Semi-Final 2: Preview

So we may have already seen the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest *cough*Denmark*cough* but it doesn't mean we have seen all of the top songs of this contest. In reality I think that semi-final 2 actually offers a much broader range of music than semi-final 1, which mostly consisted of pop songs.
So what's on offer?

Latvia
Despite energetic performances, a good song and the mere fact that they are opening semi-final 2, Latvia should have a great entry on their hands. However despite this their entry lacks the luster that I was hoping for and this will have great difficulty qualifying. I guess PeR can take some heart from the fact that Zlata Ognevich was dancing to this today in the press centre during rehearsals.
My Grade: 3/10
Qualifier: No

San Marino
Though San Marino have sent Valentina last year this song could not have been more different. This is a mature, high brow song that should deliver for them. I really like this song, though I wish that it was one minute of ballad and two minutes of disco, but still this should just about qualify. The absence of Italy from voting in this semi-final is a problem for San Marino though.
My Grade: 8/10
Qualifier: Yes

FYR Macedonia
What can I say about this? I really like Lorenzo and his song. I don't like Esma popping in during it. Overall this is a non-qualifier and a complete mess. It also lacks a lot of neighbours in semi-final 2 and by extension it may find it hard to get points from non-Balkan countries.
My Grade: 3.5/10
Qualifier: No

Azerbaijan
I never really have liked Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest, except for their entry last year. However this year I think they have a great textbook entry though I am concerned that nerves may get to Farid on the night, it will have a great vocal and will sail into the final.
My Grade: 4.5/10
Qualifier: Yes

Finland
This is truly a fun song. I've loved this from when I heard it before the Finnish national final in February. Krista is able to deliver a competent and entertaining performance and I think this should make the final comfortably.
My Grade: 9/10
Qualifier: Yes

Malta
Tonight Gianluca will bring a lot of fun to the stage. However despite what some have said I don't see this as a potential winner. I do see it getting out of this semi-final though, to an average final position.
I really enjoy this song but by no means do I love it.
My Grade: 7/10
Qualifier: Yes

Bulgaria
Montenegro didn't do it. There's very few Bulgarian friends in this semi-final to pull this into the final. No matter what people say it is really hard to believe that this will come anywhere above last.
My Grade: 2.5/10
Qualifier: No

Iceland
I sadly have to say that I don't think Iceland will be able to make the final this year with this song. It is still a great song and could be a great qualifier. However it is highly unlikely that the majority of the qualifiers will come from the first half of the draw so I don't think it will qualify.
My Grade: 8/10
Qualifier: No

Greece
I really don't over like this song. Its fun but for me it is a bit shallow for what I would want to win the Eurovision. This style of song will always do well at the contest particularly when there is a distinct lack of jokish entries. Certainly a qualifier but hard to say where they will come after this.
My Grade: 4.5/10
Qualifier: Yes

Israel
This is arguably one of the best ballads in this year's contest and with a strong performance from Moran this should comfortably qualify.
My Grade: 7.5/10
Qualifier: Yes

Armenia
I really do not like this song. It's dull it's boring and I always skip it when I see it on my player. Having said that I could image that the juries may push this through based on the quality of the voices of the song.
My Grade: 1/10
Qualifier: No

Hungary
I always have had a soft spot for this song but I don't think that it will qualify based on the reports I have read from the rehearsals. ByeAlex simply is not making a strong enough effort to do well. I can't imagine this making it above 15th place.
My Grade: 5/10
Qualifier: No

Norway
Is there any reason why this song will not make it to the final? Margaret has delivered some very strong performances in the national final and in the rehearsals. This is a strong song and singer. I'm not a huge fan of this song and do not understand why it's so hyped up but it still will do well.
My Grade: 6/10
Qualifier: Yes

Albania
From Suus Albania completely changed the style of song they send to Eurovision this year. I was very surprised by this winning FiK and I think that this could do either fairly well or bomb at this year's contest. If it does qualify expect it to receive quite a lot of ex-Yugoslav countries. This is the only real rock song at this year's contest so that cannot be discounted.
My Grade: 4/10
Qualifier: Yes

Georgia
Clearly this is the most cheesy song I could image at Eurovision - and I love this. Song uses every little trick in the book and I just want to be drawn into it and sing it out loud. This is clearly in the final and a possible winner.
My Grade: 9.5/10
Qualifier: Yes

Switzerland
Switzerland lacks a lot of luster which I though that it would have when it came to Eurovision. It probably won't qualify unless the Salvation Army really gets involved.
My Grade: 5/10
Qualifier: No

Romania
No, just no. I don't like this song. This will do well but I can imagine it not qualifying. It should qualify but I think it could not too.
My Grade: 1.5/10
Qualifier: Yes

So my top 10 are:

12 points - Georgia

10 points - Finland

8 points - Iceland

7 points - San Marino

6 points - Israel

5 points - Malta

4 points - Norway

3 points - Switzerland

2 points - Hungary

1 point - Azerbaijan

So I think the following will qualify to the final:

1. San Marino

2. Azerbaijan

3. Finland

4. Malta

5. Greece

6. Israel

7. Norway

8. Albania

9. Georgia

10. Romania

The Odds Are...(Semi-finals)

With less than two weeks until Eurovision itself really kicks off in Malmo, its time to have a look at what the odds are like are there any really good bets out there? Has a bookie failed to keep their site prefectly up to date with the latest Eurovision news? Anything is possible.

