Since semi-final 1 of Eurovision is in 6 days, I decided to rank all of this year's songs based on how much I like them.
31st goes to...
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Belgium 馃嚙馃嚜
Meh... seems like Belgium had too many ideas on the direction of this song and instead of just sticking to one they meshed them all together. None of this really works for me at all, and J茅r茅mie's voice slightly irks me in the chorus too... Just doesn't do anything for me.
30th goes to...
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Germany 馃嚛馃嚜
This is fine!! I think from this point on I can actually listen to these songs. The issue with this one is that it's so generic. It does nothing special or unique and just ends up inoffensive and safe. While this was definitely one of the listenable songs in the German selection (justice for Felicia) that doesn't mean much when the song is this bland. Also the spoken word part?? Unnecessary.
29th goes to...
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Latvia 馃嚤馃嚮
Okay... I'm usually not one to pay any attention to lyrics, but the lyrics here are definitely a choice!!! I really dislike the lyrics and the overall gimmick of this. However, from a musical standpoint, I can't say I hate this. I like jazzy songs and think that the musicality of this song is quite enjoyable. I just wish the lyrics weren't so obnoxious, but at least the performers are charismatic and I'm sure they'll put on a great show.
40th - Bulgaria 馃嚙馃嚞
39th - Israel 馃嚠馃嚤
38th - Finland 馃嚝馃嚠
37th - Norway 馃嚦馃嚧
36th - Azerbaijan 馃嚘馃嚳
35th - Australia 馃嚘馃嚭
34th - Montenegro 馃嚥馃嚜
33rd - Moldova 馃嚥馃嚛
32nd - Georgia 馃嚞馃嚜
31st - Belgium 馃嚙馃嚜
30th - Germany 馃嚛馃嚜
29th - Latvia 馃嚤馃嚮
My next rankings should be coming momentarily :)
PYN/Comment to be tagged
Also please feel free to leave your thoughts/opinions down below :)
Since semi-final 1 of Eurovision is in 7(!!) days, I decided to rank all of this year's songs based on how much I like them.
34th goes to...
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Montenegro 馃嚥馃嚜
I was so excited to see Montenegro come back and even more excited when Vladana was announced as the representative. And then this song was released... It's not bad by any means, but it's just something I've heard hundreds of times already. This would've benefitted so much from being in Montenegrin, but I guess that's not the route the delegation wanted to take... better luck next year??
33rd goes to...
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Moldova 馃嚥馃嚛
There's not much inherently wrong with this song, I just don't care about it at all in the studio. It does seem like the type of entry to be elevated live, but from the few seconds of rehearsal we've seen too, it seems like Moldova may actually fumble the staging for once and not have eccentric and fun staging. So, if they're not able to create a fun and memorable environment on stage, I'll stay feeling meh toward it.
32nd goes to...
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Georgia 馃嚞馃嚜
Another song that I don't really feel much for - which is an increasing trend in all of these lower placements for me. Was honestly hoping for something a little more out there than what we ended up getting, but every single time they shout "CIRCUS MIRCUS" is better than every single song ranked underneath this, so good for them.
40th - Bulgaria 馃嚙馃嚞
39th - Israel 馃嚠馃嚤
38th - Finland 馃嚝馃嚠
37th - Norway 馃嚦馃嚧
36th - Azerbaijan 馃嚘馃嚳
35th - Australia 馃嚘馃嚭
34th - Montenegro 馃嚥馃嚜
33rd - Moldova 馃嚥馃嚛
32nd - Georgia 馃嚞馃嚜
My next rankings should be coming tomorrow!! And I promise the songs that I actually like are coming very soon!! There is a very large gap coming up between songs I'm indifferent towards and songs I really like :)
PYN/Comment to be tagged
Also please feel free to leave your thoughts/opinions down below :)
Since semi-final 1 of Eurovision is in 7(!!) days, I decided to rank all of this year's songs based on how much I like them.
37th goes to...
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Norway 馃嚦馃嚧
Another song I absolutely cannot stand. I get what they are going for, but I could literally not care any less. The one thing I will give this song is that it is catchy, because I've only listened to it a singular time and still know how the chorus sounds. Still, when you have a song like "Death of Us" in your national selection, never go for the gimmick... please.
36th goes to...
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Azerbaijan 馃嚘馃嚳
If someone asked me to sing a single second from this song, I would come back with absolutely nothing. This level of song is exactly what I expected from a Swedish songwriting camp, as it is just top notch bland, generic, and uninspiring. Azerbaijan, please reach out to local songwriters next year, everyone else is making the shift except you and I am so tired of hearing these middling ballads.
35th goes to...
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Australia 馃嚘馃嚭
Did somebody say middling ballad?? Because here's another one!! Only thing that gives this the edge over Azerbaijan is the authenticity. However, the over the top and over dramatic stage show strips away all authenticity and makes me feel absolutely nothing towards this. Australia needs to internally select Hatchie next year to save the Aussie musical merit.
