Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Akylas - Rise Like a Phoenix (Conchita Wurst cover)*** Once again the #EurovisionALBM series gives us cover versions of Eurovision classics by this year's artists. Here's a little collection (to be updated) Alexandra Căpitănescu - Fuego (Eleni Foureira Cover) *** Eva Marija - Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi (Céline Dion cover)** LELEK - Wild Dances (Ruslana Cover) | Croatia****w Atvara - Fly On The Wings Of Love (Olsen Brothers Cover)*** Tamara Živković - Euphoria (After Dark)  (Loreen cover) ***  JIVA - We Could Be The Same (maNga Cover)*** Little Antigoni - My Number One (Helena Paparizou Cover)**

   I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  And I saved my beloved Italy and the my biggest surprise of the season to last. Enjoy! Italy - Sal Da Vinci - Per sempre si ***** Oh Sal. I'm so happy he's back on top, a Sanremo winner finally, having the success he merited already in the mid 1990's! Tjis song may be corny and old fashioned but there's the charm. This year especially with so many weird strange songs that aren't really songs in the true meaning of the word. This is. A proper melody, proper lyrics, performed with emotion and passion and flawless vocals. Could you ask for more? And yes, there is a remix coming ...

Here they are, a lot anticipated running orders. Finland gets the best there's to have after the allocation draw while Sweden... well, thrown under the bus . Considering Azerbaijan got the number 2 in the semi-final two switching Sweden and Portugal wouldn't hurt much in the first one. Except Portugal being the only slow tempo in the first half... Oh well. Nu gör ni! Finland comes after Italy and before Montenegro, it is what it is. And the fate in first semi-final is all the favorites are in the first half except Israel and after them we have only one in current odds among top-20 while the others are bottom-10 for the moment..... And they saved Serbia last not to scare the kids and the elderly..... The second semi-final two Top-10 favorites in the odds (Romania, France) are in the first half and then in the second one we have three in a row in the second one: Denmark, Australia and Ukraine and again we finish with three songs in Top-10 with one in the bottom-10. 

    I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Croatia - Lelek - Andromeda ** We have had similar entries in Eurovision before from Latvia and Poland with variable results. Great vocals and harmonies, good melody... but I am a bit tired of these. I would like to like this a lot more than I actually do. Right now I have it in final at the bottom five but we'll see.  Finland - Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen - Liekinheitin ***** I guess I have said all already in previous posts about them and UMK. Seeing them #1 in the odds with a huge margin week after week is quite incredible. I guess I just sit back and enjoy the ride. Itäs going t...

  I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Armenia - Simón - Paloma rumba ** Oh dear what is this? is this good or bad? Is this chaos? Yes it is. Remembering his last year's performance in the national final I'm a bit afraid. Very noisy. And did I say chaotic? For now I have this as NQ but I have no idea..... Azerbaijan - Jiva - Just go ** When this came out I was phew, finally a ballad among all these noisy acts. First hearing I kinda enjoyed this, maybe the mood was right. The second time little less. Now I don't know. She can sing but the whole production comes across very amateurish, almost demo like. For now I have this a...

  I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Cyprus - Antigoni - Jalla ** When this was released I was "on no another of those" but now that we have all the songs this is quite alone (with Germany) in the genre. Which makes it bop up a little. But she's no Eleni nor Chanel. But these always get some points so midtable result on higher part of the right hand scoreboard can be expected.  Denmark - Søren Torpegaard Lund - Før Vi Går Hjem ** This has went to #2 in odds when writing this and it's a mystery to me. For me this song is a bit mess and the staging a better and less horny version of Olly Alexander's. He does a gr...

    I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Czechia - Daniel Zizka - Crossroads ** I had high hopes before this was published but sadly it didn't deliver. He's good vocalist but the song would fit better some tv-series or movies main theme than Eurovision stage. As we haven't seen a live performance it could lift this though. But as it is ... juries might support this enough for the lower Top-10 but it could slip a lot lower as well. Let's think about this again in May after rehearsals..... Luxemburg - Eva Marija - Mother Nature ** Another song I don't get. It's not bad, she's great on stage but is this one of...

    I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Greece - Akylas - Ferto ***** Ok, this is this years Käärijä/Joost/Baby Lasagna/Tommy Cash but Akylas has what the others have missed since Käärijä: the cute bubbly personality that I can't not adore. The song's also fun, catchy but not studid. The arrangement throws in nice nuances and the ballad bit fits and is beautiful and very, very Greek. Great job. I hope this makes the Top-5. Should this win I wouldn't be too sad but this more of a tyoical runner up like song. Instead of the national final video I want to add here the preview video as it shows best his personality.  Moldova ...

