, French and English. He auditioned for the successful talent show "Starmania" getting to the final 12 and in 2020 he was a contestant on The Voice UK getting to the knockouts round. Currently, he attends the Music and Arts University in Vienna  Although he has an operatic education and background, he enjoys mixing this with pop, especially as he is a countertenor and has wider upper range. This entry is his first single release proper.

The song starts almost immediately with a rather long verse then short pre chorus. This is sung in his pop voice which is still quite high. The short chorus that follows tunes into his operatic voice, which sounds extremely impressive, and in addition his diction is clear and audible. We then return with a verse and chorus but this time the verse is short and the chorus is much longer. The music video is rather moody; although not shot in black and white, the lighting and colour palette might suggest otherwise As the lyrics suggest, there is a lot of water based imagery from rain storms to puddles to full blown lakes. I like the way the use of the paper boat alludes scale and size. The song itself  hints are unrequited and unreciprocated love and his vocal tone suggests longing, despair, frustration and resignation. Just after the two minute mark JJ repeats the title of the song several times before a very string dance beat comes in under the singing and his voice starts to cut in and out. At this point in the video he is no longer drowning in the water but floating above people in a grand theatre.

This has a strong audio identity with nothing else leading up to this point feeling quite like this. The song seems to peak at the chorus which, although technically brilliant, are lyrically repetitive. The last 40 seconds or so are captivating although I wonder how this will go down on stage. I imagine the interrupted sound bite would be on the backing tape and JJ singing some other high jinks as another layer on top. The visual is also strong in the video and I can imagine with wind machines, some decent video projections (below & above) and maybe even some pulleys and winches, the video's feel could be replicated in the hall. This all said, there is something about this song that gets memory holed for me. I wish the verses were more memorable because I certainly cannot sing along with the chorus and the verses are too plain to remember. My hope for this entry is that as well as pulling this off vocally, the team also has an innovative or interesting staging to bring out the best of this song.

ARTIST - JJ

SONG - Wasted Love

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Johannes Pietsch, Teodora Špirić, Thomas Thurner

CROATIA 2025

The Croatian entry was chosen on March 2nd through the show "Dora 2025". There were two semi finals of 12 songs, 8 going through to the final from each show. T50% of the score came from the televote  with 25% each coming from a national and international jury. Going to Basel is Marko Bošnjak with "Poison Cake".

Marko Bošnjak is 21 and is originally from Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Marko started out at a young age and at aged 11 won a children's Serbian talent show called "Pinkove Zvezdice" (Pink's Little Stars) singing songs in both English and Serbian. His first attempt at going to Eurovision occurred in 2022 and came second and this gained him his first HR Top 100 entry. He has since competed at the Split Festival, performed at Serbian Pride, took part in Croatia's version of "Your Face Sounds Familiar" and sang at a charity show for Gaza at Zagreb's Klub Močvara. His Eurovision entry is his ninth single release.

Marko is joined on stage by four female dancers. Marko is in a black suit, with pointed shoulders and a cape The overall look is slightly wicked, Dracula-like. The dancers are dressed like evil chefs in their black tops, peplums, trousers and hats. The five of them appear to be in a kitchen as Marko starts the song sitting on a counter top and the dancers pop up through the windows or through the doors that double as fridges and cupboards. The song and performance is full of extremes with Marko able to switch between vengeful, gothic, spurned lover and camp, happy best friend with ease. The lighting and dance moves also changes between these differing emotions. After verse one comes the two-part pre chorus then chorus. The next verse is slightly longer than the first but continues into the pre chorus and chorus. Finally there is a building refrain before the screaming end where the beat also kicks up a gear and the dancing becomes even more frenetic.

This is one of the more curious entries this year. There is no doubt Marko is a star: his vocal ability is clear and his ability to shapeshift between parts is quite extraordinary. The problem is that this is absolutely bonkers - so bonkers it almost doesn't make sense. This leans into the fairy tale narrative of good versus evil, a trope not new in Eurovision terms, however having one person playing all the parts is. In the way Jacques Houdek played two parts through lighting changes, a split costume and vocal changes, Marko does by changes of facial expression, body language and tone of voice. Although I can see how the staging and dancing fits the song, I almost feel it doesn't go OTT enough. The posse of dancers works well but the choreo is too nondescript and needs to hammer home the storyline. The lyrics are a little basic and contains odd turns of phrase. The chorus is extremely one note (and one lyric) and the shouting at the end is rather disconcerting. The balance inside this entry needs recalibrating - better costumes, more stage space and better technical scope will help. If they do that, they might just get away with it.

ARTIST - Marko Bošnjak

SONG - Poison Cake

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Marko Bošnjak, Emma Gale, Filip Majdak, Ben Pyne, Bas Wissink 

GERMANY 2025

The German song and act were selected on March 1st through the show "Chefsache 2025". There were two heats (where 7 of 12 qualified in each show) and a semi final (where 9 from 14 went through) all chosen by an in-house jury. The overall winner was chosen in two rounds; the jury selected a top 5 which would then be open to 100% televoting, including online, worldwide voting. Going to Basel is the duo Abor & Tynna with the song "Baller" (Shoot)

Abor & Tynna's full names are Attila and Tünde Bornemisza and they are siblings with Abor two years the elder. They both are from Vienna, Austria but their family hails from both Hungary and Romania. They were born into an artistic family with their father being a cellist in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Abor's main instrument is also the cello while Tynna plays the flute. The siblings recorded their first song in 2016 and last year they were Nina Chuba's support act on tour. Their Eurovision entry is their 10th single release to date and also comes from their debut album "Bittersüß".

