Well, the die is cast. There are ten finalists. These ten countries will present their song in the final this saturday: Switzerland Armenia Iceland Lithuania Portugal Norway Greece Ukraine Moldova The Netherlands Congratulations to the ten winners. And remember: only ten songs could go through. That does not mean that the other songs are bad.
The EBU has no plan yet, in case Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Normally, the country with a high winning probability is already preparing for the organization of the next festival. Because of the war in Ukraine, it is by no means certain that this country will also be able to take on the organization in case they actually win. That is what Sietse Bakker, member of the EBU reference group, says to Dutch news agency ANP. “That might be a bit premature. After all, the competition has only just begun” says Bakker. “I do think it is important that the Reference Group comes together very quickly if Ukraine wins and thinks about what the ‘point of no return’ is: at what moment you can still decide whether or not it is possible in Kiev” , Baker explains. According to him, organizing the Eurovision Song Contest can easily take a year. “It doesn’t look good at the moment. It is still a dangerous situation. And it is highly uncertain how that will develop in the coming period.” There are several options if the winning country cannot organize the contest. “What EBU could do is go to a country that recently organized it. After all, the country can act quickly. Or one can say: we are going to a country that recently organized the Junior Song Contest, for example Poland. They did very well and they also have the ambition to organise Eurovision. The third option is to go to one of the Big Five countries.” Since 1981, the winning country has always organized the Eurovision Song Contest. Even when Ireland won three consecutive times, they always took on the organization. In 1980 the Netherlands organized the contest. The previous year’s winner, Israel, won twice in a row and was unable to cope financially. It is, of course, a bit early to speculate on this. Ukraine hasn’t won yet. However, the chances of that happening are high. In recent years, the number 1 has always won at the bookmakers. The last time that didn’t happen was in 2016. Russia was the number 1 at the bookmakers that year. Who did win in 2016? Ukraine… source: AD
Tomorrow, the moment is there. We will have the first semifinal for the Eurovision Song Contest. What does the team of Eurovision Universe think? You will read it here. In fact, we are convinced of a final place for these countries: Albania, after all the fuzz around the act. Song and act are strong, Rona will qualify! Latvia: A song about veggies and (….). Cheerful, colourful and with a very modern topic. Lithuania: The act might not be what Monika wished for, but the song will stand out. Switzerland: The swiss song is in the style of Duncan Laurence and Gjon’s Tears, but less strong. It’s gonna be hard for Switzerland, but it is possible. Ukraine, because…. it’s Ukraine. The country is the hot favourite to even win the final. The Netherlands, S10 manages to tell the people where she sings about. Even in Dutch! Portugal: You can’t explain “Saudade” in any other language. MARO explains it by music. Not a sure qualifier, but we think it will. Greece; there is no such a song in Eurovision this year. It is unique and the act is strong. Norway, because every year needs an act like this. People vote for yellow masked wolves. Armenia: The song is strong, the singing is strong, the act is strong….. it has written final all over! But of course, we wish all the artists good luck. Tomorrow, by this time, we will know more….
Eurovision week has arrived. Tomorrow night is the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. One of the contenders for the win this Saturday is Ukraine, which is represented by the group Kalush Orchestra. But who are they?
You probably haven’t even noticed, but a small thing during the red carpet event yesterday turned into a lot of hassle in North Macedonia. Because contestant Andrea wanted her hands free for the photo, she threw away the flag of North Macedonia. That caused her a big problem. Last night, the national broadcaster MRT came with a statement, in which the broadcaster called the throwing disrespect to the flag. It would even be a violation of North Macedonian law. MRT seriously considered withdrawing Andrea and thus North Macedonia from the competition: “MRT expects Andrea to apologize to the citizens for such behavior. The public service is considering the possibility of her withdrawal from Eurovision, although care will be taken not to cause more damage to MRT. All legal possibilities for the strictest sanctioning for this scandal will be taken against those responsible in the Macedonian delegation”. It ended well in the end: Andrea apologized on national television. This turned this story into a storm in a teacup. A year before there was also a big fuzz in in the country. Participant Vasil’s video showed three paintings, in the colors of the Bulgarian flag. Besides North Macedonian, Vasil also has Bulgarian ancestors. Nationalist North Macedonians demanded another participant. In the end, the video was taken off the internet and a new version, without the Bulgarian colors, was put online.
Today we had the opportunity to talk to Stien den Hollander. You know her better as S10, the Dutch candidate for the festival in Turin. “We’ve been keeping an eye on it from the start, of course, and we really just wanted to see all of your faces too,” S10 explains why she’s so curious about the fan media. Not a lot of choreogrography The conversation soon came to the rehearsals: “Of course there are some problems with the sun, I think everyone suffers from that. So do we, but not too much because our act was also quite intimate and small.”, says S10 light-hearted. “We’ve actually built the show in a way that I’m very free in where I look and stand,” the singer explains about the act. “So there’s not a lot of choreography in terms of looking. When the camera is very close to me, I look into it and that feels nice to me. Then I enclose myself completely and I actually do things for the people at home. Not like Now I have to look here and oh yes, now I have to look there, that would really be a bit too much for me.” I couldn’t wait “I also saw the stand-in rehearsal”, the singer said, “That was crazy. They pick out someone who looks a bit like you, so it was a blonde girl too, but she was pretty sultry and pretty sexy. She had quite a sexy interpretation of “De diepte”, which I really liked, because it was something different. It was good to see because then you really see: oh yes, we made this and now she is performing it there.” “I wasn’t nervous at all for the first rehearsal. It was also nice because it was still quite private. It just felt really good. The very first rehearsal went really well for me. We could just really do some stuff. I am of course completely in my own focus. I look into the camera and i don’t see what’s happening behind me. We had the first rehearsal on Saturday and the second rehearsal on Wednesday and I couldn’t wait for Wednesday. I really wanted to get on that stage again.” Small theaters S10 also looked ahead, because she possibly can end up high in the contest. So, what would be next? “It is quite difficult to estimate that. Thinking: the higher you finish, the bigger your career i think can be or become abroad. I would like, if I finish high, for example to do a tour through Europe end of this year, but especially the small theaters in Paris or Berlin, for example, a bit underground. I wouldn’t fly to LA to sign a contract there.” Music first and rock and roll never dies And who does she think, will win? “If there is someone I would really like to see win, it is Sam Ryder. I just think he is so nice and so sympathetic and such an appearance. Still find it quite difficult to place all Eurovision candidates in a sort of ranking. I feel like there were about five artists last year who we thought: yes, they can all win. I think i can really see Sam Ryder winning.”And if S10 would win herself, what would she say? “I still don’t really have a plan for that. Maybe I’ll just say ‘Music first’ and ‘Rock and roll never dies’, just a copy of the other artists who won.”
