Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Here we go again. Every year the prediction of the qualifiers is getting more difficult, this year there's the added re-introduction of the juries in the semi-final and of course the voting pro and against Israel. Also the contest has moved a bit south-east with those comebacks and those who stayed home in west. But here goes judged by the own impressions and the few comments I have read online by those who have seen the rehearsals and not only the 30 seconds video clip and three photos. Update after show with colors: Tbh I never quite believed in Estonia but thought for some reason it might do it after all, Portugal I was hoping for a miracle that never materialized, I'm sure they came 11th :-) I put Montenegro in Maybe category but really it should have been in Most likely out as I never believed one minute it will qualify. I still don't get Lithuania and I'm surprised it did qualify, it will be curious to see if it's all juries work or did people really like it. ...

  I wasn't planning on doing personal reviews this year either but here we go after all. Truth to be said I have listened the entries 0-2 times before sitting down now to comment them. Let's go! The usual Blogilkar's home jury will reunite later and the results revealed in due time. meanwhile, my thoughts and comments on the entries of Eurovision song contest series is right here.  Switzerland - Veronica Fusaro - Alice ** Now this one's a tricky one. First listening (or rather just a bit of it when it was published) left me rather unimpressed but now listening it properly it's quite interesting. Different for sure, somewhat memorable. But then again we don't have any live performance (when writing this) so how this be staged; just simple rock act or a circus act with dancers and artsy nonsense? If the first option I'd say midtable at best, if the latter even NQ. But this is different, refreshing and a good choice no matter what.  Albania - Alis -  Nân **** T...

While Sweden's Melodifestivalen 2026 has received 3.888 entries only to have then some 20 out of 28 written by same 5-6 names in various combos Finland's UMK is way more unpredictable and you never know what we have in store for the next edition. We have already noticed the selection team tends to have a sort of trend for the season. If 2025 was very pop oriented and 2024 quite rap influenced it's curious to see where they put the focus on in 2026.  This said the fandom is already speculating and so far Yle has kept quiet and there hasn't been any leaks or bitter comments by artists that they applied and were not taken ( Vilma Jää this year for example). Anyways, here's my first prediction/wish list for possible names added with the first rumored names! If I get 2-3 out of 7 right I'm happy, LOL.      Ladies Vesta - She's in Van elämää this fall and already making it big, could it be that she's doing both back to back? Her career has taken an upright di...

  Here we go again. The first semifinal was a decent result ( here 8/10 each prediction, wish list and Home jury). This time our home jury predicts Finland, Malta, Israel,. Czechia, Greece, Australia, Luxemburg, Serbia, Austria and Ireland . My prediction would be Finland, Malta, Israel, Czechia, Austria, Australia but then things get trickier. My initial choices were Greece, Luxemburg, Ireland but.... I guess Luxemburg is safe judging the comments from the first rehearsals. Then again judging the comments, too, Czechia would be out?  Denmark seems to have a lot of support but is it Belgium of the situation? Just like Lithuania and Latvia? What about Armenia? I suppose we can rule out Georgia but is Montenegro Portugal of semifinal two? Things are getting tricky here.... I let my personal taste effect this more than odds and fandom and go for Ireland, Latvia and Serbia . But then, is Malta this semis Belgium? Judging the comments from jury show I am more confused than eve...

Giving predictions these days has become a bit boring as the betting odds and polls seem to be quite accurate already weeks before the deadline. But here goes, based more on my first impressions rather than latest developments (as well as I can recall them). First, our Home jury would send to final Estonia, Sweden, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Slovenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Iceland . But as much as regret this but it seems Portugal and Azerbaijan are not really delivering and making an impact on stage so I rule them out and replace with Poland and Albania. Then we have the threesome of Belgium, Iceland and Cyprus to pick up one as Croatia feels like a sure NQ, the only one. I hope it'd be Iceland but Cyprus has the staging and Belgium seems to be working at least in the hall judging the comments. And I do have some doubts on San Marino, too. So.... against my better judgement let's go with Belgium. So the prediction before seeing the performances is: Estonia, S...

