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