As we all know by now, sadly the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 has been cancelled because of the Covid-19 crisis. This week, the semi-finals and final were supposed to take place in Rotterdam. Followers of this blog know that I do review the show’s performances every year. I decided to honor this year’s contestants by reviewing them and ranking them, contest or no contest! This is my top 18 of the second semi final. You find the first semi final here and the final ranking will appear on Saturday!
18. San Marino – Senhit – Freaky
San Marino are notorious for recycling Eurovision artists and this year they brought back Senhit, who represented the country in 2011 as well. This year she went with the disco inspired uptempo tune ‘Freaky’. I am sure this would have been a party on the Eurovision stage with a lot of the fans going wild in the audience, but unfortunately this is not my jam. I see what they tried to do, but it has been done better and a little less cringy so many times before. Senhit is a charismatic performer though and would for sure have sold the hell out of ‘Freaky’, but I don’t think it would have been enough for a spot in the final.
17. Georgia – Tornike Kipiani – Take Me As I Am
Georgia’s Eurovision entries might not always be exactly my taste, but they always bring something unique that stands out from the other performances, which I applaud. This year they sent the rock song ‘Take Me As I Am’ performed by Tornike Kipiani. Think Imagine Dragons and Linkin Park with raw vocals and prominent guitars. Unfortunately, the lyrics in which he sings how he is expected to talk like an Englishman, dance like a Spanish guy and dress like an Italian are clunky to say the least and the same goes for the pronunciation (which he already sort of announced in the lyrics). I would not have been surprised if this made the final, but it was nowhere near my top 10.
Full review here.
16. Poland – Alicja – Empires
Poland chose the 18-year-old singer Alicja with the dramatic ballad ‘Empires’. She has a strong voice and the song has almost all the ingredients for a compelling Eurovision ballad, but somehow it just doesn’t click with me. The melodies are not captivating enough and as a result, the levels of drama just don’t seem to work. It is not a bad song per se, but it feels like you forget the melody once the song is done, which is usually not a good sign in a song competition with 40 other competitors.
Full review here.
15. Latvia – Samanta Tina – Still Breathing
I can’t help but feel for Samanta Tina. She finally won the Latvian national final for Eurovision in her sixth attempt and then the whole thing gets cancelled. She was supposed to represent her country with the upbeat electro bop ‘Still Breathing’, which has some strong hooks, but also a very divisive instrumental drop which to these ears breaks off whatever the track was building up until that point. After that first drop, the track keeps repeating itself and it unfortunately never becomes as epic as it tries to be. Still, we should keep our fingers crossed for Samanta to win the ticket to Eurovision again next year, she deserves it.
Full review here.
14. Finland – Aksel – Looking Back
Finland would have been represented by Aksel and his modern mid-tempo anthem ‘Looking Back’. Aksel has a beautiful voice and ‘Looking Back’ is a radio friendly pop tune with a decent enough chorus. It is one of those inoffensive songs that almost no one will detest, but it also seems one that could completely drown in a competition with 40 other songs. I certainly would not have been mad if this made it to the final, but I expected it to be too forgettable to come close.
13. Austria – Vincent Bueno – Alive
Austria internally selected pop singer Vincent Bueno and his upbeat tune ‘Alive’. It is funky and insanely catchy, but somehow it does not come across as cool and effortless as the German entry in the same genre. Having said that, Vincent Bueno has got moves to back him up, so chances are his performance in Rotterdam would have been as slick as the music video. This bop is not the best in its genre, but it should entertain the dancefloor at Eurovision parties in years to come.
12. Moldova – Natalia Gordienko – Prison
Natalia Gordienko first represented her country at Eurovision in 2006 with the song ‘Loca’. She didn’t gain many points that time and was about to go for revenge until… yeah, that. Instead of a light summer bop like last time, she opted for a dramatic midtempo anthem with big notes in the chorus and bombastic instrumentation. ‘Prison’ has enough going on to entertain for three minutes, but I don’t really see who would have picked up the phone for this in 2020.
11. Estonia – Uku Suviste – What Love Is
Estonia’s Uku Suviste gave it his everything to bring the most dramatic love song of all time to the Eurovision stage. ‘What Love Is’ goes for larger than life melodies and theatrics and this undoubtedly would have earned them a spot on the left half of the scoreboard in the early noughties, but as a 2020 entry it does come across slightly dated. Definitely not a bad effort, but I would not have missed it if it missed out on a spot in the final.
10. Portugal – Elisa – Medo De Sentir
I have to admit the Portuguese entry took me a few spins to fully appreciate, which of course is not a good sign in Eurovision. Elisa’s ‘Medo De Sentir’ is not the type of in your face ballad that unveils all its strengths on the first listen. The track is mostly subdued and quiet with warm vocals by Elisa. There is something quite cute and endearing about the track and that soaring melody line in the chorus might eventually find its way into your unconsciousness, but it would probably have been too slow for a Eurovision success. I will keep playing it for the months to come however!
