18 April 2024

In just two years since removing juries from helping to decide the qualifiers from semi finals, the Eurovision Song Contest has made a dramatic shift to dance, fun and even joke songs. This was expected given the tastes of the general public, and cements the decision by the European Broadcasting Union as poorly considered. Lost in the rationale that the respective top ten songs did not differ significantly between the jury and the public is that juries enticed more varied and artistic songs to ESC in the first place. That factor was even more important than offsetting the rampant bloc voting and helping to promote different styles to qualify for the grand final. Consequently, we have a year that seems one of the weakest and least interesting ever.

It’s important to note that this rank of the 37 entries to appear on the stage in Malmö is based primarily on the songs themselves. Music videos and, especially, national final performances are disregarded as best as possible. Often it’s difficult once they are seen, so I do try to hear each song without any visual distraction.

The playlist of my Top 37 here

Also note that this is a ranking. It does not mean that the song ranked first is 30 times better than the 30th ranked song, nor does it mean a high ranking necessarily defines something as utterly brilliant. It just means it’s better than those below it, and the differences can be incredibly small.

37 Ineligible Associate Member

Why I am boycotting Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest

One Star (Poor)

36 Ireland – Bambie Thug – Doomsday Blue

A mix of talking and screaming, with a bit of shitty blues thrown in, which typically gives me the browns. No.

35 Greece – Marina Satti – Zari

I don’t understand this. It’s a complete mess, with little redeeming qualities musically.

34 Ukraine – Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil – Teresa & Maria

It’s Jamala’s 1944 with the howling replaced by rap. It’s a no. A hard no.

33 Portugal – Iolanda – Grito

Tough to appraise fully. It seems ok, and might reveal itself after ten listens. I just don’t have the time.

Two Stars (Average)

32 Germany – Isaak – Always On The Run

Germany’s back to doing what Germany does best: being boring. Voice is nice (reminiscent of Australia’s Guy Sebastian from 2015) and it’s radio friendly with it easy to bounce along to. Beyond that, we’ve heard it all a million times before.

31 Moldova – Natalia Barbu – In The Middle

Seeing Natalia Barbu with this song is somewhat shocking following her appearance at Eurovision 2007 with Fight. That song is among my all time favourites, as Natalia Barbu pulsated with her rocking performance, souring vocals, foxy outfit and all that hair. None of that is in In The Middle. Did I mention I like saying Natalia Barbu’s name? Barbu. Barbu. It’s so cute! Anyway, in 2024 Natalia Barbu appears in slicked back blonde hair and with a rather bland ballad mixed with ethnic influences. After several listens, it strangely becomes a bit hypnotic, and there’s something about that choreography and those five women all looking the same. It’s not the worse song this year, even it is for many people. Or perhaps, I’m still a bit transfixed by the whole “Barbu” thing. Who knows!

30 United Kingdom – Olly Alexander – Dizzy

This has cheap, male Kylie Minogue written all over it. Yep, a song Kylie Minogue would reject and give to a male sound-a-like. It’s OK, and has been stuck in my head at times.

29 Estonia – 5miinust x Puuluup – (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi

This must be one of the longest song titles ever in Eurovision, if not the longest. The online translation is “We don’t (yet) know anything about (these) drugs”, so that’s a hint to the sort of song it is. A mix of hip-hop and folk, it feels all a bit frivolous. After seeing so much of them since the lead up to Eesti Laul, I feel like some drugs to get through it again.

28 Azerbaijan – Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov – Ozunle Apar

One of the final songs released among a flurry of others, and it’s a little forgotten. Best parts are the string sections and the haunting vocals. The song, itself, does not stand out much.

27 Norway – Gåte – Ulveham

This is good until the incessant wailing at the end. It was a strong NRK Melodi Grand Prix, and Gåte only won (ahead of Keiino) due the jury/public vote split made 40/60 for this year.

