- “I.M” by Michael Ben David (Israel)
- “I Am What I Am” by Emma Muscat (Malta)
- “SloMo” by Chanel (Spain)
- “Með Hækkandi Sól” by Systur (Iceland)
- “Saudade, Saudade” by MARO (Portugal)
I.M – Michael Ben David
Michael Ben David has a lot of attitude! “I.M” totally reminds me of Destiny from last year or even Netta. At least melodically, I’m not sure where the first verse is going. That’s why I feel like the second verse is stronger than the first verse. I genuinely raised my eyebrows at the “I’m not even topless” line. These “confident” lyrics will certainly turn a lot of heads. Overall, the song lacks cohesion and it’s a little hard for me to get into. Also, I don’t know why, but I don’t feel like I’m the target audience for this entry. Can’t wait to see how Israel does in the competition!
I Am What I Am – Emma Muscat
So far Malta has not disappointed when it comes to great vocalists representing at Eurovision. “I Am What I Am” is a great song with a beautiful message. The one thing that keeps me from fully enjoying this song is that the lyrics feel a little flat. The rhyme scheme sounds a bit too obvious for my liking. Especially “master plan,” “take a stand,” and “I can” in the chorus. This is another example of quick rhymes causing the song to lose momentum. In fact, the line I liked the most was the one where the rhyme was temporarily suspended: “Bending backwards just to fit in / I’ll make them understand.” Still, Emma Muscat has a powerful voice and I wish her the best in the competition.
SloMo – Chanel
So many people hyped up Spain that my expectations went through the roof! Were those expectations met? Yes and no. Chanel is a great singer and an even better dancer. I have no doubts that her performance will get the crowd going. However, I found myself underwhelmed by the instrumental. It’s fine, but I would have liked more movement to match Chanel herself. For a song that’s called “SloMo,” I was expecting the song to go into half-time or something. The beat stays rather consistent actually. So I was a little disappointed in that regard, but the song itself isn’t bad. It still doesn’t beat Hurricane from last year, though.
Með Hækkandi Sól – Systur
As soon as I heard the twangy guitar, I got worried. It’s not that I hate country music. Sonically, it just doesn’t do much for me. One thing I really like about this entry is the harmonizing between the members of Systur. They have great teamwork and stage presence. While I’m not sure if they’ll make it to the finals, I applaud Systur for sharing such a beautiful song with so many people.
Saudade, Saudade – MARO
“Saudade, Saudade” has this hypnotic quality to it. The hand-clapping adds to that atmosphere as well (reminds me of Mahmood in 2019). MARO also has this nice raspy timbre to her voice that’s quite addicting to listen to. The song is partly in English and partly in Portuguese, but the term “saudade” is an emotion derived from a word in Portuguese. It is the feeling of deeply missing somebody. What I like the most about the lyrics in this entry is that it could refer to a lover or it could refer to a friend. Overall, this song was both relaxing and moving.
Who has my vote (for now)?
There wasn’t a clear winner this time. I think it’s because my favourite entries from previous articles were at least third place material. But if I have to choose a favourite, I’d have to go with MARO. It has mostly to do with how complete it sounds (similar to Brooke). The other songs seem to be missing something. Even though “Saudade, Saudade” is not one of my absolute favourites in the competition, it’s mesmerizing enough for me to give it eighth place. But we’ll see if she can hold that position against the ten other songs I have yet to check out.