France: "Moustache" accused of plagiarism!

Sigh! Following the presentation of the French hopefuls last week, one act has been attracting some negative attention. Twin Twin's song is being accused of plagiarism, as they have apparently copied Stromae, one of Belgium's most famous and well respected artists.

This has even made headlines in Belgium. Twin Twin have responded to this where they said:

"We have our own style, a mix of electro, hip-hop, rock songs. The resemblance with Stromae’s song is apparently because of the intro but be aware that the song was written a year before the release of his album! Therefore, there is no debate. This intro has a common pattern for an electro song. We are rather flattered to be compared to Stromae because he is a great artist but the word “plagiarism” is not right!"

This is the first, and probably not the last, plagiarism case of the 2014 national final season! Take a listen to Moustache and Papaoutai. Is this plagiarism?!

Sweden: Melodifestivalen rehearsals underway!

I am super excited for Saturday night! Melodifestivalen is back!!! And it already promises to be a fantastic event. The first semi-final will take place and two of the big favourites will fight for a place in the grand final - YOHIO and Helena Paparizou!

SVT has released photographs from the rehearsals, which have started today. Helena is looking fantastic and I'm confident her song will be awesome! Her entry "Survivor" is about heartbreak after a disastrous relationship and it promises to be an extravagant performance. There are pyrotechnics, wind machines... Saturday night will be extremely hectic. There are two national finals, Finland and Switzerland, and there are also four semi finals/heats too from Iceland, Latvia, Hungary and of course Sverige!!

Photograph from SVT. 

Israel: National final set for 5th March - song titles revealed!

The song Mei Finegold takes to Copenhagen will be chosen on 5th March! However there will be a press conference before that, where three songs will be presented with a separate video-clips. This is due to take place on 27th February!

A whopping 87 songs were initially sent into the Israeli broadcaster, IBA, and they selected two songs for the national final - the other song was submitted by Mei herself. The song titles are:

• Same heart 
• Nish’eret iti (Staying with me)
• Be proud 

Montenegro: Sergej Ćetković is recording his Eurovision entry!

Sergej Ćetković, this years Montenegrin representative, is recording his entry for Copenhagen! The song is apparently a strong Balkan ballad and it is being finished in the Serbian capital, Belgrade.

The song will be released in February! I am really looking forward to hearing it - I'd love to see Sergej qualify.

Copenhagen 2014: Greenroom to be situated in the middle of arena!

Oooh! DR have announced that the greenroom will be situated in the middle of the arena. I like this idea. However people who already have tickets, will be re-issued with new tickets but the broadcaster promises they will be in the same category and save level as the original tickets.

Jan Lagermand Lundme, DR’s Head of Show said:

“Our audience, our viewers and our artists will enjoy the experience of being close to everything, and as we want the Green Room to play a central role in the shows, it is as such natural to move it closer to the actual show and into the hall”.

Azerbaijan introduced this idea in 2012 and it was fantastic!

Denmark: A Friend in London split up!

Earlier today, A Friend in London announced on Facebook that they are splitting up. The group achieved 5th place in Düsseldorf! The statement said that they are continuing in music, individually. It also stated:

"To all press, FRIENDS and supporters all over the world. After 10 years of amazing experiences and huge memories, A FRIEND IN LONDON has come to an end. We have gone through so many changes the past few years"

Norway: Mo survived 2011 Utøya massacre!

Mohamed Farah Abdi is one of the fifteen acts who hopes to represent Norway in Copenhagen. The Guardian has reported his personal struggles following the Utøya massacre in July 2011 where 69 people were killed. He managed to survive this terrifying ordeal although sadly lost his best friend.

Mo was a finalist on Norwegian X Factor in 2010 and was at the point of a massive breakthrough although after witnessing the terrifying attack on Utøya island, he has been struggling with post-traumatic stress and has disappeared completely from the public eye. He has now decided to enter Melodi Grand Prix - the Norwegian selection, with a song that has a strong personal meaning. The song he's competing with is entitled "Heal" and is a electro-pop ballad. He said:

"The song's about taking your time to heal. My goal is to inspire people and touch their hearts, that they should never, ever give up."

 It's a heartwarming story. The singer also said:

"It's important to keep your good friends and family around you, and that's what I did. I kept myself around people who really love me. That's the main thing that really got me through these years, and of course all of my supporters who really encouraged me to come back. They were just waiting, and that's really special."

The song will be released on 19th February!

NuVidz: Hukka ja Mama, Sabina Babayeva, Joni, Buranovskiye Babushki!

