The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 37 competing songs in Eurovision 2023. Next we review Portugal, who have chosen Mimicat with “Ai Coração”.

Are we prrr-ing with excitement? Read on to find out!

Mimicat – “Ai Coração” (Portugal Eurovision 2023)

Review: Mimicat – “Ai Coração”

Jonathan: Portugal have become known for their ballads over recent years, but Mimicat is proving that the country can also put its stamp on something more uptempo. “Ai Coração” feels distinctly Portuguese, which sets it apart from everything else in the contest. Yet, there’s also a theatricality behind the song and performance that sells it to a slightly broader demographic. Add Mimicat’s commanding vocals on top and Portugal have themselves a fiery entry with a lot of potential.

Score: 8

Kristín: If Moldova is bringing the funk, Portugal is definitely bringing the swag. Mimicat basically oozes undeniable swag and uncharted coolness. “Ai Coração” to me is like if fado would drink way too many energy drinks and let loose on the dancefloor. With its slight hint of jazz vibes, the song just makes you want to dance the night away on the streets of Lisbon. So pour me a glass of port and give me some pastel de natas, ’cause I am ready to dive into the Portuguese vibe, Mimicat style.

Score: 6.5

Pablo: This is the change of pace Portugal needed! The way “Ai Coração” grows is pretty much magical, having this cartoon-like charm, reminiscent of something out of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Every detail feels intentional, from the clever line repetitions to the dramatic instrumentals in the right places. And the best part? They’ve achieved all that with a decidedly carefree topic, feeling twitterpated, being in love! Fun, breezy, unpretentious, and a stunning way to make something incredible out of a simple concept. Portugal has finally discovered an entry that’ll likely be a hit with both juries and the public alike.

Score: 9.5

Samuel: Mimicat radiates an energy on stage that I’d say is quite rare. She has a stage presence that implies she can make any song fascinating. She carries the performance and makes it an engaging watch from start to finish, perfect for Eurovision. Aside from my observations, I can’t say “Ai Coração” is one I choose to listen to or watch a lot. I’m curious to see how Portugal will take their performance to the next level in Liverpool. Mimicat seems ready to!

Score: 5

Simon: How did Mimicat keep this gem in a drawer for 10 years and not record it? As a musical theatre lover, this is right up my alley with its catchy theme and mesmerising stage presence from the Portuguese cabaret/burlesque singer. I like that Portugal isn’t going a traditional direction with their entries because the language is so beautiful and I really hope for this song to do as well as MARO and The Black Mamba. Oh heart, you have captured me, miss Mimicat!

Score: 7.5

Portugal Eurovision 2023 ranking

In the Eurovision 2023 Wiwi Jury, we have 20 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:

Antranig: 6

Cinan: 10

Dayana: 9

Deban: 7

Diego: 6.5

Forrest: 5

Lucy: 6

Luis: 9

Oliver: 8

Renske: 6.5

Rick: 7

Ron: 4

Ruxandra: 9.5

Tom: 8

William: 8

We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 4 and a high of 10.

Wiwi Jury verdict: 7.33/10

What do you think of Portugal’s Eurovision 2023 entry? Share your own score and review for Mimicat’s “Ai Coração” below!

98 Comments
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Clara
Clara
1 year ago

I’m extremely late to this song, but I was hoping the Portuguese fans could explain to me whether the guitar solo towards the end is genuinely Portuguese? It sounds Spanish to me, but I’m the first to admit I’m rather ignorant of Portuguese music. Also, not a criticism, I loved this song and it’s in my top 5 now!

Vjera Brdar
Vjera Brdar
1 year ago

Dear Mimi, I hope you know how cute you are. This is such an underrated gem it’s insane.
Wishing you all the besf, love.

