IRELAND 2025

The Irish act and song was selected on February 7th. The national final took place during a "Eurosong" special of The Late, Late Show.  The winner was chosen by adding equally weighted scores of public voting, an international jury and an Irish jury. Going to Basel is Emmy with the song "Laika Party".

Emmy Kristiansen is Norwegian and comes from the village of Sande which is south of Oslo. As a child, she sang in a choir called Soul Children. In 2015 she took part in the NRK show Melodi Grand Prix Junior and got all the way to the final. Six years later she entered into Melodi Grand Prix 2021 with the song "Witch Woods" which qualified for the final. She was also a co-writer of the MGP 2024 song "Woman Show" and Citi Zēni's national final song "Ramttai in 2025. Outside of singing, she is very active on TikTok and studies visual communication at the University of Southeast Norway.

Emmy is joined on stage by two female dancers and her brother on keyboard. Emmy confidently joins in with the dancing although the choreography is not exhaustive and the dancers do not take over the show. The costumes are predominantly silver but with blues and pinks in the background. The backdrop also flips between projecting the lyrics, space visuals, an animation of Laika and dancing astronauts. The structure of the song is verse - pre chorus - chorus with a vocalised bridge after each chorus. This runs through twice with an extended outro. The tune is very simple and this twinned with Emmy's very distinctive vocal tone, makes the song incredibly memorable. The lyrics are a little twee, and some of the rhymes are shoe-horned in, but I think this is about the feel of the song rather that its lyrical quality. The use of a historical non-human heroine possibly irons out any problematic issues people may have about known figures (although the only issue I can see is that Laika was Soviet/Russian).

As ever with the Late Late Show, the staging and technical capacity of the studio was basic and these parameters hampered or curtailed the 6 performances. "Laika Party" has appeal, especially with younger viewers. I see this song being used a lot on social media and becoming meme worthy. Also, Emmy really wants to be at Eurovision and will have support in the fan community as well as family support on stage. Now that the semis are 100% televote, this is almost definitely going through - not because it is an amazing song - because it is the kind of stereotypical catchy/funny/earwormy song people vote for. Although the presentation was safe and predictable, it was a tight and proficient 3 minutes. So, with more space, potentially more dancers and scope for more visual trickery this could scale up. On the negative side, many may see this as being a thin and gimmicky song and categorised as a 'joke entry'. This might end up being a big winner in terms of publicity and viral value but I don't think this will be troubling the top of the scoreboard in May.

ARTIST - Emmy

SONG - Laika Party

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - T Marius Aarra , E Guttulsrud Kristiansen, E K Guttulsrud Kristiansen, H Østlund, L Tormey

SPAIN 2025

The Spanish Final song and act was selected on February 1st through "Benidorm Fest 2025". The week before the final there were 2 semi finals. The winner was chosen by an equal mix of app voting & televoting and jury score. Going to Basel is Melody with the song "Esa Diva" (That Diva) 

Melodía Ruiz Gutiérrez is from a musical Andalusian family, her father being a member of Los Quillos, Aged 10 she was discovered by producer El Fary and released her debut album which received a Latin Grammy nomination. The big song from this collaboration was "El baile del gorila" (The Gorilla Dance) reaching number 1 on the Spanish chart. She has been in the music industry ever since racking up Billboard Latin Music nominations, numerous movie soundtracks and collaborations. She attempted Eurovision glory in 2009, however in the final she was in a tie for first place and as Soraya had the higher televote she went through to represent Spain. Her sound has flamenco and Latino pop undertones but also has released reggaetón and hip hop inspired songs. 

Melody begins high above the stage on a swing, dressed in black, with a very long train and topped off with a wide brimmed black hat. Once lowered the hat is removed, the train is detached and the dress is whipped off revealing a skin-tone cat suit embellished with rhinestones. She is joined by 5 male dancers during the very heavily choreographed performance. At the back of the stage there is Gothic inspired centrepiece which Melody performs from at times while the floor is covered in smoke and the colour palette is pinks and purples. The song has a verse-pre chorus- chorus structure which repeats through twice. There is then a bridge and dance break instrumental before a final blast of the chorus to the big finish.  The song is a bit of a roller coaster and there are plenty of tempo and musical changes to keep the viewer guessing what will happen next.