It’s the end of the individual rehearsals every year: those of the Big Five. And every year it is the disappointment of a group of countries that seem to be unable to bring anything good to the stage. Last year there was already a noticeable change in this, but this year the countries really surprise! Rehearsals Big Five FRANCE: For the first time since 1996, the Breton language can be heard at the Eurovision Song Contest. Back then France finished at the bottom. That won’t happen now, but the act made quite a messy impression during rehearsals. The points will really have to come in thanks to the song and enthusiasm of Alvan and Ahez. ITALY: The performance of Italy, now that Blanco is around, is rather disappointing. This is mainly due to the poor vocals of both. Mahmood is dressed in black, Blanco in white and there is a lot of light. But that doesn’t help much if the vocals remain as bad as they are now. However, our friends from songfestivalweblog.nl remember that Mahmood did not excel during the rehearsals in 2019 either, but when it came to the jury final and the final, he really showed his best. Perhaps that will happen again three years later. UNITED KINGDOM: Sam Ryder stands amid scaffolding singing his song. And that is all he needs for this song. His strong voice seems to be enough for a very high score, something for which the British have to go way back. The British will also finally experience that you can end up high with a good song. SPAIN: We remember the act, in which singing and dancing are combined, from the Spanish national final. This usually has an effect on the singer’s voice. Not so with Chanel. Because with this performance she proves that she is more, much more than an average pop singer. Like the British, the Spaniards can look forward to the festival with confidence. GERMANY: With guitar and drum machine Malik Harris manages to show an act that is not bad at all. As far as vocals go, Malik continues to do well. The act is not directly in the top-5 with the bookmakers, and the song is perhaps just a bit too anonymous for that. One thing is certain: Germany is also out of the lower regions this year. Conclusion: unlike in previous years, the Big Five seem to be doing reasonably well this year and there is even a potential winner. Has Måneskin’s win brought new impetus to these five countries? Who’ knows…?
The penultimate day of rehearsal: it is becoming increasingly clear what the viewer can expect. Today we saw the last artists of the second semifinal. Let’s take a closer look at the rehearsals: AUSTRALIA: Whatever you think of Sheldon Riley, he sings like no other. During his emotional ballad he wears the white suit with the enormous drag of feathers. He wears his crystal mask for most of the act, but it goes off. It can’t be difficult for Australia to make it to the final. CYPRUS: For the first time in years, Cyprus is singing (partially) in Greek again. Andromache and her dancers stand in a kind of shell as they sing the song. We have to admit that we would describe Andromache’s vocals as ‘not bad’. If is that a recommendation….? IRELAND: Ireland falls into the ‘how nice’ category. Brooke’s vocals are certainly not bad, neither is the act. However, you may wonder if this is the song with which Ireland will finally reach the final again. We cannot rule out the possibility that it will not work. NORTH MACEDONIA: Perhaps Andrea had hoped for greater success. She was not happy with her first rehearsal. The song comes across as screaming; a hoarseness that suits Kaliopi (2012 and 2016) but not Andrea. ESTONIA: Unfortunately, Stefan can’t count on the 12 points from Armenia, because the country where his roots lie is performing in the other semifinal. The many movements he makes do have an effect on Stefan’s voice, but somehow it doesn’t seem to matter for the entry. It is a happy song that can easily go through to the final. ROMANIA: The Romanians made some minor changes to the act, making it even better and slicker. Furthermore, it seemed as if WRS had changed the melody of the chorus a little bit here and there. In any case, a spectacular show is in store for Romania. POLAND: The ballad of Polen starts very calmly with Ochman alone on stage. Halfway through, when the song becomes a little less quiet, the aforementioned dancers (forest nymphs?) come on stage. We see that a heavy thunderstorm erupts on the stage. Finally a strong contender for Poland agiain. MONTENEGRO: A ballad in which not much happens in 3 minutes. The advantage is that not much can go wrong. We had already mentioned the blue dress that Vladana is wearing. Behind her a circle that most resembles the fluff ball of a dandelion. It is not sure whether it stands out enough to go to the final. BELGIUM: The Belgians have a strong singer with a gospel-like power ballad in Jérémie Makiese. He will definitely get points for that. Fortunately, because the act he shows looks a bit stiff and doesn’t really do justice to the song and singer. SWEDEN: Murphy’s Law strikes. If one thing goes wrong, everything immediately goes wrong. Problems with the sound, problems with the technique and a falling cameraman meant that she was only able to do one whole runthrough. Cornelia did manage to show how professional she is, by showing a good rehearsal even with all that trouble. CZECH REPUBLIC: The act with lots of light and nice graphics fits very well with the Czech entry. In that respect it is a unity. The vocals, however, leave a lot to be desired. That could cost them their heads if it has to be clear who will go to the final.
And then we have the Big Five; we hadn’t heard or seen anything about it until now. So today that has changed. FRANCE: Lots of green on stage with Alvan and Ahez’s French entry. The group members are dressed in black and gold. Eurovision.tv reports very solid bass. Lots of flashes of light and, to the beat of the song, Pyrotechnics can be seen coming from two pots on either side of the stage. ITALY: We see Mahmood, but instead of Blanco there is a stand-in. The grand piano plays a part in the act. Mahmood is dressed in a long black coat. He wears white sunglasses. Mahmood and hist stand-in (Blanco in the next rehearsal) are standing face to face. UNITED KINGDOM: Sam Ryder performs in a huge scaffold that appears to be made of steel. Lots of flashing light on Sam, who is wearing a black jumpsuit. Eurovision.tv praises the strong vocals of the sympathetic singer. SPAIN: Chanel wears a matador outfit, but entirely in silver. The song requires a lot of dancing and there is. Three men and two women, dressed in black, complete the dance act. GERMANY: Malik Harris is featured separately with just his guitar. He wears black pants and a white shirt. Only when the rap part can be heard, everything looks slightly different: according to eurovision.tv there is a big contrast with the rest of the act.