Atlas
1 year ago

underrated song

Katriona
Katriona
1 year ago

Mimicat will do a Ternuletul, ladies and gentlemen. And it will do even better in the final than in the semifinal. You read it here first.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 year ago

This is good. “Ai Coração” is lively, professional, entertaining and dynamic. However, it is totally inaccessible to non-Portuguese speakers, and anyone under the age of 23 will think it is a history lesson. Being in the older viewership myself, of course I love it. Expect this one to skew the vote demographics.

Kate
Kate
1 year ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

I disagree. I’m under 23 and also don’t speak a word of Portuguese, but it’s in my top 3. I also know of others my age who love Mimicat too. I think she’ll do better than you expect!

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
1 year ago
Reply to  Kate

Thank you then, for proving me wrong. 🙂

Frances
Frances
1 year ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

I’m 21 and don’t speak Portuguese and this is my favorite song this year!

Atlas
1 year ago
Reply to  Frances

Me too

ThorBeta
ThorBeta
1 year ago

Belated review #1 (long day yesterday…) I like this one but I find that Mimicat and the performance are actually superior to the song. It’s quirky, it’s funny and energetic, and I like the theatrical variété staging and the way Mimicat engages with the performance, but the actual song is not one I seek going back to very often. Great vocals too, Mimicat is one of the artists that I appreciate discovering this year thanks to ESC. 7/10 and 19th in my ranking. I expect and want this to qualify and then I guess a mid-table result is the most… Read more »

Colin
Colin
1 year ago

PORTUGAL – A cabaret entry from Portugal is a fresh idea, as this is the first upbeat Portuguese entry in years, and I’m happy to see a different side of them. It oozes energy from start to finish, and Mimicat completely owns the stage. Not only that she always nails the vocals, but she’s also aware of how much to dance around. Enough to be dynamic, but not too much, not to affect her vocals. The whole stage show feels colorful and energetic, which is perfectly aligned with the playful lyrics about crushing on someone. I’d definitely change the costumes,… Read more »

ThorBeta
ThorBeta
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

We’re the late reviewers today apparently Colin haha.

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  ThorBeta

Late, but still we brought gifts to the party. It was great reading your review, ThorBeta. We agree a lot on this one.

ThorBeta
ThorBeta
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

True haha, we can’t show up late empty handed can we? I agree with you on this one too – it’s a song relying mostly on the entertaining and energetic performance and Mimicat’s charisma. If they get those across well during the actual ESC performance Portugal will do well.

ANDREW BROWN
ANDREW BROWN
1 year ago

In the mid to late 60’s thru the 70’s and 80’s songs like this always appeared and finished the way this one does. They all finished high in the voting (think Germany with Theatre in 1980). Now this one stands out bringing cabaret style to 2023. I hope Mimi cat does well and the staging is even more epic than the National Final. Love her and the song

Sabrina
Sabrina
1 year ago

This one screams Eurovision to me, in the best possible way. Where can you find a more suited audience for a light-hearted cabaret number like “Ai Coração”? It’s true that this could end up being super silly, but Mimicat brings a lot of sophistication to the package. From its lyrics painting a colorful but relatable situation (who hasn’t been harmed by their own heart while waiting for a lover to show up or get in their senses?) to how the melody is always building up somewhere and never letting you escape from its hooks. But mainly because her vocals are… Read more »

Chupacabra
Chupacabra
1 year ago

Hope, they won’t destroy it by staging, coz live alone on stage, Mimicat slays. Charisma, voice,…

Lawna Dell Ray
Lawna Dell Ray
1 year ago

Difficult song to like

Kosey
Kosey
1 year ago

36. Mimicat – Ai Coracao (Portugal) – 4/10 – I have always found cabaret as a style to be very offputting, and sadly this song does nothing to convince me otherwise. Jaunty is not me and I just find it to be all so unnecessarily over-dramatic which dispels any genuine emotional connection I could have to either the song or performer. I do understand that this is true to its genre and that people who enjoy this kind of thing think they’ve done a good job. I can also appreciate that effort and skill has gone into it, even if… Read more »

