The wait finally ended on Tuesday night. The first 15 contenders in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 hit the Liverpool stage to duke it out for ten spots in the final. Which countries made the cut? Which ones are already hoping for better luck next year? Let’s dive into what went down on night one.
Norway – Queen of Kings
Qualified
This didn’t quite feel like the best showing Alessandra has put out this Eurovision season, but it was enough for the two-time WMR 100 #1 to get the job done and keep Norway in the running. During rehearsals there had been rumblings about her being too focused on the high note at the end, a high note that did not sound quite right to us. Still, it was a solid effort, and Alessandra’s stage presence is almost intact, allowing her to carry a stage show that is almost entirely focused on her. If she can keep her head in the game and get everything right on Saturday, Norway still has a decent shot at the top ten, but the Eurovision throne seems out of the question for the Queen of Kings right now.
Our grade: 7.5/10
Malta – Dance (Our Own Party)
Eliminated
The Busker deserved better. The Maltese trio brought a lot of fun to their performance, which was also staged with a clever use of props to tell the story of the song, from wanting to leave a crowded party, to the trip home, to trading the sweater for a more glittery one to end the performance on a high. It was a brilliant concept all around that unfortunately did not get enough love from voters.
Our grade: 9/10
Serbia – Samo mi se spava
Qualified
Don’t fix it if it’s not broken. Luke Black applied that lesson to translating his presentation from the national final to the Eurovision stage, and the result was one of the most haunting and visually spectacular stage shows of the night. Serbia’s flagbearer keeps all his themes going, delivers his vocals just the right way and seemed to have the crowd by his side on Tuesday night (with some fans even shouting the last word to complete the “game over, b***h!” adlib he had performed at some preparties in an amusing moment).
Our grade: 9/10
Latvia – Aijā
Eliminated
The problem with this performance is, simply put, that while the song was decent, there was not much else to make it feel all that special. The presentation looked closer to something we might see on an American late-night show than to a competitive Eurovision entry. Not bad, just not memorable enough. It got lost in the shuffle in a stacked semifinal, and Latvia racks up its sixth consecutive semifinal elimination.
Our grade: 5/10
Portugal – Ai coração
Qualified
Unlike Sudden Lights, Mimicat understood what it took to stand out. The Portuguese performer brought tons of charisma and an infectious energy to sell a song that greatly benefited from her acting and stage presence. While the vocals were not perfect at all times, the energy more than made up for it, and we are sure Mimicat will be in the fight for the top ten (or even five) if she can keep this up on Saturday.
Our grade: 9.5/10
Ireland – We Are One
Eliminated
With a song this obvious, Ireland crashing out almost felt like a foregone conclusion. We Are One sounded like a discarded song by some other pop-rock band, and Wild Youth did not help its case by taking one of the most predictable routes in its presentation too. The technical aspects were alright, but nothing else clicked, and Ireland’s recent Eurovision woes continue as a result of it.
Our grade: 4/10
Croatia – Mama ŠČ!
Qualified
Holy ŠČ! Musically speaking, Let 3’s entry was not one that had particularly impressed us, but they made up for it by turning up the wackiness to the degree this kind of satire requires. The band crafts a performance unique in its weirdness among this year’s contestants, and one thing is for certain: whether you love it or you hate it, you will not be left indifferent. On paper it doesn’t look like their ceiling is very high past this point, but upsets are not unheard of in Eurovision.
Our grade: 6.5/10
Switzerland – Watergun
Qualified
On the heels of Marius Bear’s low televote scores last year with another ballad, it was feared that Remo Forrer would similarly struggle this year for Switzerland. But he and his team seemed to know what to do to defy those expectations. Forrer nailed his live vocals, and crafted an effective presentation involving a dance routine with tapes around him. Those two factors propelled into the top ten of the semifinal an entry that could have been an obvious non-qualifier in less capable hands.
Our grade: 8/10
Israel – Unicorn
Qualified
We’re still not entirely impressed by the song itself, but Noa Kirel sells it brilliantly on stage. The Israeli star proved Tuesday night that she has the presence, energy and charisma to make something memorable out of this track. With a presentation greatly enhanced by a crafty camera trick at the beginning, and a decent dance break near the end, the glass microphone might not yet be within Kirel’s reach, but at the very least she will make sure you remember her name. Phenomen-phenomen-phenomenal indeed.
Our grade: 8.5/10
Moldova – Soarele și luna
Qualified
Don’t sleep on Pasha this year. He brilliantly translated the aesthetics from his music video to the stage, and pulled off an energetic performance that wowed the Liverpool audience. Armed with a highly polished concept and a magnetic stage presence, Pasha Parfeni looks poised to be one of the dark horses of this contest.
Our grade: 9/10
Sweden – Tattoo
Qualified
We might not completely get the buzz about Loreen’s song, or we might think that the smaller props reduce the impact of her presentation, but there is one thing we cannot deny: Loreen is committed to the cause. Her energy and commanding presence elevate the performance to levels Tattoo has no right to reach on its own. The queen of Eurovision looked ready to take her crown back on Tuesday; the question at this point is whether material she’s working with will weigh her down.
Our grade: 8/10
Azerbaijan – Tell Me More
Eliminated
A dream arena debut for the Baghmanov twins, this was not. They had the unenviable task of defending one of the least memorable songs of the night, without much to work with on stage beyond a few split-screen effects. It’s no surprise that they did not make the finals, considering how little they had to work with.
Our grade: 3/10
Czechia – My Sister’s Crown
Qualified
In a surprising, yet refreshing, change of pace from their national final and preparty performances, the women of Vesna ditched their instruments and instead created a powerful visual of them marching and dancing in sync together on stage, which works perfectly with their song’s messages and themes. However, with what is already looking like a stacked grand final on Saturday, we have doubts about how high they will be able to reach, as there are some more impressive presentations that could leave them lost in the shuffle.
Our grade: 7.5/10
Netherlands – Burning Daylight
Eliminated
The most disappointing performance in this semifinal, without a doubt. The lack of chemistry between Dion and Mia was painfully exposed, and the live vocals were not up to par at several points of the song. Unfortunately, the Dutch duo failed to live up to the promise of their studio version, and as a result, Netherlands suffered its first semifinal elimination since 2015.
Our grade: 5/10
Finland – Cha Cha Cha
Qualified
Käärijä brought all the crazy and the party we could handle, and then some. With the Liverpool audience firmly on his side, the Finnish performer closed out the competition part of the semifinal with an explosion of energy and a dynamic display of stage presence. It’s no surprise that he’s seen as the heavy favorite to deny Loreen the victory, as he aced this performance and showed that he’s going to be one to watch on Saturday night, just in case anyone still doubted it.
Our grade: 10/10
So what did YOU think?
Those were our opinions. Now it’s your turn; you’re more than welcome to sound off in the comment section!
World Music Rankings 