Eurovision Fever: Your Guide to the top 10 acts of the 60th annual song contest

United Kingdom

With what can only be described as a techo mash-up of ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’ and the Birdseye Potato Waffles song, this year we are sending Electrovelvet with their song ‘Still In Love With You’. I’ll admit my first reaction to this song was one of dread and ‘wow, we’ve really given up this year’. However the song has since grown on me immensely. Most of Europe has taken a detour from zany, quintessentially ‘Eurovision-y’ songs this year in favour of more serious, often melancholy numbers. This means our song could really stand out as a fun and silly entry, hopefully sticking in peoples’ minds as they cast their votes.

Sweden

With pop music being one of their biggest exports, Sweden takes Eurovision very seriously. They vote nationally for who will represent them in an X-Factor-like, immensely popular series of live shows named Melodifestivalen. This year it was won by Måns Zelmerlöw and he will sing ‘Heroes’. It’s a catchy, high-energy song, but I feel like it doesn’t particularly stand out. However, it’s actually favourite to win and will undoubtedly place in the top 5.

Finland

In 2006 Lordi took Europe by storm with ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’, which became the first and only hard rock song to ever win the contest. This year they’re hoping for success with punk rock band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät and their song ‘Aina Mun Pitää’. All 4 members of the band have learning disabilities and are hoping to raise awareness of people with learning disabilities and, as they put it, ‘have a fucking good time’.

Estonia

Estonia’s song, ‘Goodbye To Yesterday’ by Elina Born and Stig Rästa, is my personal favourite this year. A duet about a couple going through a breakup, it’s a bit like Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ with hints of AmyWinehouse. Trust me, it works. Estonia failed to qualify for the final last year, but this year they’re sure to be there and I think we’ll see them place in the top 5. They’ve got my vote!

Italy

Italy are part of the Big Five, meaning they automatically qualify for the final, where we’ll see Il Volo sing ‘Grande Amore’. A modern-day Three Tenors, Il Volo is a young, operatic pop trio that was formed on an Italian TV singing contest in 2010. ‘Grande Amore’ is a dark, brooding, powerful operatic ballad and I love it. It really stands out and will surely stay in the minds of the voters as they reach for their phones.

Australia

Before you ask, no, that’s not a misspelling of Austria. It’s simply that Australia’s love of Eurovision transcends the 14,000km and 10 hour time difference between us so much that the European Broadcasting Union has allowed our friends from down under to be honourary Europeans this year as part of the 60th Eurovision anniversary celebrations. For this extra special entry, Australia is sending Guy Sebastian with ‘Tonight Again’, a fantastically upbeat declaration of how happy Australia are to be allowed to compete that is sure to go down very well. The EBU has announced that should Australia win, they will be invited back next year. The pressure is on Australia to impress, and I have a feeling Guy will do just that.

Norway

Debrah Scarlett and Mørland will sing ‘A Monster Like Me for Norway’. A melancholy, slow yet pretty duet with a nice piano part, it resembles Norway’s entry from last year, ‘Silent Storm’, which placed 8th in the final. Its opening is a little boring, but it really gets going half way through and turns into what should be a big crowd-pleaser.

Belarus

This year Belarus are sending Uzari & Maimuna with their song ‘Time’. This is not one of the favourites to win, but I included it because of it’s one of my favourites due to a strong dance anthem beat, catchy tune and the big violin part. Uzari, the singer/songwriter is no stranger to the Eurovision stage after appearing in 2011 as a backing vocalist in Belarus’ unsuccessful entry ‘I Love Belarus.’

Germany

I can’t believe this isn’t one of the favourites to win. ‘Black Smoke’ by Ann Sophie will represent Germany this year and in my opinion it’s one of the best songs this year. With a powerful, simple, driving drumbeat throughout, an incredibly catchy tune and Ann Sophie’s great voice, I think this song deserves to do very well. Germany being one of the Big Five, it automatically qualifies for the final.

Montenegro

Montenegro probably aren’t going to win. In fact, the current odds of them placing first are 100/1, indicating they may not even qualify for the final. I’m including them because I really, really like their song. ‘Adio’ by Knez makes extensive use of traditional Balkan instruments, is sung in its nation’s main language (Montenegrin) and is very reminiscent of my favourite Eurovision song of all time, Serbia’s 2012 entry ‘Nije Ljubav Stvar’ by Željko Joksimović. Turns out this year’s entry was composed by him so all the more reason to love it!

And that’s not all! These are just 10 of the 40 entries this year; the biggest Eurovision ever. Of these, 16 will compete in the first semi-final on 19th May and another 17 will compete in the second semi-final on the 21st. 10 countries qualify from each of the semi-finals, joining the Big Five, the host country Austria and special guest nation Australia to battle it out in the final on Saturday 23rd of May. Don’t miss it!

The Eurovision Song Contest Final will be shown on BBC One on the 23rd of May, with the first semi-finals on Tuesday the 16th on BBC Three.