The 2016 Eurovision Song Contest - The Second Semi-Final

It's Eurovision week and we're in the midst of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest from Stockholm Sweden (last year's winner). The First Semi-Final was Tuesday, The Grand Final is on Saturday, and today was The Second Semi-Final.

By the way, this edition of the Contest had an introductory explanation song of what Eurovision was all about

Eighteen nations competed in The Second Semi-Final with only ten going through to The Grand Final. The links below are to the song's video, and not their Eurovision performance, and I'll give you my impressions as they performed…

Latvia - "Heartbeat" by Justs - Cute boy in a leather jacket always equals points in this contest. He's so earnest, and rules the stage as he sings. Tis one is a good opener and has good chances.



Poland - "Color of Your Life" by Michal Szpak - Johnny Depp as a Redcoat? Though, this might be weird enough to go through… just based on his jacket…

Switzerland - "The Last of Our Kind" by Rykka - She's smoking… on my, is she on fire? No, but let's face it, it wouldn't be the first time at Eurovision. Not a bad song, very hopeful, and anti-war songs always do well in the Contest, but the performance is a bit lacking.

Israel - "Made of Stars" by Hovi Star - I like the retro-hair, but not the song so much until it kicks in, but I do kinda dig the spinning acrobats in the big Hula-Hoop. This is definitely one where the performance is better than the song.

Belarus - "Help You Fly" by IVAN - Naked guys and wolves, always a winner. Wow, he got dressed quick. Great use of effects and illusions, Belarus is always good at that, even though it looks like they cribbed some of Russia's act, but that might be reversed, depending on the order of performance. Lots of charisma, I liked it.



Serbia - "Goodbye (Shelter)" by Sanja Vučić ZAA - There was a lot of buzz about this one, but really the song and Sanja don't do much for me. A lot of leather on that stage.

Ireland - "Sunlight" by Nicky Byrne - This was one of my early favorites before the Contest, very catchy and fun, but it’s Ireland, which doesn't usually get many votes, ever.



FYR Macedonia - "Dona" by Kaliopi - This was actually another early favorite, but after a while it began to grate on my nerves, much like her waving her arms has in this performance. If she keeps flapping her arms, she's going to take off… On a serious note, this is one of the few songs not in English, so I have no idea what it's really about. It could be quite important.

Lithuania - "I've Been Waiting for This Night" by Donny Montell - Another pretty boy trying to own the stage, but unlike Latvia's Justs, he has more energy, hotter dance moves, and better effects… he's just not as cute.

Just a word about the song intros, this year they are very simple, just the artist(s) chilling and posing in Sweden. Usually the intros are very arty, so much so that they leave you scratching your head more than the performances themselves. These are pretty basic, almost disappointing from what we've come to expect from Eurovision.

Australia - "Sound of Silence" by Dami Im - This is Australia's second year in Eurovision, but like Ireland and the UK, its chances of winning are slim. I like the sparkly dress, the levitation effect, and the holograms, and she's got quite a voice. She is very Eurovision.



Slovenia - "Blue and Red" by ManuElla - This has a interesting country music vibe underneath, and that's quite a dress. She's even yodeling, always welcome at Eurovision.

Bulgaria - "If Love Was a Crime" by Poli Genova - Oooh, is she from the future? Kidding aside, this is actually pretty good and catchy, and it ends with a choir, she might qualify for The Grand Final.

Denmark - "Soldiers of Love" by Lighthouse X - Is it just me or could these guys be David Tennant's kids? Just average Eurovision boy band garbage.

Ukraine - "1944" by Jamala - As I mentioned above, anti-war songs always do well, and seeing as Russia invaded Ukraine recently causing much Eurovision controversy, this tune definitely raises some eyebrows. She's not playing around, this one is definitely going through.



Norway - "Icebreaker" by Agnete - Is this Frozen? This one has its moments but it's a bit schizophrenic as a song with its stops and starts.

Georgia - "Midnight Gold" by Nika Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz - This was another of my favorites, mostly because it's one of the rare rockers. Pearl Jam meets Bush with none of the balls, and a retro sound that doesn't quite fit their image or Eurovision. I like it, but I'd be surprised if it goes through.



Albania - "Fairytale" by Eneda Tarifa - Another song called "Fairytale"? I guess they want history to repeat itself. I didn't like it, and in a way, I was happy my streaming went out during the song.