Hukka ja Mama are one of the acts who are participating in UMK, the Finnish selection. and they have released the official video-clip of Selja! The song is so sweet and infectious - I hope they'll win! Fingers crossed. Sabina Babayeva is celebrating her homeland with her latest single - it's entitled Ey Azerbaycanim. This basically means "Oh Azerbaijan". The video-clip features the Aliyev family, postcards from Eurovision 2012 including the famous Flame Tower. It also features Ell & Nikki. The Hungarian national process is well underway and Joni, one of the front-runners, has released Waterfall. Lovely song. I can't wait to see the live performance. Oh, and I've saved the best for last! Ha-ha! Ветерок (Breeze) is the song Buranovskiye Babushki have apparently entered into the Russian selection. Which is due to take place in March. It's a fun song and incredibly catchy... it would be so entertaining to see them back on the Eurovision stage!

Moldova: Listen to the renaming 40 hopefuls!

Moldova is the latest country to release their bidding entries. These tracks have made the second phrase of the selection process - and the retrospective artists will perform their songs in front of a special jury and 24 acts will make the live shows. You can listen to the songs here! Boris has two songs in the selection this year, and Flying is already proving very popular...

Iceland: Listen to the songs!

Yesterday, the Icelandic songs were revealed! I haven't really heard many of the entries but Ásdís María Viðarsdótti's song is really nice. The first semi final will take place this weekend. Y'all can listen to the songs here - and here you can see the participants and song titles:

Semifinal 1 – 1 February

• Sverrir Bergmann - Dönsum burtu blús
• Greta Mjöll Samúelsdóttir – Eftir eitt lag
• Gissur Páll Gissurarson - Von
• Ásdís María Viðarsdótti – Amor
• Vignir Snær Vigfússon – Elsku þú

Semifinal 2 – 8 February

• Sigríður Eyrún Friðriksdóttir - Lífið kviknar á ný
• Guðrún Árný Karlsdóttir - Til þín
• F.U.N.K. - Þangað til ég dey
• Guðbjörg Magnúsdóttir - Aðeins ætluð þér
• Pollapönk - Enga fordóma

Denmark: Line-up for DMGP revealed!

Danish broadcaster, DR, has revealed the 10 names that will compete in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in the hope to represent their country on home soil. Bryan Rice and Danni Elmo are in the running, both have previously tried to represent Denmark! Here are the Danish hopefuls:

• Sonny – Feeling The You
• Anna David – It Hurts
• Basim Cliche – Love Song
• Rebekah Thornbech – Your Lies
• GlamboyP – Right By Your Side
• Bryan Rice – I Choose You
• Nadia Malm – Before You Forget Me
• Michael Rune feat Natascha Bessez – Wanna be Loved
• Danni Elmo – She’s The One
• Emilie Moldow – We find home

 The Danish national final will take place on 8th March! Which is also the same night as Melodifestivalen final...

Norway: Semi-finalists revealed!

The fifteen acts, which are in the running to represent Norway, have today been revealed in a special press conference! Adelén isn't going to return - although there was speculation she was going to make a comeback this year. Here are the lucky semi finalists!

Semifinal 1:

1. Hilda & Thea Leora - Best friend's boyfriend
2. Mo - Heal
3. Dina Misund - Needs
4. Linnea Fale - High hopes
5. Timbre & Fikk Heide-Steen feat. Ida Stein - Frozen by your love

Semifinal 2:

1. Cir.Cuz - Hele verden
2. Martine Marbel - Right now
3. Oda & Wulff - SIng
4. Knut Kippersund Nesdal - Taste of you
5. Charlie - Hit me up

Semifinal 3:

1. Moi - Bensin
2. El Cuero - Ain't no love in this city no more
3. Ilebek - Who needs the universe?
4. Elisabeth Carew - Sole survivor
5. Carl Espen - Silent storm

Snippets of each competing entry can be heard here!  The semi finals will be held on 7th, 8th and 9th March with the final taking place on 15th March.

Finland: Running order revealed!

YLE has revealed the running order ahead of Saturday's final. Eight acts are in the running to represent the country and I believe there are three main contenders - Hikka ha Mama, Mikko and Softengine.

The jury have a 50% say so I guess we can count Clarissa and Josh out - unless her vocals have really improved. The song has international appeal I guess but will the Finnish people like it enough to vote? I don't think so, although maybe they will if the performance is good enough. I would love to see Hanna win - but she hasn't got a good draw.. Hukka ja Mama is my favourite by far. Their song is so sweet and it would be fantastic to see the Finnish language represented in Copenhagen.

1. Softengine – Something Better
2. Hanna Sky – Hope
3. MIAU – GodDrug
4. Lauri Mikkola – Going Down
5. Madcraft – Shining Bright
6. Mikko Pohjola – Sängyn Reunalla
7. Clarissa feat. Josh Standing – Top Of The World
8. Hukka ja Mama – Selja

France: Listen to the competing entries here!

The three songs bidding to represent France have been released through a special televised show, which was actually recorded on 10 December. Special guests included Anggun, Marie Myriam and Amaury Vassilli.