The storm around the still sun finally seems to have subsided a bit. This is not a weather forecast, but it is all about the Eurovision Song Contest. Now that everyone knows what really matters with the non-spinning sun, we can move on. And so we do. With ten countries from the 1st and 2nd semi, as well as the Big Five (more about that later), there is certainly something to look forward to. ICELAND: It is no surprise that the foursome (the girls’ brother is also there) can sing. The clothing and the setting are slightly reminiscent of “Little House on the Prairie”, for those who still know what that is. However, the whole thing seems a bit static. It’s not a done deal for the Icelanders. NORWAY: It ís a done deal for the Norwegians. They will make it to the final. Subwoolfer puts on a dazzling act. It is one of the kind that you either love or hate. Eurovision.tv notes that there is no change to the costumes. To be honest, we would also have been surprised if the gentlemen would suddenly wear something different. ARMENIA: She is the last one in the first semifinal. While she may not be the festival’s best singer, Rosa Linn does a good job. She walks around a bedroom covered with Post-Its. When she pulls it off the wall, for example, the title of the song appears, but also, yes, a Eurovision heart! FINLAND: The 2nd semifinal opens with the festival’s biggest stars: The Rasmus. The raincoats are now appropriate: the weather is not good. It also rains in Turin. Although the act is solid, there is something to be said for the vocals of Lauri Ylönen. We have heard better singing in the last few days…. ISRAEL: If we’re talking about song and dance, the Israelis do put down something. Michael Ben David never gets out of breath from all the dancing. He reaches the high notes effortlessly. The bookmakers’ expectations when it comes to Israel are not too high, but they could be completely wrong this time. SERBIA: No changes in the act of Serbia, which by the way is partially subtitled. The hands that are washed are also reflected in the graphics. Whether it is all sung very well, you can question that. Fun fact: for the second time in Eurovision history, someone from the British royal family is being sung: after Princess Diana in 1986 (“Européennes”, for France) it is now Megan Markle’s turn. AZERBAIJAN: Do you remember “Hold me”, Azerbaijan’s 2013 entry? It certainly wasn’t the strongest song that year, but thanks to the act it became second. We now see a similar act, but with a grandstand instead of a glass box. Big difference: Nadir is a very good singer. Because of the act and the good vocals this could end up higher than we all might expect. GEORGIA: “Lock me in” the members of Circus Mircus sing. And a circus it is, with flying goggles and a decorated beard. You may wonder whether the song is something that the televoter or the jury is going for. It just might become the least understood entry of 2022. MALTA: Few changes in the act. What we had not learned during the first rehearsals is that Emma not only sits behind the piano, but also stands on it. The moving and dancing seems to have an effect on Emma’s voice. SAN MARINO: The extravagant Achille Lauro jumps, dances, runs, rides rodeo: it won’t be three quiet minutes. Behind him are two musicians in cages. In addition, there are three guitarists. Achille Lauro’s agility does not benefit the vocals at all. It was all so wild that the rodeo seems to be broken by now. Hey wait…. I hear you thinking: and what about the Big 5!? Well, they will have their first rehearsals, without any press allowed. However, we will keep you updated about them later today.
Well, the die is cast. There are ten finalists. These ten countries will present their song in the final this saturday: Switzerland Armenia Iceland Lithuania Portugal Norway Greece Ukraine Moldova The Netherlands Congratulations to the ten winners. And remember: only ten songs could go through. That does not mean that the other songs are bad.
The EBU has no plan yet, in case Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Normally, the country with a high winning probability is already preparing for the organization of the next festival. Because of the war in Ukraine, it is by no means certain that this country will also be able to take on the organization in case they actually win. That is what Sietse Bakker, member of the EBU reference group, says to Dutch news agency ANP. “That might be a bit premature. After all, the competition has only just begun” says Bakker. “I do think it is important that the Reference Group comes together very quickly if Ukraine wins and thinks about what the ‘point of no return’ is: at what moment you can still decide whether or not it is possible in Kiev” , Baker explains. According to him, organizing the Eurovision Song Contest can easily take a year. “It doesn’t look good at the moment. It is still a dangerous situation. And it is highly uncertain how that will develop in the coming period.” There are several options if the winning country cannot organize the contest. “What EBU could do is go to a country that recently organized it. After all, the country can act quickly. Or one can say: we are going to a country that recently organized the Junior Song Contest, for example Poland. They did very well and they also have the ambition to organise Eurovision. The third option is to go to one of the Big Five countries.” Since 1981, the winning country has always organized the Eurovision Song Contest. Even when Ireland won three consecutive times, they always took on the organization. In 1980 the Netherlands organized the contest. The previous year’s winner, Israel, won twice in a row and was unable to cope financially. It is, of course, a bit early to speculate on this. Ukraine hasn’t won yet. However, the chances of that happening are high. In recent years, the number 1 has always won at the bookmakers. The last time that didn’t happen was in 2016. Russia was the number 1 at the bookmakers that year. Who did win in 2016? Ukraine… source: AD
Tomorrow, the moment is there. We will have the first semifinal for the Eurovision Song Contest. What does the team of Eurovision Universe think? You will read it here. In fact, we are convinced of a final place for these countries: Albania, after all the fuzz around the act. Song and act are strong, Rona will qualify! Latvia: A song about veggies and (….). Cheerful, colourful and with a very modern topic. Lithuania: The act might not be what Monika wished for, but the song will stand out. Switzerland: The swiss song is in the style of Duncan Laurence and Gjon’s Tears, but less strong. It’s gonna be hard for Switzerland, but it is possible. Ukraine, because…. it’s Ukraine. The country is the hot favourite to even win the final. The Netherlands, S10 manages to tell the people where she sings about. Even in Dutch! Portugal: You can’t explain “Saudade” in any other language. MARO explains it by music. Not a sure qualifier, but we think it will. Greece; there is no such a song in Eurovision this year. It is unique and the act is strong. Norway, because every year needs an act like this. People vote for yellow masked wolves. Armenia: The song is strong, the singing is strong, the act is strong….. it has written final all over! But of course, we wish all the artists good luck. Tomorrow, by this time, we will know more….
Eurovision week has arrived. Tomorrow night is the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. One of the contenders for the win this Saturday is Ukraine, which is represented by the group Kalush Orchestra. But who are they?
