Well, it's time for my annual ESC posts, 2016 already! I'm really heading towards 30 years of ESC fandom.... my goodness!

Anyway, this one will be a general post, I'll break down the entries in my next post.

My general imperssion of this years' contest is - WAY TO GO SWEDEN! I love the way they've done the show, Mans and Petra did an amazing job with their ESC musical songs, showing the wide range of songs and winners we've seen in the past. A bit less, yet still impressive, was the list of Swedish artists, had no idea Army of Lovers are Swedes. Didn't care for the robot-human dance, nor Timberlake's presence. He isn't Swedish, I'd rather see E-type on stage! Or Abba (dream on, dream on....).

This years' voting kept me in suspense!!! First of all, there was no clear favorite, at least not for me, this years' songs are all mediacre. I totally don't get the jury's obsession with the Australian entry. It isn't that great and we've heard it before. From Malta. Or Poland, some Balkan country.... even Andrew Lloyd Weber composed something similar. So, no, sorry Australia. I totally disagree with the jury. It was clear, the rest of the televoters also disagreed, they gave most points to Russia. Obviously for the best act. The act is unsurpassed in its technical and physical parts, yet the songpart didn't do it for me.

As for the winner, well.... It's sad there's a petition to review the votes. I mean, Ukraine wasn't the winner when it came to jury votes, nor was it a winner when it came to televotes. Yet, the combination (hence the suspense of the new voting system) made it an unexpected winner. Interesting, I wonder where this pettion will lead and what it will mean for ESC in the future. Will the jury be abandoned? But what about diaspora voting? Wasn't that the whole reason for the jury to count for 50% in the first place? Dunno. We'll see what next year will bring.

https://annalinchik.livejournal.com/97773.html

Well, it's time for my annual ESC posts, 2016 already! I'm really heading towards 30 years of ESC fandom.... my goodness!

Anyway, this one will be a general post, I'll break down the entries in my next post.

My general imperssion of this years' contest is - WAY TO GO SWEDEN! I love the way they've done the show, Mans and Petra did an amazing job with their ESC musical songs, showing the wide range of songs and winners we've seen in the past. A bit less, yet still impressive, was the list of Swedish artists, had no idea Army of Lovers are Swedes. Didn't care for the robot-human dance, nor Timberlake's presence. He isn't Swedish, I'd rather see E-type on stage! Or Abba (dream on, dream on....).

This years' voting kept me in suspense!!! First of all, there was no clear favorite, at least not for me, this years' songs are all mediacre. I totally don't get the jury's obsession with the Australian entry. It isn't that great and we've heard it before. From Malta. Or Poland, some Balkan country.... even Andrew Lloyd Weber composed something similar. So, no, sorry Australia. I totally disagree with the jury. It was clear, the rest of the televoters also disagreed, they gave most points to Russia. Obviously for the best act. The act is unsurpassed in its technical and physical parts, yet the songpart didn't do it for me.

As for the winner, well.... It's sad there's a petition to review the votes. I mean, Ukraine wasn't the winner when it came to jury votes, nor was it a winner when it came to televotes. Yet, the combination (hence the suspense of the new voting system) made it an unexpected winner. Interesting, I wonder where this pettion will lead and what it will mean for ESC in the future. Will the jury be abandoned? But what about diaspora voting? Wasn't that the whole reason for the jury to count for 50% in the first place? Dunno. We'll see what next year will bring.

http://annalinchik.livejournal.com/97773.html

http://petities.nl/petitie/verhoging-strafmaat-voor-kindermisbruik-en-kindermishandeling

https://annalinchik.livejournal.com/70284.html

http://petities.nl/petitie/verhoging-strafmaat-voor-kindermisbruik-en-kindermishandeling

http://annalinchik.livejournal.com/70284.html

Aaah, finally my dream came true!! Me! @ Eurovision live!! In the Arena, packed with other fans from all over Europe!! Lovely atmosphere and inspite of tons of security and Polizei, it felt wonderful. Even the weird homeless looking like Osama with a big bag didn't seem a threat, ppl just talked to him, till Polizei came with dogs and started checking him out. Don't know how it all ended, but a I haven't heard a bang.. so I guess he's off to a homeless shelter.