Semi Final 1
Semi-Final 1 interestingly contains some songs that are very well positioned for a win or certainly a top 10 finish however it is also characterised by some of the poorest songs in this years contest.

Most interestingly in this market, though Paddy Power have Denmark as the favourite to win the contest outright they think it has a lower probability of winning semi 1. This is certainly an anomaly, though in recent years it is by no means sure that the winner of a semi-final will win the contest outright. For people who are looking for a fairly sure bet this is probably one of the better offers you will find this year.

For people who are super-prudent each way gamblers, it is interesting to note that the top four countries on Paddy Power all are drawn in the first half of semi-final one. Probability would suggest that surely one of the second half will make the top 3. Belarus is 10/1 which would make a fine each way bet as indeed is Serbia (14/1).

For those who like to qualify betting whether to drown their sorrows even if a song does qualify or whether the song is just worth that punt. Croatia seems like the most likely of the lesser songs to qualify for the final so at 8/11 it's a good bet. As a fan I do notice that the odds of any song qualifying are very, very short this year which shows how close a semi-final will be.

Semi Final 2
As keen fans of the contest will know the winner of this years' contest will more than likely come from semi-final 1, however there are still some interesting bets available for fans.

If your a Margaret Berger fan Norway are just 7/4 on Paddy Power, which, given that they are in the last slot in the second semi-final, makes them well worth a bet. Azerbaijan, at 5/1 may also suit the risk taker, particularly given that they are in the graveyard that is the fourth slot in the semi-final.

Semi-final 2 is much harder to call than semi-final 1, so it could go any way. If your not a risk taker, I would not recommend betting on semi 2.

As regards qualification I would say Finland at 1/3 is well worth a short and is fairly undervalued at this price. Switzerland also could just squeeze over the line so at 10/11 it may well be worth a shot.

My thoughts on the final tomorrow.

It's Not A Winner And Never Will Be

Pipe down Eurovision fans! I know Margaret Berger won in Norway and this was a good choice on the part of the Norwegian public however let's remember that this song did not exact win by a landslide.

The song as a lot of risks to it. Margaret may not be able to move this to Eurovision. The song will need very strong backing vocalists to sing with Margaret. There is no sure way of saying this will work.

Furthermore, let's remember that Margaret only won MGP with 90000 public televotes. Tooji managed to score 130000 and look where he finished. Stella scored in excess of 240000. She also was the first contender not to win all of the regions of Norway. Scoring only 900 televotes in the North.

This is a lot of good about this entry, but still it has none of the signs of a potential winner. So pipe down - you'd think Green was coming back to Eurovision.

Not As Bad As I Thought, Norway

In advance of the Norwegian national final today, I've been looking at what is on offer, and despite some of the my protests ahead of some of the semi finals I think at this point that Norway are left with a fairly strong national final. OK, it's not Melodifestivalen, but it's not as poor as UMK in Finland. Most importantly songs that were of little unique value were eliminated. But now, let's look at what is left:

Annasofi - I'm With You
It's a pleasant song from Annasofi, but a far cry from Fairytale. Annasofi is able to perform this song with the grace it needs. A really nice song, with great instruments, but an unlikely superfinalist. Grade:B

Gromth feat. Emil Solli Tangen - Alone
I'm not a fan of this by any strech. It's a poor mix of rock and opera. Though it won the semi final it would an unlikely winner as it will struggle in the Superfinal against Margaret Berger, who's song is similar and appeals to the same audience. Grade: D-

Vidar Busk - Paid My Way
Does anyone actually care? This is a fairly average song that came third in the semi-final and arguably the weakest semi-final at that. Hasn't a hope of winning, really average song that we've all seen before. Not a superfinalist either. Grade: D

Lucky Lips
Like Vidar Busk, this has little hope of winning. Honestly I don't understand why there is a jury wildcard in Norway. If the public already put nine songs into a final why another in with it? Grade: C-

Fjellfolk - Ultetuva
Fjellfolk have certainly got the most Scandinavian sounding song in this year's contest. A strange combination of folk, ballad and rhythm, it's got a lot to it and surprised me when it came second in semi-final 2. This is an unlikely winner but I would not be surprised to see it in the Superfinal. Personally I really like this song and hope it does well. Grade: B+

Datarock - The Underground
Out-of-date, cheesy and meaningless lyrics, surely this has Eurovision written all over it. This bounce pop song is certainly one of my favourites but its failure to win the semi-final mean I Am doubtful it can win tonight a possible superfinalist, that is all. Grade: A-

Gaute Ormasen - Awake
Most unremarkable song in this year's contest. Grade: D+

Sirkus Eliaseen - I Love You Te Quiero
Joke entry alert! This stupid but catchy rap song could conceivably do well. However if it went to Eurovision it would go the same direction as the Trackshittaz. Grade: B-

Margaret Berger - I Feed You My Love
Arguably the most controversial entry in this year's MGP. It is the bookies favourite and very, very divisive. It is a strange combination of ballad and rock. If it wins expect to see similar divisions to Suus. I like this but its not my favourite. Certainly the most likely winner. Grade: A-

Aledén - Bombo
The biggest surprise of MGP this year was when this won the third semi-final. Second favourite with the bookies, the Mediterranean pop song is a delight and helped by the fanatic looking Aledén. Its my favourite in Norway and I'd love to see it at Eurovision. Grade: A

I'm away for the weekend so I don't have the time to be on Twitter. May the best song win.

