What can we expect and who will win tomorrow?

After a film with, again, beautiful images of the Netherlands, and yes, a role for Duncan Laurence, we go to the flag parade. DJ Pieter Gabriel accompanies the artists musically with his own adaptation of the worldwide hit “Venus” by Shocking Blue, also a hit from Dutch soil. Presenters Edsilia Rombley, Jan Smit and Chantal Janzen sing the song.

We open with Cyprus; often an uptempo pop song is chosen to open, this year too. Albania takes the cursed second place. However, Albania is not one of the potential winners anyway, so the second place remains where it is. Israel follows; she once bursted out in tears when the Eurovision song contest was canceled, but now Eden Alene is in the final, followed by Belgium. Hopefully Hooverphonic will remain in peoples memories in the beginning of the broadcast. The advantage is that the song may stand out even more after an uptempo song. However, Russia follows with a striking act and then Malta. What that does to Malta’s chances is a big question mark, but it is not favorable. Certainly not because Portugal will follow after Malta; they are the surprise of the contest. We wouldn’t even be surprised if Portugal ends up very high; The Black Mamba isn’t Salvador Sobral, but still. The end of the first block is formed by Serbia; The fact that the three ladies are through to the final was no surprise, but it will probably not be much more there. Or is Serbia lucky that all other countries of the former Yugoslavia are not there?

While advertisements are watched in some countries, the rest of Europe sees Nikkie Tutorials showcasing three winners of the #Eurovisionchallenge. Valentina, who won the junior Eurovision this year, will also say something. Emmelie De Forrest, Jamala and Duncan Laurence talk about their trophy. After that, Chantal Janzen and Jan Smit will make an appeal to share your photo of how you watch the Eurovision song contest.

The second block is opened by the United Kingdom. That is usually not something to be happy about. People are still refilling the glasses or sitting on the toilet. By the way, yesterday in the Dutch tv-show Op1 you could see how British journalists are already busy putting the blame for a low score apart from themselves, even before the contest is over. However, the UK entry is completely insignificant to Greece that performes next. Greenscreen is certainly not new, but it is smart to use it. In quality, however, the Greek entry is far surpassed by that of Switzerland. According to many, one of the strongest voices of the festival. Still, the song may soumd a little too much like “Arcade” to be a winner. Also a top song, possibly even a winner, is Iceland. Would it give Daði og Gagnamagnið sympathy votes that they are not allowed to be present live? The Icelandics are in any case followed by the not too strong entry from Spain, although, to be honest, it must be said that the singing of Blas Cantó improves with each rehearsal. Moldova will then take office. But it is still doubtful whether the name of Filipp Kirkorov (composer) will be good for a high score. Germany is a “love it or hate it” entry that can go in any direction. And after a song about a middle finger, the director has chosen to put the other middle finger song right after it. The song from Finland turned out to have a lot of fans yesterday. Whether it helps them on the scoreboard? We’ll know tomorrow night.

And then we see Edsilia Rombley at the top of the comment booths to chitchat with various commentators. Chantal Janzen and Jan Smit refer to the time when there was still a live orchestra. They promise an orchestra with a top DJ.

In the meantime, Bulgaria is ready with Victoria on her rock. Another strong entry. Then we see Lithuania again. At the bookies, the yellow-clad men have fallen somewhat; not because they are not good, perhaps because a large number of countries have an even stronger entry.

And then Chantal Janzen announces Duncan Laurence, who speaks to the viewer in a video. Why so soon? Well, it gives the crew time to prepare the scenery of Ukraine.

A trip, as Dutch commentator Sander Lantinga called the entry. of Ukraine We can imagine why. It would not surprise anyone if Ukraine ends up in the top of the rankings. Immediately after that, another top favorite follows: France. Take a good look, because this could well be the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. To be honest, the entry from Azerbaijan is fairly insignificant. Anyway, the King’s Commissioner in Friesland Arno Brok and Mayor of Leeuwarden Sybrand Buma give a voting advice: stim Azerbaijan (vote Azerbaijan, but in Frisian language). It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence, but after Azerbaijan, Norway will perform. All week, something seems to be going on between the Azerbaijani Efendi and the Norwegian TIX. It is very worthy to lsearch for #efentix.

