(source: EBU)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As I have mentioned previously, there were raised eyebrows when many of the hot faves were drawn in the first half of the draw. I think the EBU have done a fab job curating the ebb and flow of songs, even with the pickle of a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
01 Austria<\/strong> will open the run of songs. We know who Edgar is, and this infectious song is an uptempo pop song very much in the Billie Eilish stylings in places (and the chipmunk Daphne and Celeste opening).<\/p>\n\n\n\n02 Portugal<\/strong> have the draw of death as no one has ever won performing second. As I probably said in every other year of the blog, this won\u2019t change this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n03 Switzerland <\/strong>gives us an early pause for thought with a reflective anti-war song. For a relatively young singer this is a rich vocalist, and it will probably do well with the juries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n04 Poland<\/strong> provides us with a pop banger \u2013 and one of those songs you have already heard even if you haven\u2019t. It will get lost in the draw, but I was glad it got to the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n05 Serbia <\/strong>provides us with the first scratching of heads, and surprise that this got to the final. That it is currently bottom of the betting tells us all we need to know. Hard to connect with on any level, for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n06 La France<\/strong> has been bobbing around in the top five betting odds for a while, and peaked up to third following the initial rehearsal clips were released. It\u2019s slipping back now, maybe because you have seen this type of performance before. The songs is fine, but putting a singer on an elevated plinth with loads of fabric festooned below isn\u2019t fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n07 Cyprus <\/strong>was the victor in the near-neighbourly competition with Greece. It\u2019s not lost on any of us that an attractive performer can help sell a song. Case in question here, deffo. A snack re-filler for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n08 Spain <\/strong>is definitely inhabiting the indigenous ethno-pop stylings from their culture this year. Visually quite interesting, performed with commitment, but I just can\u2019t find the hook in it. I like the ethno-flavoured songs in the mix this year, but this one not so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n09 Sweden<\/strong> has been the favourite to win with this song even before it had been selected by the Swedish public to be their representative this year. Returning champ from ESC2012, Loreen (or Lorraine as I lovingly refer to her!), is back with a much-fancied song. Yes, it\u2019s Euphoria <\/em>adjacent, however Tattoo <\/em>inhabits a different ethereal space whilst still being a pop banger. And yes, there is a whiff of Madonna\u2019s Frozen<\/em> in the mix. My winner, but I am looking forward to the tussle it will have with Finland. And if you haven\u2019t seen it, don\u2019t worry, Lorraine escapes from the panini press in which she seems trapped at the start of the song\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n10 Albania<\/strong> provide more ethno-pop vibes. It\u2019s done well to qualify and might get cancelled out by a couple of similar songs and visuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n11 Italy <\/strong>have a returning singer from ESC2013. The song has drifted in the odds, but has been in the top ten for a while now, which is probably where it will end up. The juries will most likely support it, but for me it\u2019s another song where it doesn\u2019t linger in the memory, and for people hearing this song for one time only before they vote, there might be a problem\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n12 Estonia <\/strong>will stand out at this stage as it\u2019s the first big ballad of the night. It will be a nice change of pace (obvs), and a lot of us were delighted this progressed to the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n13 Finland <\/strong>will be the one to challenge Sweden, for sure. It might win. There are differences of opinion all round on this! Some people are automatically anti-Sweden in the euro-bubble as they\u2019re consistently good at Eurovision. Finland offers something entirely different. I love it, but, again, those hearing it for the first time tonight might not get it. It is a marmite entry. That said, I like marmite. Keep your eye on the jury voting. If it flies with them, well hello Helsinki in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n14 Czechia <\/strong>is a stylish performance. I like the melody of the song and it\u2019s very well-choreographed and is visually impactful. Again, let\u2019s see what the combo of public and jury do with it \u2013 I\u2019m intrigued\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n15 Australia<\/strong> give us our first taste of dad rock. It\u2019s rerto-rock feel will connect and if they were giving out medals for committing to the moment, well\u2026 Top 10 with a good wind, I\u2019d say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n16 Belgium<\/strong> are bringing the euro-party, and there aren\u2019t many songs tonight that do. This is going to lift the arena, which will translate to the viewers at home. Sixteen songs in we will need to be! If it makes the top ten that would be amazing, but I think it will deffo be on the left hand side of the leader board. C\u2019mon dancing queens!<\/p>\n\n\n\n17 Armenia <\/strong>will give you an opportunity to refresh drinks and nibbles. It\u2019s a bit beige for me, and you know what I\u2019ll be doing! Did well to qualify\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n18 Moldova <\/strong>allows me to roll-out my usual line \u2018will you be bowled over by Moldova?\u2019. They always do well at the end of the day, although always poorly backed with the betting odds in the UK. Don\u2019t be surprised when Moldova bowl the viewers over\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n19 Ukraine<\/strong> is the reason why we\u2019re doing all of this in Liverpool for ESC2023. It will be interesting to see their placing tonight. The song is a departure from last year, and I like it. The staging is effective for TV, but in the arena, it wasn\u2019t particularly impactful. Let\u2019s see how it does with public and jury tonight when we see it on the telly\/viewing device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n20 Norway<\/strong> is another song that has been backed well over the last couple of months. It will benefit from its position in the draw. I hate it when people sell songs as \u2018fan favourites\u2019, but this has been gushed about since it got the ticket to Liverpool. That said, all I can hear is how similar it sounds to a song that competed in Sweden\u2019s Melodifestivalen last Year. Take a listen to Klara Hammarstr\u00f6m\u2019s Run To The Hills<\/em>\u2026 (excuse the pitchy vocal!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n