Isn't That What National Finals Are All About?

After a surprising night of national finals and semi-finals we've two more Eurovision entries, and many songs have been eliminated in the quest to find a Eurovision entry. Many people have been shocked to see some of the choices made in some of the shows yesterday. But really is this not The story continues....

Malta
Malta have selected Gianluca Bezzina, to represent them in Malmo, with his song "Tomorrow". It's a delightfully bouncy song and might do well at Eurovision. On reflection though it was not my favourite entry in Malta, it probably was the best selection. Hear Gianluca's song here.

What could have been one of the most embrassing stories to come from eurovision.tv they put a story up on eurovision.tv saying that Amber had won the Maltese selection about one hour before results were due to be announced

Iceland
In one of the Iceland's most surprising moves they selected Bill Bailey Thomas G:sson Eybor Ingi Gunnlaugsson to represent them in Malmo. By all accounts it is a poor choice from a fairly selection which is a same given the strong run that Iceland have had since 2008. You can listen to the song here.

Sweden 
Melodifestivalen is my favourite national final and despite its critics last year it is able to produce some really great songs. In last nights semi-final Daivd Lindgren and YOHIO progressed to the final directly with Eric Gadd and Cookies 'N' Beans going to Andra Chansen.

Unusually and surprisingly SVT do not appear to have censored the songs progressing in the contest from the internet, perhaps they understand that at this stage they would have some job to do that. They also have left the semi-final up on their site and you can watch it here. 

I was also very impressed with Danny and Gina as presenters the interval act was very impressive. Well done!

Norway
Three more songs have made it to the final in Norway. Gaute Ormasen, Sirkus Eliassen and Aledén all qualified. The most surprising of these was Aledén who came in first place. As far as I can see this had nothing to do with her legs.

Hungary
I don't pay much attention to Hungary so I shall let escXtra fill you in.

So we can all look forward to next weekend when Norway and Finland will select their entries.

Weekend Edition

Unfortunately I was away all this weekend (with family in the midlands) and that meant that though I was carefully watching the busy Scandinavian weekend from my phone in a hotel lobby I wasn't blogging so in this Weekend Edition I look back at the weekend.

Denmark
Denmark selected Emmelie de Forest to go to Malmo in May with her song Only Teardrops. As I said in my review of the Danish national final this was my favourite in the national final. It's always nice when your favourite wins, that's for sure.

There appears to be widespread praise for the song and its convincing win in DMGP suggests that it has a great chance at Eurovision but it is very early to be making predictions. Congratulations to Emmelie.

Norway
Things are not going well in Norway and the shine that used be associated with it as a strong national final country has well and truly come off of it. This week they sent Margaret Berger, Fjellfolk and Annsofi to the final. However overall there is not one outstanding song or even a song that I would be satisfied to see Norway send to Eurovision. This new style of music may well be an epic fail.

Iceland 
Iceland held both their semi-finals over the weekend have selected six songs to progress to the final of the competition. I suppose the only real shock is the fact that Yohanna did not make it to the final and to the surprise of many fans, Magní Asgeirsson didn't qualify through the public televote but had to rely on the jury wildcard. All in all Iceland have a nice national final lined up but it will be very interesting to see who wins it.

A Dull Semi-Final In Norway

Regardless of what I may have said before this Norway have lost a lot of credibility tonight.

Tonight Norway held their first semi-final. I think that I speak for the majority of fans in saying that fans were both very disappointed with the overall results and the general quality of songs in the competition. Though I could drag out this article I think that silence might be a more powerful statement.

The Results were:
1st Place - Gromth feat. Emil Solli-Tangen - Alone
2nd Place - Datarock - The Underground
3rd Place - Vidar Busk - Paid My Way

Is It Just Me Or Has Norway Slipped A Little?

This time last year and the year before that, and the year before that I would always look forward to the Norwegian selection process, MGP. In my mind it has always been a great selection process though it may not have the musical quality of Melodifestivalen or Dansk MGP, it still was Melodifestivalen come early. However I find myself rather disappointed with what has come through in the first semi-final for MGP.

