Firstly, what y'all did to Sofi Marinova was truly appalling. A one woman show with live vocals that the girls wish they could hit in studio. The disrespect. The audacity.
01) Valentina Monetta - I immediately had it in my head that I need this to not qualify because I don't want the TSC girls to know that I don't like Crisalide. But it will qualify and here's a confession: I don't like Crisalide.
02) Inga & Anush - Throwback... Thursday to when Mans outed himself as queer by randomly singing this as one of his favorite ESC entries ever. Like it, don't LOVE it.
03) Ruth Lorenzo - This is the complete opposite of Crisalide. I WANT it to qualify so the TSC girls know that I fucking hate this song. <3
04) Jessica Mauboy - I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. I think I would have automatically 12'd the live version of this out of principle, as it's my most watched live performance of 2018 outside of Eleni. I legit just cackled out loud thinking about it. I could write an essay about my complex feelings for
#WeGotLove, but I'll spare all of you -- Tolis knows.
05) Christabelle - Thinking about how this qualified over Love Unlimited. It's a competent studio song, but it does not hold up to so many of the other songs here.
06) Norma John - It's never been my cup of tea, but it's admittedly a pretty song and I understand why it has a strong fanbase.
07) Margaret Berger - One of my favorite ESC entries. I hate giving entries the kiss of death and proclaiming it a runaway winner that people strategically vote against, but I do feel like this is the frontrunner and I'd be super happy with that.
08) Nadav Guedj - Another one of my favorite ESC entries. Sue me, men haters. Tolis is SOBBING.
09) ZAA Sanja Vucic - Just a really solid all around song that's also performed well.
10) Carola - I *think* I would have went with the wind machine live performance of this. One of those entries that I appreciate more than I personally LIKE it.
11) Eleftheria Eleftheriou - ELEFTHERIA ELEFTHERIOU QUEEN OF MALLS, JUST ASK ANYONE IN GREECE.
12) Bonnie Tyler - LMFAO @ this being entered unironically. I'm certain if this was an outright joke, the live DWI/DUI (take your pick) car crash would have been used, right?
13) Aisel - Misty Moon, I'm your loon. I go back and forth between genuinely liking this and liking it mostly for the shitty lyrics. <3
14) Silvia Night - The boos at the beginning of this always get me THERE. This might actually be my first exposure to ESC when Tolis used to try and convince me that I would like it and I wanted nothing to do with it. As a song, obviously it doesn't hold a candle to a lot of things here, but as a MOMENT? Whew.
15) Joci Papai - I adore this song. The instrumentation is gorgeous and it's so emotionally on point vocally.
16) Mariya Yaremchuk - I will not stand for the slander of the original Tick Tock that I saw in the chat earlier. WE BELONG TOGETHER LIKE A SISTER TO A BROTHER, BAYBAY. Ironically love that version, genuinely love this version.
17) Hera Bjork - So dated even for the time, but it absolutely goes off in an era of Eurovision that I don't particularly care for.
18) Urban Symphony - Class, girl. There's your class.
19) Greta Salome - I probably would have used the live visuals for this one because the performance doesn't really take a dip at all. Alas, another really solid song.
20) zalagasper - So chill and delicate. Not sure how it stacks up with some of my FAVORITES, but it was super underrated by the TSC crowd last year IMO.
21) Kaliopi - Here's me showing my ass again: I don't care about Kaliopi outside of the screaming memes.
22) Gaitana - Iconic. Life changing. Perfect. Queen of flower crown before the filter. Stunning. Welcoming. So glad you used the live version of this masterpiece.
23) Lordi - I appreciate this/Lordi more than I particularly LIKE this/them. Not my cup of tea, but undoubtedly an iconic ESC entry.