About hearing, our smart Austrian neighbors had earplugs... really smart. The volume in Arena was overwhelming, especially for my perfect hearing! Add my husband yelling in my right ear and a friend yelling in my left ear only made my ears hurt, and as a result, my evening ended up with a headache. But I had the most wonderful time, I'm so glad I was there, I saw it with my own eyes, I tasted the atmosphere and YAYAY to all gay people, thanks for the enthousiasm and fun!

Now the final contestants, I will address only the Big 5:

France: I expected a lot more from this song, the guy sang perfectly, but as for the song, I prefer the Greek entry. Singing is similar, but the Greek melody is closer to my taste.

UK: Somebody sang off tune!!! Really!! The song wasn't very special, at all.

Italy: I kinda missed this... because of the yelling. So now I don't know why Italy ended up second, cuz in my opinion their entry wasn't spectacular. Just well sung.

Spain: Oho ohoho oho ohoh oh ohoo... lalalala bailaaaaaaar.... Nice summertune, in my top 10, but apparently not in Europe's top 10.. but I bet this summer everyone will hear during summerholidays on the Costa...

Germany: Lena again and a weird song, again. Loved the background ballet. Lena is just as annoying as last year. This is not a winner anymore, but just a mediocre performer with a mediocre song. Why some countries gave such high points??? No idea.


Next post will review the voting.

https://annalinchik.livejournal.com/65842.html

Aaah, finally my dream came true!! Me! @ Eurovision live!! In the Arena, packed with other fans from all over Europe!! Lovely atmosphere and inspite of tons of security and Polizei, it felt wonderful. Even the weird homeless looking like Osama with a big bag didn't seem a threat, ppl just talked to him, till Polizei came with dogs and started checking him out. Don't know how it all ended, but a I haven't heard a bang.. so I guess he's off to a homeless shelter.

About hearing, our smart Austrian neighbors had earplugs... really smart. The volume in Arena was overwhelming, especially for my perfect hearing! Add my husband yelling in my right ear and a friend yelling in my left ear only made my ears hurt, and as a result, my evening ended up with a headache. But I had the most wonderful time, I'm so glad I was there, I saw it with my own eyes, I tasted the atmosphere and YAYAY to all gay people, thanks for the enthousiasm and fun!

Now the final contestants, I will address only the Big 5:

France: I expected a lot more from this song, the guy sang perfectly, but as for the song, I prefer the Greek entry. Singing is similar, but the Greek melody is closer to my taste.

UK: Somebody sang off tune!!! Really!! The song wasn't very special, at all.

Italy: I kinda missed this... because of the yelling. So now I don't know why Italy ended up second, cuz in my opinion their entry wasn't spectacular. Just well sung.

Spain: Oho ohoho oho ohoh oh ohoo... lalalala bailaaaaaaar.... Nice summertune, in my top 10, but apparently not in Europe's top 10.. but I bet this summer everyone will hear during summerholidays on the Costa...

Germany: Lena again and a weird song, again. Loved the background ballet. Lena is just as annoying as last year. This is not a winner anymore, but just a mediocre performer with a mediocre song. Why some countries gave such high points??? No idea.


Next post will review the voting.

http://annalinchik.livejournal.com/65842.html

The second semi final was one full of surprises for me!!! Is my taste really so differen??? Anyway, here the contestants of the second semi in final order, starting from highest scores:

Sweden : Well deserved place and good song and performance. Songs and acts like that score high and Sweden is always one of the very best contestants. I will be popular I will be populaar...

Denmark : My personal favorite in this semi final, though the song sounds like hundrets other songs. But it has a high sing-along and clap-along value, I liked it a lot!

Slovenia : Good strong female voice. I think this year's really about powerfull female voices. But not very memorable, the girl is like Xena the Warrior in my opinion.

Romania : Why is this in the final??? How is this differen from Iceland and Latvia, even Netherlands??? Very undeserved if you ask me.

Bosnia & Herzegovina : It's ok, nothing more, nothing less. Can't believe someone marks this as a potential winner. B&H had more interesting entries last years.

