BELARUS

The Belarusian Final was held on February 28th at at the "600 Metrov" studio in Minsk hosted by Evgeny Perlin and Helena Meraai. The winner was chosen by a combination of televoting and international jury voting. The winner was VAL with the song "Da vidna" (Until the dawn)

The duo of VAL, singer Valerie and instrumentalist Vlad, are joined by a male dancer. They are all dressed smartly in black and Valerie is sporting a rather fetching Amii Stewart-esque disco hairpiece. Behind them the backdrop is ever changing, sometimes to just plain colours, sometimes to abstract blobs and patterns and sometimes images of hands in different positions. This is certainly something that will need to be looked into before May but provides a good contrast to the plain costumes. At the end there are some pryo displays which also help cue the song's finish.

The three of them on stage complete quite an intricate stage routine involving lots of different parts. Vlad, interestingly, plays the keyboard for most of the song but his instrument is on casters so can walk and play at the same time. At the end he switches instruments and can been seen playing an electric guitar It's very novel, if not distracting, but does also keep him part of the performance - he also does backing vocals too! Valerie and the backing dancer do some simple choreography together during the verses and there is a short repetitive armography sequence in the instrumental part. During the last chorus the dancer even does a death drop!

The song starts with a very subdued, quite muted piano. We have two verses with the second verse adding in a slow beat. We then have two versions of the chorus the first quite breathy and low, the second sung full out and with power. This is followed by an instrumental, with a short refrain intertwined within and this is also where the armography comes in. We then have another 2 verses but before going into the two choruses we go back into the instrumental bit. The whole thing finishes with another dose of the instrumental which gets us just short of the 3 minute barrier.

This is a really nice easy to listen and groove to bop. It has a good mix of beats and styles without coming across as overdoing it. Even the language comes across as quite nice to listen to ad the Eastern European language really doesn't jar with a quite western if not slightly Reggaeton style. The song itself has a similar style to Major Lazer's "lean on" which was a big hit. As far as the stage show, they will need backing singers and I think the whole show needs to be bigger. Maybe get some dancers who can sing because more people doing the hand jive in the instrumental will give it another visual hook. They can probably think over their outfits and if we really need the hostess trolley keyboard - would one with a shoulder strap no suffice? I quite like the abstract background because it will make people think about eh sounds of the language rather than try to interpret some kind of story.
I hope the voters, jury and televoters, see how modern and radio friendly this is and can hear past the Belarusian language and can get into the groove of the song.  Hopefully they won't fiddle to much with the track but hone down the craft of the stage show. I would love to see this qualify and I could actually see this as a great show opener for semi 1 which might not be a bad shout for them!

Artist - VAL
Song - Da vidna (Until the dawn)
Composers - Valeryja Hrybusava, Mikita Najdzionaŭ, Uladzislaŭ Paškievič
Lyricists - Valeryja Hrybusava, Mikita Najdzionaŭ, Uladzislaŭ Paškievič

GERMANY

The German entrant and song was revealed on February 27th online and then during a special recorded show broadcast on ONE called "Unser Lied für Rotterdam" hosted by Barbara Schöneberger. Their singer  is Slovenian born Ben Dolic with the song "Violent Thing".

Ben has a very 'basic' look and I am trying not to be mean! His styles is quite simple and casual and I get the feeling he likes to move, not necessarily dance, when he is performing. In the video he is wearing a short brown bomber style jacket with dark top and trousers and when he appeared on the show live, he wore very similar clothes just in slightly different colours.

The setting of the music video taken place in a club. There is lots of youthful dancing, dark settings and bright neon lights. The video starts with a young lady getting off a motorbike and Ben spends most of the time trying to find her on the dance floor. Of course, our protagonist succeeds in his mission! Having the ambience of a club makes this feel very lively and young which could be a good angle for the show itself.