I barely watched any of the festival as none of the songs outwardly impressed me before the show. The winning song obviously sounds Spanish with its flamenco touches but at its backbone this is effectively a pop-schlager song and, having seen the songwriters, this should be no surprise. The song has a positive female message but unfortunately this doesn't really show in the presentation. The many tricks, stunts and staging ideas makes this come across a little bit desperate. Melody is a passionate performer and handles this 3 minute rollercoaster with aplomb but this recipe has too many ingredients. This is the kind of bombastic performance that creates energy in the hall but down the camera feels messy. The crouching looks ungainly and the helicopter hair got a cheer but I don't know why. I feel like the narrative of the song needs to be made clearer throughout for the international audience. This very much feels like a local song for local people. This entry seemed to satisfy and enthral the target demographic in the crowd but that cohort makes up a small percentage of the voting public - and jury make up - who I feel may not be quite so impressed as the Spanish public were.

ARTIST - Melody

SONG - Esa Diva

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS -  Peter Boström, Joy Deb, Thomas G:son, Alberto Lorite, Melodía Ruíz, Juan Sueiro

BELGIUM 2025

The Belgian act and song was selected on February 1st via the show "Eurosong 2025" with the winner being chosen by an equal televoting and jury mix. Going to Basel is Red Sebastian with the song "Strobe Lights".

Red Sebastian (real name Seppe Herreman) is 25 and was born in Ostend. In 2013 he made it to the final of the 2nd series of Belgium's Got Talent. After high school Herreman studied singing at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Gent, one of his teachers being Gustaph, the 2023 Belgian Eurovision representative. From 2019, the singer assumed the stage name Red Sebastian - inspired by a Little Mermaid character. His first album "You" was released in 2021 from which came his first single release "Embrace Me". In 2024 he participated in Sing Again, a show where singers from past talent shows can try their luck again and reached the final.

Red is stood high up on a platform. As well as his buzz cut red hairdo, he is dressed in a black and red jacket and black trousers. The way the camera angles catch him from the ground utilises the LED screens from above and behind in an interesting way.  The backdrop is very fuzzy and has that analogue crackly video tape feel which also dips between black and red. Around him the lighting is predominantly red and on stage level there are flashes of white light. Red's choreography is minimal but effective; it feels natural but also emphasises the beat of the song. It starts with a short chorus low in Red's register before a verse, pre-chorus and chorus ending at the very top of his range. This repeats again but the verse is only two lines. After this last chorus there is a brief instrumental - before the outro - and four dancers in muted clubbing outfits surround him. Although possibly unusual looking in studio, the 'strobe' effect on camera makes it seem like Red has been transplanted to a busy club.

The song is unashamedly Belgian - a country that has quietly been influencing, producing and creating dance music for decades - and this seems to highlight a relevant part of Flemish culture. The staging stood out a mile during the national final. The angles of Red on the platform accentuated the simple but effective LED screens. My one negative would be that he was singing with his eyes down to the audience below which made it look like he was watching his step or scared of heights. I feel like singing up and out and will make him feel more in command and radiate his confidence. If this staging can be replicated in Basel this point would be even more important - confidence will be transmitted to the televoters and jury members. The song has a good balance between the hard dance bassline, trance-inspired elements, and vocal technique. Red has a strong instrument and I feel that whether you like the song, or Red's vocal, it is very memorable and has a very good shot at doing well in - and out - of the contest.

ARTIST - Red Sebastian

SONG - Strobe Lights

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS -  Billie Bentein, Seppe Herreman, Ameerah A. Roelants, Willem Vanderstichele

SLOVENIA 2025

The Slovenian act and song was selected on February 1st via the show "EMA 2025". After all the songs were performed, a selection of topical juries selected a top two. There was then a final round where a winner was selected by televoting. Going to Basel is Klemen with the song "How much time do we have left"

Klemen Slakonja is an all-round entertainer with a background in acting, comedy, tv & radio hosting, animation voicing and music. After honing his craft as a local radio station host he found fame through his satirical translations and comic re-imaginings of songs by impersonating the voices of national celebrities and international figures. He then started to star and host many national TV and radio programmes including a number of comedy sketch shows. He hosted EMA on 4 separate occasions, the show he himself would go on to win in 2025, and was the ESC spokesperson during the grand final in 2011.

