The grand finale of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest didn’t start with much fanfare, but rather with Björn Skiffs, who reminisced about his smash hit “Hooked on a Feeling”. But we had to wait a while for Lauren’s performance, because she didn’t appear on stage until after the competition songs. A moment later we were watching the traditional flag display that opens every Eurovision Song Contest. Every year, organizers try to outdo each other with flashy ideas for the sector.
However, the Swedes decided not to try too hard and simply played Swedish radio’s greatest hits in the background. Moreover, this year’s hosts did not like the organization of the event at all. We would have expected that since Eurovision is a music festival for them, they would perform a little better. Even the jokes of hosts Petra Meade and Malin Akerman were very dated.
Nemo
The final was started in great style by Marcus and Martinus, who – as befits a good host – gave a brilliant performance. One might have thought that the entire career of the young singers was limited to this performance. “Don’t Forget” was one of the strongest performances of the evening. It was immediately clear that we were dealing with a grand final, not a warm-up match for the semi-final.
Without lowering the bar, ladies Alyona Alyona and Jeri Hale took the stage. The pathos in the song “Teresa and Maria” gave many viewers goosebumps. The rain of missiles during the visualization was an eloquent symbol of the Eurovision 2024 competition, which is taking place in light of the ongoing wars around the world. Unfortunately, the splendor of their performance was overshadowed by a scandal caused by one of the singers. We would like to remind you that a recording can be found online showing Hill wearing a sweatshirt with the inscription Banderaciaga. We reported on the issue here.
Jerry Hill
German Isaac came in third place with the song “Always on the Run.” Although it should have been given an exceptional voice with a very fine timbre, the competition song turned out to be a bit of a waste. Especially in the company of the other great songs we could listen to that evening. “Fighter” by Talley from Luxembourg was one of those proposals that was not supposed to make it to the finals. Because her performance, although energetic and well-danced, was too long. It was hard to focus, especially on the song itself.
Representative number five would have been the representative of the Netherlands, but a few hours before the start of the ceremony, Joost Klein was disqualified by the European Broadcasting Union, which caused anger not only among Eurovision fans, but also among the other contestants. At the moment, it is not known exactly what happened, but the official statement shows that the singer insulted a woman during the semi-final match on Thursday. It is expected that the EBU wants to cover up the truth and that Eden Golan from Israel was actually involved in the case.
Aden Golan
No wonder the following performance caused such intense emotions. Firstly, the boycott of Israel in the competition has become more intense in recent days, and in addition, the exclusion of the Dutch team has worsened the atmosphere in Malmö. The whistles and boos were once again replaced with pre-recorded applause so that everything would sound as good as possible during the television broadcast. However, it is easy to find recordings from the arena on the Internet, where you can hear that the singer was not welcomed very warmly. However, “Hurricane” is a great song that was performed better and stronger in the final showdown. It is difficult to deny Golan’s great talent.
Sylvester Belt danced to “Luktelk” as hard as he could. Phenomenal choreography accompanied by electronic beats created a stunning image. Pleasant to both the ear and the eye. The Spanish “Zora” may have raised eyebrows at first, but with every second Nebulosa excited the audience more. This 80s-inspired piece eventually turned into a great example of Eurovision tradition, which is why most viewers love this competition.
In a nebula
5MIINUST and Puuluup with “(Nenest) Narkootikumidest Ei Tea Me (Kull) Midagi” is another great example of a Eurovision set that definitely isn’t for everyone. I know some people who absolutely loved this song, and others who hated it. Certainly no one was indifferent to the Irish national team. Bambie Thug has been making waves in the media over the past few days. Priests even commented on the song “Doomsday Blue,” describing the performance itself as an occult satanic ritual. Regardless of the controversy, it must be admitted that it was one of the strongest proposals put forward that evening.
Latvia’s “Hollow” was the weakest song at this year’s Eurovision and it’s hard to understand why the song made it to the finals. Just a boring pop number that doesn’t add anything to the game, straight from some factory where songs are mass created. Each edition of the competition must also feature singers who focus more on dancing than singing. This year included, among others: Marina Satti from Greece. Zari gave an amazing show, but the singer didn’t sing much. But she rocked her hair great!
Bambi is a serial killer
Finally, it’s time for one of the evening’s nominees and certainly the biggest star of the competition. Olly Alexander, who plays for Great Britain, has sold millions of records and has a huge fan base around the world. The homosexual ramblings he performed in the company of sporting men made a truly remarkable impression. The singer’s performance was much better than during the semi-final performance. “Dizzy” was no lie this time. However, the Norwegian once again showed its Scandinavian class. Jeet is a very talented singer, and she proves that with the amazing song “Ulveham”.
