The final of Eesti Laul 2018 takes place this Saturday, where Estonia will select its act for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 and discover who will take to the stage in Lisbon in May.
And if our Wiwi Jury has anything to say about it, Eurovision 2015 contestant Stig Rästa will be the act Estonia sends to Portugal.
His acoustic guitar track “Home” racked up a respectable average of 7.5/10, which in our jury’s eyes puts him in pole position going into the final on Saturday night, where he’ll perform fifth.
That score doesn’t give him a huge margin over the competition, however. Elina Nechayeva – Stig’s nearest rival after Desiree’s elimination in the heats – averaged 7.12/10, putting her in striking distance of the win too.
Nika took third spot in the jury with 6.92/10, suggesting “Knock Knock” will be the dark horse of the final.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, glamrock group Evestus were only able to average 4/10.
1. Stig Rästa – “Home”
The best: “Stig Rästa is an underrated genius — “Goodbye to Yesterday” should have won Eurovision 2015 and “Play” deserved a lot more the following year. He never disappoints and with “Home” he has crafted the feel-good track of 2018. It plays things a little safe and you would imagine some very simple staging unlike his dramatic duet with Elina Born. It doesn’t scream Eurovision winner this time but this will make you smile. It’s going straight onto my future wedding playlist.” (Antranig: 9/10)
The worst: “Stig has ditched the drama and gone for something calmer. But while “Home” is breezy, mellow and lyrically smart, it’s also a little bit boring and feels like Eurovision by numbers. Simplistic guitar backed songs have been done before, and done very successfully, but this isn’t bringing anything new to the table. Smart lyrics can’t compensate for lack of impact and it feels as though after multiple appearances in recent years, Stig has lost his lustre. (Angus: 6/10)
2. Elina Nechayeva – “La Forza”
The best: “La Forza” is beyond epic. This is otherworldly elite popera that should blow the competition out of the water. This must be the winner of Eesti Laul 2018 because nothing comes close in terms of quality. It doesn’t stand out as a traditional Eurovision entry but neither did the last two Eurovision winners. I could see Elina winning Eurovision and taking us back to Tallinn and it would be well deserved.” (Antranig: 10/10)
The worst: “The song will appeal to people who like vocal theatrics. If big “Sound of Silence” money notes are out of fashion in pop, a song like “La Forza” is there to pick up the pieces for people who like ladies with lungs. Full respect to that audience, but this just sounds like a bunch of vocal tricks to show off the singer’s range.” (Robyn: 4.5/10)
3. Nika – “Knock Knock”
The best: “A very interesting package of dark pop, which keeps changing as the track goes on! The dubstep theme is followed by a piano-driven one, then they’re both mixed. It’s just so well-composed that it could be a dark horse!” (Barnabas: 8/10)
The worst: “After listening to this it feels like you‘ve listened to five different songs! Although every song-part on its own sounds great, the combination of them is just too much! Nika overdid it by having too many ideas for only one song. So although it‘s interesting and fresh, this confuses me.” (Rick: 5.5/10)
FULL WIWI JURY EESTI LAUL 2018 FINAL RANKING:
- Stig Rästa – “Home” (7.5)
- Elina Netsajeva – “La Forza” (7.12)
- Nika – “Knock Knock” (6.92)
- Iiris & Agoh – “Drop That Boogie” (6.85)
- Vajé – “Laura (Walk With Me)” (6.46)
- Sibyl Vane – “Thousand Words” (5.81)
- Karl Kristjan & Karl Killing (ft. Wateva) – “Young” (5.81)
- Frankie Animal – “(Can’t Keep Calling) Misty” (5.65)
- Ellis Parna & Gerli Padar – “Sky” (4.81)
- Evestus – “Welcome to my World” (4)
The final of Eesti Laul 2018 airs live from the Saku Suurhall in Estonia from 18:30CET tomorrow on ERR or through the liveblog of our partners DELFI.
Come on, they have to send “La Forza”
La Forza is the only reason Estonia is 3# in betting odds. Very surprised with Wiwibloggs, she has to win.
Another Amaury Vassili type of entry. It is going to do OK, but not as well as everybody thinks.
Elina Nechayeva – “La Forza”. This one, on the other hand, is totally kitsch and over-the-top. Apart from the singing technique, it has little to do with opera. Composition-wise, and production-wise, it is clearly pop, and I might imagine the song appearing in a musical, but absolutely not in an opera. Also I doubt many people in the actual opera audience have many positive things to say about this. I don’t get the hype about it.
Stig Rästa “Home”: Well there is nothing wrong as such, but I find it too pleasant and feel good-like. The chorus leads my thoughts towards “Playing With Numbers” (Ireland 2015) because of the line “Give a little love”, but the somber intensity of Ireland 2015 is missing here. It just gets boring.
