Eurovision 2021 Semi-Final 1: How They Stack Up

Let's take a look at ten of the first semi-finalists for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest and some personal thoughts on what might and might not qualify for the Grand Final on May 22.

1. Lithuania: The Roop - Discoteque

Like many of the artists this year, The Roop return and this, their 2021 effort, was one of the early favourites but has recently faded in the face of more supposedly-popular entries.

The whole concept showcases the quirkiness that the modern day Contest demands: crazy choreography and staging, bright costumes and a song that worms its way into your head whether you want it to or not!

Consequently, I can see this qualifying for the final with ease. Once there, it's the type of presentation and song that is likely to stick in the memory of the casual viewer. It should do well and a Top 10 place is not out of the question.

2. Slovenia: Ana Soklič - Amen

Ana is back in the competition too and has, unfortunately, been hidden away in position two by the producers - the notoriously difficult Eurovision starting place. 

Ana is no slouch in the vocal department though and sings Amen - a big, ballsy ballad - with great aplomb. The backing track emits some distinct gospel vibes throughout and Ana takes us and the song to church! 

However, although she is probably the one of the most accomplished vocalists in the competition, she is going to need some divine intervention to help her through to the final. This semi-final looks tough and I feel Ana will be one of its casualties.

3. Russia: Manizha - Russian Woman

Manizha replaces Little Big as Russia's Eurovision representative with an empowering anthem aggrandizing the development of the Russian Woman.

Even after hearing the song several times, it's still not one which has climbed my personal ranking very far. At first, I didn't care for it at all but once it reaches its 'Fiddler on the Roof' style refrain, it becomes a little more tolerable. 

Whether Europe will tolerate it enough to push it through to the final is debatable. Personally, I wouldn't miss it at all but Russia is one of those countries which somehow gets through to the final come what may. A borderline finalist.

4. Sweden: Tusse - Voices

Another production line entry from Sweden as young Congolese/Swedish singer Tusse confidently brings Voices to the Eurovision stage.

He is a product of the Idol factory, winning the country's version back in 2019 and has since successfully woven his way through the Melodifestivalen minefield.

Now, there's a lot to be said for Sweden's Eurovision selection process as the country's recent successes can attest. However, now and again, the technique can throw up something so formulaic it could have been written by a robot. Voices has that quality about it.

No surprises here from Sweden (even the obligatory key change), but with their track record, I've no doubt it will qualify and feature in the overall Top 10.

5. Australia: Montaigne - Technicolour

See the main page review here.

6.  North Macedonia: Vasil - Here I Stand

Vasil is another survivor from the 2020 contest and this time around he is singing Here I Stand, a song which he has also written for the event.

Now, there's no denying that Vasil can sing. He is a classically trained baritone which is more than evident from this somewhat overblown ballad. To be honest, you would more likely hear this on a Disney movie soundtrack or as part of a West End musical rather than on the Eurovision stage.

There is nothing wrong with it, per say. It's just likely to be forgotten among more striking up-tempo entries in what has become a tough semi-final. A non qualifier, I feel.  

7. Ireland: Lesley Roy - Maps

Ireland offers up Maps this year as its entry and the returning Lesley Roy should be heading in the direction to the final if her live vocals hold up.

It's a perky bop of a song which should get you strutting your stuff around the kitchen, even if you don't know what the heck Lesley is going on about.

Her diction isn't so great - or it might just be my aging ears - so it's tough to make out where her maps are taking her.

A berth in the final should be her final destination, but this is one of those entries that could just as easily be left at the starting gate.

8. Cyprus: Elena Tsagrinou - El diablo

Cyprus has decided to go with a bop-by-numbers composition called El diablo sung by Greek singer, Elena Tsagrinou - so expect 12 points from Greece!

The track ran into trouble early on when the Church of Cyprus and many members of the Cypriot public objected to the lyrics concerning love of "el diablo". Nothing came of it, but what's more surprising is that Lady Gaga hasn't had something to say about the song, as you would be forgiven for thinking that - in part - you're listening to Bad Romance.

Nevertheless, it's well executed and has become one of the favourites to raise the Eurovision trophy. A definite qualifier and a Top 5 pick.

9. Norway: TIX - Fallen Angel

TIX's win at this year's Melodi Grandi Prix upset all the KEiiNO fans but, hey, Fallen Angel (Ut av mørket) is the better song.

Written by the phenomenally successful TIX, the track is somewhat autobiographical, as it deals with his depression caused by childhood bullying over his affliction from Tourette Syndrome.

