Search
Close this search box.

Malmö Messages: A draw among the Big 5 and Sweden

Malmö Messages:the Big 5 and Sweden

The big five and Sweden had their second rehearsal today. However, there is more happening: the draw also took place to decide in which part of the show the participants will perform. There is a change happening: half of the countries will draw a ‘producers choice‘. They can be placed anywhere.

United Kingdom

He might have called it the most homosexual act ever. Olly Alexander has four dancers around him, who seem to be dancing around each other somewhat combatively. The men have bare torsos, except for Olly’s torn shirt. Whether it is indeed the most homosexual act ever or not? No idea, but not much is left to the imagination. He seems to be rising in the bookmakers’ ratings, where he is now in tenth place. Olly Alexander drew the first half of the final.

EBU/Corinne Cumming

Germany

Little has changed since last time for Germany. The act was already so well-defined that there is little left to change. The singing is important in the German entry. But whether Isaak makes enough of an impression to break Germany’s negative streak remains to be seen. The bookmakers give him a 23rd place. Isaak drew in the first half of the final.

EBU/Alma Bengtsson

Sweden

The Swedes are number three in line to create a full music video of their performance. It is exactly the same performance as during Melodifestivalen. We see Marcus and Martinus everywhere and nowhere. This afternoon in the press center, someone enthusiastically told of having done five interviews with them. We already knew that Sweden will open the final.

EBU/Alma Bengtsson

France

Less is more, the French must have thought. Slimane stands alone on the stage in white clothing while singing his “Mon amour”. He stands, sits, and lies down while singing. The a cappella part makes a deep impression. The bookmakers currently predict just shy of a top-5 spot, placing him sixth. France will perform in the second half of the final.

EBU/Alma Bengtsson

Spain

With a lot of gold in the background, a red sofa, and the two members of Nebulossa in black clothing, the act is complete. The lyrics of “Zorra” caused a lot of controversy, but the Spanish audience enthusiastically roars along with the song. The bookmakers have no faith in it. They rank the song in 24th place. Nebulossa drew producers’ choice this afternoon.

EBU/Alma Bengtsson

Italy

Fortunately, not everything remains exactly the same as during the previous rehearsal. Angelina Mango has a different dress: a black one, with much fewer flowers on it. That makes the overall busy impression during the performance a bit less intense. “La Noia” is currently fourth with the bookmakers. Angelina Mango drew producers’ choice.

EBU/Alma Bengtsson

As mentioned, except for Italy, there are few changes. The big five and Sweden will be heard and seen for the first time during the semifinals, so there are equal opportunities for everyone. We think: abolish the big five if they really want equal chances. But then, who are we…