It's not that any one song is particularly awful or indeed it is not that two or three songs are not great. It's just that overall I am left feeling very underwhelmed by this semi. I know that I should be more optimistic about this. This is only the first semi-final, we've only heard one third of the songs. Yet I just feel that everything so far about MGP this year has disappointed me. I know they are trying to change the show a little after the last three years, but still, I had higher hopes anyway the songs (along with some brief thoughts) on them are:

Vidar Busk - Paid My Way
This 1950/1960's music style has performed extremely well in the Nordic national final with bands such as The Lucky Bullets and Top Cats registering a substantial impact on their national finals. Though this style is popular I think that this song lacks something to genuinely lift the song and to make the average Norwegian pick up the phone. I would particularly note the chorus would appear to be weak. Having said all that I am rarely impressed by this style of music. Grade: D

Carina Dahl - Sleepwalking
In a complete change of style from the sexy but superficial song "Guns and Boys" in 2011 Sleepwalking is a much slower R+B style song. It has a very strange opening where we can hear music in the background and then it bursts into a tune. I'm very surprised by this - I didn't expect that sound effect to be used in a Eurovision Song. Overall this song has grown on me with multiple listens, and it is now one of my favourites in this semi-final. Grade: B

Tom Hugo - Det Er Du
A rather unusual song for a Nordic ballad in a national final. It is unusual to find a song that this relaxed and as acoustic as this song is. Overall it builds into a song that is very pleasant to listen to. However it does remind me a lot of a song that was knocked out in the first semi-final last year [Singing from the same position in fact]. Personally I like this. Grade: B

Gromth feat. Emil Solli-Tangen - Alone
Heavy rock meets what could be a relative of Didrik Solli-Tangen [Anyone know are Emil and Didrik actually related?]. This might be just one cross over too many. While I have always been an opera fan, particularly outside of Eurovision I have seen sorts of crossovers with artists such as Katherine Jenkins however really I don't think that this all works together perfectly. This is a song that will probably attempt to appeal to rock fans. I think Opera fans will not appreciate the rock elements of this song. Grade: C

Julie Bergin - Give A Little Something Back
This reminds me of Carina Dahl's song mixed with Tom Hugo, though sadly I don't think that this is as good as either of them. It lacks either an interesting song nor a good hook. Dull and boring. Grade: D+

Mimi Blix - Catch Me
I've always had a soft spot for Mimi. Her extremely sexy performances are wonderful and they generally make up for a discernible lack of genuine talent. Nevertheless I am looking forward to hearing this disco anthem being sung in the semi-final. I think that the song is not perfect as it has too many breaks and style changes and the verses are extremely dull and do not really build the tension in the sense that a normal disco song would. Grade: B-

Datarock - The Underground
It is difficult to put an exact style on this song. In some ways it reminds me of The Showbears and there are elements of current boyband songs and also there is a certain Stayin' Alive (The Bee Gees). This is a rather intriguing song. Very difficult to call this one. Grade: B+

Having reviewed these songs I probably do think that the songs this year are probably not as unimpressive as I first though, but still I think that it is missing some of the genuinely great songs of last year.

My Favourites: Datarock, Carina Dahl and Tom Hugo.

The Odds
Tom Hugo, Datarock, and Julie Bergin are the favourites with two bookmakers, and Tom Hugo, Datarock and Carina Dahl are the favourites with other bookmakers. Though personally I think that Datarock will win and Tom Hugo will do very well to qualify.

Looking Forward To Tomorrow?

Tomorrow, Monday 14th January, sees national final seasons ramping up to new levels. [So exciting!!!]

Tomorrow Austria release their artists songs and if my sources are correct Iceland will also publish their songs. On Wednesday Norway will announce the artists in their first semi-final and will release their songs. Thursdays sees the first heat in Finland and Saturday sees the first semi-final in Norway. Plus there's bound to be all the usual SVT Thursday and during the busier parts of national finals seasons we can expect at least one surprise announcement per week.

Enjoy! and stick with myself here on The Best Eurovision Blog.

Rehearsals: Day 4: Part 1

Today is the last major day of first rehearsals - tomorrow it moves over to seconds rehearsals which are usually don't tell us all that much extra, but anyhow today there are 10 songs taking to the stage, so we have to keep moving forward. First up was Slovenia

Slovenia - Rehearsal Video
Slovenia are definitely a strong contender but looking at this today all I can think of is Croatia and Feminmen who were considered a shoe in to the final. One stage the white is looking very effective, and the general tone of the song is coming across well. Apparently they are trying out a lot of different backgrounds in today's rehearsal. There are Molitva comparisons going on but I think that that might be overrating the song.

Croatia - Rehearsal Video
Croatia are very unfortunately just after Slovenia, the song is rather like Slovenia's but it does lack something. The performance is certainly interesting to watch, given all of the dancing with lots of moody lighting in the background. This is unfortunately not as accessible as Slovenia and could struggle. I'm also hoping that she intends to change her dress and that that one will not be worn at live show.

Sweden - Rehearsal Video
Sweden have been the most anticipated rehearsal. I didn't review Sweden but along with Denmark, Iceland and Italy it is among my favourites. The performance has not changed hugely since the national final but at the end the background does light up with snow. In the rehearsal video that I saw the was no actually snow falling but they do run that prop sometimes. Overall I think that this was an extremely solid rehearsal and this probably is the start of Sweden's march to victory. There has been a general movement against Sweden in the press center and this is very noteworthy as these factors do influence media a lot. Sometimes it is good to be here is Dublin away from all that.