The background colour is dark with turquoise lighting. The ends of the stage are lit up which is reminiscent of neon lighting. Abor is sat to the side on a chair playing the cello in a grey bomber jacket and similarly coloured trousers, Tynna is centre stage wearing a silvery, slightly translucent cress. They are joined on stage by the house band at the back of the stage and two male dancers wearing grey outfits with big white boots. The song starts with a full version of the chorus before going into the first verse. We then hear the pre-chorus for the first time before entering into the chorus again. There is then a final verse - pre chorus - chorus before a final outro with the repetition  the name of the song in the chorus' first line. Just before the outro Tynna takes the cello off her brother, holds it above her head and hits it on the central speaker creating sparks, before finishing back to back.

This is the first time since 2008 the German entry actually contains German. The 'lalala' chorus is catchy and starting the three minutes with this gets it stuck in your head straight away. It is a clever earworm for those who do, or do not, speak German. Tynna has an engaging performance style and has enough natural movement for it to feel genuine and not too stayed. I enjoy the parts Tynna does directly to camera. In the semi she had a hand held device with what a clever gimmick but the definition was not good enough. At times it feels like Abor is pushed to the side. The destruction of the cello near the end is an interesting schtick and makes me wonder if some choreography between the siblings and the cello could be added into the show. I also feel the dancers are not needed, and weren't there during the semi-final, although the set up of the stage may have hampered how much space they had to perform in or even how many dancers they could have, It is also interesting how muted the colour scheme is, especially the outfits on stage, which almost makes you focus on the song first. This is a fun dance-pop song, just in time for summer festivals and parties, and might be a grower outside of the contest if it doesn't do too well in it.

ARTIST - Abor & Tynna

SONG - Baller

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Attila Bornemisza, Tünde Bornemisza, Alexander Hauer

DENMARK 2025

The Danish song and act were selected on March 1st through the show "Dansk Melodi Grand Prix" . In the final there was an initial round of voting to select the top 3 then another to choose a winner. Voting was a 50-50 mix was a mixture of televote and jury. Going to Basel is Sissal with the song "Hallucination"

Sissal Jóhanna Norðberg Niclasen is 30 years old and is from Thorshavn in the Faroe Islands. She has been singing since she was very small and even won the Faroese version of MGP at aged 10. Since moving to Denmark in 2020, she's played at festivals, dubbed a role in a Disney film and, most importantly, released her debut EP "Hear Me Now" earlier this year.  She also has a handful of other tracks available to stream online. Her music has a strong electronic pop sound with an obvious Nordic/Swedish production influence. She also has her sights set beyond performing as she is training to become a teacher.

Sissal is joined on stage by 2 dancers. Sissal is wearing a long sleeved leotard which has a greenish-black sparkle to it that gives off a green low around its edges. The dancers seem to be wearing a similar material but they are totally covered, including heads, plus as they are mainly in the shadows they are not really noticed as much. Sissal's movement is very natural with some sidesteps, hand waving as well as moving down to the floor on her knees. She also has a constant wind machine which creates movement in her hair which is effective on the close up head-shots. The background is rather non-descript with strobing lights mainly in shades of white, blue and pink. The song starts will a verse then pre-chorus and short chorus. This is run through again but with more instrumentation although the verse is quite short. There is then a lengthy bridge with shorter sharper lines followed by an extended chorus to the end.

It is quite clear that this entry is route one Loreen: at times it reminds you of "Euphoria", sometimes  "Tattoo", and at some points at the same time  - which is quite a feat. The visual show, at least is not so similar, but still has its own imperfections. Sissal has a very pleasant and technically proficient voice. I really love listening to the verses as many female singers find control of the lower register very tricky and Sissal tackles this with ease. My main concern is in how this entry has been presented. Not only does this barely use any stage, making the setup feel tiny but the two dancers behind Sissel are barely visible! Either we need to see those people - or have even more of them - on stage or they need to go. I kind of enjoy the minimal movement Sissal has on stage as it feels genuine and naturalistic but I feel more use could be made of the wind machine - maybe she could have a cape, a translucent poncho, or  some straggly strips that creates a movement that makes her the centre. Overall, this really isn't anything new. Some people will vote for this because of its proximity to previous winners but many may see this as almost plagiaristic and unoriginal. This is a shame as Sissal is a powerful singer and this song, with this staging, may not be enough.

ARTIST - Sissal

SONG - Halloucination

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - L Deb, M Johansen, C Rohde-Frisk, L Spangsberg, M Wehbe, M Winther-John

SERBIA 2025

The Serbian song and act were selected on February 28th using the national final show "Pesma za Evroviziju '25". Prior to the final there were two semis where 8 qualified from the 15 songs in each show. The winner was chosen by adding an equal score from SMS voting to a jury vote. Going to Basel is Princ with the song "Mila" (Darling)

Stefan Zdravković performs under the stage name Princ (pronounced prince) and is from the city of Vranje but has lived in Belgrade since 2002. As a youngster, karate was his first love and was at one point Serbian national champion. However in his teens, he began to play music, founding a band with his friends. As an adult, he has been the lead singer of the band Sizip and has competed in singing competitions and festivals all around Europe, including reaching the semi-finals of "The Voice Bulgaria". He was due to participate in the Serbian national final in 2022 but withdrew, however he came back in 2023 with "Cvet sa istoka" which was the runner-up behind Luke Black. Away from music, his academic background is in Nordic Languages, Literature and Culture.

The song structure is simple going verse, chorus, verse, chorus, instrumental and final chorus. The start is orchestral and gentle but progresses to something louder and rocky although maintains its ballad feel. To begin, the camera is fixed on a rose but the rose falls apart (as it is made from ribbon) and  from behind a moon comes into view. Then in front of this projected full moon comes, from above, another moon - this time a crescent - which Princ is sitting on. Once lowered, Princ moves onto the stage. He has his hair down and wears shiny dark trousers and a black waistcoat. A catwalk on the floor turns into a moonscape but the background stays dark with shades of blue. Faces appear on the back screen and below him on the floor (in a very interesting overhead shot) and he crouches to touch it. Then a aerialist appears from on high, wrapped in a bright red silk, spinning exceptionally quickly and upside down. After a short blackout, Princ appears in a spotlight holding a rose before it blacks out again.