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Kosey

While I have a different opinion on this specific song, I did notice how your last is still rated with a 4, while mine is with a 3.5. Have we just turned softer to appease anyone oversenistive to criticism or is this year just really void of really bad entries. I see a few quite ”meh” ones, but nothing I’d put nearly as low as Israel 2022, Georgia 2012, Romania 2013, Lithuania 2017, ect. So, I’m leaning on ”No, we’re not ”too kind” for the sake of performative appeasement. The year just lacks true *bad songs* like aforementioned ones. If… Read more »

Kosey
Kosey
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

I agree, there is nothing which makes my blood boil this year. Last year, Norway got a 1/10 but that was because I really didn’t like the masks, the silly dancing and the dodgy Covid message. There is nothing that I am openly against this year. I actually have a very small gap between last and 16th place. It is only when I get to 15th place that I genuinely start enjoying the songs and there’s probably only 5 or 6 that I would call favourites. Overall, it’s not been a very strong year at the top but also not… Read more »

Sabrina
Sabrina
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

By now everybody knows my bottom 4 from the 2023’s class. And the worst grade I gave was a 3. So yeah, I agree that this year isn’t the most inspiring, but it’s probably the first since I started following Eurovision that I don’t have a problem listening to each song until the very end, no matter how many times I listen to the playlist.

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

I’m generally a lot softer on the lower ratings I give out than you do, Colin (but a lot more reluctant to give out the higher end though), but surprisingly I do have two songs rated lower than your 3.5. One is for a song that I think has no business being anywhere near Eurovision in terms of quality, and the other is for one that although I think is a good visual/concept spectacle, it has little to no musical merit for me (Wonder if you can guess both of those songs based on descriptions?). Once you get away from… Read more »

zelenovi
zelenovi
1 year ago

I actually think Wiwi and the bookmakers are underestimating this. For me, this is an instant dose of fun and sunshine, this kind of theatrical/burlesque music is quite timeless and instantly recognisable across the continent (similar to French chansons) and Mimicat’s superb vocals give it the stamp of quality. Juries won’t be able to ignore that voice. It’s worth looking at the preparty footage as well – so many acts struggled with technical issues and bad vocals, but the one act that performed perfectly and with bags of energy every time? Mimicat. This woman is SUCH a professional and she’s… Read more »

Ultima Thule
Ultima Thule
1 year ago
Reply to  zelenovi

Underestimating? 🙂 Higher than Armenia, Australia, Italy, Estonia… it is completely unrealistic. And I don’t like Armenia and Italy too much, but realistically speaking, what is this good with this song? Vocally it is fine. She is charismatic. People are saying we don’t want boring generic ballads, so they don’t like Estonia (although at least her interpretation is far from “generic”) and then they go wild about generic Portuguese music every year. If you don’t hear this on Eurovision, it doesn’t mean it is original and fresh as is. It is actually very dated. Fun song, nice to listen, alright,… Read more »

Katriona
Katriona
1 year ago
Reply to  Ultima Thule

Portuguese entries are hardly generic, lol.

Who The Hell is Potato
Who The Hell is Potato
1 year ago
Reply to  Ultima Thule

How can you call “Ai Coração” generic? Say every meaningless thing you want about it, but saying it is generic just makes you sound stupid. You can call (for example) Sweden’s entries generic, Portugal is so far away from being as generic as Sweden is. Just don’t.

Atlas
1 year ago

Dark Horse

Addie
Addie
1 year ago

Definition of artsy and theatrical. The minute I heard it I was convinced this was going to Eurovision. I’ve never really listened to this genre before, but this song has definitely piqued my interest. I hope Portugal gets top 10 or top 15 atleast. I’ve noticed that it’s a bit underrated, but fingers crossed!

Addie
Addie
1 year ago
Reply to  Addie

Well anyway I know she’s gonna slay the vocals, so that’s sorta reassuring.