Georgia - Rehearsal Video 
As I have previously discussed I feel that this is one of the weakest songs in this years contest. No doubt though that the performance will be able to lift it a little and today showed that Anri is a very strong performer.  There are a lot of props involved in this entry. There is also the addition of backing singers also helps this entry. The overall presentation is a bit camp and I am really unconvinced on this as a qualifier. Apparently he has a drum and some pyros as well.

Turkey - Rehearsal Video
This is going to go down a storm in Baku, obviously because of the close links between Azerbaijan and Turkey. For Can this really will help to get him to stand out just a little more. Can has decided to keep this performance in line with the ship theme. However the backdrop starts with a sea and lighthouse but then develops into something different which might just be a boring, personally I'd keep the lighthouse all the way through. Vocally this was fine, with no major hiccups, so at the moment it should bring Turkey back into the final after last year. Strangely this reminds me of a Greek entry more than a Turkish one but I don't know why that is.

Estonia - Rehearsal Video
Estonia have a very divisive entry, I think that it is a possible qualifier though. I think that based on today's rehearsal this is a real contender, vocally it was spot on and the backing singer really helps the song. The intense colour really adds to the song. This is not a definite qualifier in my books but it is getting  very close.

Slovakia - Rehearsal Video
I do like this entry but the performance is doing nothing for it. In short: Soften the band image, improve the harsh vocals [i.e. with Lemsip], lose the sunglasses and lose the hat. More eye contact with the camera is required. The song does seem to end very suddenly though which is a little concerning. Eldrine slipped into the final last year and ended up 9th which was a big surprise so there clearly is a market for this out there and these people do actually watch Eurovision.


Norway - Rehearsal Video
Eric Saade Mark II I mean em, Tooji, stepped up for rehearsals today. Visually and in terms of dance moves this is excellent and a very strong visual close to the end. Vocally though it is quite off the mark. I will be waiting for the second rehearsal before I cast aspirations over how this will do. I expect it to qualify but not with ease. Many are suggesting that this could be the surprise non-qualifier of this semi-final but I suspect that the combination of a great draw and the dance show will mean it will go down a storm with the female televoters.

Bosnia + Herzegovina - Rehearsal Video
As expected Maya Saar has delivered a fairly understated performance of her song. The most outstanding thing about this song is the very strange choice of backdrop. Looking at the large number of steady cams on stage this will definitely be an up close and personal performance. Vocally this was good, but that doesn't take from the dull song. While some in the press center are suggesting that this might be the first non-qualifier from Bosnia + Herzegovina. I'm unconvinced, I think it is going through but I'm very hesitant to say that. I'll wait and see what further rehearsals bring.

Lithuania - Rehearsal Video
As usual I cannot understand the logic behind using a blindfold. The performance starts similarly to the one in the national final. Vocally this was spot on, but I still am unconvinced by the song. I think the last 90 seconds work really well on stage. The last 90 seconds backdrop is really interesting, again with the dancing figures in the back ground. This would normally be a non-qualifier but coming at the end of a fairly dull [for the non-Eurovision public] semi-final this might slip through.

Lots More News

• Rona Nishliu has released her song Suus in English, the version is a bit more jazzy than her actual Albanian version. You can listen to the song here. Personally I think it is a masterpiece of music but I am in the minority who actually like the song.
• Eurovision in Concert was last night. If you were at it I really hoped that you enjoyed it. If you weren't (like myself) then the photos and videos are now starting to appear online, check escXtra.com and EscToday.com 
• Finally in other news, Norway's OGAE have declared their votes for Eurovision 2012, unsurprisingly Sweden and Iceland got 12 and 10 points respectively, with Serbia and Romania getting 8 and 7 points. This puts Sweden very firmly in the lead with about 13% of clubs declared. Iceland are in second position. 

Back to reviews tomorrow.

The Odds: Semi-Final 2

This year semi-final two has been definitely the less talked about this year. Despite this fact I think that the more likely winners of the whole contest are going to come from semi-final.

So how does semi 2 look. There are two broad appeal pop songs from Norway and Sweden. It is very likely that they will take two spots in the final. No surprises then that the three most likely songs to proceed to the final are Serbia, Sweden and Norway. Moving on then we have Bosnia, who may not have an amazing song put have   a great spot in the running order. Then there's Turkey who will surely qualify to the final.

So then we move into shakier parts of this semi-final Estonia are next in the bookies odds and I think that that is a very mean price for Estonia. I am not trying to say that I don't like it I just don't think that Estonia are certain qualifiers.

Slovenia is in 8th position which I think is a generous price for Eva Boto as I think her song is very good as a Balkan ballad. Belarus is 9th position and I am not sure if this is a qualifier, I think that the disco version is very strong but it looks like a non-qualifier to me.

The two songs that I think is Portugal and Lithuania. I don't think that Lithuania is amazing but it is hard to imagine that a last slot song would not qualify. I think that Portugal has one of the strongest compositions this year. Even though this is a tough semi-final for ballads and Portugal has many things going against it, I think this could be the surprise qualifier.

