Eurovision Song Contest 2008 – 2nd semifinal

So here we go again. Estonia’s out and it is fine, as the song did not deserve a place in the final. I should also tell who is my favourite for this year, not having seen all the songs: it is Sébastien Tellier’s Divine, which is the French entry. I think he will win as well. Whether this will be so will be clear on Saturday, but today are the semifinals. I hope there will be more people and better songs in this one.

My dislike of the Estonian commentator Marko Reikop cannot be quantified. He is just so incredible annoying. The hosts are also annoying, but not as much.

1. Iceland – They have sent a couple of disco-singing and dancing sexbots (himbobot + bimbobot). They try too hard, but it is simply too gay for me, and the song is not something nice either.

2. Sweden – At first it seemed like a singing corpse-bimbo, but then the colour emerged to uncover a not particularly Swedish-looking blond vixen (is that a good word to use here?). I like the lasershow, but the song is too generic and boring for me.

3. Turkey – Nice and good rock song. Sung in Turkish, the song was not particularly memorable, but not bad either.

4. Ukraine – Brilliant. Powerful, cool and encompassing. A probable winner of the whole contest. Kirkorov has done it again, Dima Bilan should take notes.

5. Lithuania – Nice performance, simple and focusing on the song itself. The whole thing has a bit of Phantom of the Opera feel. Not for me though.

6. Albania – Boring, I cannot follow the song due to it being boring, so my mind drifts to other things.

7. Switzerland – I like the piano and the song and the performer is kind of cute. But there is something missing, I don’t know exactly what. Above average.

8. Czech Republic – Cliché alert! The hooded DJ and the turntables are so not cool any more. The song is average, like so many songs this year.

9. Belarus – A slightly more macho Dima Bilan lookalike. The song is quite good, and there is definitely effort, but not overdoing it. The ending fireworks was cool.

10. Latvia – Pirates are also a bit out alread, but the song is somewhat entertaining. It reminds me of the one-hit techno-country group Rednex.

11. Croatia – Old guy is cool, but missed the song completely. 

12. Bulgaria – Cool long instrumetnal entry, I like the sound and the show, some of it is over the top a litlle (why are the turtables on fire?), but on the whole I would like them to on to the final.

13. Denmark – The guy looks a little like Gael Garcia Bernal, who I like a lot. Very cool song and performance. One of my favourites.

14. Georgia – Quite cool, I liked, although not my favourite.

15. Hungary – Nice ballad, it has certain quality I like.

16. Malta – Just because they sing about Vodka, they have to pass. Alcohol-hating prudes beware! Should go to the final.

17. Cyprus – Nice, but I do not like the song, it is too messy.

18. Macedonia – Nice style, cool song. A favourite, although the singing voice could be a little better.

19. Portugal – Her voice is nice, but the song I do not get at all. Might be a cultural thing.

So I hope that the following songs go to the final: Turkey, Ukraine (the best of them all), Belarus, Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Malta, Macedonia.

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Finalists are: Ukraine, Croatia, Albania, Iceland, Georgia, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Turkey, Portugal.