Semi-final two of Ukraine’s Vidbir 2020 selection for Eurovision takes place on Saturday 15 February. Eight acts will fight for three passes to the final.
While broadcasters STB and UA:PBC will again prepare the stage for them in Kyiv, we couldn’t resist asking who you think should win the second semi. A total of 2,851 votes were cast.
This week, there was a clear winner with our readers — Khayat.
Khayat is your favourite to win semi-final two of Ukraine’s Vidbir 2020
Vidbir returnee Khayat emerged on top with 30.88% of the vote, which amounts to 797 votes.
Khayat is the only returning act from Vidbir 2019. Shortly after his last national selection adventure, Khayat went on to The Voice of Ukraine. There he finished third as part of Tina Karol’s team. Since then, he’s become one of the country’s most popular folktronica artists. His music is a combination of pop elements with Slavic and Arab ethno sounds.
Will he make the final this year?
Tvorchi and Fo Sho are your other favourites
Your second favourite in this semi-final is Tvorchi, who received 573 votes or 22.20% of all votes cast.
Tvorchi is an electro duo from Ternopil. They are music producer Andriy Hutsulyak and singer-songwriter Jefferi Kenny, who met each other by accident. With two albums to their name, they are best known for 2019’s “Believe”. It’s reached almost one million views on YouTube, even though the budget for the video was only $100.
Sister act Fo Sho is your third favourite. They picked up 345 votes or 13.37% of all votes cast.
Fo Sho is made up of Betty, Siona and Miriam Endale, whose Ethiopian parents settled in Kharkov. Although the siblings did not immediately decide to pursue a career in music, they have always been a musical family. Fo Sho released their first single “Catchy” in 2019. Their entry at Vidbir 2020 is called “Blck Sqr”, after the famous Malevich painting of the same name.
Poll Results: Who should win semi-final one of Ukraine’s Vidbir 2020?
- Khayat – “Call For Love” 30.88% (797 votes)
- Tvorchi – “Bonfire” 22.20% (573 votes)
- Fo Sho – “Blck Sqr” 13.37% (345 votes)
- Moonzoo feat. F.M.F. Sure – “Maze” 11.97% (309 votes)
- Elina Ivashchenko – “Get Up” 9.22% (238 votes)
- GARNA – “Who We Are?” 6.51% (168 votes)
- Oleksandr Poriadynskyi – “Savior” 3.33% (86 votes)
- David Axelrod – “Horizon” 2.52% (65 votes)
Total Votes: 2,851
Are your favourites among the top three? Who do you want to see sail through to the final of Ukraine’s Vidbir 2020? Let us know in the comments below!
Read all our Ukraine Eurovision 2020 news here
Picture credits: nadiia.goy; Дима Широкопояс (Dyma Shyrokopoias)
if Ukraine send Khayat I would vote for him for sure, such unique voice and attitude, he would stay in my top 10 no matter what,
And knowing he speaks English nicely I can’t wait for his interviews with William or Deban, bring him on Ukraine !
Khayat said he was English/Arabic teacher in private school for some time but then he got bored and quit because of music
I’m starting to feel that Khayat is the ONLY option for the Ukraine.
I don’t think any of the other songs in this SF would get into the top three in SF1 (actually, Cloudless, Assol and [O] could probably all get in the top three here)…so yeah, he should win it comfortably.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2snsYZgbuw
… For anyone who might want to nerd out a little like I did, and learn more about the Black Square painting that inspired the song. This was new to me, but not to many others I’m sure. It deepened my understanding of how meaningful “BLCK SQR” is.
There are many different interpretations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmAx6umELmU
Maze! Great song.
Khayat has grown so much in confidence this past year. I feel like a proud mom rn.
Khayat is my absolute favourite of the lot, I think this would be something different for Ukraine to send to Eurovision, and I hope he’s given the opportunity.
Seems that the tradition Czech to be guest performance will be kept. Benny Crisco is going to perform his song there.
that’s really cool! maybe Kemama will sound better live like Lake Malavi with Friend of A Friend last year, will see
and why I see so many Spanish fans talking how Blas Canto gonna perform in the finale of Vidbir, its been announced already?