Ukraine : I never listened to Mika Newton, but is this a pleasant surprise or what??? The girl looks stunning and she actually sings very well. The song is nice too. I think this is in my top 5. Notable is also the background performed by the sand artist (boy, she is all over festivals and performance... good for her!)

Austria : Aaaaiii, karamba!!! Guapa senorita!! What's with the stunning females this year?? And another amazing strong voice. Too bad for Austria, the song is soo mediocre, I can't remember it's melody at all. Perfectly sung though.

Ireland : Shoot me. Make me blind and deaf. I don't want to see or hear this again. They're not funny. Monkeys on xtc...

Estonia : Very catchy, very unusual, very deserved in the final!!!

Moldova : I like Zdob si Zdub, but not this song. The setting is cool though, but in my opinion they were no addition to the final.

Belgium : If someone deserved getting through, it's Belgium. Nice a capella song, well performed. I would put them in my top 10!

Bulgaria : Eeeh...what was Bulgaria performing? Ooooooh yes, the girl that looked like pink and sang like Maria from Roxette. Just like Albania, they could've made the final, but then we'd have a final of female strong voices... and that's where Bulgaria would definately loose.

Slovakia : Twins! They look familiar, haven't they performed before in a girls band?? One of the twins sang off tune, the other notices and got pissed off. And that's why they're out of the final.

Belarus : Everyone who knows Sektor Gaza, recognized the song. Ey guliai muzhik, propivai chto est'..... Honestly, apart from this plagiarism, I really didn't like her voice!

Israel : Diva Dana!!! I admire her just for being her. The song sucked and diva is back in erez now, pity that Israel is not in the final, now I can't wave my Israeli flag there :(

F.Y.R. Macedonia : Hmm... comparable to Moldova, but I understand why Europe wouldn't vote for this. I wouldn't either.

Latvia : Similar act to Iceland and Romania, not much difference with Romania in my opinion. Not worthy the final, just like Romania.

Cyprus : I loved the act. The dancing was interesting, outstanding. But I don't remember a bit of the song. And this still a songcontest, so sorry Cyprus, you've had waaaaaaaay better entries last year that stranded in the semis as well.... this year it was expected.

The Netherlands: Aaaaaaawwwwwwwww, 7th year in a row stuck in the semis. I feel sorry for the Dutch, especially because this song wasn't that bad. But I didn't understand a word of the lyrics, articulating is still a basic thing in singing, right?? Very last spot is very undeserved, there were absolutely worse songs, like Malta and Croatia!

Well, with the announced and weird results the semis are done, let's go the to final of Eurovision 2011!

https://annalinchik.livejournal.com/65707.html

The second semi final was one full of surprises for me!!! Is my taste really so differen??? Anyway, here the contestants of the second semi in final order, starting from highest scores:

Sweden : Well deserved place and good song and performance. Songs and acts like that score high and Sweden is always one of the very best contestants. I will be popular I will be populaar...

Denmark : My personal favorite in this semi final, though the song sounds like hundrets other songs. But it has a high sing-along and clap-along value, I liked it a lot!

Slovenia : Good strong female voice. I think this year's really about powerfull female voices. But not very memorable, the girl is like Xena the Warrior in my opinion.

Romania : Why is this in the final??? How is this differen from Iceland and Latvia, even Netherlands??? Very undeserved if you ask me.

Bosnia & Herzegovina : It's ok, nothing more, nothing less. Can't believe someone marks this as a potential winner. B&H had more interesting entries last years.

Ukraine : I never listened to Mika Newton, but is this a pleasant surprise or what??? The girl looks stunning and she actually sings very well. The song is nice too. I think this is in my top 5. Notable is also the background performed by the sand artist (boy, she is all over festivals and performance... good for her!)

Austria : Aaaaiii, karamba!!! Guapa senorita!! What's with the stunning females this year?? And another amazing strong voice. Too bad for Austria, the song is soo mediocre, I can't remember it's melody at all. Perfectly sung though.

Ireland : Shoot me. Make me blind and deaf. I don't want to see or hear this again. They're not funny. Monkeys on xtc...

Estonia : Very catchy, very unusual, very deserved in the final!!!

