Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Better late than never is the case of Masoe who has released a video for his Paradis . The song was one of my favorites in the Destination Eurovision 2018 for France (same concept is coming also for 2019 btw) but didn't quite impress in the semifinal placing only 7th out of nine. There's something about it I liked since the first hearing.... especially the chorus and his falsetto voice. It's all very French somehow. Love it. Hopefully he tries again in 2019!

The French national selection had way too many songs I liked to feature here so here's the runner up, Lisandro Cuxi's Eva . It seems the live performances are no longer available so here's an alternative . 

Nika Zorjan didn't even pass the Slovenian semifinal (thanks to the jury) but I took a liking to her song. Uspavanka despite the questionable staging...   

John Lundvik may have placed only 3rd in Melodifestivalen , but he hit #1 in the charts and considering Austria's success with a similar gospely song and somewhat similar singer ... with Sanna Nielsen's lighting and Celine Dion's jacket, who knows? Did we miss Sweden's 7th win? For sure Cesar Sampson is grateful John wasn't in Lisbon!

Just like Swiss Reyes also Norwegian Fuentes is Chilean born. If Reyes only flirted with the Latin sound Fuentes goes full blast into Cubaton/Reggaeton with his Tengo otra in the national final . Not very Norwegian but out of that context this works as well as the original ones from the Caribian!

Alejandro Reys was the Swiss national final runner up and my favorite with his Compass . Chilean born Alejandro later released the song also in Spanish (check Spotify)

Not only Hungary but also Romania was flirting with gipsy music. Eduard Santha's (or Santa Molina's) Me som romales is exciting and fresh. A lot better than the 13 songs that placed above it in the national final  (even if the staging was all wrong in the final). In by books anyway.

Hungary hit success last year in Eurovision with some gypsy music but this year they went for some metal instead. However, this Tamás Horváth's Meggyfa would have continued the theme nicely! Hopefully he comes back to A Dal next year. Great stuff!

Eurovision has seen all sort of family based acts over the years, mom & daughter duet and eveen this year Swiss brother & sister but the Maltese national final runner ups Richard & Joe Micallef would have been the first ever son & dad duo as far as I know. Song for dad is Eurovision veteran's tributo to his dad and after bringing sister and brothers to the contest, he would have brought the musical clan's dad, too....

Vajé placed third (after being 2nd entering the top-3 superfinal) with their Laura (walk with me) . This is a song that works wonders in studio version, but the staging and live performance in Eesti laul wasn't exactly to my liking....

Some songs you learn to like, some you fall in love the very first time you hear them. This is one of them for me. Liam Tamne's Astronaut captured my soul and even if I was pretty certain it wouldn't win the UK selection it remains one of my favorites of the whole season....

Saara Aalto's runner up Domino was my favorite out of her UMK 2018 songs. The live performance includes the upside down singing then borrowed to Monsters Lisbon staging, but more than that it's a classy ballad that comes alive when sung live with the audience. The simple yet effective staging would have been so much better than the over choreographed and gimmicky Monsters . And the song's better, too. 

Mudimbi, even if in Sanremo, wasn't exactly running for Eurovision as he was among the Newcomers where his Il mago came close second to the winner Ultimo. However, had the winners of Big category declined the offer Rai might have considered all songs in the contest for Eurovision, and then this funny song would have been a very suitable choice..... This blogger loved it all the way from the December selection to the Newcomers final for sure!

Albin Fredy (or Swedish born Albin Ljungqvist came 3rd in the Danish national final for the Eurovision song contest 2018 with his country influenced Music for the road . He was my favorite there by far and surprise surprise I was a big fan of his Beautiful to me   back in 2013 as well.  Now waiting for him to become third time lucky!

  Spain's Operacion Triunfo finalists acted also as Eurovision song contest natonal final finalists, and one of the duet songs was Lo malo by Aitana (eventually 2nd place in OT) and Ana Guerra (5th in OT)  finished only 3rd while another duet went on to Lisbon (by eventual winner Amaia and 4th placed Alfred). This song was just about the only uptempo-ish song riding the current Latino boom and even if I liked the winner Tu cancion a lot this was my favorite and looking at the ESC result now (23rd).... Hmmm... Lo malo went to #1 in Spain selling double platinum. Just saying. 

Diogo Piçarra's Canção do Fim was one of the finest and most touching songs of the whole Eurovision 2018 national final season. Sadly he withdraw before the final . He has the honor of opening this series of songs that never made it all the way to Lisbon stage.