Tonight the second semi-final of Vidbir 2020 took place.

Another eight contestants performed hoping to secure the three remaining spots in the final — with the ultimate goal of winning the Ukrainian ticket to Eurovision 2020.

After the points were added up, the lucky three were: KhayatDavid Axelrod and Tvorchi.

Vidbir 2020: Semi-Final Two

In this year’s Vidbir, the acts faced jury members Tina Karol, Andriy Danylko and Vitaly Drozdov, as well as the televoters. Both the jury and televote contributed 50% of the overall results.

Qualified for the final

Khayat – “Call for Love”

Khayat dropped some fierce and high-art visuals for his performance. The performance seemed like somewhat out of space but yet on point. There was great interaction between the dancers and the camera work, too.

David Axelrod – “Horizon”

David had some dancers on stage – they were dressed in white wearing wings. The performance was effortless and the LED created some nice images.

Tvorchi – “Bonfire”

Rounding out the show was TVORCHI. He had some impressive vocals to show off. The lyrics were at times also appearing on the screen, creating direct interaction with the audience. However, the performance had an issue that recent Eurovision performances including a DJ on stage had as well – there was a sort of discrepancy between him and the singer.

Did not qualify

MOONZOO feat. F.M.F. Sure – “Maze”

MOONZOO and F.M.F. Sure opened the second semi-final with their track “Maze”. The performance was nicely staged and rapper F.M.F. brought some extra texture to the track. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to impress the judges nor the public.

FO SHO – “BLCK SQR”

FO SHO’s performance was all about vocal harmonies in the beginning, but they quickly unveiled their fierce attitude. Delivering a very contemporary cut, “BLCK SQR” came across as a very modern and impressive cut — that’s also due to the personalities of the trio.

Elina Ivashchenko – “Get Up”

Elina delivered an emotional performance of her X Factor winning song “Get Up”. The staging included smoke on the ground and a simple, yet effective LED-background. The camera focused on Elina herself and captured some great moments. Vocally, Elina was on point, too.

Oleksandr Poriadynskyi – “Savior”

Oleksandr’s performance was all about great vocal moments. His voice got to shine in his performance of “Savior”. The staging helped it come across as a dramatically presented and definitely emotional cut. However, the passionate performance didn’t end up too high with either judges and the public, which means that we won’t see him in the final again, unfortunately.

Garna – “Who We Are?”

Garna delivered a powerful and energetic performance with “Who We Are?” The LED effects went along well with the songs’ progression.

Did your favourites go to through or did they crash out? Do you agree with the results? Let us know in the comments below!

Read all our Ukraine news here

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Aura
Aura
4 years ago

He and his influential wife (she is a well-known Ukrainian producer) probably bought the place in the final. I will not be surprised if he accidentally will win the whole thing.

Stupynka
Stupynka
4 years ago

Ukraine , next year I wanna see Maruv feat. Fo Sho. Now, that’s a winner!

CoochieStank
CoochieStank
4 years ago

Khayat should win 100% but his singing and performance should be tweaked a bit.

Stupynka
Stupynka
4 years ago

How on earth did Khayat go through? Sounds like he swallowed a frog and just had his first English class. Embarrassing quality this year and the jury work too. I’d guess Tvorchi or Krut 99 will represent Ukraine.

mrjeffster
mrjeffster
4 years ago
Reply to  Stupynka

I love Khayat and his song, so don’t agree with the spirit of your comment, but your swallowed a frog comment made me lol. If you listen to his other stuff, that’s just what his voice sounds like. I dig it! He does need to figure out how to sing in English tho.

Malalinka
Malalinka
4 years ago

Please Ukraine, send Khayat to Rotterdam!!!!

jim
jim
4 years ago

lhet mhweeee hwoldddd yoo anttttttttttttt
cwall fworrr LwOOOOuuuvvv!!!11!!

Ana
Ana
4 years ago
Reply to  jim

Exactly, who’s aunt he’s holding? I listened like 3 times and there are parts that I absolutely can’t understand no matter how I try

Stupynka
Stupynka
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

Hahaha not my aunt

Mil
Mil
4 years ago
Reply to  jim

It is not the language, it is his special way of singing. I heard him speaking English and he sounded fine.

Ana
Ana
4 years ago
Reply to  Mil

Well nobody cares how his spoken English is because he’s going to ESC not to TED. So what’s the point to praise his wonderful English outside the song. Maybe he also has amazing cooking skills and a champ in oral sex. How does it help the fact that this song sounds funny with that accent?

