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The first semifinal

Finally, the moment has arrived: we get to see the full first semifinal. Only now can we truly judge if and how good it is. In the opening of the show, we see ’12 points’ and old footage, after which the cubes rise. This is followed by Eleni Foureira, then Eric Saade, and subsequently, Chanel also makes an appearance. Then the presenters Malin Åkerman and Petra Mede make their entrance, dressed in clashing pink and orange. Cyprus: Now that we can hear the entire song, it’s noticeable that Silia Kapsis’s singing has improved considerably during rehearsals. She and the dancers are dressed in white against a turquoise background. And yes, the shirts come off, at least the dancers’ shirts. And, of course, there’s a dance break. Serbia: In a cloudy sky, on a rock, Teya Dora sings her song. Later in the act, she steps off her rock. The act barely resonates because not everyone understands why there’s a flower at the end of the act. Serbia might struggle; there’s a risk it might be overshadowed. Lithuania: We now effortlessly recognize the song with the ‘lady Mondegreen’ lyrics. Silvester Belt’s entry does make an impact. The song is accessible to a wide audience, which cannot really be said for several other entries this evening. Ireland: Bambie Thug is doing their best to put on a terrifying act. With a devil on stage, a witches’ circle, and a pentagram, the artist definitely stands out. Whether the average viewer understands what’s happening is questionable, even as Bambie Thug exorcises the devil at the end and remains in an outfit in the transgender colours. For fans of beautiful singing: Bambie Thug has a beautiful singing voice, but also lets out a lot of screams. Then the hosts chat, during which the attentive (and somewhat older) viewer might notice a reference to Lill Lindfors (the 1985 host). United Kingdom: We previously reported that Olly Alexander had said this was the most homosexual act ever. Having seen the entire act, we can wholeheartedly agree. Whether this entry is suitable for very young viewers is debatable, but perhaps you had already sent them out of the room during the previous act. Ukraine: On the floor, we see blue and yellow, the Ukrainian colors. The song is beautifully performed by Jerry Heil. As Alyona Alyona starts to rap, we see concrete colors. On the cubes, silhouettes of people are projected. Altogether, it’s very impressive and could possibly be a winner. Poland: Luna sings from a chessboard. The two towers in the center play a major role in the song, along with a black, a white, and a red king. It’s a chess game for three players, and Luna seems to have entered it. She, too, overcomes forces from the past. Croatia: There’s a lot happening; the song is about young people leaving the country in search of greener pastures. The song is ranked number one by the bookmakers. It could well finish very high. It certainly swings, but it will require some skills from Baby Lasagna to properly convey the message. Iceland: After several acts where a lot has happened, Hera Björk is somewhat of a breather. Unfortunately, this challenging song doesn’t really stand out compared to the rest. But perhaps that’s precisely its strength. Of course, we wish Hera Björk the best in the contest. Then there’s a video; watch closely, because it’s brief. We definitely see a role for Arcade and Dancing Lasha Tumbai. Germany: Then, out of competition tonight, comes Isaak, who has brought his fire pit indoors. He sings that he’s always on the run but meanwhile doesn’t move from his spot; an interesting contradiction. It would be nice if Isaak could shake off the curse of the lower ranks. We fear that’s wishful thinking. Slovenia: Then the ode to Veronika of Desenice follows. Certainly, a good singer, but whether this act will clearly convey what Raiven intends to spotlight is doubtful. The viewers will hear and see how well it’s sung, but unfortunately, the televoters aren’t generally moved in large numbers. Finland: We see a whirlwind show from Windows95man. For three minutes, something happens that keeps the viewer engaged. The joke with the underwear and the attempt to suggest a naked Windows95man does the trick. However, Windows95man cannot sing; that’s what Henri Piispanen is for. And he does it quite well. Moldova: Really, no one believes in a final spot for Natalia Barbu anymore. It’s a shame because the graphics are certainly worth noting. Only, we had already noticed that when Natalia Barbu seems to get wings, she’s not positioned correctly for the camera. We still want to point out her dress, which is special. The song, unfortunately, is not. Sweden: Of course, the hall goes wild, the Norwegian twins Marcus & Martinus representing Sweden are incredibly popular. A music video, a slick show. The show by the twins from Norway, competing for Sweden, is solid. But whether the song is strong enough for a high score could be doubted. Azerbaijan: The Azerbaijani act consists of a woman who seems to come out of the water on the LED screens, waving her hands. These hands later reappear on stage. Fahree and Ilkin Dovlatov sing the song with this ensemble in the background. Whether the traditional Azerbaijani singing (mugham) comes across and makes it to the final is doubtful. Australia: An act that does make an impression. Especially singer Zaachariaha impresses with strong vocals. Initially, he stands at the front singing the song with the background singers. Later, there’s a lot of dancing and movement, and it turns into a cheerful, friendly performance. Australia might make it to the final. Portugal: A calming moment in this busy evening. No frills, a well-singing singer, and several masked dancers, all in white. Iolanda’s high note certainly makes a big impression in the press center. After so much commotion, it just might be that Portugal suddenly makes it to the final. Luxembourg: The act from