Moldova : I like Zdob si Zdub, but not this song. The setting is cool though, but in my opinion they were no addition to the final.

Belgium : If someone deserved getting through, it's Belgium. Nice a capella song, well performed. I would put them in my top 10!

Bulgaria : Eeeh...what was Bulgaria performing? Ooooooh yes, the girl that looked like pink and sang like Maria from Roxette. Just like Albania, they could've made the final, but then we'd have a final of female strong voices... and that's where Bulgaria would definately loose.

Slovakia : Twins! They look familiar, haven't they performed before in a girls band?? One of the twins sang off tune, the other notices and got pissed off. And that's why they're out of the final.

Belarus : Everyone who knows Sektor Gaza, recognized the song. Ey guliai muzhik, propivai chto est'..... Honestly, apart from this plagiarism, I really didn't like her voice!

Israel : Diva Dana!!! I admire her just for being her. The song sucked and diva is back in erez now, pity that Israel is not in the final, now I can't wave my Israeli flag there :(

F.Y.R. Macedonia : Hmm... comparable to Moldova, but I understand why Europe wouldn't vote for this. I wouldn't either.

Latvia : Similar act to Iceland and Romania, not much difference with Romania in my opinion. Not worthy the final, just like Romania.

Cyprus : I loved the act. The dancing was interesting, outstanding. But I don't remember a bit of the song. And this still a songcontest, so sorry Cyprus, you've had waaaaaaaay better entries last year that stranded in the semis as well.... this year it was expected.

The Netherlands: Aaaaaaawwwwwwwww, 7th year in a row stuck in the semis. I feel sorry for the Dutch, especially because this song wasn't that bad. But I didn't understand a word of the lyrics, articulating is still a basic thing in singing, right?? Very last spot is very undeserved, there were absolutely worse songs, like Malta and Croatia!

Well, with the announced and weird results the semis are done, let's go the to final of Eurovision 2011!

http://annalinchik.livejournal.com/65707.html

D"usseldorf, guten Tag!!!
Well, this year started off modest, yet modern, not too much and yet not too less. Lena Meier didn't sing at the opening, perhaps she'll sing during the final opening, but then again, she's once again the german contestant and 2 times Lena is just 1 time too much.

Well, off with the review of the first contestants, I'll start with those who didn't make it to the final on Saturday.

Poland: Girl, you sang off the tune, horrible. She looked good and I haven't heard the song otherwise but live during the semi, so perhaps it is a good song and she might even sing well. But not in the semi. In my opinion one of the worse performances of the evening.

Norway: Haba haba huba huba babubabaubaaaa... kidding. Loved it. Loved the charismatic singer, her dancing. Loved the song. I really don't why it didn't get through, perhaps Haba Haba didn't sound European enough?

Albania: Powerful voice, powerful song, powerful performance. Was absolutely one of my favorites. It did have strong competition from Georgia, with kinda similar style of song and voice. It's really a pity that Albania didn't make to the final.

Armenia: I guess the studio version of this song is a catchy summer dance tune. The live performance was really bad. I can't tell who sang off tune more: the singer of the backing vocal. Gosh, Armenians are in shock. Dutch, Belgian and German diaspora couldn't vote, guess that's the reason why Emmy is out of the final. But if you ask me, she didn't deserve getting into the final anyway, so.. justice it is.

Turkey: I simply love the fact that Turkey is sending rock musicians every now and then. This entry wasn't as great as 2009, but still very very very very nice!!! I'm really surprised that Turkey is out of the finals, although this snakechick in the back wasn't adding anything to the song and worked more distracting.

Croatia: OMG... awful. Bad song, ugly performer, stupid dresses and what's with the dude??? Gothic addict DJ??? This was for me the worst performance of the whole night!

Malta: ehm... yeah.... simply bad. Don't even remember it. Just a regular dancesong, nothing worth paying attention to.

San Marino: awww, thanks for tryin guys. Now, goodbye!! No, seriously, such a song could only work for countries that are already in the final. But not for San Marino. They're still learning, so...

Portugal: always original, always different, always... bad. This was bad, though the idea is clear, even funny... the song is even catchy. But it was baaaaaaaaad....



