Winter Without You

The second weekend in Februrary was chock-full of Eurovision events, mostly in the northern part of the continent. Below are highlights from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, and Sweden.


Denmark chose their entry in a single ten-song final. Did they play it safe to avoid the last-year's-host curse? One of the other nine songs, "Summer without you" by World of Girls was also kind of safe. It sounds very familiar and current (maybe "Wild Wild Love" by Pitbull) but it might have been inappropriate for Februrary.


Estonia had their first semifinal, also with 10 songs. "Kohvitassi lugu" by Miina is a little jazzy and swingy and altogether pleasant. Anthony of Wiwibloggs says this sounds like an anime ending theme and I'd have to agree.


Finland had their first semifinal. The long-titled  “Äänen kantamattomiin” by the long-named Vilikasper Kanth was one of the songs that missed out. It's a mild upbeat singer songwriter acoustic guitar song in the popular YouTube style (of course Vilikasper has cover songs on his own channel) but it's got a fairly catchy chorus.


Hungary had their fourth heat, from which my favorite was "Listen to the Universe" by Barabara Péter. A typical catchy Scandinavian-styled pop song that is like catnip to the typical Eurovision fan.


Iceland had their second semifinal, from which several good songs qualified.  Unfortunately, "Brotið gler" by Bjarni Lárus Hallwas not one of them. It has a cool indie feel, a heavy beat, and an interesting guitar riff.


Latvia had their second semifinal from which five songs qualified. "Debesis" by Mārtiņš Ruskis & Ginta Krievkalna is a very Eurovisiony sentimental ballad in the style from the 90s and early 00s. It's far from unique or current and it wouldn't be a good contemporary entry, but there's something nostalgic about it.


Sweden, last but not least, had a seven-song semifinal, which is a departure from the eight-song semifinals they've had for the prior thirteen years. "I'll Be Fine" by Molly Pettersson has a big 90s intro and a big diva hook.



Next week: Semifinals in Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, and Sweden! Finals in Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, and Serbia!