The song is an impassioned ballad about a man losing his beloved. The show has a visual, but simple, staging. I like the moon imagery although this is forgotten about half way through and I am not quite sure how the lyrics link to this visual. The rose motif starts and ends the show but again was not really referred to in between. Although the aerialist was an interesting addition but it felt a little shoehorned in as a spectacle. Maybe if the acrobat and the faces on the backdrop were somehow visually related, the viewer could follow the story better. Princ's vocal is strong and the melody utilises his full voice and falsetto. The Serbian language sounds pleasant in this song and allows Princ to really live the song so I hope this is not changed. Unfortunately, as a 3 minute work of art, it feels very pedestrian, a little old fashioned and visually confusing. I would almost say this feels like the big solo number in a longer musical theatre piece but taking this one song out of context doesn't sound right. They either need to weave the moon, rose or face metaphors into something understandable , ditch everything and make it as pared back as possible OR start from scratch and find something knew that works.

ARTIST - Princ

SONG - Mila

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Dušan Bačić, Dejan Nikolić

NETHERLANDS 2025

The Dutch song was revealed on February 27th with the song and video release on online platforms and a mass premiere across all radio stations in the Netherlands. In December 2024, AVROTROS revealed that they had internally selected their singer and the chosen song would soon be released at a later date. Going to Basel is Claude with the song "C'est La Vie" (That''s Life)

Claude (pronounced 'cloud') Kiambe was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2002, when he was nine, he, his mother and siblings fled to the Netherlands and stayed at an asylum centre in Alkmaar before moving to Enkhuizen where he finished his education. In 2019 he entered The Voice Kids, getting to the battle rounds. He then took part in the " ARE YOU NEXT?" talent show, which won him a record deal. With producer Arno Krabman and songwriter Joren van der Voort, they wrote the Dutch-French song "Ladada (Mon dernier mot)" which reached number 1 in the Dutch Top 40. He has won the 3FM Award for Best Newcomer and Qmusic Top 40 award for Best Artist. He has 7 singles to his name and his debut album was released at the end of 2024. His music is styled in the pop and chanson genre but his multilingual lyrics and African influence makes his sound very individual.

The video intersperses views of a small boy with Claude and his dancers. The dancing is very quick, the style is heavily gestural and has a modern commercial and African flavour. The dancers' outfits are almost mis-matched, while Claude is dressed casually, but smartly, in trousers and buttoned shirts. Near Then the boy, who mirrors Claude's movements, appears to be in the same room as the singer but as the camera pans we see he has been watching Claude on TV. Musically the song starts with a very sparse piano and a slow, slightly sad and serious 4 line verse. This leads to the pre-chorus containing short sharp rhymes, plus accompanying dance routine, and then into the thumping beat and la-la-la infused chorus. This goes through again however the chorus is a little longer. This is followed by a bridge which peters out back to the solitary piano part.

The song balances the heartfelt chanson verses and the poppier, upbeat chorus, and the transition from one to the other is well done. The song has an authenticity but cleverly uses well known French phrases e.g. c'est a vie, melodie, comme çi comme ça, la vie en rose and petit. The storytelling in the video is reminiscent of Stromae's "Papaoutai" with the protagonists dancing together but also apart. As the song is about Claude's early life and his mother, the visual theming feels genuine, however due to ESC age limits this staging might not happen, unless some CGI or video trickery can be used to make it seem like the boy is there. Claude is a charismatic performer down the camera and in the hall, so I ma  intrigued to know how this will look on stage. The song's audio style feels contemporary to the current Francophonic music scene with the changes in tempo and African influences. As we know though, this style has not done well at Eurovision - particularly in the televote - which is a concern. After the unfortunate ending to last year's campaign, the Dutch will be looking for a decent result but I do not think this will be a winner this time.

ARTIST - Claude

SONG - C'est La Vie

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Claude Kiambe, Arno Krabman, Léon Palmen, Joren van der Voort

AUSTRALIA 2025

The Australian act and song was revealed on February 25th with the artist and song reveal incorporated into the music video premiere via the official youtube channel.  Going to Basel is Go-Jo with the song "Milkshake Man"

Marty Zambotto is behind the persona of Go-Jo. He spent his early years with his family living off-grid, with no running water and growing their own food. This seems to have instilled the 'self-sufficient nature of his music and music production. As a child he listened to his parents music collection - mostly of singer-songwriters and received a guitar from his mum( who was also in a band) at 13. They eventually moved to Perth where he bought a digital audio workstation and started producing work for other artists before working on his own ideas. His work has a singer-songwriter approach but the production is more indie, alternative and electronic. He has a number of songs on his Spotify account but no official charting releases.

The majority of video takes place inside a ice cream/takeaway van but once inside we see that milkshakes are firmly on the menu as are party lights and 70s disco inspired costumes. Go-Jo is joined by two female co-workers who dress - and act - like crazed dolls. Go-Jo is seen driving the van, writhing around on the floor and gurning down the camera. The song starts with a verse and short refrain into the chorus then into the repetitive post chorus. This procedure runs through again followed by a call and response bridge ending with a longer post chorus. The background beat it very one note but there are layers of beats and rhythms which come in and out of the track. The main change is in the post chorus when the music has longer chords which last and fill the space. The delivery of the song ise rather talky. There is an audible fry to his voice as well as extra distortion in the production.