It's Eric Saade! No, it's Danny Saucedo! No, its TOOJI!

Before I review a song, the first thing that I normally do is go back to the national final and have a look at what I said about it. Just I was reading those I saw all the artists that Norway could have sent. I know Tooji is liked by a good number of fans but sending him to Eurovision was a missed opportunity. In retrospect the song Things Change by Bobby Bare and Petter Oien or else Plumbo would have been the most different choice. I fear that in a stronger year sending Eric Saade Mark II may not have been the best idea but anyhow, that’s what they have given us, now to tear it apart.

The song itself is a strandard Fredrick Kempe style song [even if he didn’t write it] with a strong melody in the background. It does not really build or develop and most of the excitement is hinged on a vocally good bridge in the song. Lyrically it is not overly impressive. Vocally, Tooji has given a variety of vocal performances. They range from fair to very flat. This coupled with the fact he will have live backing vocals at Eurovision may hurt his chances. The performance itself is broadly engaging, focusing on Tooji and his dancing. This may not be the case at Eurovision where the backing vocalists will be singing live and only six people are allowed on stage.

While many fans have been quick to suggest that this is Eric Saade Mark II. I am inclined to agree however that does not mean that he will get the same result as Saade. Generally, for no particular reason songs that are copies of others from last year never do as well the year after. Also the higher standard of other Scandinavian countries will not help Norway, particularly if Sweden goes to the top 3.

Verdict: A missed opportunity for Norway and given that Scandinavia is so this year they may live to regret picking such a generic song. However the strong draw in the semi-finals probably will qualify.

Grade: C+

At Least Iceland Got It Right

So after the big night of Nordic finals and some others it is time to take stock again in what seems to be my Saturday Night routine.

• Hungary have selected Compact Disco for Baku with the song The Sound Of Our Hearts. There is nothing to complain about barring the rather flat performance, review will follow in due course [think weeks not days though].
• Lithuania did something and our friends over at escXtra have a wonderfully concise report here. 
• Sweden - the problem with Sweden is that they have some excellent songs which they then don't pick. This annoys me. We were not remotely impressed with them sending Timoteij to Andra Chansen. Neither are we impressed by who they did send - Ulrik Munther [understandable] and David Lindgren [aimless] but continues the male theme of their final so far. I am starting to think they might send Loreen or if we are extremely lucky Love Generation <3. I am wondering if there might be a lot 
• Iceland provided us with some delight by sending Greta Sálome and Jonsi with their amazing ballad which I cannot spell. Anyway we think it is extremely good and are very happy that they avoided rather poorer songs. Full review in due course [like Hungary, think weeks not days though].
• Norway (sigh) - well let's just say I think they missed a massive opportunity to send a song that would be original and authentic. Instead they send Eric Saade Mark II. Tooji won the vote with 40%, with Nora Foss in second (21%), Bobby Bare and Petter Oien (20%) in third and Plumbo in fouth (15%). This is exact the opposite to how I wanted it to go. Better luck next year Norway. We would also like to briefly say a huge well done to Reidun Saether whose performance was amazing.

 So that concludes tonight but next week will be manic so we will be post regular updates. Azerbaijan will select the representative that has to do the least travelling to Eurovision tomorrow but we don't tend to pay to close attention to that.

A Look Ahead To Tonight

All times mentioned in this article are CET for GMT subtract one.

There is a huge amount on this evening with 3 song selections and 2 semi-finals there is little reason to be bored. 

• Norway kicks of in about an hour at 19:55 for their final pausing at 21:10 and restarting for the super final at 21:40. We are expecting a result from Norway around 22:45. We are hoping for a Reidun Saether/Plumbo victory.
• Sweden gets going at 20:00 with their semi-final until 21:30. I think I speak for many fans by saying vote for Timoteij Sweden.
• Iceland have a two hour show from 21:30-23:30 they will be the last country tonight to give us a song and we sincerely hope that it is by Greta & Jonsi.
• Hungary kick off at 20:15 with a result expected around 22:00.
• If your watching Lithuania their show is from 20:00-22:30.

So we have a long night in store. Time to get the dinner eaten and popcorn on and enjoy every minute of the  biggest Scandinavian weekend of the year. 

Schlager, Leather Jackets and Plumbo

Norway Reviews

Owing to the strength of the Norwegian National Final we have built more solid reviews than thee ones that were there for the semi-final. We must stress that the grades given to the songs here may seem low but that is due to us employing a grading system that is really hard to do well in. It may seem tough but how can you separate some great songs otherwise? Their grades should improve in the Eurovision Reviews.

