Okay so I am going to over my own personal thoughts of each the performances in the Semi-Finals just becuase I’ve got nothing better to do, and I have ESC-Fever!

Armenia – André
=> Qualified

Being a new entry into the competition, who knew that Armenia would do so well with it’s début? I certainly didn’t expect anything special, but this catch tune that has a bit of ethnic flavour is really fun and a great start to the competition. My first impression of it was that I was annoyed with, since the lyrics are sort of annoying, but now that I saw it it was absolutely amazing! Way to début Armenia!

Bulgaria – Marianna Popova

Bulgaria is a newer member of the competition and in a way it does show through the performance. The singing was very well done, and started quite slowly and pretty with some walking forward from the darkness, but the dancers just appeared to be very awkward and out of place. The song was beautiful but just a bit too intense for my liking.

Slovenia – Anžej Dežan
❗ Personal Favourite

Slovenia has been up and down with it’s songs in my opinion, but this year I was really impressed with the song which is a really upbeat disco tune that’s catch and easy to bop your head to. It doesn’t hurt that singer is good looking, and has beautiful girls hanging off him while he sings. The lyrics are a bit awkward, but it works for me since the man has a beautiful voice and was able to perform it very well without any problems. The only thing about the performance would be the backup- singers which were a little bit off at times.

Andorra – Jenny

I don’t know how serious I can take Andorra every year for the soul reason that the songs are very odd and I dont know what to think about them. Sung in Catálan doesn’t help her cause, but it was just ‘gamla nyheter’ as they said on the Inför ESC 2006. Nothing special, nothing done special about it and really in my opinion didn’t deserve a second look. On the bright side she sung the song very well and didn’t make any large errors, which was nice to see an added to the fluidity of the show! What was the deal with those dancer’s outfits? Usch!

Belarus – Polina Smolova

A mix between pop and rock is this song, and honestly it’s annoying as hell! Her voice is just so shrill and I don’t like it at all. It reminds me of Russia’s entry last year which just made me cringe! Poor translation from Belarussian and difficult to understand the lyrics and since there was nothing special about the music it’s not that interesting to watch.

Albania – Luiz Ejlli

A nice song, but sung in Albanian so it doesn’t attract much attention to me to be honest. I loved his outfit as it made him look very professional and attractive. His musicians were an interesting mix of ethnic dress and instrument, which adds a little bit of flavour that I liked a lot! The song itself was a little weird, but it was one of my more liked ones from the beginning just, for no reason at all!

Belgium – Kate Ryan

I think that Kate Ryan is a good singer, just not a very good singer live. I loved her song, but when it was put onto the stage it just looked… desperate. She seems desperate to win and desperate to do well, but with backup singers like her’s which obviously don’t know how to stay in key, there was no chance in hell for her qualifying! I liked her dress, and the cool neon microphone stands as it was really cool to watch in the darkness, but like I said, she doesn’t sound good live and her singers sucked!

Ireland – Brian Kennedy
=> Qualifier

Ballads are nice, and it seems popular with Ireland in the last five years. But really they need something new, because in 2003/2004 I actually liked their songs but now, it just got annoying. It’s a nice song I guess, but there were times where it just seemed that he was trying too hard and didn’t know what to do. The simplicity of nothing on stage was a bit boring as I didn’t know what to pay attention, which also means that the attention is more on the voice, and well as much as he has a nice voice, I just didn’t think that it would qualify. Very surprising qualifier, maybe Europe was put asleep by him.

Cyprus – Annet Artani

Two ballads back to back, it was so hard to stay interested even though her’s was much better! Golly does she have a great voice, and didn’t make any mistakes, but I think that it just got lost in the craze of some other entries, and therefore didn’t get enough votes. The lyrics are nice, and her voice just rings through wonderfully.

Monaco – Sevérine Ferrer
❗ Peronal Favourite

I like songs that are uplifting and fun, but this was one of the mistakes of the semi-final. The whole time she was off key, couldn’t even hear her, and her dancers were doing weird things. The song itself is good in recording, but not good live. A nice dancy-latino dance feeling is different, but I just had a feeling that nobody would vote for poor little Monaco. If she had performed better, I would have voted for her!

