Here we go then with the rundown for the second semi-final. Ten more songs to make it through to the Grand Final on Saturday, with three more ‘Big 6’ performances. Interestingly this year, all ‘Big 6’ countries are singing in their native language. I’m sure this doesn’t happen very often? I’m a big fan of music not in the English language, so let’s take a look and listen…
01 Australia Milkshake Man – Go-Jo
We open (surprise surprise, Cilla) with an up-tempo song. No doubt it’s a catchy pop song, but OMG (and maybe this is me showing my age), I can do without the innuendo. Yes, the ESC needs levity, giddiness and some songs that are essentially novelty. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. How the heck Windows95man made it through to the GF last year for Finland, but it did! And then tanked in the Grand Final. Let’s file Australia’s song in a similar category – thinks it’s funny with all the innuendos about a man and his milk. I’m just not here for it – it all feels a bit juvenile. Or maybe I’m just grumpy! That said, this up-tempo pop song will get us going and let’s see if it gets to the GF…
02 Montenegro Dobrodosli – Nina Žižić
Aah, the familiar moody Eastern European vibes from Montenegro. Orchestral opening with breathless vocals, it all progresses quite nicely – except it really doesn’t go anywhere. It’s almost the instrumental as chorus, and before we know it the last 25 seconds feels like it’s going to crescendo, and then it doesn’t quite. Second in the draw, will it be early doors for Montenegro? Let’s see what the staging and performance can do…
03 Ireland Laika Party – EMMY
OK then, get your head around this. Ireland have sent a song to the ESC about Laika, a Soviet dog who was launched into space back in 1957 (3 November to keep the historians happy!). Awr. Stray dog goes to space – let’s write a song about that, right? Nope, let’s sugar coat the fact that she perished in space and hope that Laika is still alive, kids. I love the bonkers-ness of the lyrics, and I like the preposterous hope that she’s still alive! That said, this is an earworm of a bop, and I like it a lot. Again, retro vibes, but also easily singalong-able. I’m also quite fond of EMMY’s Aqua-esque vocals.
I have shared with you the Late Late Show recording of the song, as filmed in the Old Library in Trinity College Dublin. My dear friend and Eurovision bestie Dr (Dame) Brian Singleton (mentioned on the blog every year) is made up that he’s finally got to see Trinity College embrace the Eurovision. Brian will retire as Samuel Beckett Chair of Drama and Theatre later this year, so it’s fitting for him that that this brilliant performance has been staged in the Old Library.
I hope the kids get behind it and that it gets to the GF – just don’t tell them the dog is dead – you have to put them to bed, remember…
04 Latvia Bur man laimi – Tautumeitas
I find this a joyous song with an uplifting melody and jolly harmonies. And the chugging musical underscoring keeps the tempo going (I hope you are marvelling at my highly musicological description!). Can’t wait to see how the performance is staged…
05 Armenia Survivor – Parg
Will this be the curse of the song title for Armenia? Maybe not, as they’ve qualified for the past three years. It’s our first song in this semi-final with chanting in it. Probably that’s the saving grace for it? Must admit, I got a bit bored… does anyone need their drinks/snacks refreshing at this point?
06 Austria Wasted Love – JJ
And now for one of the biggies this year. This song has been tucked in behind Sweden in the betting odds for a while now. On first listen I wasn’t sold on it, but it a Eurovision grower, I’d say. A few listens in and I got it. I also get that it’s more than adjacent to The Code from last year. Surely a song that overlaps with the song that won last year can’t win this year? There are also flourishes on the chorus from Duncan Lawrence’s winning song Arcade for The Netherland in 2019. Lather, rinse, repeat, right? 😀
What we have here is a song very much in the ‘popera’ stylings we see from time to time @ the ESC. Remember Malena Ernman with La Voix for Sweden in 2009, Cezar’s It’s My Life for Romania in 2013, and Kate Miller-Heidke’s Zero Gravity for Australia in 2019. All mixing the pop with the opera vocals.
JJ’s countertenor vocal gymnastics are impressive. And this song goes to show that you can’t judge a song by the first two minutes and fifteen seconds, because the last thirty seconds is going to blow your mind (literally!). Can’t wait to see how it’s interpreted on stage…
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‘Big 6’ time, UK styleeee…
United Kingdom What the Hell Just Happened? – Remember Monday
I know I am generalising here, but don’t we – every year – have a downer on our entry? Some years maybe with good reason, and with the receipts to prove why after the contest.
The first time I heard this song I just thought that the composers had used generative AI to put it together. You know “write a song that sounds like Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan, please”. I wasn’t impressed. Also, I thought we’d got over selecting failed talent show participants to be our entry? So, I was like ‘meh’ to it all.
Cut to me listening to all the songs over the last fortnight, and the curiosity of the bonkers structure of the song took hold. Structurally, it’s mad. But hey, mad can be good, right?
Shades of Billy Joel’s My Life on the melody on the verse (which bit you ask!). It’s there if you know that song. Also, shades of Sam Ryder with the rock vibe on the chorus. Overall, not so much of a hot mess as I first thought. The girls can deffo sing, and performance will be key. Currently sitting at 11th in the betting odds. Their interview with Graham Norton was really good – and they come across as a nice girl group (it’s on iPlayer if you missed it).
