The fans have voted for their favorites in the first Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024
The Big Picture
- Moldova’s performance fell short at Eurovision with a worse execution despite a promising original version.
- Serbia’s haunting performance of “Ramonda” qualified, highlighted by Teya Dora’s vocals and stunning visuals.
- Raiven’s operatic performance of “Veronika” from Slovenia captivated televoters, with a dramatic stage presence.
All eyes are on Malmö, Sweden as Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is here! The first 15 nations will be presenting their songs in hopes of moving to Saturday’s grand finals. With Germany, the United Kingdom, and host nation Sweden also presented their entry, marking the first time the Big Five and host nation were included in the semi-finals! With only the televote determining who moves forward, hearts were broken, but the world was certainly united by music!
For the 68th edition of the contest, Sweden has the privilege of hosting following last year’s victory by Loreen. With 37 entries this year, the theme of this year’s contest is “United by Music,” the same as the previous year. To kick off the night, the crowd was on their feet with a special performance from Cyprus’ 2018 entry Eleni Foureira, Sweden’s 2011 entry Eric Saade, and Spain’s 2022 entry Chanel. At the first interval, to celebrate the king and queen of Eurovision, Ireland’s multi-Eurovision winner Johnny Logan performed Sweden’s multi-Eurovision winner Loreen’s smash hit “Eurphoria.” The second interval saw a medley of songs by Swedish superstar and 2018 representative Benjamin Ingrosso. With a celebration of Eurovision history, 18 nations presented their songs in hopes of making their own Eurovision history! Unfortunately, five nations were eliminated: Australia, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Moldova, and Poland. But how did they truly rank in our rankings? Here is how the 15 competitive nations and Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom stacked up!
18 Moldova
“In the Middle” by Natalia Barbu; Eliminated
The thing about Eurovision Song Contest is once a country has given their blessing to represent them, there is that opportunity to improve the song and the production for the international stage. For some bizarre reason, Moldova went backwards. Performed by Natalia Barbu, “In the Middle” was been completely botched since the original performance at the national final. In the original version, Natalia Barbu sported blonde hair and was accompanied by four other blonde women in matching costumes. The number had unison choreography with violins. It looked fantastic. In Sweden, the performance was Natalia alone. It’s a good song, but the execution suffered. When the visual projections were the most interesting element of the performance, it was going to be an uphill battle compared to the other entries utilizing the same technology. Sadly, it was an off year for the nation of Moldova.
17 Serbia
“Ramonda” by Teya Dora; Qualified
Teya Dora gave a very haunting performance of her song “Ramonda.” She was greatly aided by some nice visuals. And a big, giant rock. Teya had a beautiful vocal performance, but going second in the running order, it felt as if it was lacking, especially following a high energetic opener before it. Teya’s voice is the highlight of the performance until the sensational flower projection at the end. Though the visual display came a little too late, Teya did enough to qualify for Saturday’s grand final.
16 Slovenia
“Veronika” by Raiven; Qualified
Raiven has one of the most remarkable voices in the entire contest this year. With some operatic tones and near pitch perfect vocals, “Veronika” won over the televoters around the world. Whether it was the giant stage at Malmö Arena, she did suffer some vocal mixing issues. Thankfully, alongside her sensational dancers, the performance featured some beautiful stage images. There was so much drama, but it didn’t always translate into the performance. For the doubters, she has the chance to win them over in Saturday’s grand final.
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15 Iceland
“Scared of Heights” by Hera Björk; Eliminated
Last year, Loreen became the Queen of Eurovision by winning her second contest. For Hera Björk and the nation of Iceland, they hoped she would find the same success. Sadly, it wasn’t even close. “Scared of Heights” is a really sweet song. Hera is a pro, but she looked like she was trying to be your cool mom after chilling with her kids. Wearing her gold fringe jumpsuit, Hera’s presence was a bit much, yet not enough. Overall, it was a fine performance, but her voice was completely overshadowed by the orchestration.
14 Azerbaijan
“Özünle apar” by Fahree ft. Ilkin Dovlatov; Eliminated
There are a lot of mid-tempo entries in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, and Azerbaijan had a pretty strong package and presentation. Unfortunately, they didn’t do quite enough to stand out. The video element was easily top-notch. Perhaps being in their native tongue held Fahree back as they did not end up qualifying for the Eurovsion Song Contest grand final. There’s always next year!