In the spotlight: Baby Lasagna

Tomorrow is finally the day; the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest takes place in the Malmö Arena. 15 countries compete for a spot in the final. One of them is Baby Lasagna, representing Croatia. But who is he? Let’s give him a spotlight. Baby Lasagna is a project, created by Marko Purišić, who was born on July 5, 1995 in Umag, Croatia. He has a younger brother named Martin, who is also a musician. Coming from a teachersfamily Marko expressed that he would have most likely become a teacher too if he had not decided to pursue a musical career instead. He did however, work as a children’s assistant in an elementary school for a year until quitting to study public relations in Zagreb. Purišić had previously also studied tourism and sound engineering. Career From 2011 to 2016 and 2018 to 2022, Purišić was as guitarist for Manntra, a Croatian rock band. They participated in Dora 2019, (The national final for the Eurovision Song Contest) securing the fourth position with the song “In the Shadows” with a total of 12 points. Following his tenure with the group, he transitioned to pursue a solo career in 2023. On 21 October 2023, Purišić released his debut single “IG Boy” under the pseudonym Baby Lasagna . Two months later, in December 2023, his second single “Don’t Hate Yourself, But Don’t Love Yourself Too Much” was released. Dora 2024 Baby Lasagna was on the B list for the National Song Contest in Croatia, and was told very last minute that there was a dropout and he could take the vacant spot. The rest is history; he came, saw and conquered convincingly. The song Rim Tim Tagi Dim serves as the third single for Baby Lasagna’s debut solo album, “Demons and Mosquitoes“. The song is to capture a national dilemma, as Croatia has been described as a country of emigration. More people are leaving the country than ever before. The song explores the mass exodus of young people leaving Croatia, and the effects it has on those leaving and those that are left behind. The title Rim Tim Tagi Dim literally means nothing. Google it (I did), you won’t find a translation. Rim Tim Tagi Dim is more of an expression of a rhythm. Eurovision in Concert In Amsterdam, last april, during the Eurovision in Concert weekend, our reporter Kal spoke with Marko. Croatia and the Eurovision Song Contest After the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992, the various former states also continued independently of each other in the Eurovision Song Contest. Croatia made its debut in 1993, along with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia. The country has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest almost every year since that year. Of the countries belonging to Yugoslavia, Croatia achieved the best results in the first years. Between 1995 and 2001, with one exception, the top 10 was achieved every time. The Croats achieved their best performances in 1996 and 1999, when the country finished fourth. Will Baby Lasagna manage to make it to the final? No doubt about that. Will he win the Eurovision Song Contest? We’ll know on Saturday.

Malmö Messages: the non-participants

photo: EBU/Chloe Hashemi Recently, at the Oslo preparty to be exact, our reporter Kal spoke to several artists. Not all of them will be on the Eurovision stage in Malmö this year. That is why we want to highlight two interviews now; not with 2024 participants, but still very interesting. The first one is an interview with Luke Black! Luke was last year’s Serbian participant. Kal and Luke met before in Liverpool, so it was nice for both of them meeting again! Dag Erik Oksvold and Anne Fagermo participated in Norsk Melodi Grand Prix this year with the song “Judge tenderly of me”. Kal met the duo that became 5th in the Melodi Grand Prix final. Will we see them again in Melodi Grand Prix? More nice things to come! Keep an eye on all our channels!