The song structure is very clear and easy to follow: verse-bridge-chorus, verse-bridge-chorus, bridge, repeating chorus. What does make the song flow is the rollercoaster of changes that the backing track takes us down. The song starts off with very little background music and feels very ambient and the beat comes in during the first bridge and chorus, but even here you sense there is more to come. On the second repetition we go back to a minimal backing but this time a Nile Rodgers style guitar riff comes to prominence and then in the second part of the chorus there are some trumpets.We then return to a quieter bridge into another chorus where the layers of instruments slowly reveal themselves. The song ends with the repetition of the final two lines of the chorus. The title itself is memorable, if not a bit confusing, and the tune of this line is a bit odd so these keywords can be missed.
Although the presentation included the music video, Ben was also there to sing an acoustic version of the song alongside just a guitar.  He actually sang the song really well and was hitting some of the long high notes in the chorus. What was also noticeable was that his voice is very much in the mix in the studio version and hopefully, if the mic levels are upped, he will push through better live.

Overall, I am feeling quite positive about this song. Ben is a good, youthful singer and having links with Slovenia and Switzerland should hopefully materialise into a few extra points! The song itself is very modern, with more than a passing nod to bands like Years & Years, but also harks back to the disco era. The song at least has a personality and I feel that if they get the identity right on stage this could get quite an influx of youth votes. On the other hand his voice is quite different and at points it is hard to hear him and find out what he's saying, so this needs to be addressed. He will also need backing singers and possibly dancers too. I must also note that the song is a little long so there may need to be some tightening up of the different parts, perhaps quickening it up or getting rid of the intro and making more crossover points of the verses and chorus.
This is a bop, and a bop you can easily wave a flag to! Unlike many songs I've reviewed I can see the appeal of this song for jurors and televoeters and with the right staging this could be a hit in and out of Eurovision. The best of the Big 5 and if it doesn't win Eurovision it'll probably be a big seller.

Artist -Ben Dolic
Song - Violent thing
Composers - Dag Lundberg, Connor Martin, Borislav Milanov, Peter St. James, Jimmy Thorén
Lyricists - Dag Lundberg, Borislav Milanov Peter St. James

UNITED KINGDOM

The UK entry and entrant was formally announced on February 27th with first plays on BBC Radio 1 and 2 with Greg James and Ken Bruce respectively with the music video being released subsequently. Although we knew that the act and song was to be been internally selected with help from BMG, no other information had been released prior to this. Going to Rotterdam will be James Newman with the song "My last breath".

The release was done via radio play and video so it is hard to judge the 'show' this way. Strangely most of the video does not contain James. It follows a Nordic man and his adventures in the snow doing Tai-Chi, Yoga and jumping into frozen rivers with his dog! There are lots of different angles, close up and panned out, of James moving through the snowy forest in his long black coat and singing aloud. All in all it has a nice atmosphere but slightly out of place for an early summer contest and/or a not particularly snowy nation. I would suggest that the stage show at Eurovision could follow a similar theme but I don't actually think this backdrop goes fully with the words in the song.

The video has quite a long pre-intro and outro of the man in the video talking about his mind set and how he feels about life. Discarding these parts the song itself starts quietly with just a basic guitar strum. As it progresses a very pronounced drum beat comes in which starts the song motoring along when there is then a short bridge straight into the chorus. The chorus is quite short and succinct however the last line, which includes the name of the song, is repeated a number of times. Also the phrasing of the title is also not as what you would expect with a pause just before the word 'breath'. We then have a second verse which is much more full in ins orchestration before going straight into another chorus. Just before the two minute mark there is one more quite bridge before the last repeat of the chorus.

The song isn't particularly difficult to sing and it quite repetitive with rather simplistic tunes, which make it easy to sing and easy to remember. This should also mean that the majority of it should be performed well live. There is also pronounced backing vocals during the chorus so we should see the this, possible styled as a choir of some kind, on the stage with him. The studio version, particularly in chorus feels a bit flat and over produced and I am hoping this part might sound fuller and have a bit more meaning to it when sung live.

This is a pleasant entry and it ticks many boxes. It has some drive and heart to it but it also *still* comes across as safe and slightly neutral. After a few more listens the song starts to grow on you and you appreciate the earworms and repetition, but this luxury is one that is wasted at Eurovision. Interestingly the song is rather short being almost 2:30 in length. As much as this could be kept as it is, this gives scope for extra repetitions of choruses, or final line thereof, or extra breaks between the different parts to keep it going for a little longer.
This is certainly not a bad entry but not bad does not equal good. This will appeal much more to juries than the televoting public, and although this is a commercial song it still doesn't quite have that 'call to arms' that many other songs will have. In particular I don't think a snippet of this will stand out aurally against other entries already selected which have a definite genre, style or hook about it. It's OK and it won't be troubling the left hand side by the end of voting but looking at this as a long term strategy for finding the UK a Eurovision entry, this is not a bad starting point. Onwards and upwards.


