Eurovision 2017: Results of Semifinal 1

/ Sekhmet Morgan

Eurovision 2017 – Tonight we finally saw the first semifinal, with 18 entries participating and 21 countries voting all together chose the 10 finalists! Find out which they are! Comment, discuss and analyze with us!

This was tonight’s running-order:

01 Sweden Robin Bengtsson I Can’t Go On
02 Georgia Tamara Gachechiladze Keep The Faith
03 Australia Isaiah Don’t Come Easy
04 Albania Lindita World
05 Belgium Blanche City Lights
06 Montenegro Slavko Kalezić Space
07 Finland Norma John Blackbird
08 Azerbaijan Dihaj Skeletons
09 Portugal Salvador Sobral Amar Pelos Dois
10 Greece Demy This is Love
11 Poland Kasia Moś Flashlight
12 Moldova Sunstroke Project Hey Mamma
13 Iceland Svala Paper
14 Czech Republic Martina Bárta My Turn
15 Cyprus Hovig Gravity
16 Armenia Artsvik Fly With Me
17 Slovenia Omar Naber On My Way  
18 Latvia Triana Park Line

Italy, United-Kingdom and Spain were be able to vote in this Semi Final as well.

After a 2h show that made us see the rather good stage in action, one of the worst ever openings in the Eurovision, three boring and anonymous hosts, the ten countries that qualified were finally announced. And they were:

  • Moldova
  • Azerbaijan
  • Greece
  • Sweden
  • Portugal
  • Poland
  • Armenia
  • Australia
  • Cyprus
  • Belgium

617 thoughts on “Eurovision 2017: Results of Semifinal 1”

  2. If Italy sings between 9 and 13, it’s done, They won.

    That position for that kind of song I feel it’s much better than them going the traditional 17 to 21. OK just pops out much more in the middle of all.

    Portugal could be given the #3 (a LOT of people do well at #3) or #7 (new sensation, a la ILWAC)

  5. So from last year, Greece, Moldova return to the final and we say goodbye to Latvia, Georgia and Czech Republic. Plus Portugal makes a great return to the contest. On to S/F2 tomorrow (I’ll be doing another preview on http://www.donegalsounds.com 6.30-8.30pm BMT hin hint ;) ). I enjoyed the show tonight and am looking forward to Thurs.
    Good night folks :)

        • Jon Ola Sand ? :)

          Hey I just want you to know I am glad we are in good terms now and I would like that to continue – I apologize if anything came out as offensive. Emotions run high these days and I am still extremely emotional about Blanche.

          • I do understand but I am the wrong person to address emotions running high to because I am a Blanche supporter too. :)
            Btw, I want Salvador to win now and then tell people and politicians around Europe a lesson on what it means to be a morally integer person. :)

            • I admired his speech on refugees. He may not be likable and I may not like his song either but he took a stance and that is something I appreciate immensly.

            • I don’t care if people are likeable or not if they know how to tell wrong from right when it comes to what is important. That’s the reason too why I like you despite all our fights over trifles. :)

    • How true were the iTunes rankings to the actual result last year? I don’t know personally since I was in Paris back then and had no Internet to check it out. :p

  7. I can’t stop listening and watching Kasia Mos’s performance! <3 Seriously one of the best female vocals I have heard in ESC in a while..when we heard such a good low register in female song in ESC???? I ADORE it! I definitely heard wrong the first time I watched on telly..this is fro WIN, Warsaw 2018 <3

      • I only don’t like violin on the stage, and maybe would prefer her in the dark dress but composition is so quality and good! :)
        What the hell is going on these daysin Stutgart, litearlly all hotels are full as hell..i had to accommodate my client in BEST WESTERN PLAZAHOTEL STUTTGART-DITZINGEN today, it’s so far from center, but that is the only I could find and it was very expensive! :/

        • Stuttgart is a very busy and popular place. It’s Germany’s best city imo, and that’s the reason I returned to live here after having lived elsewhere for 20 years. :)
          Ditzingen is in Ludwigsburg County btw, home ground. :)