You probably haven’t even noticed, but a small thing during the red carpet event yesterday turned into a lot of hassle in North Macedonia. Because contestant Andrea wanted her hands free for the photo, she threw away the flag of North Macedonia. That caused her a big problem. Last night, the national broadcaster MRT came with a statement, in which the broadcaster called the throwing disrespect to the flag. It would even be a violation of North Macedonian law. MRT seriously considered withdrawing Andrea and thus North Macedonia from the competition: “MRT expects Andrea to apologize to the citizens for such behavior. The public service is considering the possibility of her withdrawal from Eurovision, although care will be taken not to cause more damage to MRT. All legal possibilities for the strictest sanctioning for this scandal will be taken against those responsible in the Macedonian delegation”. It ended well in the end: Andrea apologized on national television. This turned this story into a storm in a teacup. A year before there was also a big fuzz in in the country. Participant Vasil’s video showed three paintings, in the colors of the Bulgarian flag. Besides North Macedonian, Vasil also has Bulgarian ancestors. Nationalist North Macedonians demanded another participant. In the end, the video was taken off the internet and a new version, without the Bulgarian colors, was put online.
Today we had the opportunity to talk to Stien den Hollander. You know her better as S10, the Dutch candidate for the festival in Turin. “We’ve been keeping an eye on it from the start, of course, and we really just wanted to see all of your faces too,” S10 explains why she’s so curious about the fan media. Not a lot of choreogrography The conversation soon came to the rehearsals: “Of course there are some problems with the sun, I think everyone suffers from that. So do we, but not too much because our act was also quite intimate and small.”, says S10 light-hearted. “We’ve actually built the show in a way that I’m very free in where I look and stand,” the singer explains about the act. “So there’s not a lot of choreography in terms of looking. When the camera is very close to me, I look into it and that feels nice to me. Then I enclose myself completely and I actually do things for the people at home. Not like Now I have to look here and oh yes, now I have to look there, that would really be a bit too much for me.” I couldn’t wait “I also saw the stand-in rehearsal”, the singer said, “That was crazy. They pick out someone who looks a bit like you, so it was a blonde girl too, but she was pretty sultry and pretty sexy. She had quite a sexy interpretation of “De diepte”, which I really liked, because it was something different. It was good to see because then you really see: oh yes, we made this and now she is performing it there.” “I wasn’t nervous at all for the first rehearsal. It was also nice because it was still quite private. It just felt really good. The very first rehearsal went really well for me. We could just really do some stuff. I am of course completely in my own focus. I look into the camera and i don’t see what’s happening behind me. We had the first rehearsal on Saturday and the second rehearsal on Wednesday and I couldn’t wait for Wednesday. I really wanted to get on that stage again.” Small theaters S10 also looked ahead, because she possibly can end up high in the contest. So, what would be next? “It is quite difficult to estimate that. Thinking: the higher you finish, the bigger your career i think can be or become abroad. I would like, if I finish high, for example to do a tour through Europe end of this year, but especially the small theaters in Paris or Berlin, for example, a bit underground. I wouldn’t fly to LA to sign a contract there.” Music first and rock and roll never dies And who does she think, will win? “If there is someone I would really like to see win, it is Sam Ryder. I just think he is so nice and so sympathetic and such an appearance. Still find it quite difficult to place all Eurovision candidates in a sort of ranking. I feel like there were about five artists last year who we thought: yes, they can all win. I think i can really see Sam Ryder winning.”And if S10 would win herself, what would she say? “I still don’t really have a plan for that. Maybe I’ll just say ‘Music first’ and ‘Rock and roll never dies’, just a copy of the other artists who won.”
It’s the end of the individual rehearsals every year: those of the Big Five. And every year it is the disappointment of a group of countries that seem to be unable to bring anything good to the stage. Last year there was already a noticeable change in this, but this year the countries really surprise! Rehearsals Big Five FRANCE: For the first time since 1996, the Breton language can be heard at the Eurovision Song Contest. Back then France finished at the bottom. That won’t happen now, but the act made quite a messy impression during rehearsals. The points will really have to come in thanks to the song and enthusiasm of Alvan and Ahez. ITALY: The performance of Italy, now that Blanco is around, is rather disappointing. This is mainly due to the poor vocals of both. Mahmood is dressed in black, Blanco in white and there is a lot of light. But that doesn’t help much if the vocals remain as bad as they are now. However, our friends from songfestivalweblog.nl remember that Mahmood did not excel during the rehearsals in 2019 either, but when it came to the jury final and the final, he really showed his best. Perhaps that will happen again three years later. UNITED KINGDOM: Sam Ryder stands amid scaffolding singing his song. And that is all he needs for this song. His strong voice seems to be enough for a very high score, something for which the British have to go way back. The British will also finally experience that you can end up high with a good song. SPAIN: We remember the act, in which singing and dancing are combined, from the Spanish national final. This usually has an effect on the singer’s voice. Not so with Chanel. Because with this performance she proves that she is more, much more than an average pop singer. Like the British, the Spaniards can look forward to the festival with confidence. GERMANY: With guitar and drum machine Malik Harris manages to show an act that is not bad at all. As far as vocals go, Malik continues to do well. The act is not directly in the top-5 with the bookmakers, and the song is perhaps just a bit too anonymous for that. One thing is certain: Germany is also out of the lower regions this year. Conclusion: unlike in previous years, the Big Five seem to be doing reasonably well this year and there is even a potential winner. Has Måneskin’s win brought new impetus to these five countries? Who’ knows…?
