With no clear favourites this year, this could be one of the most exciting contests in recent history. Potentially, there are at least six or seven songs that could win tonight’s final possibly resulting in a race right down to the wire. Hopefully today’s 3rd dress rehearsal will give us some indications as to where we’re headed next year.
Videos from the first dress rehearsal earlier today is available in a playlist on our YouTube channel.
For these dress rehearsal articles EuroVisionary uses different writers to judge the winner potential of each song in order to give a wider perspective.
1. Ukraine: Mariya Yaremchuk – Tick – Tock
Initially, I had written off this song as cheap sounding and dare I say it, rather tacky. But during the last two weeks here in Copenhagen, Mariya has given consistently strong performances and has managed to play the part of temptress down to a tee. In typically Ukranian fashion, the entry is awash with gimmickery but Tick-Tock will surely tick a lot of boxes for many.
2. Belarus: Teo – Cheesecake
I have liked Teo’s Cheesecake since I first heard it – catchy, a playful if somewhat cliché ridden text and suggestive rhythms make this as irresistible as a slice of the the real deal. A slick performance with just the right dose of attitude and some great camerawork may very well give Belarus their best result since Koldun in 2007.
3. Azerbaijan: Dilara Kazimova – Start A Fire
Azerbaijan have selected a classy little number this year. A beautifully mournful sounding arrangement featuring the tradition mugham is a delight for the ears, although Dilara’s pronunciation is catastrophic and in places you can barely understand what she’s singing. Another country to favour gimmickery, the Azeri staging is surprisingly toned down this year and thus may not be as memorable for many viewers, failing to set the scoreboard on fire.
4. Iceland: Pollapönk – No Prejudice
When No Prejudice was chosen, I wasn’t a fan. I still don’t like the song, but the band Pollapönk are very good at what they do, and with a colourful, vibrant stage performance as well as a positive message, this will no doubt get quite a few votes from kids that may be watching. Sandwiched between Azerbaijan and Norway means it will also stand out more, but can’t really be considered a serious contender.
5. Norway: Carl Espen – Silent Storm
Carl Espen’s Silent Storm is one of my absolute favourites in this year’s final. What Carl Espen may have lacked in camera technique and stage experience, he has certainly made up for these last few weeks. This feels real, a simple, haunting melody with a sincere performance may just give this the extra push it needs to cross the finishing line and take gold.
6. Romania: Paula Seling & OVI – Miracle
What initially began as a highly contemporary sounding entry has lost momentum as far as I’m concerned. The staging is at times shambolic – the hologram of Paula doesn’t work and Ovi sticking his head through the circular keyboard just looks contrived. Their vocals have been somewhat hit and miss these past two weeks, so Paula and Ovi certainly are in need of a Miracle to win, and will probably finish mid table.
7. Armenia: Aram MP3 – Not Alone
Not Alone has continuously topped the bookmakers’ odds lists but has only recently slipped, being surpassed by both Sweden and Austria. Could this be a sign that Aram Mp3 is losing momentum? There are some extremely interesting elements in the song, but they make it rather complicated and perhaps not so instant and impacting.
8. Montenegro: Sergej Ćetković – Moj Svijet
Montenegro make the final for the first time and what an entry to make it with! Sergej sings this with passion; opinions are divided with regards to the staging, some saying the skater on stage is just too much and affects the overall quality of the song. I don’t agree at all – I think Moj Svijet is a beautifully simple, classic Balkan ballad that deserves it share of votes tonight.
9. Poland: Donatan & Cleo – My Słowianie – We Are Slavic
My Słowianie – We Are Slavic is deemed but many as sexist and offensive, but they’ve failed to see it’s irony. What we have here is a highly contemporary piece of turbo slavic pop that is very tongue and cheek and which brings much needed humour and vitality to a ballad heavy final. This could go either way, but judging by the reception it has had, it may well take Poland to the left hand side of the scoreboard for the first in a very long time.
10. Greece: Freaky Fortune feat. RiskyKidd – Rise Up
The Greeks can always be relied upon to create a party on stage and this year’s Rise Up is no exception. It has a bewildering tempo, a fresh sound and the trampoline is not something that will be forgotten in a hurry. Slick, dynamic and energetic, Greece will no doubt rise up to the upper echelons of the scoreboard tonight.
11. Austria: Conchita Wurst – Rise Like a Phoenix
The reception Conchita got in the hall on Tuesday was deafening. She has shone on stage with an astounding vocal performance every time, giving Austrians their first real hope of a victory since I can remember. This is a dark, passionate torch song that will hoover up the votes on the night, the only possible obstacle being preconceptions and prejudice in certain parts of Europe that could hold Conchita back.
12. Germany: Elaiza – Is it right
Is it right has was for me the only real contender in the German final this year. It’s different, quirky, but perhaps too niche to make any impact on the scoreboard and pose any threat. What we do have here however is a band that should go on to bigger and better things once they’ve left the Eurovision bubble. A welcome breath of fresh air to tonight’s final.
13. Sweden: Sanna Nielsen – Undo
Sanna Nielsen is a top class performer with a voice that is crystal clear and which can perform time after time, practically without fail. The only problem here is that she is singing a song that is infreior to many of her previous attempts and the end result just sounds overly polished and calculated, leaving me cold. It is however one of the ones that will be up there fighting tonight, that’s for sure.
