Ranking the songs of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 — Part 2 of 3

To read Part 1 of this three part series, click here.

We’re back with Part 2 of my three part blog series reviewing and ranking the competing songs of Eurovision 2018 in Lisbon. As mentioned in my previous post, these rankings were made on April 18th and are not influenced by the recently-started rehearsals for the competition. Agree with my picks? Have a thought to share? I would love to hear what you think.

25. Waylon — Outlaw in ’Em (Netherlands)

I’m not sure what it is about Outlaw in ’Em, but I can’t help but feel slightly underwhelmed by it. Waylon has amazing stage presence, and he proved in 2014 that he has the ability to own the Eurovision stage when he placed 2nd as one-half of The Common Linnets. While he definitely has that country flavour, and Outlaw in ’Em trucks along at a steady pace like a Nashville smash, it feels a bit too safe and clean for someone who is trying to convey grit and determination in his performance. Lately I’ve started skipping this song when it comes on my Spotify playlist, a clear indication that it has overstayed its welcome with me. But I give Waylon props for sticking to his guns and bringing a different vibe to this year’s competition — there isn’t any other song like it this year.

24. ALEKSEEV — Forever (Belarus)

ALEKSEEV’s background is very interesting, particularly surrounding the fact that he is hoping to use this highly visible opportunity to find and connect with his dad that abandoned him and his mother at birth. With that said, Forever is a fairly generic, albeit enjoyable, song with the chorus as a particular highlight. He is an average vocalist who has struggled with his English language enunciation live, despite choosing to sing a song in English, so I hope he can perfect things in time for Lisbon. I’m also not a fan of the song’s more acoustic revamp, so I’m not sure how this song will register with the general public if they choose to use that version for Eurovision. Only time will tell!

23. Elina Nechayeva — La Forza (Estonia)

I haven’t always bought into La Forza’s hype, but I can still appreciate it for what it is. Elina is a powerful vocalist and the operatic vocal acrobatics that she pursues in La Forza are impressive. When she hits her high notes, it leaves me with goosebumps. With that said, the song itself is fairly generic and would be entirely forgettable if it wasn’t for Elina’s vocals. And this isn’t a voice competition, it’s a song competition. With the huge hype around the song, and its high ranking in betting odds, it will be interesting to see how it performs at the competition. But bet on this song to be divisive among viewers — it is mostly a love it or hate it kind of track. Hopefully budget concerns with getting Elina’s projection dress to Eurovision properly will be resolved and she will deliver a powerful performance in Lisbon.

22. Aisel — X My Heart (Azerbaijan)

The song is an interesting submission for Azerbaijan. On first listen, it didn’t even make a blip on my radar, which is not usually the case with an Azerbaijani entry. With the much more electronically-infused revamp, though, this is a powerful piece of electro pop that could surprise this year. It’s a fun song with a big chorus, though the lyrics are a bit ridiculous — the frequent use of the phrase “Luna moon me up” is one of the more bizarre lyrics this year. With that said, Aisel is a compelling vocalist and, while I don’t expect we will be back in Baku next year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this song advance to the final and place mid-table if the staging is dynamic.

21. SuRie — Storm (United Kingdom)

SuRie is not new to Eurovision. As a backing vocalist for Belgium’s Loïc Nottet and Blanche in recent years, she has the performing experience to back up what has happened over the past few months. She was the deserving winner of Eurovision: You Decide this year — her vocal performance and charisma are immediately evident whenever I watch live performances of hers. I think Storm is undeservedly getting more hate than it deserves this year. It is a very generic song with lyrics that sound like it is trying too hard to be motivational and inspirational, but that is par for the course at Eurovision. I think the memorable chorus that Storm possesses, and SuRie’s undoubtable ability to win over a crowd live, speaks to the fact this could give the UK one of their better placements in recent years. I hope this builds off of Lucie Jones’ powerful performance from last year and catapults the UK back to the left side of the scoreboard.

20. Laura Rizzotto — Funny Girl (Latvia)

Latvia’s Laura Rizzotto is bringing smooth, moody jazz vibes to Eurovision this year. Laura is a good vocalist, and sounds great on the track, but Funny Girl is not built to highlight her voice’s full range due to its subdued nature. With that said, the song really stands out for its lyrical quality. It’s a heartbreaking song that takes a yearning look at a relationship gone sour. The power of the final chorus, as Laura painfully recounts, “What was I thinking? I’m just a funny girl to you,” is so moving. In that moment, she is aching, but powerfully moving on from what could have been, all the better for it. And Eurovision 2018 is all the better for this song being part of it. The song is held back a bit because it doesn’t have much “WOW” factor, so I’m not sure whether it will resonate with casual viewers, but I very much enjoy the song regardless.

19. Cláudia Pascoal & Isaura — O Jardim (Portugal)

Portugal chose to not reinvent the wheel this year, and it suits them well. Claudia and Isaura have beautiful voices that complement each other well. Combine that with the song’s message, which is somber but sweet, and you have a great entry for the competition. Do I expect a repeat this year? Unlikely. But I would not be surprised to see a top 10 finish for Portugal this year if fans of Salvador’s song last year come out to vote. Why reinvent the wheel when it’s so well-calibrated? It isn’t my favourite track of the year, and I wouldn’t likely listen to this much after the competition, but I greatly appreciate it for its simplistic beauty and haunting ability to convey emotions.