Skiwalko
Skiwalko
1 year ago

There are several heart-themed entries this year, among which only Portugal truly delivered on the “heart” part of the title. You can actually hear the heartbeat in the music – “Ai coracao” is nearly constantly out of breath, metaphorically speaking. It’s pure confusao – the dancers are flurring around Mimicat, the verses are bumping into each other, the words are spilling out, who knows what heck this is about. In a way, I wasn’t surprised to learn that Mimicat wrote the whole thing in 5 minutes, because it does feel like a spontaneous earworm, an infectious melody that suddenly pops… Read more »

Kalla
Kalla
1 year ago

I knew this would score well, it’s not really for me though, can listen all the way through, but don’t end up thinking wow that was a great song. I think a key to Portugal’s success the last few years is that they’ve stayed very authentic but with songs that can have wide appeal, for me this is a bit to niche of a sound that will not have much appeal past Iberia Peninsula. For me it’s very much 50/50 if this qualifies.

Jonas
Jonas
1 year ago

A wonderful song, a wonderful performer.

Jake
Jake
1 year ago

I do hope this qualifies as it offers something unique to the final…in a weird way, I think this could do better in the final than in the semi–I think eastern European countries might like this better than the Nordics/Western….it does feel like the odds have this scraping through…with Portugal it’s always a nail-biter as I see reasons for it to qualify or rationale for it not to. My biggest concern here for her is the early running order…and the outfit…let’s not forget she is all-in with the designer who also designed the messy 2B in ’05, the barely-there outfits… Read more »

Miguel Lupi
Miguel Lupi
1 year ago
Reply to  Jake

Flying bat?!? Lol it is was a very cool outfit actually.

Ultima Thule
Ultima Thule
1 year ago

Its funny how the bubble always likes Portugal’s songs and then ask themselves how it didn’t do better 🙂

I appreciate Mimicat, she is a good artist and seems like a nice girl. The song, for me, is average at best, probably one of the weakest entries this year.

After Tattoo, possibly the most overrated song in the Eurovision bubble at least. Overall I don’t expect this to go too well with the general public, possibly even a NQ.

Jake
Jake
1 year ago
Reply to  Ultima Thule

They got top 10 last year and both Black Mamba and MARO were top 5 with the public in their semis…I don’t think they could’ve done better than that and yes, they are not a Eurovision powerhouse, but 12th and 9th in the last 2 years–only Ukraine, Italy and Greece managed top 10 in ’21 and ’22…I agree that Portugal is always a toss up for me on will it/won’t it qualify, but you can’t say they should’ve done better in the last 2 years

Rambo Amadeus
Rambo Amadeus
1 year ago
Reply to  Jake

They’re most definitely a powerhouse these days, 3 all-time great entries in only 6 years (Sobral, Conan Osiris and MARO), you can’t just take that for granted.

Miguel Lupi
Miguel Lupi
1 year ago
Reply to  Rambo Amadeus

Thank you but we really aren’t. We have no real power instead of own artistic sensibilities that as 2018 and 2019 prove, can also be misses.

Ultima Thule
Ultima Thule
1 year ago
Reply to  Jake

They were backed even higher. Here as well, these scores are so high, while some of the other songs were lower. For example, how can Estonia and Australia be lower?

Katriona
Katriona
1 year ago
Reply to  Ultima Thule

Because both Estonia and Australia are worse.

Escfan
Escfan
1 year ago

I’m going to sound like a broken record saying this but this entry isn’t necessarily my taste in music,however, I cannot deny that of all the songs that aren’t my personal taste this year, this song is infectious, charming and performed exquisitely. Portugal, particularly since their victory, have. of shyed away from showcasing their rich cultural heritage in their entries and furthermore the diversity of music within Portuguese culture. This not only pertains to adult Eurovision but also their junior entries. I think despite going on about how many televote friendly songs there are in semi final 1, aside from… Read more »

Escfan
Escfan
1 year ago
Reply to  Escfan

have not shyed away from*

zelenovi
zelenovi
1 year ago
Reply to  Escfan

Moldova last year is an analogy I hadn’t thought of but it totally makes sense.