14. France: TWIN TWIN – Moustache
Madness from France this year in the form of TWIN TWIN with a presentation that is eclectic and a tune that is equally as manic. This has youthful charm and a Euro dance beat that combined with infectious humour may very well prove irresistible for the younger viewers. This won’t translate into votes however and I fear Moustache will occupy one of the spots way down on the final results list.
15. Russia: Tolmachevy Sisters – Shine
Russia is a tough one to call this year. Their qualification was practically guaranteed, but when their qualification was made known, the entry was booed by many, indicating that Russia could well be punished for the political situation in Crimea right now. Shine is surprisingly understated by russian standards, and despite a n accomplished vocal from the fresh faced twin sisters, the overall package will be just too insipid to stand out on the night.
16. Italy: Emma – La Mia Città
Italy’s Emma Marrone packs quite the punch on stage with her rocky ode to her city. This oozes sass and attitude, and has risen in my estimations lately. However, you can’t get around the fact that the tune is rather anaemic compared to previous efforts from Italy and could blight their chances of a top 10 finish for the first time since their return in 2011.
17. Slovenia: Tinkara Kovač – Round and round
One of the surprise qualifiers to the final on Thursday, Tinkara is a welcome addition to the final with melodic Round and Round. Slovenia really needed this encouragement by making the final, and although ths song has some beautifully hypnotic qualities, it lacks that extra spark to make it stand out on the night and I’m afraid it will largely be overlooked by other more dynamic entries.
18. Finland: Softengine – Something Better
Finland’s is another entry that I really wanted to qualify, but hadn’t dared hope to see in the final as we have previously seen that stadium rock doesn’t usually work at Eurovision. The young band members of Softengine proved us wrong however and gave a fantastic performance on Thursday. I don’t think this will make the top 10, but I would love to be proven wrong yet again as this is melodic rock at it’s best.
19. Spain: Ruth Lorenzo – Dancing in the rain
One of the big ballads of the night, Ruth Lorenzo’s Dancing in the Rain has a lot going for it. It has great potential as Ruth hasn’t yet disappointed live. She is a complete professional and has made something of a name for herself outside of Spain already. This, coupled with a favourable draw could give Spain it’s best position since the 1990’s.
20. Switzerland: Sebalter – Hunter Of Stars
Sebalter was for me another surprising qualifier on Thursday, but a welcome one nonetheless. He gives his all when on stage, has charm and boyish good looks which never hurts at Eurovision. The infuriatingly catchy whisle hook and a lively stage show coupled with solid vocals make this a pleasureable three minutes but will not see him in contention of giving Switzerland their third victory.
21. Hungary: András Kállay-Saunders – Running
Hungary are eyeing up the top spot this year with the brooding anthem Running. András has stage presence and gives a fantastic performance. The controversial subject matter of the song however, domestic violence and abuse, could prove to be offputting for many, which is a real shame, for we have a gem of a pop song from Hungary this year. One of the dark horses in the final.
22. Malta: Firelight – Coming Home
Before Copenhagen, Coming Home failed to make any impression on me whatsoever. After seeing Firelight perform however, their command of the stage was impressive. Subsequent rehearsals has seen the band lose some of it’s momentum and dynamic on stage. Malta should make it to the top 10 in the final shake up on the night, but won’t really be in contention for the top spot.
23. Denmark: Basim – Cliche Love Song
Home grown favourite Basim has a song that packs quite a punch. In typical feelgood danish fashion, the chorus is highly infectious and sweet without being too sickly. The overall impression is that this is a highly contemporary entry but it suffers from over staging with the ridiculous banner that is unfurled at the end. I am however convinced that Danmark could easily make it two in a row this year.
24. The Netherlands: The Common Linnets – Calm After The Storm
Dismissed by many, especially the majority of Dutch fans, Calm After The Storm has come from out of nowhere to pose as a serious contender for winning this year’s contest. What we have here is a slice of perfection, blissfully soothing, with a combination of an original stage show and two voices that compliment each other perfectly. With such a fantastic draw, we cannot rule out Amsterdam as a possible host city next year.
25. San Marino: Valentina Monetta – Maybe (Forse)
Finally it was Valentina’s turn to take San Marino to the final for the first time. She gets top score for effort. Some have panned her song Maybe as being too old school and boring, but I beg to differ. It does suffer from over staging and over gesticulation to an extent, but Maybe is deliciously melancholic and has a handsome tune that might appeal to the more mature viewer.
26. United Kingdom: Molly – Children of the Universe
The United Kingdom has finally begun to take the contest seriously once more and their efforts have been rewarded with young Molly being installed as a pre contest favourite. She has steadily gained momentum on the bookmakers’ lists and it’s easy to see why. Powerful and anthemic, she sings the socks off this song and it is the perfect close to this year’s contest. The 60th contest in the United Kingdom is certainly looking like a real prospect this year.
I believe the winner is to be found among these five countries:
Austria, Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom
This article is based on the writers experience of the dress rehearsal and does not necessarily express the opinion of EuroVisionary.com.
