EUROVISION SONG CONTEST (ESC) 2023 — LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK

Reexamining My Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Favorites (And Not-So-Favorites)

This is a follow-up to my original article about listening to all 37 Eurovision songs

Eurovision Song Contest is about to have the two semifinals and grand final this week in Liverpool, England. This is the first year that I’ve had a chance to immerse myself in the music and the pageantry of the contest. My partner hasn’t called it so much immersed as he’s called it a bit obsessive. I’ve found myself singing all of these songs randomly, even some of the ones that I don’t like so much. And I’m fully in the experience this year.

That’s not counting the year 2020 when I watched “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” and the song “Husavik (My Hometown)” got picked for Original Song at the Oscars that year and could’ve actually done well if it were a real song in the contest. It also introduced me to the fictional idea of the Speorg note which might as well be a real thing by now since it was birthed to life through the movie. I just look for big moments in songs in the performances and that feels like the Speorg note to me. Did anyone achieve that for me this year? Stay tuned and find out.

Semifinal 1

Semifinal 1 is on 9th May 2023 at 8:00 pm BST and 3:00 pm Eastern Time for those following in the US, myself included. That will be noon on the West Coast of the United States so it’s a very accessible time for the time zones out here in North America as well as its target audience in Europe. All dates in this story are going to be in the standard international form of day, month, and year instead of what Americans are used to with month, day, and year. That is to make this article accessible to the main audience of Europeans as well.

I’m an American invested in a (mostly) European song contest started by the Swiss. Here’s more on the history from the official Eurovision site. I’m loving that the USA may get to vote for the first time as it seems that Eurovision wants to appeal more internationally this year. I don’t know if that rumored televote will happen in the Semifinals, Finals, or both but if I had my vote, here are my top 5 for this semifinal. This is in order of my favorites.

Top 5

1. Finland-This song is so fun and catchy. You can’t help but yell “Cha, Cha, Cha” every time you hear it. Käärijä seems to really be enjoying himself out there and this song is like no other song in the competition. His interviews and public appearances have even been fun. The blend of the genres within the song and the high energy and performance along with the staging make this now my favorite to win. He might not be the most talented vocalist in the competition but he mixed enough fun along with clever musicality and dancing into this performance. Plus, the song is in his native language.
2. Sweden-I know, I know, Loreen is the favorite to win. She won before with “Euphoria”. Honestly, I feel like that song is better and the more I hear “Tattoo”, the more fault I can find with it. It has a very steady, simple, and repetitive melody. Loreen is athletic, a great performer, and a great dancer and singer, but I feel like people will be tired of her by the time the competition rolls around. I like the song still but I think it will just continue creeping down my list a bit considering it’s the betting favorite as well.
3. Serbia-How can you not get this one stuck in your head? Luke Black’s performance, breathing, spoken word parts, and his “Hello” interjections in the song keep you interested until the very end. By the way, Samo mi se spava means “I just want to sleep” and you can tell by the staging, the performance, and singing that this song has a very dark tone. It’s also quirky enough to be a dark horse in the competition.
4. Czechia-The music video of “My Sister’s Crown” by Vesna really got me hooked. They also sing in various languages throughout the song and it’s definitely experimental in its musicality. It’s also got a powerful message and is very catchy and worth multiple listens. This song was a bit higher on my list the last time but I find myself finding other songs and the value in them. After all, this is a contest. I also worry, as many other observers do, that their performance is too complex and the staging could get messy. I hope that they nail it because they really have a chance to win as well.
5. Norway-This song really bumped for me when I first heard it, I thought that I was going to put this right up there with Loreen. “Queen of the Kings” is a very pro-feminist anthem and has a lot of power. I think that Norway, despite having a good song is just going to struggle to win because of the completion ahead of Alessandra. She is very talented and this was definitely a great song in a line of great songs that Norway has brought but I feel like this one has the potential to be an underperformance.

The order in which these songs are occurring on my current list has changed since the last list I put out there. Since this is the harder and more talented of the two semifinals, I feel like the winner of this entire contest (Grand Final) will be contained within this top 5.