Then NikkieTutorials and Edsilia Rombley take the floor and announce some entre-acts and… the entry of the Netherlands. Jeangu Macrooy is praised for his cast-iron voice. He seems to slightly do better among bookmakers. But after the Netherlands, another top favorite (there are quite a lot this year) follows: Italy. Would the glam rock-leaning group win the Eurovision song contest? We do not consider it impossible. Sweden is not one of this year’s top favorites. The entry is just not strong enough for a top score. Finally we see San Marino. And then the rule of applies: world stars do NOT win the Eurovision song contest. Whether it’s Cliff Richard, t.A.T.u., DJ Bobo or Bonnie Tyler, it doesn’t work. A high position is definitely not impossible, San Marino will break its own record for sure.

Then a spectacular entre act:follows: a classical orchestra of toung people and Afrojack accompany Wulf and Glennis Grace while they sing under the title “Music binds us”. We see images of people in Rotterdam, but the song and music come from the Erasmus Bridge.

NikkieTutorials comes again with a section of Eurovision Tutorials about the voting. Then she shows us images of how the festival in Ahoy is structured and how it works behind the scenes. Edsilia Rombley then meets several Eurovision winners, a film that was already shot before the Corona crisis. That is why Edsilia explicitly announces that she is hugging the former winners and not keeping a one and a half meter distance. Then we see a video in which Chantal Janzen explains how the audience has changed over the years.

And then we’re going to look at Teach In, Lenny Kuhr, Måns Zelmerlöw and Lordi. They sing from different rooftops in Rotterdam. Duncan Laurence then sings his hit “Arcade” and a new song. Not live, because he is at home with Corona, but a previously recorded rehearsal of his performance. And then…. The producers have even turned the countdown moment into something beautiful with dancers. The voting goes pretty smoothly. Of course something can go wrong, but there is no useless waiting. The scoreboard, with a lot of white, is easy to read. Edsilia and Nikkie are present in the greenroom while Jan and Chantal do the voting. Who is going to win remains uncertain for a long time, longer than ever. The bookmakers do not state a clear winner.

However, team Eurovision Universe has tried to predict the top 10. In a little more than 24 hours we know how right (or wrong) we are:

1.France
2.Italy
3.Malta
4.Switzerland
5.Ukraine
6.Bulgaria
7.Iceland
8.Portugal
9.Norway
10.Finland

photo credits: EBU

Martijn
May 21, 2021
8:30 pm
Albania, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus

Martijn

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Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 7