Well, now those who DID get into the final on Saturday:

Serbia: oh Nina, if I only had your eyes, your figure, your smile, your voice... I'd be performing on Eurovision! Nice song, very well sang, nice visuals... one of the better ones in my opinion.

Lithuania: not my piece of cake. SEMAHAVIEE sounds more Swahili than French... but well, she sang excellent and I guess people liked it.

Greece: I liked it!!!! Yes I liked it!!! Even the stupid rap part didn't bother me enough not to like it!!!

Azerbajdjan: Decent song, decent performance, not sparkling enough to become a winner, but might well be top 5. Always On My Mind was a better entry anyway.

Georgia: My fsvorite so far!!! Rocked like a hurricane!!! Tiny girl with a huge voice. A mix of Albania and Turkey and with all the right ingredients to beat those two and get into the final!

La Suisse: big surprise it got through! I liked the song, the way it was performed, it reminded me of the good old early 70s Eurovision. I'm really wondering how it's gonna end Saturday.

Hungary: well, does my jaw hit the floor or what?? She sang off tune!!! And looked like a drag!!! Why is this in the final and not Albania or Turkey or Norway???

Finland: Ugh... the song is nice. I'll just leave other comments out.

Russia: RedOne (Radwan the Arab?) wrote a lousy song, Lady gaga refused to sing it and silly russians bought it?? Sad... why not just sing in Russian and use Russian talent instead??? Well, no surprise it's in the final.. Vorobyev is hot, so many gay voters for him.

Iceland: wait, I've just seen this.. oh that was Finland. I guess this is the jury vote, not my thingy though. Think this one will be somewhere in the lowest regions this Saturday.

https://annalinchik.livejournal.com/65177.html

D

http://annalinchik.livejournal.com/65177.html

Скажите, у меня одной такое хреновое настроение под новый год? На улице дождь, туман и просто какой то плохой осенний день, но никак ни главный день Зимы!!!
Ужас. Снег растаял и так же растаяло все новогоднее волшебство. Наверное не мало важно еще и то, что я сегодня работаю и получается, что никаких празднечных выходных у меня не было. Короче, НЕ ХОЧУ ОТМЕЧАТь НОВЫЙ ГОД, ВОТ!!!

https://annalinchik.livejournal.com/61341.html

I'm not quite sure whether this semi-final was stronger than the previous one, but it certainly had its surprises!

1. Lithuania: Inculto - Eastern European Funk:
I really really thought they'd get through to the finals! It was so nice to see them in shiny shorts, how sarcastic. In my opinion, one of the songs that really deserved to go through!

2. Armenia: Eva Rivas - Apricot Stone:
Eva Rivas is.... big! I've seen her perform at the New Wave of Five Star contest, and at one point she stood next to Alexandr Kireev and she looked like a giant! But one that has the looks of a star!!! That hair! Those cheekbones!! Her figure!!! Ehum... ok, now the song. Strong, beautiful, with some ethnic influences. This is definately top 5, maybe top 3, and MAYBE the WINNER?

3. Israel: Harel Skaat - Milim
A bit like 2 years ago, nice ballad, nice looking young man, a bit deja vu. Unfortunately, Harel didn't sing flawless and I can only hope he does his very best at the finals. I really want to see this song in the top 10. Just because it's Israel :)

4. Denmark: Chan'ee & N'evergreen - In A Moment Like This
This is a potential winner. Copenhagen 2011, well, it's been since 2000, so that would be nice. N'evergreen writes good sounding songs, it's weird he's not famous in Europe. The performance was very professional and was sung very well. If they win, I will only say: chapeau!

5. Switzerland: Michael von der Heide - Il Pleut De L'Or
Ugh... this is waaay to gaaay! The song isn't that bad, but... nah.

6. Sweden: Anna Bergendahl - This Is My Life
WHY is she not in the finals???????? I liked everything about this performance: the looks, the song, the way she sang, the melody.. WHY???

7. Azerbaijan: Safura - Drip Drop
Tipped as a possible winner, I can only say: Safura, honey, don't run and sing at the same time. And don't get on your knees, no need for at all. It's a strong song, a very good voice, perfect looks and... yes... it's all between Azerbaijan and Armenia this year. Unless, of course, Denmark wins.

