As any ESC fan knows, there are mediocre songs which suddenly shine on stage, just as there are favourites that don’t get a favourable treatment. So let’s find out how things are looking on stage in Kyiv!

See the bottom of this post to find out how the total scores are calculated, as well as other detailed explanations.

1. Serbia
Tijana Bogićević – In Too Deep

Total score for Serbia: 5.0 (out of 40)

If you want to hide your entry as well as possible, put a blonde woman in a white dress on a blue stage. Sold badly!

2. Austria
Nathan Trent – Running On Air

Total score for Austria: 23.0 (out of 40)

Mixed emotions, but his outstanding vocals lift the overall package a lot. Under the line, despite his slightly embarrassing movements, it’s a pretty well done execution of a very weak song, which is what counts here in my verdict.

3. Macedonia
Jana Burčeska – Dance Alone

Total verdict for Macedonia: 5.5 (out of 40)

The song is so catchy, but it isn’t translated well onto the stage. With a stage presence that weak, it’s not a good idea to have the camera totally zooming out and make her appear even smaller and even more alone. The viewer won’t be able to relate to her at all, and that’s quite tragic.

Winning these three: Austria

Who would have thought? I think it’s one of the weakest songs of the year, the Austrians have apparently done a good job with the staging, but it’s especially his vocals lifting this into the air he’s singing about.

Explanations

What the categories mean

Concept: Meaning the idea behind what the performers are actually doing on stage, ignoring how well their performance is executed.

Look: Hairdo, clothes, but also attractiveness or likability play a role here.

Stage: Use of backdrop, lights and colours.

Camera: The camerawork, judging by the official snippets.

Performance: How well the concept is executed. Movements, facial expressions, finding cameras.

Vocals: Well, how well can the entrant actually sing?

What the stars mean

1 star – Counterproductive, doesn’t do the song any favours
2 stars – Mediocre, doesn’t help nor ruin the song
3 stars – Decent, supports the song well enough.
4 stars – Literally outstanding, unique in the context of this year

How the total score is calculated

1 star = 0 points
2 stars = 1 point
3 stars = 2 points
4 stars = 4 points

For the total score, “Vocals” is weighted x5, “Performance” x3, the other four categories x0.5.