Mariia
Mariia
4 years ago

Probably because his wife is Tina Carol friend and a producer

Kaye
Kaye
4 years ago
Reply to  Mariia

Maybe Tina Carol is friend and produser Vidbir is wife?

Ana
Ana
4 years ago

About the black girls. Like really? Can you spot even 1 hook in that song? This song is all over the place, a total mess. And the thought that Ukraine could be represented by a cheap, messy copy of an American hip hop track is just horrifying. It would be another thing if they at least were rapping in Ukrainian but that’s just a sad attempt to sound ”like in America”, and nobody needs that, there’s enough of this music made in actual America.

Mariia
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

Totally agree with you

primadonna
primadonna
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

“the black girls” you should restrain your racism

Ana
Ana
4 years ago
Reply to  primadonna

They are black and they are girls. You should restrain the stick in your ass. So calling a black person ”black” is considered an insult? Maybe you’re the racist.

David
David
4 years ago

FO SHO ?

Banana
Banana
4 years ago

The only ones who sounded interesting were Fo Sho. The rest are quite average.
Well, I hope Krut’ practices a lot (we need to hear her beautiful vocals more than the back vocals) because her song is the best so far.

Thorbeta
Thorbeta
4 years ago

This was definitely a much weaker semi compared to the first one. The winner is still ‘Solovey’ for me especially if they work a little more to improve the performance and the staging. My gut tells me though that ’99’ will probably win and I’m ok with that too.

Ana
Ana
4 years ago

Khayat is a cute boy but gosh he sounds weird in English. The others are not doing it to me. I think if Go_A would improve live (replacing at least one of the backing singers) they might win

Alessandro
Alessandro
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

I agree. It feels like he has an arabic-russian accent. It’s really weird.

Cat
Cat
4 years ago
Reply to  Alessandro

his father is arab, that’s why he has this strange name Khayat. nothing weird
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khayat

Yana
Yana
4 years ago
Reply to  Cat

His father isn’t an Arab LOL

Simone
Simone
4 years ago
Reply to  Yana

LOL?? This is weird because he speaks russian and ukrainian without an arabic accent! He artificially sings in English like that, and it seems weird to me too

Talula
Talula
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

he actually speaks English just fine , Khayat has a degree as translator in English and Arabic languages, his manner of singing is very unusual and that’s probably the case here
his stepdad is Brit citizen btw and Khayat has had an internship in USA as student at some point

Ana
Ana
4 years ago
Reply to  Talula

It doesn’t matter what degree and citizenship he has, in the song he rapes the language to the point it’s hard to understand which language is that. Those things work sometimes (Bjork would be a good example) but it doesn’t work for his song.

Stupynka
Stupynka
4 years ago
Reply to  Talula

No matter what you say its a big difference between writing and speaking – and singing requires additional good technique which he unfortunately lacks.
I’d rather see Ukrainians perform in their own beautiful language if they can’t do better than this.

Lomba
Lomba
4 years ago
Reply to  Talula

I’d like to point out that many people that know English very well, or studied in the US still have accents, sometimes pretty heavy ones. Nas Daily would be a good example. He’s a famous blogger and he went to freaking Harward, but you can clearly hear an accent in almost every word he says, so knowing English isn’t enough to actually be able to have a decent accent. And in a song, weird accents are even more evident than in just speaking.

Thorbeta
Thorbeta
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

It’s his enunciation and I also find it distracting unfortunately.

Jackson
Jackson
4 years ago

I liked Tvorchi. Yes, the stage production and choreography need to be refined, but he is the only charismatic singer in Vidbir.
I don’t think the live was so bad. Maruv sounded even worse

Sabrina
Sabrina
4 years ago

Finally watched the performances, I’m glad that Khayat and Tvorchi qualified. The only song that does nothing for me in the final is David’s (plus the angel wings are still a recent trauma to me), but he’s a great singer and gave it all tonight, so I think it’s fair. It will be a great final and I guess I’m still with “Solovey” in this one.

Mia
Mia
4 years ago
Reply to  Sabrina

I expected Roko and Houdek to join the performance at some point hahaha

Sabrina
Sabrina
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia

Right? Too early to have angel wings again. 😀

Mia
Mia
4 years ago

Tvorchi live was such disappointing, how can they win the semi?
Khayat was the best, but still I’m not blown away tbh.
My Vidbir favorite remains Solovey.

lasse braun
lasse braun
4 years ago

the singer from tvorchi was not in best shape but tvorchi wins semi 2 at the jury and the televoting – this was a surprise because nearly everybody has reckoned with khayatz as the winner from semi 2.
what we can learn about this – tvorchi is the wanted act from? ; or we will see a battle between the white angel with a bandura and Go_A in the final?
time will tell.