8. Ukraine: Alyosha - Sweet People
I don't know why she has a boys name, but what a great singer she is! And what a great song. A real underdog. And so distinct. Wow, I'm very impressed by Ukraine's entry this year. Not a winner, but, hey, what a good song!!!

9. The Netherlands: Sieneke - Ik Ben Verliefd (Sha-la-lie)
Aaaaaaaaaah... poor Sieneke! She was like the ugly duckling of the contest. The whole performance had a big 70s ambiance, but even the backing vocals looked and moved better than Sieneke. Shalalie shalala is a song that is sticky and original, but... probably not for Eurosong. I feel sorry for her and once again, Holland is NOT in the finals! Such a shame, maybe next year Mala Vita?

10. Romania: Paula Seling & Ovi - Playing With Fire
I liked the setting and the female singer reminded me of Sabrina.. you know, Boys Boys Boys. The song is ok, at this moment I don't rememeber a bit of it, but it had a catchy rhythm. And the vocals were good. I don't know, I didn't consider them as a finalist, so not sure what to think about this entry.

11. Slovenia: Ansambel Zlindra & Kalamari - Narodnozabavni Rock
Noooooooo, did they really think they would get through with THIS???? Noooooooooooooooooo. The girl was good looking and good singing, but the total entry was crappy.

12. Ireland: Niamh Kavanagh - It's For You
WHY is THIS in the finals??????? She's in the finals and Sweden's not?!?
Scary woman in purple with a mediocre song. Ok, she's a good singer, but did the jury let this pass, just because someone really has to be at the bottom in the finals?

13. Bulgaria: Miro - Angel Si Ti
Well, I thought they'd make it. But no. Somehow, in the first semi-finals, 3 similar songs did go to the final, and this one didn't. It's not original, nor catchy, cuz I have already forgotten the tune. But still, as for me, I'd rather see this in the finals instead of Ireland or Cyprus.

14. Cyprus: Jon Lilygreen & The Islanders - Life Looks Better In Spring
Big surprise! But not a positive one. There's absolutely nothing interesting about that song. Ok, Jon is a good looking chap. That's it. How is THIS in the finals, and let's say, Malta is not?

15. Croatia: Feminnem- Lako Je Sve
Ugh, I remember them from some years ago... still as bad. Yugoslavian Via Gra with poor voices. Not. A. Chance.

16. Georgia: Sofia Nizharadze - Shine
I remember the fantastic red dress, I remember the strong voice, I remember the beautiful modern dance. I do NOT remember the song. Nuff said.

17. Turkey: maNga - We Could Be The Same
Hm... I've seen Turkey do better with a rock band. What's with the robocop girl evolving into a b/w butterfly or whatever that is supposed to be. This is a song for the middle, if not bottom of the finals.

OK, Saturday. Can't wait!!!

https://annalinchik.livejournal.com/60118.html

Well well well! Here we are again. Can't believe a year has passed since Moscow, now Oslo is really a pleasant suprise. Nothing over the top, just good old plain Eurosong Contenst, nice stage, nice movies. Everything is nice. Up to modest. I think after the bombastic contest in Moscow some modesty brings relieve.

Can't believe I missed this year's Eurosong party in Zaandam, such a shame! Hopefully there will be one again next year and I'll be able to attend!

Anyway, let's move on to the first semi-finals now.

Moldova: nice! A bit like "Tornero" from Romania a few years back. This is the kind of eurodance I like to hear on Eurovision. Very danceable and well sung. This might be a top 10 contestant.

Russia: I really don't get all this Russia bashing that is going on. I actually like this song! And I like the performer. This is soooooooooooooo much better than last year's Prixodko or even Bilan's winning performance. Let's be honest: Bilan should've won with "Never let you go", but not with "Believe me". Petr Nalitch is a great singer, with a great voice. Too bad most think that the poor lyrics are the result of his lacking knowledge of English. A trying to explain that's is all a set-up and the fun of this song.. oh well... nevermind. This entry is not a winner, it might end up exactly where it performs on Saturday: Nr. 20.
Nevertheless, I'm really glad Petr Nalitch is representing Russia this year and not some dead-beat producer's project like all the previous years!