          • Lol that was the only one I could find on reservation systems and i hadn’t time to call hotels directly cause check in was on 10.05., and i probably wouldn’t find anything in the city even directly..
            But even worse happened for Dusseldorf 08.-10.05. I had to book Duisburg instead, and for 350 EUR per night, 4 * hotel, standard single room! GOSH Germany is so busy with fairs and conferences…

  8. Fire like a burning desire
    Taking me higher, walk in a wire
    We will never come down

    It’s like a flashlight burning in our eyes
    You call the dogs off, I got them hypnotised
    You never catch us, take us by surprise

    Running faster at the speed of light
    Falling deeper, got you in the sight
    Bringing down your eyes in the sky

    <3 :))

  10. What happened in SF1 is that we might got in a country that was all blue the last couple of hs but we lost another all blue one despite BEL and CYP being volatile and AUS all red.

  12. Views on performance videos at the point this comment is written :

    1. Belgium – 28,6k
    2. Portugal – 25,8k
    3. Greece – 19,9k
    4. Poland – 16,4k
    5. Azerbaijan – 13,4k
    6. Australia – 11,4k
    7. Sweden – 10,5k
    8. Armenia – 9,8k
    9. Finland – 8,9k
    10. Cyprus and Georgia – 7,5k

      • And she has an unfortunate tendency to form silly and superficial hearts with her hands too. That was totally off-putting imo. She probably came bottom 2 together with Slavko.

        • ugh no please don’t remind me of the heart shaped hands…Jacques is threatening us to do it as well at the end of his performance if rehearsals are any indication…

            • Oh my spanish colleague here cheered for him to win – she couldn’t watch it live and she had his performance live broadcasted to her over facebook.

            • It was cringeworthy.Poor Slavko was so confident he’s an amazing performer which he obviously isn’t.At all.

            • So,you think they were 11-13?I think Georgia may have been the one just missing out and i want to see how the juries ranked Finland.

            • Yes I think Georgia, Finland and Latvia were 11th-13th but I am not sure about their order.

              I am sure Finland did good with the juries and it was televoting that they missed out on. The audience they were aiming for was probably sucked in by Belgium and Portugal. I actually said when we got the exclusive on camera 2nd rehearsal footage that Lenna comes accross as cold and impersonal. Given that Svala also failed (and Tako if you want) maybe it was not the year of cold and impersonal.

            • Her record label/pr department is working hard to establish her her so I don’t think it’s in the cards just yet.

              Even if it’s her, I have no faith that they would style her any better.

              I’m still trying to figure out a case where an artist looks so hot in the postcard (just running and being herself) then looks nothing like hot on stage. It takes some doing to screw it up.

              It’s like the delegation dared each other to come up with ways to ruin it and that was the result.

              Also, the EBU regulations make it so that famous/somewhat famous artists have no incentive to go: you need to sign the rights to the song you enter to the EBU.

              The Eurovision fans keep talking about Adele, or someone like that, but her song willl lose money for her if she enters.

              It makes zero financial sense. ESC is for artists that need ESC and not vice versa.

              And let’s be real, Adele doing ESC now will put a stigma on her career in her home market.

  18. One thing before bedtime: There’s been a huge ESC party in Robin’s hometown Svenljunga. Actually, I think sweet little Svenljunga’s reason to party would be the best thing with a Swedish victory this year. ;)

    http://www.bt.se/kultur-o-noje/folj-robin-i-semifinalen/

    I also like the poll of that paper, asking what was the best with this semi. Robin, Portugal and Belgium were the only song alternatives :p . The other alternatives were things like “Måns & Edward as commentators”, “the braids” or “the popcorns in your sofa” or “Everything. I LOVE Eurovision”…

  19. I just want to go quickly on Iceland : I don’t know how a nation that did so well up until 2014 (maybe not top places but consistent places in the final) now seems to underperform massively. In 2015 it was expected of course but the last 2 years they provide good stuff. I just wonder if it’s not the mood of europe those 2 years those meaningful but cold and impersonal songs and performances or if they are just very unlucky to compete in the wrong semis. Svala could have shined in semi 2 I think.
    I think Iceland needs an esc revamp and new ideas.