Malmö Messages: the turquoise carpet

photo: Loreen on the turquoise carpet last year, EBU/Corinne Cumming Today, the artists will walk the red carpet; it’s the annual opening party of the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the event has been significantly scaled down for security reasons. As such, almost all fan media have been denied permission to cover it. You can watch the event live here, 15.30 CET:

Malmö Messages: A draw among the Big 5 and Sweden

The big five and Sweden had their second rehearsal today. However, there is more happening: the draw also took place to decide in which part of the show the participants will perform. There is a change happening: half of the countries will draw a ‘producers choice‘. They can be placed anywhere. United Kingdom He might have called it the most homosexual act ever. Olly Alexander has four dancers around him, who seem to be dancing around each other somewhat combatively. The men have bare torsos, except for Olly’s torn shirt. Whether it is indeed the most homosexual act ever or not? No idea, but not much is left to the imagination. He seems to be rising in the bookmakers’ ratings, where he is now in tenth place. Olly Alexander drew the first half of the final. Germany Little has changed since last time for Germany. The act was already so well-defined that there is little left to change. The singing is important in the German entry. But whether Isaak makes enough of an impression to break Germany’s negative streak remains to be seen. The bookmakers give him a 23rd place. Isaak drew in the first half of the final. Sweden The Swedes are number three in line to create a full music video of their performance. It is exactly the same performance as during Melodifestivalen. We see Marcus and Martinus everywhere and nowhere. This afternoon in the press center, someone enthusiastically told of having done five interviews with them. We already knew that Sweden will open the final. France Less is more, the French must have thought. Slimane stands alone on the stage in white clothing while singing his “Mon amour”. He stands, sits, and lies down while singing. The a cappella part makes a deep impression. The bookmakers currently predict just shy of a top-5 spot, placing him sixth. France will perform in the second half of the final. Spain With a lot of gold in the background, a red sofa, and the two members of Nebulossa in black clothing, the act is complete. The lyrics of “Zorra” caused a lot of controversy, but the Spanish audience enthusiastically roars along with the song. The bookmakers have no faith in it. They rank the song in 24th place. Nebulossa drew producers’ choice this afternoon. Italy Fortunately, not everything remains exactly the same as during the previous rehearsal. Angelina Mango has a different dress: a black one, with much fewer flowers on it. That makes the overall busy impression during the performance a bit less intense. “La Noia” is currently fourth with the bookmakers. Angelina Mango drew producers’ choice. As mentioned, except for Italy, there are few changes. The big five and Sweden will be heard and seen for the first time during the semifinals, so there are equal opportunities for everyone. We think: abolish the big five if they really want equal chances. But then, who are we…

Malmö Messages: three eurovision icons open festival

The Eurovision Song Contest will be opened by three Eurovision Icons. The first semifinal opening act is called United By Music and will be performed by Eleni Foureira, Eric Saade and Chanel. It will not only show the slogan of the contest, but also the message that you don’t actually have to be a winner. Although none of the three did, they all reached the top-3 and are still succesfull in the Eurovision Song Contest. Eleni Foureira represented Cyprus in 2018. She performed “Fuego”. She was one of the hot favourites to win the contest. In the end, she became 2nd, Netta from Israel won. EBU/Andres Putting Eric Saade was the Swedish representant in 2011. “Popular” was his song. During the voting, he was no. 1 for a while, but he ended up in 3rd place. We saw Eric on stage again in 2011, where he hosted the show from the greenroom (remember #milf?). Chanel was the most recent Eurovision participant. In 2021 she gave Spain a new claim to fame. “SloMo” was her song. With her 3rd place, she came back to Spain and was celebrated there as if she won the contest. EBU/Andres Putting

Malmö Messages: From Norwegian mystique to Joosts mystery

The Norwegian group Gåte also had their second rehearsal this afternoon. The posted photos underline again what we have already seen from this band. In an environment that would not be out of place in a book by Stephen King or Thomas Olde Heuvelt (read his Hex, it fits perfectly), singer Gunnhild Sundli is performing the song Ulveham. The band members are a short distance away. Currently, the Norwegians are 11th with the bookmakers. And finally, for the Netherlands, Joost Klein. Even at the previous rehearsal, the rumor mill was churning: this would not be it. Influencer Appie Mussa is still in his bird suit, but those who look closely at today’s photos cannot miss it: they emit none of the energy we know from Joost, and certainly not what fits with “Europapa.” There should not be much deviation from the final act anymore. But that Joost is not showing his true intentions to the public will surprise no one. Currently, Joost is 5th with the bookmakers.