The song is extremely frivolous, as is its simplistic yet over the top video. I am expecting more of the same in the stage in Basel with interesting costume choices, suggestive dance moves, pulsating lights and plenty of provocative images on the backdrop. The songwriting and performance style is outwardly outrageous which could lead to lots of movement and interaction with other people on stage and the audience, giving a very full, effervescent picture. I also expect the audience to join in with the call and response bridge. Many viewers will pick up on the innuendo and bawdy lyrics. On the flip side, this is so bright, so loud, so suggestive it becomes too much. Although the stage show will be quite the experience, I am not sure how, vocally, this is will be replicated, especially when so much of the atmosphere is created by the intimacy of his voice in the mic. The lyrics are' full of the kind of double entendres that are so in your face, they are single entendres. In a post 'Me Too' world, a song alluding to getting satisfaction from a man in an intimate way, might come across too strong and aggressive and lacking in taste.

ARTIST - Go-Jo 

SONG - Milkshake Man

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Jason Bovino, Amy Sheppard, George Sheppard, Marty Zambotto

ICELAND 2025

The Icelandic song and act were chosen on February 22nd through the show "Söngvakeppnin". Before the final there were two semis of five songs with the top three from each show qualifying to the final. The winner was selected through adding an equal weighting of televoting and international jury scores. Going to Basel is the duo VÆB with the song "Ròa" (Row)

Væb (pronounced 'vibe') are brothers Matthías Davíð and Hálfdán Helgi Matthíasson. Their first release was the album "Væb tékk" which was released in the autumn of 2022 from which came their first two singles. However it wasn't until 2023 when two collaborative singles - one with Ingi Bauer another with Herra Hnetusmjör - gave Væb their first entries onto the Icelandic Tónlistinn. They tried to represent Iceland last year with "Bíómynd" coming 4th in the final. However, this 'loss' had a silver lining, as Bíómynd was the most successfully commercial song out of all of the finalists and the only one to make it into the Icelandic top 10. Their music is mostly described as electro pop with European dance music and hip-hop hints.

The two brothers are joined on stage by three dancers who are in shiny floaty silver tracksuits while the siblings are in thicker, matt silver outfits with the band name on the chest. These also work well against the predominantly blue/white lighting in the background. The dancing is extremely energetic but also cleverly balances between a bit silly and technically difficult. The song has a good thumping beat which is nicely juxtaposed with a Celtic quality in the instrumental which (kind of) fits with the nautical theme. After a short intro we start with a rendition of the chorus on the backing tape which is danced along to. The beat continues into verse one where the Icelandic lyrics come thick and fast. The music becomes more low key during the pre-chorus before ramping up for the chorus. There is then a brief interlude as the gang of five get into a makeshift boat and do some humorous poses and dancing. Verse two follows as does a pared down chorus which is followed by another chorus - but with a key change. The song ends with the boys doing a choregraphed mic drop before the lights dim and they all walk away.

This song and production is very fun but also direct. The guys are not perfect singers, and you can tell that by how much vocal support is on the backing tape but this song is - pun intended - all about the vibe. The rapping is very syllabic and fits the driving beat. The fiddle instrumental makes for an odd instrumental and is slightly alluded to in the presentation too. The show is slick and simple and part of me hopes that this simplicity won't be messed about with too much. They have to be careful that they don't try and mess about with a formula that works but also trying to scale something from a small stage to something much, much bigger. As I have already mentioned, there were a lot of vocals on the backing track which is, of course, allowed. But if voters are feeling like it is a bit too much or that they are in some way miming, this might stop people voting - especially in the jury. That said, in a 100% teletvote semi-final, this should have enough attractors to see it through. This song is catchy and has a good sense of self but I feel this will be one of those songs that flies in the semi and crashes in the final.

ARTIST - VÆB 

SONG - Ròa

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Ingi Þór Garðarsson, Gunnar Björn Gunnarsson, H H Matthíasson, M D Matthíasson.

ITALY 2025

The Italian act and song was confirmed on February 22nd. The annual Sanremo Festival (75º Festival della canzone Italiana) was held from February 11th to 15th. Twenty-nine singers performed 4 times over the 5 nights - 3 times with their official song and once as part of covers night. During each evening they sang their original song, there was be a vote. On the final evening the rankings of the radio jury, press jury and televote created a top 5. All the vote segments were then re-opened to find an overall winner. A few days later the festival winner, Olly, declined the invitation and the runner up then accepted the chance to represent Italy at Eurovision. Going to Basel is Lucio Corsi with the song "Volevo essere un duro" (I wanted to be a tough guy)

Lucio Corsi grew up in Tuscany and became inspired as a young boy to pursue music after watching The Blues Brothers on television. After graduating school he performed in local venues before moving to Milan in 2012. Over the years he has been a support act for Stadio, Brunori Sas, Baustelle and The Who, and has walked the runway as part of a Gucci campaign. He has also participated in the Musicultura, Musica da Bere and Premio Tenco song festivals. Hs early style was influenced by prog and glam rock, gaining critical acclaim for his surrealist & fairy tale lyrical imagery, but has since progressed to a more singer-songwriter style. He has 10 singles and EPs to his name as well as 4 albums, with a 5th being released at the end of March.

Taking my cues from the live Sanremo performances, it needs to be reminded that the musicians on stage are playing live and are backed by a live orchestra and backing singers (much of which will not be the case in Basel!) In all the performances, Lucio has his customary white make up, black eyeliner and wears his hair down, creating a striking look. The backdrop is rather plain but the yellowy-orange lighting creates an positive and optimistic glow that is hinted at in the song. Lucio starts alone just him and his piano we then also see and hear his artistic partner Tommaso doing harmonies and on guitar. Halfway through this long verse the rest of the instrumentation starts up but it still very gentle and goes straight into the chorus and verse two. This is quite a bit shorter than the first but the next chorus is a little longer. By this point Lucio has moved from the piano and is now playing guitar. During the second chorus many of the lines are spaced out with a line sung, then a line played on guitar. Now into the final minute, there is a short bridge before a very short chorus before short, almost spoken word, outro.