Share

Related news

Blast from the past

Blast from the past: Yugoslavia 1991

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1991, when Baby Doll represented Yugoslavia with her song “Brazil”. Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest Yugoslavia debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961. Already in their 2nd year, Yugoslavia reached a high score (4th) with Lola Novaković and her “Ne pali svetlo u sumrak”. Unfortunately, it was hard for the country to break that record. In 1983, the country reached the 4th place again with Danijel Popović and his “Džuli”. The English version of that song “Julie” became a worldwide hit. But Yugoslavia had to await their first and only victory until 1989. Riva won the contest with “Rock me”. Only three more Yugoslav entries followed, but the country fell apart. In 1992 they had their very last entry. Riva Jugovizija 1991 The Yugoslav national final was called Jugovizija. Eight regional television stations all had their contributions and their jury. In 1991, the contest was held on 9 March in Sarajevo. 16 songs participated: Tedi Spalato sang “Gospode moj”, 29 pts, 5th (HTV, Zagreb) Zorana Pavić sang “Ritam ljubavi“, 26 pts, 6th (TVBg, Belgrade) Milica Milisavljević-Dugalić sang “Sta će nebo reći“, 20 pts, 10th (TVPr, Pristina) Baby Doll sang “Brazil“, 68 pts, 1st (TVBg, Belgrade) Miran Rudan sang “Ne reci goodbye“, 5 pts, 15th (TVSl, Ljubljana) Jelena Džoja sang “Čuvaj se ljubavi“, 9 pts, 13th (TVSa, Sarajevo) Margarita Hristova sang “Daj mi krilja“, 3 pts, 16th (TVSk, Skopje) Vesna Ivić sang “Ime“, 11 pts, 11th (TVNS, Novi Sad) Ivana Banfić sang “Daj, povedi me“, 57 pts, 3rd (HTV, Zagreb) Helena Blagne sang “Navaden majski dan“, 25 pts, 7th (TVSl, Ljubljana) Šeri sang “Da li već spavaš“, 6 pts, 14th (TVBg, Belgrade) Ponoćni express sang “Pjesma o tebi“, 22 pts, 8th (TVCg, Titograd) Tony Cetinski sang “Marina“, 22 pts, 8th (TVNS, Novi Sad) Danijel Popović sang “Ma daj obuci levisice“, 66 pts, 2nd (HTV, Zagreb) Anastasija Nizamova-Muhić sang “Molitva“, 11 pts, 11th (TVSk, Skopje) Zerina Cokoja, “Bez tebe“, 52 pts, 4th, 52 pts, 4th (TVSa, Sarajevo) Danijel was the hot favourite to win the competition. However, Yugoslavia was about to fall apart. In June 1991, Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence. Four months before that, the political tension was very high. The result was that the jury of TVSl, TVSa and TVSk did not vote for any of the Serbian songs. TVBg and TVPr did not vote for Danijel, the latter did not vote for the other Croatian entry either. However, both juries gave “Brazil” their maximum number of points. That is what brought Baby Doll her victory. Danijel Popović Baby Doll Bebi Dol or Baby Doll, born Dragana Šarić on October 2, 1962, in Belgrade, is a prominent Serbian and former Yugoslav pop-rock singer. Raised by her jazz musician father, Milisav Šarić, she began her career in the late 1970s with the band Tarkus before co-founding Anoda Ruž with Goran Vejvoda in 1981. Following the band’s short run, she embarked on a solo career and gained fame with the 1981 single Mustafa, which won Song of the Year. In 1983, her debut album Ruže i krv earned her acclaim and established her popularity across Yugoslavia. Bebi Dol’s style evolved with each release, from the oriental-inspired Inš-Alah in 1986 to the dance-influenced tracks on her 1995 album Ritam srca. Her 1991 Eurovision entry, Brazil, remains iconic despite placing low, a result often attributed to Yugoslavia’s political turmoil. Her 2002 album Ljuta sam received mixed reviews, but she continued performing, venturing into cover albums like Čovek rado izvan sebe živi in 2006. In 2009, she participated as a finalist in the reality show Farma, appearing again in 2013 and 2015. Eight years later, she competed in the fourth season of Tvoje lice zvuči poznato, though she did not make it to the finals. In 2018, she entered the reality show Zadruga, but was quickly eliminated. In 2020, she appeared as a special guest in the series Tajkun. Brazil “Brazil” was written by Dragana Šarić herself, with music composed by Saša Habić and Zoran Vračević, the song blends Latin-inspired rhythms with Balkan pop, creating a vibrant, energetic piece. Known for its catchy melody and exotic flair, Brazil highlighted Bebi Dol’s theatrical style and ambitious staging, featuring elaborate costumes and dynamic choreography. Despite its popularity at home, the song faced challenges on the European stage, likely influenced by the tense political climate in Yugoslavia at the time. Ultimately, Brazil scored only one point at the contest, finishing in last place. However, the song later gained recognition as a unique Eurovision entry, maintaining a dedicated following among fans for its creativity and Bebi Dol’s distinct performance.   Share

