A brief commentary on the semifinals results:
So close.
So close.
There can be 20 countries in the semifinal and 19 don't believe in you, but all it takes is one to spare you from nul points.
18th with 27 points is too harsh for this.
This final was so good. Some really underrated songs that I wish I could've given points to, but alas, I could only give points to ten. To be honest, my favorite songs this edition are songs that are going to linger in my mind for a very long time.
Also, the replacement votes really did a number to these final placements, especially near the top. I was sad to see some songs get pushed down, but more on that below.
Yeah. Deserved. It was not in my radar for qualification, so to see this qualify was a big question mark. It's too quiet and into the background relative to the rest of this edition's songs. For once, my personal last in the final actually ends up in last place. But, as you've watched the video by now, we made a cute ASEAN sandwich.
Second to last is too harsh for this one. I think it should've been in the upper 20's. It's okay, but certainly final-worthy.
I only remember the artist. I hardly remember much of the song.
This is an awesome and unique banger, and it deserves a much better result than 27th.
I dare say my favorite Mongolian entry in a while. Very catchy and polished. It would've fit right in the more dominant music scenes. Quite underrated. I would've pushed this to a mid-table result.
It was not my favorite song in the national selection (I preferred "99 Lies" by far). However, this is nice enough. It got you in the final after all.
Not my genre, but I know these kinds of songs have a good following. It's a vibe. Respectable result.
Those angelic vocals... That amazing complementary beat... WHY ARE YOU SO LOW IN THE FINAL STANDINGS???
By far my favorite song of this edition (and potentially the year) and my
. I know it's the host entry and all, but you deserve a much more respectable finish just like the first time you hosted.
When I listened to this the first time, I dismissed it as an immediate non-qualifier. However, I kept listening, and I realized this is competent enough to be in the final, which it ended up being. I'm fine with where it finished because there are a lot of stronger songs, but I recognize the quality of this.
Very intriguing, quite unique among the field. It's just missing an element to make it stand out even more. It's appropriately placed.
This is actually quite good, and it's that type of song that I usually do not vibe with. Not one of the big standouts, but I am happy to see it in the final.
When Ukraine has a long history of unforgettable songs in this contest, there's an expectation set, and this sadly didn't quite live up to those expectations for me. That aside, I hope the state of Ukrainian music does not get compromised by these troubling current events. It's one of the most awesome aspects of both modern and traditional Ukraine, and I hope it continues to endure and thrive.
I was hyped to see Anitta again, especially with this new song of hers. Sadly, this final was just too strong. It's not as powerful as "Suéltate," but it's still going to be a mainstay in my Spotify library.
My suggestion.
I don't throw out suggestions often, but when I feel a song deserves its moment in NNMC, I followed through by suggesting it. Happy I was able to suggest a song that got Germany a decent result. However, when you realize this song won its semifinal, it's more of a shock now.
[Hold up. I'm listening to Brazil and Germany back to back, and I noticed that they sound are so similar.
]
Literally all the AQ's so far this
year have been amazing. This is no exception. This one is definitely an adequate mid-table finisher, but it does not take away from the quality it's serving.
Definitely a banger. I thought nothing of this at first, but it grew on me. It's not the most memorable bop I've heard, but the quality is there and I appreciate it.
For this song to place lower than last edition's entry (good, but not as good as this current entry) says a lot about the amount of this edition's heavy hitters. This is another great and impactful song by Gjon post-ESC. To get five users to give their top marks to this is quite a feat considering the final placement. I think this could've easily been a shoe-in for the Top 10 if the mix of songs and users was different. This fell so heartbreakingly short of my personal Top 10, so... I guess this is the right spot to finish in.
Well done.
I first dismissed this as yet another basic K-pop song, but I could not ignore the power of that drop. It brought the whole song together because of it. In fact, it barely got into my personal Top 10. It was a scramble for the lower points, and this one clinched my
.
Definitely went in with a lot of hype (and anti-hype
), so I expected this to do well. It's got charisma and a unique flavor and vibe. It did well, but this was another song I had easily envisioned to be in the Top 10, so I was a little shook it didn't even make it that high in the end.