09. Greece – Stefania – Superg!rl
Greece was smart about their choice for 2020, selecting Dutch-Greek singer Stefania who lives in the Netherlands. The 17-year-old was supposed to perform the cute bop ‘Superg!rl’. The pre-chorus has a strong hook and the post-chorus drop would have been an ideal moment to show some stunning choreography on stage, but overall, I think the track would have been a bit too light for big Eurovision success. The Greek broadcaster already decided Stefania will represent the country next year so she has quite a few months to come up with an even stronger entry!
Full review here.
08. Serbia – Hurricane – Hasta La Vista
Serbia found their very own version of The Pussycat Dolls who were going to represent their country with the Eurovision-by-the-numbers bop ‘Hasta La Vista’. It all sounds like it could have been released about fifteen years ago as well, but that chorus sure is an ear worm. ‘Hasta La Vista’ could have easily become one of those songs that the Eurovision fandom loves while the general public completely ignores it, but it is the type of sassy uptempo tune every edition of Eurovision deserves.
07. Albania – Arilena Ara – Fall From The Sky
Arilena Ara from Albania was supposed to win over both juries and televoters with her undeniable voice as she would belt out the power ballad ‘Fall From The Sky’. She sings about other people trying to hold back her wings, but she is destined to fly. The message is served with the right level of drama, some violins and big notes and it totally works. Albania’s entry wasn’t among my initial favorites, but could have easily soared with a beautiful staging. She deserved at least a spot in the final.
Full review here.
06. Armenia – Athena Manoukian – Chains On You
Armenia’s Athenia Manoukian meant business at this year’s Eurovision. Her pop and hip hop hybrid ‘Chains On You’ with seductive percussion sections is catchy, contemporary and asked for a big stage performance with a big choreography break in the middle-eight. Manoukian oozes confidence on stage and it is a shame we will never see this whole thing at Eurovision. ‘Chains On You’ is one of the most modern and divisive entries of this year and could easily have made it far with the right stage show.
Full review here.
05. Czech Republic – Benny Cristo – Kemama
Czech Republic had a completely unique sound within this year’s contest. ‘Kemama’ is an unapologetically upbeat and swinging tune that mixes pop, hiphop and strong African rhythms and beats. The message of the lyrics is just as uplifting as the melodies and it is almost impossible to get this tune out of your head after you heard it for the first time. Benny Cristo proved himself to be a charismatic performer with some moves up his sleeve. I think the Czech entry this year was completely overlooked and could have been of the big surprises with a potential top 10 finish.
Full review here.
04. Iceland – Daði og Gagnamagnið – Think About Things
Iceland easily had the most pre-contest buzz with the song ‘Think About Things’ by Daði og Gagnamagnið. Although it is not my personal favorite in this contest and the viral hype somewhat surprised me, I do believe that this would have been the one to beat in this year’s contest. The song is insanely catchy, has a swinging funky rhythm, an undeniable chorus, both 80s synths and trumpet action, and a joyous, carefree vibe. Even the message, directed at the singer’s young child, is beyond adorable. The performance and choreography is very memorable and TikTok-friendly. Every ingredient for success was there!
Full review here.
03. Denmark – Ben & Tan – YES
The Danish are the masters of generic pop in Eurovision and they proved they excel at the art with this year’s entry ‘YES’ by Ben & Tan. The folky pop song is a border on cheesy declaration of love, but the uplifting and euphoric vibe is completely irresistible. The chorus is massive and a complete ear worm too. Both Ben and Tan are excellent vocalists with enough charisma and chemistry. This is another song that not a lot of fans and bookmakers were expecting great things of, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if televoters totally ate this up.
02. Switzerland – Gjon’s Tears – Répondez-moi
Switzerland internally selected singer-songwriter Gjon’s Tears who created a beautifully melodic and elegant ballad in French. The verses are driven by a haunting melody and Gjon’s emotive, raw and compelling vocal performance. The chorus is big enough to live up to the expectations created in the verses, without being too bombastic or predictable. Gjon belts for his life with insanely high notes in the last chorus, which make for a grande finale of ‘Répondez-moi’. In the lyrics, Gjon asks all the big questions about life from the point of view of a guy from a family with an migrant background. He deserved all the douze points coming his way and luckily he will be back next year!
Full review here.
01. Bulgaria – Victoria – Tears Getting Sober
Bulgaria was among the favourites to win this year’s Eurovision and it is not hard to hear why. Victoria sings the totally captivating understated ballad ‘Tears Getting Sober’. The lyrics are about the process of healing after a dark period which could be relatable to virtually anyone. The vibe of the song echoes the subtle vocal work and sparse instrumentation global super star Billie Eilish is known for, but ‘Tears Getting Sober’ adds some Disney magic with its build up and little choirs while the way the last chorus kicks in is pure Eurovision euphoria. If the live performance would have been as captivating as the music video (cue the fireflies) Bulgaria could have snatched their first victory. Victoria will be back next year so all other countries better step their game up.
Full review here.