Khayat, Tvorchi, and Fo Sho are my faves from this semi. I like Maze’s song but the rap part kills it for me as I personally just think it doesn’t fit and takes me outta the desire to listen to his song. But I’ll admit GO_A is my winner overall that is the song I have on repeat and is my favorite of all the songs we’ve heard from all the nf/selections(and even the songs we have officially as of now). But I do rather like these three from this semi as well. Either way good look to all artist.
It’s so interesting seeing the strongest vocalists on the entire national selection in the bottom. I guess they should have better songs.
But I definitely think one or more of the bottom four artist will qualify to the final. Because its possible to revamp a song but it’s impossible to improve someone’s vocals.
So watch out for those 4.
its a song contest not vocal contest, and top 3 in the poll have both: an amazing songs and voices while bottom 4 have only great vocal but dreadful songs, especially Elina and David…
Oleksandr and Garna have better songs, but still not as modern and catchy as top 3 of this semi
and as I know no one of bottom 4 revamped their songs
Tvorchi and Khayat are the best, just heard their rehearsals on Insta, Khayat sounds epic live and Tvorchi are sooo good, can’t wait for Saturday night , yay!
Khayat always sounds better live 🙂
so true 😉
I’m so in love with Fo Sho! I hope they at least qualify
Khayat is great, he’ll probably win this semi, and maybe VIDBiR’s finale, if only the judges won’t destroy his chances, like they did with Melovin’s “Wonder” back in 2017… Good luck, Khayat!!!
Khayat will win semi for sure, and if his live and staging will be really impressive he will win the whole selection, Go A and Krutb are amazing too but Khayat has what these artists don’t have (yet) huge local fan base, but we will see , the final gonna be a bloodbath lol
btw Fo Sho sisters realised revamped version of Blck Sqr yesterday, love it
I don’t think Khayat has a huge fan base. It think it’s decent group that are just very vocal. Tvorchi have a lot more views on their music videos. And let’s not forget that Elina just won a talent show on the same network. So I think it a little early to crown the winner.
but Elina very dated and boring song, she is not even close a contender to win., Tvorchi are amazing and cool, but their song is still not sounds like winning one for me, im very doubtful juries and televote would let them win
Go-A and Khayat have the bangers this year!
*Elina HAS
Khayat doesn’t have a huge fan base either. What differs him from the rest of fan favorites is his stage presence, and also experience.
well if compare all of the contestants this year, Khayat and Jerry Heil do have pretty big fan bases, so it will play certain role for sure, but not the main one, as we remember Kazka has one of the biggest fan base in Ukraine but couldn’t win two years in row cos live vocal wasn’t good enough and Jerry who has the biggest PR of all contestants still couldn’t win her semi for the same reasons (plus she had dreadful staging) We know Khayat has superb live vocal, experience and stage presence (as you said), so with the right… Read more »
pull thru, fo sho!
They’re exactly my top three. 🙂
But my 4th is Saviour.
Khayat reminds me Conan Osiris a bit in his style to dress up and the way they both making folktronic music, no wonder he was so fond on Conan’ song last year ,lol
check out Khayat’ outfit from yesterday Ukrainian Music Award, its very look like Conan’ green dress (Khayat got a prize btw for his single Osoka) , he looks so cute :p
Hopefully he’d have better luck than Conan did.
if Khayat would go to Rotterdam im sure he will qualify to the final and get at least top 15 result,Call4Love is more appealing to mainstream audience then Telemovies, though I adored Telemovies and still bitter Conan didn’t make it… sob
i believe with his song and nicely done staging Khayat could do very well on Eurovision:)
Am I the only one that thinks this semi actually is the better semi?
Exactly! Fo Sho and Khayat are the best))
and MoonZoo guys are cool too
Nope me too
If Ukraine send Fo Sho then we’ll have Ukraine and Israel represented by Ethiopian Jews (yes, the Fo Sho girls are Jewish)
How do you know that?
https://www.timesofisrael.com/meet-the-jewish-ethiopian-ukrainian-singer-staffing-birthright-this-summer/
yay! these are my three qualifiers too 🙂
can’t wait for Saturday night to watch their live performances, Khayat gonna show some cool dance on stage, aha)