Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

We are midway of the ranking and here we have songs that actually should be a bit higher really.... Finland - Darude feat. Sebastian Rejman - Look away **** Is it in my head? Is it in my head? Look away Look away, hey, no-o-o Finland tries for the second time with internally chosen artist and after difficulties to find anyone (and YLE's people can take a long hard look at the mirror for that and think why?) they managed to get Darude aka Ville Virtanen (43) aboard who's claim to fame is Sandstorm 20 years ago. That's pretty much what he's known about even if he has continued making music and perform ever since non stop. However, that one song still gives him living. He took his friend actor and singr-songwriter Sebastian (41) as his vocalist and together they have also written this song that won the three songs final (I still may have preferred Superman though). The staging is great as is song's message but honestly who cares about the message? Som...

Serbia's national final Beovizija 2019 was won by 24-year-old Nevana Božović with self written Kruna (Crown).  She's no stranger to Eurovision having represented her country in Junior Eurovision 2007 ( Piši mi , 3rd) and as a member of Moje 3 in the real thing in 2013 ( Ljubav je svuja , 11th in semi-final). She's also The Voice 2012 runner up. She has released a dozen singles since 2007.  1. Nevena Božović - Kruna (televotes 8+jury 12) 20 2. Dženan Lončarević - Nema suza (10+7) 17 3. Saška Janks - Da li čuješ moj glas (6+10) 16 4. Nataša & Una - Samo bez straha (12+2) 14 5. Wonder Strings & Ivana Vladović - Moja bol (5+8) 13 6. Ivan Kurtić - Bella (7+4) 11 7. Majdan - Budim te (3+5) 8 8. Lord - Radnički sin (2+6) 8 9. Sofija Perić - Aritmija (4+1) 5 10. Jana Šušteršić - Viktorija (0+3) 3 11. Aleksandra Sekulić - Tugo (1+0) 1 12. Ana Popović - Lutaš (0+0) 0

The Barbara Dex award, or the award for the worse dressed went to Serbian trio of dancing cupcakes Moje 3. Their win was very convincing - over one third of the 2747 votes went to their direction. At the same time the trio announced they have split up. These two events are not related, it seems... :-) The runner up was Cezar from Romania followed by Moran Mazor from Israel. Read more here . And all the winners are here .

  Farid Mammdov - Hold me   Aliona Moon - O mie   Klapa s mora - Mizerija (accapella)   Esma & Lozano - Pred da se rezdeni   Moje 3 - Ljubav je svuda   Natália Kelly - Shine Birgit Öigemeel - Et uus saaks alguse - Russian version Alyona Lanskaya - Solayoh

Belarus had invited most everyone to their Planet Solayoh and party were promotional items were brought in in industrial quantity; chocolates and biscuits and all you can get! A buffet and drinks were avalable, too, and many artists showed up. Here are the Red Wall photos: Ryan Dolan and Natália Kelly were having a cozy time..... Serbian girls looked stunning in flashlights.... Esma and Lozano were holding court... And it's Ryan Dolan again. Will he bring the trophy back to Ireland? Coming up next..... the performances!

And here comes the last lot: IRELAND - Ryan Dolan - Only love survives Ireland may be the surprise of this season as their song is gaining fans day by day. The act on stage really works and even if filled with some Eurovision clichées in some strange it works and looks fresh. The drummer boys with bodypaint drum their thing on the catwalk in the beginning, then join the others on stage and keep banging and jumping and waving their hands in perfect harmony with Ryan, who is in top form. This is old and new, heard and unheard in one package. Everything works. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the shock winner of this edition, stranger things has happened over the years. But maybe not. This number works best when it is also seen, listening only isn't that strong (so the total contrast of Serbia but more of that in a bit...) CYPRUS - Despina Olympiou - An me thimasai She's alone in the blue lit simple stage, singing her beautiful ballad in a sexy dress. Class. ...