The penultimate day of rehearsal: it is becoming increasingly clear what the viewer can expect. Today we saw the last artists of the second semifinal. Let’s take a closer look at the rehearsals: AUSTRALIA: Whatever you think of Sheldon Riley, he sings like no other. During his emotional ballad he wears the white suit with the enormous drag of feathers. He wears his crystal mask for most of the act, but it goes off. It can’t be difficult for Australia to make it to the final. CYPRUS: For the first time in years, Cyprus is singing (partially) in Greek again. Andromache and her dancers stand in a kind of shell as they sing the song. We have to admit that we would describe Andromache’s vocals as ‘not bad’. If is that a recommendation….? IRELAND: Ireland falls into the ‘how nice’ category. Brooke’s vocals are certainly not bad, neither is the act. However, you may wonder if this is the song with which Ireland will finally reach the final again. We cannot rule out the possibility that it will not work. NORTH MACEDONIA: Perhaps Andrea had hoped for greater success. She was not happy with her first rehearsal. The song comes across as screaming; a hoarseness that suits Kaliopi (2012 and 2016) but not Andrea. ESTONIA: Unfortunately, Stefan can’t count on the 12 points from Armenia, because the country where his roots lie is performing in the other semifinal. The many movements he makes do have an effect on Stefan’s voice, but somehow it doesn’t seem to matter for the entry. It is a happy song that can easily go through to the final. ROMANIA: The Romanians made some minor changes to the act, making it even better and slicker. Furthermore, it seemed as if WRS had changed the melody of the chorus a little bit here and there. In any case, a spectacular show is in store for Romania. POLAND: The ballad of Polen starts very calmly with Ochman alone on stage. Halfway through, when the song becomes a little less quiet, the aforementioned dancers (forest nymphs?) come on stage. We see that a heavy thunderstorm erupts on the stage. Finally a strong contender for Poland agiain. MONTENEGRO: A ballad in which not much happens in 3 minutes. The advantage is that not much can go wrong. We had already mentioned the blue dress that Vladana is wearing. Behind her a circle that most resembles the fluff ball of a dandelion. It is not sure whether it stands out enough to go to the final. BELGIUM: The Belgians have a strong singer with a gospel-like power ballad in Jérémie Makiese. He will definitely get points for that. Fortunately, because the act he shows looks a bit stiff and doesn’t really do justice to the song and singer. SWEDEN: Murphy’s Law strikes. If one thing goes wrong, everything immediately goes wrong. Problems with the sound, problems with the technique and a falling cameraman meant that she was only able to do one whole runthrough. Cornelia did manage to show how professional she is, by showing a good rehearsal even with all that trouble. CZECH REPUBLIC: The act with lots of light and nice graphics fits very well with the Czech entry. In that respect it is a unity. The vocals, however, leave a lot to be desired. That could cost them their heads if it has to be clear who will go to the final.
And then we have the Big Five; we hadn’t heard or seen anything about it until now. So today that has changed. FRANCE: Lots of green on stage with Alvan and Ahez’s French entry. The group members are dressed in black and gold. Eurovision.tv reports very solid bass. Lots of flashes of light and, to the beat of the song, Pyrotechnics can be seen coming from two pots on either side of the stage. ITALY: We see Mahmood, but instead of Blanco there is a stand-in. The grand piano plays a part in the act. Mahmood is dressed in a long black coat. He wears white sunglasses. Mahmood and hist stand-in (Blanco in the next rehearsal) are standing face to face. UNITED KINGDOM: Sam Ryder performs in a huge scaffold that appears to be made of steel. Lots of flashing light on Sam, who is wearing a black jumpsuit. Eurovision.tv praises the strong vocals of the sympathetic singer. SPAIN: Chanel wears a matador outfit, but entirely in silver. The song requires a lot of dancing and there is. Three men and two women, dressed in black, complete the dance act. GERMANY: Malik Harris is featured separately with just his guitar. He wears black pants and a white shirt. Only when the rap part can be heard, everything looks slightly different: according to eurovision.tv there is a big contrast with the rest of the act.
The storm around the still sun finally seems to have subsided a bit. This is not a weather forecast, but it is all about the Eurovision Song Contest. Now that everyone knows what really matters with the non-spinning sun, we can move on. And so we do. With ten countries from the 1st and 2nd semi, as well as the Big Five (more about that later), there is certainly something to look forward to. ICELAND: It is no surprise that the foursome (the girls’ brother is also there) can sing. The clothing and the setting are slightly reminiscent of “Little House on the Prairie”, for those who still know what that is. However, the whole thing seems a bit static. It’s not a done deal for the Icelanders. NORWAY: It ís a done deal for the Norwegians. They will make it to the final. Subwoolfer puts on a dazzling act. It is one of the kind that you either love or hate. Eurovision.tv notes that there is no change to the costumes. To be honest, we would also have been surprised if the gentlemen would suddenly wear something different. ARMENIA: She is the last one in the first semifinal. While she may not be the festival’s best singer, Rosa Linn does a good job. She walks around a bedroom covered with Post-Its. When she pulls it off the wall, for example, the title of the song appears, but also, yes, a Eurovision heart! FINLAND: The 2nd semifinal opens with the festival’s biggest stars: The Rasmus. The raincoats are now appropriate: the weather is not good. It also rains in Turin. Although the act is solid, there is something to be said for the vocals of Lauri Ylönen. We have heard better singing in the last few days…. ISRAEL: If we’re talking about song and dance, the Israelis do put down something. Michael Ben David never gets out of breath from all the dancing. He reaches the high notes effortlessly. The bookmakers’ expectations when it comes to Israel are not too high, but they could be completely wrong this time. SERBIA: No changes in the act of Serbia, which by the way is partially subtitled. The hands that are washed are also reflected in the graphics. Whether it is all sung very well, you can question that. Fun fact: for the second time in Eurovision history, someone from the British royal family is being sung: after Princess Diana in 1986 (“Européennes”, for France) it is now Megan Markle’s turn. AZERBAIJAN: Do you remember “Hold me”, Azerbaijan’s 2013 entry? It certainly wasn’t the strongest song that year, but thanks to the act it became second. We now see a similar act, but with a grandstand instead of a glass box. Big difference: Nadir is a very good singer. Because of the act and the good vocals this could end up higher than we all might expect. GEORGIA: “Lock me in” the members of Circus Mircus sing. And a circus it is, with flying goggles and a decorated beard. You may wonder whether the song is something that the televoter or the jury is going for. It just might become the least understood entry of 2022. MALTA: Few changes in the act. What we had not learned during the first rehearsals is that Emma not only sits behind the piano, but also stands on it. The moving and dancing seems to have an effect on Emma’s voice. SAN MARINO: The extravagant Achille Lauro jumps, dances, runs, rides rodeo: it won’t be three quiet minutes. Behind him are two musicians in cages. In addition, there are three guitarists. Achille Lauro’s agility does not benefit the vocals at all. It was all so wild that the rodeo seems to be broken by now. Hey wait…. I hear you thinking: and what about the Big 5!? Well, they will have their first rehearsals, without any press allowed. However, we will keep you updated about them later today.
Well, the die is cast. There are ten finalists. These ten countries will present their song in the final this saturday: Switzerland Armenia Iceland Lithuania Portugal Norway Greece Ukraine Moldova The Netherlands Congratulations to the ten winners. And remember: only ten songs could go through. That does not mean that the other songs are bad.