F.Y.R. Macedonia – Elena Risteska
=> Qualifier

Contempory, sweet, catchy beat; that’s the things that describe this entry. She’s not the prettiest or the best singer, but it worked never -the-less since the song was catchy. However, saying that I wouldn’t have thought that the votes go this way, but maybe the Balkans or Greece focused their votes there, I don’t know, but it was not my favourite song at all.

Poland – Ich Troje
❗ Personal Favourite

As much as I hate rappy-sort-of-songs I really did like this one since it’s actually a song! Ich Troje has been in this position before being returning competitors, but I don’t know if they really learned from last time. They sounded really good with the woman singers, but them were a bit odd just because they have rhaspy voices I think. I think it was sweet that the main two singers are married and pregnant, but the green hair is well, unique. The chorus (in English only) is really sweet and memorable at least to me. It was on my list of possible qualifiers, but their costumes were a bit off, however I am sad that it didn’t qualify!

Russia – Dima Bilan
=> Qualifier

Popular artist, good looking man, popular country also, all a recipe for qualification and possible win. But I don’t feel it at all! I hate him and his boring act, even though the song is half-decent. He has a great voice, but his hair, his face, and his outfit was just not cool at all. Sure he got publicity before-hand for posing near nude in a Slovenian newspaper, but that shouldn’t matter! And the piano dude thing and ballerinas? Hmmm, what was he thinking? Oh well, sad to say that he will probably win also which makes really sad, because I don’t want to go to Moscow next year!

Turkey – Sibel Tüzün
=> Qualifier

I didn’t think much of this song until the performance and damn, did it impress me. She can sing, she can dance, and her hair is just really random on her, which I like. Her voice is perfect for the song, and the catchy lyrics and tune are exactly what I think people should like. There was a change to the song towards the end with a key change, which increased its enjoyment level a lot! When I saw that she qualified, I think she was more surprised than I was, which I didn’t think at all. Although on my notebook it was one that I thought would qualify after seeing the performance!

Ukraine – Tina Karol
=> Qualifier
❗ Personal Favourite

Wow! That’s all I could say after watching it! She sings amazing and didn’t make any mistakes, and the song is just fabulous! It’s catchy with a bit of eastern-flavour that’s different enough from everyone else that puts it apart. Her dress was a bit awkward looking, but the dancers were really good and I was quite happy after listening and watching it! Good luck, but I don’t think it will win, as there are bigger fish in the tank this year!

Finland – Lordi
=> Qualifier
❗ Personal Favourite

Go Lordi Go! It’s so different and so amazing that even though I hate rock with a burning passion of a thousand flaming suns, I LOVED it! Even though its rock, it has melody and the fact that they are dressed up in monster suits brings them a lot of attention! I really do wish them the best, and it would make me really happy if they won, because then I could go to Finland and do some visiting! His wings are amazingly cool, if there were any more fireworks then I think that the world would set on fire! They obviously want to win, BAD, and they have a very real chance. If the older-teenage generation watches, and not just the teeny-boppers, then they will sweet Europe. A friend of mine from Finland told me that when they qualified the commentators when silent and didn’t know what to say! I can’t imagine what they do if they win, and I want it, bad for them!

Netherlands – Treble

Usch! This song is so annoying for me. It’s fun and the three singers/musicians are good with drums and good signers, but omg it was annoying since the lyrics are so repetitive and annoying. It’s almost more annoying than people that don’t know how to sing. The Netherlands have gone downhill last few years for me, as I don’t like their songs, but maybe they will shape up and win for once! As a side note, I like their costumes!

Lithuania – LT United
=> Qualifier

At first I thought this was a joke entry in the competition, but apparently they do want to win. I don’t think they have a chance in the final, but it was certainly an entertaining act since it was simple and the song is just hilarious! This will be about as much as we hear from the Lithuanians this year I think, but still; wow for Europe for qualifying them! Sadly I say that a song like this could have been replaced by a better one.