I have figured out that it reminds me of Girls Aloud’s Biology. Now * that * is a bonkers song, but it’s brilliant…
When all is said at done at the weekend, will it be Remember Monday, or forgotten by Tuesday? Time will tell…
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07 Greece Asteromata – Klavdia
This is Greece’s musical Ronseal. They are staying in their lane – reassuringly so – and are doing pretty much what they say on the tin most years. They have sent this song to the ESC in previous versions, but I’m not mad at that as I’m glad to be transported to Greece metaphorically once a year…
08 Lithuania Tavo akys – Katarsis
Gosh, there’s not much rock in the Contest this year, so this will come as a welcome change of pace. Nothing else sounds like it, and with the grunge stylings it will have an audience…
09 Malta Serving – Miriana Conte
Australia might be able to get away with a song with milk innuendos. Malta’s song as performed at the national final didn’t make it to the ESC. At the national final, Miriana’s song was called Kant. No giggling at the back, let’s be grown up about this. The word kant in Maltese means singing. Fine, what’s wrong with that? Well, erm, you be the judge…
Yeah, the milk man is one thing, but to those unfamiliar with the Maltese language, people will not think Miriana is serving singing. So yes, it’s equally as juvenile as the Australian song, and probably as clever as it is imprudent. I gotta say though, in that version (I downloaded it months ago) it’s an infectious bop.
So, Kant got canned. The fans have other plans in the arena, apparently, but bless them – the EBU will overlay the audio so we don’t get served Kant at home. Deffo going through. I’m sure the pre-Eurovision version gets more plays and downloads. In the meantime on stage Miriana is simply Serving… with a whole load of body positivivy…
10 Georgia Freedom – Mariam Shengelia
Another switcheroo of a song, with a change of tempo between verse and chorus, and also a language change at the midway point. This song is giving emotional vocals, choral vibes, and unlike Montenegro, this actually builds to a crescendo on the chorus. I like it. Let’s see how it’s staged…
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France maman – Louane
The next of the ‘Big 6’ is a lovely chanson song by chanteuse Louane. Fabulous vocals and one of the best ballads (the best?), I’d say. France’s entry last year sung by Slimane, Mon Amour, was a special moment. If this is staged as it should be, it could be another top ten, maybe even top five finish. I have to say that the ‘Big 6’ have all pulled it out of the bag this year. Maybe they should all sing in a native language every year! 😀
11 Denmark Hallucination – Sissal
We’re back in the generic pop banger zone. Snacks and nibbles may be calling. It’s pretty much underscored with what sounds like Loreen’s Tattoo. As RuPaul’s Drag Gace UK alumnus Tace would say…
Does someone need to call a lawyer? 😀
12 Czechia Kiss Kiss Goodbye – ADONXS
I think this is the best entry from Czechia in * years *. I hope it’s staged as dramatically as the song sounds. It’s in the top ten of the betting odds, so peeps must be liking what they see ands hear. Although it’s another song that is adjacent to The Code…
13 Luxembourg La Poupée Monte Le Son – Laura Thorn
Luxemboug return with some Poupée as they did when they won in 1965 with Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son, sung by France Gall. Like her, Laura is serving energetic, youthful vibes in a frothy pop number…
Any excuse for a Eurovision classic (written by Serge Gainsbourg)…
Btw, when it won it was seen as the modernising of the ESC, after years of swooning, crooning, chanteuse-ing and generally music for mums and dads.
14 Israel New Day Will Rise – Yuval Raphael
One of the best ballads in the Contest this year. Seemingly in denial of the geopolitics playing out beyond the Eurovision bubble, a song with saccharin lyrics like this I can’t get on board with…
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‘Big 6’ time again…
Germany Baller – Abor & Tynna
We’re back in the pop Tardis with more retro vibes. Techno vibes, pulsating rhythms and more fiddling. Love it (yes, I’m a pop boy!). Germany tends to occupy the bottom five fairly regularly, so I hope an army of people of a certain age lift it higher than that.
15 Serbia Mila – Princ
(I want to add an E to his name!)
As with the Greek entry, this is reassuringly Serbian. I know my bestie Rachel will be all over this. Coming towards the end of SF2, and pretty much standing out from any other male vocalist in this anthemic oeuvre, I hope Princ without and E gets through…
16 Finland Ich komme – Erika Vikman
And finally, the last song of this semi-final. Or as the Finns would say, Ja lopuksi semifinaalin viimeinen kappale. I know, right!
As we started this semi-final with some (in my view) juvenile shenanigans from Australia, there’s similar to follow from Finland. It feels like, post Käärijä, this is Finland’s tactic – seemingly provocative and risqué with a bit of a banger of a song, which it is. At the national final (which she won by a landslide), Erika straddled a canon whilst singing Ich komme. Classy.
Finland have been asked by the EBU to tone down the suggestive nature of the performance. Let’s see how that shakes down. The song will bring down the house, I’m sure. Sailing through to the final…
So, my fave five songs from this semi are…
Austria
Ireland
Germany
Latvia
Malta
How about you? Where will your votes go?
Enjoy the second semi-final tonight. I’ll be back tomoz with my take on all the action. ‘Citing!
Toodles,
😀
xx