Klemen starts alone on the stage; dressed very plainly and normally. The stage is dark with flecks of golden light which becomes greater and greater as the song progresses. The structure of the song is a standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. After the first chorus, Klemen is very briefly joined by two male dancers who help him do an extremely nifty trick of singing upside down! As well as being an interesting stage schtick, it proves what a strong singer he is. Klemen moves around the stage naturally and has a very understated performance style with naturalistic gesture-based choreography. The song is a quiet anthemic ballad with a melodic and memorable chorus. Considering the emotional story of his wife's illness behind the lyrics it could be very easy to put the emotion front and centre, but by showing less, you almost feel more.

Considering Klemen's background, this is not the kind of song expected from him in this competition. The performance here is very interesting. Apart from the moment where he sings upside down - the physical metaphor of having one's life turned upside down and being out of control - most of the performance is understated and pared down. It will be interesting to see if this stunt can be pulled off on the stage in Basel... Klemen's voice and delivery is clear and the song allows him to show off the many facets of his voice without feeling like it has been engineered to do so. It puts me in mind of other ballads such as Silent Storm, You Let Me Walk Alone and Arcade. It is not everybody's cup of tea and where one person sees sincerity, another will see schmaltz. This is going to stand out amongst all the noise and hubbub so maybe it is time something quieter had some glory...?

ARTIST - Klemen

SONG - How much time do we have left

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Klemen Slakonja, Maja Slatinšek, Ryan Small

GREECE 2025

The Greek act and song was selected on January 30th via the show "Ethnikós Telikós 2025". The winner was chosen via the combination of votes from a Greek jury and international jury (25% each) and public televoting (50%). Going to Basel is Klavdia with the song "Asteromáta" (Starry eyed) 

Klavdia came into the public eye aged 18 after taking part in “The Voice Greece”. Not only did she join Elena Paparizou’s team but she also reached the final. After this exposure, Klavdia signed a record deal with the Greek label Panik Records, She currently has 6 singles under her belt as well as a self-titled EP. Her work is a mix of English and Greek language songs (some being dual translations) and her style is generally in the indie pop sphere.

The aura of this song and performance in unashamedly Hellenic although it has a rather ethereal feel. The backdrop starts with dark/blue tones then becomes red and stormy. Klavdia is wearing an off-white outfit which is long sleeved and with long, wide trousers of the same colour. The trousers also have a very long diaphanous drape at the back which is wrapped around the stage and used by the dancers  She is on stage with 5 dancers all in beigey light skin tone outfits. After an a capella start we quickly go into 2 verses and a chorus. At the end of the first chorus, a syncopated beat comes in which gives the song a bit more of an edge. This is then followed by another short verse and and elongated chorus to finish. Klavdia does not move much, due to the outfit but does a good job of emoting down the camera. The dancers frame the stage well, but don't really do very much.

I am a little confused, if not underwhelmed, by this entry but not all is lost. Klavdia is a good strong singer; her vocal runs are impressive and her voice has a lovely tone and texture. The backing track has a very calming sound to it and feels like something you might hear while having a massage or spa. Right now, the current staging is not good enough and if Greece sent this to Basel it would feel way too small and directionless. The song is not bad; the beat drop really drives the song on in the second half but once again the staging does not reflect this at all. I don't understand why the dancers are doing so little - they might as well not be there at all! The song is not dynamic and does not require a full on dance routine but does deserve some staging .This entry won over much more creatively staged entries so tells you how much the voters were willing to see the potential. On the plus side I hope that a bigger stage - and possibly bigger budget - might spark something really creative, interesting and engaging.