1.       Tooji – Tooji’s song Stay is definitely Eric Saade Mark II. From a distance he even looks the same as him (all he is missing is leather gloves).While I was critical of the strange sounds in the backing track I felt the entry worked well on stage. My guess is that NRK would like to see this at Eurovision. However its poor draw in the final will not help its chances. No doubt that Tooji can sing and perform this one. The song is doing well on my playlist as it is interesting. This could be a dark horse of the contest, but my guess is it has a 50/50 chance of making the superfinal. Grade: C+

2.       Reidun Saether – Without a doubt Reidun has delivered an excellent song written by the excellent Thomas G:sson. This is a difficult song to critise. While parallels between do exist between her song and Charlotte Pereilli’s entry in 2008 I think that Reidun is a more naturally good looking person unlike Charlotte who gave many Trannys hope. I like to think that this song could win but I think that there may be a slim chance of it. I also like to think that this type of song will win Eurovision somehow…one day. Grade: A+

3.       Lise Karlnese – I was pretty sure that this song would make it to the final through tele-voting in the semi-final and was surprised that it made it through. It is a good solid song and no doubt that Lise is able to perform. However after failing to make the cut with the tele-voters last weekend I think it has no chance of getting to the super-final. I do like this song though. Grade: B

4.       Plumbo – The newspapers in Norway are all saying that this has a very good chance of winning on Saturday and to be honest for a rockish/trad. song this is a rather well regarded by Eurovision  fans everywhere.  I love it because it is so anthemic and waving hands up in the air. The biggest threat that they face is running fourth in the draw and also the Norwegians may not back this if it seems that it is a dead cert. Grade: A

5.       Malin – Despite having a rather poor vocal performance in the semi-final Malin made it to the final most likely buoyed by votes from her own demographic which has an increasingly strong impact on National Finals and Eurovision. The song itself is annoyingly addictive but a little disjointed. However I think there could be a big enough vote out there for Malin that she could go to the super-final. It’s a longshot but I wouldn’t rule it out. Grade: A-

6.       Nora Foss Al-Jabri – Break out the Disney soundtrack and put this on it. This entry has Disney written all over it and this is both a drawback and positive for the song. It all is just a little to prefect for my likely. It is so perfect It feels like something is missing. After 1^st place in the semi-final this could qualify but I also think of the three semi-final winners this is the weakest. Grade: C-

7.       Carburetors – I don’t see how this qualified in the first semi-final but to summarise it’s leather jackets and sunglasses to the rescue. As a rock song I cannot see this doing very well. The overly gravelly voice of the lead singer may not fare well in comparison to other singers in this final especially when they are singing before Tommy Fredvang. Grade: D+

8.       Petter Oien & Bobby Bare – I really liked this song when I first heard it but when I saw it live I just fell in love with it. This works better than any other song in MGP this year. It is quite clear that there is a strong bond and relationship between the two men – if you notice when Bobby makes a mistake Petter makes one too but overall it does not take from the song. The country feel is impressive and the song is high quality and has direction. It is music as it was meant to be. This is a challenger for the victory, and I wish them the best of luck. Grade: A

9.       Yassen & Julie Maria – I do not get this song. Sometimes I don’t like a song for various reasons but after a couple of listens work out why it has done well. Generally it has a good professional sound that I understand why people like. I cannot understand why people voted for them in the semi-final. I do not expect this entry to do extremely well but sadly you never know. Grade: G

10   Tommy Fredvang – Make it better is a straight forward but rather unimaginative song that is carried by the recorded vocals and performance. I do think that it is a nice one to listen to on the MP3 player but I’m not sure if it would transfer well to the European stage like we would expect it to. Not one that I am exceptionally impressed by but because of the place in the draw it could make it to the super final. Grade: C-

      Overall I would love to see Reidun Saether represent Norway at Eurovision with her wonderful song, but I am very impressed with Plumbo and reckon that they most likely have the best chance of winning. 

100 Tweets Later And We Have Song Six

Tonight after a marathon National Final we have reached the end of the Maltese selection. To explain how bored people were: You may notice sometimes during the dull part of a national final we will post up a Why not visit the blog? tweet [Our marketing department say it is a good idea]. Normally this generates 2/3 extra visitors. When I did it during Eurosong I got 15.

Anyway we all woke up just after midnight to see what was a rather entertaining voting. The ultimate winner was KURT CALLEJA who will sing This Is The Night for Malta in Baku. Full review will be out in a week or two but suffice to say I think it is a little average.

Moving on to other matters at hand Hungary and Lithuania had their semi-finals tonight also and I gather that they passed off without anyone watching them.

However most interestingly Sweden held their first Melodifestivalen semi-final which was a entertaining and as interesting as ever. I think people have finally gotten their heads around the "poor" songs and are now accepting that the songs are not normally seen in MF. This meant that we had one of the most intriguing contests in a long time. I know our predictions were out (badly) but Swedes are very changeable in their nature when it comes to Melodifestivalen. Sean Banan and Throston Flinck went to Anfra Chansen with Dead By April and Loreen advancing to the Final. I thoroughly enjoyed Melodifestivalen this week and look forward to next week.

Norway too held their ultimate semi-final. This one turned out to have a couple of surprises (most of them were very pleasant). The biggest surprise was Yaseen & Julie Maria coming third with their song Sammen. I didn't think very much of it and my mind is still unchanged but I think their performance highlights why the number of people on stage needs to be restricted. Tooji also made it through. He was the Norwegian answer to Eric Saade and the number of similarities was actually freaky. It turned into a bit of a spot the difference competition [He didn't wear leather gloves]. He deserves credit for an excellent performance however coming second means that he will be first to sing in the final which may not work in his favor. The best and most pleasant surprise was how well Bobby Bare and Petter Oien's song came across on the stage. Everything about it worked and Bobby was such a country gentleman. I was really impressed by what appeared to be the bond between the two men. It was real music.

