Just like last year, we will witness Super Saturdays with many shows happening all at once. Instead of opening all threads, hard to follow for everyone, we decided to have just one thread for all shows to follow live so we can all discuss them together. Tonight: 4 finals!
Sweden – It’s the most anticipated National Final within the Eurovision Fandom and it finally concludes tonight with the grand final in Stockholm! Melodifestivalen is finally coming to an end.
Twelve acts will take to the stage at the Friends Arena in Stockholm and will compete for the chance to represent the country in Kyiv. The show will be hosted by Hasse Andersson, David Lindgren and Clara Henry one last time. This is tonight’s line-up:
- Ace Wilder – Wild child
- Boris René – Her kiss
- Lisa Ajax – I don’t give a
- Robin Bengtsson – I can’t go on
- Jon Henrik Fjällgren feat. Aninia – En värld full av strider
- Anton Hagman – Kiss you goodbye
- Mariette – A million years
- Felix, Oscar & Omar/FO&O – Gotta thing about you
- Nano – Hold on
- Wiktoria – As I lay me down
- Benjamin Ingrosso – Good lovin’
- Owe Thörnqvist – Boogieman blues
It’s not just televote anymore as international juries will first vote and then televote will represent 50% of the points distributed. The show starts at 20:00 (CET) and can be watched here.
Iceland – It’s time for the Söngvakeppnin’s final! A rather small and cozy National Final is hosted every year by RÚV, Iceland. For the past few years, this is a two Semi-finals system, with a first round in Icelandic and a Final of 7 entries (3 from each semis, then 1 jury wildcard), which can be performed in Iceland or English.
Tonight seven acts will take the stage which moved from Háskólabíó to Laugardalshöllin in Reykjavík. The line up is (no draw yet):
- Aron Hannes Emilsson – Tonight
- Arnar Jónsson & Rakel Pálsdóttir – Again
- Aron Brink – Hypnotised
- Hildur Kristin Sefánsdóttir – Bammbaramm
- Rúnar Eff Rúnarsson – Make your way back home
- Svala Björgvinsdóttir – Paper
- Daði Freyr Pétursson – Is this love?
It’s 50% televote and 50% jury in the first round. Then the Top 2 qualifies to a Superfinal where 100% televote decides the winner. The show starts at 20:45 (CET) and can be watched here.
Lithuania – This is week 10 of the impossible to follow Lithuanian National Final: it’s also the last one! All of tonight’s entries have already performed before and can be found on LRT’s Youtube page. Tonight’s show is hosted by Gabriele Martirosianaite and Ieva Stasiulevičiūte.
Six songs qualified from last week’s semi. A seventh act, Gytis Ivanauskas, got a jury wildcard to perform again. This is tonight’s line-up (no draw yet):
- Paula – Let u go
- Aistė Pilvelytė – I’m like a wolf
- Kotryna Juodzevičiūtė – Love shadow
- Fusedmarc – Rain of revolution
- Gabrielius Vagelis – Feel myself free
- Greta Zazza – Like I love you
- Gytis Ivanauskas – Get frighten
For the final, the results are a bit different as an International jury is now joining the Lithuanian jury and televote. The jury is made of Darius Užkuraitis, Ramūnas Zilnys (music reviewer), Povilas Meškėla (singer) and Vytautas Lukočius (conductor). The show will be broadcasted on LRT tonight at 20:00 (CET) and can be watched here.
Norway – This is always the absolutely last national final to take the stage: Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix! All of tonight’s entries are yet to be performed, so it’s always hard to predict. Tonight’s show is hosted by Line Elvsåshagen and Kåre Magnus Bergh at Oslo’s Spektrum.
This is tonight’s line-up:
- Ulrikke – Places
- Jenny Augusta – I go where you go
- Rune Rudberg Band – Run run away
- JOWST – Grab the moment
- Kristian Valen – You & I
- In Fusion – Nothing ever knocked us over
- Amina Sewali – Mesterverk (Masterpiece)
- Ammunition – Wrecking crew
- Elin & The Woods – First step in faith/Oadjebasvuhtii
- Ella – Mamma boy
It’s 50% televote and 50% jury in the first round. Then the Top 4 qualifies to a Superfinal where 100% televote decides the winner. The show starts at 20:55 (CET) and can be watched here.