This song is very gentle and, although the song has a familiar tone and lilt, it does not sound or look like many of the bombastic or balladeering Italian entries we've had of late. The lyrics (dotted with names, places and recognisable Italian words) are delivered with a subtle quality, almost spoken, and the harmonies are very well done. During Sanremo he wore a number of outfits including a yellow shoulder padded number, a similar but red top and during his Topo Gigio duet  he wore a white tailored suit, accentuating his make up and dark hair. I am not quite sure any of these would translate to the Eurovision stage but with some signposting to the lyrics on the back screen it could come together. The song needs very little work - it is literally seconds off the 3 minute mark - but the presentation - without Lucio changing his own style - needs some thinking through. What was presented on the Sanremo stage was primarily for the Italian public, not the rest of Europe. Unfortunately, I feel this song is not in contention for the win but does hold a place for another different song style in the show. This is a shame as it is a technically good song sung by an intriguing singer. This will get some love from the jury and televote but for many this will be memory holed by the busyness around it.

ARTIST - Lucio Corte

SONG -Volevo essere un duro

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Lucio Corsi, Antonio Cupertino, Tommaso Ottomano

AZERBAIJAN 2025

The Azerbaijani song was revealed on February 19th with the music video premiere on the official Eurovision youtube channel. A few days previously, ITV (the Azerbaijani broadcaster) announced details of the act that had been internally selected. Going to Basel is Mamagama with the song "Run With U".

Mamagama an Azerbaijani band founded in 2021 and the trio currently consists of Sefael Mishiyev,  Bahruz Efendiyev and Allahverdi Gumbetli. Their music style is inspired by traditional music but has a more pop/rock influence. Their Eurovision entry will be their 6th single release. The band won first prize in the international section of the 2022 edition of the Kënga Magjike festival in Albania and were in contention as the Azeri Eurovision act in 2023.

The song starts with a short verse followed by a lengthy refrain. After this comes the pre-chorus followed by the chorus and a short instrumental. This is then cycled through once more although this time the refrain and pre-chorus are much shorter and finishes, rather abruptly at the instrumental at the end of the chorus. The video has a retro scientific theme with a Blade Runner/Tron backdrop and a narrative on the lines of Frankenstein with the singer being created and brought to life by the other members. As well as an interesting visual, there is also a little bit of humour in the video in particular with the dialling phones and floppy discs as well as some slapstick with the robotic dancing and the singer falling off the tables. At the end, the band plays together very briefly and are dressed in black and white baggy casual clothing with jackets over the top. 

On first listen, I was surprised by the modern nostalgic feel this has in its construction. The arrangement is cool and minimal plus the use of the saz (a traditional Azeri instrument) in the music-only parts almost gives the song a country edge but does feel a little bit shoe-horned in to be honest. The singer's voice is intriguing and has a nice modern yet retro edge. He has a much higher register than I expected which made the very beginning of the first listen interesting. The music has a feel of late '70s early '80s disco or could be a companion piece for Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" or something from the "Off The Wall" album. In Eurovision terms, it also reminds me of Ben Dolic's 2020 song "Violent Thing". The video presentation obviously raises questions about how this will look on stage. Firstly I am unsure if this video version will be the exact same cut used in Eurovision as the ending is abrupt and leaves you feeling confused. Also, the video setup is very interesting I can't see them transferring this to the stage. That said, neither do I want their stage outfits to look like the end part either. Finally I hope the singer, if not all three of them, can take on a bit of movement control or choreography as this is the type of track you want to see people dancing to. This is a great radio song and I hope the staging fits and lifts the song even higher.

ARTIST - Mamagama

SONG - Run With U

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Hasan Hayadar, Sefael Mishiyev, Roman Zee

ARMENIA 2025

The Armenian song and act was selected on February 16th through the show "Depi Evratesil". The winner was selected by combining the score of an international jury, a national jury and SMS voting. Going to Eurovision is Parg with the song "Survivor".

Pargev Vardanyan, is from Hayravank on the shores of Lake Sevan and sung in a local choir from an early age. His family then moved to Volgograd in Russia and graduated with a degree Theatre Arts & Acting from the state institute. At this point he was part of a band called The Edge Chronicles which toured many of the nearby ex-Soviet states for 3 years and they broke up in 2019. Parg returned to Armenia in 2022 and in a short space of time he collaborated with 2024 ESC representative Brunette and was a support act for French singer Zaz at the  HAYA Festival in Yerevan. His style of music is generally in the pop sphere and has released songs in English and Armenian.

Parg is wearing a sleeve of armour on his left arm; underneath he is wearing a black vest top and black trousers. The staging starts with flashing lights and smoke. This post-apocalyptic scene becomes clearer as the camera pans out and we see Parg next to a centrepiece which which has has a fault line through the middle. Later on in these parts fit back together and Parg stands astride the fracture. The choreography is minimal and naturalistic, centring on fist punches, foot stomping and headbanging. The song's structure is all over the place with multiple parts in different rhythms. We start with 2 short verses then a pre chorus. Next comes a longer, slower refrain which one thinks is the chorus but isn't - that part comes next! There are then 3 more part before another chorus. The pace slows considerably here with a sluggish slow-tempo bridge before another rendition of the refrain before finishing with a last chorus proper.

