Who Will Qualify From ESC SF1 In 2023?
Who will qualify from ESC SF1 in 2023?
Eurovision is on! Rehearsals are on! We’ve seen most of them performing at the multiple preparties and the first clips (even super shots ones) are in!
It’s time to predict who will qualify on May 9th from Semifinal 1! These are my predictions based on the reactions, comments, listens and clicks in social media, Youtube and Spotify.
Some I will get right, others I may not - that’s the risk you will take by continuing reading this.
1. Norway - Alessandra - Queen of Kings
She’s IN. No question. HUUUUUUGE viral hit by now. There was some concern about Alessandra’s vocals (MGP used autotune) when performing live but she’s on point based on the first rehearsal clip. Visually they’re loyal to National Final one but her outfit is a bit different, she’s wearing a crown look a like hair band and there’s more light now on the stage.
2. Malta - The Busker - Dance (our own party)
This is worst spot in semifinals to perform as second in Eurovision. Lots of good entries have failed because 15 other amazing songs will follow and people tend to forget. However, Malta’s lively and colourful performance does stand a chance. The song stands out with its saxophone sound. If this did go through would I be sad, definitely not but being where it is, second and between two dark songs (Norway, Serbia) I say this is OUT.
3. Serbia - Luke Black - Samo mi se spava (Само ми се спава)
One of my faves this year but I know a lot of people who’re not warming up to this Hatari II. However, their staging looks improved and Luke’s performing very confident. This kind of dark pop is exciting for many! In Eurovision it doesn’t matter how many haters you have but how many lovers, based on the interest in Spotify / Youtube I’d say this might appeal enough voters to be IN.
4. Latvia - Sudden lights - Aijā
Indieband with a strong chorus. In the national selection the staging didn’t impress me but this is one of my faves again. Lamps are there though but there’s a good energy in here which I hope will come across to the audience. This is still boarderline, this can go to either direction. But I have faith so IN.
5. Portugal - Mimicat - Ai coração
Portugal has been topping their game in preparties and even though you wouldn’t like this kind cabaree music - this is very authentic, catchy, memorable. And she can sing and perform - true pro! The stage looks a bit empty without the couch but I do have faith in Portuguese staging skills because they have nailed it during the few previous years. I still say IN.
6. Ireland - Wild Youth - We are one
Why the producers put this at 6th? If this had been an opener for this semi Wild Youth could have had a chance. However, they’re going all the way with the staging, using every inch of that stage: we have golden body, pyros, stairs - we know the guy can sing but the song is a bit generetic and forgettable. This breaks my heart but OUT.
7. Croatia - Let 3 - Mama ŠČ!
A big fan favourite. Huge interest before going in to Eurovision, they also did well in the preparties. We saw some aspects from the pics and Tik Tok clip that we saw before (same LED screen, cannons). Not my personal favourite but a lot of people love this kind of quirky performance so IN.
8. Switzerland - Remo Forrer - Watergun
One of my personal faves this year but again - a lot of people don’t agree with me though. The anti-war song was actually written two years ago which I kind of hope would push some buttons among the voters. However, Switzerland was one of those unfortunate countries last year who went to Final with Jury votes only and received 0 points from audience. This time around Semifinals have only audience voting so I’m afraid there might be payback and especially since it’s another Swiss ballad.
Staging like this can be strong but the clip didn’t convince me yet. Pretty dark and they have similar strings attached to the dancers as Finland had in UMK (why are you coping??). I love this but I say OUT.
9. Israel - Noa Kirel - Unicorn
She’s IN. This is not my favourites to be honest, just because it’s so messy genre like. Israel was a bit of mystery to everyone because they didn’t participate to any preparties and they kept all their plans as a secret. But she sounds amazing and the Tik Tok clip and the photos promise us a spectacle. The seem to have a running unicorn in the LED screen, she’s in this bright box, upside down and in the end she’s making Chanel style break dance. This will please many for sure and high chances of becoming a top5 in the final.
10. Moldova - Pasha Parfeni - Soarele și luna
This is one of the most ethnic entries this year and Pasha Parfeni is no stranger to Eurovision as he represented Moldova also back in 2012. The song is memorable, it does stand out and the live performance even just from the pictures doesn’t disappoint. Moldova is a master of creating memorable performances even with a smaller budget and there’s no way that this didn’t go through. So IN.
11. Sweden - Loreen - Tattoo
Do I need to say this? IN. The LED sandwich so called what they used in Sweden was a lot bigger(16 m² ) but I don’t think the current size (6,25 m² ) will cause actual problems because the camera work will make it look larger. This is copy paste from Melodiefestivalen so pretty epic. A lot of people do complain however that Loreen is not bringing anything new to ESC as this does remind her victorious song Euphoria from decade ago. However, potential winning song for sure!
12. Azerbaijan - TuralTuranX - Tell Me More
One of the indie entries we have this year. I quite like it but... this is not a crowd pleaser unfortunately and in Eurovision you kind of have to be. This is such a good feel song but no. Stating isn’t doing much either, they’re standing on the platform of spaped by the heart playing their quitars. Unless there is something major happening what wasn’t revealed in the Tik Tok clips. I’m sorry, OUT.
