I met my enemy, and it was my semi
- Austria: Global Kryner - Y Asi: Weird mix of polka and Latin music. Think Weird Al Yankovic goes to Salzburg.
- Andorra: Marian Van de Wal - La Mirada Interior: I liked Marta's song last year, this is not a good follow up.
- Bulgaria: Kaffe - Lorrain: Bulgaria could very well hold a revote too. Apparently the singer has been physically threatened; the performers of the 2nd place song refused to sing and still came in 2nd...All this over a quiet, unassuming song about "Lorrain in the rain." Daft lyrics, would love it a lot more if it was in Bulgarian or an instrumental.
- Denmark: Jakob Sveistrup - Tænder på dig: This sounds like the ending theme to the Danish release of a Disney movie. I believe the title translates along the lines of "tender for you" or thereabouts. It's all cute and gushy with light drums and piano. I can just stomach it in Danish, if they send it in English, then I'm having a bucket ready. Where are the follow-ups to "Hallo Hallo," Denmark.
- Estonia: Suntrbe - Let's Get Loud: First and foremost, this is not like the Jennifer Lopez song of the same name. It's actually not too bad. (It's no "Tii," which was deliciously wacky, but I can understand the need to play safe.) A group of young girls mimic scratching and sing about "getting loud." You can't expect profound lyrics, but it's catchy and likeable.
- Finland: Geir Ronning - Why: Why another ballad, I ask?
- (FYR) Macedonia: Martin Vucic - Ti Si Son: (FYR) Macedonia is another country with dodgy voting practices, because the 2nd placed song was the vote leader, but got 2nd due to the strange way voting was set up. Anyway, it's upbeat, in Macedonian, and Martin is a good piece of eye candy. (Nothing wrong with thinking with one's crotch on occasion.)
- Israel: Shiri Maymon - Hasheket shenish'ar: Another ballad, albeit in Hebrew with possibly excellent lyrics. (I can forgive a lot for good lyrics.)
- Latvia: Walter & Kazha - The War Is Not Over: You know those young 16-25 year old men who always seem to hang out on the steps of a high school/college playing guitar? You know then ones who like think that they're being soulful and artistic, when really they're just trying to sleep with the people who are fawning over them. That's what these two are. I'm sorry, but this song annoys the living daylights out of me. Dire.
- Lithuania: Laura & The Lovers - Little By Little: Never mind how it got through, but this is not bad (although Saules Kilosas should've won) in the upbeat Swedish schlager way. (Appropriate since I think a Swedish group is behind it.) Yards better than"What Happened To Your Love?"
- Moldova: Zdob Si Zdub - Bunica Bate Toba: I like this. It's a decent quirky rock song about "Granny playing the drums." There might be a bizarre stage show, but I don't care. Go Moldova.
- The Netherlands: Glennis Grace - My Impossible Dream: Ballad, although Glennis might speed it up for the final. Thank god, because this is quite unremarkable. (Ok, I'm still smarting over Justine Palmelay.)
- Poland: Ivan & Delfin - Czarna Dziewczyna - Fast-paced folk song about a "dark-haired girl" as performed by two men. It's upbeat, but there's not much I can like here unless they perform the hell out of it live.
- Slovenia: Omar Naber - Stop: Yes, please stop, and give your spot over to Alya.
Oh you lucky Finalists
- Albania: Ledina Celo - Nesër shkoj: This rocks although it seems like it might be performed in English in Kiev. (And if you remember the lyrical horror of "The image of you...") The inspiration is apparently an Albanian wedding. I had no idea that Albanian weddings featured women singing turbofolk while dressed in some of the most bosom-revealing outfits on the planet. Worth mentioning is the power note that Ledina holds towards the end, which could give Barbra Streisand a run for her money.
- Cyprus: Konstantinos - Ela Ela: Konstantinos pretty. His song so-so. It's very upbeat and dramatic Greek in style without actually being in Greek. Sakis Rouvas mk. II. "Ela is the word for action," indeed. Every time I hear "come baby, come baby" I keep on thinking about the song "Rumpshaker."
- Russia: Natalya Podolskaya - Nobody Hurt No-One: We've been here before. My opinion hasn't changed.
- Turkey: Gülseren - Rim Rimi Ley: It's cute, upbeat, and in Turkish. I would be surprised if it does well, but it does put you in a good mood. (Note, I can take "cute" but not absurdly saccharine.)
- Ukraine: Greenjolly - Razom Nas Bahato: Who knew you could take the old protest chant "the people, united, will never be defeated" and turn it into a rap song? By all accounts, Ani Lorak would've walked the Ukrainian final had not NTU invited 4 wild-cards (who are all coincidentally involved with the Orange Revolution). Greenjolly (daft name, isn't it) themselves, are all for Ani Lorak going as well. Plus, the EBU is investigating the lyrics to see how much of the song is original and not based on old 1960's protest songs. Anyway, I totally agree with the lyrics (I'm a socialist, this sort of "together we are strong" sentiment gets to me), but the execution is, uh, not as good as the lyrics. In fact, they do come across as drunk young men shouting their way from bar-to-bar.
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