Stupynka
Stupynka
4 years ago
Reply to  lasse braun

Krut 99 will step up the performance in the final. The best song. The rest of Vidbir this year is too poor. Sorry Ukraine. So much talent – so bad selections.

MikolasFan
MikolasFan
4 years ago

Khayat was amazing tonight! wow! Now rumors are saying he gonna change girls to guys in his ballet and get rid of one of back vocalist in the final, cant wait to see it:)

So the host Pritula didn’t learn his last year lesson and has throw another homophobic remark during Khayat’ talks with juries *facepalm*
and of course his sexist jokes to Tina were horrible too, what a clown, local fans on twitter were really angry with his inappropriate jokes….ugh!

Cat
Cat
4 years ago
Reply to  MikolasFan

homophobic joke from Prytula? homophobic joke was on Tina who said to replace girls with boys on high heels (Kozaky – they started as her back dancers and can be nice replacement indeed 🙂

Mariia
4 years ago
Reply to  Cat

What is homophobic about Tina saying to add Kazaky?

Andrei
Andrei
4 years ago

OMG, Benny Cristo’s performance was horrible! He really can’t deliver a live performance… The only positive thing about his song is the beat. No qualification for CZ this year…. The juries will kill this atrocity, and for good reason! Now, back to Ukraine’s Vidbir: Khayat for the win!

Tom
Tom
4 years ago
Reply to  Andrei

Nobody give a fu… About your poor taste and opinion byee

Mariia
4 years ago
Reply to  Andrei

I actually really liked the performance

Mike Soto
Mike Soto
4 years ago

If anyone other than Jerry Heil wins Vidbir, a huge sigh of relief will be felt across Italy and Sweden. Otherwise Eurovision returns to Kiev next year.

Ana
Ana
4 years ago
Reply to  Mike Soto

Yeah, the horribly written song about an outdated topic sang by a non singer is such a huge threat to everyone. Are you drunk or something?

Hermès
Hermès
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

Outdated topic? Girl really? 😀 you should be the one checking ur alcohol balance. Rough night? Btw I suggest you inform urself before spreading hateful comments towards singers. Jerry Heil is no Whitney Houston but she can sing…

Ana
Ana
4 years ago
Reply to  Hermès

Being a vegan in 2020 is nothing new or special. It’s a thing that could amaze people in 2010, not now when so many people are vegan. It looks new and fresh for Ukrainians maybe (trends travel slowly to this part of the world). To me it’s just dumb. And even if we pretend that veganism is a fresh topic, it doesn’t help the idiotic lyrics that sound like a child with learning disorder wrote them. It’s a pathetic entry. Ukraine deserves more than that. Give that song to San Marino and it would be just fine for them

Kosey
Kosey
4 years ago
Reply to  Ana

Post-veganism is the new veganism

Polegend Godgarina
4 years ago

i demand justice for fo sho! shocking to see david axelrod in the top 3. don’t get the obsession over khayat either, there’s too much going on in his song.

Hermès
Hermès
4 years ago

His entry also let me down but performance wise all can be changed. As for the song itself if only he could pull a Safura and work his English, much of the song would sound much better…. agree about fo sho too !! Would have been something in the final!

Kosey
Kosey
4 years ago

Khayat, man, I am willing to put aside the pronunciation, the slightly questionable vocals and the dodgy moustache, I am loving your vibe and you have a bop on your hands!

West
West
4 years ago

I admit – Khayat was best, but I much prefer his performence from last year.

Mascha
Mascha
4 years ago
Reply to  West

Same.

OhhHoney
OhhHoney
4 years ago

As much as I like bonfire, their performance was not a stand out. Those vocals were a mess so I’m surprised they came first.

The Roop is On Fire
The Roop is On Fire
4 years ago

Tvorchi are good artists. But that performance a while ago was a lackluster. Oh well, it’s what Ukraine wants anyway.

BleuKnaveXD236
BleuKnaveXD236
4 years ago

Not a bad job to all the performers… I’ll admit my winner is still GO_A from semi one but I thought all the performers did a good job overall even the songs that weren’t my favorite I enjoyed. My favorite performances were Fo Sho and Khayat… but I’ll admit Khayat was a bit of a disappointment… not his vocals but the performance I found a bit cringy when they did the phone thing with their hands at the call for love parts -_- anyways good job overall. Good luck to the qualifiers nonetheless.

