Estonia – ERR, the Estonian broadcaster, concluded the search for its entry for Rotterdam 2021 tonight, with the Grand Final of Eesti Laul, the national final. Uku Suviste won it again with “The Lucky One“!
The country revealed late in 2020 the 24 songs taking part in this year’s Eesti Laul. The semi-finals were held on February 18th and 20th with 6 acts making it out in each of them. Tonight’s show was hosted by Karl-Erik Taukar and Tõnis Niinemets. This was tonight’s line-up:
- Egert Milder – Free Again
- Suured tüdrukud – Heaven’s Not That Far Tonight
- Hans Nayna – One By One
- Ivo Linna, Robert Linna, Supernova – Ma olen siin
- Karl Killing – Kiss Me
- Uku Suviste – The Lucky One
- Sissi – Time
- Jüri Pootsmann – Magus melanhoolia
- Redel – Tartu
- Koit Toome – We Could Have Been Beautiful
- Andrei Zevakin & Pluuto – Wingman
- Kadri Voorand – Energy
In a first round of voting, the Top 3 with 50% televote and 50% juries qualified to the final, and all of them got 15pts:
- Sissi (12pts from the jury, 3pts from televote)
- Jüri Pootsmann (7pts from the jury, 8pts from televote
- Uku Suviste (3pts from the jury, 12pts from televote).
It was then 100% televote, where Uku kept his lead in televote and won it!
What do you think of this entry? What are its chances in Rotterdam?
The Eurovision Times 
Awful! It’s only a bit better than last year, but overall it’s still an awful effort and could be my last (Estonia was saved last last year by Armenia and Serbia but I think like “Loco Loco” more than this…) Both Sissi and Jüri deserved Top 3 but stood no chance to anyone remotely close to Russia in EL anyway. I hope that now that he won he can move on and we can get an interesting EL back! He’s awful and brings nothing to the table, the live is even tacky and awful to look at. A huge cringe moment. As he was destroyed by the Int’l juries, he will probably be again and with little televote support (there’s no point for the Russian diaspora to vote for him and not for Russia), I see this as a very probable 13th-16th in an Eurovision semi!
1. Lithuania* (2021>2020)
2. France* (2021>2020)
3. Finland (2021>2020)
4. Ukraine* (2021>2020)
5. Australia* (2021>2020)
6. Romania* (2020>2021)
7. Belgium* (2021>2020)
8. Moldova* (2021>2020)
9. Cyprus* (2021>2020)
10. Norway (2020>2021)
11. Croatia (2021>2020)
12. Germany* (2020>2021)
13. Spain (2020>2021)
14. Ireland* (2021>2020)
15. Albania (2020>2021)
16. Netherlands (2020>2021)
17. Serbia* (2020>2021)
18. Israel (2020>2021)
19. Czech Republic* (2021>2020)
20. Slovenia (2020>2021)
21. Estonia (2021>2020)
*it’s a ranking based on audio only because many internally selected entries won’t have a live performance before the contest. Moreover, based on live, I have France above Lithuania…
Well I’ll focus on the positives I guess ? It’s better than last year. And it’s better than Denmark lol. No seriously its ok. But I am done with Uku in EL for a while. Please Estonia.
*Pretends to be shocked*
1)Lithuania
2)France
3)Ukraine
4)Serbia
5)Croatia
6)Finland
7)Ireland
8)Moldova
9)Norway
10)Czech Republic
11)Cyprus
12)Romania
13)Israel
14)Belgium
15)Albania
16)The Netherlands
17) Germany
18) Australia
19)Slovenia
20)Spain
21)Estonia
LOL
He is better then last year, but it wasn’t really a high level to compare with. :-)
Overall, very poor edition of EL.
I think it’s way better than last year which was very close to being my last, but this still is not necessarily good. I can listen to it without feeling hatred in my blood, so that’s a positive. All in all, I don’t think it’s awful, it’s just very typical pompous Eastern European pop, sung by an unlikable pretty boy. Personally, I don’t think Estonia has any business sending stuff like this, save it for Belarus, but I don’t hate it.