The EBU has no plan yet, in case Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Normally, the country with a high winning probability is already preparing for the organization of the next festival. Because of the war in Ukraine, it is by no means certain that this country will also be able to take on the organization in case they actually win. That is what Sietse Bakker, member of the EBU reference group, says to Dutch news agency ANP. “That might be a bit premature. After all, the competition has only just begun” says Bakker. “I do think it is important that the Reference Group comes together very quickly if Ukraine wins and thinks about what the ‘point of no return’ is: at what moment you can still decide whether or not it is possible in Kiev” , Baker explains. According to him, organizing the Eurovision Song Contest can easily take a year. “It doesn’t look good at the moment. It is still a dangerous situation. And it is highly uncertain how that will develop in the coming period.” There are several options if the winning country cannot organize the contest. “What EBU could do is go to a country that recently organized it. After all, the country can act quickly. Or one can say: we are going to a country that recently organized the Junior Song Contest, for example Poland. They did very well and they also have the ambition to organise Eurovision. The third option is to go to one of the Big Five countries.” Since 1981, the winning country has always organized the Eurovision Song Contest. Even when Ireland won three consecutive times, they always took on the organization. In 1980 the Netherlands organized the contest. The previous year’s winner, Israel, won twice in a row and was unable to cope financially. It is, of course, a bit early to speculate on this. Ukraine hasn’t won yet. However, the chances of that happening are high. In recent years, the number 1 has always won at the bookmakers. The last time that didn’t happen was in 2016. Russia was the number 1 at the bookmakers that year. Who did win in 2016? Ukraine… source: AD
Tomorrow, the moment is there. We will have the first semifinal for the Eurovision Song Contest. What does the team of Eurovision Universe think? You will read it here. In fact, we are convinced of a final place for these countries: Albania, after all the fuzz around the act. Song and act are strong, Rona will qualify! Latvia: A song about veggies and (….). Cheerful, colourful and with a very modern topic. Lithuania: The act might not be what Monika wished for, but the song will stand out. Switzerland: The swiss song is in the style of Duncan Laurence and Gjon’s Tears, but less strong. It’s gonna be hard for Switzerland, but it is possible. Ukraine, because…. it’s Ukraine. The country is the hot favourite to even win the final. The Netherlands, S10 manages to tell the people where she sings about. Even in Dutch! Portugal: You can’t explain “Saudade” in any other language. MARO explains it by music. Not a sure qualifier, but we think it will. Greece; there is no such a song in Eurovision this year. It is unique and the act is strong. Norway, because every year needs an act like this. People vote for yellow masked wolves. Armenia: The song is strong, the singing is strong, the act is strong….. it has written final all over! But of course, we wish all the artists good luck. Tomorrow, by this time, we will know more….
Eurovision week has arrived. Tomorrow night is the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. One of the contenders for the win this Saturday is Ukraine, which is represented by the group Kalush Orchestra. But who are they?
You probably haven’t even noticed, but a small thing during the red carpet event yesterday turned into a lot of hassle in North Macedonia. Because contestant Andrea wanted her hands free for the photo, she threw away the flag of North Macedonia. That caused her a big problem. Last night, the national broadcaster MRT came with a statement, in which the broadcaster called the throwing disrespect to the flag. It would even be a violation of North Macedonian law. MRT seriously considered withdrawing Andrea and thus North Macedonia from the competition: “MRT expects Andrea to apologize to the citizens for such behavior. The public service is considering the possibility of her withdrawal from Eurovision, although care will be taken not to cause more damage to MRT. All legal possibilities for the strictest sanctioning for this scandal will be taken against those responsible in the Macedonian delegation”. It ended well in the end: Andrea apologized on national television. This turned this story into a storm in a teacup. A year before there was also a big fuzz in in the country. Participant Vasil’s video showed three paintings, in the colors of the Bulgarian flag. Besides North Macedonian, Vasil also has Bulgarian ancestors. Nationalist North Macedonians demanded another participant. In the end, the video was taken off the internet and a new version, without the Bulgarian colors, was put online.
Today we had the opportunity to talk to Stien den Hollander. You know her better as S10, the Dutch candidate for the festival in Turin. “We’ve been keeping an eye on it from the start, of course, and we really just wanted to see all of your faces too,” S10 explains why she’s so curious about the fan media. Not a lot of choreogrography The conversation soon came to the rehearsals: “Of course there are some problems with the sun, I think everyone suffers from that. So do we, but not too much because our act was also quite intimate and small.”, says S10 light-hearted. “We’ve actually built the show in a way that I’m very free in where I look and stand,” the singer explains about the act. “So there’s not a lot of choreography in terms of looking. When the camera is very close to me, I look into it and that feels nice to me. Then I enclose myself completely and I actually do things for the people at home. Not like Now I have to look here and oh yes, now I have to look there, that would really be a bit too much for me.” I couldn’t wait “I also saw the stand-in rehearsal”, the singer said, “That was crazy. They pick out someone who looks a bit like you, so it was a blonde girl too, but she was pretty sultry and pretty sexy. She had quite a sexy interpretation of “De diepte”, which I really liked, because it was something different. It was good to see because then you really see: oh yes, we made this and now she is performing it there.” “I wasn’t nervous at all for the first rehearsal. It was also nice because it was still quite private. It just felt really good. The very first rehearsal went really well for me. We could just really do some stuff. I am of course completely in my own focus. I look into the camera and i don’t see what’s happening behind me. We had the first rehearsal on Saturday and the second rehearsal on Wednesday and I couldn’t wait for Wednesday. I really wanted to get on that stage again.” Small theaters S10 also looked ahead, because she possibly can end up high in the contest. So, what would be next? “It is quite difficult to estimate that. Thinking: the higher you finish, the bigger your career i think can be or become abroad. I would like, if I finish high, for example to do a tour through Europe end of this year, but especially the small theaters in Paris or Berlin, for example, a bit underground. I wouldn’t fly to LA to sign a contract there.” Music first and rock and roll never dies And who does she think, will win? “If there is someone I would really like to see win, it is Sam Ryder. I just think he is so nice and so sympathetic and such an appearance. Still find it quite difficult to place all Eurovision candidates in a sort of ranking. I feel like there were about five artists last year who we thought: yes, they can all win. I think i can really see Sam Ryder winning.”And if S10 would win herself, what would she say? “I still don’t really have a plan for that. Maybe I’ll just say ‘Music first’ and ‘Rock and roll never dies’, just a copy of the other artists who won.”