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest has been won by Austria. It was the 57th Austrian entry. Reason for us to go back to all the Austrian entries in history! For Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 7, we look back at the start of the 21st century. Alf Poier participated for Austria, but there were also some unsuccesful entries. And there was a 3-year gap. 2000 – The Rounder Girls – All To You Austria’s 2000 entry “All To You” was internally selected by broadcaster ORF. The song was written by American songwriter Dave Moskin. Moskin gave the three-piece vocal group The Rounder Girls an up-tempo, gospel-influenced pop track. Performing last in the Stockholm final, the trio, with members from Austria, the US and the UK, delivered slick harmonies and choreography. They finished 14th out of 24 countries with 34 points. The Rounder Girls were a seasoned soul/gospel ensemble, and their Eurovision appearance raised their profile, though Austria’s middling result meant the country sat out the contest in 2001. 2002 – Manuel Ortega – Say A Word “Say A Word” by Manuel Ortega won Austria’s “Song.Null.Zwei” 2002 national final out of ten songs. this entry was an upbeat pop song with a catchy, boy-band style hook. It was composed by Alexander Kahr with lyrics by Robert Pfluger. At Eurovision 2002 in Tallinn, Ortega performed third and Austria placed 18th (26 points) in the final. Manuel Ortega, a young pop singer, had scored a summer hit in 2001 and was nicknamed “the Austrian Ricky Martin” for his Latin pop flair. His Eurovision song’s fun choreography and positive message reflected that image, though the result was a lower mid-table finish. 2003 – Alf Poier – Weil der Mensch zählt ORF organized the “Song.Null.Drei” 2003 selection. Petra Frey (ESC 1994) was the runner up. Comedian-singer Alf Poier triumphed with “Weil der Mensch zählt”. Poier penned this satirical song himself. Musically it’s a quirky folk-pop tune delivered in Styrian dialect. The performance, complete with cartoonish animal props, was a parody of Eurovision’s over-the-top style. At the Riga contest, this offbeat entry surprised many by scoring 6th place with 101 points. Alf Poier, an Austrian stand-up comedian known for absurdist humor, thus earned Austria’s best Eurovision result in over a decade. His comedic approach and catchy refrain turned him into a fan favorite that year. 2004 – Tie Break – Du bist Austria’s national final “Song.Null.Vier” chose Tie Break’s “Du bist” for Eurovision 2004. Waterloo & Robinson (ESC 1976!) were the runners up. Note that a song, written by popstar Falco, participated too. So posthumously, Falco did a Eurovision attempt!Written by composer Peter Zimmermann, “Du bist” is a tender schlager-style pop ballad performed in German. Tie Break, a trio of fresh-faced male singers (a boy band formed via a talent search), delivered tight harmonies in Istanbul’s final. Thanks to Austria’s top-10 result the year before, they pre-qualified directly for the final. Tie Break finished 21st out of 24 with 9 points. The group had gained national fame through the selection process, but on the Eurovision stage their gentle ballad struggled to stand out in a field dominated by more dynamic acts. 2005 – Global.Kryner – Y así In 2005, “Song.Null.Fünf” was held and the crossover folk band Global.Kryner won with “Y así”. They narrowly beated Alf Poier. The controversy was that Austria changed the rules of the voting on the very last moment. Would the original voting procedure be used, Alf Poier would have won. Band members Edi Köhldorfer (composer) and Christof Spörk (lyricist) combined Latin salsa rhythms with Austrian alpine polka to create this unique “salsa-polka-pop” song. Global.Kryner was a six-member ensemble known for blending folk and jazz influences. They opened the Eurovision semi-final in Kyiv with an energetic performance featuring yodels and Latin dance breaks. However, “Y así” did not advance to the final, placing 21st of 25 in the semi-final with 30 points. The group had earned acclaim in Austria and Germany, but their daring genre fusion proved too quirky for the Eurovision televote that year. 2007 – Eric Papilaya – Get A Life – Get Alive After a brief Eurovision hiatus, Austria returned in 2007 by internally selecting Eric Papilaya. His entry “Get A Life – Get Alive” – composed by Greg Usek with lyrics by Austin Howard. It was the official anthem of Vienna’s Life Ball AIDS charity event. This song is an upbeat pop-rock anthem with an inspirational message and flashy staging. Papilaya performed with a giant red ribbon on stage. Papilaya, a rock vocalist who rose to fame on the TV talent show Starmania, gave a spirited performance in Helsinki’s semi-final. Unfortunately Austria did not qualify for the final; he placed 27th (four points) in the semi. The entry drew media attention for its charity theme, but it wasn’t enough to overcome tough competition in 2007. 2011 – Nadine Beiler – The Secret Is Love Austria returned to Eurovision in 2011 through the national selection “Düsseldorf – wir kommen!”. The competition featured ten songs. However, well-known artists Alf Poier and Petra Frey failed to pass the online preselection. As a result, Nadine Beiler won the final with her soulful ballad “The Secret Is Love”. She co-wrote the song with veteran producer Thomas Rabitsch. Musically, the entry combines elements of gospel and pop, while it clearly highlights Beiler’s strong vocal range. Previously, Nadine Beiler had gained national fame by winning the television talent show Starmania in 2007 at the age of 16. Therefore, expectations were already high when she took the stage in Düsseldorf. Her Eurovision performance began a cappella and gradually built towards a powerful climax. Consequently, Austria qualified from the semi-final in seventh place with 69 points. In the grand final, Beiler finished 18th, scoring 64 points. Nevertheless, this result marked Austria’s first appearance in a Eurovision final in seven years and therefore signalled a credible and positive comeback.