  I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Israel - Noam Bettan - Michelle **** This is right my cup of tea of a song: typical French pop that could be for example Slimane's song, even vocally. As I adore Slimane what's there not to like? The French fits nicely and makes sense as he's French but the few lines in English are totally unnecessary and kind of break the magic. Leaving all political questions and voting patters aside this should make the lower Top-10 for its own merits only. .  Lithuania - Lion Ceccah - Sólo quero más * One of those songs this year that I don't get all all. Not the staging nor the melody - once ...

  I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Malta - Aiden - Bella **** Now this is a curious one: One of my favourites, reasonably high in odds yet I have a feeling this will place somewhere in 20s in the grand final. I hope not! Beautiful and old fashioned but in a good way (like Italy) and among all these weird puzzle songs this has a melody that starts, grows unlike most. Aiden finally made it and I'm happy it's with this kind of a song rather than those Ritmus and other "girl pops" with Latin thrown in. Secretly I wish and hope for a Top-10. Norway -  Jonas Lovv - Ya ya ya ** I didn't follow the Norwegian selectio...

  I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Poland - Alicja - Pray * Poland's Alicia has the voice but sadly the song is a mess. Not my cup of tea at all. For me she's a borderline qualifier probably thanks to juries and Polish diaspora. And it's nice she finally gets her chance even if the first time around she had a lot better song.  San Marino - Senhit feat. Boy George - Superstar * Oh dear lord not her again. Does she have a life outside the Eurovision bubble participating, hosting, attending every possible Eurovision event ever organized anywhere. If I had one would she come? Aren't we a bit tired already? Valentina at...

I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Sweden - Felicia - My system *** First of all it's refreshing to not see Sweden as #1 in the odds for a change. And for a change I kinda like the Swedish entry (KAJ and M&M don't count as they are not Swedish, lol) Felicia is likable, she's got the backstory, too. I like the verses, less the noisy bits. This kind of song didn't work for Belgium last year and I never liked it at all. This is less demanding and melodic  in every way. Sweden will be once again in Top-10 because it's Sweden but will they reach To-5? I'm not so sure. Belgium - Essyla - Dancing on the ice * I ...

  I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Switzerland - Veronica Fusaro - Alice ** Now this one's a tricky one. First listening (or rather just a bit of it when it was published) left me rather unimpressed but now listening it properly it's quite interesting. Different for sure, somewhat memorable. But then again we don't have any live performance (when writing this) so how this be staged; just simple rock act or a circus act with dancers and artsy nonsense? If the first option I'd say midtable at best, if the latter even NQ. But this is different, refreshing and a good choice no matter what.  Albania - Alis -  Nân **** T...

I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Austria - Cosmò - Tanzschein ** Certainly different from last year's entry. I kinda like this but then in the end not so much. This starts well and makes me curious but then it gets quite repetitive and goes nowhere. He's doing vocally good enough live but not so sure about the performance and masks and stuff. Haven't we seen that quite a few times already? Not sure how this act will open up to those not understanding German though. I can't quite see neither juries nor televoters going wild for this. Final placing 20something? Or even dead last. Again. Austria knows something about ...

  From runner up in the national final last year to be chosen internally this year. That's Simón. Last year it was Ay paparey bye and this year it is Paloma rumba. In the music video a cameo by Iveta Mukuchuan (2016) and song co-written by Rosa Linn (2022)  Simon Hovhannisyan (Սիմոն Հովհաննիսյան) also known professionally as Simon, is an Armenian singer, dancer and showman.  Simon Hovhannisyan created his YouTube channel in 2021.Since then he made it to last year's selection and now to Eurovision. He is the last announced artist and his song almost the last. 

The Swiss television SRG SSR chose Veronica Fusaro internally and she was announced January 20, 2026. Today her entry was officially revealed: Alice, a song off her latest album.  Veronica Fusaro (28)a Swiss born to Italian parents . Her public musical career started in The Voice of Switzerland in 2014 where she reached the knock out stage where she was... well, knocked out. Next years she won an award for the Demo of the year and performed in Swiss Music Awards. She also did Glastonbury festival, opened for Mark Knopfler in Nimes festival.  Two albums todate, three Eps and 19 singles before Alice, chosen for Eurovision. 

ČT has internanly chosen Daniel Žižka and his song Crossroads (out of 260 submissions) for Eurovision song contest 2026 in Vienna. His song was revealed March 11, 2026. Daniel Žižka (23)  has been involved in music since childhood and composed his first songs at the age of 10. At 15 he recorded professionally his first self penned song. Naturally his studies are music: singing, composition and musicals. He has also starred in tv series as an actor, His stage name was Daniell before he decided to go on with his own name. Crossroads is his 9th single.  Listen to some of his previous songs below:

Poland staged the season's last national final Finał krajowych kwalifikacji for the Eurovision song contest 2026. It was won by Alicja. So she finally gets to Eurovision having lost her 2020 chance due to contest's cancellation.  Alicja Szemplinska (24) won The Voice of Poland in 2019 and the year after the national final for Eurovision with Empires . However she was not selected for 2021. She tried again in 2023 with New home but placed only 6th. Outside Eurovision bubble she has released her debut album in 2024 and singles in a steady flow, Pray is her 23rd already.  The whole Polish affair seems bit a strange. The final was recorded already March 1, aired on March 7 and the results announced the next morning on March 8 after a 100% televoting. The finalists were chosen among the 173 submissions, first 20 for the live auditions and then the ten final ones after that. At the time of announcement they had become nine and later eight when Karolina Czarnecka with...

