I was thinking of doing a whole list, but we don't have all the songs yet, so will maybe wait.  I've been trying to think of a top five or so, so here goes.  At least these are the ones I'm enjoying listening to at the moment.  In order of appearance (I think).  Will do some copying and pasting as I can't type some of the letters!

First semi-final
Croatia Let 3 "[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_%C5%A0%C4%8C!]Mama ŠČ![/url]" This is so funny because I've watched a couple of ranking videos and it's almost always at the bottom! But I think it's such a Eurovision type of song. It sounds like a nursery rhyme at the beginning but becomes quite a catchy tune.  I really hope this makes it to the final.
Finland Käärijä "Cha Cha Cha" This is another quirky one and I love it.  I'm not so taken with the official video in the boxing ring but the live performance with thwar,e dancers is great.  The dance moves just make it I think. I just love the change in tone half way through. Two songs for the price of one!
Runner up in the first semi-final Norway Alessandra "Queen of Kings"  I really liked this the first time I heard it, but the more I listen the less I like it.  It's such a very simple tune. It might go up if there was an amazing life performance.

Semi-final 2
Reiley "Breaking My Heart"   Not 100% sure this is a top five, and thought it was a very throwaway song on first listen, but the thing is, I can't get it out of my head.  So it's gone up in my estimation for being such an earworm!  And the singer is so cute and wholesome.

The Final
La Zarra "Évidemment"  this is a fun song, enthusiastic singer
Marco Mengoni "Due vite"  another one that has grown on me.  Initially sounded like such a generic ballad, but it gets stuck in my head and is so romantic and emotional. I like it better than Italy's song last year.
Blanca Paloma "Eaea" This is kind of on my reserve list because I waver over it.  It does sound very Spanish and evocative though, and very strong.
Runner up here possibly Ukraine Tvorchi "Heart of Steel" which I do like but not as much as the previous years entries. It reminds me a little of Jeremie Makiese from Belgium last year which I liked but didn't do well. I prefer the lyrics and sentiment of Heart of Steel and it may grow on me. I have found myself singing it!

I'm quite lucky that I like all the songs that are definitely in the final!  So at least I know I'll be watching some of my favourites on the night. This is all open to change as I listen more, and as more songs are announced!

Last edited by Liberty (March 3, 2023 7:26 am)

I think all the songs are in now and there's an official round up about to go up.



I'm a bit overwhelmed with ranking 37 songs!  I am trying to do a spreadsheet, for goodness sake.

Semi-final 1:
Loreen (Euphoria) is back for Sweden!  This is definitely high on the list for me, but sadly I don't like it quite as much as Euphoria. I think Loreen is an amazing performer, but don't think the song is quite at the same level.  But then Euphoria is possibly my all-time favourite Eurovision song!
Latvia has gone up my list a lot. Really like this one. It reminds me of stuff I was listening to in the early 2000s I think.
Moldova is fun.  I do like a folky flutey ravey song, and I enjoy this when it comes round on my playlist.
Serbia, I think I like, again feels quite retro to me.   Israel is great. I haven't seen a live performance but the singer Noa looks like a good dancer, so this might be my Slo-Mo of the year.  Azerbaijan is so retro too, very Beatles-influenced I think.  I don't like the song that much until near the end when I love it!  I wish the whole song had been like that. They remind me of the Everly Brothers. with the lovely harmonies.
So I'm looking forward to those, as well as the ones I mentioned earlier, Croatia, Finland,

Semi-final 2
I haven't got used to Armenia yet, but liked it on first listen. The same for Georgia.
Australia has really really grown on me.  It's another song that gets better as it goes on, and by the end of the song I'm loving it and singing along! Romania, Belgium and Estonia are stuck in my head and I like them but not favourites.  I'm still singing Denmark, SO catchy.

The Final
I liked the songs we already had last time. The UK is good, not a favourite, but I do really like it  Germany is great! Reminds me a little of Lordi Hard Rock Hallelujah, tuneful, accessible rock with costumes, although more glam in appearance (the singer makes me think of Brian Eno.  Maybe it's the hair!).

There are some songs that I know are well thought of but I haven't mentioned, just because they're not really grabbing me.  I think there's a good chance of most of my favourites going through the semi-finals, but I'm not sure.  It will be interesting to see how the voting changes affect things.  I mostly hope the most interesting entries (e.g. Croatia) go through to the final. I was disappointed when San Marino didn't go through last year, not so much because I liked the song, but because it would have been something a bit different to watch on the evening!
 

Congratulations on the new job!  I hope it's going well.  What a shame that it clashes with the semi-finals, but as long as you can watch the final live that's the main thing.
Thank you for mentioning the official app.  I had it last year, but didn't install it this year.  I gave up on my spreadsheet and changed to another app which I think is called Eurovision scoreboard.  It hasn't help me decide though! I keep moving countries around.
Your choices are interesting!  I had not scored those songs highly at all. However, I've found when Belgium comes on my playlist I'm often bopping and singing along, and I do agree it's uplifting.

