The Radio Free Järbo Jury are ready to pass judement.
It’s that time again.
We watched the official videos as posted on the Eurovision website. We tried to just listen to the song and not be too swayed by the visuals of the videos. In some cases, however, the video gives more of a hint of what the song is about, especially if it is not in English, and even then. Here is what we think of every entry. We’ll give a summary of our thoughts on the semi-finals once they’ve happened.
Albania. Shkodra Elektronike. “Zjerm”
I am normally a big fan of the Albanian entries in Eurovision. Like this entry, they use musical motifs that are from their own culture, and that helps to make Eurovision interesting. But this is not my favourite of their recent entries. It doesn’t really seem to gel as a whole, at least on its first listen. I do like some of the background music, however.
Armenia. Parg. “Survivor”
He is a treat for the eyes. The song is an assault to the ears.
Nominee: Best Looking Guy.
Australia. Go-Jo. “Milkshake Man”
Leave it to Australia to break the mold. I don’t know if I like the song or not, but I did laugh all the way through the video. He is lecherously good looking, and I like his moves in the video, so it will be interesting to see what he does on the stage. And, I am sure there is a double entendre intended in the lyrics.
Nominee: Best Looking Guy.
Austria. JJ. “Wasted Love”
I want to say something nice about it, so I’ll say nice voice. But the song does’t work for me. It builds to a grand finale, but by then, I don’t care.
Azerbaijan. Mamagama. “Run with U”
Ok, these are not the most original or thoughtful lyrics, but the song has a really catchy beat that make people want to get up and dance. The video is hilarious, even if the connection to what the song is about isn’t really clear.
Nominee: Best Video
Belgium. Red Sebatian. “Strobe Lights”
Based on the bio online, this artist has a lot of musical education and talent. So it is a bit of a head scratcher that the song he was given does not allow him to show it off. Just a bit too electrical for my taste. With a good voice and a good song you don’t need all of that—unless you are doing 80’s disco.
Croatia. Marko Bošnjak. “Poison Cake”
I’d rather eat poison cake than listen to this mess again.
Cyprus. Theo Evan. “Shh.”
It has been a while since we’ve liked an entry from Cyprus. Clearly he’s a talented guy, but the song is just so-so.
Nominee: Best Looking Guy.
Czechia. Adonxs. “Kiss Kiss Goodbye.”
There is something about this song that grabs you and makes you want to listen to it, even if I’m not a big fan of the electro pop bridge. I like his voice very much, enough so that I wish the song were a little more solid.
Denmark. Sissal. “Hallucination”
Without having looked to see that this was the entry from Denmark, one would know this was from Scandinavia. It’s an OK song which Sissal sings the hell out of. It will get decent middle of the pack placement.
Estonia. Tommy Cash. “Espresso Macchiato”
What a fun and funny song. What it lacks in musicality and meaningful lyrics, it more than compensates with how much fun it is. I hope they can do something on stage as creative as the video. I’m not sure I would expect dodici punti from Italy, though.
Finland. Erika Vikman. “Ich Komme”
Didn’t understand it. Didn’t like it.
Nominee: Best Dominatrix.
France. Louane. “Maman”
You can (usually) count on the French to send a real singer with a real song to Eurovision. The French can do a ballad really well, and this is a very nice one. I fear Europe will hate it and not give the song its due.
Georgia. Mariam Shengelia. “Freedom”
Mixed emotions. I really like the way she sings, but the song is a little all over the map musically in a way that doesn’t hang together for me. There are several very good passages in the music which she handles really well, then it changes modes again and, while she always sings well, the song just doesn’t gel into a whole.
Germany. Abor & Tynna. “Baller”
It takes more than energy to make a good song. Energy is all this entry had. I hated it.
Greece. Klavdia. “Asteromáta”
We’re always suckers for a Balkan ballad, and Klavdia delivers with this beautiful song. I like the Eastern sound in the music and in her delivery of it. Well done, Greece.
Iceland. VÆB. “RÓA”
Another song with a very catchy beat and not much else, although I can get behind the idea of rowing out to see “the stars are bright.” I hope they wear those glasses on the stage when they perform live. Interesting that the video features the flags of Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Ireland. Emmy. “Laika Party”
Normally, we would really get behind a song about Laika, the space dog, being alive and well and having a party up there in the sky, just maybe not this one. It’s the kind of song you would gladly dance to after one too many cosmopolitans at Sunday tea dance, but it isn’t something you want to listen to over and over again. I’m also not a huge fan of her voice, although this is the right kind of song for it.
Israel. Yuval Raphael. “New Day Will Rise”
We really like this very beautiful song, simple, and simply done by this very talented singer. New Yorkers will notice the chandelier from Leonard’s of Great Neck in the video.
Italy. Lucio Corsi. “Volevo Essere Un Duro”
Full disclosure: We watched the San Remo festival and Lucio Corsi was not our favourite. But hearing it again, there is something about the song that we like now. I think it has a chance to do well. Absolutely the best video of the bunch—really hilarious.