13 Luxembourg
“Fighter” by Tali; Qualified
They’re back! After a 31-year disappearance from the contest, Luxembourg triumphantly returned. Performing last in the running order could not have worked out in Tali‘s favor. As the last performance before voting officially opened, Luxembourg made an imprint on the world’s brain. With a bit of reverence and a brilliant dance track, Luxembourg was granted another chance to take the trophy home. The entire production featured solid staging. And can we talk about those giant snow leopards on the big screen? C’mon kitty girl! If Tali can have another solid vocal performance on Saturday, she might be able to sneak into the Top 10 finishers.
12 Australia
“One Milkali (One Blood)” by Electric Fields; Eliminated
Australia is consistently an easy pick to see in the grand finals, but this is not their year. Electric Fields gave fans pause when their music video was dropped as it was hard to imagine how it could translate to the stage. And sadly, it just didn’t. “One Milkali (One Blood)” is an excellent song, but the staging did not do it service. It is a wonderful homage to the indigenous people of Australia. It included their native tongue. It was a full-on celebration of inclusion. Vocally, it was one of the best vocals of the night. Sadly, the presentation did them dirty. At least viewers were able to see a didgeridoo on the Eurovsion stage!
11 Portugal
“Grito” by Iolanda; Qualified
Iolanda did it for Portugal. While it’s in the middle of the pack when it comes to the betting odds, Portugal’s entry did quite well! It’s a beautiful song. There was cohesive staging. Iolanda was pitch perfect. And then there were the dancers. With an all-white motif, the masked men in white were fantastic support for their vocalist. “Grito” was a consistent performance that will certainly entertain during the grand final.
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10 Ukraine
“Teresa & Maria” by aloyna alyona and Jerry Heil; Qualified
As one of the odds-maker’s favorites, Ukraine has consistently performed well in Eurovision Song Contest in recent memory. The performance began with a solid vocal from Jerry Heil. Paired with extraordinary vocals, she climbed that rock and helped set the performance up for the arrival of rapper aloyna aloyna. And then the song took off. This song is a bass-thumper. It’s a brilliant and unique entry from Ukraine. But nothing will ever quite compare to the final image of the two artists on the floor of the stage as it’s filled with a video projection of an assortment of women. “Teresa & Maria” may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Ukraine does have the opportunity to win again this year.
9 Germany
“Always on the Run” by Isaak; Big Five
When we first heard Germany’s entry, it was lacking something. But when Isaak took the stage to perform “Always on the Run,” something changed! It has become a much improved submission since the original version. Isaak gave a very good vocal performance. The scenic elements and the fire effects really helped to amplify the performance. While Germany had already qualified as a member of the Big Five, this was a brilliant opportunity to win over certain doubters of Germany. The decision to include the non-competitive songs in the Semi-Finals proved brilliant thanks to Isaak!
8 Cyprus
“Liar” by Silia Kapsis; Qualified
For those unaware of how the running order is determined, it’s all about a random draw. Being the first or last is usually a great place to be. And the first semi-final proved the theory true! Silia Kapsis and Cyprus was an absolutely excellent opener for this year’s contest. It was high energy. The dancers were brilliant. Silia Kapsis’s voice may actually have been the weakest link because her voice was overpowered by the music. The visual effects used on the stage floor were top tier. You’d truly be a liar if you were not on your feet during this performance!
7 Poland
“The Tower” by Luna; Eliminated
I’m not quite sure why Luna’s performance of “The Tower” didn’t resonate with the voting public. This was high production value and full on theatrics. Between the two towers, Luna’s shoulder pieces, the horse, the black and white kings, the red queen, the interpretive dance, all with the backdrop of chess, “The Tower” was spectacular! From a production standpoint for viewers at home, more time could have been spent on the sole vocalist, but in order to hide the visual gimmicks, the camera was often forced to distract with the dancers, as Luna would be placed on the horse and onto the tower set piece. Perhaps this performance was a bit too dated for the current era of Eurovision, but “The Tower” was certainly one of the robbed entries in this year’s contest.