The Eurovision Times 
Lithuania: 4/12 and 30th place on my list. If they improve live, they can climb.
Is this love? FTW!
Won’t happen …
I know, but I wanted to say it. lol
And I agree …
Please tell me that they are not still on in Iceland?! :o
We most certainly are.
3 hrs?!
The must have watched FdC 17 and loved it. ;)
Bring on the results, Iceland. I want to listen to SWE17. No ESC-ranking makes sense without Sweden … LOL
Robin looks dashing, the song not so much. It’ll be very effective, it’s right up the eurofans’ alley.
It is a little too sleek in my opinion. Not a lot of emotional connection to the average listener. It is just something to gawk at and admire. Same problem with other such big-spectacle entries like Russia last year.
Beautiful shinning plastic and little else.
Loreen also had the emotional connection problem that ultimately did her in. And since she also didn’t have an MTV-style banger to go with the weird spectacle she was sent packing.
She was too ambitious, yes.
Paaaaaper……:)))
Lithuania : 6.5/10 and 28th place on my list. Good luck !
Svala won!
PAAAHAAAPAR ♫♪♫
The English lyrics are a bit flimsy.
I really like Svala and the verses but as you can probably tell, I am no fan of the chorus, wich reminds me of Icebreaker …
It’s a decent song, but nothing more than that.
So Svala won ? Sweden and Iceland kind of saved the night. She needs to REALLY work on the stage presentation though.
And here we are. Congratulations, Svala.
I don’t like those golden hues on her hair.
It’s glitter. You can’t so Eurovision without glitter :-P
I know but i don’t like it nor the shoes.
Shoes are awful. I hope this “show” is not all she has for Eurovision…
I hope that Svala sings again for me to score and rank ISL17. This is serious business …
Here she goes. Thanks Svala. :)
Iceland would benefit in semi 2, not in semi 1 with Azerbaijan, Latvia and Belgium imo
That is very true. Svala looked like she was standing on solid ground a week ago. Now things seem tough for her genre-wise.
In other words , I believe they will struggle
They will come bottom 5 in the semi imo.
Latvia?They’re weak compared to Svala.
Agreed: they’re the ones in trouble from semi 1
Maybe yes. Betting odds agree on Latvia
Well, the Icelandic song surely has something but it’s not really my cup of Earl Grey. It’s professional and slick, but leaves me a little cold. Actually, is it me or doesn’t it sound like a more mature version of “Icebreaker”?
(6/12). But this has the chance to grow. Good luck!
On Icebreaker: That’s what I’ve been saying all night. Don’t you pay proper attention to my comments? Bad boy … LOL :)
Now that you mention, I think I saw someone post a comment like that but I had forgotten who. :P
You are cleareed of ignoring my comments then. :)
On Iceland: Despite the Icebreaker vibes I get in the paper bit, the song is much more cohesive than NOR16. Moreover, Svala is a much more charismatic performer than Agnete. It’s a 7/12 and in 16th place on my list for now.
On to Robin …
Iceland. The positives : “Paper” is a contemporary song with a cold,dark edge that really appeals to me. It only gets better after each listening. Svala delivers very solid, fitting vocals and really hits notes all around. The colour palette they used for the presentation is fitting.
The negatives : Stage presentation is poor and not well thought out. Svala moves awkwardly and those shoes NEED to go ASAP. This needs a more cohesive staging, possibly adding some backing dancers or some appropriate background. It has tough competition in semi 1.
8.2/10 and 9th place on my list.
Good luck !
On Sweden: Robin looks dazzling on stage but his song is meh. The lyrics are borderline cringeworthy. Sorry, but being a literary historian, this is important to me. You can put at least a bit of effort into the lyrics of a fun song too. He will probably come top 10 in May. 5/12 and 29th place on my list.
Televoting percentages in MF: Nano 11,9%, Wiktoria 10,9%, Robin 10,6%, Jon-Henrik 10,3%. Everything else <8%
Aron Hannes really challenged Benjamin Ingrosso at the pants game today. Damn he looked good tonight.
leather wins!
Ugh I was just mesmerized throughout his performance by those pants…