Portugal – Nonstop

“Den är schlagger-schlagger-schlagger” as Pekka Heino said last year for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Four girls dressed in odd costumes singing a song for the greatest good of all people; a happy song! It makes me smile, but after the opening verse I knew it was over once one of them tried to continue with the chorus, but that’s not how the song goes! It was an error, and since it stood out there was no chance. I don’t think they had a chance anyways, but it was a still a nice happy song to get my jumping while watching! Come on and make something better next year Portugal, otherwise I will never want to go to Lisbon!

Sweden – Carola
=> Qualifier

Carola, Carola, Carola… What can I say about Carola other than I don’t like her very much? I thought this song would flop-flop-flop since she is way better than the song, but I was interested to see how it would turn. If there was anyone else that wanted to win more than Kate Ryan, it’s Carola who is just desperate, but oh my god. Right from the opening note, this song had me in tears, no jokes! I hate Carola, but seeing her in the longe 10m blue dress and then stripping it of was amazingly smart since the wind blowers were not as strong. I think which made this song 400% better was the fact that the beat was pumped up and driving the song. Her voice was amazingly clear and better than in Melodifestivalen by about 100x, and it just all worked! She has a realistic chance to be in the top 10 this year, and she wants it bad and I think she will deliver! However controversial she is, she’s our only hope, so lets hope she at least does well! And again, this song rocked mine and Robb’s world, but I think we can blame it on the high-bass- beats (Which should be changed from the original version to be more like it!!)

Estonia – Sandra Oxenryd
❗ Personal Favourite

She’s hot, she’s blonde, she’s Swedish, and she’s a good singer, but what happened? Maybe Europe forgot that Estonia was a country (sadly) because she didn’t qualify which made me sad! I love this song with a burning passion. It’s been my happy song for the last month, and I really wanted to see it again in the final. Although the act was really simple and much like the video, it was sung well, and I just *sighs* don’t know! It was one of my picks for contender, but I guess I have a horrible taste in music and don’t know how Central-Europeans think; which means that I’m more connected to Northern-Europe than previously thought! The bridge and final refrain in key change made my body cringe with joy because it’s just amazingly refrained and the music leads up to a climax and then decreases just like literature.. *sigh* Oh well, no Tallin next year!

Bosnia & Herzegovina – Hari Mata Hari
=> Qualifier
❗ Personal Favourite

Now this ballad was just right for me, wasn’t too sad, wasn’t too happy and therefore I think that it would do well! The singer is good looking, and good singer, and the tune is wonderful. How many songs other than this one do we get to hear a harp-solo? That just amazes me that he uses such wonderful instrumentation and actually delivered on show-day! Good luck to him, but honestly I don’t feel much like going to Sarajevo next year as it’s too far down into the Balkans!

Iceland – Silvia Night
❗ Personal Favourite

When they announced her, I was excited, but then I heard a faint noise and I thought it was distorted web-cast, but the song went on. She’s pretty, she knows it, she’s controversial and in your face, and she loves it. Maybe it’s what make people don’t like her, but I think it was good. The set was weird with a stilleto-slide, candy-canes, but it was entertaining to watch and she even sang well! She sounds just like the recording, with few lyric changes to accommodate the lack of profanity. Nobody likes her, I hate her attitude, but she lives in Iceland for goodness sakes, she must have a larger-than-life personality just to survive and get out! Oh well, a trip to Reykjavik would have been nice to see other than airport like the past, but sadly it won’t happen for a least a few more year (or even never sadly). Maybe Icelanders are just too different than the rest of Europe? That’s what makes me sad because I like Iceland and Robb just said: “Iceland sucks, all of it!” And therefore I argued him for a few minutes!

And this concludes my in-depth analysis of all the semi-finalists! Hope that you enjoyed, and of course my humble opinion means nothing in the world, and your comments would be greatly appreciated!!

*hops around in excitement for tomorrow*

• eurovision song contest 2006