What for are we listening

Another Sunday in spring, another five songs. I've made it past the bad/dull ones into the "good-but-not-amazing" ones.

30. Latvia
Aisha - “What For? (Only Mr. God Knows Why)”
Reaction: This song has the most charmingly strange lyrics this year. A good, if depressing, message shines through the broken English. It’s just a shame that the music is a little dull.
Best Part: "I've asked my uncle Joe, but he can't speak/Why does the wind still blow and blood still leaks?"
Rating: 2/5

29. Georgia
Sofia Nizharadze - “Shine”
Reaction: This is much better than the “Shine” last year. It’s a sweet and powerfully performed ballad. Unfortunately, it’s not unique and memorable enough to be higher on my list, but I wouldn’t be upset if it did well, assuming it had a good performance.
Best Part: Last chorus
Rating: 3/5

28. Spain
Daniel Diges - “Algo pequeñito”
Reaction: I’m getting to be really superstitious about this ranking: the last two years I had big fan favorites (Norway 2008 and France 2009) at this spot and acknowledged that while everyone else liked them, I didn’t. And what happened? They were in the top 10 in the final. This song again is a fan favorite (or at least it was in the period before all the songs had been chosen), and with my luck in predictions, it could do very well. I can see where it could be appealing, and it’s not badly written, but it’s too carnival-sounding for me to want to listen to it again and again.
Best Part: Ending
Rating: 3/5

27. Portugal
Filipa - “Ha dias assim”
Reaction: This starts off like a 90’s Disney ballad, then turns into a 90’s Mariah ballad. It’s a little dated and generic, but it’s moving while it lasts.
Best Part: Last chorus
Rating: 3/5

26. Poland
Marcin Mrozinski - “Legenda”
Reaction: This is the most “Fairytale”-like song, and not just because of the name. It’s not as powerful as last year’s winner, and it’s a little weak on the verses, but its strong vocals and drumbeats on the chorus make up for that.
Best Part: Key change
Rating: 3/5

Next week: Songs 21 through 25!