Efthymios
Efthymios
1 year ago

A fabulous, fun, clulturally rich and magical entry, feels almost like you’re experiencing a unique emotionally charged moment in a classic Disney musical fairytale. It really portrays Portugal’s traditions at their finest. Mimicat is a charismatic performer and the fact that she wrote this piece of art 10 years ago (!) in approximately 5-6 MINUTES (!!!) leaves me in admiration about her talent. She has created an excellent song with a haunting rhythm that flows in your veins and makes you wanna dance and sing along, even if you cannot speak or understand Portuguese. I’m afraid it may not connect… Read more »

Zanoni
Zanoni
1 year ago

Mimicat is the artist I’ve really fallen for this year– consistently excellent performance (dare I say the best overall of the preparty period?), endearing personal backstory, radiating love and joy. It’s not the kind of thing I generally listen to, but it expands my musical comfort zone and makes it fun. Maybe it’s not the song in my top ten that I have the deepest engagement with, but that’s fine, it hits its mark. This might be the song this year where a semifinal NQ would really devastate me. I’ve got it at #9, 8/10

Scott Jackson
Scott Jackson
1 year ago

The theater and the vocals of this entry brings a rather tepid ESC group of entries this year ( Finland excluded) to life…. what will really help this song along is if the staging aligns with pretty much what we saw in the national final. It looked amazing and this promises something even more amazing on a grander scale with larger staging etc. One of my favourites this year.

Rambo Amadeus
Rambo Amadeus
1 year ago

Portugal is pretty much my favorite ESC country at this point, especially since the FdC rebirth from 2017 but also historically, so as long as I don’t actually dislike a particular entry, I’ll always try supporting and voting for what they send. Mimicat’s song was only my 5th place during the NF but it’s still top 3-4 for the Liverpool lineup, because that’s just the level that Portugal operates at these days and we’d have a clearly better contest if more countries tried following their approach, all of their entries since Sobral (with the exceptions of 2020 and 2021) are… Read more »

Zanoni
Zanoni
1 year ago
Reply to  Rambo Amadeus

I’ve been listening to old FdC clips at your suggestion and loving it.

“Ai, povo pequenino
Tão humilde e cabotino…” <3

Rambo Amadeus
Rambo Amadeus
1 year ago
Reply to  Zanoni

Really glad to see, of course I remember Fado Bicha from last year, not one my personal favs but surely one of the most memorable tracks from that edition, I was very lucky tho since Saudade x2 (my absolute favorite entry of the whole season) was not an initial favorite but MARO managed to gain the momentum needed, going on to satisfyingly landslide the voting in the FdC final.

Zanoni
Zanoni
1 year ago
Reply to  Rambo Amadeus

I just love how that lyric neatly sums up Portugal in ESC (maybe Portugal in general, but especially ESC…) Yeah, I’d agree that MARO was clearly the best last year. Just when I started to thing the Portuguese voters really get it, I got to 2020 and 2021, and eh, I really don’t know about those picks. Black Mamba isn’t bad, but is pretty far down my list (I’d take the swoonworthy “Contramão”). “Medo de sentir” over “Passe-partout” is one I really don’t get at all. But overall, tons of great music and I’ll be circling this on my calendar… Read more »

Leo M
Leo M
1 year ago

A really fun entry and really showcases Portugal’s culture. Deserves a place on the final

Amar pelos dois
Amar pelos dois
1 year ago

Meu querido Portugal 10/12

Anhel
Anhel
1 year ago

Why not wait and see if it even qualifies before talking about how big a hit it’s gonna be with the juries…

Camellia
Camellia
1 year ago

Not gonna lie, for me, this is one of the worst entries this year.

Zac
Zac
1 year ago
Reply to  Camellia

I dont think its that terrible or bad but I can say that I dont get the hype and I cant connect to this at all.