It’s the end of the individual rehearsals every year: those of the Big Five. And every year it is the disappointment of a group of countries that seem to be unable to bring anything good to the stage. Last year there was already a noticeable change in this, but this year the countries really surprise! Rehearsals Big Five FRANCE: For the first time since 1996, the Breton language can be heard at the Eurovision Song Contest. Back then France finished at the bottom. That won’t happen now, but the act made quite a messy impression during rehearsals. The points will really have to come in thanks to the song and enthusiasm of Alvan and Ahez. ITALY: The performance of Italy, now that Blanco is around, is rather disappointing. This is mainly due to the poor vocals of both. Mahmood is dressed in black, Blanco in white and there is a lot of light. But that doesn’t help much if the vocals remain as bad as they are now. However, our friends from songfestivalweblog.nl remember that Mahmood did not excel during the rehearsals in 2019 either, but when it came to the jury final and the final, he really showed his best. Perhaps that will happen again three years later. UNITED KINGDOM: Sam Ryder stands amid scaffolding singing his song. And that is all he needs for this song. His strong voice seems to be enough for a very high score, something for which the British have to go way back. The British will also finally experience that you can end up high with a good song. SPAIN: We remember the act, in which singing and dancing are combined, from the Spanish national final. This usually has an effect on the singer’s voice. Not so with Chanel. Because with this performance she proves that she is more, much more than an average pop singer. Like the British, the Spaniards can look forward to the festival with confidence. GERMANY: With guitar and drum machine Malik Harris manages to show an act that is not bad at all. As far as vocals go, Malik continues to do well. The act is not directly in the top-5 with the bookmakers, and the song is perhaps just a bit too anonymous for that. One thing is certain: Germany is also out of the lower regions this year. Conclusion: unlike in previous years, the Big Five seem to be doing reasonably well this year and there is even a potential winner. Has Måneskin’s win brought new impetus to these five countries? Who’ knows…?
The penultimate day of rehearsal: it is becoming increasingly clear what the viewer can expect. Today we saw the last artists of the second semifinal. Let’s take a closer look at the rehearsals: AUSTRALIA: Whatever you think of Sheldon Riley, he sings like no other. During his emotional ballad he wears the white suit with the enormous drag of feathers. He wears his crystal mask for most of the act, but it goes off. It can’t be difficult for Australia to make it to the final. CYPRUS: For the first time in years, Cyprus is singing (partially) in Greek again. Andromache and her dancers stand in a kind of shell as they sing the song. We have to admit that we would describe Andromache’s vocals as ‘not bad’. If is that a recommendation….? IRELAND: Ireland falls into the ‘how nice’ category. Brooke’s vocals are certainly not bad, neither is the act. However, you may wonder if this is the song with which Ireland will finally reach the final again. We cannot rule out the possibility that it will not work. NORTH MACEDONIA: Perhaps Andrea had hoped for greater success. She was not happy with her first rehearsal. The song comes across as screaming; a hoarseness that suits Kaliopi (2012 and 2016) but not Andrea. ESTONIA: Unfortunately, Stefan can’t count on the 12 points from Armenia, because the country where his roots lie is performing in the other semifinal. The many movements he makes do have an effect on Stefan’s voice, but somehow it doesn’t seem to matter for the entry. It is a happy song that can easily go through to the final. ROMANIA: The Romanians made some minor changes to the act, making it even better and slicker. Furthermore, it seemed as if WRS had changed the melody of the chorus a little bit here and there. In any case, a spectacular show is in store for Romania. POLAND: The ballad of Polen starts very calmly with Ochman alone on stage. Halfway through, when the song becomes a little less quiet, the aforementioned dancers (forest nymphs?) come on stage. We see that a heavy thunderstorm erupts on the stage. Finally a strong contender for Poland agiain. MONTENEGRO: A ballad in which not much happens in 3 minutes. The advantage is that not much can go wrong. We had already mentioned the blue dress that Vladana is wearing. Behind her a circle that most resembles the fluff ball of a dandelion. It is not sure whether it stands out enough to go to the final. BELGIUM: The Belgians have a strong singer with a gospel-like power ballad in Jérémie Makiese. He will definitely get points for that. Fortunately, because the act he shows looks a bit stiff and doesn’t really do justice to the song and singer. SWEDEN: Murphy’s Law strikes. If one thing goes wrong, everything immediately goes wrong. Problems with the sound, problems with the technique and a falling cameraman meant that she was only able to do one whole runthrough. Cornelia did manage to show how professional she is, by showing a good rehearsal even with all that trouble. CZECH REPUBLIC: The act with lots of light and nice graphics fits very well with the Czech entry. In that respect it is a unity. The vocals, however, leave a lot to be desired. That could cost them their heads if it has to be clear who will go to the final.
And then we have the Big Five; we hadn’t heard or seen anything about it until now. So today that has changed. FRANCE: Lots of green on stage with Alvan and Ahez’s French entry. The group members are dressed in black and gold. Eurovision.tv reports very solid bass. Lots of flashes of light and, to the beat of the song, Pyrotechnics can be seen coming from two pots on either side of the stage. ITALY: We see Mahmood, but instead of Blanco there is a stand-in. The grand piano plays a part in the act. Mahmood is dressed in a long black coat. He wears white sunglasses. Mahmood and hist stand-in (Blanco in the next rehearsal) are standing face to face. UNITED KINGDOM: Sam Ryder performs in a huge scaffold that appears to be made of steel. Lots of flashing light on Sam, who is wearing a black jumpsuit. Eurovision.tv praises the strong vocals of the sympathetic singer. SPAIN: Chanel wears a matador outfit, but entirely in silver. The song requires a lot of dancing and there is. Three men and two women, dressed in black, complete the dance act. GERMANY: Malik Harris is featured separately with just his guitar. He wears black pants and a white shirt. Only when the rap part can be heard, everything looks slightly different: according to eurovision.tv there is a big contrast with the rest of the act.