Belgium - "What's the Pressure" by Laura Tesoro - This tune is a great closer, even with its derivative disco rifts. It has great dancing, energy, and performance. If there's anything that unifies Eurovision fans more than an anti-war song it's mindless fun. This one is a score.



Those going through to the Grand Final on Saturday are Latvia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Australia, Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, Israel, Lithuania, and Belgium.

Ukraine versus Russia on stage will be fun… or interesting at least. See you on Saturday for The Grand Final, which will be broadcast live for the first time in the United States on Logo, details are here. And did I mention the guest appearance by Justin Timberlake? Yeah, be there!

The 2016 Eurovision Song Contest - The First Semi-Final

The really big news this year is that the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest (the Grand Final at least) will be broadcast live on American television, on Logo, this coming Saturday at 3:00 PM EST. More details can be found here.

The event will be hosted, as it was today, by Mans Zelmerlow and Petra Mede from the Globe Arena in Stockholm. The voting is quite a bit different this year, but still more complicated than it needs to be. An explanation can be found here. Oh, that wacky Eurovision. Also new this year is the app that you can use anywhere.

There were eighteen nations participating in the first Semi-Final, ten will qualify for the Grand Final, the links below are to the song's video, and not their Eurovision performance, and I'll give you my impressions as they performed…

Finland - "Sing It Away" by Sandhja - Very old school disco, but entertaining.

Greece - "Utopian Land" by Argo - I'm surprised Greece could afford to enter this year, it's a very traditional tune with a bit of hip-hop rap, not a bad song, but the performers seemed more than a bit sedated.

Moldova - "Falling Stars" by Lidia Isac - Alone on stage, she had more energy than Greece… and hey, what’s up with that creepy astronaut?

Hungary - "Pioneer" by Freddie - Hot guys and a big drum, what more do you need?

Croatia - "Lighthouse" by Nina Kraljic - It's just not Eurovision without some yodeling and an insane dress, and backing vocals by druids…

The Netherlands - "Slow Down" by Douwe Bob - This is seventies American country music, really not bad, and it grows on me more each time I hear it. The tune sorta has a England Dan and John Ford Coley vibe, I like it.

Armenia - "LoveWave" by Iveta Mukuchyan - Is she a superhero? Nice cape. Sexy, the performance is better than the song, as so often happens at Eurovision.

San Marino - "I Didn't Know" by Serhat - I love this song, for all the wrong reasons. It's so bad, and yet it has everything it needs to win this.

Russia - "You Are the Only One" by Sergey Lazarev - Great song, great effects, wings and lightning, definitely a qualifier despite the country's recent actions. With these effects, the song could have been awful and it would have qualified.



Czech Republic - "I Stand" by Gabriela Gunčíková - Zzzzzzzz, she's just standing there… zzzzzzzzz…

Cyprus - "Alter Ego" by Minus One - Strong pop rocker, a rarity in this contest, will definitely be in the Grand Final, as good as Russia, its best contender even if it does remind me far too much of "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers.



Austria - "Loin d'ici" by ZOË - She has more energy than Greece (but most of the acts do), her smile and movements are contagious, the performance better than the song.

Estonia - "Play" by Jeri Pootsmann - Once again, a better performance and effects than song, I like it, but is he twelve? He definitely is giving off a serial killer vibe no matter how old he is… like someone on Twitter said, he's definitely a Slytherin.



Azerbaijan - "Miracle" by Samra - Okay song, nice effects, but 'it's gonna take a miracle' to beat the other effects-heavy entries this year.

Montenegro - "The Real Thing" by Highway - This one is harder than one might expect, somebody got guitars for their birthday… so not the real thing.

Iceland - "Hear Them Calling" by Greta Salóme - I like the outfit, definitely more superhero than Armenia.

Bosnia & Herzegovina - "Ljubav Je" by Dalal & Deen featuring Ana Rucner and Jala - Gold and silver foil outfits with fishnet accents? Anti-war, anti-Russia song? Great presentation …ummm, did he have to rap? Still, better rap than Greece.



Malta - "Walk on Water" by Ira Losco - Nice song, better performance than song, Ira kicks it, but that guy crawling around on the floor has got to go.



Those going through to the Grand Final on Saturday are Azerbaijan, Russia, The Netherlands, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Armenia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, and Malta. That should give you an idea as to how they vote, and how good I am at picking winners. See you in a couple days for the Second Semi-Final.