Ricardo
Ricardo
1 year ago

Wow! Thanks for the huge score!! Hugs from Portugal <3

Fatima
Fatima
1 year ago

She stood out in the pre-parties, when the technical problems affected others were not evident in her performance. Like with Gustaph, experience pays. Keep the sofa and the frenetic dancers, they’re fabulous.

claude
claude
1 year ago

Wow, Portugal have been really a powerhouse in recent years! Ai Coração is so fun to listen to. Go Mimicat!

Emily
Emily
1 year ago

14) Portugal – Portugal’s really been doing well with great songs since Sal Sobral won in 2017, eh? I love this! Great fun with really nice choreo. I do worry that it’ll get lost with all the bigger songs in SF1, but my hopes are that it does at least qualify.

At least I can say it’s the second song involving a sofa that I thoroughly enjoy (the other being Paul Oscar in 1997, of course). 7/10

Emily
Emily
1 year ago
Reply to  Emily

Slight update- this was meant to be a 7.5/10 (I’m very tired sorry)

Martin
Martin
1 year ago

I hope she will qualify with this song. I love when Portugal sends their typical up-tempo song

Lorena
Lorena
1 year ago

I preferred Nasci Maria. I don’t know, I just don’t connect with this. Even though, I don’t think it is bad and hopefully it will be at the final.

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
1 year ago

Every year, there seems to be one song that the fandom take to their hearts and get completely behind in a way that is completely unfathomable to me, and this year, surprisingly, that song is from Portugal. Everything was going along as usual, Festival Da Cancao was once again, one of my favourite national final selections with option upon option that would guarantee them a place in the top ten of my Eurovision ranking, perhaps even first place! Would it be “Contraste Mudo”? “Enquanto”? “Goodnight”? “Bandeiras”? “Fim Do Mundo”? Worst case scenario, I might end up with something like “Povo”… Read more »

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

Knowing that this song is not your cup of tea, and that you had it kinda low at FdC (13th or 14th, if I’m not mistaken), made me very curious to read your review. You make some valid points about the ”messy” side of the staging. I’ve heard people comparing it to France (combining old-school styles with modern bops in a classical way), but I feel like its closest comparison is actually Romania. Both feel structurally dynamic and theatrical. And while I do think that Portugal does certain aspects much better, the polar opposite reactions from most of the fandom… Read more »

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

This is one of those where I’m just so close to this genre of music outside of Eurovision that it becomes incredibly easy to see the flaws and pick up on the negatives, instead of somebody who’s not around this type of music and can appreciate it on a novelty kind of level. Even comments about Mimicat’s singing abilities, I feel the need to request a toning down of the compliments as obviously, she can sing, and she’s good…but this type of song is usually delivered by a “great” singer. And when I listen to this, my ears are just… Read more »

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

I noticed that you (as everyone does, I suppose) have genres you are more inclined to like when they appear at national selections, and those you are perhaps not as likely to rank high. I noticed that most of the songs with musical theater / circus / luna-park / cabaret instrumentals you tend to describe as ”all over the place” and they don’t score that high. Also, that songs with jazz and R&B tend to be high on your lists, and even in cases when I see a lack of variety in the structure and melody, it likely won’t bother… Read more »

Thanos
Thanos
1 year ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

Your review is fair and we quite agree on this one. I especially agree about your view about the staging. The song is not for me either and I believe that cabaret-style can be done better. It is also among my least favourite Portuguese entries of the last couple of years. I had Conan, Elisa, the Black Mamba and of course Maro all in my top 10 of their respective years so I am also underwhelmed. Nevertheless it has its chances to qualify.