The storm around the still sun finally seems to have subsided a bit. This is not a weather forecast, but it is all about the Eurovision Song Contest. Now that everyone knows what really matters with the non-spinning sun, we can move on. And so we do. With ten countries from the 1st and 2nd semi, as well as the Big Five (more about that later), there is certainly something to look forward to. ICELAND: It is no surprise that the foursome (the girls’ brother is also there) can sing. The clothing and the setting are slightly reminiscent of “Little House on the Prairie”, for those who still know what that is. However, the whole thing seems a bit static. It’s not a done deal for the Icelanders. NORWAY: It ís a done deal for the Norwegians. They will make it to the final. Subwoolfer puts on a dazzling act. It is one of the kind that you either love or hate. Eurovision.tv notes that there is no change to the costumes. To be honest, we would also have been surprised if the gentlemen would suddenly wear something different. ARMENIA: She is the last one in the first semifinal. While she may not be the festival’s best singer, Rosa Linn does a good job. She walks around a bedroom covered with Post-Its. When she pulls it off the wall, for example, the title of the song appears, but also, yes, a Eurovision heart! FINLAND: The 2nd semifinal opens with the festival’s biggest stars: The Rasmus. The raincoats are now appropriate: the weather is not good. It also rains in Turin. Although the act is solid, there is something to be said for the vocals of Lauri Ylönen. We have heard better singing in the last few days…. ISRAEL: If we’re talking about song and dance, the Israelis do put down something. Michael Ben David never gets out of breath from all the dancing. He reaches the high notes effortlessly. The bookmakers’ expectations when it comes to Israel are not too high, but they could be completely wrong this time. SERBIA: No changes in the act of Serbia, which by the way is partially subtitled. The hands that are washed are also reflected in the graphics. Whether it is all sung very well, you can question that. Fun fact: for the second time in Eurovision history, someone from the British royal family is being sung: after Princess Diana in 1986 (“Européennes”, for France) it is now Megan Markle’s turn. AZERBAIJAN: Do you remember “Hold me”, Azerbaijan’s 2013 entry? It certainly wasn’t the strongest song that year, but thanks to the act it became second. We now see a similar act, but with a grandstand instead of a glass box. Big difference: Nadir is a very good singer. Because of the act and the good vocals this could end up higher than we all might expect. GEORGIA: “Lock me in” the members of Circus Mircus sing. And a circus it is, with flying goggles and a decorated beard. You may wonder whether the song is something that the televoter or the jury is going for. It just might become the least understood entry of 2022. MALTA: Few changes in the act. What we had not learned during the first rehearsals is that Emma not only sits behind the piano, but also stands on it. The moving and dancing seems to have an effect on Emma’s voice. SAN MARINO: The extravagant Achille Lauro jumps, dances, runs, rides rodeo: it won’t be three quiet minutes. Behind him are two musicians in cages. In addition, there are three guitarists. Achille Lauro’s agility does not benefit the vocals at all. It was all so wild that the rodeo seems to be broken by now. Hey wait…. I hear you thinking: and what about the Big 5!? Well, they will have their first rehearsals, without any press allowed. However, we will keep you updated about them later today.
Well, the die is cast. There are ten finalists. These ten countries will present their song in the final this saturday: Switzerland Armenia Iceland Lithuania Portugal Norway Greece Ukraine Moldova The Netherlands Congratulations to the ten winners. And remember: only ten songs could go through. That does not mean that the other songs are bad.
The EBU has no plan yet, in case Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Normally, the country with a high winning probability is already preparing for the organization of the next festival. Because of the war in Ukraine, it is by no means certain that this country will also be able to take on the organization in case they actually win. That is what Sietse Bakker, member of the EBU reference group, says to Dutch news agency ANP. “That might be a bit premature. After all, the competition has only just begun” says Bakker. “I do think it is important that
Tomorrow, the moment is there. We will have the first semifinal for the Eurovision Song Contest. What does the team of Eurovision Universe think? You will read it here. In fact, we are convinced of a final place for these countries: Albania, after all the fuzz around the act. Song and act are strong, Rona will qualify! Latvia: A song about veggies and (….). Cheerful, colourful and with a very modern topic. Lithuania: The act might not be what Monika wished for, but the song will stand out. Switzerland: The swiss song is in the style of Duncan Laurence and Gjon’s
Eurovision week has arrived. Tomorrow night is the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. One of the contenders for the win this Saturday is Ukraine, which is represented by the group Kalush Orchestra. But who are they?
You probably haven’t even noticed, but a small thing during the red carpet event yesterday turned into a lot of hassle in North Macedonia. Because contestant Andrea wanted her hands free for the photo, she threw away the flag of North Macedonia. That caused her a big problem. Last night, the national broadcaster MRT came with a statement, in which the broadcaster called the throwing disrespect to the flag. It would even be a violation of North Macedonian law. MRT seriously considered withdrawing Andrea and thus North Macedonia from the competition: “MRT expects Andrea to apologize to the citizens for such
Today we had the opportunity to talk to Stien den Hollander. You know her better as S10, the Dutch candidate for the festival in Turin. “We’ve been keeping an eye on it from the start, of course, and we really just wanted to see all of your faces too,” S10 explains why she’s so curious about the fan media. Not a lot of choreogrography The conversation soon came to the rehearsals: “Of course there are some problems with the sun, I think everyone suffers from that. So do we, but not too much because our act was also quite intimate and
It’s the end of the individual rehearsals every year: those of the Big Five. And every year it is the disappointment of a group of countries that seem to be unable to bring anything good to the stage. Last year there was already a noticeable change in this, but this year the countries really surprise! Rehearsals Big Five FRANCE: For the first time since 1996, the Breton language can be heard at the Eurovision Song Contest. Back then France finished at the bottom. That won’t happen now, but the act made quite a messy impression during rehearsals. The points will really
The penultimate day of rehearsal: it is becoming increasingly clear what the viewer can expect. Today we saw the last artists of the second semifinal. Let’s take a closer look at the rehearsals: AUSTRALIA: Whatever you think of Sheldon Riley, he sings like no other. During his emotional ballad he wears the white suit with the enormous drag of feathers. He wears his crystal mask for most of the act, but it goes off. It can’t be difficult for Australia to make it to the final. CYPRUS: For the first time in years, Cyprus is singing (partially) in Greek again. Andromache
And then we have the Big Five; we hadn’t heard or seen anything about it until now. So today that has changed. FRANCE: Lots of green on stage with Alvan and Ahez’s French entry. The group members are dressed in black and gold. Eurovision.tv reports very solid bass. Lots of flashes of light and, to the beat of the song, Pyrotechnics can be seen coming from two pots on either side of the stage. ITALY: We see Mahmood, but instead of Blanco there is a stand-in. The grand piano plays a part in the act. Mahmood is dressed in a long
The storm around the still sun finally seems to have subsided a bit. This is not a weather forecast, but it is all about the Eurovision Song Contest. Now that everyone knows what really matters with the non-spinning sun, we can move on. And so we do. With ten countries from the 1st and 2nd semi, as well as the Big Five (more about that later), there is certainly something to look forward to. ICELAND: It is no surprise that the foursome (the girls’ brother is also there) can sing. The clothing and the setting are slightly reminiscent of “Little House