Artist - James Newman
Song - My last breath
Composers - Adam Argyle, Ed Drewett, Iain James, James Newman
Lyricists - Adam Argyle, Ed Drewett, Iain James, James Newman

POLAND

The Polish Final was held on February 23rd, hosted by Artur Orzech. Before the final there were 3 semi-finals where only the winner of each show reached the final.  The winner was chosen by SMS and jury voting. The winner was Alicja Szemplinska with the song "Empires"

Alicja is on stage alone although to either side of her is the mini orchestra used to accompany the track. She is dressed smartly in a white trouser suit, which didn't really flatter or fit her properly, and under that she is wearing a flesh coloured top which could make some people believe she wasn't wearing anything! She is also adorned which a few nice rings on her hands, which are  very visible when she reaches for the microphone, and be made more of.

The "Szansa Na Sukces" studio was rather threadbare when it comes to set up but I will try and expand on it if I can. She is situated on a small circular plinth with a microphone and stand. The backdrop is an array of slowly moving hexagonal chains, slowly moving. When the camera pans across it gives the feeling they there are layers of these rather than just a flat background. Also the words scroll up on the backdrop which is a rather novel idea but when her singing got rather shouty and breathy you kind of needed it!

The song starts with a quite mournful piano and violin introduction. Most of the song follows a familiar formula of verse/bridge/chorus x2 albeit with slightly different orchestration each time. After this the song gets a bit more free form as it falls from bit to bit each time hoping it's going to be one more repeat of the chorus but never quite getting there. There is plenty of rise and fall, especially when leading up to the big finish. Unfortunately the end note seemed a little tricky for her - although I totally understand that she may have been nervous or anxious about competing - but hopefully between now and May she can get some vocal coaching to iron this out.

Unlike many of the songs I've reviewed lately this one sounds great and powerful and fresh at first listen, but the more you listen to it - the more you pick it apart - the more you sense there are holes in in its fabric. The initial time I saw and heard this I could totally see the potential but the more I've rewatched it the more I realise not is all as it seems. The last minute is a total mess and the ending couple of lines don't really work without the chorus behind it and some of the other lyrics are rather trite.
Bearing in mind that the setup of the studio was rather basic,there is huge scope for visual improvement as well as a total styling and outfit upgrade. With a couple of months prep I think she can iron out the performance and make sure he can hit the big notes. I am now just to aware of the poor construction of this song and I think that if it isn't changed its not going to flow properly.

Artist - Alicja Szemplinska
Song - Empires
Composers - Laurell Barker, Dominic Buczkowski-Wojtaszek, Patryk Kumór, Frazer Mac
Lyricists - Laurell Barker, Dominic Buczkowski-Wojtaszek, Patryk Kumór, Frazer Mac

SLOVENIA

The Slovene selection was held on February 22nd at the RTVSLO TV Studios in Ljubljana, hosted by Klemen Slakonja. Before the final there was an online selection called "EMA Freš" where 2 extra songs joined the final alongside the 10 other pre-selected finalists. The winner was chosen in two rounds of voting - in the first round the jury selected the top 2 songs where the winner was be chosen solely by televoting. The winner was Ana Soklič with "Voda" (Water)

Ana is alone on stage and there are not even any backing singers on the track. She is wearing a simplistic fitted trouser suit with a long white cape. During parts of the song the white colour is used to effect in order to cast shadow effects on her front but it is a bit of a shame to see that she barely 'uses' the cape at all. She has long blonde hair which is carefully placed down her back.

The colour palette of the staging is a kind of turquoise/aquamarine colour which gives the feeling of being underwater - which is a nice tie into the name of the song. Looking closer at the backdrop you can see the outline of trees, ferns and river banks, another nod to the title. A mirror/kaleidoscope effect is used part way to give the backdrop some movement. During the verses there is a nice use of shadow and light almost like she is hiding amongst the trees and ferns. Right at the end the beams of light converge to a central point which, at the right camera angle, makes if look the light is emanating out of her.