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
1 year ago
Reply to  Thanos

Yeah, I’m also aware that, even from this comment section alone, you can see that there are people who are fully behind this entry and their votes count just as much as mine. So even though I can speculate that *I* think this will struggle to connect with a non-ESC fan televoting audience, I have to acknowledge that there IS a televote for this and it might qualify. In recent years, I have Salvador, Claudia, Conan and Maro all in or around my top ten. Black Mamba was a bit of a miss for me (not them, but the song)… Read more »

Who The Hell is Potato
Who The Hell is Potato
1 year ago
Reply to  Briekimchi

Oh ofc this dude liked “Fim do Mundo” lmfao

Anonymous91
Anonymous91
1 year ago

another song chosen in a irrelevant national final, why can’t every country be as perfect as my Netherlands, not allowing public a say

internal selections are the best selection methods still

this is such a crap joke act entry 0.0

Fatima
Fatima
1 year ago
Reply to  Anonymous91

Clearly, you’ve forgotten what happened in 2015

Atlas
1 year ago
Reply to  Anonymous91

Psicoanalizate

Who The Hell is Potato
Who The Hell is Potato
1 year ago
Reply to  Anonymous91

Have you heard your dear Netherlands artists sing live? Yeah! They sound atrocious. Ridiculous, at least Portugal has someone that can sing flawlessly, I can’t say the same about your dear Netherlands tho

Thanos
Thanos
1 year ago

25th place: PORTUGAL: Portugal offers this year a fun, cabaret-like upbeat entry, accompanied by dancing during the performance. The problem though is that this is not my style at all: when it comes to this sort of cabaret-like entries I kinda lean towards the more serious and sensual ones (like last year’s Monika Liu for example) rather than the upbeat, danceable ones. The Portuguese language is a bonus though as I really like its use in songs. I would also change some things as far as the clothing choices and overall staging are concerned. I have to say that I… Read more »

Anonymous91
Anonymous91
1 year ago
Reply to  Thanos

english language is always better, look how Loreen towers all other 36 entries in this dull year

Shanahan
Shanahan
1 year ago
Reply to  Anonymous91

me when I’m trying to sabotage loreen

Anonymous91
Anonymous91
1 year ago
Reply to  Shanahan

i’m not, Loreen i drool over, such a superstar, how flawless and effortless she performs

so ethnic either, her music screams swedish music culture all over for me

Who The Hell is Potato
Who The Hell is Potato
1 year ago
Reply to  Anonymous91

WHAAAAT. Ethnic? Do you know what ethnic means? Ethnic entries to even be considered ethnic need to be written in the countries language AT LEAST, not English u dingus
Sweden’s song screams generic radio pop music all over me

Fatima
Fatima
1 year ago
Reply to  Anonymous91

English is good, when all the consonants are pronounced

Vivian
Vivian
1 year ago

This is my number one favorite entry this year. I love the idea of combining this typically Portuguese instrumentation with cabaret vibes, and with Mimicat’s stellar stage presence and good vocals (despite illness!) shows how amazing she is. I’m so happy Portugal chose this happy entry and broke the mold a bit from usual slower songs to ESC (not counting 2019’s acid trip) and this is something we don’t normally see. I really liked the FdC staging, and I think there’s not much else to say other than the fact people underestimate just how far this could go in the… Read more »

Tibor
Tibor
1 year ago

This was far from being my favourite in Festival da Canção, but not because I think it’s a bad song. It’s lively, well sung by a credible performer, it’s not grating for me to listen to in any way, I usually let it play when it’s on, but this cabaret style is just not my jam. But as I said during FdC, Portugal had this sort of entries in their final every year for quite some time now, so they just had to send one of these to Eurovision sooner or later. I’m curious to see, if it will pan… Read more »

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Tibor

 I have absolutely no gut feeling in any direction about this.” Absolutely. If Ai Coracao was placed in semi 2, I’d have a strong gut feeling it would make out of it. But in semi 1, just like Serbia and Czechia, it’s a big wildcard. Could be a shocking NQ, or in top 3. The voting sequence will be nail-biting because of how much different, yet quality songs there are in that semi.

Tibor
Tibor
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

I don’t know if I’d agree with you on that. Whilst semi one has most of my favourites this year, I don’t think that it’s easier to qualify from semi two, particularly because only five songs in semi one will miss out. I have no problem identifying these five entries for me personally – and then I have still considerable wiggle room if push came to shove.