13. Czechia - Vesna - My Sister's Crown
There’s so much love for this entry but at the same time there’s talk that this might be the shock non-qualifier. They didn’t perform as well and confidently as people were expecting them to during the preparties. However, in their live rehearsals we see them wearing rose coloured outfits, they have long braids - there’s a message of we’re not your dolls combined with some doll movements so very strong female empowerment thing going on. This can get too messy but hard to say from the Tik Tok clip itself. I still belive this would be IN.
14. Netherlands - Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper - Burning Daylight
Another sleepy ballad. I don’t hate it. And to be honest this has the strongest ballad staging I’ve seen so far. Mia and Dion are standing on this moving platform and walking towards, around, from each other. This can be a moment, beautiful one. Their voices go nicely together. BUT this comes after a strong Czechia and before Finland. I don’t see this year being very kind to the ballads, people are clearly having more reactions (clicks, listens etc) towards the quirky songs of ESC 2023. I say OUT.
15. Finland - Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha
A big fan favourite when going in for the rehearsals. Many didn’t expect Käärijä’s team to change the stating at all actually because it was pretty damn good already at the UMK. However, they have upgraded it. They have this big wooden box on the stage, according to photos and the Tik Tok clip he’s in it at some point and also the dancers where they emerge at one point. The silhouette is awesome! Great add and super powerful! There’s pyro at the end also, colours of the rainbow - the human snake has movement. This is so good! If Finland doesn’t win the ESC alltogether I do belive this will make the televotes to explode at the semi for sure! IN!
What do you think of the songs in Semifinal 1 and who do you think will qualify? Talk to me in the comments below!
More Posts from Lageografiademicamino and Others
UMK 2023 Song review - Lxandra
The hype is very real around Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the Finnish national selection for Eurovision and the race to Liverpool continues with a ballad this time!
Lxandra - Something To Lose
Lxandra is a talented and let’s say an established artist with several independant releases under her belt and some of them already appearing several tv series for example. Her international sound isn’t a coincidence as she’s lived in Berlin and US and her UMK23 entry also has American songwriters and producers. She is clearly someone who’s got her vision and sound figured out and she doesn’t need UMK or Eurovision to define her. She has fan base but not in Finland and she’s hoping participating UMK would at least change that.
Something to Lose is the only ballad in the selection of UMK this year. I’m hopeless lover of ballads so this was perhaps the entry I was anticipating the most even though I had never heard of Lxandra before. I wasn’t disappointed.
This is a well produced, striking ballad with modern approach. The lyrics go deep which Lxandra interprets beautifully and tenderly. There’s darkness here, almost death but also something that is very fragile, angelic. In the music video she only doesn’t put her voice to work but her entire body interprets the message of the song. The video is perhaps the most beautiful UMK music video to date!
This is not a power ballad and I’m hoping we’d get more volume vocally, instrumentally when on UMK stage - because the studio cut is somewhat lacking the peak. Someone might say this is forgettable and in some ways perhaps it is, I struggle also to remember the chorus or melody after but I remember the feeling that it gave me. It does make an impact clearly and the song is very gripping.
This is poetry, this is art - I can see juries reacting well to this but I’m nervous will the audience get it especially the ones who’re listening to it for the first time? This would be the question that was repeated if Lxandra advances to ESC. However this is a song that perhaps needs a visual performance and I hope YLE (TV broadcaster) gets it right and Lxandra can just focus on her own performance. I can definitely see myself voting for this but I doubt this would have the winner factor however.
What do you think of the fourth UMK23 track and would you vote for Lxandra’s Something to Lose to go all the way to Liverpool? UMK final takes place on February 25th!
Maybe your country is only a place you make up in your own mind. Something you dream about and sing about. Maybe it's not a place on the map at all, but just a story full of people you meet and places you VISIT, full of books and films you've been to. I'm not afraid of being homesick and having no language to live in. I don't have to be like anyone else. I'm walking on the wall and nobody can stop me.
Hugo Hamilton, The Speckled People: A Memoir of a Half-Irish Childhood
Random Lisboa when it was still summer and warm!
Masterlist
Contains my photos and blogs from 2017 on. Updating as we go along and digging some older posts from MTL times.
BLOG
Eurovision
UMK 22
Host City 22 : Turin
ESC 20 : Best Non-English Entry
UMK 20
Eurovision 2018, Lisbon.