My
. I'm personally sad to see that this incredible song just missed out on placing in the Top 10. I never thought Luka would ever perform a song that's so energetic, but it happened. It's such a catchy and infectious track.
Even though it was my
, I had reason to believe it would've been a possible Top 3, so to see this in 10th is such a disappointment. It sounds so joyful and her vocals are so divine. I would not have minded if Australia pulled out another AQ for the second edition in a row.
I was a little worried because it didn't do so well in the semis, but looks like it was a false alarm. This song deserves a great result, and 9th place is just that. Sadly, in picking out my Top 10, this narrowly missed out. Still happy for the result though!
Another one of my big favorites this edition, which resulted in a
from me.
This is far better than "Violence" (which came 2nd when it competed) so it stands to reason that this song should've been on par or better. The difference? That engaging beat that got me hooked at the first listen. The music video is such an aesthetic, too. If only it had been in the Top 3.
So good! My
. I love dark electronic stuff like this, but it also gave me that edginess and a beat that feels otherworldly. Never expected Tamta to be in a song like this, but I enjoyed it a lot. Well done.
Now this song pleasantly surprised me. I predicted this song to be a safe mid-table finish, but recently listening again, I realized it brought the drama and passion that I didn't get when I first listened to it. Therefore, I think this is a very deserving result for Spain. It even got top marks from six users (the most in the final)! Well done!
Simply iconic. It's a great song. It's powerful. It means business. It's also my
.
There was a point when you were in the running to AQ, and I would've loved that. This is a strong debut performance, Sinny. I look forward to how you'll follow this up.
This is iconic for so many reasons. For one, it's a legitimate and competent banger. I knew I needed this to be in my Top 10 somewhere, so I'm glad it's my
. Thank the replacement voters for pushing you down to 4th.
It would've been such a moment after months and months of T&T's continuous flops that when it finally qualified again, it ended up AQ-ing. Alas, you'll have to settle with 4th. However, because Vietnam is now free due to the user being banned... could you possibly AQ if no one took Vietnam next edition? :pensando:
I gave it
, meaning it was great enough that it
barely made it into my Top 10. However, 3rd place is way too generous a result for this imo. I would've been okay with 6th-10th, but 3rd? Against incredibly iconic songs like T&T, Liechtenstein, Australia, Canada? Nah... That aside, I'm in love with her intense vocals and the overall composition. It put a new twist to sounds I've heard before, and that's pushed it into the Top 10 for me. Congratulations on the AQ.
[In my personal Top 10 ranking, I thought there was a jump in quality from my 8th (T&T) to my 9th & 10th (SK & Ireland). I put my personal Top 8 in the highest tier; they all deserve an exceptional result, so it was personally interchangeable for me among them. That's why I'm kinda like "huh?" with Ireland's result.
]
First of all, iconic that ASEAN countries are the Top 2.
I would have been so pleased with a Vietnam win. <333 Even though it's not my favorite Vietnamese entry ever (it's up there, but "Tu Phu" is still supreme), this would have been a worthy winner. It's that beautiful production enhanced by her elegant vocals that sold the experience for me. I believe this becomes Vietnam's best result. Even though you didn't vote, I have to credit you on your taste. Congrats.
<333
Never thought I'd ever type this again. Thank you SO much for voting Philippines into winning!
I was in disbelief when I was the runaway winner in the semifinals. Surely, it wasn't gonna be the same in the final, but I had ran away with the win the whole time. I thought maybe in the last day of voting, maybe Ireland or Vietnam would catch me, but no. It wasn't even close. I honestly thought I missed my chance to possibly win when I stupidly missed sending "All That" last spring. I suppose everything happens for a reason. I thought my only win ever was gonna be the first edition, and I was already satisfied with that. Still, somehow, Philippines got its second win, and I want to thank the people who gave points in both the semis and the final. Special thanks to Radek and Tristan for your
. <333 I really appreciate them.
Looks like it's been a good weekend for the Filipinos both in NNMC and in ESC (with Sheldon Riley winning Australia Decides).
I cannot believe we're staying in Asia. See you all in sunny Philippines!
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!