Os dez já estão escolhidos! Portugal has voted in the second semi-final of the 2021 edition of Festival da Canção. Ten acts sang their hearts out for one of the five places in the final.
In the end, a combination of professional jury and televote decided that NEEV, Pedro Gonçalves, Carolina Deslandes, Joana Alegre, and EU.CLIDES are one step closer to Eurovision 2021.
Portugal’s Festival da Canção 2021 Semi-Final Two results
The second of two semi-finals took place in Lisbon’s RTP headquarters. 50% of the result came from a professional jury that included Eurovision 2003 star Rita Guerra and Eurovision 2020 “Medo de Sentir” composer Marta Carvalho. The remaining 50% came from the televote. The qualifiers were announced in random order.
The second semi-final was packed with fan favourites and some qualifiers seemed obvious. But as ever, there was still plenty to play for.
After an intense qualifiers announcement, the five who’ll be back at RTP’s studios are: Joana Alegre, Carolina Deslandes, Perdo Gonçalves, NEEV and EU.CLIDES
NEEV – “Dancing In The Stars” live at semi-final two of Festival da Canção 2021
Carolina Deslandes – “Por Um Triz” live at semi-final two of Festival da Canção 2021
Carolina Deslandes – Por um Triz | 2.ª Semifinal | Festival da Canção 2021 – YouTube
Pedro Gonçalves – “Não Vou Ficar” live at semi-final two of Festival da Canção 2021
Pedro Gonçalves – Não Vou Ficar | 2.ª Semifinal | Festival da Canção 2021 – YouTube
Joana Alegre – “Joana do Mar” live at semi-final two of Festival da Canção 2021
Joana Alegre – Joana do Mar | 2.ª Semifinal | Festival da Canção 2021 – YouTube
EU.CLIDES – “Volte-face” live at semi-final two of Festival da Canção 2021
EU.CLIDES – VOLTE-FACE | 2.ª Semifinal | Festival da Canção 2021 – YouTube
Unfortunately, it’s the end of the line for Da Chick, Tainá, Ariana, Ana Tereza and Graciela. None of these acts will be heard in the grand final on March 6.
Portugal’s Festival da Canção 2021 finalists
These are the ten finalists competing for a ticket to Rotterdam next week — March 6. The running order should be announced in the coming days.
- Valéria “Na Mais Profunda Saudade”
- Karetus ft. Romeu Bairos “Saudade”
- The Black Mamba “Love Is On My Side”
- Fábia Maia “Dia Lindo”
- Sara Afonso “Contramão”
- NEEV “Dancing In The Stars”
- Carolina Deslandes “Por Um Triz”
- Pedro Gonçalves “Não Vou Ficar
- Joana Alegre “Joana do Mar”
- EU.CLIDES “Volte-face”
Are you happy with tonight’s results? Are you surprised? Which live performance was your favourite? Tell us in the comment section below.
Neev or Deslandes are my favorites.
Only letdown is the staging, what on earth, that stage is awful, lights and camera’s all wrong, even the sound, many instrumentals are too low for the voices..
Let’s hope there’s some improvement for the final (but I don’t think so).
So my five qualifiers qualified, that’s great.
Neev without any doubt!!
I have been really happy with both of the semi-final results in Portugal. Last week I would have only taken Cheguei aqui over Saudade and this week I would have preferred Com um abraço over Volte-face, but other than that, all my favorites made it to the final! 🙂 Hoping that Carolina wins the whole thing.
I hope Carolina wins too <3
NEEV is by far, my favorite winner and with the RIGHT STAGING he could go very far in Rotterdam.
RTP, don´t mess it up with your “simplicity” spirit thing…how about investing and bring professionalism in a decent tv production and give artists the further due respect they deserve?
The only good thing about this is Neev.
It´s a lovely song bur not my favourite
Karetus or Euclides por favor !
Saudade without a doubt! The only right choice!
So my bottom 3 of the 20 all made it to the final… All of the most boring and dull ballads that goes nowhere while several of the more interesting ones failed…. If portugal end up choosing Deslandes, Sara or Fabia the its a clear last place finish for me.
It better be Karetus or NEEV now, or even EU.CLIDES.
How can you compare Valéria’s fado to Sara’s valsa song? Neither the style nor the voice nor anything is alike, except for the tempo that is slow. Your music sensitivity and knowledge is very low, I am sorry
No one compared Valéria to Sara, read again
I think you are the one who needs glasses. Stian said that the songs competing in Festival da Canção were ‘dull ballads’. So yes implicitly he was comparing Valéria with Sara and others…
neev is boring tho
It isn’t original. I wouldn’t say boring tho.
I enjoyed this one all round. Carolina was my favourite of the night; that performance was so perfect. NEEV also gave a great performance; it’s a bit of a risky song lyrically (as it seems to be about coping with death), but was staged well considering. Pedro did well, but stylistically his look wasn’t to my taste. Joana’s song has this Irish-esque sea-shanty feel that’s nice and flowing in the Choruses, but she needs more staging and/or choreo. My notes on “Volte-face” were not favourable, but this was the only one of the five qualifiers that I personally disagreed with.… Read more »
NEEV’s song is stunning and a potential top 5 finish for Portugal.