I curiously followed already last year various photos on eurovison.tv featuring artists shoes. And yes, this year the shoe pics are back. On top some ladies fashion and below some men's....  ... and these ladies here take it the next level. Can you pick up who is who or who is wearing what?

Latvia - PeR - Here we go These guys should sent some flowers to SVT as the opening act is clearly the best slot they could ever be. A perfect opener that will get the audience wild while waiting for their favorites, I think this would result a bit annoying placed anywhere else. And otherwise it works better as a video than straight live performance. A tricky one this is. It has some nice things, but it sounds a bit too familiar and rapping has never worked in Eurovision so far. Unfortunately this isn't my cup of tea but Latvia has done well, even won, when I haven't liked them at all, so.... But, a non qualifier for me but this said, I wouldn't be so surprised if it qualified after all.... but I doubt it! Serbia -Moje 3 - Ljubav je svuda I must admit being a big fan of Serbian Eurovision but it took me awhile to warm up to this. Maybe I was (like many others it seems now) too stuck on the Serbian ballad formula? Anyways, this is one of the songs that has been pla...

Namely the number of artists taking part. A new record! One more and the event would beat the real Eurovision final in number of performing acts. We have to also count in the special guest, Carola Häggkvist and the presenters, ex-Eurovision stars themselves, namely Marlaine and Linda Wagenmakers. Today's addition as all female: Birgit Õigemeel from Estonia (who btw has recently revealed she's pregnant, congratulations!), Moran Mazor from israel, Aliona Moon from Moldova (will Pasha Parfeny travel to Amsterdam?) and finally the Serbian girls of Moje 3. I'm regretting more and more I'm not able to go..... More information here .

The various reality shows are a way to make it into music business but it doesn't mean you can stay on top after the winning exposure fades away. Some make it a bit further and this year's Eurovision isn't immune to that either. We have the winners of The Voice of Russia, Belgium and Serbia among us, and even Finland's Krista Siegfrids may have to thank The Voice for her being here now even if she didn't reach the final in it last year. Very unfairly, as most Finns agreed and awarded her an UMK victory instead. We have also a French Idol, a Swedish Idols runner up (with the smallest winning margin in the history as Robin, the runner up got 48% of the votes, one might add), and a Norwegian Idols finalist. Then we have also an Italian X Factor winner. We have even a Junior Eurovision participant, Serbia's Nevana Bozovic! Other artists that have started their career that had lead them to Malmö 2013 in various reality shows are at least Vlatko Lozanovsk...

The Serbian final five turned out to be rather good after all seeing them one after another and fully. A good show and fantastic stage, loved how colorful it was! In a good way! Saska Jankovic has a classy, powerful ballad but needs some help with the styling, me thinks.... Sky's sounded fine when all of them sung together but the solo parts were a pretty painful at times. And the song was nothing really special even if kinda ok though.... Dusan Svilar was rather Zeljko influenced but not too much. Pretty song that grows and develops. A song that I will like a lot in the future I believe... Marija Mihailovic is a great singer, no doubt. The song isn't bad either but not very Eurovision friendly perhaps. But a kind of song if selected could still do very well after all.... Last but not least the super trio Moje 3. The song is pretty good, the girls, too but lacks a little bit of something, doesn't it? Like a more powerful ending perhaps? Good looking a...

While Eesti laul final, A Dal final and Swedish Melodifestivalen second chance was going on in Serbia they had the Beosong 2013 semifinal. 15 songs in the running, and only five made it to tomorrow's final: Saška Janković -  Duga u tvojim očima Sky’s -  Magija Dušan Svilar -  Spas Marija Mihajlović - Halo Moje 3 - Ljubav je svuda Here's also a recap of the five finalists.... unfortunately the level of the songs isn't that great in Serbia either this year. What's going on? I guess Moje 3 will win hands down.... I haven't listened the other ten songs if there was something better in offer....