  Let the drama come to an end with a peaceful way. Let's pray! In the odds (at 6pm) Croatia is still leading with 43% chance, followed by Israel (22%), Switzerland (14%), France going up with 4%. All the other % are 4 or lowers so I won't add them here. Ireland is steady at 5th, followed by Ukraine and Italy dropping, Finland going up to 8th place (!!!), Greece steady at 9th, Uk, Sweden, Norway and Armenia going up next, while Lithuania and Austria going down. Georgia steady at 16th. Spain and Cyprus going up and Estonia steady at 19th. Then Germany and Latvia going up, while Slovenia going down at 22nd. Portugal and Luxemburg going up while Serbia has dropped to last. So, quite a lot of movement there up and down. I still stick to my fixed idea since November 2023 of France winning followed by Israel, Ukraine, Croatia, Switzerland and Italy in random order. I also think the winner may not win either jury nor televotes, maybe not even be the runner up but in the end maths done...

Oh my. Am I happy Finland isn't in this semi-final? Yes! Why? Because it's simply insane. Only two top favorites Netherlands and Switzerland are in it. Israel is in it. The odds predict a top-10 with a huge margin to the 11th place but in the bottom there are my/my Home jury's  favorites  not qualifying, and some of my/our bottom-5's to qualify easily. What a dilemma. I guess the prediction and what I'd want to qualify lists differ more than ever.  And if we only talk about odds, that usually are quite right, how boring it is. But just to stir things up a little who could be out and who could be a shock qualifier?! And Israel. What will happen? In rehearsals people are booing and Ebu is going to silence all that best they can and insert pre-recorded applause instead and switches off the microphones in the audience. Then again that's nothing new, the same happened with Russia back in 2014 and 2015. Or at least they tried.  It's going to be an interesting nigh...

Oh dear, here it is. The prediction. That has turned a bit trickier now that only televoters are voting in the semi-finals plus this semi-final is very even. I would say we only have 3-5 sure finalists and only two sure non-finalists while all the others are somewhere in there in-between land. The live performance will be crucial and not only, but more than ever how they come across the tv-scree and how they connect with viewers at home. Those about 99,9% of viewers who have no idea what they are about to hear and see. The fandom bubble is a world apart.  I would say the sure finalists are only Ukraine and Croatia. Lithuania and Ireland will pretty surely make it, as well as Finland and Poland. Luxemburg should make it in this semi-final. Australia and Portugal should get enough votes to make it through as well. But then Cyprus might suffer from taking the stage after Eleni Foureira and Chanel, Serbia right after could result just boring and dark and a bit depressing. Slovenia suff...

Here we are again. I took a risk combining my prediction and want list and it didn't pay off in the first semi-final as I scored 8/10. The semi-finals are quite different this year one featuring all the bangers and crazy stuff along with polls/odds favorites while the second one is a bit boring string of rather underwhelming songs. But I want to take some risks here, too, and see how it ends. Let's go: Denmark is a big question mark. Not my cup of tea but could it make it? For now I say OUT Armenia is interesting and quite original and I like it. Not sure about the dance break she seems to have just like Israel....  Anyways Armenia is IN Romania is OUT Estonia is a bit like Denmark, a real question mark. But I think I want to say OUT Belgium sticks out after those songs and should be IN Cyprus  is also IN helped by the Greek and Australian vote Iceland is a bit Pippi Longstocking gone wild and most likely OUT Greece is yet another question mark. Cypriot vote won't be enou...

Why this is getting harder every year? This said I haven't seen so little rehearsal material or read descriptions since the dawn of internet back in the 2004 or so. Therefor my predictions are more based on the first impression rather than staging or fandom's polls and stuff. Let's see how this goes! Norway: I still don't get the hype around this but I guess they're surely IN Malta: As much I'd like to see them in I'm sad to say they're just borderline... and OUT . Serbia: Somehow I want to believe they're one of those fan favorites OUT . Latvia: Like Norway I don't quite get it but I think they might just squeeze IN . Portugal: Still a bit confused about this but in the end I believe they are IN . Ireland: How they it nicely? The outfit was the last drop to make them surely OUT . Croatia: On the contrary here the outfits and staging have made them IN , whether you like it nor. Switzerland: The fandom didn't believe so but I have had them IN...

Here we go again. I got only seven right in the first semi-final but eight out of my wish list so maybe I should have listened more my heart than my mind, but let's see how it goes tonight. This is even more difficult tonight as both Finland and San Marino are in it, and for obvious reasons I want them both in the final and even if I do believe they both will do it there's always a little uncertainty lurking around.... In fact I feel a bit like Achille on his bull.....  Strangely this one feels even more difficult than the first one as it seems my mind and heart are even more divided.As of the usual qualifiers Azerbaijan, Malta and Australia in my books don't deserve it this time. Azerbaijan has a very good singer but the song is just meh, unoriginal and heard a million times before. Even more so is Malta and sadly Emma doesn't sound so good live of what I have heard. Then Australia... well, I'm a bit tired of these personal struggle tell all stories (same goes for ...