The 2014 Eurovision Finalists

After Tuesday's First Semi-Final and today's Second Semi-Final, we now have the official line-up for Saturday's Final. The competitors for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest are, in order of performance, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Norway, Romania, Armenia, Montenegro, Poland, Greece, Austria, Germany, Sweden, France, Russia, Italy, Slovenia, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, Malta, Denmark, The Netherlands, San Marino, and the United Kingdom.

The Final will be held in Copenhagen Denmark Saturday afternoon US time. My favorites are Poland, Austria, and Ukraine, but I doubt any of those will be the winner this year. Of course, the voting is a little different this year with 50% of it going to a judges panel as opposed to being subject to the whims of the people of Europe. Who will you be rooting for?

The Eurovision 2014 Finalists

This is the week, Eurovision happens this week. The First Semi-Final is tomorrow, with the Second Semi-Final on Thursday and then the big event, the Final on Saturday.

And on Saturday, the winners of the First and Second Finals will compete with last year's winning country, Denmark, and the original five countries. Here are those entries:

Denmark - "Cliché Love Song" by Basim



Spain - "Dancing in the Rain" by Ruth Lorenzo



Italy - "La Mia Citta" by Emma Marrone



Germany - "Is It Right" by Elaiza



France - "Moustache" by TWIN TWIN



United Kingdom - "Children of the Universe" by Molly

More Eurovision 2013

The First Semi-Final was held tonight in Malmo, Sweden, and yielded the following Finalists: Moldova, Lithuania, Ireland, Estonia, Ukraine, Belarus, The Netherlands, Russia, Denmark, and Belgium.

Now, here are the last of the Second Semi-Finalists:

Israel - "Rak Bishvilo" by Moran Mazor


Another ballad? Really?

Latvia - "Here We Go" by PeR


Kind of a happy 1990s vibe here. I like when it finally kicks in.

Malta - "Tomorrow" by Gianluca


This could be a dark horse. It's happy, catchy, and memorable, and most importantly in a contest that includes so many different cultures - inoffensive. I think we'll see this one in the Finals.

Romania - "It's My Life" by Cezar


This guy's voice, wow. A novelty, and a possible Finalist.

San Marino - "Crisalide (Vola)" by Valentina Monetta


One wonders two things, how will it translate to the stage, and will the audience still be awake when it finally kicks in?

Switzerland - "You and Me" by Takasa


This is another favorite, I hope it's a Finalist as well.

The second Semi-Final will take place on Thursday, the 16th of May.

Eurovision 2013: Five More from the Second Semi-Final

FYR Macedonia - "Pred Da Se Razdeni" by Esma & Lozano



Translated, it's a song of hope ("If I Could Change the World") and those kinds of things always do well in Eurovision. Plus it's got a beat you can dance to, and seriously this one grows on me each time I hear it.

Georgia - "Waterfall" by Nodi Tatishvili & Sophie Gelovani


I usually like Georgia's entries, but this slow motion love ballad barely kept my attention for three minutes. Zzzzzzzz…

Greece - "Alcohol Is Free" by Koza Mostra, featuring Agathon Iakovidis



Greece usually hits the contest with an upbeat dance club number, but this year they went with something a bit different. What at first seems like a very traditional old country song turns fun and madcap very quickly. The title is "Alcohol Is Free," you get the picture. I like this one a lot. It won't win, but I hope it gets to the finals.

Hungary - "Kedvesem (Zoohacker Remix)" by ByeAlex


More catchy pop fun that grows on me with each listen, slowly becoming a favorite, but again, I don't think it will win.

Iceland - "Eg A Lif" by Eythor Ingi


Yet another European lesson in just because you look metal, it doesn't mean you are metal.

The second Semi-Final will take place on the 16th of May.

Eurovision 2013: The First Five of the Second Semi-Final

Albania - "Identitet" by Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko


I love the drums, and the music video, which I don't know if they will be able to reproduce its energy and creativity on stage. Luckily it's a catchy well done song. No idea what they're saying, but I think this one will definitely get through to the finals.

Armenia - "Lonely Planet" by Dorians


Pretty song, and being pretty always gets you far in this contest. We'll see.

Azerbaijan - "Hold Me" by Farid Mammadov


Azerbaijan is always a strong competitor, and this pretty boy power ballad is no exception. Not my favorite, but it has good odds.

