With the first semi-final over and done with, 17 more countries will compete tomorrow in Vienna for their chance to perform again in the grand final on Saturday.

After listening to all the entries I can definitely conclude that semi-final 2 has less standout performances than the first.

The winning entries from this semi-final will join Armenia, Hungary, Albania, Estonia, Belgium, Russia, Georgia, Serbia, Greece and Romania for the big show. The group of instant qualifying countries known as ‘The Big 5, consisting of the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany and the host country all automatically go straight forward to the grand final. As special guests, Australia also go straight on to the grand final.

So here are my top 3 picks for semi-final 2.

KNEZ Adio (Montenegro)

I mentioned in my previous post that I have a lot of respect for those countries who actively choose to use their native language over English. This song isn’t just another pop song sung in a foreign language however, it actually has a traditional feel to it, allowing Montenegro’s culture to be represented on stage also. The opening of this piece is particularly beautiful, with some lovely ornamented instrumentation. It even picks up tempo half way through adding a little extra something.
It isn’t always easy for songs like this to break through in today’s Eurovision, but Romania qualified, so perhaps this will too. I hope they do, because one of the wonderful things about the contest is hearing music from small countries such as Montenegro, which are often overlooked.

MÉLANIE RENÉ Time To Shine (Switzerland)

The last time Switzerland won Eurovision was in 1988, when they were represented by Céline Dion. Their entry for this year might be the best hope they have had since then.
Dark beats and bass notes sit underneath the haunting melody. René’s voice is well-suited to the song and the lyrics really aren’t that bad either. At least it’s not another love song!
Considering the strict time limit of 3 minutes in place at Eurovision, this really is a fantastic entry.
I have had the chorus stuck in my head every time I listened to it.

ELNUR H– — USEYNOV Hour Of The Wolf (Azerbaijan)

This is by far my favourite entry in the entire contest this year. There is just so much to like about this song. Elnur’s voice is impressive, especially in the last chorus, while the accompaniment is charmingly minimalist in the verses and not over the top in the chorus. What really sets this piece apart are the ethereal backing vocals in the verses. They sent shivers down my spine when I first heard them and they still do.
As far as I am concerned this is a potential winner, but don’t quote me on that, because I am notoriously terrible at picking them and the songs I usually love end up going nowhere.
If you are a betting kind of person, you might want to go with Sweden instead.

Semi-final 2 takes place on Thursday 21 May at 21:00-23:00 CEST.
Other entries include:

MONIKA LINKYTE and VAIDAS BAUMILA This Time (Lithuania)

MOLLY STERLING Playing With Numbers (Ireland)

ANITA SIMONCINI & MICHELE PERNIOLA Chain of Lights (San Marino)

AMBER Warrior (Malta)

MORLAND & DEBRAH SCARLETT A Monster Like Me (Norway)

LEONOR ANDRADE Há Um Mar Que Nos Separa (Portugal)

MARTA JANDOVÁ and VÁCLAV NOID BÁRTA Hope Never Dies (Czech Republic)

NADAV GUEDJ Golden Boy (Israel)

AMINATA Love Injected (Latvia)

MARIA OLAFS Unbroken (Iceland)

MANS ZELMERLÖW Heroes (Sweden)

JOHN KARAYIANNIS One Thing I Should Have Done (Cyprus)

MARAAYA Here For You (Slovenia)

MONIKA KUSZYNSKA In The Name Of Love (Poland)

For more information on all the performers and the latest news, go to
the Eurovision official site

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About The Author

Collaborator - RREVERB

Singer-songwriter Galileo Griffin has travelled the world collecting all kinds of music along the way. Originally from Australia, she now resides in Stockholm, Sweden, where she presents a weekly world music radio programme and haunts various concerts, open mic nights and jam sessions in this creative city. She has a passion for music of all kinds and can find something to appreciate in almost every genre from classical to pop. She joins the RREVERB team to share her enthusiasm for one of the few artforms that knows no borders and speaks all languages.