40th - Bulgaria 馃嚙馃嚞
39th - Israel 馃嚠馃嚤
38th - Finland 馃嚝馃嚠
37th - Norway 馃嚦馃嚧
36th - Azerbaijan 馃嚘馃嚳
35th - Australia 馃嚘馃嚭
My next rankings should be coming momentarily!!
PYN/Comment to be tagged
Also please feel free to leave your thoughts/opinions down below :)
Hello all :) Yet again, I am back with my annual Eurovision rankings, just because I like discussing these songs with people and this is essentially the only outlet I get to do that!! I've had a very busy semester (as per usual) hence why these rankings are coming late yet again, but better late than never!!
This also marks my 10 year anniversary of when I discovered Eurovision which is wild to think about, as my cousin played Euphoria to me in summer 2012, which then caused me to investigate and fall down the Eurovision hole later that year. So, this edition is quite monumental to me, so lets hope this year is a great one - despite the staging issue...
Also, for a little introduction for those that don't know me, my name is Peyton and I am American!! So take with that what you shall :)
I'm gonna try and get through 9 songs a day for the next four days, then do my top four separately, and then make predictions and reactions to the semis :) Also, may be making these reviews slightly shorter than usual because of the lack of time, but also, we all know I write too much.
Now, please remember that these are *my* personal rankings and we all have different tastes, which is what makes Eurovision so much fun!! Plus, this year is quite strong, so just because I have a song low doesn't mean I dislike it!! Anyways, now to start...
40th goes to...
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Bulgaria 馃嚙馃嚞
Well... from my first place two years in a row to my absolute last place. Really don't know what to say about this one that hasn't already been said. It's just extremely dated, uninteresting, and is so utterly bland. Don't even know if I've ever listened to the entirety of this because it's just so uninspired. Let's hope this was just a reset year for Bulgaria...
39th goes to...
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Israel 馃嚠馃嚤
This honestly may be my least favorite by the end of Eurovision season. I absolutely cannot stand any part of this song. I also could not stomach listening to the entirety of the revamp and had to listen on 2x speed just to get it over with. Something about this song and Michael just irk me so much and I just cannot stand this.
38th goes to...
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Finland 馃嚝馃嚠
Someone please tell Finland to stop sending rock entries, they are not giving what they think they are giving.
Someone please tell Finland to not host one of the best national selections with some of the most diverse songs just to select the absolute worst choice.
Someone please tell Finland to not select their contestant based off their supposed fame level from 10+ years ago instead of current musical merit.
Someone please tell Finland not to sing in English if they are going to include some of the worst lyrics I have ever heard in Eurovision ever.
40th - Bulgaria 馃嚙馃嚞
39th - Israel 馃嚠馃嚤
38th - Finland 馃嚝馃嚠
My next rankings should be coming momentarily!!
PYN/Comment to be tagged
Also please feel free to leave your thoughts/opinions down below :)
YUPPPPPPPPPPP Italy getting their DESERVED win 10 years after their return to Eurovision we honestly LOVE to see it. Italy have been robbed and deserved of a win literally so many times in the past decade, so seeing this phenomenal and iconic band lift the trophy tonight was cathartic. Personally, my heritage is mostly Italian so I always love rooting for Italy as if they're my own country, so this win is just perfect and so fulfilling. I love Damiano, Victoria, Thomas and Ethan and I just love everything about this. Eurovision rarely rewards my favorite songs, so I'm just loving this. Plus, the final in GENERAL was SO STRONG??? Honestly up there with Eurovision 2016 as one of the strongest ever. This was just so much fun with an exciting result sequence and great songs and I'm so happy that this Eurovision was fantastic, because it's what The Netherlands and what we deserved after missing the contest last year. Excuse that whole little blurb, I always write too much :) Now, onto my individual reviews.
-TOP 5-
Italy 馃嚠馃嚬 - Obviously, loved everything about this as I said in my initial review. M氓neskin are so iconic and I love everything they represent and love how we got a winner in Italian and also a rock song. This performance was basically flawless though, as I knew it'd be. Every member of the band serves their purpose phenomenally and Damiano is just perfect as the lead vocalist. Loved the pyros, loved the staging, iconic death drop, iconic bow, perfect. This is right up there with 1944 as my favorite recent Eurovision winner ever, but I think this one may edge out Ukraine. I just love M氓neskin and this performance so much and I hope this helped catapult their careers even farther.
France 馃嚝馃嚪 - This was literally SO powerful tonight. My heart breaks that France came so close to victory, but I hope this gives them an even larger incentive to try harder to get that victory. Barbara literally poured her HEART on that stage and I loved every moment of this performance. Just pure class and elegance and this is a fantastic runner up. Just a touching and timeless song that I'm so happy was able to do so well.