That said, the song is an impressive composition in its own right; a soaring ballad with a memorable chorus and impactful presentation. It's the sort of package that Eurovision is all about, helped by the relatable back story which is very much an in focus topic.

The staging is a little overblown for my liking but I hope this entry does very well. A qualifier that deserves a Top 10 ranking at the least. 

10. Croatia: Albina - Tick-Tock

Having won Dora 2021, the Croatian preselection process, Albina's Tick-Tock faces off against its "banger" competitors in this semi-final.

In that quest, it could do really well as Croatia is presenting one of its strongest entries in years, courtesy of the attractive Albina. This anthemic dance track contains a very catchy chorus and feels like a radio hit, which I mean as a compliment. 

Croatia has not done well for several years, but if Tick-Tock progresses to the final – undoubtedly! – it could be on track to its strongest placing in more than a decade. Yeah, qualifier.

Lack of time has prevented any further reviews this year, but currently the bookies favour two of the Big Five countries to raise the winner's trophy: Italy or France. Could it be either of them or will we be heading to Valetta in Malta for the 2022 contest. All will be revealed on May 22!

When We're Old / Ieva Zasimauskaitė / Lithuania | Review

Ieva Zasimauskaitė

Thus far, Lithuania has only managed two Top 10 finishes out of eighteen attempts, so it’s easy to make light of their chances amid the hoopla of Eurovision selections. Of course, it would be bonkers to reject them out of hand as they have a tendency to edge their way into the Grand Final at the expense of some other highly favoured entries. Their odds are pretty lengthy this time around as well, but can Ieva Zasimauskaitė's When We're Old continue the country's sequence of qualifiers?

A few Eurovision experts attribute Lithuania’s regular appearance in the Grand Final as a consequence of diaspora voting. This is certainly undeniable – they constantly chalk up a respectable points tally from the UK and Ireland where there is quite a sizable Lithuanian presence.

The UK and Ireland will vote in Lithuania’s semi-final once again this year - so no change there - but I wonder if When We're Old will have enough clout to really make an impression? It's not that it is a weak song; it's a quite moving ballad with some emotionally charged lyrics and proposed staging. Ieva's vocals cope very well but the song itself is inescapably low-key. So I ask myself if many - having watched the full lineup of songs - will feel that it justifies their vote?

For that reason, I consider Lithuania's effort to be either a borderline qualifier or to end up somewhere in the last quarter of the finals board.

Image by Ilya Mauter [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Lithuania 

Artist: Ieva Zasimauskaitė

Song: When We're Old 

Semi-Final 1 | First Half

Eurovision 2016: Spotlight on Lithuania; Serbia; Bulgaria

Lithuania: Donny Montell with I've Been Waiting For This Night

Making a welcome return to the Eurovision stage is Lithuanian singer Donny Montell who first appeared at the Contest in 2012, blindfolded and singing Love is Blind.

On that occasion, he finished in 14th place performing an updated disco-style dancefloor track and now, four years later, I've Been Waiting For This Night seems to be his natural musical progression. In fact, the song is probably more contemporary 'Eurovision' than most featured in the competition. \

It ticks many of the required boxes: it's a somewhat overwrought clubland-style anthem building to a big chorus, but proves to be more animated than his last effort. It's snappy and should have enough popular appeal to make it through to the Final.

It's possibly a little too  generic to make significant headway on the scoreboard, but equalling his 2012 ranking shouldn't prove too much of a problem.

Appearance: Semi-Final 2, performing 9th.

Serbia: Sanja Vučić ZAA with Goodbye (Shelter)

Serbia is bidding to regain the Eurovision title using the talents of local singer Sanja Vučić - vocalist with the domestic band ZAA - performing the entry Goodbye (Shelter).

She brings something of an Amy Winehouse vibe to the competition, if her official video is anything to go by. She possesses a melodramatic performance style which gives this bluesy ballad a heightened sense of potency and intensity.

Hopefully, her team will take advantage of this and stage her presentation appropriately. Goodbye (Shelter) is blessed with a captivating melody and a classy hook, the abundance of which may take some by surprise.

If there's any justice, this should qualify and quickly climb the left-hand side of the Final's scoreboard.

Appearance: Semi-Final 2, performing 6th.

Bulgaria: Poli Genova with If Love Was A Crime

It's not only Donny Montell who is making a reappearance this year as 2011 veteran Poli Genova returns to the fray (as does her country, Bulgaria).

The Bulgarians record at Eurovision has been rocky (to say the least) since their début in 2005. With only one appearance in the Final, courtesy of Elitsa and Stoyan in 2007, Poli looks set to change her country's fortunes with the very catchy If Love Was A Crime.