Malmö Messages: microphones, fire and circles

San Marino is represented by Megara. This morning, a discussion arose around the rehearsals: it was a missed opportunity not to have the group rehearse at 11:11, since that was the title of the song. Little has changed since the first rehearsal. Pink and black are still the colors, including of the graphics. Expectations are low: a 35th place in the odds. Georgian Nutsa Buzaladze is surrounded by a lot of fire. What else can you expect with a song called “Firefighter”. She is mostly standing in a circle with, of course, a red background. The circle seems to depict the sun. Here too, few changes compared to the previous rehearsal. Georgia is currently 18th at the bookmakers and seems set to break the curse of not reaching the finals. Belgium rehearsed third today. We already know the act: Mustii stands in a circle of microphones, dressed in a white, gem-studded outfit. At one point, he steps out of the circle and removes his blouse. It now seems as if he continues singing with a bare torso, but his torso is also adorned with gemstones. The criticism of Mustii’s singing has by now subsided, and we are curious to hear how it will sound today when the video comes out on Youtube. Belgium is currently 12th with the bookmakers. Some things only become apparent when more photos are released. 5miinust x Puuluup make clever use of the available cubes. There is a lot of attention to the instruments used during Estonia’s act. Estonia is currently 21st with the bookmakers. It will be close whether the Estonians make it to the final with (of these) narcotics we (certainly) know nothing. EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett Also, little news to report from Israel, although now we see different colors of lighting in the photos: blue and yellow. The clothing is still white and Eden Golan stands in a glowing circle singing her song Hurricane. The song is one of the few ballads in this year’s festival. The bookmakers expect an 8th place.

Malmö Messages: The Big Five plus Sweden

We haven’t heard from the big five plus Sweden yet. Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the host Sweden automatically qualify for the final. They had their rehearsal tonight. The United Kingdom was the first to rehearse. If you think you have ended up in the locker room of a boxing match; this is still the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Olly Alexander is wearing red pants and a white shirt. His hands are taped up. Around him are a number of dancers in red shorts and with bare chests. According to eurovision.tv, the camera moves in such a way that it seems as if the room is spinning. It could make you “Dizzy”. Isaak, representing Germany, appears to be in a very luxurious living room while singing his song “Always on the run”. We see a fire pit, lots of flames, and the cube coming down again. Isaak himself is dressed in black and is flanked by four backup singers; live singing matters here too. Marcus and Martinus are performing “Unforgettable” for Sweden. And as usual, the Swedes have the exact same act on stage as they did during Melodifestivalen. The twins are dressed in blue and black. On the LED screens behind them, and on the cube above them, many colors and patterns are visible. Occasionally, the title of the song also appears. The act is the same, but huge. The contestant for France, Slimane, is dressed in white during his “Mon amour”. He starts lying down and sings the first part of the song on his knees. Later, he stands behind the microphone and steps away from it to sing the last piece a cappella. The smoke machine does its job. The Spanish duo Nebulossa rehearsed next. Their song “Zorra” starts from the cube, which is now not hanging but has come all the way down. Mery is wearing pants with wide legs and a blouse with large puff sleeves. The red sofa, which Mery also was standing on during the national final, has come along to Malmö. There is smoke on the floor throughout the performance. Angelina Mango will perform for Italy in a red dress. On her arms and legs, we see some sort of plant images. The four dancers emerge from four large cubes to lift Angelina. She stands among them in front of a large throne made of branches. The whole scene is set against a backdrop of a sort of forest with bare trees. In short, there will be much to see during “La Noia.”

Malmö Messages: another outfit and a lot of folkore

Austria: Here too, we have a different outfit. Kaleen was already wearing a swimsuit before, but the current one shows much more skin (read: flesh-colored bodysuit). The color is now silver. She is also surrounded by a group of four dancers. This act too is mainly focused on dance, with singing possibly taking a backseat. But we will only find out during the public rehearsals. Austria is ranked 14th at the bookmakers. Denmark: Little has changed in the Danish act compared to last time. Saba is still singing her ballad in a white dress. Like a real Sandman, she scatters sand. She is ranked 22nd by the bookmakers. Who knows, maybe she will break the negative spiral of not reaching the finals. Armenia: Armenia will actually be represented by a duo, which is not visible in the act. There is a lot of movement and several musicians have joined Ladaniva. A lot of cheerfulness is visible. And take note: you are not drunk, you really see the duo multiple times, displayed on the LED screens. The bookmakers give Armenia a 17th place. Latvia: We could now say that Dons’ hair is different from the last rehearsal, but that would be trivial. What we see in the photos is virtually the same as what we had seen two days earlier: Dons in blue in a circle, calmly singing his song. He is currently ranked 27th by the bookmakers. It will be a close call for Latvia whether Hollow will make it.