Switzerland 馃嚚馃嚟 - Really liked this tonight! Still not my favorite song per se, but the staging really is captivating and Gjon is such a great performer and vocalist. Also love seeing Switzerland thrive again, as they've been trying hard to achieve a good result and I'm happy they got the bronze!
Iceland 馃嚠馃嚫 - This really really grew on me. Still devastated they didn't get to perform live and I feel like this may have performed better if this was live, but this is still so much fun and so iconic. The entire vibe of the song is immaculate and the entire band just looks so pure and the staging is great. Love to see Iceland do this good!!
Ukraine 馃嚭馃嚘 - LEGENDS!!!! The fact that we all had Ukraine as a borderline qualifier and then they whip out a top 5 result... literal icon things. Just so iconic. Obviously loved everything about this, the staging is so fun and Kateryna is so powerful with every movement she makes I just love it. What I don't love is how the new voting structure doesn't emphasize that Ukraine placed SECOND with the televotes which we all deserve to know because of how iconic this is. Love my favorite Eurovision country and love that they continuously thrive year after year.
-NOTEWORTHY PERFORMANCES-
Malta 馃嚥馃嚬 - I feel SO bad for Destiny that this flopped in the televotes. I know Malta always struggles in the televotes, but this seems especially low for no real reason. I thought Destiny absolutely crushed it tonight as well and am slightly sad that this missed out on the top 5 because of a low televote score because Destiny deserved it. But still love that Destiny has served us iconic performances in both JESC and ESC now, which is all we can ever hope for.
Russia 馃嚪馃嚭 - legend snapped
Greece 馃嚞馃嚪 - Okay, LOVE that icon Stefania broke Greece's streak of bad results and got top 10. Did this deserve top 10 over Bulgaria?? NO!!! But whatever, happy for Stefania. Plus, I audibly laughed during the show because of how bad the green screen dancers looked, but once again, at least Stefania snapped and served vocals, which is all I can ever hope for.
Bulgaria 馃嚙馃嚞 - ROBBED OF TOP 10 I AM DEVASTATED :( Literally shed a tear during this performance because of how beautiful and touching it was and I never cry. Everything about this was phenomenal and I am LIVID that the televote paid this DUST. But Victoria will always have my heart and I'm so proud of her and all that she's achieved in the past two years. Will always love that I had the same winner for two years in a row and will always love and remember this wonderful performance :) Bulgaria is on the right track too, so I hope they keep this strong effort up.
Moldova 馃嚥馃嚛 - The fact that this was the messiest song of the night and got left hand of the leaderboard is both laughable but also iconic. I laughed throughout the entirety of this song from the mic drop to the "longest Eurovision note ever" but I guess I got my sugar.
Serbia 馃嚪馃嚫 - SUPERSTARS!!!! The jury will PAY for making this do bad when Sanja, Ksenija and Ivana were serving vocals the ENTIRE SONG!!!! Loco Loco remains my most played song this year and these girls will always remain legends, I would love to see them in the future because I love every single one of them and they really snapped.
San Marino 馃嚫馃嚥 - Please let me know why this flopped so hard I feel bad :// I thought the song was really elevated live and Senhit really poured her all in this so I'm slightly sad this didn't give San Marino their best result ever. Really hope they keep up this strong effort though because they really snapped this year.
-LAST PLACE-
United Kingdom 馃嚞馃嚙 - Zoinks... honestly did not envision a world where a nation would get 0 points after the introduction of the new voting in 2016 so I feel bad for James. The song isn't *bad* and it is a bop, I just don't think it's too enticing nor did it stand out amongst all these other songs. The United Kingdom really needs to reevaluate their entries and whatever they have going on because they really should not be flopping this hard every year...
-SEMI FINAL RESULTS-
All of the results make sense except one and we all know where this is going.
All I have to say is Albina was robbed in the highest regards ever and if that ploy for votes between Azerbaijan and Norway didn't occur that Azerbaijan would not have given a whopping TEN televote points to Norway and that Albina would have qualified in Norway's place. Yes, I am livid about this. Croatia deserved to be in the final so bad and the fact that they literally were in the top 10 of both the jury and televotes and still missed out... I hate this timeline. Justice for Albina every day of my life until she comes back with an even stronger banger, pulls a Poli Genova, but then wins the whole contest.