Not surprisingly, the song is already established as one of the favourites for the title - and rightly so. It's a catchy, lively pop number with a memorable chorus and some contemporary effects, making it one of the most radio-friendly entries in the competition.

Expect to eventually see this in the Top 3 of its semi-final - something it could quite easily repeat in the Final.

Appearance: Semi-Final 2, performing 12th.

What are your thoughts about these entries?


All images by Albin Olsson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Review: Lithuania: Eurovision 2015 | Monika Linkytė & Vaidas Baumila

Monika Linkytė and Vaidas Baumila to sing This Time for Lithuania

Three Baltic states chose their Eurovision songs over the past weekend and Lithuania was one of the first to announce its representative: This Time performed by Monika Linkytė and Vaidas Baumila.

Lithuania's selection process began nearly two months ago when twelve singers were picked to perform twelve songs in a competition to choose the two independently of each other. It sounds complicated, but essentially it was two contests: one to select the singer, the other to select the song. On Saturday, This Time was already known to be the song going to Vienna (decided the previous weekend) when Mia, Vaidas and Monika took to the stage to wrestle it out to become the performer.

The three were meant to compete against each other, but positive feedback from the public indicated that Vaidas and Monika should perform the song as a duet. As it turned out, the public televote was relatively close between Mia and the couple, but the expert jury solidly ranked the duo in first place.

The selection means that there is now a sudden proliferation of duets heading for Austria. Lithuania's near-neighbours, Estonia, also selected a duo. Could this be the 2014 Dutch effect? Quite possibly, but the influence of The Common Linnets is less evident with Monika and Vaidas.

This Time tends to be an affiliation of the sound of Firelight's 2014 effort for Malta - an upbeat acoustic-driven guitar melody which underpins the singers' more-than-adequate harmonies. In fact, the song demands the involvement of two voices. In the hands of just one singer it feels flat, but the addition of another gives the track more depth - another dimension.

That element is defined and augmented by the interplay between Monika and Vaidas, who appear to share a genuine chemistry, even if it is somewhat ruined by a clumsy kiss halfway through the song. Still, fate has thrown this attractive pair together and they have transformed what could have been a semi-final casualty into something much more ambitious.

That ambition could likely see the song score enough points to place it high on the scoreboard on Final's night - especially if Monika repeats her impromptu "wardrobe malfunction".

What do you think?

Eurovision 2014: Lithuania: Attention

Lithuania: Vilija Matačiūnaitė

I'd like to believe after a twelve-week elimination process that Lithuania would have found the ideal song to represent the country at Eurovision 2014. Unfortunately, it hasn't.

Attention is the song's name and Vilija Matačiūnaitė is both the singer and composer. Unlike the pretty Vilija, her offering gets my attention for all the wrong reasons.

It's very much a shout fest of the title and, in fact, would probably make the ideal ringtone or alarm call for anybody who likes to be shocked into action.

Amongst all the shouting, there is just a little competent singing. Why she chose to scream her way through most of the song is anyone's guess though, because Vilija has ranked highly in vocal (and dance) competitions around Eastern Europe, either as runner-up or winner. In fact, this is not the first time she has tried her hand at Eurovision, ranking seventh in the Lithuanian national final nine years ago.

Unfortunately, unlike Lithuania's 2013 entry, the song is just not quirky enough and comes across as a bad attempt at some Eighties power pop. But will viewers vote for it?

I have a feeling that they won't. There is not enough of a hook to draw them in and the shouting, repetitive nature of the track will surely put a lot of people off. And what on Earth is the tutu and the guy dancing around her all about?

While semi-final two looks to be less competitive than the first, my head is telling me that Attention will almost certainly lack the attention it needs to qualify and is likely doomed to be heard only the once.

Image by Fotodiena [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 

Eurovision 2013: Lithuania: Something

Andrius Pojavis

Lithuania's hopes of qualifying for a third Eurovision final in a row lie with the song Something sung by Andrius Pojavis.

Andrius has described the song as indie-rock, but is better considered as indie-pop. There is something about Something that reminds me of another track, but I can't pinpoint it right now. He handles the song well, however, even if his vocals aren't the strongest in the contest. What might upset people more is that his eyebrows have a life of their own. Very distracting.

Something will be performed in tenth place of the first semi-final on May 14 and this will probably be the last time it is heard. Sorry Lithuania. 5/10.

Is Something your 2013 Eurovision winner?

Here's a short interview with Andrius Pojavis and he seems very hesitant about his chances of qualifying.