01.FYR MACEDONIA – Elena Valevska - Nevina
The opening number has a good groovy rhythm and Elena sings her Balkan pop song with great confidence and joy. A joy to listen to and I expect a position among the top 10 songs at least. Makes me happy and I can not sit on my chair so I start dance instead. Bravo Pane.
02.LITHUANIA – Mango - Pazadeta Ni Nadie
A very repetitive song that has the same kind of annoying babbling voice right through the monotonous beat. Even with the 2nd best start number in USC(2) I can not see this one anywhere but in the bottom.
03.POLAND – A gdy jest juz ciemno
A pop-rock song that has those guitars with long crushing guitars that I am allergic against and also the singer is giving me the big wish to go away or turn off the music. I still wait for that fantastic pop song Poland had in USC 2002. Also this is very boring with the same melody and drums over and over and over again. Next please.
04.SLOVENIA – Tinkara Kovac - Grem
Slovenia go ballad this time. But there got to be more melodic songs that are ballads in Slovenia? But this one is full of emotion in singers voice and the sound is great to this song and also the piano is played with great acoustic feeling. Passionate voice goes perfectly with this great piece of art but competition is hard this season so maybe top 5 if lucky. Great choice Alan.
05.BELGIUM - Natalia – I’ve only begun to fight
What is this? No it can not be JeF. It can not be Belgium in United Song Contest, can it? Oh yes folks. This time Belgium has deserted the long winding serie of ballads and go for a splendid 70 disco inspired dance pop song with a rocky energetic singer that will do a great show on stage. I am surprised to say it but I get the winning feeling from this one and I am sure you will see Belgium in SOTY for the first time now. Very very good. It feels like those old style schlager pop songs in eurovision like Finlands “Fantasia” but not at all old but totally 100% burning fires and flames of the new millennium. GO BELGIUM. GO NATALIA. A victory is possible. JeF what a surprise. I will listen this many many times! Brussels in Spring is said to be great.
06.HUNGARY - Crystal – Hiv o vegtelen
A medieval technodance mix song. If this is Hungarian then I must admit it is great. Maybe because it has this mystic feeling. It is an decent entry but for 4 and a half minute the techno beat is not quite the thing you wanna hear. Good singers. Good beginning here Michaelssen for the re-entering of Hungary in USC editions.
07.SERBIA – Creative Band – Ne Diraj Me
People, Anel is back. With rockier music than USC usually have. There might be a chance away from pop towards more heavy stuff in USC now that we already has 3 rocky songs. Fantastic voice with a hard hard sound carpet of a great passionate song. A miss the pop but must admit that a song is good when it is good no matter what genre it is in. I would give 2 stars but the singer manage an extra star on her own passion.
08.TURKEY – Tarkan – Vay Anam Vay
After a very good position for Tarkan in USC 1997 it is wise to send him again. Less etno and more funky style. But I would prefer a more less monotonous song. Not bad but not great either. Maybe Tarkan had not so many great songs besides Simarik.
09.UNITED KINGDOM – Leona Lewis – The first time ever I saw your face
Now we go for the one country you would have expected to win the most times. But just as in Eurovision a victory for United Kingdom is very hard. A slow soul ballad with a touch of church choir and movie feeling is maybe not the perfect win song. But Leona is one of the best singers in the contest this time. Pure quality and 200% feeling in her voice she try her best to do something with the song. Mariah Carey has written this one or it is a cover? Well, too much weiling for my taste but good for when you want to cry for over 4 minutes. Both stars for her feeling and the sad melody in her voice.
10.FINLAND - Kwan - Shine
This is 2008. No old remake. Pure new and modern. Melancholic etno violins mixed with L.A. rap gives it a unique position in this contest. Bravo Harri but I can not really appreciate this kind of rap even though with a few Coskenkorvas I could also dance to it. Especially the violin melody.
11.GREECE – Peggy Zina – Alli mia fora
With a stolen Helena Paparitzou (Antique) title and a Greek voice of dark mystic and sexy feeling combined with a wonderful dancepop sound that has only the good stuff from techno and a melodic verse and a smash hook chorus this can not mean anything than triumph. Babis will again in 2008 be the man to try to beat. The “nananana” part of the song gives the winning feeling such intensity that my spine shivers. At Club United in Luxembourg city in March I am sure this will be played a lot. Expect to hear Greece 12p many times. Congratulations Peggy and Babis and Greece.
12.NETHERLANDS – Floortje – Believe in yourself
Oh another weiling ballad in Mariah Carey style. One is enough for me and Floortje do not go as high in quality as Leona. I heard this song many times before.
13.SWITZERLAND – Dorados – Mary ven con migo
The Suiss go espaniol now but isn’t there a mixup here. Was this not supposed to be in 1985 USC? Lovelly if it was 1973 but here I can almost see the scoreboard and see how Switzerland will win. Ah, not win that way but to win the first to get 0p in an USC contest. OK, it is a nice melody and they sing good with feeling I admit but so far away from 2008 that there can not be more than a star.
14.AUSTRIA – Loud 9 feat. Tamee Harrison – Song of Life
Ok. A third ballad. I am not really thinking it is good to have ballads in this extent but they sing good and it is a good song as well, But for Austria it is really a great song I could vote for. And this kind of lyrics also make me feel good so I like those as well. Half through I thought it was Ireland so bravo Ireland, no I mean bravo Austria. Congrats Micha.