About Elina’s “La Forza”: This Wiwi Jury result could be an unsettling sign of things to come at the actual ESC Semi Final. If Elina wins tonight (which she should do), then at ESC the operatic style of the song will divide opinion. It’s a risky entry by its very nature. Not all juries and not all audience members will vote for it. I do love it though, and I think it is the clear winner of Eesti Laul, even though I’m actually supporting Frankie Animal this year. 🙂
We Estonians vote for ELINA!!!!
We don’t know how our jury is going to vote, but Elina&La forza deserves this victory and she will be the winner ?
WHAT!?!?! Didn’t see that one coming. Elina is the best.
In terms of diversity, I’d like to see Elina in Eurovision!
Though it’s not my favourite SONG it’s my favourite performance.
Stig is also one of my favourites here.
I’m rooting for both of them tonight!
What wiwibloggs? la forza is the best
Home never win! only in your dreams wiwibloggs
Verona needs to be avenged and only La Forza can do it!
Despite I really enjoyed Home, and I listened to it several times in a loop, it should be La Forza. Some people may call it “just another pop opera” but I think it’s much more than this. Electro beats work very well and they save the song from being yet another shouty opera piece we hear in Eurovision every now and then. It’s very unfortunate for Stig to come in the same selection with Elina. He could have chosen in another year or selection.
But the beats are not significant and barely there, it’s not the madness of Cezar (Elina could never reach that low) and not the schlager-opera of Malena Ernman
It’s definitely not madness and that what makes it better. It’s a lot more sophisticated than these two.
Exactly, I find it odd that some are comparing with Cezar and Malena, it makes no sense. I understand Amaury or Il Volo, but Sweden 2009 and Romania 2013?? None of these are comparable with nor strong as La Forza.
Both are better and more exciting than this borefest
Yet both of them were trash, this is 2018 calling, the taste of music has changed and seems like quality is much more appreciated right now.
@Pavel That’s what people said about Salvador last year.
ok i get music is subjective but come on… im not even a fan of opera and i think La Forza is spectacular. How it was rated below any song in this selection is beyond me. Stig would be my second but a very distant second at that.
Ha ha, these wiwibloggers. They know deep inside “La Forza” will ruin their dreams.
I like vaj a lot
Anything with italian title lose 2 points automatically
lmao all of our local polls suggests Elina winning by miles. Stig is second but not even close to her at all. It’s even pointless to hope for other songs other than La Forza to win for now…
Estonians are ready to vote for Elina regardless of the hype, they know very well that every vote counts, even people who doesn’t like or listen to opera are supporting her.
If somebody honestly thinks that Home is a better piece of musical than La Forza, I seriously worry for them.
I worry for people who are so easily fooled by the cheap popera that is La Forza.
Typical esc fan :
Song with opera : wow it’s a masterpiece it has to win
Pop uptempo song : wow it’a bop it has to win
Song with traditional or ethnics elements : wow it’ s epic it has to win
YOU ARE ALL TIRING
EVERYBODY WINS! AWESOME!
Typical modern esc fan :
Song with opera : boring flop
Pop uptempo song : cliche, copy of an X song made by the same Scandi producers
Song with traditional or ethnics elements : been there, done that
downtempo chamber pop ballad or a jazz song: YASSSS, no fast-food music this time
Both La Forza and Home are fine to me, I think La Forza would have a bigger chance in Eurovision though.
If Estonia doesn’t select Elina, I have lost all hope for Eurovision.
I really don’t like la forza, not my taste, I would prefer Vaje largely ! I don’t get the hype for opera but anyway.
If Ed Sheeran took part in Eurovision with a song like Home, he would win by a landslide. Stig definitely wouldn’t win but the song is as good as the older Sheeran songs, so why not choose him. Home is a great option for Estonia.
Would Ed win because of the song or his name, though? If Ed Sheeran wasn’t famous and went to ESC with ‘Home’ the reaction would be average at best.
Yes that’s what I mean. The song is okay enough to win if Ed sung it. Not with Stig, but it’s not a bad song.
Ed would have been 3rd or 4th. I don’t think Eastern Europe would have voted for him, they’d rather choose to vote for Russia
If Elina does not win I am DONE.
Didn’t see that one coming!!
At least you had another winner than Elina, im praying she wont win tonight.. Please Estonia, I have faith in you
1. “(Cant Keep Calling) Misty”
2. “Drop that boogie”
3. “Laura (Walk with me)”
What a productive thing you pray for!
Seriously? You pray for something like that? Dude
I hope for Estonia that Stig fails to win….it’s just too bland and will melt away in the semi final
Elina is fabulously gifted but the song doesn’t excite me
I’d be happy if Laura(walk with me), Drop That Boogie or Thousand Words win
I like all 3 of them
Imagine thinking ‘Home’ is better than ‘La Forza’…to each their own, I guess…
I wonder why the Wiwi Jury put Top Gear Ganja at the first place. Did he compete also in one of the previous contests, or something?
As if this lazy Ed Sheeran copy could reach the final at Eurovision… Elina is the way to go, why is there even a discussion about that?
Glad you’re not the real jury.