YES:
1) 🇩🇰 Denmark (2021 > 2020)
2) 🇫🇮 Finland (2021 > 2020)
3) 🇭🇷 Croatia (2021 > 2020)
4) 🇱🇹 Lithuania (2021 > 2020)
5) 🇲🇩 Moldova (2021 > 2020)
6) 🇷🇴 Romania (2021 > 2020)
7) 🇨🇾 Cyprus (2021 > 2020)
8) 🇳🇴 Norway (2020 > 2021)
9) 🇫🇷 France (2021 > 2020)
10) 🇷🇸 Serbia (2021 > 2020)
11) 🇨🇿 Czech Republic (2021 > 2020)
EH:
12) 🇦🇺 Australia (2021 > 2020)
****13) 🇪🇪 Estonia (2021 > 2020)****
14) 🇮🇪 Ireland (2020 > 2021)
15) 🇧🇪 Belgium (2021 > 2020)
16) 🇺🇦 Ukraine (2020 > 2021)
NO:
17) 🇦🇱 Albania (2020 > 2021)
18) 🇮🇱 Israel (2020 > 2021)
19) 🇸🇮 Slovenia (2020 > 2021)
20) 🇳🇱 Netherlands (2021 > 2020)
21) 🇪🇸 Spain (2021 > 2020)
21) 🇩🇪 Germany (2020 > 2021)
It was so clear and foreseeable…
I truly dislike it… it’s minimally better than last year, but just as soulless and unoriginal…
Why keep Estonians voting for him? Is he that big there?
it’s said it’s because he’s Russian and the Russian diaspora/speakers have made a point of voting for him. The same was said about Tanja in 2014!
Ah, that explains a lot, thanks for clearing that up. That’s similar to how Witloof Bay won their NF in 2011… the revenge of the Flemings…:-)
He isn’t actually Russian 😊 Completely Estonian
I don’t think he’s Russian, he just wishes he was.
Haha, well said. :.))))
I read that he lives in Moscow or is trying to become someone there and of course he’s P.Kirkorov’s protege. That should count for something…
like Baptiste Giacobini was for Karl Lagerfield: “protege” being an upscale word for gigolo
I bet Kirko is very hands-on in his involvement. Maybe trying to find a Lazarev replacement; he’s been around a long time.
Shouldn’t he find someone younger? Anyway, i believe Phlipp can accomodate more than one young and ambitious newcomers
Yeah if he needs to outsource some research, I’ll be more than happy to give a hand.
LOL he is not Russian, his name is totaly Ugro-Finic, he is 100% Estonian, doesnt have to do anything with Slavs, it is just he collaborated with Russian producers..
But behind this entry it is not Russian team actually.. :)
Why does the performance make me think of a deodorant commercial?
I have not much to say about the song. It’s very poor and nothing that sticks with me after I’ve heard it. At least it’s a bit better than his last song, so always something. Good luck, Estonia!
The HORROR repeating itself…however, I wouldn’t underestimate the fact that due to Covid there’s a large diaspora of blue balled gays and desperate, horny ladies spread all over Europe.
Yeah, he should do porn instead to best showcase his abilities.
A good part of his votes come from him looking like the type of guy who’d commit adultery or do The Bachelor. Such a turn-off!
LOL Estomia has form with that – I always thought of Victor Crone as the typical Bachelor candidate, too!
He’s objectively hot but you know he’d lie there like a rock, snorting coke and playing on his phone while you f..k him.
Uku, what are you doing dear?
He was 2nd last for me last year and this is only a slightly better effort with better staging. I’m not convinced by his vocals, which sound heavily backed-up in that live, and it’s very dated Eastern male pop ballad stuff. In fact, Dima Bilan probably had a similar song in an album from the mid 2000s. At least he gets to actually go to ESC which is a positive, but I don’t understand why Estonia keeps on sending meh-to-bad stuff. The NF needs a re-think.
Truth be told, Dima is a star and he isn’t, Dima is gorgeous and he isn’t (am I the only one who finds him not-attractive at all?) and Dima can hold a note, can he really?
Yep of course Dima is a much better vocalist, just was comparing the genre and its’ datedness.