Bulgaria - "Samo Shampioni (Only Champions)" by Elitsa Todorova, Stoyan Yankulov


These Eurovision veterans are back. Their previous "Water" remains one of my all time favorite songs from the ESC. Always great percussion, but I don't think this is their best sadly.

Finland - "Marry Me" by Krista Siegfrids


Finland is another nation who always has a strong submission. This year they enter a more pop and dancey tune. The music video shows off Krista's range and humor, but I wonder if that will come off on the stage. I'm kinda rooting for this one, but then again, I'm partial to Finland.

The second Semi-Final will take place on the 16th of May.

Eurovision 2013 - The Last Five of the First Semi-Final

Montenegro - "Igranka" by Who See


If I'm being honest, I love the video but only like the song. It does have more happening both musically and visually than many of the other contenders. However I think it might be like one of my previous favorites, Svetlana Loboda, just way too much going on at once. Either way, I dig this one.

Russia - "What If" by Dina Garipova


One of the better entries, but not one of my favorites, this one has an excellent chance of finishing high, if not winning. Ballads that are songs of hope are always favorites in this competition.

Serbia - "Ljubav Je Svuda" by Moje 3


Another one of my favorites, and not just because of the beautiful women singing. Dance numbers that are a little off, and outlandish outfits are Eurovision tradition. Also, the tune is catchy and gets in your head.

Slovenia - "Straight Into Love" by Hannah Mancini


I'm not fond of her voice, or the way the music starts and stops, but the dance track could easily be a 1990s Cher club hit.

Ulkraine - "Gravity" by Zlata Ognevich


LIke Montenegro, I like the video more than the song. It's kind of quirky, and grows on me each time I hear it, but I doubt it will get to the finals. Time will tell.

The first Semi-Final for Eurovision 2013 will be held in Malmo, Sweden on the 14th of May.

Eurovision 2013 - More from the First Semi-Final

Denmark - "Only Teardrops" by Emmelie de Forest


Hmmm… someone needs a new conditioner. Seriously, this one is a contender. Catchy tune, part ballad, lotsa drums, traditional flute, and a beautiful woman, and not too outrageous - if there was a formula for Eurovision, this would be it.

Estonia - "Et Uus Saaks Alguse" by Birgit


Estonia is usually a fierce competitor, but this year we just get a ballad.

Ireland - "Only Love Survives" by Ryan Dolan


No Jedward or Dustin the Turkey this year, Ireland gets a bit more serious about the competition with this Ryan Dolan entry that continues to grow on me every time I hear it.

Lithuania - "Something" by Andrius Pojavis


I'm not sure which is more bizarre, the background dancers, or the Abraham Lincoln drag… craziness in the Eurovision tradition, love it.

Moldova - "O Mie" by Aliona Moon


Wow, that is some outfit, and a lot of hairspray… pretty song though.

Eurovision 2013 - Five from the First Semi-Final

Austria - "Shine!" by Natália Kelly


"Shine!" has a slow build, but it's got more energy than the usual Eurovision entry. I like this one, and in a year with so many beautiful and sexy women competing, Natália Kelly is no slouch.

Belarus - "Solayoh" by Alyona Lanskaya


Go, Belarus, pretty girls, drums, and dancing is what Eurovision is all about. Another strong entry - what did I say about this being a good year?

Belgium - "Love Kills" by Roberto


Not a happy song, but the music is upbeat, and he's cute.

Croatia - "Mižerja" by Klapa s Mora



Sort of a man band as opposed to a boy band. Zzzzz…

Cyprus - "An Me Thimase" by Despina Olympiou


I was surprised to see Cyprus competing this year, considering that nation's financial problems. Most likely, if they win, they would not be able to host the following year. Although, it's just another Eurovision ballad with little to differentiate it from the rest - I don't think they have to worry about winning…

You can see all the Eurovision entries for 2013 here.

The Final Six Entries from the Second Eurovision Semi-Final

Turkey: "Love Me Back" by Can Bonomo



Traditional and groovey. This one is growing on me. The video helps a lot.

Estonia: "Kuula" by Ott Lepland



Slovakia: "Don't Close Your Eyes" by Max Jason Mai



The token rocker this year hoping for a rerun of 2006 Lordi win. I like the song, very Linkin Park and Papa Roach, but the chorus is a bit too Europe for me.

Norway: "Stay" by Toolji



This is another early favorite for me. It's got everything a Eurovision song should have. This is a surefire entry for the Finals, and maybe the win.