I agree, Abba should have sung in sweeding and Johnny Logan in irish! Slainté!
I agree with almost all the choices from both semis. Portugal needs to decide if a) it wants to reward and demonstrate traditional Portuguese music or b) wants a great result in the ESC. If b) then they need to send NEEV, no one else will qualify.
Do you think Neev would help Portugal qualify on the basis of his song sounding more “international”?
I think it would qualify on the following basis: 1) Based on the songs released so far it is very comparable in quality to the others; 2) Most of the songs released are up tempo so the Dancing in the Stars would stand out; 3) Portugal is in 2nd half of the 2nd Semi which should be the easier one; 4) I think people may reward Portugal for sending something more radio-friendly and current. It’s probably not a winner of the ESC if you believe that the song contest alternates between rewarding ballads and up tempo than 2021 is for… Read more »
2nd Semifinal has Gjon’s Tears. And based on NEEV’s copying Duncan’s staging and his song being something we have heard a thousand times on ESC, then no, it wouldn’t fair well at all.
Well, seems like based on what you’re saying, both Duncan and Neev have stolen Liberace staging! And Elton John!!
Lmao, neev will not qualify. It’s so similar to arcade by duncan laurence.
The structure of the song and the lyrics are totally different.
The only similar thing between the two acts is that there’s a man sitting playing piano.
I agree.
The selection in Portugal is just so strong. Ana Tereza didn’t really have a competitive song and Graciela’s live performance was a bit of a mess but otherwise, everything else was pretty strong.
Outside of her popularity, I’m not really seeing Carolina as a winner based on merit. I feel a lot of what her song is doing, is done better by Sara Afonso from semi final 1. That might just be me though.
The thing is, her name is just bigger than most artists and composers competing. And even if not the greatest, her song is jury bait at heart and I see no reason the jury will mark her down, at least in a fair jury. If her fanbase votes, it will be like Bilal and Tix, too much for other acts to have a chance at coming first on the televote. Besides, with NEEV, Karetus & Romeu and Pedro not being particularly incredible live, just good, I don’t think they will make it. They would need a vast improvement, but considering… Read more »
Completely agree with everything you’ve said. It’s a stronger representative than last year (by far) and as you said, she is nothing but professional on stage and knows what to do. It’s also completely not her fault that she’s such a clear favourite, regardless of her song, so you won’t be hearing any complaints from me if she’s chosen.
Honestly, Carolina could qualify if RTP invested in staging.
We both know that won’t happen. RTP had a thing with never bothering with dtaging
The wonderful Lúcia Moniz’s performance deserves a mention, and that’s all this comment is here to do.
Here’s the video, by the way! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1-iDUeA8RI&ab_channel=FestivaldaCan%C3%A7%C3%A3o
I am just sad to know the final will be held on the same stage…it’s awfull!
NEEV will have to turn the switch on if we wants to win. His vocals are amazing, the song is good! But the lights didn’t match the song, that bridge should be elevated by the stage lights but no…his work with the camera was not the best, and the candle and jacket were distracting…
Next saturday will not be easy! I am already nervous…
Totally agree, they deserve a better stage. Better camera work, all of it.
I keep making the mistake of watching FdC before Melodifestivalen and the difference in camera work is driving me mad. I know these are unique times in terms of TV production and we can’t all be SVT but, at the same time, the show doesn’t need to look like it’s being filmed by one guy running around in a circle.
I just wished Bernardo would show this comments to RTP… I don’t even know if they know how weak this looks.
The winner will be on the ESC YouTube Channel, with this…stage and camera work…embarassing!
RTP did so much things right on the previous years. Bringing FdC back with the respect it deserves is an amazing achievment, however they need to improve a lot on this subject! All the visuals on stage and the taught behind it are just weak!
The best camera work was in Salvador’s year, his performance is so timeless and beautiful, but since then, it has dropped. It’s embarrassing, really.
It’s because of sobral that we have this terrible camera work anyway. RTP saw that it worked and now they wont try anything else. Nuno galopim and carla bugalho need to leave the delegation already.
totally agree on this.
Bernardo, ´hope you´re reading this!
Please, let RTP know about this outrageous lack of professionalism. This is absolutely unacceptable! In case they still haven´t noticed, Eurovision is a visual show…nothing learned from the past?
I thought many of the performances were staged fine, especially Pedro’s, Carolina’s and Neev’s. If each act have their own creative director, maybe the decision on camera direction falls on their shoulders?
I do wish that he (or producers) had done the staging of Hati Mata Hari from 2006–just a void of black with the twinkling of lights completely engulfing him. For some reason FdC loves having every song in tones of blue.
I think Sara Afonso’s looked pretty similar to that. I really liked it.
The stage hasn’t looked right for every act but some have made it work.