6 Lithuania
“Luketelk” by Silvester Belt; Qualified
Silvester Belt and his dancers really gave you Eurovision vibes. “Luketelk” is a vibe. It’s a fun track that leans into the dark campery in the choreography. Silvester focused on his vocal performance, as he did the least in the realm of his choreography, but his dancers certainly made up for him. He did rely on everything going on around him. But when Silvester does join in toward the end, that’s when Lithuania excelled. The performance built and kicked it up at the end!
5 Sweden
“Unforgettable” by Marcus & Martinus; Host Nation
As the host nation, Sweden is straight through into Saturday’s grand final, but it still didn’t prevent the twins from entertaining the crowd! With a very 90s coded performance, Marcus & Martinus gave a very pop boy band performance as their voices balanced quite well. It was “Enter the Matrix” realness. Sweden has exceptionally huge shoes to fill this year. Between Loreen’s win and the 50th anniversary of ABBA‘s win with “Waterloo,” the bar is set very high for Sweden. With stronger entries in their way, Sweden will probably just be a happy host this year.
4 Ireland
“Doomsday Blue” by Bambie Thug; Qualified
What a spellbinding performance! In recent years, Ireland has entered a variety of acts, rarely reflecting the country’s heritage. But that doesn’t matter when your act is top-notch. Think of them as the Irish version of Poppy and Grimes, Bambie Thug shocked the world in all the right ways. The costuming was spell-binding. The costume reveal, which showcased a garment with the Trans Pride colors, was a statement of its own. The staging and production were remarkable. The Satanic circle, with Bambi Thug doing a back bend, was straight out of a horror nightmare come to life. And then to see the candles lift to the sky as a chandelier, simply brilliant. While their vocals didn’t pop as much as the original recording, the music twisting and turning in styles sets “Doomsday Blue” apart from any other entry this year. Bambie Thug is one of the non-binary acts in this contest, so it’s something to scream out in joy for! Tagging the final beat with the video showing “#crownthewitch” was brilliant. Whether Ireland wins or not, they have made Eurovision history with one of the most memorable entries!
3 United Kingdom
“Dizzy” by Olly Alexander; Big Five
The United Kingdom really wanted to win, hence they selected a major pop star to represent them. Olly Alexander may be a ringer this year, but the boy knows how to entertain! While the United Kingdom was not competing for votes, they’re lucky, as you could tell the Years & Years frontman was holding back, saving his voice for Saturday’s grand final. The experience of watching “Dizzy” will certainly be different whether you’re watching at home or in the arena itself, but what’s clear, it was outstanding. The spinning box will make you dizzy in all the right ways. The barely-clothed dancers were brilliant and certainly made up for the shaky vocals of this difficult live performance. This is an award-show worthy production.
2 Croatia
“Rim Tim Tagi Dim” by Baby Lasagna; Qualified
Going into Eurovision week, there was a high probability that we would be heading to beautiful Croatia next year. After the Semi-Final 1 performance, it’s clear why odds-makers have placed Baby Lasagna at the top of the most likely entries to win. “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” is outrageous! Just look at the lyrics! Baby Lasagna got everyone partying while giving us a taste of his native land. Those sleeves in that costume! This is camp rock! Though a bit more of a bigger production would have allowed it to stand out further, this performance allowed the song to shine. The rock show vibes with the inclusion of colored lights and projections helped to break up the staging. What makes a smart Eurovision entry is to have a choreography moment that the crowd can do. Then following it up with a call and response that gets the entire arena to partake in, that’s the way to do it! Croatia can easily win the entire thing.
1 Finland
“No Rules!” by Windows95man; Qualified
This is camp and the epitome of Eurovision. Between a giant denim egg and a nearly streaking man whose lower half is hidden throughout the song by dancers and the camera crew alike, Windows95man was a hilarious act. The way that the entire crowd cheered for the Daisy Dukes descending from the rafters, was one of the most memorable performances of the contest. The sparklers during the final beats of the song were the icing on the cake. Finland will certainly scare many front-runners when it comes to earning the televote. Their success is now officially in the hands of the jury. After coming so close to victory in the last contest, there’s a chance they may earn some bonus points. No matter what, this was the most exuberant performance of the night. If you were to show a non-Eurovision fan one single performance in order to educate them about what Eurovision is, Finland is the one to show. There are truly no rules!
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 grand final will stream on Peacock in the United States on Saturday, May 11th.
This article was originally published on collider.com