Bottom 5

Now I will look at my bottom 5 in this semifinal. These are the countries that I feel are the weakest and may also be eliminated from the competition before the final. The order will go from 1 being the weakest and then to the final one before the line of qualification.

1. Azerbaijan-This isn’t the weakest entry in the whole competition. That would be contained within the second semifinal. This song, “Tell Me More” performed by twins, TuralTuranX, in an alternative rock style is very forgettable. It’s a decent song but it doesn’t have what it takes to make it in a very tough field.
2. Ireland-Another forgettable and lame rock ballad. The message of the song, “We Are One” isn’t too terrible and this band, Wild Youth, has put out better songs independent of the Eurovision competition. I think that they were trying to go for a more universally appealing song but instead played it too safe and got the harder of the two semifinals too.
3. Netherlands-There’s a theme here for the weakest songs in this semifinal. Another forgettable and safe duet reminiscent of an earlier-in-the-decade alternative rock hit. The duet of Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper sing the song, “Burning Daylight” okay but it lacks a real emotional punch for me.
4. Latvia-I mean this song really isn’t that bad. “Aija” by Sudden Lights isn’t terrible. I wouldn’t mind listening to this song outside of this competition but I don’t feel like it stacks up against the rest of the songs. It’s also very forgettable although the staging is one thing that could take it over the top. The thing is, I think that this song would do better with a jury, but the jury isn’t present in the semifinals this year so it certainly hurts their chances.
5. Switzerland-I’m going to put this song here now even though I personally think it’s one of the better ones in the contest. I’ll tell you why though. I originally had Portugal here on my first list but the Portugal entry has grown on me and it is also a very good song on multiple relistens. I think that Switzerland is going to struggle because of the perceived boredom in the song, “Watergun” by Remo Ferrer. This young guy had previously won “The Voice” and has an incredible singing talent but some other more exciting song might overtake him. And he will be left out as the last song out in the first semifinal.

My thoughts on the middle five

I’m going to list these five in order from 6–10 so you can see how much they’ve moved on my list since my last story.

Portugal “Ai Coração” Mimicat-This song has grown on me so much. I think that it is starting to pick up appeal with the audience as it is very original and the singing talent is clearly there. I have listened to this song so many times since I last criticized it. I really hope that this one makes it through. The last time I checked, it was on the borderline of elimination based solely on the vote. Her outfit, her performance, her style, and her unique voice make this song for me. Also, I love the sound of the Portuguese language and I appreciate that they submitted an entry completely in Portuguese.

Moldova “Soarele şi Luna” Pasha Parfeni-The song, the style, and the performance along with the unique sound sung almost exclusively in Romanian do great wonders for this song. I don’t see this song as either a top-level or lower-level song though. I feel like it’ll fall somewhere in the middle. The costumes and staging will definitely be interesting to watch as we head towards the live performances. It feels a bit gimmicky but there is enough good parts in the song to keep that balance.

Israel “Unicorn” Noa Kirel-I don’t know if the fact she’s slipped so far for me is the fact that the song is becoming staler over multiple listens. She was previously one of my favorites. It almost is even a bit gimmicky with the fact that they tried to mix multiple songs into one. It could also be the fact that my partner started saying, “Feminine Hole” when she would sing “phenomenal” in that one part, and now I can’t unhear it. The lyrics on careful listen sometimes don’t make much sense and she’s a centaur and not a unicorn in the video. Eh.

Croatia “Mama ŠČ!” Let 3-This is by far the weirdest and joke-level entry in the contest. I’m not saying that Croatia tried to send a joke entry in but it wouldn’t be unheard of. The message is serious enough as a parody of war and to dictators. The fact that there are 50 and 60-year-old men out on stage in drag and dressed as dictators should be enough to make me say, “Huh?” At first, because of that message, I had them higher on my list and the song is certainly catchy. I think that it’ll be hurt by the comic elements of it and the fact that it is too out there for a lot of the audience. I do think that it’ll qualify from this group for the Grand Final though.