After a short introduction, Ana starts with a verse and bridge. The tempo and instrumentation is quite ploddy, even for a ballad, the tune is rather hard to catch and going straight into the bridge makes it feel like it is going on forever. The start of the chorus after 80 seconds brings some dynamic to the song and gives us some repetitive melody that we can get into, however even that peters out as it gets to the end. Just before the 2 minute mark we have our second verse and this runs straight into the chorus which works much much better. In the chorus, the melody is changed up a little with a big note right in the middle which also works better with the quieter end to the song.

This is quite a difficult listen and I imagine it to be quite bewildering for many on a first/only listen in its semi-final. It's not down to the language or to Ana's voice but more down to the composition of the song. As I've already stated it's rather dour and takes too long to get going. The last minute works really well and I almost feel that two lots of verse/chorus and a final chorus with big notes might have worked much better. For the casual watcher you are not quite sure what is going on or what the song is about and this lack of connection will put off the voting public.
Ana has good stage presence and her voice carries the song off really well. Part of me wishes there was a little bit more movement, not just theatrical gestures, and that her outfit was used more as I think it is a very pretty stage outfit. That said I'm not sure I would like to see extra dancers on stage as the song is really about the connection to Ana down the camera. This is definitely a performance made for the the audience not the crowd in the hall. Unfortunately I don't think this is going to stand out enough at Eurovision unless something very drastic is done to it. There have been rumours about a switch of language but I think won't make a jot of difference.

Artist - Ana Soklič

Artist - Ana Soklič
Song - Voda (Water)
Composers - Bojan Simončič, Ana Soklič
Lyricist - Ana Soklič

UKRAINE

The Ukrainian Final was held on February 22nd at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, hosted by Sergiy Prytula. Before the final there were two semi-finals where the long list of 16 was shortened to 6 finalists. The winner was chosen by half and half televoting/ jury mix. The winning act was GO_A with the song "Solovey" (Nightingale)

On stage we see a main singer, two female backing singers and 2 male instrumentalists and they kind of make a triangle shape on screen. The men are on a slight angle because they need space for all of their different instruments. The singer is wearing a rather odd, and slightly restricting-looking, outfit which is black and red and is sporting some circular earrings and a small crow. The backing singers are wearing similar outfits but without the red covering and then are in black outfits too.

The song starts off with a rather haunting, if not earwormy, flute introduction which certainly sets up the mood of what is to come. We have kick off with 2 verses, the first with atmospheric backing the second with much more of a pronounced beat. There is then a very brief drop before the chorus comes in. In a similar way to the verses, the first part is atmospheric whilst the second part contains the beat. We then return to the introductory flute refrain this time with the drum beat. We then have 2 more verses but this leads into a quieter refrain and Kateryna shows of the softer and melodic side of her tone and range. This then goes back to the chorus but the very last repeat has more of a broken down sound and this is the only part of the song where the singer is holding the mic and slightly moving around.

The setting of the song starts off very dark and beams of red light are pulsating in time with the music and the band can be barely seen at all. At the camera sweeps down from the back of the arena we finally see one of the instrumentalists playing the flute. This motif stays on throughout the performance but behind the band there are a series of images in black white and red such as mountains, grapes geometric shapes and runic symbols. During the instrumental bits there is a some vague movement with some shoulder shrugging as well as the final bit of chorus, all the rest of the movement is done through the instrumentalists and though the choice of camera shots.

This is the very first Eurovision song sung totally in Ukrainian which is a great first to have! Kateryna's voice is very shrill and distinctive and I can imagine that her style of singing might be quite marmite to the viewing public. Their style of music has been described as 'folktronica' and this is actually quite a good description on the genre mash up they are trying to portray and I think it will appeal to some but not to others. I also feel that the folk parks of this will resonate with voters in other ex-Soviet countries which may have more understanding of this style of storytelling. I think it is nice to have something so varied at Eurovision and I think it will stand out a lot considering most of what we've seen up to now has been more commercial.
Personally I was a little shocked that this had won the competition and it took me several listens to 'get over' her rather particular style of singing. The tune is repetitive and catchy as is the instrumentation. As much as I am okay with the song itself I do have reservations over the stage show. I long for more movement and interaction with the personnel on stage. I kind of wonder if they had three backing singers they could do some circle dancing or swaying in a line - they don't particularly do much singing in the verses so could be more active then. I would also advise Kateryna to vary her facial expressions a little so she looks less austere down the lens. Ukraine are one of the very few countries left with a 100% qualification to the final and I hope this will get them there again but the small niggles over language choice and singing style might be a barrier for getting votes.