26 Iceland – Hera Björk – Scared of Heights

Hera is back after finishing 19th at Eurovision 2010 with Je ne sais quoi, and at least brings the familiar Hera style and accomplished voice. A shame the song doesn’t offer too much of interest, and it will likely fizzle at Eurovision like Iceland’s threats to boycott the contest over Israel’s participation.

25 Serbia – Teya Dora – Ramonda

Promises a lot, and a lovely voice. It just leaves it all until the end, and it’s still not that compelling.

24 Spain – Nebulossa – Zorra

I love the vibe of this so much. The problem is that there’s no chorus! There’s barely any deviation in tempo from start to finish.

23 Lithuania – Silvester Belt – Luktelk

Quite a catchy dance song, if a bit repetitive.

Three Stars (Good)

22 Slovenia – Raiven – Veronika

Finally, Raiven gets her chance at Eurovision after three close results in Slovenia’s national finals. Second in 2016 to ManuElla’s Blue And Red (one of my all time favourite ESC songs), then third in 2017 and second in 2019. Internally selected for 2024, Raiven brings her usual dramatic flair in this powerful ballad. Excellent vocals too, which she will need to produce on stage to give herself the best chance of reaching the final. The song is about Veronika of Desenice, who was accused of witchcraft, and eventually murdered, and her story has inspired creations in various arts.

21 Malta – Sarah Bonnici – Loop

Malta is stuck in a loop as, again, they just try too hard with Eurovision. Loop has already had a revamp, and no doubt the staging will be ramped up. Besides that, Loop is quite addictive and, ironically, feels better without the distraction of the video. Malta is probably 2 or 3 years behind with this song too, which is often another of their problems. Anyway, we will see how Sarah goes!

20 Armenia – Ladvaniva – Jako

Much of the attraction of this is vocalist Jaklin Baghdasaryan, who is so damn cute! Besides that, it’s a catchy song with traditional sounds, and does not overstay its welcome.

19 Latvia – Dons – Hollow

A solid ballad with a strong vocal presence that doesn’t break any moulds.

18 Luxembourg – Tali – Fighter

Back to the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time since 1993, not that you’d know it as Fighter sounds so generic that it could come from any country. It’s a slick, well produced dance/pop song, with its main distinguishing feature being that most of it is in French. Tali (full name Tali Golergant) was born in Israel to a Peruvian Jewish father, so is quite the exotic mix, and naturally speaks several languages.

Four Stars (Excellent)

17 Albania – Besa – Titan

Quite the revamp from the original Albanian version of the song that won Festivali i Kenges. While I do prefer the original, Titan delivers the same raw power, and will look forward to Besa presenting it on the Eurovision stage.

16 Switzerland – Nemo – The Code

The Code mixes several styles, including rap, and is one of the more artistic songs this year that’s also quite well liked by the Eurovision community. For me, while appealing, I just don’t feel it all. Clearly Nemo has talent so we’ll see how he delivers at Eurovision.

15 San Marino – Megara – 11:11

The only real rock song this year, and it rocks with its energy and powerful vocals. By a Spanish alternative rock band and singing in Spanish, it’s a story of if you can’t win your own national final, go try for San Marino. Megara finished fourth in Spain’s national final in 2023. The song title (according to wikipedia) relates an “angel number” (numbers with repeating digits) tied to “spiritual awakening, self-awareness, and personal growth”. At least it’s not 666!

14 Finland – Windows95man – No Rules!

One of the sillier songs this year, and one of the most fun, which helped it somewhat to a surprise victory at UMK 2024. Highly addictive, and one that will often get me singing aloud. No Rules!

13 Italy – Angelina Mango – La noia

Curiously, another Spanish influence pops up in an unexpected place. First San Marino, now Italy. While the song is in Italian, there’s a distinct Spanish flamenco feel to it. It’s one that comes and goes in my psyche, and is difficult to rate and rank. While it’s a tad repetitive, there’s an alluring, hypnotic feel to it. Nice for Italy to send a woman to Eurovision as well. It’s only the fourth time since their return in 2011, and the record hasn’t been that great with them either. Nina Zilli 9th in 2012, Emma 21st in 2014, and Francesca Michielin 16th in 2016. The latter two were two of my big favourites heading into Eurovision, and I’m still struggling with the stage disaster that was Emma performing La mia citta.