Latvia: Aisha, Aisha, Aisha! What happened to your voice??? She can sing very well, I've seen her perform on the New Wave contest. But what happened yesterday... eeeeks. Not making the finals is no suprise after such a performance. A bit of a shame, cuz the song is pretty good.

Slovakia: This was my favourite song of the first semi-finals!!! And I loved the outfit. But WHY why why was it performed in such a ... dunno... strange, boring way? I'd rather see this song in the finals instead of, let's say Belarus or Portugal. Horehronie still plays in my head... pity, pity, pity!

Finland: The backvocals and dancers were funny. And the singer was pretty, the one without the accordeon. That's it. They had no chance getting into the finals. Not even if they had Pluchenko on ice with them.

Serbia: What's the fuss about his looks?? He looks like a regular Japanese teenager. Oooow.. he's Serbian??....Nuff said. Bregovic rocks, just not with this song. I think he wrote it in 5 mins and never listened to it afterwards. I honestly don't know why it made it to the finals. Serbia has done waaaaaaaaaay better in previous years. Guess I'm missing the point.

Estonia: My husband almost threw up, so I had to turn off the sound. WTF??? Is this guy the older brother of that creepy Belorussian boy who was singing about the magic rabbit???? Aaargh.... and it's not just the song. The whole guy is creepy and so are his backvocals. Are they all on acid? Cuz I had the feeling to be tripping badly while watching it...

Bosnia Herzegovina: I remember the title of the song. That's all I remember. So, why is it in the finals again?? Maybe it will impress me a bit more in Saturday, but for now, no Thunder and Lighting in the weather forecast...

Greece: Ah! I knew they'd get through. I like this song. Especially, when I'm not looking ant the singer. Though it's one in a dozen song, it's catchy and might be a top 5 song this year. I still don't think we're facing Athens 2011, unless something extraordinary happens.

Iceland: A bit like Moldova, good enough for the finals, but not as good as their last year's entry. And I'm still not over the fact that the most beautiful Icelandic ballad "Valentine lost" didn't make it to the finals a few years ago. Everything before that song and everything after that song is still nothing compared to "a tiger trapped inside a cage"...

Malta: What's with the wings? Or is it a tail? Maybe it's supposed to look like wings, but still looks like a tail. Poor Thea, she reminded me of a peacock. Apart from there, I remember her taking the high notes with an opera voice. She sings very well, too bad her song is not that sticky. Maybe that's why she didn't go to the finals. Anyway, Malta has been mistreated in the past, with a great song like "Vertigo" not going to the finals. This year I'm ok with the fact that they didn't make it.

Portugal: Well, if there's one country that is getting to the finals without actually deserving it, than it's Portugal. Again! There is absolutely nothing special about the song nor the performance nor the singer! Or am I missing the point again?

FYR Macedonia: Hm... can't say it's a bad song. Can't say it's good either. Hated the dancers, stop spreading your legs on the stage! Well, at least he sang in his own languages, many credits to the performer for that. Otherwise.... yawn.

Belarus: Oh nooo, what is that??? I could recognize Fadeev's song with my ears shut. I adore the gorgeous wings, but if they end up at the bottom on Saturday, these wings won't get them any higher. Well sung btw.

Belgium: Germany and Holland did this a few years ago. And where did it get them? It's nice, but it's nothing compared to "Oh Julissy" and if it makes the top 10... it'll probably be the bottom top 10.

Poland: Marcin has an amazing voice. But the outfits, the apples, the strangling, the semi-striptease.... I just don't get it. Couldn't he just sing his song with one backvocal and don't do anything at all? All that distracting stuff he and the girls were doing? I thought Poland would make it to the finals no matter what, but hey, even I am wrong sometimes.

Albania: The same category as Moldova and Iceland. These songs could get in each others way. A good candidate for the top 10, a performace that scores good in every aspect. We'll just wait and see what Saturday will bring.

Well, tomorrow the second semi-final, can't wait!!!

https://annalinchik.livejournal.com/59722.html