This song fits snuggly between the 'hard rock' and pop genres seen at Eurovision, and many will like or recognise the Imagine Dragons arena rock context of the song seems to sit in. Parg is on stage alone which is quite the risk. In a song where the singer proclaims and declares they are a 'survivor' he has no-one (apart from the audience) to bounce off. Maybe it is just surprisingly sparse on stage but this may also the thing to make it stand out against other similar solo male songs. Parg, though, commands the stage; he can catch the camera at any time and has confidence in his movements. On the flip side the structure of the song is all over the place. It feels like the 8 people it took to create this song weren't on the same page - or the same room - when creating it. There are too many ideas and there is no flow. In addition Parg's vocal is not great. He gets away with it - too some extent -  because the rock tinge gives him a bit of license to be more gruff. An OK performance at Eurovision will be too obvious to ignore when compared to some very technically good singers in this contest, espeially by the juries if this gets to the final.

ARTIST - Parg

SONG - Survivor

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - B Alasu,  J Curran,  T G:son,  M Mooradian,  A Paul,  P Vardanyan,  E Voskanian,  A Wilke

LITHUANIA 2025

The Lithuanian act and song were selected on February 15th through "Eurovizija.LT 2025" Before the final there were 5 heats. Two songs qualified automatically from each and 2 songs were awarded wildcards  In the final, a top 3 was chosen by a 50-50 mix of televote and jury then teletoving only chose the winner. Going to Basel is the band Katarsis with the song "Tavo akys" (Your Eyes)

Katarsis are a band whose music is in the alternative, shoegaze and post-punk genre with an emphasis on melody and emotional lyrics which are all in Lithuanian. Their songs are generally quite moody and dark, and not necessarily what one might except from a Eurovision entry. The four-piece consists of Andrius Gruodis, Emilija Kandratavičiūtė, Eivin Laukhammer and Lukas Radzevičius and have been together as a band since 2020. They have a number of song releases to their name but no album to date.

The song has a rather odd structure and I feel like the 'bigger picture' is what needs to be brought to mind. After the first verse there is a sparse, building pre-chorus before the repetitive chorus. There is then a short break as the music really builds tension and the gradually creeping beat intensifies. Then there is an oddly-paced bridge before the one word 'tavo' (your) is repeated for almost all of the final 50 seconds. The band members are scattered around the back on the dimly lit stage all dressed int eh same muted blue outfits a kin to what a dentist or clinician might wear.. The singer comes forward, maintaining eye contact with the camera. His pacing around is emphasised by the close up (not-so) Steadicam work with is intersperses with odd angles and flashes of the backing band. As the background clears we see a silhouette of fields and a house. This background turns blue and the landscape fragments and breaks apart almost like a blue tinted volcano or earthquake. During the repetitive outro, the back drop is full of rocks which starts turning the blue background into white.

The performance doesn't work without the song and the song doesn't work without the performance. The song is OK but nothing special; it isn't particularly catchy or sing-along-able. There are no gimmicks or dance routines; key changes or vocal gymnastics. But this isn't that kind of stereotypical modern Eurovision performance. This is much more nuanced and much more about the entry being greater than the sum of its parts. For such a minimalistic show, the band really pulls you in; the incessant gaze of the lead singer could be seen as intriguing or menacing. This less about the song, more about creating a memorable moment on stage. This all said, if this doesn't enrapture you within the first few seconds, or by the time the chorus come round, you are going to get up and see this as a break to have a cup of tea. I feel like this will have a following with those who like this 90s indie chart, shoegazy almost goth sound but many might just see this as noise and a bit too odd for a show like this. You either get it or you don't. Personally I am glad this is here and opens a channel for other similar acts to realise Eurovision could be an opening for the too.

ARTIST - Katarsis 

SONG - Tavo Akys

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Jurgis Masilionis, Lukas Radzevičius

NORWAY 2025

The Norwegian entry was chosen on February 15th  via "Melodi Grand Prix 2025". A winner was chosen by a 60/40 mix of televoting and international jury. Going to Basel is Kyle Alessandro with the song "Lighter".

Kyle Alessandro Helgesen Villalobos is from Steinkje and has a Norwegian mother and Spanish father. When he was 10, Kyle was part of the show "Norske Talenter" where he sang Beyoncé 's "Halo". This publicity gave him the chance to tour around Norway and gain experience in front of big crowds and learn from other artists. He has performed at the Fredrikstad Cup (a famous handball tournament) and on the famous TV programme "Allsang på Grensen". His early musical influences and inspirations were his Nordic and Hispanic background, and many of his early tracks were in Spanish or Norwegian.

The song starts quickly into the first verse which is followed by a pre-chorus and chorus. This is repeated again and at this point, around two minutes in, there is a brief dance break. The following bridge is slower with barely any backing music but this is used as a springboard as it then ramps up to a crescendo with a final chorus. The backdrop shows a rumbling volcanic scene which slowly becomes more moody and volatile. During the final minute fire shoots up around the stage and the stage is edged with fire. Kyle is joined by 4 male dancers, They are all dressed in black (almost like body guards) with padded waistcoats, bandanas and gauntlets. Kyle is dressed similarly with a modern take on armoury with breast plates, shoulder pads, chain mail and big boots. The almost non-stop choreography is precise and sharp. The five of them have to be in unison as their outfits create a silhouette against the auburn background and any mistakes would be easily highlighted.