It's time. Every year this is hard, some years harder than the others but this year takes the prize. Out of 17 semi-final one entries each one is a possible qualifier, except Denmark, in either my prediction or in my own preference list. It's also harder than usual as I haven't been following that closely and haven't seen too many videos as usual and most performances are still a mystery to me on stage. Let's see better. I would say Ukraine, the Netherlands, Greece, Norway and Armenia are sure qualifiers. with Moldova and Portugal quite surely doing it. That's seven.Then we have Albania, Latvia and Lithuania that are fan favorites, but will juries and televoters fall for them? Albania is shouty show number with questionable rhythm changes and might end up way too chaotic for a general viewers. Besides history has proven angry ladies don't do well at Eurovision. Latvia is fun and colorful and great audience pleaser in the arena but does it work on telly? Lith...

If the first semi-final prediction felt hard - and I surprised even myself by getting a 10 out of 10 result   - this second one seems impossible at this point. It features some certain qualifiers no matter what and some biggest favorites for victory. Add Finland and my beloved San Marino with the help of Flo Rida, some of it is easy. But the rest? Oh dear..... It will be a lottery I suppose. Let's start with the easy and obvious: Switzerland, Iceland, Finland, Bulgaria, San Marino, Greece . Those should be easily in. Then I think Serbia, Albania and Portugal will qualify as well.  But then what to think about Austria? He could be a jury vote magnet with that simple staging and powerful vocals and who knows if televoters will feel it, too? And all Philippinos across Europe voting as well. Maybe. Czech Republic is a fun song and even if he seems to have been less convincing in the rehearsals apparently nailed with last night in jury rehearsal with energy and positive vibes. W...

I'm still quite shaken by the death of my biggest musical influences Franco Battiato last night and therefor it feels a bit uneasy to sit down and try to concentrate on guessing the Eurovision song contest 2021 semi-final one qualifiers. Also because this year I have followed very little the rehearsals and have seen only the official short clips and my ideas are based on that very little and maybe much more on the first impression I had when the song was selected or released this spring.  I don't know if it's because of that but this feels harder than ever. For all I know I have 14 songs that could make it really and now looking at that list let's make it 15/16.... Maybe more than ever my personal taste differs from that of fans and odds.  However I would put as sure ones Lithuania, Russia, Sweden, Cyprus, Ukraine and Malta .  Sweden when selected made me think it could win the whole thing again but somehow it doesn't feel that strong anymore. Russia and Cyprus we...

Here goes.... for once the bottom two boxes are the hardest ones, which country where? But it's a lottery.... Countries below are in their slots in alphabetical order. 1-5 Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Sweden 6-10 A rmenia, Australia, France, Romania, United Kingdom 11-15 Azerbaijan ,   Croatia , Hungary , Israel, Moldova 16-20 Austria, Denmark,   Poland , Belarus , Greece 21-26 Cyrpus, Germany , Netherlands , Norway , Spain, Ukraine

The 62nd Eurovision song contest airs from Kyiv, Ukraine tonight 9PM CET. 26 countries made it this far and are competing for the glass trophy. The odds are telling a battle between Italy and Portugal, followed by Bulgaria, Belgium and Sweden to complete the Top-5. We will see how this ends.... Should Portugal win it will be it's first while their entry is their 50th since 1964. Their best placing to date is 6th in 1996 so whatever happens Portugal is set have its best placing ever. Portugal skipped last year to "think it over" and it worked. Bulgaria has participated ten times before but reached the final only twice placing 4th and 5th, so when they do final they do good. They also skipped a couple of years before returning last year with their best placing yet, 4th. Will they also do better tonight? Italy is after its third victory (1964, 1990) after the disappointment in 2015 when the they won the televote but juries pushed Il Volo to the third place. They...

Oh dear, why is this so hard? Anyways, here goes: Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Portugal, Sweden for sure,  Then I'm very unsure with   Cyprus , Moldova, Poland   and  Slovenia.   I pick up Moldova and S lovenia . UPDATE After the songs: I want to add Cyprus, but who to drop? Australia and Belgium didn't convince really..... Who I would like to qualify however are Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, Portugal,  Slovenia and Sweden (but also Armenia, Cyprus and Latvia instead of some songs in the Semifinal 2 but what can you do?)