we review song by song with a roll of the dice

Dagbladet’s Ralf Lofstad reviews the Eurovision Song Contest song by song. You can also see his judgment here in Se og Hør! The case is continuously updated!

Make voice changes

Then it is ready for the first semi-final in Malmö. 15 countries will present their contributions, hoping to get a ticket to the final on Saturday. In addition, there are three countries that are guaranteed a place in the final – Great Britain, Germany – and the host country Sweden, with Norwegian Marcus & Martinus.

Gåte sings for Norway in semi-final 2 – on Thursday.

Out of competition. Germany. Isaak: “Always on the Run”

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We could dwell on the fact that Isaak Guderian shares a surname with one of the main architects behind the blitzkrieg – but we won’t. The contribution? Creative and slightly scary with fire on stage, and young Guderian sings well and energetically. Unfortunately, he is let down by the song, which is right in the middle of the tree – na-na-na-hee chorus notwithstanding. Unfortunately not.

8. Iceland: Hera Björk: “Scared of Heights”

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We are quickly set down on the ground again by Hera. Who sings consistently crappy and barely makes it down the stairs in the middle of the stage. OK song, but I mostly get a hair salon feeling from this. Should be out tonight.

7. Croatia: Baby Lasagna: “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”

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We see through the fingers with the obvious Rammstein theft, and are rather repulsed by the energy displayed on stage here. The song is not a favorite for nothing, and Baby Lasagna (what a stupid name) oozes with excess. This is what a winning song sounds like – a great chorus and strange phrasing. What can go wrong?

6. Poland: Luna – “The Tower”

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No “Eastern Bloc contribution” from Poland this year. This splashes it off! Luna is not the world’s best vocalist, but she makes up for it with charisma and an elaborate (read: expensive) stage show with a nifty chess theme. The song is energetic and easy to remember – but it’s not quite top notch. But should get a free ticket to the final.

5. Ukraine: alyona alyona & Jerry Heil: “Teresa & Maria”

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This song has many fans, and of course we wish Ukraine all the best. That said, I thought it was a bit sad in the national final. But here they have upped the game several notches, and it is far more energetic now, with a slightly “elevated” quality. Tonight’s pleasant surprise!

Out of competition. UK: Olly Alexander: “Dizzy”

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Disputes can get weird with less than this. I’m a little unsure about the hit-on-public-gentleman-ass aesthetic, but the direction with upside-down grip is creative, and lives up to what the video promised. Oh, Olly’s singing isn’t too bad, either, and the song has Eurovision-winning qualities with a hummable, memorable chorus and fierce rhythm.

4. Ireland: Bambie Thug – “Doomsday Blue”

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Finally something that shakes things up! Whether this completely split-personality song – with a Marilyn Manson-like verse and a cabaret ballad as a chorus – will catch on is pure gambling, but no one can forget the witch aesthetic and the pentagrams. Bambie Thug looks downright dangerous as she screams so it sounds like she’s calling on the devil himself. Terrifying!

3. Lithuania: Silvester Belt – “Luktelk”

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This song has received praise from several quarters, but the undersigned does not sign up for the tribute. “Luktelk” does indeed have a singable chorus, but there is something dull and sad about it all. Silvester doesn’t exactly challenge the vocal cords either, and the dancing is up to par.

2. Serbia. Teya Dora: “Ramonda”

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But if Cyprus were sloppy, they are easily surpassed by Serbia. The Balkan country has sent top contributions in the past, but this year it has obviously stopped. The song never gets going, there is no hint of a catchy rhythm, and a dark and sad stage show doesn’t help either. Next:

1. Cyprus. Silia Kapsis: “Liar”

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There are good reasons why Cyprus will never win Eurovision. That said, this is one of the more bouncy entries. Silia sings OK and clean – but the song is far too boring to stick in anyone’s memory. A rather drab dance show doesn’t help either – I get the feeling of being at language school, and that wasn’t the point, was it?