On first listen, I found it quite hard to work out what was going on. Trying to figure out how the song fits with the staging and the outfits was a bit of a puzzle - one I still haven't worked out. The song lyrics put me in mind of last year's Luxembourg entry but comparing this to that is not exactly the greatest of comparisons. I hoped the song might contain brassy sounds or feel a little more tribal or medieval - based on what I expected from the visual -  but it doesn't materialise. Kyle's vocal is a little unclear; lyrics can be very fast and I could barely hear or catch up with what he was saying. Personally I felt that the last minute really showed off Kyle's technique and the lack of bombast in the backing track gave you a chance to hear his tone properly. I also think the staging is great and the togetherness between the dancers is very sharp and should be commended. It is just a shame that this staging has been used for this song. The lack of cohesion between what you hear and see makes concentrating on what he is saying - and the feeling he conveys - quite difficult. I don't particularly think this is a bad song and neither do I think that Kyle is a bad singer. Ultimately, there is a mismatch on stage which has created a disconnect, and this show - as is - doesn't inspire enough confidence to make me think this will do well.

ARTIST - Kyle Alessandro

SONG - Lighter

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Kyle Alessandro, Adam Woods

ESTONIA 2025

The Estonian Final was selected on February 15th via "Eesti Laul" Before the final there was a  radio-based semi-final There were two rounds of voting - a  50-50 mix televoting and international jury selected a top 3 and then a winner would be chosen solely by televoting. Going to Basel is Tommy Cash with the song "Espresso Macchiato".

Tommy Cash (born Tomas Tammemets) is from Tallinn. Although primarily a musical artist he has a background in dancing (influenced by popping, krumping and breakdancing) and art (video, photography, sculpture, painting, graffiti and fashion) and is infamous for his various stunts. His music (aural and visual) is seen as cheeky, often surreal, flipping between the many extreme of electronica and his lyrics are usually seen as rude, crude and sexually driven. He started his musical journey in 2013 by posting music to Soundcloud. From there his fan base grew with his songs being used in campaigns and appearances at festivals in the Baltic region. He has only released two albums but has released multiple solo tracks and has also collaborated on music with Little Big, bbno$, Riff Raff and Eurovision runner-up Käärijä, who was in his entourage at Eesti Laul.

The toping and aura of the song is rather interesting, for a Eurovision song in particular. The lyrics are littered with Italian words and phrases as well as English words spoken with an Italian lilt. After an extended chorus to begin with, the song continues with a verse - pre chorus - chorus which runs through twice and finishes with a la-la-la outro with the title of the song repeated. Tommy is dressed formally in a suit and tie but also looks rather dishevelled, maybe it is the long hair! At the start he is singing to a small white paper cup and then proceeds to dance rather strangely. He is joined on stage by four security guards who spend some of the time 'guarding' and the rest of the time dancing and helping to stage the song, almost as if they were props or furniture. The backdrop pivots between words from the song or coffee/Italian related paraphernalia. The song ends with Tommy lifted up by his body guards into a geometric ending pose.

The song is quite poppy and the music chops between the talky verses and the funky, almost Jitterbug-esque, chorus. Its style seems to hark back to slightly older styles of song but the theme and instrumentation is more up to date. I would say this song puts me in mind of "We No Speak Americano" although the subject matter is even more frivolous than this. The staging is very simple but also memorable. The choreography is full of tropes from other Eurovision stagings - but without being too pointed or referential about exactly what or who they are memeing. It is performed to a tee which makes sure that the entry is teasing- without being condescending or being nasty - which is a very fine line to tread. Moreover the song is really catchy, even if it is almost utter nonsense! This will sail through the semi-final as he is too well known in northern Europe and humours those who like the fun entries. This is pushing the boundaries and I'd love to know what the Italian, San Marinese and Italian-speaking Swiss public/delegations think of this! In addition, Tommy will be a 'character' during interviews and press events and a lot of people will be on edge when he is around!

ARTIST - Tommy Cash

SONG - Espresso macchiato

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Tomas Tammemets, Johannes Naukkarinen

POLAND 2025

The Polish act and song was selected on February 14th via the show "Wielki Finał Polskich Kwalifikacji". Initially 10 acts and songs were announced as being in the final but an extra entry was later added as a wildcard. Going to Basel, and returning to Eurovision, is Justyna Steczkowska with the song "Gaja".

Justyna is from a musical family and played violin in a family band before singing in rock and jazz bands. In 1994, she  came to fame by winning the first edition of the program "Szansa na sukces". In 1995, she won the Baltic Countries Song Festival and also represented Poland in the 40th Eurovision Song Contest with the iconic "Sama" in Dublin. Her following in Poland is substantial; her channel has over 41 million views on youtube, has over 15 million streams on Spotify and the winner of many cultural and singing awards. In addition to singing she acts on film and stage, presents and has been a coach on The Voice Poland.

The backdrop is dynamic and features aspects of the four elements. It is mainly shades of black and white meaning any brightly coloured parts really pop on the screen. During the chorus, 'GAJA' is clearly projected. Justina is in a tight-fitting black outfit with a feathery top which gives her a bird-like quality. She is with four dancers in similarly themed outfits. The choreography is dynamic and Justyna involves herself fully into the visual. Also on stage is a lone violinist who is dressed rather casually and chants the bridge near the end of the song. The song starts with an intro which is effectively the first part of the chorus. The structure goes verse - pre chorus - chorus and this repeats twice, There is then a bridge and an outro. About halfway Justyna, too, joins in by playing a violin herself and later on she is hoisted up high over the stage by her arms to be moved to the front of the stage.

This is a remarkably catchy song; the verses have a lovely traction to them while the beat underneath keeps running - akin to a calm rider atop a galloping horse (to keep the pastoral vibe). The performance is very full on and Justyna has the tenacity and athleticism to keep on top of such a expansive routine. I like the visual identity - which I hope is kept - and I particularly enjoy the different camera angles the show employs although it is very close to going over the top. The show is well put together and Justyna's professionalism is evident. She is engaging and proficient without coming across superior or show-offy. However part of me wonders if this being so non-stop is such a good thing to take to Eurovision. Justyna's vocal seemed very strong on the night, possibly aided by backing vocals in the chorus, and my fear is that if her vocals are not as strong as this at Eurovision, the whole show will collapse. Such a full on show may have been required to win the NF and perhaps some tweaks could be made before Eurovision. This is a ready-to-go entry in a pair of safe hands and I hope this is enough to get Poland back into the final.