Bosnia & Herzegovina: "Korake Ti Znam" by Maya Sar



Lithuania: "Love Is Blind" by Donny Montell



The blindfold is a bit much, and the disco transformation scared me more than a Rick-roll.

The Second Semi-Final takes place on May 24th in Baku.

The Next Six Entries from the Second Eurovision Semi-Final

Ukraine: "Be My Guest" by Gaitana



I'm digging the 1990s power dance diva thing, but how did she get the X-Men as background dancers?

Bulgaria: "Love Unlimited" by Sofi Marinova



More disco, but a decent little dance tune. I like the music video portion, but the stage show is boring. I have to wonder what the real performance will look like.

Slovenia: "Verjamem" by Eva Boto



Another power ballad reminiscent of Serbia's entry in 2007, boring, but it could win.

Croatia: "Nebo" by Nana Badric



Like Bulgaria, great video, but what will it look like on stage?

Sweden: "Euphoria" by Loreen



Slow build, powerful voice, but turns frequently into house music. Could be a contender.

Georgia: "I'm a Joker" by Anri Jokhadze



Guilty pleasure here, it is sooo Eurovision. Where else in the world could you rhyme 'joker' with 'rocker' and do your worst Taco imitation at the same time? I love it.

The Second Semi-Final takes place on May 24th in Baku.

First Six from the Second Eurovision Semi-Finals

Serbia: "Nije Ljubav Stvar" by Željko Joksimović



F.Y.R. Macedonia: "Crno I Belo" by Kaliopi



Zzzzzzzzzzzz...

The Netherlands: "You and Me" by Joan Franka



I'm really not sure what American Indian feather headdress symbolizes in The Netherlands, but Joan Franka is certainly a frontrunner in my mind.

Malta: "This Is the Night" by Kurt Calleja



This kinda reminds me of bad 1990s disco, and I kept expecting to get Rick-rolled. It's catchy though, and very Eurovision.

Belarus: "We Are the Heroes" by Litesound



Ditto. Pretty too, just not sure about the Power Rangers costumes.

Portugal: "Vida Minha" by Filipa Sousa



The Second Semi-Final takes place on May 24th in Baku.

The Last Five Entries to the First Eurovision Semi-Final 2012

Russia: "Party for Everybody" by Buranovskiye Babushki



Hungary: "Sound of Our Hearts" by Compact Disco



Austria: "Woki Mit Deim Popo" by Trackshittaz



Moldova: "Lautar" by Pasha Parfeny



Ireland: "Waterline" by Jedward



Poor Ireland. Why they are not always a part of the Final is beyond me. They always try so hard, and they are the only country to win twice with the same performer. Unfortunately, they went with Jedward again this year. Sigh. Better luck next year, I guess.

I have to admit, Austria is kinda catchy though. We'll see. The First Semi-Finals take place on May 22nd, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Eurovision 2009 Semi-Finals 2

The Second Semi-Finals of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest began with a weird sort of hip hop Mummers thing without the feathers, past hits of the Contest on accordion and banjo, if you can believe it, or at least that’s what it felt like to me. And the polar bears were scary.

The same hosts, Natalya Vodyanova and Andrey Malakhov, were back, annoying as ever. Where’s Terry Wogan when you need him? And the same corny inserts and intros as Tuesday as well, I guess they come with the hosts. Either way, we’re off to find who are ten (nine plus a wildcard) finalists are for this round.

01 Croatia - Igor Cukrov featuring Andrea’s “Lijepa Tena”
Igor is sexy, but someone ought to tell him there’s such a thing as trying too hard. The charm is on overload, and the wind machine wasn’t helping. The wind made the women look like they were witches cavorting on a “Dark Shadows” cliff top. It’s a beautiful song, as is his companion Andrea, but I have to wonder why she didn’t sing the whole song. I liked her voice more.

02 Ireland - Sinéad Mulvey & Black Daisy’s “Et Cetera”
I like this one, always have. Very frenetic, very 1980s, very rockergirl – but it just might be too mainstream for Eurovision. I hope not. As much as I want it to go through, it probably won’t.

03 Latvia - Intars Busulis’ “Probka”
This guy looks scared. Maybe that’s his natural expression? Or an affectation like Fred Schneider or Danny Elfman? The vocals are stronger than the original recording, and their energy is apparent. Strong finish, I just wish I knew what he was so scared of.