-FULL TOP 26-
1. Bulgaria 馃嚙馃嚞
2. Italy 馃嚠馃嚬
3. Serbia 馃嚪馃嚫
4. Ukraine 馃嚭馃嚘
5. France 馃嚝馃嚪
6. Greece 馃嚞馃嚪
7. Malta 馃嚥馃嚬
8. Russia 馃嚪馃嚭
9. San Marino 馃嚫馃嚥
10. Norway 馃嚦馃嚧
11. Cyprus 馃嚚馃嚲
12. Azerbaijan 馃嚘馃嚳
13. Israel 馃嚠馃嚤
14. Germany 馃嚛馃嚜
15. Albania 馃嚘馃嚤
16. Moldova 馃嚥馃嚛
17. Iceland 馃嚠馃嚫
18. Switzerland 馃嚚馃嚟
19. Lithuania 馃嚤馃嚬
20. Netherlands 馃嚦馃嚤
21. Belgium 馃嚙馃嚜
22. Portugal 馃嚨馃嚬
23. United Kingdom 馃嚞馃嚙
24. Finland 馃嚝馃嚠
25. Spain 馃嚜馃嚫
26. Sweden 馃嚫馃嚜
Literally have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow. I feel like there are at least 6 songs that could realistically win tomorrow and a plethora of others that I feel are contenders to do really good. Such a powerful final and I am fully prepared for this prediction to be totally incorrect. Will do a blurb for my top 5 and then list my whole predictions at the bottom... can't wait to be massively wrong.
1. Italy 馃嚠馃嚬
Ugh... I feel like this is the safe prediction and it's the most likely, but also... do not really see the juries going for this??? I'm not really sure. I feel like the public is going to eat this up though, so as long as the juries just don't underrate Italy as they ALWAYS do then I can see this feasibly winning. It obviously has phenomenal staging, Damiano serves and elevates the song live, and M氓neskin in general is just so powerful. Would love love love to see Italy win after they've been robbed for so long, but as I've said, I'm still not convinced that this will win. I'd say this will depend entirely on if the juries vote for Italy or not, and I really hope they do because this would be such a deserved winner.
2. Iceland 馃嚠馃嚫
I feel like this is going to do better than a lot of people think. I feel like this appeals much more to both the juries and the televote, which is what I think will help it perform so well. Plus, the commentators will likely hype up Dadi and his story and journey to Eurovision, which I also think will really entice people to vote for this to try and give Iceland a win. Do I think that the televote/jury support will be enough to warrant a win?? I don't think so... especially since Dadi is using a live on tape performance, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's really close.
3. Malta 馃嚥馃嚬
If Destiny didn't get such a poor spot in the running order I'd definitely have this higher up. While I don't think Malta is entirely out of the picture to win, I also worry that they'll get forgotten having to perform so early on and after 5 female acts. Plus, Malta historically struggles with the televote, so I think that is what will ultimately harm it. I'm sure Destiny will still do phenomenal in the jury vote though since she is vocally flawless and crushes the song. I feel like third would be great and rightfully deserved for Malta and this song.
4. France 馃嚝馃嚪
An iconique song that I feel has been slightly overrated in the odds, but should still perform very well. Barbara is perfect live and conveys so much emotion and heart on stage that I feel as if the juries and televote has to appreciate her talent. Voila is also a timeless track that I think a lot of people will gravitate towards. Really don't see a chanson type song like this winning this year, but I still reckon that this will do very well and give France their best result in a long time.
5. Ukraine 馃嚭馃嚘
Putting Ukraine as my shock top 5 result just because I know the televote is going to absolutely eat this up. Wouldn't be surprised if this ends up winning the televote with how much people seem to love this track and the energy and staging of Go_A. Unfortunately, I think the juries will hamper this from getting an even better result, but I would love to see Ukraine get such a good result after Shum has been severely underrated the whole Eurovision season.
-FULL PREDICTIONS-
1. Italy 馃嚠馃嚬
2. Iceland 馃嚠馃嚫
3. Malta 馃嚥馃嚬
4. France 馃嚝馃嚪
5. Ukraine 馃嚭馃嚘
6. Switzerland 馃嚚馃嚟
7. Bulgaria 馃嚙馃嚞
8. Lithuania 馃嚤馃嚬
9. San Marino 馃嚫馃嚥
10. Russia 馃嚪馃嚭
11. Cyprus 馃嚚馃嚲
12. Finland 馃嚝馃嚠
13. Sweden 馃嚫馃嚜
14. Serbia 馃嚪馃嚫
15. Portugal 馃嚨馃嚬
16. Greece 馃嚞馃嚪
17. Israel 馃嚠馃嚤
18. Norway 馃嚦馃嚧
19. Azerbaijan 馃嚘馃嚳
20. Moldova 馃嚥馃嚛
21. Belgium 馃嚙馃嚜
22. Albania 馃嚘馃嚤
23. United Kingdom 馃嚞馃嚙
24. Netherlands 馃嚦馃嚤
25. Germany 馃嚛馃嚜
26. Spain 馃嚜馃嚫
Literally such a strong final though... I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen and I bet my predictions will be massively off as well because I have no idea who's going to win and who'll place well. Would love to hear all of your thoughts below :)
