Estonia is a nation which really seems to understand Eurovision. You don't always find them on the left hand side of the scoreboard but their appreciation and undeniable passion for the competition usually promises a slick production.
This year they have gone all Swedish as the charismatic Victor Crone will be flying the flag for the country with his rather captivating entry, Storm. It has absolutely nothing to do with the UK's 2018 entry, only that it is pure pop with a strong build and chorus.
This is one of a few outright pop tunes in the first semi-final, and Victor is a more than capable vocalist who possesses bucket loads of charm. His performance at Eesti Laul was thoroughly captivating and juries are inclined to appreciate this type of catchy, well performed entry. Not only juries, but the voting public, too.
Estonia may benefit from performing in the second half of their semi-final - people tend to remember the later performing entries. What may spoil their prospects are the songs from countries such as Australia, Iceland and Portugal - all possessing a quirkiness which may pull votes away from Victor. Faced with that, could it be the type of song that a great deal of viewers will appreciate, but only a handful will be especially motivated to vote for?
This feels a strong enough entry to qualify - particularly as it possesses a Swedish connection. A really impressive performance should garner it plenty of support, even if there is some stiff competition in its semi. My inkling is that a place in the Grand Final beckons.
And so we arrive at one of the favourites - according to the bookies - of the 2018 Eurovision season. Despite a couple of non-qualifiers over the last two years, Estonia has always felt as if it produces quality entries and that the country is just marking time until it achieves its first victory since its 2001 win. Through the Eesti Laul national final - ostensibly Estonia's mini version of Sweden's Melodifestivalen - it has cultivated a notable collection of decent entries.
Elina Nechayeva
Elina Nechayeva arrives at her Eurovision semi-final with particularly impressive qualifications: in 2016 she graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with a Master's Degree in classical singing. It's no surprise then that her national final scores were equally remarkable – she blew away the competition on each occasion that the juries and public were given the opportunity to vote. In fact her song, La Forza, earned 70% of the super-final televote; a landslide would be an understatement.
With that in mind, it’s not difficult to understand why her odds have shortened so quickly. La Forza is a very dramatic classical-crossover song – bringing operatic pop and Elina's soaring soprano voice to the Eurovision arena. Add to that a spectacular staging at Eesti Laul - where she "borrowed" Aliona Moon's 2013 dress - it's then not surprising that the video of her performance has already amassed more than one million YouTube views.
There is a concern that remains, though. Can a song of this type triumph at Eurovision? Many will remember that Amaury Vassili was one of the hot favourites in 2011, only for him to fail spectacularly when the votes were announced. Other classical-crossover examples from the likes of Sweden 2009 (La Voix) and Romania 2013 (It's My Life) also scored worse than anticipated.
It’s a bit of a mystery what it will take for the first real classical breakthrough, although I feel Il Volo's Grande Amore from 2015 had more of a hook than La Forza and that nearly turned the trick. Perhaps, the audience just wants a winner it can simply hum along to later? However, Jamala's 1944 somehow kicks that theory into the long grass!
It's tough to predict this one though, but right now Elina's effort feels as if it could power its way into the Top 5.
A month on and some are still surprised that Amazing sung by Tanja will represent Estonia in Copenhagen. A few believe the winner of the national final should have been either the Super Hot Cosmos Blues Band or Sandra Nurmsalu, depending on where their allegiances lie. It proved to be neither, as the public favoured Tanja, together with her dance partner, in a tightly fought tele-vote.
However, Tanja is no stranger to the world of Eurovision having competed in both 2002 and 2003 as one half of the pair, Nightlight Duo. Described as a techno band, it's a style not far removed from the sound of Amazing.
And therein lies the song's problem.
While Tanja delivers a wonderful live vocal - seemingly during a wild display of gymnastics - there is too much of a similarity to Loreen's Euphoria. While it is not a direct copy, the overall package may be too close to Sweden's winner of 2012. This was the accusation levelled at Cascada last year and we all know what happened to Germany's entry. Admittedly, Natalie Horler's vocal let her down, which I can't see being a problem for Tanja. So, in a year where sleepy ballads rule, a well-sung, uptempo track at least stands out from the crowd.
This is not unusual for Estonia. It has produced a couple of entries I've really enjoyed over the years: Ott Lepland and Urban Symphony to name just two. While I wouldn't go as far as to make comparisons to the success of those songs, I will stick my neck out and predict Amazing as a qualifier for the Final, at best.
The odds makers currently place Estonia in the middle of the pack. While the bookies are only a barometer, I have to agree with them at this point. My feeling is that it won't be an 'amazing' finish for Tanja.
[If Estonia is your favourite entry, don't forget to vote for it in the poll at top left].
Image by Indrek Galetin (http://nagi.ee/photos/sAgApO/120877/in-set/2971) [see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons
March 12th saw four more countries throwing their songs into the Eurovision 2010 ring.
Here are the entries that will represent Estonia, Germany, Greece and the United Kingdom in Oslo in May.
Both Germany and the United Kingdom will automatically feature in the Final, while Estonia and Greece will have to fight for a spot there in the semi-final stages.
Estonia picked Malcolm Lincoln and Manpower 4 singing Siren.
Germany chose Lena Meyer-Landrut with Satellite.
Greece picked Giorgos Alkaios singing OPA.
The United Kingdom chose Josh Dubovie with That Sounds Good to Me.
So what do you think of these latest songs? And remember, you can see every currently announced entry at The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 page.
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