Semifinal One 2016: The aftermath

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.