Artist - GO_A
Song - Solovey (Nightngale)
Composers - Kateryna Pavlenko, Taras Shevchenko
Lyricists - Kateryna Pavlenko, Taras Shevchenko

BELGIUM

The Belgian song was formally announced on February 17th via the release of the official video clip . Back in October 2019 VRT, the Flemish broadcaster, announced that the band Hooverphonic had been internally selected and their song would be revealed  at a later date.The song they will be performing for Eurovision is "Release me".

The video is very minimalist and unlike many music videos that accompany the song, I would actually see a very similar set up on stage. The members of Hooverphonic are playing an a black space with lights dotted around and there is also an orchestra to the side of them. All of them are dressed smartly in black and playing their respective instruments, bar Luca who is just tining into her retro styled microphone.

We also have another entry with a rather unusual song structure. There is no verse/chorus divide, it is  more like a repetitive structure  based around the refrain 'release me' that ends each part. The song starts with 2 of these stanzas followed by an elongated bridge and this gets us to just under half way through the song. We then have a repetition of the first stanza albeit with a slightly different melody followed by the bridge. For the last 40 seconds we find the song winding up to the finish with a slightly more haphazard  melody finally ending with the 'release me from this sad and losing game' line.

The minimalist video performance really makes you focus on the melody, words and the singer's voice. The members of the group don't move off the spot so all of the movement is done through the camera. The beginning of the song focuses on Luca's face but then expands out to shots of the bands and swooping shots from high above. Although the orchestra plays a major part in the backing track they obviously won't be allowed to go on stage as there are already 5 in the band and that leaves room for just one more. The band have already addressed the prominence of the orchestra on the track by nudging that they would like their presence acknowledged somehow on stage.

The song is in the 'Bond theme' genre of Eurovision songs something Belgium has tried before, and not done too well on. The tune itself is quite distinctive, although not exactly taxing before going little bit more off kilter at the end so I am expecting to hear an almost flawless performance. The lyrics are repetitive and there is a huge emphasis on the title of the song, which is never a bad thing. There are some interesting musical phrases which keep you on your toes. Melodically it for some reason makes me think of "No surprises" by Radiohead and the fragility of Luca's voice reminds me of No Doubt's slower offerings.
Personally I was a little disappointed at this as I was hoping for something much more immediate as this is definitely a song that grows on you with each listen. For a 'simplistic' track, there is a lot to take in. In Eurovision terms I think that the jury will like this style of song and give it some marks but from a televoting perspective I feel this lack the 'call to vote' message that it needs - especially if they want enough votes for get out of the semi. If it does reach the final I feel this will increase it's vote share the second time round and may get a boot in ranking. It's a classy song but maybe not one to pull in the votes and make a mark.

Artist - Hooverphonic

Song - Release me

Composers - Alex Callier, Luca Chiaravalli

Lyricists - Alex Callier, Luca Chiaravalli

FRANCE

The French song was formally announced on February 16th via the release of a video clip filmed on the Eiffel Tower. Earlier in the year France Televisions revealed that Tom Leeb had been internally selected and his song would be revealed at a later date. The song he will be singing in Rotterdam is "The best in me"

As the clip begins we see lots of shots of Tom himself and different level caption of the Eiffel Tower then we zoom in to see Tom on a lit platform under the tower itself. He is standing with a microphone stands although in some of the shots he holds the mic in his hands. There were lots of varied camera shots, but most of these seemed to be more intent on to showing off the Eiffel Tower, although there were a lot of side on shots and some lingering looks to camera but very few straight on looks down the camera.

