Tonight: Semifinal 2

Somehow I find it much more difficult to predict this second semi's outcome. Now that there were no major surprises in the first semifinal (well, some of you think about Finland making it and Ireland not making it but after seeing the performances was it really so surprising?). Will we have the big surprise tonight, will one of the superfavourites fail to make it? Sweden, Ukraine, Switzerland or Turkey? Or Portugal? Who's going to be Kate Ryan 2008?

ICELAND opens the show with a bang. Fridrik and Regina have been very good in all rehearsals and have strong vocals, right look in the eye and seem to enjoy the moment as real Eurovision fans they are. Perfect europop song. Eurovision perfection. Needs to be in the final. My votes ***** Chances of qualification *****

SWEDEN follows in this explosive start for the 2nd semifinal. If Iceland is perfection in a good homely way Charlotte delivers perfection in an Ice queen way. She also has the pressure of the supermegafavourite. My votes ***** Chances of qualification *****

TURKEY comes in with rock in between these pop divas and will stand out. Simple good vocally strong performance that worked for Finland, why not for Turkey that can also count on immigrant votes? My votes **** Chances of qualification *****

UKRAINE is Sweden's worst enemy. I think Ani wins with coreography and looks, has equally good voice but loses out with the song. But she can count on many Eastern votes so between these two I suspect she will do better in the end. My votes **** Chances of qualification *****

LITHUANIA is painful to hear and watch as I may have noted before. I wonder who can honestly say this is good? One can like the song but good it isn't! My votes * Chances of qualification *

ALBANIA has a good song and sweet and young Olta as a singer. This deserves a place in the final. My votes **** Chances of qualification ****

SWITZERLAND is also one of the favourites but it seems Paolo has not been at his best in the rehearsals. Also the staging was rather boring and unfitting. If they pull their act together and Paolo delivers anything is possible. My votes ***** Chances of qualification ****

CZECH REPUBLIC offers long legs, miniskirts and bad singing. Visually stunning. Sound off. My votes ** Chances of qualification **

BELARUS is "nice" with a "nice" singer and "nice" performance. "Nice" never won Eurovision or scored high. He may well end up 11th everywhere. My votes *** Chances of qualification ***

LATVIA hopefully follows the lead of Estonia and Ireland (thus making way to Spain in the final) with this annoyingly bad effort. Yet, most voters may hear this for the first time and like it... My votes * Chances of qualification ***

CROATIA brings on stage three generations and a song that should appeal to the elderly as well as younger ones who like Gotan Project and stuff like that. Well staged with the added charm of 75 Cents rapping. Wonderful. My votes ***** Chances of qualification *****

BULGARIA brings on stage a full show with DJs, foxy leading lady, a very flexible breakdancer and a very weird song with the longest ever intro in Eurovision. And it all just comes together in an undescrible good way! My votes ***** Chances of qualification *****

DENMARK offers easy radiopop with good vocals but is it enough? Good relaxed performance could make it stand out... maybe. My votes *** Chances of qualification ***

GEORGIA is favoured by many. I find it boring and dull on stage. My votes ** Chances of qualification ****

HUNGARY is pure elegance, perfect warm vocals and maybe a bit of Hollywood, Celine Dionesque glamour. Good simple staging. My votes **** Chances of qualification ****

MALTA gives a strong contrast after Hungary and may benefit from it. The staging is kept rather simple for a change (for Malta) and Morena has the voice and the looks. The song itself is very annoying and noisy, hysterical even. Will go either way. My votes * Chances of qualification ***
CYPRUS follows Malta in bringing a different entry, and almost as annoying one. The whole act is rather enjoyable cabaret after a few drinks (of Vodka?) but who would vote for this now that Greeks can't? My votes * Chances of qualification *

FYROM isn't at its best on stage and even if the song is quite nice when you hear it you just forget it the moment it ends. Tamara sings well though. And this is Macedonia with 100% qualification so far, so... Hmm... My votes ** Chances of qualification ***

PORTUGAL is a favourite by many, including me, and no wonder. Very strong vocalist, good and easy enough melody with a bit of real Portugal but with a Slavic undertones so this should appeal both East and West. Could Portugal finally make it this year? My votes ***** Chances of qualification *****

Comments

ESC 2016 WISH LIST: MARGARET FOR POLAND

Małgorzata Jamroży aka Margaret has also been tipped for Eurovision and apparently she did turn it down but she'd be perfect. She's got a look and persona you can't unnotice nor forget, she's got hit songs, she has been voted or nominated for everything from Trendy artist to the Hope of the Year, Fashion Icon and Glamour Woman of the year besides the usual best video, song, album, debut..... Oh she's also a fashion designer! She's very clever with social medias and would surely use it to her advantage if selected for Stockholm 2016. Her debut album is titled Add the blonde , do we need to say more? Except it includes mostly Swedish written pop tunes like Tell me how are ya , Wasted , Start a fire and Heartbeat . And of course her debut single and internationally noticed Thank you very much that you can enjoy below with all its anti-textil feel. I think she's Eurovision perfection, she's cheeky and fun, can we have her?