I agree that the live performances will change things as it's not just about the songs but the whole thing.  I remember last year really loving Austria but it just wasn't so good live, whereas Serbia, which I wasn't wild about was really good live. (I'm wondering if this will happen with Czechia this year as it's one that I really want to like but I'm not enjoying it much at the moment.  I'm hoping it will be better live). And I wasn't so into the UK entry last year until I saw video of Sam Ryder at the London Party and he was so good!  

Germany is my obsession at the moment!  I really love the singer's voice and looked them up and can't stop listening to them.  The singer just seems very likeable, even came across videos with him with his mum, and working with a choir of elderly people, and he seems very respectful to them and to the other contestants in the national final.

I hadn't been paying attention to the songwriters. That's amazing how many songs some of them have written! I really loved Poland's song last year, but I haven't actually checked out Switzerland this year (I mean, it was in the "all 37 songs video" but I don't remember what that one sounded like). Interesting that the songwriter for Ireland is Scandinavian and hast written for all those famous people. I remember it coming up in interviews in 2021 that Tix had been involved with writing a US artist's hit song. You don't always realize how people get around, writing for others, since it happens behind the scenes and unless you're in the know, you don't necessarily know who writes a song, you just associate it with the performer.

Thanks for the congratulations on the job. It's related to what I studied in university as well as my interests and things I like to do generally, so I'm really happy with what I'm doing. And it's work from home, so I don't have to commute, which I also like.

Last edited by Yitzock (March 31, 2023 6:29 pm)

I like this year's Switzerland more than last year's as well, though I think both had messages I support. I've noticed a couple of songs with anti-war themes this year, which I guess is appropriate given the current situation.
I've added Moldova to my tentative top, though I still only have four. I have been making my way through the songs very slowly this year and have been getting back into some other interests of mine that have been taking up my free time. But I still have been enjoying some Eurovision stuff.

Glad your cast is getting better. My cat was sick at the end of her life and that was tough to deal with. And even the times when she was sick and still had some life left to live, it was stressful.

I hadn't listened to Blood & Glitter until you mentioned it here, except for I guess a small excerpt. It's not really my type of music, but it was growing on me as I listened and I agree with you about the lyrics. More original than the generic, perhaps cliché, phrase "We are one."

Speaking of Cornelia last year, her song was definitely one I listened to many times after the contest and that has stayed with me, even though in the run-up to the contest it wasn't a favourite of mine.

This has been an exciting time! I have been following all the proceedings quite closely this year, all the pre-parties and rehearsals, the acoustic versions and other songs from the artists, the cover versions, some of the social media, the drama and so on! So, so good this year that I almost don't want to all to be over!

Lord of the Lost (Germany) have been doing acoustic covers of the other entries from hotel rooms while on tour in South America.  They have been fantastic, but this morning they blew me away by releasing a full-on cover of Finland's entry! I can't stop listening to it!
As Germany is number one in my rankings and Finland is number two at the moment, you can imagine how happy this makes me. They are doing a free acoustic gig at the Cavern Club next week but unfortunately I can't get time off work ... but am going to see them live on their tour later and so, so excited!

Australia, Romania and others have been covering songs from other countries too: I love that they are doing this!

Kaarija (Finland) and Bojan (Slovenia) seem to have bonded and I've been following their adventures around Liverpool https://www.instagram.com/stories/paidatonriehuja/3095450395835729915/ (warning NSFW soundtrack in one of the clips). 

Last edited by Liberty (May 5, 2023 9:31 am)

Yes, it's the same Cavern Club!  It's only a few minutes walk away, I think. Yes, I saw the news about the interval acts!  I think Mahmood (Italy 2022 and I think 2019) is covering John Lennon's Imagine, but I don't know what the other ones will be.  I hope it's not all Beatles/Lennon/McCartney.  I'm really excited about Verda Seduchka and Go_A!

First semi-final tomorrow night. I have opinions on all of them, and really wish we could keep them all and have a massive 37 act show on Saturday. But it's not to be. Because of all the voting shenanigans last year (can't even remember which countries were involved), there is no jury for the semis. So it will all be televote, and I think that will be interesting as there might be some who will get a better score on televote only.  I'm thinking maybe Moldova and Croatia, for example. The performances I'm most looking forward to are Serbia, Israel, Sweden, Moldova and Finland, and I already have an idea who my five least favourite are, but want to keep an open mind on the night.  I can't vote in this semi, so will just be watching.  I know you won't be able to watch live, Yitzock, so I'll try to keep spoilers away from this thread until you've caught up.  I hope you have a good day at work instead!

Dipped a toe in yesterday...sort of!
Well, I scrolled right to the end of my TV guide and found a Eurovision show:
Well it was the best of the last 20 years.
I go to the third song, the Russian grandmothers and turned off!