Editorial: Alex’s Picks for the First Semi-Final

Six wiwibloggers are currently running around Malmö overdosing on this year’s entries. After covering all the rehearsals and getting intimate with the Eurostars, our vision is getting a little hazy. So Alexander, our North Carolina correspondent, is chiming in with his picks. Distance can provide clarity, people!

I’ve made two qualifier lists. The first list consists of the top 10 entries that I think deserve to qualify. The second list consists of the 10 entries that I predict will qualify. They are listed in the running order, not in order of preference.

DESERVE TO QUALIFY

– Austria
– Croatia
– Denmark
– Russia
– Ukraine
– The Netherlands
– Montenegro
– Moldova
– Ireland
– Serbia

deserve to go home

– Estonia
– Slovenia
– Lithuania
– Belarus
– Cyprus
– Belgium

Will Qualify

– Austria
– Slovenia
– Denmark
– Russia
– Ukraine
– The Netherlands
– Belarus
– Moldova
– Ireland
– Serbia

Will Go Home

– Estonia
– Croatia
– Montenegro
– Lithuania
– Cyprus
– Belgium

There’s obviously a disconnect between the acts I’d like to see qualify and the acts that actually will, specifically with Montenegro’s Who See and Croatia’s Klapa s Mora.

Montenegro is simply too modern and too mainstream for the average Eurovision fan. It’s an epic, rebellious entry, and Who See aren’t going to hide that! It’ll get votes from fans in other ex-Yugoslav countries. But I have a feeling that the Serbian and Slovenian entries will appeal to more voters in the region because they’re more mainstream numbers. The semi-finals don’t get as many casual viewers as the final does, so that might hurt them. I’m also not sure if the juries will appreciate it. As past results show, the juries have never been fond of rap (as with Greece 2011 and Austria 2012). Nina Zizic’s powerful vocals could be their saving grace. I have a feeling the result will be similar to Switzerland or Bulgaria last year: they’ll come close, but not close enough. I’d absolutely love to be wrong though, as I personally WANT Montenegro in the final. They gave Team Wiwi a fun interview, which you can watch here.

I don’t think Croatia will qualify for a few reasons. First, the song is old-fashioned and will mostly appeal to older people in the ex-Yugoslav bloc with only a few exceptions. Younger people from the Balkans will probably prefer Serbia, Slovenia, or Montenegro instead. Second, the staging is bland and forgettable (as the Wiwi Jury has previously pointed out). The singers literally just stand there and sing for most of the song. Third, Croatia is performing early in the running order and will be forgotten after the ballads that come right after it: Denmark, Russia, Ukraine, and The Netherlands. Croatia’s saving grace may be the juries–I’m sure they will appreciate the pitch-perfect vocals of the Klapa ensemble. Still, I don’t think that will be enough to qualify.

Even though I’d rather see Montenegro and Croatia in the final, I think that Belarus and Slovenia will advance instead. Both of them are “safe” Eurovision songs– upbeat, catchy, accessible, and well choreographed. As “safe” songs I think that they will advance to the final but land in the bottom half of the scoreboard. This is very similar to what happened to Greece’s “Aphrodisiac” and Cyprus’s “La La Love” last year.

So, who do you guys want to qualify for the final on Tuesday night? Who do you think will qualify? Feel free to post your lists in the comments box below!

Photos: Thomas Hanses and Sander Hesterman (EBU)

You can read our song reviews on the Wiwi Jury page. Then read the lyrics to this year’s entries on our contestants page. And then vote for your favourite contestants in our various polls.