Happy Eurovision Day!
I can’t remember that last time I felt genuinely excited about a Grand Final. Today I do! A couple of years ago, when ESC2017 was in Ukraine, I had no Euro-mojo whatsoever. This was partly to do with stuff going on at work, but also due to the fact that I just didn’t get what all the fuss was surrounding the eventual winning song from Portugal. I also found the presenters in 2017 amongst some of the worst we’ve ever had. Perhaps I had no mojo because it was the first year since I was a kid that I’d watched it on my own.
Last year, I found (and still find) Israel’s winning song from Netta highly irritating. I’d hoped that Cyprus would steal the win with Fuego, but they just missed out. How funny that they have sent pretty much the same song this year!
This year my mojo is fully restored, and I will be joined by my Eurovision besties Rachel and Brian. They are heading over to Southport as I type this blog, so lots of Eurovision shenanigans, giggles and gasps await the three of us today. Well, all of us! 🙂
Let’s have a reminder of the line-up for the Grand Final tonight…
Pretty good, huh. Not too much fromage in there. A good range of music genres. The EBU have, once again, worked their (evil) genius to craft a running order that really works. They have placed the songs we need to be exactly where they need to be – you know, for when we need to refresh our drinks and top-up those nibbles. The EBU are restricted by which half of the draw the countries randomly draw. So, this is why both Sweden and The Netherlands are in the first half of the draw, 9th and 12th respectively. This isn’t going to help the cause for Sweden (now drifting in the betting odds), and it really will test whether The Netherlands – still the favourite to win – will be victorious.
Better news for Switzerland and Australia, performing 24th and 25th out of 26 songs, with the Haribo-driven giddiness of Spain closing the show. That’s a brilliant end to the final. Totally benefitting both Switzerland and Oz. I really can’t see past Oz snatching the prize tonight. Or, will my early predication of Switzerland winning, before the rehearsals started a fortnight ago, come true?
Currently (13:00 GMT), these are the standings in the betting odds…
Switzerland up to third, Sweden down to fourth. Pretty static in the top ten with the one song that I really don’t want to win in the mix – I will not mention it because I don’t want to tempt fate!
What’s that you say – why is the blog post titled “Say Hey”? Well, because two of the hottest songs this year both start with the word ‘Hey” – Australia and Sweden. It was a perfect blog post title when they were ranked first and second!
I saw this fan-filmed clip from the first semi-final jury rehearsal – gives a fab perspective on what we can’t see watching at home…
It makes me love it even more! Just stunning whichever way you look at it.
Apparently, there will be a lot of familiar former Eurovision faces taking part in the interval bits and pieces tonight. That’s good, because I find that 45-60-minute wait for the voting to start all rather tiresome – that’s why watching at home is good!
Oh, and let’s not forget that Madonna will be performing on the Eurovision stage. I can’t quite figure out why! Well, she’s got a new album to flog, and her fans are ripe for the picking, aren’t they? You might remember that Justin Timberlake was part of the interval act at ESC2016. This was mainly due to the fact that Logo TV in the USA were broadcasting it for the first time, so he was a draw for US viewers. It’s not being broadcast in the US this year, so it really must be all about Madonna’s new album! Now, I’m Madonna ‘till I die, but as I said in 2016 about JT, I really don’t think the participating countries should have attention drawn away from them. But hey, it will get casual viewers tuning-in, so the EBU will be pleased about that.
So, that’s all from me until tomorrow, when we will know who is the winner of ESC2019. Enjoy the show. I think it’s going to be one to remember, and the voting especially exciting because, as we have seen over the last few days, The Netherlands have a few countries more than ready to eclipse it and take the Eurovision crown. And I think the vote is going to be a very close one. ‘Citing.
Have a great night! 🙂
xx