Eurovision Season 2018: March Update
Whoo, anybody else still recovering from the excitement of the weekend? That's what switching between Melodifestivalen, A Dal, EMA & Supernova on the same night does to you! Anyway, we have another exciting weekend to discuss as we move in to the penultimate (that's right penultimate) week of Eurovision national final selections.
Estonia
I'm not entirely sure exactly why Eesti Laul is hailed as one of the most exciting selection processes in Europe. Yes, it found the gem that was 'Goodbye to Yesterday' in 2015, but that has since been followed by two miserable attempts at qualifying for the Grand Final. This year's Tallinn contest should be an interesting one. Stig Rasta has returned for a second bite of the Eurovision cherry, but the one that everybody is talking about is the poperatic 'La Forza' by Elina Netsajeva. Not only is this the favourite for Eesti Laul, it has also kept Estonia in the top three of Eurovision winner odds for the last few weeks. I have attached the video below so let me know what you think. Even with the stunning technology surrounding the projection dress, it's not my favourite song at this year's Eesti Laul (that award goes to Iiris & Agoh's 'Drop That Boogie') but I definitely don't think this is the 2018 winner (though I wouldn't mind a 2019 return to Tallinn). Let me know what you all think in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Finland
Speaking of artists who have been sniffing around the top of the betting odds, let's have a look at Estonia's Baltic Sea buddies Finland! UK X-Factor runner up Saara Aalto has picked three songs which she will perform on Saturday night. I feel sorry for Saara because ever since she was selected there has been a lot of expectation on her and her song to do well. Anything less than a top ten finish for her seems completely unthinkable. She has three perfectly capable songs with my order of preference being 3. Queens, 2. Monsters, 1. Domino but even with them all being good songs, I don't think that any of them have enough to win Eurovision. 'Monsters' has the best shot at doing well at the contest, but the Fins need to nail the staging in order to realise that goal, something they have failed to do at recent editions (and hence why 2014 was the last time they tasted reaching the Grand Final). I don't think we're going to Helsinki next year but I would definitely say that anybody making their mind up on which National Final to watch on Saturday should go for this one!
Iceland
I remember the days when the Icelandic entry was one of the ones I looked forward to the most. My eagerness is such that they made my list of countries who deserved a Eurovision victory this year! Unfortunately this won't be their year for victory and I don't even think they will manage to break their streak of failing to qualify for the Grand Final (again, 2014 was the last time they qualified out of their semi). Aron Hannes' song 'Gold Digger' is the big favourite to win this year's edition of Songvakeppnin. The song has the lyrics of something Bruno Mars rejected for his new album and the music of a TV advertisement for package holidays. I have been incredibly disappointed by Iceland this year, but I won't be able to call the chances of qualifying until we get our ears on the large number of internally selected songs in the second half of semi final one (there are currently five). Anyway, see what you make of the song that looks like it has the Icelandic ticket in the bag and let me know in the comments below!
Poland
Speaking of countries who made my list of countries who were due a win this year and who have failed to deliver on that potential, Poland have a very dreary and dull national final. I'm not just saying that in the context of this year's candidates; the Poles have a history of having a ten song national final, having between one and three vaguely exciting songs and then picking the dullest song of the ten (with all due respect to the drivel they have sent the last two years). I won't even bother running down the favourites because they won't win, it will be something weird and bizarre that won't win but that will still come out of the semi and will probably line the bottom half of the Grand Final scoreboard. Poland, please I have thrown down the gauntlet for you to prove me wrong this year!
San Marino
What do you do if you're San Marino? A country so small it doesn't even get its own televote score! A country whose biggest achievement at a Eurovision finals was coming 24th in 2014 (the Copenhagen final seems to be getting a big shout out today). Under the circumstances, I give full credit where it's due to San Marino for coming up with a creative solution to the issue and giving themselves the best chance of succeeding with this 1 in 360 competition. Now yes, it could have been run better. The rule changes midway through the contest have been confusing, the part where Austria's 2016 representative Zoe Straub and her father have been judges but have now pulled out because their song is being sung by three of the contestants it's odd. I lost respect for this national final process when they announced that the method of voting would be via a crowdfunding system that basically means whoever has the most money can effectively buy their way to victory. It's all a bit odd, but I suppose when you have the history that San Marino have at this competition, there's no such thing as a bad idea!
Portugal
And finally, Sunday night will see the coronation of Salvador Sobral's successor (nice tongue twister for you). I would rant about how I find Festival da Cancao to be the most boring national selection process out there (with most songs having a BPM matching a lot of elevator music) but it produced our winner last year so I am going to shut up and be quiet on this one. The difference this year however is that the UK have about the same odds to win as Portugal do, leading me to believe that I may not have missed something this year and that Sunday night's final will be as much of a yawn fest as watching wood burning in a fireplace. That said, Portugal will be in their second final in two years for the first time since 2009 and it will be nice to see who gets the lucky opportunity this year of representing their country on home soil and having the Lisbon crowd firmly behind them on the night!
Without trying to give away too much on my love for the Swedish selection process, I will quickly note down here for the record that my predictions for next week's four Andra Chansen duels are as follows 1) 'In My Cabana', 2) 'Never Learn', 3) 'Songburning', 4) 'Everyday' (despite the fact that 'Patrick Swayze' is my favourite song being performed on the night).
