Tonight the last of the Baltic States chose their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. Uku Suviste will sing for Estonia with the song What Love Is after winning the Eesti Laul contest.

Twelve acts competed tonight , six of each who had qualified from one of two semi final shows earlier in the month. The show was top heavy on ballads this year.

The Show

Tonight’s Eesti Laul was held at the Saku Suurhall in Tallinn. Karl-Erik Taukar and Tõnis Niinemets hosted the show as they had during the two semi finals, which were held earlier in February. Before the show started they competed against each other in a game of tennis.

Victor Crone is busy with Melodifestivalen 2020 this year so Waf Koor led this year’s competing entrants in a version of last year’s entry Storm. Several who shall remain nameless, were as off tune as Victor is. The parade of artists followed.

After all the songs had been performed, and with a break for the news, the half time entertainment began. First up was electro duo Pur Mudd with the repetitive Ooh Aah, but it had the audience dancing. The international jury began giving their points.

When that was complete our host Karl sang a song called Kuule with his band.

After the super final contestants were announced, the only Estonian winner Tanel Padar performed with his band.

The final act to perform was Estonian music legend Anne Veski, who performed a medley of old classics, including her biggest hit Queen Of The Rose Garden, and Russ Abbot’s Atmosphere – the nerve of the woman.

The Songs

Inger – Only Dream

Breezy old Inger was the perfect way to start the show with the jolly Only Dream, which may become a hinderance, being on first. Lots of shout out heys and whistling were involved. Inger played the guitar in an eye catching pair of yellow socks. The presentation wasn’t quite a strong as in the semi finals, perhaps nerves were taking over and as a rule shouting out to the audience shouldn’t be rewarded so this might now be doomed.

Rasmus Rändvee – Young

OK so the sound can’t be the best because this song with a rousing chorus ended up with it being as flat as a pancake. Rasmus was all dressed in khaki and paraded all over the stage trying to build up an atmosphere. The theatre let him down.

Stefan – By My Side

All in red, poor Stefan seemed really sad tonight. Perhaps it’s because the jury seemed to let him down in the semis. This song has a very nice lilting melody but lost in position three it looks as if Estonia are going to ignore him for a third year in a row.

Synne Valtri feat. Väliharf – Majakad

Good old Synne having the balls to perform this retro styled Finnish type eighties entry and for even thinking this would have a chance. So old fashioned it would have placed last way back in 1976. Her striped sailor boys were having a ball playing the instruments in the background, but this is unlikely to go down as a Eurovision classic.

Uudo Sepp – I’m Sorry. I Messed Up

This is the second anguished male ballad tonight and while this is quite the song, again it seemed rather flat tonight. Let’s hope Estonian’s have heard the songs enough, that they won’t need to base their opinions solely on tonight. Uudo gained a bit more confidence towards the end.

Uku Suviste – What Love Is

Another song with a good melody but Uku can hardly be described as the best singer on earth, heck even the best singer tonight. However a strong chorus and backing singers  helped lift this into what has probably been the best tonight so far. Clever use of colours in the backing video wall also helped, so Uku could be finding himself in the sing off.

SHIRA – Out in Space

By now it’s clear that no matter who wins this tonight, the song is going to be a slow one, as the pattern continues here with Shira. This seems to be one of the favourites and in her flowing white dress, there’s a bit of a Kate Bush feeling here, without the high pitched vocals. Also after a spate of male ballads, this stood out from the crowd a bit.

Anett x Fredi – Write About Me

Jazzy indeed and if this wins this could give Hooverphonic a run for its money in the dreary stakes. Anett is certainly a good trained singer and Fredi accomplished on his guitar, but surely Carousel showed last year that songs like this are going nowhere. A good one to listen to in the dark to help you sleep

Jaagup Tuisk – Beautiful Lie

Showing no shame in blatanly copying the structure of last year’s winner, but if it’s a winner why change the formula. The negative, well if copying isn’t a negative, is that the song has maybe too many stops and starts which will make the audience wonder when it’s OK to clap. Nice enough entry which has to be in the running, but statistics show that no two songs of similar type win the contest. One step at a time, let’s see how it fares.

Traffic – Üks kord veel

Seems Victor Crone is the main song writer here, not just Stig, but the pair of them know what they are doing and this is the first uplifting song of the evening since Inger opened. Tight harmonies and singing in Estonian might just push this one through.

Egert Milder – Georgia (On My Mind)

Egert should maybe change the title to Georgia Ezra (On My Mind) but even so this is a very good entry and Egert’s singing is probably the strongest of the evening. The audience seem to connect with him and this therefore must surely be in the running.

Laura – Break Me

Laura definitely seems to be the act with the most stage presence and in the end this song is a bit of a grower. There is a bit of a country styled background to it, but the structure of the song is more of a pop song. Being on last must surely help and as she leaves the stage it’s really not clear who is going to win.

The Results

After the results from an international jury and televoting were added together, three acts reprised their songs in a super-final, where the public voted again to choose the winner.

After the jury vote Anett X Fredi, Jaagup Tuisk  and SHIRA were in the lead.

The televotes were then added to this score which saw the results changed. The following made the super final.

Jaagup Tuisk – Beautiful Lie

Anett X Fredi – Write About Me

Uku Suviste – What Love Is

So the public voted again, and the winner was …….Uku Suvsite

Estonia In The Eurovision Song Contest

This will be the 26th time that Estonia will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. They won the contest in 2001 with their seventh entry, Everybody by Tanel Padar and Dave Benton and 2XL. Throughout their time in the contest, the country has finished in the top 10, ten times.

On the other hand, Estonia has also failed to qualify to the finals nine times, the last being in 2017 when tonight’s contestant, Laura paired up with 1998’s 12th placer Koit Toome and the song Verona.

Last year’s entrant Victor Crone with the song Storm, belongs with the other six entries which made the final, but was unable to claim a Top 10 position when he finished in 20th place.