Norway is expected to announce their wildcard on Thursday. We suspect it will go to the Canoes but also consider Minne-Oh, Lisa Stokke and especially Lise Karlnese to be in with a chance.

That brings this evening to a close. The next big event will be on Monday with Germany holding heat 5. However we tend to ignore Germany for the moment. We will be busy over the coming week preparing for the weekend so please be patient with us if things are quiet during the week.

P.S. We don't have a marketing department.

Sweden, Norway, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta and Dublin vs. Kerry

[Skip this paragraph if your not interested in sport] So as we look forward to a great night of national finals we also notice that Dublin is playing Kerry tonight in Gaelic Football which is just a little bad timing but we will keep the Irish people watching Melodifestivalen updated with the score. A little Irish trivia: Dublin bet Kerry last year in the All-Ireland Football despite not being expected to do so. This is a league match which is not so important but being a rehash of last years All-Ireland people will have good expectations.


Moving on to more interesting matters primarily concerning Eurovision:

• Malta picks their Eurovision entry this evening. It is to be done on a 75% jury and 25% public basis. You can read our review of the final here. However to cut it short we are supporting DEBORAH C feat. LEILA JAMES for Malta with their song You Make Me Go Uh Uh. 
• Sweden holds the first semi-final of Melodifestivalen tonight. Read our review here. We are looking forward to seeing Loreen and Marie Serneholt as well as Abalone Dots and Sean Banan. But we have to throw a big shout out to Afro-Dite also. We suspect due to the rather low quality of songs that this could go anyway and we expect a surprise or two.
• Norway holds it's final semi-final tonight in anticipation of their final next week. They will also be giving out a wildcard from the jury but we do not know when they will do this. Our reviews of Norway are here.
• Hungary and Lithuania are also holding semi-finals tonight but we are not covering them for the moment. Our Hungarian reviews can be found here.

So if you thought that tonight was going to be quiet or without a few surprises think again.

And as always our twitter @besteuroblog will be in full swing tonight. Things should be kicking of around 19:00 GMT/20:00CET

We gladly welcome your comments on what you will be watching tonight.

Update: I forgot to do a look at the odds for this week: In Norway Tooij is favorite to qualify to the final. Followed by Lise Karlsnes and Petter Olson & Co. In Sweden Loreen is the favourite to go directly to Globen with either Sean Banan or Dead by April bringing up the rear is Thorsten Flick and The Moniker depending on which bookmaker you use. We cannot find any odds for Malta at the moment but if you know someone offering odds do let us know through the usual communication. 

Tone Damli's New Song

Sometimes it is nice to step away from the busy world of the National Finals. Some may have noticed that Tone Damli Aaberge [From MGP 2009] has released a new song. We loved her back in 2009 and we still think she is just fantastic. And we are delighted to present her latest song.

Sailors, Cowboy Hats and Too Much Wine. MGP: Semi 3

With news to be posted slowly mounting up, it's time to put the foot down and get moving.


Tooij - From some of the writers who brought you In The Club in Sweden comes a very similar song. I think that this is strong however the verse and chorus do not exactly add up together. The wrap that was put into the song doesn't make huge amount of sense. However it still is doing well on my playlist. I also don't like the chuncky key change in the song - that can be done much more easily. Overall I am looking forward to seeing this live. Grade: B+

Marthe Valle - The key question with this song is that if it is a little different, is different a good thing? I certainly think that it is. I think that the beat in the chorus of this song really changes it and lifts it from being a dull ballad to….a…..emmmm. Well I'm not exactly sure. This may not make the final but it could if it was presented in the right way on stage. The MGP stage this year allows for great diversity in the performances while holding a theme. Still one of my favourites. Grade: B-

Bobby Bare & Petter - Grab your cowboy hats people. Norway is goin' country. I really think that this is a little different. I like the style and this will be sung well and will definitely appeal to the Norweigian people. A different finalist. Grade: A-

Yaseen & Julie Maria - A sadly what starts sounding like it could be a nice ballad, but the rap starts and the song just sounds cheap. Grade: F

Havard Lothe Band - This is….different…that is for sure. I'm not sure if this is what I was looking for but it is ok. It bounces along the way I would like it to but it doesn't actually have enough to be quality material. Grade: D

Silya Nymoen - Not really what I was looking for, some people may think it is but I disagree. Grade: D

The Canoes - Well this song just about sums up every drunken night I've had. I really enjoy this one and laugh about it. However I think that the song quality is only so so and there is more potencial in it. I think that if this in an English speaking country it would do extremely well. But Norway is a grey area. While they do not offically speak English but has many people who will understand the song. Grade: B-

Lise Karlsnes - This could go either way. It could be very good (and I might mention I think that this is a really enjoyable song) however it could fall victim to the same problems the put Rikke Nordmann out of the contest, even if she was one of the stronger contestants. Grade: B+