Eurovision Song Contest 2021

[hopeful traveller]

HUGELY looking forward to this after no contest in 2020. There are contingencies in place in case participants get you-know-what and/or are not allowed to travel to Rotterdam.

I'm delighted to say I have no idea who's going to win...! San Marino (feat. Flo Rida!!), Malta, Switzerland all doing well with the bookies. UK better than usual and should be in the top half but I'm not sure it can win outright, there's too many songs similar to it.

Here's how I personally rank them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo1gcYfDMeo

[roblo97]

Finland's entry sounds really similar to Linkin Park's early material from around 20 years ago in my opinion!

[tubeguru]

I had the misfortune of watching Germany's entry the other day.

Oh dear.

[hopeful traveller]

I had the misfortune of watching Germany's entry the other day.

Oh dear.

Something tells me the message of that particular song hasn't reached you yet...

[tubeguru]

I had the misfortune of watching Germany's entry the other day.

Oh dear.

Something tells me the message of that particular song hasn't reached you yet...

No, I just think it's a shit song.

Any further questions?

[Soup Dragon]

I quite like our entry this year but I don't think there is any way that it will finish in the top half.
It's very radio friendly, but you always have to ask yourself what makes a song stand out and get people to vote for it?
This song will likely be in many peoples top 10-15 songs, but that isn't going to get us any points.
I'm predicting 20th-26th for the UK this year.
http://www.kolumbus.fi/jarpen/ is always a good guide to how songs might place.... UK currently ranked 22nd

[roblo97]

Blind Channel in 7th for Finland is kinda encouraging at the moment!

[hopeful traveller]

It's very radio friendly

Is it? One of the problems of, well, all-time really, is we pick songs more suited to the middle-agedness of Radio 2 than the current trends of Radio 1 and this is very much a Radio 1 song, isn't it?

I think it's our best effort for a very long time, and I think the juries are going to love it. I worry a little that the televoters will go for Malta instead, which is the bookies' favourite but isn't a wholly different song to ours.

[hopeful traveller]

Well, this first semi final (tomorrow, 8pm UK time, BBC Four in the UK) is, for me, a little easy to predict. Any of these not qualifying would be a shock.

Predictions:
- Lithuania
- Russia
- Sweden
- Cyprus
- Norway
- Croatia
- Romania
- Azerbaijan
- Ukraine
- Malta

[Soup Dragon]

Well, this first semi final (tomorrow, 8pm UK time, BBC Four in the UK) is, for me, a little easy to predict. Any of these not qualifying would be a shock.

Predictions:
- Lithuania
- Russia
- Sweden
- Cyprus
- Norway
- Croatia
- Romania
- Azerbaijan
- Ukraine
- Malta

We are almost in complete agreement this year, the only difference in my qualifiers in Israel in place of Norway.
However, this is a really difficult semi, with lots of good songs, there are only 2 that I would be shocked to see getting through.

100% Qualifiers (in no order):
Lithuania
Malta
Cyprus
Azerbaijan
Ukraine
Russia

Should qualify:
Sweden
Croatia
Romania
Israel

Just missing out (but might qualify):
Norway
Belgium
Ireland
Australia

NOT Qualifying:
Slovenia
North Macedonia

[tubeguru]

I wonder how Israel will do, given the recent news coverage being given to what's happening with Palestine.

I mean, Ukraine got nothing from the Russian jury (and vice versa) when they won in 2016. Coincidence? I think not. Mr Putin could easily find out where they lived, and they knew it ...

[Soup Dragon]

I wonder how Israel will do, given the recent news coverage being given to what's happening with Palestine.

I mean, Ukraine got nothing from the Russian jury (and vice versa) when they won in 2016. Coincidence? I think not. Mr Putin could easily find out where they lived, and they knew it ...

Certainly could have an impact on Israel's chances of making the final. I'd like to think that people vote based on music alone, but in reality I know that not everyone does!

[hopeful traveller]

Israel made it, Neil, so I think it turned out to be a non-issue.

8/10 for me. Absolutely gutted Croatia didn’t make it.

[Soup Dragon]

Really shocked that Croatia missed out.
Romania was dreadful on the night, so not shocked that they missed out.
8/10 correct, so happy with that

[Soup Dragon]

The second semi-final is tonight. I'm finding this one much harder to predict!

100% Qualifiers:
San Marino
Greece
Moldova
Iceland
Bulgaria
Switzerland

Should qualify:
Serbia
Portugal
Finland
Denmark

Just missing out:
Czech Republic
Austria
Albania
Latvia

100% Non-Qualifiers:
Estonia
Poland
Georgia