04 Serbia - Marko Kon & Milaan’s “Cipela”
The ‘shoe’ song, or at least what it’s translated as. Wow, that’s some ‘fro, dude. But on second look, it appears that everyone on stage spent the afternoon with a demented hairstylist. Nice computer image effects, I gotta admit it’s different. It’s catchy, and could very well make it through.

05 Poland - Lidia Kopania’s “I Don't Wanna Leave”
Not my cup of tea, but this is the kind of song that always gets through, and sometimes wins. I’ll be honest though, I would rather have taken a nap. She’s no Celine Dion – you can take that any way you want to.

The crowd certainly seems more energetic tonight. Maybe the soldiers with guns aren’t marching through the audience as often as they did on Tuesday. And the flag and banner wavers don’t seem to be restricted to only one section either. Or maybe someone explained to the audience that this was Eurovision…

06 Norway - Alexander Rybak’s “Fairytale”
This was an early favorite, and this performance did not disappoint. Alexander’s got talent and charisma, and his dancers were a hoot. Final-bound.

07 Cyprus - Christina Metaxas’ “Firefly”
Unlike Ireland or Norway, this was not one of my favorites before this, but I have to say that the unique presentation kept my attention, or at least more than Poland. It’s amazing what giant glowing icecubes can do. But then again, on a Eurovision bizarreness scale, giant glowing icecubes are amateur hour.

08 Slovakia - Kamil Mikulčík & Nela Pocisková’s “Leť Tmou”
Zzzzzzz…. Sorry, dozed off. Just watch, now this one will win.

09 Denmark – Brinck’s “Believe Again”
This Lionel Ritchie soundalike was an early frontrunner, and while he’s almost as good looking as Ritchie (again, take that any way you want to), the stage presentation of this song is much better than the audio version suggests. Better than expected, good chance to get through.

10 Slovenia - Quartissimo featuring Martina’s “Love Symphony”
I’ve always liked this entry but wondered how audiences would react to a mostly instrumental performance. I guess I had nothing to worry about. Except that they would hide the woman behind the only vocals in the song – she’s behind that curtain much too long. It’s not like she’s Martha Washington or anything, let us see her! I think this will hurt their chances.

11 Hungary - Zoli Ádok’s “Dance With Me”
Another frontrunner that conjures the ghosts of disco. I thought it interesting that he started the song lying on the floor, a stunt that helped Russia win last year. Perhaps he should have also taken off his shoes. Despite all that, Zoli is very hot and moves with confidence and sex that should have girls, and boys, all over Europe voting for Hungary.

12 Azerbaijan - AySel & Arash’s “Always”
This one is another entry that is a favorite of friends that does nothing for me. The stage show is better than the song despite the weird torn costumes of the back-up dancers. The charisma of the singers more than made up for what I think is a weak entry.

13 Greece - Sakis Rouvas’ “This Is Our Night”
Greece is always a strong competitor in Eurovision, and 2009 is no exception. The song is great dynamic dance music, but I have to wonder if Sakis attended the same dance rehearsals as his back-up dancers. He seems out of sync more often than not. Still a hot performance.

14 Lithuania - Sasha Son’s “Love”
Powerful song with a very simple performance. I would have rather had Sasha Son stay behind the piano, he’s not a dancer, not even a subtle one. I also thought the “Hope” sign and the flame in the hand was a bit much. It’s like he’s playing the Serbia card. Still this just might win.

15 Moldova - Nelly Ciobanu’s “Hora Din Moldova”
As much as this song and stage performance begs to be in a Dumpsta Players production, I don’t think it has the stuff to make it to the Finals, despite all the jumping around and the guy yelling with the big stick.

16 Albania - Kejsi Tola’s “Carry Me In Your Dreams”
Albania’s teen idol pop princess, her teenybopper back-up singers, mimes and … is that Disco Gumby? Wow. Did someone slip something into my drink?

Um, a toaster? Yeah, I’ve definitely been dosed…

17 Ukraine - Svetlana Loboda’s “Be My Valentine! (Anti-Crisis Girl)”
I love this song and Svetlana, so much that I bought the album (not an easy task for an American), and I guess there’s no hiding this is my pick to win it – whether that will actually happen is a whole ‘nother thing. A lot of money was certainly spent on the sets and costumes. She is certainly a stage visionary on the scale of Kate Bush or Madonna, but I don’t know how this will affect Eurovision audiences. And I don’t know about her playing drums or the half-naked gladiators, but I have my fingers crossed.