12 Netherlands – Joost Klein – Europapa

That chorus is so addictive, and the versus are fun. Not sure about the overall package. I forgot we heard Dutch at Eurovision as recently as 2022 with S10’s De diepte, so Joost is not breaking any long spell in that regard as I thought. Before that was 2010. Then we go back to 1998, which was the last year songs were required to use an official national language.

11 Sweden – Marcus & Martinus – Unforgettable

It’s becoming a little forgettable for Norwegian twins, Marcus & Martinus, since their big win at Melodifestivalen. Their entry always relied heavily on a strong visual presence, and that novelty value has disappeared over the weeks. It’s still a quality dance song, and will represent the host nation, Sweden, well.

The Top Ten

10 Denmark – Saba – Sand

This one has really grown on me over the weeks, just like the song itself grows. From a fairly placid start, it builds to quite the powerful and dramatic crescendo. Solid vocals further add to its appeal.

09 Cyprus – Silia Kapsis – Liar

Australia’s own Silia Kapsis bounces into my top 10 with this energetic and catchy pop/dance tune, and that was never a surprise once I knew famed Greek writer Dimitris Kontopoulos would be behind Cyprus’s effort in 2024. Many of his songs have graced the Eurovision stage, including Shady Lady for Ani Lorak and Ukraine in 2008, This Is Our Night for Sakis Rouvas and Greece in 2009, Hold Me for Farid Mammadov and Azerbiajan in 2013, Last Dance for Stefania and Greece in 2021 and, especially, You Are The Only One for Sergey Lazarev and Russia in 2016, so I expected Liar to carry many of the hallmarks that made those entries great. While it’s not quite in the same league of those mentioned, Liar had instant appeal and was one of my early favourites, and held its appeal since.

08 Georgia – Nutsa Buzaladze – Firefighter

I’ve been nuts about Nutza since first hearing Firefighter. While quite formulaic, it oozes quality and style, Nutsa’s vocals are stunning, and included in the arrangement are some ethnic elements for a point of difference.

07 Czechia – Aiko – Pedestal

This indie rock song is the most unique this year, and Aiko is just as unique an artist. The song has a great vibe and intensity to it, and I love the crescendo and the guitar finale. Excellent stuff.

Five Stars (Outstanding)

06 France – Slimane – Mon Amour

A ballad that had instant appeal with its evocative sound and stunning voice, and includes great vocal variety. Tres bien.

The Fab Five

05 Croatia – Baby Lasagna – Rim Tim Tagi Dim

It took a while to warm to this, despite it immediately popular in the Eurovision community. Now I’m there. Great beat and energy from the start, and then the song just pumps for the remainder. While it presents as a pop/dance song, it could easily be a rock song with those soaring vocals and powerful sound. Update the arrangement with some guitars, and done.

04 Israel – Eden Golan – Hurricane

Eden Golan reaches tremendous heights with this powerful, emotional and evocative ballad that captures the feeling of loss, devastation and upheaval following the horrific terrorist attack against Israel on 7 October 2023. Eden encapsulates those feelings further with her slightly raspy voice and her stunning vocal expression. The Hebrew at the end translates to “Don’t need big words. Just Prayers. Even if it’s hard to see. You always leave one single light.”

03 Poland – Luna – The Tower

One of the more unique voices this year, and Luna wraps it in this very alluring and catchy song. It’s been so much in my psyche that for a brief period I contemplated it as my favourite before leaving it as third favourite.

