Weekly Update

It was a busy week in the Eurovision Universe again. So here is your weekly update. Three new songs can be added, but there is a lot more going on.

The new songs are:

• Azerbaijan: Mamagama – “Run with U”
• Italy: Lucio Corsi – “Volevo essere un duro
• Iceland: Væb – “Róa”

Note that the names of the artists are linked to their pages in our database. All the information you might want to know can be found there. As said: it was a busy week in the Eurovision Universe again.

Other things that happened last week:

Monday, February 17

Ireland’s national selection, Eurosong 2025, continued to make headlines as a controversy erupted between judge Arthur Gourounlian and former contestant Samantha Mumba. After questioning Gourounlian’s credentials as a Eurovision juror, Mumba received a public response from Gourounlian’s husband, Brian Dowling, who defended his partner’s knowledge of Eurovision and professional background. The Irish public remained divided over the dispute, but broadcaster RTÉ stood by its decision to include Gourounlian on the panel.

Wednesday, February 19

Spain’s Eurovision 2025 representative, Melody, saw her entry Esa Diva drop to 35th place in the Eurovision betting odds. This decline followed the selection of new competitors from Norway, Armenia, Lithuania, Poland, and Estonia. The Spanish delegation announced that they are considering adjustments to the song’s staging and production in response to feedback.

Thursday, February 20

A diplomatic dispute arose between Italy and Estonia regarding Estonia’s Eurovision entry, Espresso Macchiato, performed by rapper Tommy Cash. The song’s lyrics reference Italian culture with lines such as “sweating like a mafioso” and “life is like spaghetti”, leading the Italian consumer rights organization Codacons to file a complaint with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). While some Italian officials called for the song’s disqualification, others dismissed the lyrics as humor. As of now, the EBU has not taken any action.

Meanwhile, Joost Klein released a new song, along with Tommy Cash: “United By Music”. One of the lines in the song is “F*ck the EBU”. It was what Dutch commenter Cornald Maas said after Joost was disqualified.

Saturday, February 22

Iceland’s Söngvakeppnin 2025 came to an exciting conclusion as the duo Væb won the national final with their song Róa. The competition was broadcast live from RVK Studios in Reykjavík, with a jury and public vote determining the winner. Interval performances included a guest appearance by Finnish Eurovision 2023 runner-up Käärijä, as well as a performance from Iceland’s 2010 Eurovision representative Hera Björk.

Meanwhile, Portugal hosted the first semi-final of Festival da Canção 2025, advancing several acts to its national final. San Marino also kicked off its Una Voce Per San Marino selection, featuring a diverse lineup of artists.

Italian Olly, winner of San Remo, decided not to go to Eurovision, making place for Lucio Corsi.

Sunday, February 23

San Marino’s selection process continued with its second semi-final, broadcast by San Marino RTV. Several artists secured their places in the final, which will determine the country’s representative for Basel 2025.

Although Måns Zelmerlow is the hot favourite to win Melodifestivalen in Sweden, another possible winner pops up. Kaj’s “Bada bada bastu” has way more views than Måns’ song. 

Applications opened for performers interested in taking part in the Eurovision Boulevard events in Basel, which will offer artists a chance to perform in front of international audiences during Eurovision week.

In terms of betting odds, Sweden has now emerged as the favorite to win Eurovision 2025, with Finland and France close behind. As more national selections conclude, these rankings could continue to shift.

Agenda