Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

GEORGIA - ETHNO-JAZZ BAND IRIAO - FOR YOU you own only what you share Vocals **** Staging ** Song ** Overall *** Borderline qualifier POLAND - GROMEE feat. LUKAS MEIJER - LIGHT ME UP Light Me Up My baby Light Me Up And tell me where to go Vocals ** Staging ** Song *** Overall *** Borderline qualifier MALTA - CHRISTABELLE - TABOO It’s time to break the taboo Before we all become animals, animals Vocals **** Staging **** Song *** Overall **** Borderline qualifier HUNGARY - AWS - VISZLÁR NYÁR Summer gone, now you’re all too late That you’ll be mine was just a lie You never came. Vocals **** Staging *** Song *** Overall *** Qualifier

Hungary - AWS - Viszlát Nyár Hungary is in the league of their own this year, and the staging is pretty much what was expected. You like it or you don't. The singer uses both bridge and the catwalk to run around barefoot and scream away his song with an energy of a little village. The guitarist crowd-surfs. This is heavy rock'n roll baby! Keep moshing. This is yelling its way to the final. Blue and golden lights with strobos. Pyros and smoke.  "A little dizzy visually", "Hate it or love it", "Flashy", "In your face", "Loud" Latvia - Laura Rizzotto - Funny girl Surprise! It's red. From lighting to her Victoria Secret inspired revealing dress. She stands with her microphone until she's had enough and throws the stand away. The focus on her and her vocals - described by some as powerful, the other as weak - and emotions. Interesting camera angles and tricks including her hair? After Eleni and Romania...

Luckily Serbia, Spain, France and Hungary will be all singing in their native languages in Lisbon 2018 but meanwhile they have released also English versions of their songs. While Spain, France and Hungary just adapt the song, Serbia goes a bit further with their rework....

  Romania - The Humans - Goodbye Cristina Caramarcu (30) fronts the band that includes also Alexandru Cismaru, Alexandru Matei, Alin Neagoe, Adi Tetrade and Corina Matei. They have been together only for a year but already here they are! The song is sort of radio friendly pop-rock and I was a bit surprised it won the Romanian national selection. The performance was rather shaky and I never cared for the song either. And it still gives me nothing. It leaves me totally indifferent and that's propably worst that can happen in Eurovision, isn't it? 2/10 Serbia - Sanja Ilić & Balkanika - Nova deca Sanja Ilić (67), a composer, keyboardist and architect created Balkanika in 1998 but he started his career already at the age of 12 when his first composition was released, sung by Dragan Laković. His first Eurovision link comes when he was 16. In 1976 his song placed 3rd in the Yogoslavian national final. Now, 42 years later he is finally here with Balkanika...

As I suspected Hungary chose rock as AWS did win A Dal 2018 with Viszlát nyár. At least they will stick out among all acoustic ballads! The jury didn't quite believe in it as it only barely got into the second round but once there televoters took care of the matter.  First round (jury): Gergely Dánielfy - Azt mondtat 36 Viktor Király - Budapest girl 30 yesyes - I let you run away 28 AWS - Viszlát nyár 8 Leander Kills - Nem szól harang 6 Biga - Good vibez 4 Szolt Sule - Zöld a május 0 Támas Hárvath - Meeggyfa 0

  Hungary's long selection process has come to an end and tonight we will know who gets the ticket to Lisbon 2018 Eurovision song contest and follows hopefully Hungary's rather succesful recent story and maybe becomes Hungary's 8th straight year in the final, including three top-10s.  The jurors will vote this time only after all acts have performed and ranking the entries in order. The top four will go to the superfinal. It's good to see 5 songs out of 8 in Hungarian! yesyes was my istant favorite, but it has lost a bit ground over the weeks and I'm not sure anymore. Horváth has emerged a new favorite, but is it a bit too similar to last year's entry? It also makes me think of Sting.... Király seems to be a favorite (again), but I don't like his song at all (again). Or could Hungary pull out the metal card and send AWS or Leander Kills amongst all those acoustic ballads in Lisbon? Or is it all about good vibez in the end? One thing is sure: It'...