Share
Read More »
Blast from the past
Martijn

Blast from the past: Yugoslavia 1991

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1991, when Baby Doll represented Yugoslavia with her song “Brazil”. Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest Yugoslavia debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961. Already in their 2nd year, Yugoslavia reached a high score (4th) with Lola Novaković and her “Ne pali svetlo u sumrak”. Unfortunately, it was hard for the country to break that record. In 1983, the country reached the 4th place again with Danijel Popović and his “Džuli”. The English version of that song “Julie” became a worldwide hit. But Yugoslavia had to await their first and only victory until 1989. Riva won the contest with “Rock me”. Only three more Yugoslav entries followed, but the country fell apart. In 1992 they had their very last entry. Riva Jugovizija 1991 The Yugoslav national final was called Jugovizija. Eight regional television stations all had their contributions and their jury. In 1991, the contest was held on 9 March in Sarajevo. 16 songs participated: Tedi Spalato sang “Gospode moj”, 29 pts, 5th (HTV, Zagreb) Zorana Pavić sang “Ritam ljubavi“, 26 pts, 6th (TVBg, Belgrade) Milica Milisavljević-Dugalić sang “Sta će nebo reći“, 20 pts, 10th (TVPr, Pristina) Baby Doll sang “Brazil“, 68 pts, 1st (TVBg, Belgrade) Miran Rudan sang “Ne reci goodbye“, 5 pts, 15th (TVSl, Ljubljana) Jelena Džoja sang “Čuvaj se ljubavi“, 9 pts, 13th (TVSa, Sarajevo) Margarita Hristova sang “Daj mi krilja“, 3 pts, 16th (TVSk, Skopje) Vesna Ivić sang “Ime“, 11 pts, 11th (TVNS, Novi Sad) Ivana Banfić sang “Daj, povedi me“, 57 pts, 3rd (HTV, Zagreb) Helena Blagne sang “Navaden majski dan“, 25 pts, 7th (TVSl, Ljubljana) Šeri sang “Da li već spavaš“, 6 pts, 14th (TVBg, Belgrade) Ponoćni express sang “Pjesma o tebi“, 22 pts, 8th (TVCg, Titograd) Tony Cetinski sang “Marina“, 22 pts, 8th (TVNS, Novi Sad) Danijel Popović sang “Ma daj obuci levisice“, 66 pts, 2nd (HTV, Zagreb) Anastasija Nizamova-Muhić sang “Molitva“, 11 pts, 11th (TVSk, Skopje) Zerina Cokoja, “Bez tebe“, 52 pts, 4th, 52 pts, 4th (TVSa, Sarajevo) Danijel was the hot favourite to win the competition. However, Yugoslavia was about to fall apart. In June 1991, Croatia and Slovenia declared their independence. Four months before that, the political tension was very high. The result was that the jury of TVSl, TVSa and TVSk did not vote for any of the Serbian songs. TVBg and TVPr did not vote for Danijel, the latter did not vote for the other Croatian entry either. However, both juries gave “Brazil” their maximum number of points. That is what brought Baby Doll her victory. Danijel Popović Baby Doll Bebi Dol or Baby Doll, born Dragana Šarić on October 2, 1962, in Belgrade, is a prominent Serbian and former Yugoslav pop-rock singer. Raised by her jazz musician father, Milisav Šarić, she began her career in the late 1970s with the band Tarkus before co-founding Anoda Ruž with Goran Vejvoda in 1981. Following the band’s short run, she embarked on a solo career and gained fame with the 1981 single Mustafa, which won Song of the Year. In 1983, her debut album Ruže i krv earned her acclaim and established her popularity across Yugoslavia. Bebi Dol’s style evolved with each release, from the oriental-inspired Inš-Alah in 1986 to the dance-influenced tracks on her 1995 album Ritam srca. Her 1991 Eurovision entry, Brazil, remains iconic despite placing low, a result often attributed to Yugoslavia’s political turmoil. Her 2002 album Ljuta sam received mixed reviews, but she continued performing, venturing into cover albums like Čovek rado izvan sebe živi in 2006. In 2009, she participated as a finalist in the reality show Farma, appearing again in 2013 and 2015. Eight years later, she competed in the fourth season of Tvoje lice zvuči poznato, though she did not make it to the finals. In 2018, she entered the reality show Zadruga, but was quickly eliminated. In 2020, she appeared as a special guest in the series Tajkun. Brazil “Brazil” was written by Dragana Šarić herself, with music composed by Saša Habić and Zoran Vračević, the song blends Latin-inspired rhythms with Balkan pop, creating a vibrant, energetic piece. Known for its catchy melody and exotic flair, Brazil highlighted Bebi Dol’s theatrical style and ambitious staging, featuring elaborate costumes and dynamic choreography. Despite its popularity at home, the song faced challenges on the European stage, likely influenced by the tense political climate in Yugoslavia at the time. Ultimately, Brazil scored only one point at the contest, finishing in last place. However, the song later gained recognition as a unique Eurovision entry, maintaining a dedicated following among fans for its creativity and Bebi Dol’s distinct performance.   Share

Share
Read More »