Poll: Who is your favourite automatic qualifier of Eurovision 2018?

It seems like only yesterday we saw Eugent Bushpepa win FiK with the soaring track “Mall”. It was a simpler time when our timelines were filled with “My Top 1” jokes. Two and a half months have now sped by and we have all 43 songs competing at Eurovision 2018.

The Big Five are, of course, the five biggest financial contributors to the contest. As such they automatically qualify for the Grand Final on May 12th along with host country Portugal. For the first time in years France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom all chose their entries through national finals, as did our first-time hosts in Lisbon. And now we have one question on our mind: Which automatic qualifier is your favourite?

At the time of writing this poll — on 8 March — Spain are faring the best with the bookies, with their romantic ballad “Tu Cancion” sitting pretty as tenth favourite. France, Italy and Germany all remain inside the Top 20. The UK is further back in 27th with Portugal in between. But odds are odds — and your opinions are your opinions. Which country do you think most deserves its free pass to the final?

You can review all of the entries below. Then vote in our poll. You can vote for as many songs as you like, but you can only vote ONE time, so make it count. Be sure to tick the box next to each country you’re supporting before pressing submit.

Spain: Amaia and Alfred – “Tu Canción”

Espana comes with the real-life couple Amaia and Alfred, selected through the wildly popular TV show Operacion Triunfo. There was little doubt before the Eurovision gala that this duo would win with their simple yet beautiful ballad “Tu Canción” (Your Song). It’s already emerged as a hot-favourite for the title — could we be headed to our host nation’s neighbours in May 2019?

Notable lyric – “Siento que bailo por primera vez” (I feel like I’m dancing for the first time).

France: Madame Monsieur – “Mercy”

We were all hyped when we heard France would stage Destination Eurovision — a three-part national final involving respected songwriters and emerging artists. And the hype went to another level when we heard the snippets. Madame Monsieur took the crown with their moving song, a tribute to a child named Mercy born in the midst of the European immigration crisis who survived in extraordinary circumstances. With its emotional electro flair, the song stands out from what we’re familiar with at ESC. But will it stand out in the Grand Final?

Notable lyric: “Je suis tous ces enfants, que la mer a pris” (I am all those children who were taken by the sea).

United Kingdom: SuRie – “Storm”

SuRie (Susanna Marie Cork) is the Hertfordshire beauty with a vocal style comparable with British music legend Annie Lennox. She’s also one of the best social media characters of the year. Her wit and charm have earned her a dedicated group of fans excited to see the next tweet. Selected through the third edition of Eurovision: You Decide held at the historic Brighton Dome, SuRie delivered a real and rousing rendition of her anthemic track “Storm”, and got by far the biggest cheers in the crowd both in the venue, and evidently with viewers back home. Last year Lucie Jones restored British pride at ESC. Can SuRie take it higher?

Notable lyric: “Spread your love, give all you got, hold your head up, don’t give up”

Germany: Michael Schulte – “You Let Me Walk Alone”

Michael Schulte smashed the competition in Unser Lied fur Lissabon, beating his closest competitor Xavier Darcy by 11 points to be crowned the winner and representative of Germany in Lisbon. His moving tribute to his father who passed away when he was a teenager moved the German audience and they rewarded him with their highest marks. The Voice of Germany alumni is hoping to bring the competition back to Deutschland. They are still the only Big 5 country to have won since the Big 5 rule existed.

Notable lyric: “I’m a dreamer, a make believer, I was told that you were, too”

Italy: Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro – “Non Mi Avete Fatto Niente”

Both massive stars in Italy, Albanian-born Ermal Meta and rocker/tv-presenter Fabrizio Moro entered San Remo 2018 together with the extraordinarily honest and up-front anthem “Non Mi Avete Fatto Niente”. The song title, which translates as You Did Nothing To Me, refers to the terrorist attacks happening both in Europe and further afield, directly mentioning events in Nice and London among others. It takes the issue on without holding back and is one the most powerful statements ever made at Eurovision. This song could really hit hard with viewers. How do you think it will fare in the contest?

Notable lyric: “Il mondo si rialza  col sorriso di un bambino” (The world stand sup again with the smile of a child).

Portugal: Claudia Pascoal – “O Jardim”

Stepping into the shoes of Salvador Sobral after his empathic win in Kyiv last year was always going to be a difficult task, but Portugal stepped up to the plate with their entry “O Jardim” (The Garden). Winning the televote in Festival Da Cancao convincingly, Claudia will represent her home country with a slow, stunning and other-worldly entry. Will we be headed back to the region in 2019?

Poll: Best Big 5 country + Portugal

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