Portugal – MARO: Saudade, Saudade
Beautiful voices, excellent harmonies, transcending melodies in a stripped down delivery. Consumed in isolation, this is great, but wedged between similar arrangements (think Iceland’s Systur trio) and highly explosive pumping beats with outrageous onstage shenanigans (e.g. Norway’s banana wolf), I fear that Portugal’s lovely song will be forgotten.
Review by Mariella Herberstein
San Marino – Achille Lauro: Stripper
San Marino is really shaking it up this year and I love it! Rock legend Achille is here to shock with his references to sex toys and strip clubs (well, maybe 20 years too late, but I am sure it sent shockwaves through San Marino). Still, the rock and roll performance will shake up the audience as will his confident and captivating charisma! Definitely the finales for me!!
Review by Mariella Herberstein
Slovenia – LPS: Disko
This adorable high school band promises us Disko, but falls way short. I hope they can get a refund on the tuxedo rental after the semis.
Review by Mariella Herberstein
Spain – Chanel: SloMo
With more legs than Beyonce’s All the Single Ladies, and some high octane latin pop, Chanel is set to thrill the audience! This could easily be the crowd-pleaser of the finales! How all this booty will go down with the voting grandmothers of Eurovision land, is less predictable.
Review by Mariella Herberstein