Malta “Dance (Our Own Party)” The Busker-This song was previously much higher on my list because of the saxophone throughout. Now that I’ve heard it enough, I’ve grown a bit tired of the song already. The guys in the group, especially the lead singer, are good-looking enough and that might skate them past the semifinals with the televote but they are borderline and I also worry that they will either be the last one in or the last one out. I do like the saxophone though even if the lyrics are kind of basic. It’s a fun song.

Semifinal 2

Semifinal 2 is on 11 May 2023. It is also at 8:00 PM BST (3:00 PM Eastern Time and 12:00 PM Pacific Time) and will have one more participating country than the first semifinal. Because of that fact, there will be six eliminated from the second group instead of five to get down to the top 10. For this section, I will do my top 5 and bottom 6 then middle 5 as in the first section.

This is the weaker semifinal but will still have songs that I really admire. I will go ahead and list the first 5 in the order of my top 5 and who I think will do the best.

Top 5

1. Austria-If you haven’t heard Teya and Salena’s “Who The Hell is Edgar?” yet, I suggest that you do. It is by far the strongest song in the second semifinal. The song is not only catchy but has very clever lyrics. It is high-energy, the women can sing, and there’s even a dance. It is a satire of the treatment of female songwriters and just songwriters in general and the treatment and the pay that they get for their work. Also the repetition of Poe throughout the song along with “Oh, mio padre, there’s a ghost in my body” is just outstanding.
2. Armenia-Brunette’s song, “Future Lover” was my early favorite in the competition. The song combines genres and there is even a rap break. There is also the part at the end where she sings in Armenian. This song had a lot of nice elements to it. Even though I’ve heard the criticism that this song can build up too slow at times and her enunciation of the words, “Be good, do good, look good” sound muddled at times, I still think this is one of the stronger songs in the competition. The only reason I haven’t put this one at 1 in this semifinal is because of how strong Austria’s song is. This song could’ve won in a previous year.
3. Slovenia-Joker Out has come out with a catchy song. This band sings completely in Slovenian for this rock hit, “Carpe Diem” but everything about this entry completely works. I feel like this song could be a party club hit right now. It is a very solid entry from the band and the country and could surprise a lot of people with a much higher ranking in the Grand Final than people would expect.
4. Georgia-I originally slept on this entry and even thought that it might be out early. I’ve listened to this song a few more times and it is very powerful vocally. I feel like Georgia definitely benefits from going in one of the last few spots in this weaker semifinal. Iru’s “Echo” has a very powerful vocal and can definitely compete. I don’t think it’d win but it certainly will surprise many people.
5. Australia-This song by Voyager called “Promise” has the benefit of going last in the weaker semifinal. Their song originally ranked higher for me. I still think that this heavy rock anthem will play well live especially with the band playing instruments and with a great performance vocally. It’s just that I feel like it slips a bit for me at this point especially since I’ve heard much better from this country in the past. I heard Sheldon Riley’s song from 2022 and I’m floored.

Bottom 6

Now I will look at my bottom 6 in this semifinal. These are the countries that I feel are the weakest of the weaker semifinal and will be eliminated from the competition before the final. The order will go from 1 being the weakest and then to the final one before the line of qualification.