The video clip, although filmed as live, wasn't him singing actually live so I can't really judge how well he can really sing the song. His voice is quite breathy and at times and on the first listen it wasn't always clear as to out which bits were in English and which bits were in French. The verses and choruses are rather short, lasting less than 30 seconds each so you can get through 2 verses and choruses well within 2 minutes. At the start there is barely any music, just light piano and some strings. As the second verse comes in there is a key change which beings in a slight beat as well as beefier backing. Just before the 2 minute mark there is a brief bridge and piano instrumental which winds everything up for the big finish. Here you can hear backing singers clearly taking over the chorus as Tom is more free form in timing and tune. By the end the song is highly orchestrated before going back to the quiet ending

Unfortunately this performance gives us few clues to what we might expect at Eurovision. The tempo of the song suggests it will be quite a subdued show and one where the song shines. Overall the presentation felt lacklustre despite the setting. There is a lot of gesturing to the camera and bending over which is never the best of angles. He will definitively need backing singers, although these could be out of sight. I can also imagine some contemporary dancers adding some motion and emotion to the song.

The reaction online following the song reveal was not good - but this is not to say it is a bad song or that he is a bad singer. It's a fine, straightforward entry but here lies the problem. Fine and straightforward DOES NOT win Eurovision. Looking at recent Eurovision trends, okay songs are the ones that are forgotten about, overshadowed, miss out on the votes and therefore get last place (HELLO MICHAEL RICE!) This is trying to corner the dramatic musical theatre angle yet there is little theatre (or music) to substantiate this and the whole thing comes across as quite old and dated, even by Eurovision standards. The song's plus points are that at least the majority of the song is in French, although the Minister of Culture has ready stated his unease with the song's English chorus. It's also a bit of a grower and after multiple listens it starts to grab you. But at Eurovision, especially with France being one of the big 6 finalists, you only get one shot and that might not be enough.
What's more is that the national final show "Destination Eurovision" was cancelled this year in order to implement an internal selection. That show had great characters, great songs and championed up and coming French talent. They have ditched this method in favour of selecting a song partly written by Swedes. G:son and Lundvik should know better than to release tripe like this to Eurovision and France Television should have a stronger backbone than to capitulate to the nearest in-favour songwriters who throw a Westlife b-side their way. However, word seems to be winging its way that 'other versions' of the song are in production including an acoustic version. If alternate remixes and interpretations are being considered, what exactly will be seen at Eurovision will have to be made and decided on pretty quickly. Maybe he's got an epic stage show that will wow us all. Who knows.
I'll say it again, he's not a bad singer and this is not a band song but bland never won anything. He'll get points for being eye candy and for pleasing the musical theatre jurors and nothing more. Schedule your toilet break now.

Artist - Tom Leeb

Song - The best in me

Composers - Peter Boström, Thomas G:son

Lyricists - Amir Haddad, Tom Leeb, John Lundvik, Léa Ivanne

(Videos of the presentations seem to have been pulled down from the internet, so I will leave you will an audio only version and a muted version of the visual presentation - out of my hands that one. Sorry!)

 

NORWAY

The Norwegian Final was held on February 15th at the Spektrum in Trondheim, hosted by Ingrid Gjessing Linhave, Ronny Brede Aase & Kåre Magnus Bergh. Five songs were preselected for the final and were joined by the 5 semi-final winners. The overall winner was due to be chosen in 3 rounds of online voting but the first online vote failed and the backup jury was used instead to select the top 4. The online vote successfully selected the top 2 then a final vote to select the winner. Going to Rotterdam is Ulrikke Brandstorp with "Attention"

The colour palette for this song is black and gold. Ulrikke is in a figure hugging gold dress as her dark hair cascades behind her. The backdrop starts of black with flashes of gold randomly appear on the beat.Later on the backdrop turns into long oblongs highlighting lighting rigs. As the song goes on, the stage lights up slowly ending with a pryro curtain behind her. Either side of Ulrikke are a cellist and violinist and the floor begins as intertwined squares. The crowd in the arena are also holding their lights up which makes the camera view from behind her very similar to the views of the backdrop.

The song starts with a short melodic intro with the strings. This suddenly cuts off to a very minimalist beat. Ulrikke has a very piercing tone to her voice and the haunting bass line really shows this off. It also means that if she is a moment off timing or ever so slightly out of tune, you'll know about it. The first round of verse/chorus takes well over a minute but the next section is truncated and only lasts 45 seconds. This leads into a small bridge which sets up the big notes and the build up to the end after the last chorus the backing track cuts out to end how it began.

