Ukraine has never missed a final ever since joining Eurovision in 2003. The country has collected over 200 points on four occasions, and is more often seen in the top ten than outside it.

Once again, Ukraine hosted a national final in the morning, though they were considerate enough to start a little later this year (11:15 CET) than last year (10:30 CET). Once again, 20 songs were exposed to the audience and the worldwide online fan community; and once again, complaints about a rigged televoting result were raised. The same procedure as every year.

In the end, Mariya Yaremchuk won the early-bird final and caught the worm that will take her to Copenhagen in May. This was before the onset of the political happenings in Kyiv, and later in Crimea. Indeed, Mariya has stated that she doesn’t consider herself to be a political person, but also that it has become impossible to avoid the topic. However, the song for Copenhagen won’t be changed – apart from the production makeover in collaboration with Sweden’s Sandra Bjurman.

So the fresh, bouncy Tick Tock is indeed Ukraine’s entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. I can understand everyone who considers such a happy song as quite inappropriate with regard to what’s happening in and with the country now. Somehow, though, “acting as if nothing has happened” is something that might be rewarded just as well. By the decision to not let the politics take an influence on the Ukrainian song, they ensure that they do not lay themselves open to attack in Copenhagen. No one would necessarily blame them for exploiting the current situation in order to produce sympathy votes; instead, Ukraine remains cool.

My verdict, however, can’t completely ignore the current geopolitical situation. It is likely that the mood across most Europeans will also translate to the scoreboard in the form of “additional” support for Ukraine. The song doesn’t even need this kind of support to do well, as Tick Tock is indeed a crisp track with a catchy hook. It’s just quite foreseeable that the steady wind in Ukraine’s sails at Eurovision will blow a bit stronger this May.

Top 10	Victory	Personal