Eurovision 2018 • General Discussion

QUALIFIERS:

Surprised, but I shouldn't have been. They adapted traditional Balkan sounds into something contemporary and not make it over the top. I thought it would fail to qualify because the performance looked subdued. They all sang great and cohesively. Comparing this to other ethnic entries, this is one of the stronger ones, particularly in this semifinal. Also, I want the guy's gorgeous cape.

One of the best performances of the night, but it fell a bit flat, but not flat enough that I didn't like it anymore. I think this may be my favorite staging of the year just for the originality. The humor was still all there. I loved the concept, the risque moments, and the comedy. The choreography was great and they sounded well together. Moldova should be one of the top countries out of this semifinal.

The only performance that snatched my wig. This was the most different and the most outstanding performance. There were so many things going on from the stage dive to the pyro to the lead singer running barefoot. It was so exciting and it surely woke up the audience right from the first second. I know it seems unlikely because of the genre, but I think Hungary may have been a top three country in this semi.

Loved him rising from his piano coffin. It's so extra and very memorable that it works. This was one of them more powerful songs in this semifinal. He also had a strong stage presence that I connected with. I would be shocked if this didn't place in the semi's top three. Hopefully, it places in the top 10 of the grand final because it deserves to. If there was a year for Ukraine to flop, I am glad it was when they hosted last year.

Expected. One of the best stagings this year for sure, but I felt disconnected with Benjamin. It felt cold, and his vocals were weaker than I expected that night. The choreography was too precise and lost its natural feel. He's definitely a charming guy, but I want that charm to shine brighter in the final... actually, maybe not. I don't want you to win.

Even though it's a basic pop song, it's a strong basic pop song because of Jessica being a strong vocalist (Aisel, I'm looking at you). Jessica knows how to make an audience excited and I've noticed that's her biggest strength in performing. She's a big deal in Australia after all. It almost sounded like she was straining her voice, which I understand after twirling for three minutes. She also twirled her hips, which I found weird. Overall, well done.

Another expected one, but I still dislike it with a passion. He certainly is charismatic, but that song should not win. It opened the show well enough, but the performance overall is not as strong as many fans expected (he's falling in the odds right now). The best placing this deserves in my opinion is 11th place. He is not welcome in the top 10 for me.

Kudos to Denmark for showing their Nordic heritage. I loved the staging, from the way they stood stoically, that Viking march, and the snow as cheesy as it was. It was an empowering performance that deserved to qualify. I did notice he wore eyeliner (and contacts)? It made his eyes stand out, which I guess was the point, but he looked too polished then. I would've liked more grit.

After the performance, I thought it had a chance to qualify. The song is catchy, the choreography is fantastic, her sass was in full throttle and the drop was actually better than Poland's. The technical "error" was a risk, but I think it paid off considering the audience picked up on it, and it was timed well. I predicted it to not qualify because it might get too confusing, but beyond the language barrier, she showed attitude, and that's what helped her. Congrats!

Maybe it's because I'm American that I didn't think it would qualify since I've heard this often enough here. The staging is fine I guess. In Europe, I guess it stood out since it's a genre Europeans rarely hear. I can see how people are divided by the staging overall, but considering they qualified, it worked. It's low-key a tasteful crossover of cultures. Not mad it qualified, but still surprised.

And that means every returning act qualified for the final! Is that a first?

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NON-QUALIFIERS:

I really thought this had a shot at qualification, but I stand by my first impressions. I think since most countries are taking Eurovision more seriously nowadays, this was bound to fade into the background. The staging was over the top but alright, but Cristina did sing her heart out. Not even mannequins could save them. "Goooodbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeee" to your perfect qualification and to your chances at the final indeed.

NO! I WANTED YOU TO QUALIFY! Honestly, I really believed San Marino had a shot considering how mediocre this semi was overall. The performance itself was one of the better ones, but Jessica's vocals were weak did mess up one of her high notes... and "Jeni B" rapping was just too random for what could've otherwise been a final-worthy entry. Jenifer actually sounded better singing than Jessica. The robots were a great gimmick though.

This is bittersweet. I would have been disappointed if she did qualify despite a poor performance. However, it was going to make me sad that she would bear the record for Russia's first non-qualification. I hope she is welcomed back in Russia warmly. Unfortunately, the staging between the mountain, the projections, and the dancers was disjointed and the camera caught her not singing a line. The backing singers did most of the singing. It was a justified non-qualification. It would have been more genuine if she sang in Russian. I also think they either got complacent or the broadcaster just wanted to get Yulia's story arc over with. Next year, they'll come back strong for sure.

I got Il Divo vibes from them, except in Georgian. They're wearing suits and singing together in their deep powerful voices. Well, maybe not powerful. It started soft, but it just didn't get anywhere. I expected a powerful climax like with Albania, after the first verse, it just became monotonous. Props to them for singing in their native language though (probably only possible through an internal selection).

I personally did not expect Poland to not qualify. "Light Me Up" is one of the most radio-friendly songs this year... and maybe that's why it failed. It just wasn't original, and the production was bland (sorry Gromee). Lukas' voice was not outstanding, and it was also up against Slovenia, another song that had an electronic drop, but much more effective. I am surprised that this is the song that Poland would fail with.

Was their non-qualification a surprise? Not really. I was on the fence about this. I loved the message and how they staged it to portray that message. What I find difficult is that it was hidden under the generic production that failed to bring forth the idea. Christabelle was definitely a great singer, but everything else got lost in the mediocrity of this semi.

I knew this was not going to qualify right from the start. The overall performance was not going to help boost their chances. Croatia did a better job at being seductive, and look where that got them. Both were similar in staging, except red was the main color for Latvia. Laura looked like a basic woman singing a basic song about love. I felt no spark.

The one thing Montenegro has qualified with in the two times they've been to the final is a classic Balkan ballad, so I understand why they went with this approach again. But unlike in 2014 and 2015, this was the weakest one. Whereas 2014 was uplifting and 2015 was catchy, 2018 made me shrug. The lack of high notes that I think this song needed is what costed them a chance to qualify.

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The Grand Final will be exciting. As usual, I don't know who will win. Can't wait to watch!