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Tibor

The issue with semi 1 is that it contains almost all ”big fan-favorites” or ”heavy-hitters”, apart from Austria, and maybe Armenia and Georgia. I have two entries that are certain NQs for me. One of them is Ireland, the other one, whose review is yet to come, is an almost certain qualifier when actual results come in (that’s my ”unpopular review” of this year). I have another two that I’d consider as personal qualifiers from semi 2, but am ready to put as NQs in semi 1. That puts me to 11 qualifiers, one of which is bound to miss… Read more »

Tibor
Tibor
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

I assume, you are talking about Israel, when it comes to your second none-qualifier. I don’t think that’s an unpopular opinion this year, the entry is very divisive. Other than that, I’m always a little nervous for entries like Serbia since 2019, but Czechia should not be in danger of non-qualification, that seems a bit far-fetched, unless the sound mixing is totally off, but since the BBC is producing this show, I’m not terribly worried. Once again, it seems to pay off to have not that many favourites, at least I have absolutely no problem to fit them all into… Read more »

Colin
Colin
1 year ago
Reply to  Tibor

You are right, it’s Israel. It might be divisive, but I have a strong hunch that it will score very high on Wiwi Jury, and that every unfavorable review will be downvoted. Perhaps I’ll be proven wrong when the time comes… I really want Czechia to qualify, but the fact that so many are wary of their live performances makes me anxious. I still expect everything to be ok. Sure, while I have 11 songs I’d normally like to see qualifying in semi 1, they are still in different priority groups. And since my 1st is so obvious it will… Read more »

Tibor
Tibor
1 year ago
Reply to  Colin

Oh, absolutely, it will be high on the wiwi jury, but I guess haters and supporters will balance each other out. Can’t wait to read all the reviews, I think it’s a hilarious entry. But as you will probably imagine, it’s also not quite my thing. As for Czechia, I’m not following preparties and I will also ignore the rehearsal shenanigans. All the live performances I’ve heard so far were fine, including the national final, where people were complaining about lack of staging although no one had any staging. We know this will look totally differently in Liverpool, the Czech… Read more »

just an esc fan
just an esc fan
1 year ago

Even though I preferred 4/5 songs in FdC (which once again was full on quality), this is still a gem. It had the best live performance, it’s fun and catchy, has a great vibe. Vocally she is on top level in every single performance. I’d like to see the cabaret touch on the stage. In English, this song would feel predictable and boring but Portuguese transforms it for me. I dont worry much about its qualification chances. Gays will love it (I certainly do) and it’s just so fun and engages you to watch her slaying the stage! Portugal keeps… Read more »

Kim
Kim
1 year ago

I’m gay and I don’t like it. Don’t say I’m turning straight?!?!?

just an esc fan
just an esc fan
1 year ago
Reply to  Kim

you’re just built different!

Lawrence Gibb
Lawrence Gibb
1 year ago

FFS please stop talking about “gays” as if we are some kind of homogeneous little clique.

just an esc fan
just an esc fan
1 year ago
Reply to  Lawrence Gibb

im literally gay myself so don’t bother with me

Miguel Lupi
Miguel Lupi
1 year ago

You said nothing wrong. It’s a cliche because it is real. The same with dancing diva pop songs, as I call them.

Lawrence Gibb
Lawrence Gibb
1 year ago

Good for you. Each to their own; but I have grown fed up after 50 years of being out with people assuming that we are all sparkle loving, camp screamers with the same tastes.

Mikey Mata
Mikey Mata
1 year ago

An absolute gem this year hope it qualifies and comes top 15 in the final

Dida
Dida
1 year ago

The song is kinda weird and cringe. The chorus is quite irritating. The final score is too high for this overrated song… Sorry, it’s a NO from me.

Who The Hell is Potato
Who The Hell is Potato
1 year ago
Reply to  Dida

Your taste lacks seasoniiiiiing. a lot.