We should be getting our ears on some more of the internal selection songs this week, but check back next week as we cover Norway, Sweden & Lithuania!
Estonia
I'm not entirely sure exactly why Eesti Laul is hailed as one of the most exciting selection processes in Europe. Yes, it found the gem that was 'Goodbye to Yesterday' in 2015, but that has since been followed by two miserable attempts at qualifying for the Grand Final. This year's Tallinn contest should be an interesting one. Stig Rasta has returned for a second bite of the Eurovision cherry, but the one that everybody is talking about is the poperatic 'La Forza' by Elina Netsajeva. Not only is this the favourite for Eesti Laul, it has also kept Estonia in the top three of Eurovision winner odds for the last few weeks. I have attached the video below so let me know what you think. Even with the stunning technology surrounding the projection dress, it's not my favourite song at this year's Eesti Laul (that award goes to Iiris & Agoh's 'Drop That Boogie') but I definitely don't think this is the 2018 winner (though I wouldn't mind a 2019 return to Tallinn). Let me know what you all think in the comments at the bottom of the page.
Finland
Speaking of artists who have been sniffing around the top of the betting odds, let's have a look at Estonia's Baltic Sea buddies Finland! UK X-Factor runner up Saara Aalto has picked three songs which she will perform on Saturday night. I feel sorry for Saara because ever since she was selected there has been a lot of expectation on her and her song to do well. Anything less than a top ten finish for her seems completely unthinkable. She has three perfectly capable songs with my order of preference being 3. Queens, 2. Monsters, 1. Domino but even with them all being good songs, I don't think that any of them have enough to win Eurovision. 'Monsters' has the best shot at doing well at the contest, but the Fins need to nail the staging in order to realise that goal, something they have failed to do at recent editions (and hence why 2014 was the last time they tasted reaching the Grand Final). I don't think we're going to Helsinki next year but I would definitely say that anybody making their mind up on which National Final to watch on Saturday should go for this one!
Iceland
I remember the days when the Icelandic entry was one of the ones I looked forward to the most. My eagerness is such that they made my list of countries who deserved a Eurovision victory this year! Unfortunately this won't be their year for victory and I don't even think they will manage to break their streak of failing to qualify for the Grand Final (again, 2014 was the last time they qualified out of their semi). Aron Hannes' song 'Gold Digger' is the big favourite to win this year's edition of Songvakeppnin. The song has the lyrics of something Bruno Mars rejected for his new album and the music of a TV advertisement for package holidays. I have been incredibly disappointed by Iceland this year, but I won't be able to call the chances of qualifying until we get our ears on the large number of internally selected songs in the second half of semi final one (there are currently five). Anyway, see what you make of the song that looks like it has the Icelandic ticket in the bag and let me know in the comments below!
Poland
Speaking of countries who made my list of countries who were due a win this year and who have failed to deliver on that potential, Poland have a very dreary and dull national final. I'm not just saying that in the context of this year's candidates; the Poles have a history of having a ten song national final, having between one and three vaguely exciting songs and then picking the dullest song of the ten (with all due respect to the drivel they have sent the last two years). I won't even bother running down the favourites because they won't win, it will be something weird and bizarre that won't win but that will still come out of the semi and will probably line the bottom half of the Grand Final scoreboard. Poland, please I have thrown down the gauntlet for you to prove me wrong this year!
San Marino
What do you do if you're San Marino? A country so small it doesn't even get its own televote score! A country whose biggest achievement at a Eurovision finals was coming 24th in 2014 (the Copenhagen final seems to be getting a big shout out today). Under the circumstances, I give full credit where it's due to San Marino for coming up with a creative solution to the issue and giving themselves the best chance of succeeding with this 1 in 360 competition. Now yes, it could have been run better. The rule changes midway through the contest have been confusing, the part where Austria's 2016 representative Zoe Straub and her father have been judges but have now pulled out because their song is being sung by three of the contestants it's odd. I lost respect for this national final process when they announced that the method of voting would be via a crowdfunding system that basically means whoever has the most money can effectively buy their way to victory. It's all a bit odd, but I suppose when you have the history that San Marino have at this competition, there's no such thing as a bad idea!
Portugal
And finally, Sunday night will see the coronation of Salvador Sobral's successor (nice tongue twister for you). I would rant about how I find Festival da Cancao to be the most boring national selection process out there (with most songs having a BPM matching a lot of elevator music) but it produced our winner last year so I am going to shut up and be quiet on this one. The difference this year however is that the UK have about the same odds to win as Portugal do, leading me to believe that I may not have missed something this year and that Sunday night's final will be as much of a yawn fest as watching wood burning in a fireplace. That said, Portugal will be in their second final in two years for the first time since 2009 and it will be nice to see who gets the lucky opportunity this year of representing their country on home soil and having the Lisbon crowd firmly behind them on the night!
Without trying to give away too much on my love for the Swedish selection process, I will quickly note down here for the record that my predictions for next week's four Andra Chansen duels are as follows 1) 'In My Cabana', 2) 'Never Learn', 3) 'Songburning', 4) 'Everyday' (despite the fact that 'Patrick Swayze' is my favourite song being performed on the night).
We should be getting our ears on some more of the internal selection songs this week, but check back next week as we cover Norway, Sweden & Lithuania!
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