December 14, 2025 No Comments

History

Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 8

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest has been won by Austria. It was the 57th Austrian entry. Reason for us to go back to all the Austrian entries in history! For Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 8, we look back at the more recent years. Austria was back in the race, with even a victory for Conchita Wurst. Austria was a significant factor during this period. 2012 – Trackshittaz “Woki mit deim Popo” Trackshittaz – a hip-hop duo known for their tongue-in-cheek “tractor gangster party rap” style – represented Austria at Eurovision 2012 with the song “Woki mit deim Popo”. The upbeat track was performed in an Austrian dialect. It was co-written by the duo’s members Lukas Plöchl and Manuel Hoffelner. They earned their spot by winning the national final “Österreich rockt den Song Contest” 2012. They narrowly won the contest. Conchita Wurst was the runner up. Despite a lively stage show, the entry failed to qualify for the final, placing 18th in its semi-final with only 8 points. 2013 – Natália Kelly “Shine” Teenage singer Natália Kelly competed for Austria at Eurovision 2013. Her song was the mid-tempo pop song “Shine”. The track was co-written by Kelly along with songwriters Andreas Grass, Nikola Paryla and Alexander Kahr. She secured her Eurovision spot by winning Austria’s national selection in 2013 out of five entries. Performing first on the night of the semi-final in Malmö, “Shine” unfortunately did not advance to the final. It finished 14th out of 16 entries with 27 points. 2014 – Conchita Wurst “Rise Like a Phoenix” Conchita Wurst, the drag stage persona of singer Tom Neuwirth, was internally selected to represent Austria at Eurovision 2014. Her power ballad “Rise Like a Phoenix” was a dramatic orchestral pop song, reminiscent of a James Bond theme. It was composed by an international team including Charlie Mason, Joey Patulka, Alexander “Ali” Zuckowski and Julian Maas. In Copenhagen, Conchita delivered a show-stopping performance with powerful vocals and theatrical flair. The entry captivated Europe and won the contest, earning Austria 1st place with 290 points in the Grand Final. This was the country’s first Eurovision victory since 1966. 2015 – The Makemakes “I Am Yours” The Makemakes were an Austrian pop-rock band. They won the national final “Wer singt für Österreich?” 2015 to become the host country’s Eurovision act in Vienna. Their entry “I Am Yours” was a soulful, piano-driven ballad co-written by the band members together with American songwriter-producer Jimmy Harry. Despite a visually striking staging (including a burning fake piano mid-song), Austria’s home entry failed to win over voters. The Makemakes finished 26th (last) in the 2015 Grand Final with 0 points. This was marking the first time a host nation ever scored “nul points” at Eurovision. 2016 – Zoë “Loin d’ici” Zoë Straub, performing simply as Zoë, represented Austria in 2016 with “Loin d’ici,” a rare French-language song for the country. The track is an upbeat, whimsical electropop tune co-written by Zoë and her father Christof Straub. She earned her Eurovision spot by winning Austria’s national selection (“Wer singt für Österreich? 2016”) in a televised final. Zoë won out of five finalists. At the contest in Stockholm, Zoë charmed the audience and qualified for the Grand Final, where she placed 13th with 151 points. 2017 – Nathan Trent “Running on Air” Nathan Trent, an emerging singer-songwriter, was internally selected by ORF to compete for Austria at Eurovision 2017. His entry “Running on Air” was an upbeat pop song with an optimistic message. The song was written by Nathan himself along with co-writer Bernhard Penzias. Trent’s performance in the second semi-final earned Austria a spot in the Grand Final. In the final held in Kyiv, he finished in 16th place with a total of 93 points. 2018 – Cesár Sampson “Nobody But You” Cesár Sampson is a seasoned vocalist and played a key role in Bulgaria’s successful Eurovision entries in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, ORF internally chose him to represent Austria. His song “Nobody But You” blends gospel and soul influences with contemporary pop. Sampson co-wrote the track with the Symphonix International team: Borislav Milanov, Sebastian Arman, Joacim Persson and Johan Alkenäs. On the Lisbon stage, Sampson delivered a confident and controlled performance. As a result, he achieved one of Austria’s strongest results of the decade. He finished third in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 final with 342 points and even topped the jury vote.