ARTIST - Klavdia

SONG - Asteromáta

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Arcade, Klavdia Papadopoulou

LUXEMBOURG 2025

The Luxembourgish act and song was chosen on 25th January via the "Luxembourg Song Contest 2025". The winner was chosen by a 50/50 split of 8 international juries and online voting. Unlike last year, there was no head-to-head superfinal. Going to Basel will be Laura Thorn with the song "La poupée monte le son" (The doll turns up the volume)

Laura Thorn is a relative newcomer to the music scene although she has an extensive musical background. From a young age she has undertaken dance training as well as instruction in music theory, piano, cello, keyboard and chamber music. Laura completed her educational studies with a master’s degree in music theory, music pedagogy and pop singing from from Institut Royal Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie in Namur, Belgium. Currently, she teaches at the Esch sur Alzette Conservatoire de Musique.

The title and performance directly relate to Luxembourg's first win at Eurovision - France Gall's "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" - whose 60th anniversary this song celebrates. Footage of Gall's win is dispersed throughout the show. The backdrop is full of pinks and blues and childhood toys. Laura is joined on stage by 3 male dancers and later by 2 female dancers. The song is in two parts - firstly a verse-bridge-chorus which runs through twice. Laura is moved around the stage in a 'puppet-like' way by the male dancers. The effect is heightened as the men are dressed formally in maroon suits while Laura is dressed in a pink and white doll style. During the ending refrain, Laura removes the costume - becoming less 'the marionette' and more the knowing artiste. It then ends with a final chorus which contains a lot of vocalising rather than repeating the chorus word for word.

We begin with a full on orchestral hit which continues throughout the song. I like how this knowingly starts from where another song ended and unashamedly leans on that culture point. This nostalgia not only (re)introduces us to a Eurovision time gone by but also suggests a redemption song for the young girl who sung under pressure and coercion. Anything which makes the modern viewer delve into Gall's back catalogue is ALWAYS a good thing! However, the current show could come across as old-fashioned or gimmicky (one might argue that this is the point!) and the story may not get through to the viewer in the 3 mins. Therefore, they need to be more forceful with the message - which ever message they decide is the one that will best sell the song. The stage show feels complete but the dancing, the costumes and the camera angles could be amplified for the stage in Basel without needing to start from scratch. This entry is currently an over-complicated recipe; chef needs to work out what the main ingredient is, get rid of the dead weight and pare it down so that the audience can fully digest it.

ARTIST - Laura Thorn

SONG - La poupée monte le son

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Julien Salvia, Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal

    

ALBANIA 2025

The Albanian act and song was chosen on 22th December through the 63rd edition of their annual song contest "Festivali i Këngës". Like last year, the jury awarded the festival's main awards, however the selection of their Eurovision representative was made through a combination of jury and televoting. Going to Basel will be the duo Shkodra Elektronike with the song "Zjerm" (Fire)

Shkodra Elektronike consists of singer-songwriter Beatriçe Gjergji and songwriter-producer Kolë Laca who now live and work in Italy. The duo's name harks to Shkodër - a city in northern-Albania where both members grew up. The 'elektronike' refers to their passion of creating, re-interpreting or interpolating folk songs and melodies with modern instruments and technologies. Their first songs were only released during 2020 and, after competing against some of Albania's most famous and established act, were therefore seen as a shock winner of the festival.

The song is a mid tempo dance number written in the northern dialect of Gheg Albanian. It is mainly constructed of three parts; an initial verse and chorus sung by Beatriçe, a spoken word part lead by Kolë and finishing with more chorus from Beatriçe including added improvisation to create a crescendo. The juxtaposition between Beatriçe's strong visual and vocal identity against Kolë rather monotone, melancholic vocal and his plain styling makes this show very intriguing. The beat and folksy earworm which weaves in and out behind the tune is extremely infectious. This, coupled with Beatriçe's voguing during the instrumental, makes the whole song and performance engaging and memorable. The way the song starts and ends with the ethnic earworm grounds the song from start to finish.

The song, although an early release on the 2025 timetable, has already become a firm fan favourite. The simplistic staging of the song and performance gives them a bedrock of sincerity that is evident whether or not you understand their words. In fact, the words call for peace, harmony and hope on both a personal and planetary basis. Furthermore this not only speaks against the state of politics worldwide but also calls on the not so distant past of Albania itself. The only additional comment/questions I have about the future interpolations of the song is whether the duo will change anything based on their FiK performance. The visual show is simple but effective and I hope its essence is kept. Personally, the addition of the orchestra added extra qualities to the track, as did the live call-and-response backing vocals in the verses.