Good idea! I had this in my mind! Check this out: https://youtu.be/qkLTGeFrJQs
Would be amazing!
I absolutely loved Neev.
Was like vulnerable, mysterious, honest and charming all together. Connected with me instantly. Pure feeling
The second semi final was better than the first one
I think Portugal has some good choices full of quality once again ( Pedro Gonçalves, Joana Alegre and NEEV are good options)
Let´s see what will happen in the Final
I´m sure that Portugal don´t send a song in English
if Neev doesn’t learn to engage with the camera, he may blow this….
I think I am in love with Pedro, he gave such an amazing performance, my favourite of the night. His outfit looked a bit like the ones you used to see on 1990s school trips but I just don’t care!
My thoughts on this bloodbath semi final Da Chick – Yeah….. no. No surprises here. Tainá – This was so sweet and her vocals were on point but I sadly forgot about it when the show ended. Ariana – I actually really liked this. R&B with gospel and some Eden Alene energy. Deserved to qualify imo. EU.CLIDES – Sitting down? Bold move. The performance didn’t feel empty though. Good use of camera shots and lighting. Joana Alegre – I love how those high notes seemed to be the least of her worries. Deserved to qualify. Pedro Gonçalves – Very 90s… Read more »
I liked Ariana as well, too bad the song was a bit confusing overall. I could ditch Joana Alegre, I mean, her voice is great but performance wise, didn’t enjoy it much.
As for Pedro, both performance and lyrics are just cringe, I can’t even look at him..
If Neev wins Deslandes, it will be a double victory: winning the most popular singer of the dispute and the prejudice of the Portuguese by sending a song in English.
I hope that Sweden and Azerbaijan forget the same prejudice with their maternal languages. English is not the official language of Portugal, only in 4 country (Australia, Ireland, Malta and United Kingdom).
And tbh, I’d love to see Australia give something in an Aboriginal language, Ireland something in Irish, Malta something in Maltese, and the UK something in Welsh/Cornish/Scottish Gaelic.
I don’t think Carolina and Bernardo (Neev) have any dispute at all, they are professionals and this is not a race to find who’s the greatest. They are two great singers and composers, both based in Portugal. Should be proud of both, and all the other composers and contestants.
This is a contest to find a song who represents Portugal at Eurovision, not a duel.
There’s no prejudice. But why would we send something in English? To be like the others? I prefer when there’s a wide variety of languages in Eurovision, and from what I can tell, others do too. That’s actually what people like about Portugal and Italy – we sing proudly in our languages. If everything was in english, it sure would be boring and not really… European.
A strong semifinal and and now an even stronger final.
I’m happy that that Carolina made the cut. 🙂
As if it was ever in doubt. She is practically guaranteed to win, sadly in my eyes. Her song is jury bait, she has the biggest fanbase and her song in general will fool people into thinking she can repeat what Salvador did. If she loses, then pigs will start to fly.
Never too late to start an airline run by pigs, or is it??
Oh trust me, I’d happily patent it. I just don’t see it happening. It’s like comparing a bunch of cats to a lioness. Sure, the cats are far cuter and have their fans, but the lioness ain’t gonna be losing in any department to them.
She truly is just too popular. It’s like Bilal and Tix. The only way she doesn’t win is if the juries severely mark her down, which I’m doubtful and would even find it unfair and poor taste even if I dislike the song as it does have the merrits to earn a respectable jury score.
I know, but, if Conan got the public and the juries top score, then I believe in miracles!
Well done Portugal! Once again you bring a national final filled with quality and personality!
This semi was stronger than the first. Deslandes and Neev are probably the frontrunners now, maybe joined by Karetus if Romeu shows more confidence on the stage. But she needs a better outfit and he needs better camera angles (the excessive wide shots transported me back to Tel Aviv).
I was expecting more staging for Joana, I think she will need something else to shine in the final. And EU.CLIDES could at least stand up, right? I’m sad that Graciela (the coolest performance in Fdc) and Tainá haven’t qualified, but all qualifiers tonight were good.
The right songs went through. I still think it’s Carolina’s to lose given her National appeal, popularity, strong jury appeal and overall song/lyrics. I think Portugal would be wise to choose quiet ballad this year given all the songs being chosen just to stand out—but given their track record—they might not. I can’t believe NEEV’s live voice—STUNNING—you Sir, have won yourself a new fan as I was not aware of your music until you entered Festival da Canção.
His other songs are far better than this one. Have a go on “Lie you love it” or “Calling out”.
I think he’s got the most potential for an international career out of all artists this year.
Same can be said about most artists. It’s rare for one to come here and deliver a top 3 song of their career until that point.
Sure, I’m just pointing out that he’s got better work than this and is very talented besides this competition.
Graciela – A Vida Sem Acontecer was robbed! I can’t believe she didn’t qualify!
This means only one thing – the return of Filomena Cautela next weekend ??
Yes! Can’t wait for the main event (Filomena) 😀
What a strong final Portugal. Not even 1 song I don’t like. You made excellent choices