Marcus
Marcus
4 years ago

Hm, I wonder if there were technical issues. Most every song had a pretty horrendous live performance today…

I’m glad Tvorchi and Khayat made it through though, but I would have liked for Fo Sho to join them.

willchrisiam
willchrisiam
4 years ago

I love Khayat and his song is really good, but what was that? His accent is horrible. I honestly couldn’t understand 90% of what he was saying. The staging is a mess. I was expecting an explosion of color or at least something trippy, not rusted copper. Thankfully all the big elements are good, he just needs to work on his English and change the staging.

James
James
4 years ago
Reply to  willchrisiam

He will need a dialect coach to help him that in case he wins next week.

mrjeffster
mrjeffster
4 years ago
Reply to  James

I’m willing to be his dialect coach.

Safiya
Safiya
4 years ago

Arendt we going to talk about Benny Cristo’s performance? IMO it was pretty good

West
West
4 years ago
Reply to  Safiya

It really was – though still the pre-revamp version, so who knows how the song’ll sound later.

Mariia
4 years ago
Reply to  Safiya

I agree. It was amazing

fala
fala
4 years ago
Reply to  Safiya

it was really boring.

Mariia
Mariia
4 years ago

Am I the only one sad because of Tvorchi vocals? It was pretty bad I think and they were my favorites. Khayat should be first. I hope that he will win after all

From Czech Republic in love with Ukraine
From Czech Republic in love with Ukraine
4 years ago
Reply to  Mariia

You are not the only one…I hope he will sing better in the final because they are my favourite to win!!

No One
No One
4 years ago
Reply to  Mariia

Same here, it was so underwhelming, Tvorchi was my n.2 but I’m so disappointed. Rooting for Khayat harder than before now.

Cat
Cat
4 years ago
Reply to  Mariia

I’m sad because judges and the audience are equally deaf, they were horrible live and there’s no excuse to sing that bad in singing contest.

Mariia
4 years ago
Reply to  Cat

I am sure that it will be different in the final because jury read the comments after performances and learn from it

First row at ESC & JESC
First row at ESC & JESC
4 years ago

bad choice from Ukraine. How to choose winners was demonstrated by Lithuania today.

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
4 years ago

David axelrod? Da faq

MikolasFan
MikolasFan
4 years ago

Khayat and Tvorchi totally deserved to qualify, though i would put Khayat first, he was on fire tonight!
but Axelord is odd here, probbaly older viewers voted for him , i would put through Fo Sho instead

Grand Final gonna be a bloodbath Go-A vs Jerry vs Khayat vs Krutb
cant wait!

Vlad
Vlad
4 years ago

This article is written not with attitude (unlike your blog name says).
You even didn;t mention in which placing every participant finished. So i’ll do your job for the qualifiers at least

16pts Tvorchi (8 jury + 8 audience)
14pts Khayat (7 jury + 7 audience)
11pts David Axelrod (6 jury + 5 audience)

Mariia
Mariia
4 years ago
Reply to  Vlad

It is great article I think considering how much time they had. The selection finished like 1 hour ago or less

Emma
Emma
4 years ago

FO SHO is out.. I’m really sad :(!

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
4 years ago

I thought Khayat and David were the best two performers on the night so no problem there.
I expected Elina to be the 3rd choice though. Tvorchi was not one of my favourites.

Mil
Mil
4 years ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

With Khayat getting only 7 from the jury and especially from the public I am afraid he will not win. I can’t say I adore his song but I think he would be the best Ukraine’s representative at ESC.

Mariia
Mariia
4 years ago
Reply to  Mil

He still has chances to win. I think that STB is just putting on some show as they like to do. The winner should not be obvious

Cat
Cat
4 years ago
Reply to  Mariia

how they can “put a show” if there’s an auditor who counts the televotes?

Mariia
4 years ago
Reply to  Cat

Ok, as a true Ukrainian I don’t believe in the honest voting:) it is weird to have audience and jury agree like this. But who knows

Mariia
4 years ago
Reply to  Cat

Every Ukrainian knows what this channel is like. They even have a fake psychic show

Cat
Cat
4 years ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

Elina had a chance only if she can sing it a cappella.

KESC
KESC
4 years ago

Khayat should win!!