1. Poland-Look, I’ve really tried liking this song a lot. I can’t overlook the fact that Blanka probably paid her way through the National Final (Jann is the true and real winner and that’s not even a controversial comment to make). The song “Solo” is just bad, and her vocals are awful. Sure, it’s catchy and it got me to even sing it a couple of times before I realized what I was doing but this is probably one of the worst entries in the contest to date. She can’t really dance, she can’t sing at all, and she’s just a sexy girl and a pretty face.
2. Romania-I feel ashamed putting this one down here since the kid is young and the name of the song is literally the initials of my travel publication but I would never want to have anything to do with “D.G.T. (Off and On) by Theodor Andrei. It’s a bad song, a bad performance, and the vocals at times are atrocious. The gimmick of having Make Love Not War on his chest as his shirt comes off seems inappropriate for an 18-year-old, barely legal boy. Romania should actually be ashamed of this.
3. San Marino-Talk about terrible vocals and trying too hard. San Marino sent in another bad performance this year with Piqued Jacks, “Like an Animal.” The lyrics seem to make little sense at times and other times it just seems genuinely creepy. I don’t know whether to listen to this song or report it to the music police. This is a crime against music. I don’t really have much more to say about this bad song.
4. Greece-This song is sung by the youngest performer in the competition. He wrote it himself and he’s only 16 years old. It just seems a bit bland and boring. Sure, the tempo at times is quick and he is a decent singer. This song isn’t memorable enough for Eurovision though. It doesn’t benefit from being perceived as high-energy and for a young kid, he didn’t really play to his audience. This is one of the most boring entries in a while.
5. Denmark-This is what happens when TikTok is a song and is stretched into three minutes. The singer, from what I’ve heard, is a 26-year-old from that very platform. I haven’t liked the sound of this song from the beginning. It did start much lower on this list for me but I can see now that it is more exciting than the ones I put below it and at least he’s a little more talented vocally than the very bottom of this list. I just don't think I’d ever put this song on repeat and the overuse of the vocoder definitely hurts this song’s general appeal.
6. Albania-This song has definitely grown on me. It’s just that the lead singer is the highlight of this song. I love that Albina brought in her family, the Kelmendi family, to sing an Albanian folk-style song about families. It just doesn’t feel like a Eurovision-friendly song and for that, I think that this will be the last one out. I like this song enough to put it over the rest of the rejected ones below it but I still think that it will fail to qualify for the Grand Final. Plus, they have to follow Austria and that will be a difficult task.

My thoughts on the middle 5

Lithuania “Stay” Monika Linkytė-This song was previously in my lower half. I think that on multiple relistens, I’ve just heard how powerful and clear her voice is. I think that with the right staging and powerful performance, she could sneak into the Grand Final. That “Čiūto tūto” repetition throughout was annoying at first but it helps aid you through the song and appreciate the melody more. I like that she had backup vocalists for that part too. This song will definitely surprise some people.

Estonia “Bridges” Alika-This is another song that I was initially meh on when I first heard it. Now that I’ve heard it multiple times, I think she delivers a strong and solid vocal. Could she have picked something more exciting? Sure. But that could be said about many ballads. I think the fact that she gets to follow one of the more atrocious songs in Romania in the performance order will definitely benefit her at this point.

Belgium “Because of You” Gustaph-I’ve liked this song enough throughout the lead-up to the competition. It reminds me a lot of a 90s dance hit and there’s nothing wrong with paying homage to an era of music far superior to today’s hits. The song is very danceable and the vocalist has a strong enough vocal with enough energy that this one gets into the top 10 of their semifinal. I don’t find any fault with it but it’s definitely not a winning performance.

Iceland “Power” Diljá-This is a song that I originally worried could be on the brink of being out. You can see from where I placed them, that I could still be worried about that. I think that this one is just good enough to skate into the top 10 of the weaker semifinal though. Her voice is powerful and I think that they could improve the song and the performance by cleaning a few things up before the semifinal. Diljá has a powerful voice and I think that her talent is wasted with this song.

Cyprus “Break a Broken Heart” Andrew Lambrou-The tiny island country of Cyprus had a good song going into this semifinal. I was high on it early on. At this point, the song has made me weary. Sure, it’s a nice vocal. Sure, the guy looks nice who sings it. It just doesn’t seem very Eurovision-y. I feel like this song will get lost in the fray. He has a nice falsetto and a good range but he is near the middle of the order and that could hurt him. It could still qualify as it shows on my list here and would be the last in. I just worry about this one being borderline much like the other ones I classified as such.

Grand Final and the Automatic Qualifiers

So, as Eurovision fans know, the top 26 go to the Grand Final. That is with the 6 automatic qualifiers going in without having to participate in the Semifinals. The Grand Final is going to be on 13 May 2023. It is also at all of the previously listed times of 8:00 PM BST (3:00 Eastern Time and 12:00 Pacific Time). The automatic qualifiers are going to be mentioned in this section since I had no other spot to mention them previously as this will be the first live performance in the competition by each country. I will rank them in my personal 1–6 order to show you which ones I like the most and least out of the automatic qualifiers.