SONGS OF THE YEAR 2015: #5 KRISTA SIEGFRIDS - ON & OFF

Krista Siegfrids is delivering nice pop tunes one after another and this one is particularly catchy and soon you will be singing along..... Hopefully her Melodifestivalen entry will be equally good!

ESC 2016 BELARUS: NAKED WITH WOLVES?

Today's funniest Eurovision related story comes from Belarus. Some sources claim Ivan wants to perform on stage naked and with live wolf or wolves. It surely would be a first on Eurovision stage! We have seen some forgotten underwear over the years, and some cardbox animals though..... Is it time to take things a bit further? No, according the rules live animals are not allowed, and Eurovision being a family show nudity won't do either. (It seems to be ok to be half naked if you are a dancer though..... )

CAROLA'S BOOBS STEAL THE SHOW, SVT APOLOGIES

Update! Another thing got Swedes talking last night: Carola's boobs when she was giving away an award. This is not the first time her boombs cause headlines; her misfortunate adventures in the 80's in Japan wer explained with her boobs being too big for Japanese market. Ok.... Or was it the song ? Anyways, Carola apologies and says she thinks the dress is stylish and elegant (even her friends said so) and she's a mature woman in her 40s, not a 16-year-old girl and looks like one. The Swedish Oscars, Guldbagge awards were given out last night. Carola was there as a guest star to sing Barbra Streisand's The way we were when honoring the movie stars who passed away during 2012. However, the cameras were too much on Carola, not on the stars showed in photos in the background and that upset many viewers as that part of the show was to celebrate them, not Carola. Oh well... The producer of the show tells in Aftonbladet the part of the show was made the sam...

Russia recycles the video

Here is the video for Alexey's previous hit Бам Бам! and here is the video for his Eurovision 2011 entry Get you as Alex Sparrow as he likes to be called now abraod. Looks like he potreys the new rich Russia well.... The only problem is that he can't play the bad part convincingly not even a second. And did I say the song is crap? And of course as he is a Russian star he must have nude fotos of him flotaing around internet trying to be sexy and he fails there, too, big time. If you are not bad nor sexy you shouldn't push it. Maybe he should stick to singing jolly little numbers like the Kalinka rip off instead....

Regina Lund - naked and censored

Regina Lund's new video Jag är osynlig was censored by Youtube only minutes after it had been uploaded. In the video she was playing a female Jesus who gets crusified in the end. "I was shocked!" she says. "There's nothing more naked in it as in every church! It's ok to have naked man hanging on the wall but my nakedness is too much on internet? ". Oh well, no comment. She's prepairing a new album Dare Regina Lund and we of course remember her from her Melodifestivalen 2007 adventure with Rainbow star .

GREECE: HELENA PAPARIZOU HITS AGAIN WITH HAIDE

Eurovision song contest 2005 winner Helena Paparizou has been enjoying Top-5 hits every year since 2003 with the exception of 2010 and 2014, this latest one being already her 27th! And Haide is charting also in Bulgaria and Finland, of all places. The catchiness of her hits has changed less over the years than her face.... Here's the English version , below the Greek version.

TIM SCHOU AND HIS NAKED GRAVITY

Tim Schou has a pretty good solo career going since he left his friends in London. He's travelling the world and relesing songs and videos. The latest one is a great track and comes with a steamy video that kinda takes away from the song really. But who's complaining. If you got it, flaunt it. Enjoy the video below. This post coming after the other Dane, Rasmus Seebach as wishlist for Eurovision. To think about it, Tim would do nicely, too. Maybe he should give it another go?

MÅNS ZELMERLÖW GETS NAKED FOR THE GOOD CAUSE

Reigning Eurovision song contest champion and the host of the next contest in May 2016 in Stockholm Mäns Zelmerlöw bares it almost all in GT following some other Eurovision stars like Blue and Jedward ( see more here ) All for the good cause of course, prostate cancer - something this blogger can also relate having experienced it in my closest circle. Nothing to laugh about. The annual Naked issue of GT or Gay Times features also several other celebrity men out of their designer fashion and stage or sports outfits. I guess Christmas came early to some fans when they can unwrap their most wished gift already now.... Maybe. But it's not the first time he gets naked.... he did so when hosting the annual QX Gala some years ago. Who knows what he and Petra have in store for us in May?!

Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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