    And yes I did not have the chance to state it so far but it is a travesty Finland is out. This was the chance for UMK as well to enjoy an increase in quality next year if Norma John did well, working as an encouragement. I dread what we will see next year – or if even Finland thinks it’s worth trying anymore.

    • I agree on Finland.The only decent song in their final failed to make it.But the way UMK is going is definitely YLE’s fault so they should get their act together.
      On iceland,they have good national finals.I liked Svala tonight but at the same time i can understand why she didn;t make it.They should be hiring a new stage director who can deliver.

  22. I’m mostly mad at two things :
    a)Finland’s elimination
    b)Australia gettitng a ticket for the Final.

    I think Belgium’s performance was very weak, but I understand it’s a very good song.
    I lost Latvia :(
    Too many bad performances (SWE, ALB, AUS, MNE, BEL). Also I found the overall camera-work extremely weak this year (especially for AZE). One of the worst TV editions for sure. I didn’t like the opening act at all!
    PS : ARM is repeating its stage direction from 2016 but Iveta did it better. However they had again the most professional TV show.
    Cyprus looked better than I initially believed but it’s not like G: Son’s blessing didn’t helped again. I believe they qualified as 10th.
    Greece will do another #17-21 in Final

    • I think we will eternally disagree on Belgium’s performance (same as Portugal’s probably). I guess it is a matter of acquired taste. I could not look at Salvador while he was performing, I was cringing and feeling uncomfortable – others find that endearing obviously.
      Same with Blanche – and the voices of people really standing up for her kind of performance – very emotional and introverted – are rising actually given comments after the final etc (even Willian on wiwibloggs stood up for her although the other guys were dishing her) – so I would say it is also an acquired taste. If charting is anything to go about it could be the top 2 in televoting those 2.

      • To be fair, he kept all the mannerisms to a strict minimum and did not dress like a homeless person this time. They kept all the focus on the song and his voice as well as they should, without any distractions.

        Blanche was all emotional and introverted and that is just her style and it suits her but technically her singing could have been so much better.

    • Yes, how bad were those camera angles for Azerbaijan? It really did not look good at all. Armenia’s qualification is all on Artsvik. She was amazing but the show was nothing special.

      Greece’s qualification is all on Demy’s charisma as well. The hologram and the shot from above which revealed that the “pond” was more like an inflatable children’s pool were shockingly bad for Fokas’ standards. The same for ERT’s constant mentions of this year’s sponsor…

          • Currently 9th :|
            If semi 1 betting patterns repeat tomorrow meaning #6 is out to be replaced by a song just missing top 10, that means HUN is in trouble and either SRB or HRV (Horror) is in!

            • The CRO horror reminds me of BiH 2016 horror that didn’t make it in the end. HUN is offering smth different, it is staged and sang very well as well. I am confident. NOR might miss the bus in expense of safe SRB. However, NOR is up to a new thing for ESC and normally if you stage well you supposed new idea, ESC gives you a pass. I really want them in.

        • Norway looks and sounds much more solid than Latvia tbh.She looked kinda scary and had shaky vocals while singing the verses,It looked like a non Q while watching it.

            • Well,i don’t know how that would help.I don’t remember the first time i listened to it,tbh.It was the audio-only provided by NRK.Watching it live after it had won,i liked it.I’m not saying it’s a definite Q.We’ll see in the next 2 days but i’m saying it has better chances than Latvia.

  25. Finally some reactions at some belgian esc gatherings as soon as Belgium was announced 10th (again.for 3rd year in a row.let’s not do this again) :

    https://www.facebook.com/plugins/comment_embed.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fblanchemusicbe%2Fphotos%2Fa.1261531343967812.1073741828.1131152660339015%2F1344723955648550%2F%3Ftype%3D3%26comment_id%3D1344844462303166&include_parent=false

    https://www.facebook.com/plugins/comment_embed.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fblanchemusicbe%2Fphotos%2Fa.1261531343967812.1073741828.1131152660339015%2F1344723955648550%2F%3Ftype%3D3%26comment_id%3D1344917025629243&include_parent=false

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