1. France “Evidemment” La Zarra-This song from the French-Canadian singer may be an automatic qualifier but I actually think that this one could’ve qualified even if it had to compete in the semifinals. In fact, I’ll go a step further and list this as one of the ones that I think could win this year. Her vocal is one of the best of the year. The song is aided by the dramatic tone, beat, and French lyrics. Her outfit, along with the hat, is stunning and vintage and complements the modern electro-pop sound very well.
2. Spain “Eaea” Blanca Paloma-I slept on this song when I first heard it. I can’t believe that I did. This performance, outfits, and vocals are stunning. This is another song deserving to be in the finals without having to compete in the semifinals. Listen carefully to the emotion and the pain in her voice as she sings these very beautiful and heartbreaking Spanish lyrics. This song is deserving of a top 10 or higher finish.
3. United Kingdom “I Wrote A Song” Mae Muller-With all of the duds that I’ve heard the UK send to Eurovision in the past, I’m happy that they sent in a quality and catchy pop hit from a beautiful singer. This song is fringe top-10 and is a good song. I could hear this song on today’s radio and her energy, delivery, and dancing are enough to make this a very solid Eurovision entry. Not as good as my top 2 here but definitely worthy of at least a top 15 finish at the Grand Final.
4. Italy “Due Vite” Marco Mengoni-A song that is entirely in Italian and sung by a capable and powerful vocalist. You can also hear the emotion in his voice as he performs this. The only thing that brings this one down below the others is the discrepancy in the live performance at the National Final. I feel like his vocals are good but he could deliver them much better. The video makes the song better and is absolutely stunning. I could see this as a radio hit in Italy at the very least.
5. Ukraine “Heart of Steel” Tvorchi-This song was higher on my list at one point but now I feel like it’s fallen flat a bit for me. Obviously, as an automatic qualifier, they are in the Grand Final. This one will definitely not do as well as “Stefania” by Kalush Orchestra. That song was phenomenal and deserved to win last year. This song tries to do something similar to last year by subverting expectations of what Ukraine would send in but last year’s entry had much more heart. It’s still a solid song.
6. Germany “Blood & Glitter” Lord of the Lost-What should I say about this one? It definitely stands out. I don’t know what it is for me but it is the worst out of the automatic qualifiers in my book. I know people that absolutely love it or hate it. It seems like a good fit since it’s an attention-grabbing song and those usually do well in Eurovision. There is just something deeply disturbing about this song beyond the hard metal screams and the heavy instrumentals. First off, the look is offputting and the effects of the blood and glitter on stage distract from an otherwise mediocre metal performance. I’m sure that I’ll get the most hate for this opinion but it’s mine to state. I’m not sure that this one qualifies without the help.

Conclusion

So, there you have it, the times, all of the songs, and the personal analysis of every Eurovision song this year. I feel like I had to be thorough in doing at least a paragraph or so for each country explaining why or why I don’t like a certain song. I hope that you get a chance to listen to all of the songs and make your own judgments.

If you’re reading this from Europe, I hope that you enjoyed this commentary, especially if you're in one of the favorite countries to win this year or in one of my own favorite personal lists on this story. If you’re reading this from the USA and wondering why I have included you in the audience, we have a chance in either the Semifinals, Grand Final, or both to make a difference in who wins this year and that’s a big deal.

Americans should pay attention to this if we get a say this year. I don’t personally see the USA ever having a spot in the Eurovision Song Contest, although Australia has had a spot in the contest for a while now and they are also not in Europe but it would just feel out of place. For now, I’ll enjoy the chance to affect the Televote.

I combined both how much I liked a band and how well I thought that they would do personally to compile each one of these. I don’t know if I’m completely accurate. There are definitely surprises every year but this is certainly a deeper analysis than I did in my last story. You can read that below. I will also include the order of the songs below as well. You can also listen to each song from the below links as each link in the list takes you to YouTube, which is also the case in my original story.

Semifinal 1

Semifinal 2

The list that includes the automatic qualifiers