December 28, 2025 No Comments

History

Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 8

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest has been won by Austria. It was the 57th Austrian entry. Reason for us to go back to all the Austrian entries in history! For Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest, part 8, we look back at the more recent years. Austria was back in the race, with even a victory for Conchita Wurst. Austria was a significant factor during this period. 2012 – Trackshittaz “Woki mit deim Popo” Trackshittaz – a hip-hop duo known for their tongue-in-cheek “tractor gangster party rap” style – represented Austria at Eurovision 2012 with the song “Woki mit deim Popo”. The upbeat track was performed in an Austrian dialect. It was co-written by the duo’s members Lukas Plöchl and Manuel Hoffelner. They earned their spot by winning the national final “Österreich rockt den Song Contest” 2012. They narrowly won the contest. Conchita Wurst was the runner up. Despite a lively stage show, the entry failed to qualify for the final, placing 18th in its semi-final with only 8 points. 2013 – Natália Kelly “Shine” Teenage singer Natália Kelly competed for Austria at Eurovision 2013. Her song was the mid-tempo pop song “Shine”. The track was co-written by Kelly along with songwriters Andreas Grass, Nikola Paryla and Alexander Kahr. She secured her Eurovision spot by winning Austria’s national selection in 2013 out of five entries. Performing first on the night of the semi-final in Malmö, “Shine” unfortunately did not advance to the final. It finished 14th out of 16 entries with 27 points. 2014 – Conchita Wurst “Rise Like a Phoenix” Conchita Wurst, the drag stage persona of singer Tom Neuwirth, was internally selected to represent Austria at Eurovision 2014. Her power ballad “Rise Like a Phoenix” was a dramatic orchestral pop song, reminiscent of a James Bond theme. It was composed by an international team including Charlie Mason, Joey Patulka, Alexander “Ali” Zuckowski and Julian Maas. In Copenhagen, Conchita delivered a show-stopping performance with powerful vocals and theatrical flair. The entry captivated Europe and won the contest, earning Austria 1st place with 290 points in the Grand Final. This was the country’s first Eurovision victory since 1966. 2015 – The Makemakes “I Am Yours” The Makemakes were an Austrian pop-rock band. They won the national final “Wer singt für Österreich?” 2015 to become the host country’s Eurovision act in Vienna. Their entry “I Am Yours” was a soulful, piano-driven ballad co-written by the band members together with American songwriter-producer Jimmy Harry. Despite a visually striking staging (including a burning fake piano mid-song), Austria’s home entry failed to win over voters. The Makemakes finished 26th (last) in the 2015 Grand Final with 0 points. This was marking the first time a host nation ever scored “nul points” at Eurovision. 2016 – Zoë “Loin d’ici” Zoë Straub, performing simply as Zoë, represented Austria in 2016 with “Loin d’ici,” a rare French-language song for the country. The track is an upbeat, whimsical electropop tune co-written by Zoë and her father Christof Straub. She earned her Eurovision spot by winning Austria’s national selection (“Wer singt für Österreich? 2016”) in a televised final. Zoë won out of five finalists. At the contest in Stockholm, Zoë charmed the audience and qualified for the Grand Final, where she placed 13th with 151 points. 2017 – Nathan Trent “Running on Air” Nathan Trent, an emerging singer-songwriter, was internally selected by ORF to compete for Austria at Eurovision 2017. His entry “Running on Air” was an upbeat pop song with an optimistic message. The song was written by Nathan himself along with co-writer Bernhard Penzias. Trent’s performance in the second semi-final earned Austria a spot in the Grand Final. In the final held in Kyiv, he finished in 16th place with a total of 93 points. 2018 – Cesár Sampson “Nobody But You” Cesár Sampson is a seasoned vocalist and played a key role in Bulgaria’s successful Eurovision entries in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, ORF internally chose him to represent Austria. His song “Nobody But You” blends gospel and soul influences with contemporary pop. Sampson co-wrote the track with the Symphonix International team: Borislav Milanov, Sebastian Arman, Joacim Persson and Johan Alkenäs. On the Lisbon stage, Sampson delivered a confident and controlled performance. As a result, he achieved one of Austria’s strongest results of the decade. He finished third in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 final with 342 points and even topped the jury vote.

December 28, 2025 No Comments