As I have already said her voice has a very distinctive quality and the production of the song really emphasises this. The repetition of the word throughout the song, especially at the end of phrases keeps the songs meaning in your head which is also a very clever technique. This song is all about the build and visually and vocally this does with really well. The choice of colour palette screams 'winner' with the amount of gold used throughout. Apart from a brief walk during the second verse there is very little movement.

Visually I think this needs little done to it but will need some thinking when it comes to backing singers and whether or not the instrumentalists are needed either side of her. This song carries on the recent Norwegian theme of choosing something rather random and slightly austere and maudlin to Eurovision. This song is co written by Kjetil Mørland who wrote and co-performed the wonderful "A monster like me" a few years ago. I feel that the song not only demands your attention but also keeps it. I would say that the verses are a little stronger than the chorus if only because I find this part a little bit too shouty compared to the quite timid and intimate start to proceedings.
Amazingly this is the first proper ballad we have in English right now and this does stand out and I could see this song as an early contender to semi 2 closer. Although the voting issues during the national final may have cast some shadow over the validity of this result, in the end I think the right result was gained at the end.

Artist - Ulrikke Brandstorp

Song - Attention

Composers - Ulrikke Brandstorp, Christian Ingebrigtsen, Kjetil Mørland 

Lyricists - Ulrikke Brandstorp, Christian Ingebrigtsen, Kjetil Mørland

LITHUANIA

The Lithuanian Final was held on February 15th at the Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas, hosted by Gabriele Martirosian & Giedrius Masalskis. Before the final there were three quarter finals and two semifinals to get the list of 36 songs and acts down to just 8.The winner, chosen by 50/50 split of televoting and jury, was The Roop with "On Fire".

The three piece band are joined on stage by two dancers. The whole setup of the show is very similar to the music video. which in itself is a very clever idea. The singer is dressed in a tight white top and baggy black trousers whilst the dancers are dressed identical to how they appear in the music video. Behind them, the backdrop starts off dark blue-black with beams of light flickering intermittently. During the song, outlines of red appear behind them and during the dance breakdown near the end the whole background turns red to show all the participants in shadow.

The song starts off quietly but bit by bit a different part of the instrumentation comes in. This, along with the muted setting, really makes you take in Vaidotas' vocal style and physical presence which is very compelling but also very marmite. The verse and chorus works as one and flow into each other seamlessly. There is then a small instrumental followed by another verse/chorus but this one is followed by the earwormy synth instrumental where the singer and his dancers do the memorable dance routine. After the 3rd verse there is some la-la-la-ing before going back to the synth. There is then a final repeat of the chorus but with a slightly different backing and finishes with one more flourish of the dance. However complicated the structure might seem, it actually flows together really very well.

Although The Roop is a three piece band, the main singer, Vaidotas, gets most of the airtime but the other two (one playing a guitar, the other an electronic drum set) join in some of the backing singing and the choreography. The two dancers also use magnifying glasses at different parts of the song with sometimes quite comical results! The camera work changes from close head shots of the singer to swooping shots of the stage to long wide shots. It feels like the performance works as an arena performance and as a piece of TV craft.

This is a very individual and striking entry - and whether you love it or hate it you will KNOW if you love or hate it and you ain't going to forget it! The song itself is very simplistic with the much overused higher, fire, desire, rhyme scheme in the chorus but unless you study it carefully you miss it because there is so much else to concentrate on. Some may find it bewildering, some may find it slightly off kilter and some may feel it's a bit out of the box, but to me it has just the amount of humour and musicality to cut through across the continent. If there is any justice this will qualify and been a meme for many a future  Eurovision song. If I had any critique if would be to end the song on the second line of the chorus not the first (they have time in hand to do this) and to make sure they get shots of the stadium doing the dance routine (which everybody *will* be doing).
The Lithuanian national final was an utter joy to follow because of the wide variety of acts and song but also because the songs involved were hits, songs written for albums, ready to be released NOT prescribed ' made for Eurovision' 3 minute wonders. The final was an amazing show and any of the finalists would have made a worthy winner. The fact that this won the jury and the national vote (with almost 60% of the total televote) cannot be ignored. It's got everything a Eurovision song and act should have. Whatever the result I hope of more of this same from Lithuania. One day you WILL win!

Artist - The Roop

Song - On fire

Composers - Mantas Banišauskas, Robertas Baranauskas, Vaidotas Valiukevičius

Lyricist - Vaidotas Valiukevičius