Winner: Best Video.
Latvia. Tautumeitas. “Bur Man Laimi”
I think there is a place to mix traditional tunes with modern music, but in this case, it doesn’t make something I want to listen to. Very nice harmony and vocal blending by the singers, though.
Lithuania. Katarsis. “Tavo Aky”
You know we like a good rock song, and this one is rather interesting and there is something engaging about it. But we are not fans of the lead singer in this case. There are times when you think he’s flat and others when his voice works. The drummer is good.
Luxembourg. Laura Thorn. “La Poupée Monte Le Son”
Given the name of the song and how she is dressed in the video, we wanted to hate it. But there is something about the catchy beat and the dancers that actually make this fun to watch. I hope she does the “costume”change on stage.
Malta. Miriana Conte. “Serving”
Well, another case of an artist that we like, but a song that we are less fond of. There is a nice energy in the video that should work well on the stage. I hope she wears the Coke can hair rollers on stage.
Montenegro. Nina Žižić. “Dobrodošli”
Every year we hope there is a good ballad from Montenegro or North Macedonia. This is it for 2025. It is a really nice song which she sings really well. She doesn’t need pyrotechnics or other gimmicks—just park her on the stage and let her go. The song does seem to end rather abruptly, though.
Netherlands. Claude “C’est la Vie”
While I really, really like his voice, I only really like the song. It is a catchy tune for sure, and is not standard Eurovision fare. It’s the kind of thing you’ll find yourself humming. Although there were moments I thought Gloria Gaynor was going to break in singing “I Will Survive.”
Norway. Kyle Alessandro. “Lighter”
This is pretty standard Eurovision fare, and while not dreadful per se, it isn’t very good either. For one thing, I am sure that beat track has been used in the past on several other Eurovision entries. He performs it well in the video, but he’ll need to turn that into a decent stage presence. If so, he’ll have the audience’s attention (just not mine).
Poland. Justyna Steczkowska. “Gaja”
Based on the video, which was a filmed stage version, this entry is all about the full production of it—the great dancing, her flying above the crowd on ropes, etc.—and not so much (if at all) about the music or the singing.
Portugal. Napa. “Deslocado”
Well, it was OK. I had higher hopes after reading about their musical influences. Yes, you could hear the element of the Beatles as mentioned in their online bio, but, the song isn’t as strong as even the weakest Beatles tune.
San Marino. Gabry Ponte. “Tutta l’Italia”
It’s been a long while since a Eurovision entry from San Marino hasn’t made us want to projectile vomit (like since 2014). This one broke that streak! It’s a fun song with a lot of bounce to it. Not the best in the bunch, but hey, we kept our dinner down. That’s a start!
Nominee: Best Use of Tomato Sauce in a Video
Serbia. Princ. “Mila”
Handsome man with a gorgeous voice singing a beautiful song—what’s not to like. OK, maybe it is a bit typical of what the Balkans send to Eurovision, but as we said above, a good Balkan ballad is always welcome to us. As is a handsome man.
Nominee: Best Looking Guy.
Nominee: Longest hair.
Slovenia. Klemen. “How Much Time Do We Have Left”
I love this song. It’s meaningful and melodic, with the beauty in its simplicity. Maybe it could be improved with a stronger voice, but that just might be the quality of the video.
Spain. Melody. “Esa Diva”
It’s from Spain so we were prepared to hate it—but we didn’t. Melody has a good voice, even if this trite song lets her down a little. As with other entries from Spain, if she can deliver with a strong production on the stage, she’ll do well.
Sweden. KAJ. “Bara Bada Bastu”
So, what is Sweden’s strategy here? With all of the talented singers in Sweden, why don’t they send actual Swedes to Eurovision? Last year, they sent two Norwegian brothers to Eurovision because they won Melodifestivalen. This year, it’s three guys from Finland, who at least sing in Swedish (sort of). They just beat out Måns Zelmerlöw who won Eurovision in 2015. OK, it’s fun and the dancing is as good as the music allows. But it’s not a winner, as much as Sweden wants the record for the most Eurovision wins.
Nominee: Best Use of Towels and Birch Branches in a Video
Switzerland. Zoë Më. “Voyage”
Every now and then you just want to have a simple, pretty song. This is one and it is pleasant to listen to. I am not the biggest fan of her voice, or at least as it comes out in this song. I think the simplicity could get lost on the big stage. And, it could hardly be more different than last year’s winning entry.
Ukraine. Ziferblat. “Bird of Pray”
There are parts of this song I really like, the clever use of traditional music, the good harmonies, and the soprano descant, for example. But there are parts of it I hate, like the disjointedness of it all. Another good drummer, though.
United Kingdom. Remember Monday. “What the Hell Just Happened?”
“Totally forgettable,” Gunnar says, but I liked it. The song is fun, and talks about the kind of night we’ve all had, only maybe we don’t remember it as fondly as these three. I really like the way they harmonize. It is good enough for the UK not to get totally snubbed again, as in “null points”?