Also, I love Dima so I’m very protective, even if his 2008 entry is one of the worst winners ever lol
Oh yeah RUS 2006 is probably in my Top 3 of that year if I think about it for long…which I haven’t in a while.
I didn’t like his song last year and I don’t like it this year.
1. France (2021>2020)
2. Lithuania (2021>2020)
3. Romania (2020>2021)
4. Belgium (2021>2020)
5. The Netherlands (2020>2021)
6. Cyprus (2021>2020)
7. Croatia (2021>2020)
8. Australia (2020>2021)
9. Israel (2020>2021)
10. Albania (2021>2020)
11. Finland (2020>2021)
12. Ukraine (2020>2021)
13. Moldova (2021>2020)
14. Ireland (2021>2020)
15. Czech Republic (2021>2020)
16. Spain (2021>2020)
17. Germany (2020>2021)
18. Estonia (2021>2020)
19. Serbia (2021>2020)
20. Slovenia (2020>2021)
21. Norway (2020>2021)
Big meh. I even think I prefer his 2020 entry to this but they are pretty similar anyway. How on earth can any nation ignore a modern well staged approach like Wingman or a classy take on britpop (Linnas ft Supernova)? Another underwhelming EL edition (ok the songs were slightly better this year, but most of them got eliminated or scored poorly) Average of all 24 Eesti Laul 2021 entries at 5.63.
Now let’s get back to esc 2021
Semi 2 :
1. FIN
2. SRB
3. ALB
4. MDA
5. DNK
6. EST
7. CZE
Horror semi till now for me.
Don’t worry, Stefania will come to the rescue :P <3
Of course. Because what could go wrong with a song written by Kontopoulos? :P
ARCADE !
Hollow, sterile, pure plastic. Good luck!
One year on and he is still serving us rubbish. He should rather chain himself in that stage and never step foot to Rotterdam.
“I don’t need a crystal ball to show me” that I’m going to win EL?
The staging has it’s moments with the lights and camera cuts but the Russian-ESC parts (the chains and the video) are hilarious. What the hell is that noise at 2:26? lol Having said that, I like it.
Slightly better than last year (which if I remember correctly had an exteremely annoying chorus), but still not my thing at all. Plastic and uninspired sound.
Good luck.
Let’s focus on the positives first: He is easy on the eye.
The song is as interesting as a three day old slice of bread. Let’s hope that Uku is at least out of the way ESC-wise after Rotterdam.
This is like a rehashed and more indifferent version of “You are the only one”. I do hope he doesn’t repeat the ridiculous “backflip dive” gimmick in Rotterdam. Too many recorded vocals throughout the song makes it difficult to distinguish at which point he actually sings. It is better than last year but not by much.
Yet another indifferent Eesti Laul in my books but at least my favourite Sissy unexpectedly advanced in the top3.
Great
1) France
2) Lithuania
Just ok
3) Ireland
4) Finland
5) Ukraine
6) Belgium
7) Albania
8) Australia
Sorry, not sorry
9) Cyprus
10) Croatia
» 11) Denmark
12) Romania
13) Norway
14) Μoldova
15) Slovenia
» 16) Estonia
17) Germany
18) Spain
» 19) Portugal
20) Netherlands
21) Serbia
22) Czechia
23) Ιsrael
I thought they had mixed studio version to live video as it looked like it wasn’t in sync all the time. LOL
It did not seem live at all and that was quite unfair to the other acts I thought. Of course to be fair, Juri was not really singing that falsetto either…
Maybe we are just cynical? Could be that after that atrocious live -20, Uku has spent as much time taking singing lessons as he does spent in the gym, and he has turned himself into a world class live singer. LOL
He has only taken backflip dive lessons if you ask me!
It was pretty impressive! Such a sporty boy :-)
His flipping seems very versatile. I am sure Kirkorov has more details on the subject!
Simple trade!
It’s better than his 2020 entry but still ZzzZzz.. The visuals are the only the thing they can rely on IMO. Good luck.
I want the old Estonia back. :(
This is a classy MF final filler and if triple screamed by Mamas ft. John Lundvik a Mello contender.