Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Here are also the performances from dress rehearsals of the remaining Big countries:

And here's the rest of the Big5+host second rehearsals. Let's have a look how the odds reacted: Italy claims the number one spot from France that drops to second. UK dropped two places (now 25) and Spain gained one (now 37) as did the Netherlands (now 30). Germany steady at 29.  Other movements include Sweden (-1), Finland (-1), Romania (-1), Russia (+2), Israel (+1), Moldova (+2), Serbia (+1), Ireland (-1), North Macedonia (-1), Latvia (-1) and Albania (+1) Photos and videos from eurovision.tv as usual.  France. What to say? More I see more I can't get over this is from some sort of Edith Piaf musical and it's disturbing my viewing experience as this is Eurovision, not a musical and tribute to someone else. This said it is all picture perfect and she's great but who is she? She may come across just a Piaf wannabe to wide audiences and do they want to vote for such? I'm not sure. Shock result in sight perhaps despite all? After all France has already experience...

And here's the first rehearsal of the remaining Big5 . France gives us nothing new or exciting but the Edith Piaf meets Patricia Kaas and becomes Barbara Pravi in this ageless number od darkness, lights and hand gestures that is currently the odds number one. Will she win in the end and do I want her to? I don't know. Being a fan of both Piaf and Kaas I'm not so into something so copycat really I think. I'd love France to win again but with this one? Maybe not..... United Kingdom's best part is James Newman himself, love his voice. The staging seems rather fitting with those fake trumpet player dancers but then again is it something original or captivating? Maybe not. Could be a lot worse, too. All in all this could be the year UK's final placing won't start with number 2.... Spain brings more or less the staging seen already in the national "final" with moon and universe (nice link to his last year's entry) and the song's been re-arranged ...

BBC took their time but confirmed James Newman , their internal choice for Eurovision 2020, also for 2021 and today he has released his new entry, Embers . Nicely different from last year's entry, but.... well....

James Newman, United Kingdom's 2020 Eurovision hopeful has now released The things we do EP that collects all his four songs released this year starting with his entry My last breath and followed by Better man and Enough , and finally Alone. All quality tracks and one can only hope BBC will call him up again for 2021 and he's willing to do it with better luck this time, and hopefully with even better song that My last breath is!

Czech Republic - Benny Cristo - Kemama What can I say? There are elements I like, but in the end it's a mess. It's also so anonymous it could be from anywhere, anytime. I kinda like it for a while when it plays but besides that it's completely forgettable. This said I would have been interest to see how they would have staged this because I have a feeling this might have worked live in a big arena with audience participating. But would people have taken the effort to vote? Probably not. 4/10 Austria - Vincent Bueno - Alive Shackle bolts! Now that's something you don't hear every year in Eurovision. This is like Czech entry, I kinda like it when it's playing but have hard time remembering otherwise. Vincent does his best Timberlake/Jackson moves and grooves but it really isn't that original or captivating, is it? 5/10 United Kingdom - James Newman - My last breath The best UK entry for a long, long time! I really like his voice and I hope...

James Newman (36) is a British singer-songwriter, brother to better known John Newman (#1 hit Love me again ). James has written mostly songs for others and provided featuring vocals to various djs and productions so far but is now ready to come out as a singer as well. And about the time, too, as his voice is quite wonderful this blogger thinks. He has written songs to Rudimental, Jess Glynne, Little Mix, Olly Murs, Guy Sebastian, Toni Braxton, Zayn, Louis Tomlinson and also co-wrote the Irish Eurovision netry Dying to try .

The song and artist leaked already yesterday but this morning it has been confirmed: It's James Newman for the United Kingdom in the Eurovision song contest 2020 in Rotterdam with his song My last breath . Better known so far as a songwriter with two UK #1s, a BRIT award, a Grammy nomination and multiple platinum records under his belt for acts like his brother John Newman, Rudimental, Calvin Harris, Little Mix, Jess Glynne he now steps to the spotlight as a singer, too. So far he has been providing vocals to acts like Armin Van Buuren as a featuring. This isn't his first Eurovision having co-written the Irish entry Dying to try in 2017. My last breath is co-written by Adan Argyle, Ed Drewett and Iain James who already won Eurovision 2011 with Running scared for Azerbaijan.....