ARTIST - Shkodra Elektronike

SONG - Zjerm

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Beatriçe Gjergji, Kolë Laca

MONTENEGRO 2025

The Montenegrin act and song was chosen on 27th November through the national final "Montesong 2024". The winner was declared after adding an equally weighted combination of jury and public votes, using the same system as Eurovision proper. However within a week, the victors, NeonoeN, withdrew their nomination after it was discovered that a version of their winning song "Clickbait" had been performed a year earlier at a festival. A few days later, RTCG announced that the second placed act would now be their representative. Going to Basel, and returning to Eurovision, will be Nina Žižić with the song "Dobrodošli" (Welcome)

Nina first entered the music scene as part of the group Negre which also had serial NF contender Milena Vučić as a member. Žižić left not long after the group's inception and released her first solo song "Rijeka Suza" in 2006. Nina had previously graced the Eurovision stage in 2013, accompanying the duo WhoSee with their iconic entry "Igranka". Although this entry had fan support - and had an extremely memorable music video AND live stage show - the song ultimately did not qualify for the finals. However, the song is now a firm staple of recent editions of the ESC250.

Nina is alone on stage for the whole performance although the backdrop changes between the different stages of the song. She is dressed in a sculptural white dress and whips off the matching diaphanous blindfold after the first chorus. Her song, wholly in Montenegrin, is of medium tempo although the words and syllables feel faster than what the underbelly of the track might first suggest. The song's structure is verse, chorus, verse chorus a then roller-coaster of a transition to the end. Nina has a very strong voice and shows great breath control from the very start where the tune is lower. She has good stage craft and tackles the matching armography with aplomb.

Although selected in unfortunate circumstances, the Montenegrin delegation should feel pleased they are able to fall back on someone ready, eager and trusted to serve the country fully. Although Nina's talent is undeniable the song is a weak and lacking a noticeable, discernible hook.. For me, the song unfurls after the second chorus. The protracted breakdown in the last minute of the song is too freeform; losing the momentum of the melody - especially for those not versed in the local language. I would prefer another short burst of a  verse with a final proper chorus instead. I feel that the physical performance is rather striking although I wish the arm movements were more flowing and less frantic.

ARTIST - Nina Žižić 

SONG - Dobrodošli

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Darko Dimitrov, Violeta Mihajlovska Milić, Boris Subotić 

FARTY OR PARTY 2024

It is almost Christmas and that can only mean one thing - IT'S JUNIOR EUROVISION TIME!!!!

There are a few changes to talk about for this year's show and we drop these factlets over the three podcasts so keep on listening throughout to find out what's going on this year!

Andy, Ann and Marcus review the songs by watching the official videos on the Junior Eurovision youtube channel and score them from 0 to 5. Then we try and work out which of this year's 17 competing countries, songs and competitors are most likely to win!

In podcast one we review (in alphabetical order): Albania, Cyprus, Estonia, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

In episode two we review songs from, in alphabetical order: Armenia, Germany, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland and Ukraine.

In episode three we review France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy and San Marino...and reveal our Farty Or Party review winner!!!!!

You can also play or download the shows from your podcast place of choice. If you click the link below, you will be able to find "Farty Or Party" directly on a myriad of platforms as well as the rest of the ALBUMBLE back catalogue https://pod.link/1753573710

If you want to know more about the contest and the competitors OR would like to find out how to watch this year's show and vote (YES - you can vote online no matter where you are in the world!) visit the website www.junioreurovision.tv for all the deets :)

ESCarmchair at BBC Radio Bristol

Sunday 28th April I was invited to talk live on air to Steve Yabsley about this year's Eurovision Song Contest on his BBC Radio Bristol show. It was a good 20 minute chat which included talk about the history of the contest, ABBA, the contest in Liverpool as well as Israel's participation. There was also some chat about the Irish participant, some of which I have edited out in the clip below. 

If you want to hear the whole interview unedited you can click here then scroll forward to find my part at about 1hr 20mins in and is bookended by Sam Ryder and Olly Alexander!

You can download or listen to it here https://archive.org/details/bbcbristol-2024