Eurovision 2019 Song Ranking Part 8

5. Portugal

Conan Osiris – “Telemoveis”

The common reaction to this song is something like “unlike anything else” or “sounds like the future” or “this is incomprehensible art” or even “unlike what I usually listen to.” I have to disagree. “Telemoveis” is the music of now albeit in a beautifully Portuguese variation, a Soundcloud-esque blend of chill and melancholy except the melancholy is kind of saudade. This is the perfect accompaniment to a bus or train trip. Thank you Festival da Cancao for introducing me to this amazing artist, for I have now heard his back catalog and it’s all good if not even better. Before there was “I’m taking my Pikachu home” there was “SURFIN ALAPRAS.”

4. Italy

Mahmood – “Soldi”

Definitely more fresh and Spotify than typical Italy, this song is captivating and dynamic. The instrumentation changes from tense piano and strings to an electronic beat and iconic handclaps flawlessly. It still has that Sanremo wordiness – there’s something about Italian that makes having a lot of syllables sound good. Even if you don’t understand Italian you can tell there’s a story and real pain behind this.

3. Norway

KeiiNO - “Spirit In the Sky”

What else can you say about this song? My tastes outside of Eurovision have moved away from standard pop lately but I will never stop loving schlager Europop, and “Spirit In the Sky” is as Europop schlager fanbait as you can get. The joiking is a nice touch to both make it unique and add local flavor. As many have pointed out, it sounds like “Monsters” in the chord progression but not exactly in melody, so it’s far rom a copy. It’s not particularly fresh at all and could have entered in any Eurovision since the mid-00s, but I don’t care.

2. Cyprus

Tamta - “Replay”

Round two of Cyprus’s tropical pop domination, although less Mediterranean and more electronic like the 808 the lyrics reference. The big brass horns in the chorus are commanding, and the pre-chorus is the best tension-building moment in the whole contest. A song to listen to on replay again and again.

1. Iceland

Hatari – “Hatrið mun sigra”

“Hatrið mun sigra” is a banger and a blessing. The growling verses and falsetto synthpop chorus a perfect contrast, reflecting the conflict in the song that is very relevant. The industrial darkwave music is matched by their visual style. The band itself is at the intersection of indie music festival fare, art school collective, and boy band, a joy to follow. This is one of Iceland's best entries if not the best, and I need to go book a flight to Iceland to see them ASAP.