Angelina Mango was also the favorite in the grand finale and I think she overcame her stage fright at times. “La noia” was sometimes surprising with its lack of bass and under-singing. Such flowers sometimes appear at Eurovision. Tia Dora’s “Ramonda” was one of the biggest surprises of the first semi-final. Many fans of the competition had difficulty understanding why it advanced to the final showdown. “No Rules” by Windows95man from Finland wasn’t too surprising, because even though Thursday’s performance could have been surprising, such a down-to-earth approach upon second viewing causes slight embarrassment.
Windows95man
Yolanda and her song “Gritto” were a great representation of Eurovision’s charismatic façade, because even though the singing wasn’t the best, she made up for it all with a truly excellent performance. “Ladaneva” was a consolation for Poles who could not accept the fact that the “Peasant” song is not the one that represents our country. “Jak” is a 200% Eurovision song. Because the wise combination is modernity mixed with popularity. Why? First of all, it gives a high position in the results table. Celia Kapsis and “The Liar” opted for a typically Cypriot style – a powerful, dancing show, highlighted by lots of hair waving.
This time Nemo focused more on his performance, thanks to which “The Code” sounded even better than in the semi-final. The favorite received perhaps the loudest applause of the evening. The fate of Raven from Slovenia was unclear even before the competition began. The singer jumped the betting odds from top to bottom. Eventually, she found herself in the main game, where she lost slightly. “Veronica” isn’t the greatest song, and its flaws are highlighted by other country’s great performances.
black Crow
But the best was waiting for us in the end. Pepe Lasagna is in a league of his own, and his song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” was one of the strongest songs of the night. The dance period was “Fire Fighter” by Nutsa Buzaladze from Georgia, which was next and showed that it was closer to dancing on stage than singing. The same cannot be said for Frenchman Slimane, who was the heavenly cherry on the Eurovision cake. “Mon Amour” was definitely the best vocal showcase of the evening and at times it was hard to take your eyes off it. The competition was concluded by Austrian Kalin with the song “We Will Rave”, although it was closer to German pop music from the 1990s, and thus the competition ended.
Carola, Charlotte Pirelli Oraz Conchita
During the vote, avatars of ABBA were shown, which “concert” in London every day. Virtual musicians spoke about their triumph 50 years ago, after which Carola (Sweden 1991), Charlotte Pirelli (Sweden 1999) and Conchita (Austria 2014) recalled the hit song “Waterloo”. Was the performance that night amazing? Of course not, but it was a nice wink to fans of the legendary group.
If Eurovision queen Lauren takes part in the competition this year, she will likely win the Crystal Cup again. The singer stunningly performed her new single “Forever” and of course the winning song “Tattoo.” A visual masterpiece in a somewhat cosmic setting made a huge impression, its sound echoing throughout the arena like divine singing.
Of flowers
As usual, before the vote, Eurovision President, Director of the European Broadcasting Union, Martin Østerdal, greeted the audience. But this time, he was met with stars and loud boos. Because while during the Israeli show the organizers could have prepared for the audience’s reactions and calmed them down, later it was no longer possible to silence the discontent in the arena in Malmö. Just like during the jury votes, when the delegations of Norway, Germany, Moldova and Estonia were criticized for giving any points to Eden Gollan.
Other than that, the jury votes passed quietly and without any major surprises. Switzerland won. However, there is still a long way to go until the end, because viewers’ votes always turn the table upside down. No one expected that the biggest star of this year’s Eurovision contest – Olli Alexander – would go home with a single zero that evening. This means that the singer’s fans, who are undoubtedly all over the world, did not pick up their phones to vote. The largest number of fans voted for the representative of Croatia, who obtained 327 points. Israel came in second place in the public vote, obtaining 323 points.
Olly Alexander
However, Switzerland’s advantage was so enormous that it needed “only” 226 points to win the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. It is worth noting that the difference in Israel’s points between the public and the jury is the largest in history since the vote announcement system was changed in 2016. Incidentally, we also learned that Luna finished 12th in the semi-finals with 35 points.
Thus, Eurovision 2024 has become history. It will certainly be remembered for the political scandals, the booing from the crowd, the expulsion of Holland, and the surprise voting results. It’s hard not to get the impression that the EBU has absolutely no idea how to deal with the conflict in the Middle East.
Sweden
Ukraine
Germany
Luxembourg
Israel
Lithuania
Spain
Estonia
Ireland
Latvia
Greece
Great Britain
Norway
Italy
Serbia
Finland
Portugal
Armenia
Cyprus
Switzerland
Slovenia
Croatia
Georgia
France
Austria
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