18 Estonia - Urban Symphony’s “Rändajad”
Beautiful woman and a beautiful song, and a sobering moment after Svetlana Loboda. I think this has a good chance.

19 The Netherlands - The Toppers’ “Shine”
Their wardrobe people are mad at them, aren’t they? Catchy uplifting song that in my opinion was stronger in the studio. If they were wilder than just the costumes they might have had a shot.

Wow, this is a hard one. Tough competition tonight. My picks to go through to the Finals: Estonia, Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Slovakia, Hungary, Greece and Lithuania. We’ll see, shortly.


.

Eurovision 2009: Semi-Final 1 - Results

The voting is over and the results are in. While waiting we got to see a mad Russian stage extravaganza featuring a military band and a bad lipsync performance from T.A.T.U. – well, I suppose it could have been worse.

Here are the results:

Turkey, Sweden, Israel, Portugal, Malta, Finland, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Romania, Armenia and Iceland.

I got a few right...


.

Eurovision 2008 - The Second Semi-Final

Some observations on the Eurovision Second Semi-Finals.

Iceland’s Euroband seemed to be, production-wise, a sort of disco version of Travolta and Newton-John from the end of Grease. I guess that’s one way to say I didn’t like it. The song yes, the performance no.

Sweden’s “Hero” by Charlotte Perrelli is a great song, but the production on stage was too blue, so blue, way too much blue, and when the lights came up, too much silver and too much make-up.

Turkey’s Mor ve Otesi gave a very rousing, electric, charismatic performance. One of my favorites.

Ukraine’s “Shady Lady” by Ani Lorak is another one of my faves, the dress was a bit too Vegas for me though, and speaking of Vegas - they seemed to take a cue from Belarus last year with a magic vibe throughout. Some very hot choreography in this one.

Lithuania’s Jeronimas Milius sang a pretty ballad a la Michael Bolton crossed with Andrew Lloyd Weber, although the hair is definitely Bolton’s. Sadly this was zzzzzzz.

Albania’s entry had some interesting fade in and out camera tricks for the television audience, but just an average if a bit whiny in places power ballad.

Czech Republic’s Tereza Kerndlova had sort of a Madonna vibe when she was in her house phase, the performance, just full of stage fire, making me fear for the outfits of the singer and dancers, makes up for the mediocre dance song.

Belarus, much like Iceland had far too much blue, star-studded balls and some fairly hot women for this tune reminisicent of eighties pop metal (think Europe), but in sound only.

Latvia’s Pirates of the Sea doing “Wolves of the Sea” was a bizarre mix of Pirates of the Caribbean, last year’s UK entry Scooch and a whole lotta camp, this is nowhere near as much fun as it sounds. The stage performance is actually more like a Wiggles outtake than anything else.

Croatia was an interesting production for an old-fashioned song, very entertaining if not my usual flavor. Gotta love the old man, humorously named 75 Cents, especially when he’s scratching on the Victrola.

Bulgaria began with a bang, techno music and breakdancing, before hitting a slower reggae stride. Loved her outfit and the burning turntables. The more I hear this one the more I like it.

Denmark struck me as an over-produced, over-choreographed, over-rehersed “American Idol” segment, but maybe that’s just me. Either way it had me pining for David Archeletta, and that’s not a compliment.

Georgia takes a while to grow on you, inspirational tune with lots of smoke. Nowhere near the power of last year’s entry.

Malta makes me wonder if it really is a song about vodka. Catchy bouncy and the energetic Morena is flanked by equally bouncy male dancers. Again, too blue, is that the color of preference this year? Seriously this is a favorite.

Cyprus – Overdramatic and dressed in a Bjork throwaway at first, Evdokia Kadi is very charismatic. This seeming traditional song soon launches into a catchy dance tune that retains its ethnic spark. I like it more each time I hear it.

Portugal, with Vania Fernandes, felt like they were trying to recreate Serbia’s winning song last year in mood and sound, without much success in my opinion.

And unfortunately Hungary, Switzerland and the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia left me unimpressed on either the positive or negative side – which I suppose is a big negative actually.

=====================================

And the results… going through from this semi-final round to the Finals on Saturday are Ukraine, Croatia, Albania, Iceland, Georgia, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Turkey and Portugal.

If you would like to re-watch either of the Semi-Finals, you can catch them here. The same website goes for the Finals on Saturday, May 24th at 3:00 PM American Eastern Standard Time.