Israel - Netta - Toy
Netta Barzilai (25) is this year's Francesco Gabbani, the one given as a winner before we hit the stage in Lisbon, she has gathered record breaking Youtube views and Spotify streams and is the one everyone's talking about and also dividing opinions to heat up the discussions. I liked this when I heard it the fifrst time for it's craziness, then I put it aside a bit when everyone was screaming this is the Winner and eventually settled to like it a lot. It's refreshing, different, memorable with a gimmick everyone will note. It's fun! Yet I tend to think this is more like Dancing lasha tumbai, a great runner up rather than a winner. To be that it's maybe just a bit too weird and crazy for the great public who seeing/hearing this for the first time might take it as a joke. But who knows? 10/10
Belgium - Sennek - A matter of time
Laura Groeseneken (27) aka Sennek continues the Belgian trend of quality entries and when this came out I may have been one to think for a moment this could be It. But no. The Bondesque melody and arrangement goes well with Sennek's vocals but unless they nail it with staging and vocals, this could be also a shock non-qualifier. The song gets a bit repetitive and she hasn't really delivered live the way she does on record so far. But the again, think about Blanche last year.... 7/10
Malta - Christabelle - Taboo
Christabelle Borg (25) is one of those unfortunate artists who try several times and finally win with not so strong entry. This is her fourth national final entry and in my books her weakest yet. However, she's also one who can breathe life to any song live and somehow just pulls it together and convinces you she's great and likable. I have had a soft spot for her since Lovetricity and of course hope she would make the final. Taboo's problem is it's a bit too dark and never really gets going but repeats the same bits over and over. I hope the staging isn't the same in Lisbon as in national final as it was dark and messy.... Thank heavens she's in the semi-final 2 as in the first one... no way! 7/10
Cyprus - Eleni Foureira - Fuego
Albanian born Entela Fureraj (31) aka Eleni Foureira has been rumored for years for either Greece or Cyprus and here she is finally - after Helena Paparizou turned down the song and the offer apparently. My first reaction was overproduced 13 in a dozen nonsense with a singer who seems to be notorious for singing false live, and the idea hasn't really changed even if I have learned to like this a bit more. Still, generic pop that also never gets going but stops for some senseless ye ah ye ah everytime you think it'll explode finally. The staging will surely be effective and spot on to cover up the absence of a proper song and this is a real gem for fans who live in the bubble. Is anyone surprised this got the last spot in the semifinal? That might save it from being another shock non-qualifier. 5/10
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