ARTIST - Justyna Steczkowska

SONG - Gaja

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - D Buczkowski-Wojtaszek, P Kumór, Hotel Torino, J Steczkowska, E Waluchowski 

MALTA 2025

The Maltese act and song was selected on February 1st via the show "Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2025". In the week leading up to the final there were two semi finals reducing the field from 24 to 16. A winner was selected by adding a equal amount of jury and televote scores. Going to Basel is Miriana Conte with the song "Kant" (Singing)

Mirana Conte may only be in her mid-twenties but she is already a seasoned singing star. She first attempted to sing at Eurovision in 2017 with the song "Don't Look Down" but unfortunately she came in last place. Undeterred, she came back in 2018 with "Rocket" and finished 12th. This same year she entered the first edition of "X Factor Malta". She and three other solo singers were placed together to form 4th Line and they got through to the live shows. Her third attempt in MESC happened in 2022 where her song "Look What You've Done Now" placed 6th in the final. She tried again in 2023 and finished 9th with "Venom"

This is giving Drag Race does Sound of Music and keeps you on your toes for the 3 minutes. Miriana starts in a white pinstripe dress with netted green fringe along her shoulder line. Underneath is later revealed a leopard print bodysuit with a leotard and bodice, in a similar print, on top. On stage are 5 dancers who start in green and white Alpine inspired outfits but later appear in furry bathing outfits. The backdrop shows pink and purple mountain scenes, echoing the Alpine concept. The song is verse - long pre chorus - chorus which runs through twice before a bridge, a short pre-chorus and final chorus. Miriana plays the Maria persona and the dancers are the Von Trapp children - there is even a point when Miriana plays a ukulele and the dancers kneel around her in awe. Later, the personas break free, showing less repressed versions of themselves. During the last 20 seconds, all six on stage bounce up and down on yoga balls, fanning their faces, as Miriana looks down the camera and says her final line.

This entry certainly puts pay to the old adage 'less is more' and is in fact the whole shebang with a kit and kaboodle on top. This show is edgy, cool and fun and could easily be placed as is on the stage in Basel. Time and money could be spent on finishing touches to the costume and tightening of the choreo, but this just works. Miriana conveys such confidence throughout the song and she shines throughout. Her voice is also very strong and I think the fact she knows she can belt this out gives her the fearlessness to go full out on the performance. We have had entries in the past which have riffed on onomatopoeia, listed names & places or leaned into double entendre but this must be the first entry ever that has used a homophone in one language that sounds like a rude word in another. It feels like the Maltese have innocently been sitting on this bombshell of a translation and now that it has been 'discovered', and have the brazenness to show it off, boy have they used this to their advantage! 

ARTIST - Mariana Conte

SONG - Kant

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Miriana Conte, Sarah Evelyn Fullerton, Matthew Mercieca, Benjamin Schmid

LATVIA 2025

The Latvian act and song was selected on February 8th via the show "Supernova". A semi final was held the week before the final when the 19 contenders were reduced to 10. The winner was chosen through an equal weighting of televoting and jury. Going to Basel is Tautumeitas with the song "Bur Man Laimi" (Bring Me Happiness)

Tautumeitas are a Latvian folk and world music group whose current members are Asnate Rancāne, Aurēlija Rancāne, Laura Marta Līcīte, Annemarija Moiseja, Gabriēla Zvaigznīte and Kate Slišāne. Most of their output is in the folk and world music spheres and focuses on songs in the Latvian language and on Latvian heritage. The group's first release 'Lai māsiņa rotājās!' was a collaboration with Auļi and it received the 2017 Latvian Music Recording Award as the Best Folk music album. They also have 3 more albums under their name. Their most recent release "Skrejceļš" won the 2023 Golden Microphone for "World Music Album of the year"

The song is mostly made up of small repetitive verses and choruses, each with its own audio and visual identity. The song is wholly in Latvian although the delivery of the song's parts is almost more important. At the start the six members are in blue lighting, hidden behind a curtain of fringing. While singing the chorus the lighting pulsates, the dancing is tribal and a rainfall overlay is seen on the camera. As the verse starts we see them come out from the fringing. The lighting becomes more natural and we see all six dressed in beige outfits with translucent headdresses. They walk majestically and interact with each other. The verses look and sound more flowing and natural, while the choruses are chanted and suggest urgency and power. The beat drops and beat pick ups feel natural and keep the song driving. During the last part of the song, the group comes together as one and do some very clever 'follow the leader' choreography over some strobe lighting.  

This staging takes a leaf of out the Swedish 'music video' style of setting a Eurovision song, however this is much more earthy and ethnic than most of Sweden's ESC output. The staging is actually very simple but the camera angles, studio lighting and on-screen graphics do most of the heavy lifting. The song does, however follow suit from Ukraine's (and some others) penchant for ethnic bops. The chorus is extremely earwormy as the rhythm is incessant. Although the song has Latvian lyrics, the chanting conjures up Pagan spirits and medieval priestesses and this is helped with the dancing elements of the show. It must also be noted that some of the harmonies in the song are beautifully blended and you can tell that the band are tight and know their skill. I would say that possibly its polish, lack of a killer blow or crescendo moment might be the one thing that memory holes the song. That said, this song covers well trodden ground so Eurovision watchers will be expecting this.

ARTIST - Tautumeitas

SONG - Bur Man Laimi

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Asnate Rancāne, Aurēlija Rancāne, Laura Līcīte, Gabriēla Zvaigznīte