And here are the ten songs who made it through to the final on Saturday
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Croatia
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Hungary
Malta
the Netherlands
Russia
Seven out of ten isn't particularly bad, and after watching the final,
I can't really say that I disagree. After watching the show, nine out of ten of these are ones that were obvious finalists.
The Biggest Surprise
Nina Kraljić "Lighthouse" Croatia
I had thought an early place in the running order combined with an over-the-top costume would prevent Croatia from qualifying. The Croatian broadcaster hasn't always been the best at staging songs, so I'm glad to see this overcame the visual deficiency.
The Biggest Disappointment
Samra "Miracle" Azerbaijan
In my opinion, "Miracle" was the song that didn't deserve to qualify in the top ten. The staging was tacky and the vocals were weak. And the gold plated American football uniform? Don't get me started.
The Song I Would Have Voted For
Highway "The Real Thing" Montenegro
Although the Czech Republic would have gotten my first vote, Montenegro came in a close second. While the somewhat experimental hard rock was something that would have never qualified, I really responded to the music and staging. In a semifinal of things that were polished to an inch of their life, "The Real Thing" was interesting because it was deliberately unpolished.
The Can't Miss Song
Serhat "I Didn't Know" San Marino
I could have gone with the Armenian or Russian entries here, but really you'll see them elsewhere. San Marino's utter weirdness deserves to be highlighted here. It's trying so hard to be kitschy camp and it fails. It's worth a watch.
Tomorrow is the first semifinal of Eurovision, and it's time for me to make my predictions on the countries that will qualify.
The Sure Qualifiers
Hungary
Armenia
Russia
Malta
The Songs Without A Chance
Finland
Moldova
San Marino
Montenegro
The Undefined Middle
Greece
Croatia
Netherlands
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Austria
Estonia
Azerbaijan
Iceland
Bosnia/Herzegovina
As opposed to previous years, I haven't been following the ins and outs of the contest as prior years, so these are more personal guesses that anything else.
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bosnia/Herzegovina
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Malta
Russia
And as I do every year, I'm putting in a request. If you are reading this and are in a country that votes in this semifinal, please consider voting for this song.
Gabriela Gunčíková "I Stand" Czech Republic
This is a bog standard ballad, but Gunčíková performs it perfectly. Besides, the Czech Republic have never qualified for the final and this is a good song.