15.BULGARIA – Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankulov - Earth
Welcome to United song contest Bulgaria. The 2007 Eurovision song by Elitsa was very cool and modern and had a absolutely haunting rhythm great for dancing. This one is totally non-rythmic and the annoying scream can only give you headache. Three minutes silence is better.
16.ITALY – Paola & Chiara – Vamos a bailar
Italy send same girls again after a terrible low result. This song is even not half as good and can only go down in the bottom. The song in Spanish is obviously a trend in this edition but this one is so repetitive that it was not even considered in the 2006 Italian preselections. What are Italy thinking? Well, we will see. At least it is a pop song sung in an acceptable way by two great artists.
17.ISRAEL – Dana International & Idan Yaniv – Serret Hodi
Dana goes Lebanese folk. Hmm….I usually like this kind of mix of arabic influensed and pop but this one is terrible. Good rhythm can not compensate for the absolutely repetitive endless melody.
18.SWEDEN – Sonja – A miracle
Sonja is back. And what a miracle it was that she won USC in Spring 2006 with “För att du finns”. This time she comes to Luxembourg city with a pulsating up tempo song that vibrate 300% schlager-pop but has her fantastic charisma and gentle voice. After winning the BEST Melosongfestivalen EVER during 3 years that it has existed, this entry can only do one thing in USC. Triumph. SOTY is obvious but a victory for Sonja a second time must be very hard to achieve especially considering the risk that some countries has openly expressed their concern that Sweden win too much and too often in USC and subsequently they might be a bit too tactical for Sonja to take her 2nd victory in USC. If you remember she ended 2nd in the very first Swedish preselection for USC 2 years ago with her song Etymon. Sweden has fantastic songs and succeed also to send them to USC time after time. I can only congratulate and hope others follow her example and also send the best they have. Bravo Javi and Hampus! Wait a minute…there is 6 stars here….well if my soul is on fire by a song then it is 6 stars.
19.ROMANIA – Jasmine – Sky is the limit
Jasmine got a very good result in USC before and now she came to try to get another good result. I think she will absolutely achieve a top 10 for sure SOTY also. But there is heavy competition and it will be hard reaching all the way. The hook is missing no matter how professional the song is. One of Romanias best entrys so far. Bravo Adrian.
20.Croatia – Zana – Druga violina
I don’t like Zana so much but it is an ok song. The mid tempo song should be either a full ballad or a more rapid song. Ordinary and OK!
21.IRELAND – Moya Brennan – Sailing away
Enya style music has proven to work well in USC before. But I wonder if this is as good that it can make a top 10 even. Weak melody and singing feels a bit tired and there is a gloomy dark atmosphere that makes me nervous. I am sure I will love it with the stage show or a haunting video. It is good. Ireland has come back with a good entry. Good Rikard, keep sending quality now.
22.GERMANY – System in blue – Voodoo Queen
Modern Talking but not Dieter Bolan. With funny lyrics and a huge stage show Germany has again selected a great entry. The Italian Nevio did a poor result in German national final and I must say something is wrong with the German jury since Nevio would have ended top 3 here. Voodo Queen has weak verses but the chorus is one of the most efficient of all. If you like Modern talking you will love this one. I am a fan so I like. Great entry Liza.
23.NORWAY – Alejandro Fuentes – Hell if I
A great man with a big voice filled with whiskey style and feeling. A modern pop song with very good production. I can easily see a top 3 and SOTY is absolutely possible. Maybe a mid tempo song is not really what USC give high points but he lift the song to world hit levels. Go Norway. Kim, you made it again!
24.SPAIN – Merche - Digale
Spanish ballad. Merche is amasing. Fragile, emotional and tender she brings out the Corazon in you and you fall in love with anyone listening to this song. So beautiful and the Spanish guitar I simply love. Real music, no techno programmed drumming and loops here. Live I am sure televoters will be calling a lot and live audience will love this one as well. Finally a great entry for Spain again. Bravo Sergio!
24.LUXEMBOURG – Pauline – Allo Le Monde
With Belgium singing in English and Switzerland in Spanish this is the first song in French in this contest. And only France will also join in the French. Very very unusual that USC only have 2 songs in French. Pauline is fantastic and I love her voice and the feeling in her singing is that she means every word. A bit repetitive in the end but there is real acoustic sound and will do good in winter with this pure pop song. Go Pauline and congrats Yannick.
26.FRANCE – Sofia Essaidi – Mon cabaret
Edith Piaf? No, only for 2 seconds and then this 2008 hot song start with a fantastic artist. Sofia is brilliant but what is this song? I wonder if it is gonna get NO STARS or if it so genious that it will win the whole contest. Parts of it give me winning feeling and other parts make me feel ill and make me want to turn it off. A dark horse for France. Watch out. Greg gave me a real problem here now to predict results but I do’nt really like it too much. A star for Sofia only.
27.SLOVAKIA – Martina Sinderlova - Neutekam
So we reached the end and this entry is a worthy closure of a great USC edition. A modern song with a singer that I really like and want to hear more. She lift the roof of the Arena and once again a rock influenced pop song with modern costume. Great production and Martina glow. Bravo Sandy.
To conclude it is high quality with a few really bad entries. And I adore Sonja Alden and wouldn’t mind her being the first artist to win USC 2 times . But Greece is also a winning candidate as always but I would be most happy to see the fantastic song from Belgium triumph so we can go to Brussels or Gent or anywhere there. Now I am off to listen some Natalia, Sonja and Peggy songs. Bye bye. Take care!