02 Austria – Kaleen – We Will Rave

We will rave, and I still rave! From the first listen, I was entranced by We Will Rave. It wasn’t just due to the explosion of nipples and oil in the music video either, We Will Rave is easily the most pulsating, addictive and enduring dance song in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Kaleen has a richness to her voice too, which adds to the package. Thankfully her pronouns are she/her so not to diminish her value as a major babe too. That she’s a dancer and choreographer, I definitely expect an epic performance from her in Malmö. Interestingly, the name Kaleen (real name Marie-Sophie Kreissl) is a portmanteau of the previous two ESC winners, Loreen and Kalush orchestra.

01 Belgium – Mustii – Before The Party’s Over

Moody, classy and epic! While Before The Party’s Over lags a little to reach its crescendo, when it does, it really hits and leaves an indelible mark in the memory. Definitely one of the songs to hear without the distraction of the music video. That was the moment it resonated deeply with me, and it’s been my favourite song of 2024 ever since. In fact, the top 3 were set a long way out.

Summary

This year has been a struggle to love any of the songs. Liking some of them a lot, yes. Love, no. It was difficult to draw the line for those deserving 5 stars, so decided to draw it at songs that I’ve liked all along, and still do. France fulfilled that criteria, so we have six songs with 5 stars this year. That’s actually two more songs than last year, while there’s 17 songs of at least 4 stars in 2024 compared to 16 last year. In saying that, 2024 still feels like one of the weakest years ever, so the rating of each song is relative within the year, not a direct attribute. To put it starkly, Before The Party’s Over would only be the 8th ranked song in last year’s ESC and in the 4-star range of songs.

Comparing to other years: 11 songs had at least 4 stars in 2022 (7 with 5 stars), 21 in 2021 (8 with 5 stars), 14 in 2020 (5), 15 in 2019 (6), 19 in 2018 (8), 19 in 2017 (2), 13 in 2016 (6) and 15 in 2015 (6). In that sense, 2024 lines up quite well with 17 songs with at least 4 stars (and 6 with 5 stars). More indicative of the weak year that is 2024, is only 22 songs with at least 3 stars. Last year and 2019 had 26 (the previous lowest) while 2022 had 30. So 2024, while quite solid at the top, albeit offering nothing spectacular, really falls away.

Final note for this year is that Belgium joins Slovenia (2015 and 2016) to be top ranked twice. Blanche with City Lights topped the ranks for Kyiv 2017. This blog started in 2013.

National Final Injustices – How Would They Rank?

As we know, better songs can get left behind at national finals. Norway had Keiino with Damdiggida and Margaret Berger with Oblivion. Suffice to say, both would rank much higher than Gåte at 27. Keiino probably 10th and Margaret Berger 6th.

Annalisa with Sinceramente, who was a favourite of many people for Italy, would unlikely alter their rank of 13.

A nice jump of at least 6 places for Lithuania had Monika Marija with Unlove You Starting Tomorrow won. Definitely a 4-star song, so top 17.

Anet Vaikmaa in Estonia, with Serotoniin, would be easily top 10 (probably 6th), so much better than 29th for 5miinust x Puuluup. Ollie, who finished second for the second year running, would be in the 4-star range (at least top 17) had his song, Mr Friend, won Eesti Laul.

In Sweden, where Elisa Lindström failed to reach the final with Forever Yours, they would jump from 11th to above Belgium! Not quite first, because there’s one other country to look at.

Finland! It’s a frequent story in this era of strong UMK national finals. Portion Boys (Samaa Taivasta Katsotaan) last year almost certainly would rank top, and Erika Vikman (Cicciolina) definitely so in 2020. In 2024, Sara Siipola with Paskana would launch Finland from 14th to first and would be a legitimate 5-star song.

Malmo 2024: National Final Injustices

Sweden: An Unforgettable win for Marcus & Martinus at Melodifestivalen 2024

Estonia: 5miinust x Puuluup romp to victory at Eesti Laul 2024

Finland: Windows95man rules at UMK 2024 with No Rules!

Norway: Gåte win NRK Melodi Grand Prix 2024 with Ulveham