ESC 19: Songs that I love but others don’t / Artists coming back to ESC / Songs that I don’t love but others do / Different genres / UMK artist guess /
ESC 18: Positive review / Negative review / Songs that I loved but other’s didn’t / Non-English songs / Biggest growers / Different genres / The BIG 6 / Saara Aalto Songs / Mid tempo tracks /
ESC 2023: 10 things I don’t want to see / Voting system to be changed / Who will qualify SF2 / Who will qualify in SF1 / Top 5 Non-English Songs /
UMK23: Keira / Benjamin / Robin / Lxndra / Käärijä / Kuumaa / Portion Boys / The worst UMK stagings / UMK23 review /
UMK24: Cyan Kicks / Sexmane / Sara Siipola / Jesse Markin / Windows95Man / Sini Sabotage / Mikael Gabriel x Nublu
Lisbon Life :
LX Blogs / LX tips Part 1 / LX tips part 2 / 1 year in LX / Sintra first impressions / Quilty 6 months in LX / Fall 2017 / One month in LX / 2w / PT expectations / Going to LX /
Something else
100 years of Finland / 3 x / Home / Geography of my way /
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Lisbon
Sintra / Lisbon before Covid-19
Lisbon Before Covid-19
Lisbon Before Covid-19 Part 2
Mixed: Olaias Metro, the most beautiful / Xmas / Less known LX / Random Part 1 / Pantheon + random / Rua August sunrise /
Waterfronts : Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 /
Parque das Nacoes: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 /
Belem: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 /
Palaces: Queluz part 1 / Queluz part 2 / Belem Part 1 / Quinta da Regaleira Part 1 / Pena and the Moors Part 1 / Pena and Moors Part 2 / Pena and Moors part 3 / Pena and the Moors part 4 / Pena and the Moors part 5 / Royal Palace of Ajuda /
Lisbon Streets: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 /
Beach: Part 1 / Cascais / Praia da Ursa
Sétubal: Part 1 / Part 2 /
Arrabida : Part 1 / Part 2 /
Portugal
Berlengas: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 /
Azenhas Do Mar: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 /
Porto: Part 1 /
Nazaré: Part 1 / Part 2 /
Évora: Part 1 / Part 2 /
Braga: Part 1 / Part 2 /
Coimbra: Part 1 / Part 2 /
Costa Nova
Helsinki
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 /
Lahti
Lake: Summer Part 1 / Winter Part 1 / Winter Part 2 /
Travels
Bologna: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 /
Amsterdam : Part 1 /
Galicia: part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 /
I visited Palace of Queluz last January which is one of the best kept secrets in Sintra / Lisbon located literally between the the fairytale town of Sintra and the portuguese capital. This is the most beautiful room I’ve ever been visited. And the best part was that I was the only person there!
🌿✨ Finnish Midsummer Juhannus spells ✨🌿
Juhannus was originally a celebration for Ukko the supreme god of weather and harvest. It was also a time for making magic since the spirit world was more active at the time of the white nights. A loud feasting and drinking brought luck in love as well as a good harvest and kept the evil spirits at bay.
1. Roll in dew
If you roll around naked in a field, your future spouse will appear in your life within a year. Dew was believed to have a healing effect and rolling in it was supposed to make you beautiful and healthy. Earlier, dew was even collected in cloths and pressed into bottles for the year to come.
2. Put a spell on a field
Find a four-leafed clover from the yard in the evening. Hide the clover under your shirt, next to your bosom. When the clock strikes midnight, let your hair loose and run to the field. Go around the field three times. When the person of your fancy will eat bread made out of the wheat from that specific field, they will fall in love with you.
3. Collect seven flowers
Collect seven different types of flowers from as many meadows. When going to bed, put the bouquet underneath your pillow. You will see “the one” in your dream. Flowers and plants have an important role in Midsummer celebrations. Previously, it was common to scatter tree leaves on the floors and build tree houses in the yards. Even cows were decorated with garlands, so as to secure a good year for the cattle and milk production.
4. Sweep naked
Sweep your bedroom floor naked, just a red thread tied around your waist, and the ghost of your love will greet you.
5. Tie a sauna whisk, vihta
Vihtas are always made for the Midsummer sauna. They are usually made out of birch as its fresh leaves are soft and have a lovely fragrance. For your magic spell, the Midsummer bath whisk should be made out of eight different tree and flower types. After the sauna, throw the whisk on the roof of the sauna. Climb up after it and see whereto the stem of the whisk points. That is the direction from which your future spouse will come.
6. Make a bonfire
The smoke of the bonfire will turn to the person who will find their spouse next. When the flames start to go out, jump over the bonfire to bring luck in love.
7. Look into a mirror
When you put two mirrors opposite each other on a midsummer night, you can see your future spouse in the reflection of the other.
8. Listen to the first sound
In the wee hours of the night, climb up somewhere high – on a hill, on top of a fell or a big rock. To a place where it is easy to hear surrounding sounds. Your future spouse will come from the same direction as the first sound of the morning. If you hear music, it means an approaching wedding. If you hear a child crying, it is a sign of birth. The number of cuckoo sounds tells how many years you have to wait until you find love.
Tomorrow #pausini20th
This is Helsinki/Finland!
(Aerial sightseeing in Helsinki 2013. Filmed with a DJI Phantom quadcopter and Hero 3 Black Edition. Edited in Final Cut Pro X. The song is Crystallize by Lindsey…)
The modest looking palace of Bélem used to be one of residents for Portuguese royal and today the official residence of the President of Portugal. Interesting, glamorous inside, quite small and nice details but wouldn’t go again though.
EUROVISION!!! THIS SATURDAY!
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Finnish traveler. Experienced Montréal and la vie québecoise 2013-2014. Living in Lisbon, Portugal since July 2017. Into photographing, eurovision, pop music, ice cream, coffee and travelling. MASTERLIST
280 posts