Portugal's 60th Festival da Canção came to an end tonight and the winner is Bandidos do Cante.  Portugal's national selection for Eurovision song contest 2026 has been quite critical to the participation with most artists and/or songwriters declaring they won't go to Vienna should they win. In the end there are apparently only two artists who have declared they will go to Vienna, and one uncertain if they win. Let's see who eventually will go to Eurovision in the end.... Apparently Bandidos do Cante is one of those who have said yes. Read more here .  Bandidos de Cante was formed almost by accident by childhood friends singing Alentejo folk songs at dinner parties and such. The quintet is composed of Miguel Costa, Duarte Farias, Francisco Raposo, Luís Aleixo and Francisco Pestana, all natives of the municipality of Beja, except for Francisco Pestana, who is from Monte Trigo. After tone of those dinner gatherings they were invited to record vocals to D.A.M.A.'s Casa ...

Sweden's Melodifestivalen has been the usual carnival travelling through Sweden with five semi-finals and the grand final that was won by Felicia as expected. She won both international jury vote and the televotes. Out of 3.888 submissions 30 songs made the cut, written by some ten names as usual, and two qualified from each semi-final for the final while the 3rd placed entry was sent to yet another qualification round where from two more songs made it to Stockholm. Among them two Eurovision veterans: Sanna Nielsen and Robin Bengtson. Add A-Teens that were dusted off for the occasion, Medina and Smash Into Pieces trying for another time after being close to the win already previous years. The pre-contest fan favorites this afternoon were Felicia (73%) and Greczula (8%). Read more here .  Final (jury + tele)  A-Teens – Iconic   (31 + 36) 67  7th Meira Omar – Dooset daram   (33 + 8) 41  9th Lilla Al-Fadji – Delulu   (24 + 39) 63  8th Saga Ludvigsson...

San Marino. The tiny little thing that makes things big and never ever stops surprising us. This year after the usual very long selecting process that included several previous Eurovision entrants and wannabes from various countries, even with songs they competed in another country's selection, as the last twist of turns announced the qualified semi-finalists before they aired the shows..... Ok. Because why Not?  Read more about all the zillion entrants here After all the submissions, castings through Dreaming San Marino song contest 20 semi-finalists were selected, among them previous Eurovision entrants Magdalena from Poland, Marayya from Slovenia and Star Guy (Norway),  and from this years national final selections Elysa (Estonia), Sheila (Albania) and Xannova Xan (Greece) and even Edward Maya also running in Romania at the same time, with other singers from Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Czechia, Netherlands and United States.  Ten out of those 20 semi-finalist qualified ...

  The names and entries  keep dropping today and it's time to Azerbaijan to reveal their artist: Jiva Jiva or Jamina Hashimova has two decades of career behind her. After various talent contests in the early 2000's she won last year The Voice of Azerbaijan. In between various projects like Hazz band combining jazz and pop she launched her solo career in 2017 singing all genres of music.  Her entry Just go was published March 9, 2026 and yes, we finally have a proper ballad! Did they wait on purpose perhaps? Enjoy below her other songs:

  France has announced today, confirming the rumors of past few days, that  internally Monroe  will represent la France in Vienna 2026 Eurovision song contest.  Monroe Rigby is half American 17 year old opera singer. This soprano was born in Salt lake City . In 2024 she won a classical talent show Prodiges in France. She released her debut album last year and is set to tour inchurches in France in 2026. Besides that gig in Vienna, of course.  Her entry is called Regarde! Enjoy some of her previous performances here:

Romania returns to Eurovision after two years absence and does it with the national selection Selecția națională 2026 . It was won by  Alexandra Căpitănescu and Choke me. Alejandro Zandes and Emil Rengle with Hvnds completed the Top-3. Out of submissions 67 were invited for auditions that took place in three separate days. Ten entries were chosen for the final and a wildcard round was launched with five additional entries. One was ment to go through to the final but in the end they decided to send two, making it a 12 songs final. Eurovision veterans WRS made the cut through this wildcard round. In the final the jury alone  decided the winner.  Emy Alupei - Tili Bom Robert Lukian - Fire to the Lies Vanu - Therapy Enemy Edward Maya, LavBbe and Costi - Everybody Needs Somebody Yguana - Happy Birthday Hvnds - Dor Antonio Pican - Humans Wrs - All the Way Olivia Addams - Croco Monica Odagiu - Fereastră pentru un orb Alexandra Căpitănescu - Choke Me Alejandro Zandes and Emil Ren...