Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Italy's close runs continue in the annual OGAE Second Chance contest where Il Volo's third placed Sanremo entru Musica che resta is beaten by only two points by France's Seemone, the runner up of Destination Eurovision with her Tous les deux . Sweden sent Anna Bergendahl, the only Swedish act not to reach the final so far, and only 10th in this year's Melodifestivalen. Her Ashes to ashes , one of the finest songs this year in the national final circuit gets a sweet revenge and places third. You can watch the show produced in Udine by the Italian OGAE Club, last year's winner with Annalisa's Il mondo prima di te HERE . 

The local favorite Youtuber Bilal Hassani won the French national final Destination Eurovision 2019 with his Roi , a song co-written by last year's winners Madame Monsieur . The international juries weren't that impressed placing it only 5th. And for a reason. The song has its moments but the problem is Bilal himself. The character will keep average European voters guessing is it a boy or a girl even if it shouldn't matter in 2019, and the rest of us will be only listening if and when his voice breaks and will he make it to the end of the song. The French delegation better think a proper back up for him in form of backing singers and rethink the whole staging again as how it is, it isn't good. Shame. International juries preferred Seemone's French ballad filled with fragile emotion and Silvàn Areg's French cabaret and even Emmanuel Moire's and Chimène Badi's more radio friendly pop tunes. But televotes changed it all.... Time will tell how wise th...