18. Amaia & Alfred — Tu Canción (Spain)

This song has created a fairly big fervour among fans this year, and I’m definitely close to hopping on the bandwagon. Tu Canción is a beautiful ballad with heartful singing from Alfred and Amaia, and their chemistry undoubtedly elevates this song, but I am led to believe that the fervour is more due to how passionate Spanish fans get about Eurovision than genuine widespread fandom for this track. Generic ballads have not seen a ton of success at Eurovision in recent years; while Tu Canción is a very enjoyable song, the song does feel slightly generic. That, coupled with the fact that Alfred is no vocal match for Amaia, hold it back from perfection. Regardless, this song has grown on me a lot from first listen to now and I expect the song to do well. If Spain can create a spellbinding live performance, like Salvador Sobral pulled off last year, I expect to see this song on the left side of the Grand Final leaderboard.

17. Lea Sirk — Hvala, ne! (Slovenia)

Slovenia decided to send a contemporary, danceable pop track that completely works in their favour. The Slovenian language sounds beautiful in this track and Lea imbues the song with a lot of life and personality. Whenever the song comes on, I want to move and I’m left smiling. In my opinion, that’s one of the most important things that a song can make you do. Over time it has slipped down my rankings a bit, as I can’t help but feel it is repetitive, but those are things that likely won’t matter to your average Eurovision viewer who are only watching the competition itself and not keeping up with all of the pre-competition hype.

16. MELOVIN — Under the Ladder (Ukraine)

Few performers have as much charisma as MELOVIN. He is an energetic, entertaining, and eclectic performer who can command a stage. I enjoy Under the Bridge, though it did not click with me for my first 15 or so listens. Ironically enough, given the title, the song’s bridge is what hooked me in. From there, my enjoyment of the song grew a lot. I expect the song to do well this year, but a lot of that hinges on MELOVIN stepping up his vocals. While he is a powerful singer, his English enunciation was not great in the National Finals. They have a solid song, and impactful staging — if he can pull together that final piece, expect good things this year for Ukraine.

15. Franka — Crazy (Croatia)

This is exactly what I was hoping for from Croatia this year after the mediocrity displayed in recent years. Franka is a great singer and has a lot of personality, imbuing Crazy with a sexy and cool vibe. I love the spoken word portion of the track, which is a divisive element of the song by the looks of it. This is a modern, smooth song with influences from R&B and jazz, and is a huge step forward for Croatia. I will be very upset if this song gets left behind by the semi-final.

14. Christabelle — Taboo (Malta)

Taboo is a fairly nondescript song on first listen, but as you listen to it more and more, it slowly unravels into something deeper and more enjoyable. It has a huge chorus and a great message of empowerment for those struggling with mental health issues. Christabelle sounds great on the track, but one of the biggest struggles the song will need to overcome is that the verses are delivered in a very straightforward manner. Regardless, the chorus comes in to bring things back on track right afterwards. This song gives me similar vibes to Malta’s entry Warrior by Amber in 2015, which was robbed of a spot in the Grand Final. I hope the same won’t happen to Malta this year, and Taboo’s chances of qualifying are elevated by being in the weaker second semi-final. If Malta can take the song’s fairly strong MESC 2018 performance and make some refinements for the big stage in Lisbon, I feel confident Christabelle will make it through. Bonus points for having (arguably) the best music video for Eurovision this year.

13. Mikolas Josef — Lie to Me (Czech Republic)

The Czech Republic has a tendency to send entries to Eurovision that feel a bit dated, but not this year. Mikolas is a charismatic young singer who owns the schoolboy aesthetic, with Lie to Me sounding like a track that high school students would bop to on the regular. It is a modern, danceable track that will appeal to teen viewers. Over time it hasn’t had the most lasting value for me, and has slipped down my rankings a little bit, but it is one of the Czech Republic’s best ever entries in the competition, if not the best. This song and its music video doesn’t fail to put a smile on my face, and if it can replicate that feeling with Eurovision viewers, Mikolas could place in the Top 5.

12. Benjamin Ingrosso — Dance You Off (Sweden)

Benjamin Ingrosso has attempted to win Melodifestivalen twice now, but unlike Good Lovin’, Dance You Off is his first entry that screams Eurovision quality. While it appears a bit non-descript at first, Benjamin’s unforgettable falsetto is a highlight and makes Dance You Off memorable. Perhaps too much falsetto usage, but he has a distinct voice that sets him apart from every other male vocalist this year. Sweden has a knack for sending solid pop tracks and has placed in the Top 5 every year since 2014, including winning in 2015. To add to that, Loreen’s incredible Euphoria won in 2012 and is still considered by many to be the best Eurovision winner of all time. Needless to say, Sweden knows what they are doing, so expect good things for Benjamin this year.

11. ZiBBZ — Stones (Switzerland)

Switzerland is perpetually underrated at Eurovision, and has struggled in recent years to qualify for the Grand Final. I hope the same disservice doesn’t happen to ZiBBZ this year. Stones is anthemic in the best way, and is served greatly by Coco’s fantastic vocal turn on the track. While the song’s lyrical content isn’t wholly original or exciting, the chorus is dynamic and memorable. It’s just an all-around enjoyable track that isn’t reinventing the wheel, but deserves to be recognized as a great entry. Expect a dynamic live staging from Switzerland this year — I think they will have learned from their failings the past few years to turn in a great performance that will be visually memorable.

That’s it for this post. Want to read Part 3 and find out my Top 10 songs for Eurovision 2018? You can find that post here.