AUSTRIA 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - JJ

SONG - Wasted Love

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

CROATIA 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - Marko Bošnjak

SONG - Poison Cake

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

GERMANY 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - Abor & Tynna

SONG - Baller

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

DENMARK 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - Sissal

SONG - Halloucination

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

SERBIA 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - Princ

SONG - Mila

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Dušan Bačić, Dejan Nikolić

NETHERLANDS 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - Claude

SONG - C'est La Vie

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

AUSTRALIA 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - Go-Jo 

SONG - Milkshake Man

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

ICELAND 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - VÆB 

SONG - Ròa

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

ITALY 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - Lucio Corte

SONG -Volevo essere un duro

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

AZERBAIJAN 2025

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

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

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

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

ARTIST - Mamagama

SONG - Run With U

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