If I had to pick a favourite, I would say Twin Twin. Their song is crazy - it's absolutely bonkers. Destan's performance was okay, but I'm slightly underwhelmed with the song itself but it is already growing on me. And Joanna's performance was very good too - she's a very strong contender. I believe they all have a strong chance of winning actually. Stay tuned for a review! Listen to them here.

The winner will be revealed on 2nd March.

Finland: Final line-up revealed!

The UMK semi final has just finished and six acts have qualified to the final - and will therefore join Hanna Sky and Softengine, who won their respective heats. Unfortunately, Dennis Fagerström and Jasmin Michaela were eliminated... Here are tonight's results:

To the final:

• MadCraft – Shining bright
• Hukka ja Mama – Selja
• Lauri Mikkola – Going down
• MIAU – God/Drug
• Mikko Pohjola – Sängyn reunalla
• Clarissa feat. Josh – Top of the world

Eliminated:

• Dennis Fagerström – My little honey bee
• Jasmin Michaela – Kertakäyttösydän

The jury didn't like Clarissa and Josh - they said her vocals were very poor once again. And her outfit was rather brave, too. Although Hukka ja Mama qualified, wahoo! The final will take place next Saturday.

UK: Geri Halliwell wanted for Eurovision...

Gosh, it seems Geri Halliwell is the BBC's favourite to represent the UK in Copenhagen. It's now just a case of whether she will accept the offer or not...

British Press are reporting that an insider has revealed that the BBC think Geri would be a perfect choice for Eurovision. Her latest song flopped as it "peaked" at only 281 in the Australian charts - I think she would be a pretty weak choice personally. The BBC are yet to announce anything regarding the British entry other than it'll be internally selected. Sigh.

Italy: "La Mia Città" confirmed as Emma's entry!

It's official. "La Mia Città" has been confirmed as the Italian entry for Copenhagen. A fantastic choice!

The song will have to be edited as it's roughly 40 seconds too long and therefore doesn't comply with EBU rules. I just hope she won't add any English lyrics into it as the song sounds perfect in Italian! Emma penned the song herself and said that she is satisfied with her choice to take "La Mia Città" to Eurovision. Are you pleased with this choice?

Belgium: List of participants revealed!

The first half of the Belgian hopefuls have been revealed! And there are a few familiar names in the mix - including Veronica and Soetkin who were part of Urban Trad. There are also a few acts who have competed in talent shows.

• Udo
• Silvy De Bie
• 2Fabiola
• Nelson Morais
• Petra
• Andrei
• Maureen
• Manuel
• Axeela
• Yass
• Eva Jacobs
• White Bird
• Jonas Cole
• Veronica & Soetkin
• The Fuckuleles
• Mooie violistes

Eurosong 2014 kicks off on 2nd February with live shows every weekend until 16th March, which is when the grand finale will be held. Another 15 acts will be revealed next week - thus there will be 30 acts competing in the Belgian selection.

France: 30 second snippets revealed!

Three acts are currently in the running to represent France and this morning we got to hear a 30 second snippet of each bidding entry. Listen to them hear here. However the full version of Ma Liberté leaked a few days ago...

My favourite is Joanna however I believe Twin Twin have a really strong change of winning. Their song sounds wacky and crazy - the French will probably like this and I can't wait to see what their live performance will be like. Joanna's song is nice however I feel it's a bit mainstream... and I think Destan is the weakest act. These tracks will be performed live on Sunday!

Lithuania: National selection extended until 1st March!

Because of high ratings, the Lithuanian selection has been extended and will therefore take place on 1st March. The event was due to take part on 15th February before being moved.

This is fantastic. Eurovision is something that Lithuanians are really excited about and that's great - the high viewing figures reflect this. It has also been announced that there will be a special concert on 15th March to wish their representative the best of luck in Copenhagen. Many popular and well known names are taking part and that's probably another reason why viewing figures are so good.

Moldova: Only 25 acts have applied...UPDATED!

Interest is low in Moldova as only 25 acts have applied to take part in the selection. However maybe there will be more acts submitting their offerings today - as this report was published last night. The deadline is today...

Pasha Parfeny has already confirmed we won't compete this year because he wants to give someone else a change. I really would love to see Geta Burlacu back! Last year, a total of 49 candidates applied to take part. One act has already announced his interest and that's Sasha Bognibov. This is his 13th attempt - his song is entitled My Lesbian Girl.

UPDATE - It appears there was a last minute rush today, as now 57 acts have submitted their songs into the selection. Boris Covali is among them.

Slovenia: EMA to return on 8th March!

After much doubt regarding their participation, it's been announced that Slovenia will select their representative through EMA. The national final will take place on 8th March.

Uh-oh! This is the same night as Melodifestivalen and Dansk Melodi Grand Prix! It will be a hectic night - that's for certain, and maybe there will be another national final that night too as some countries are still to announce their selection date. RTVSLO will invite artists and composers to compete - maybe Maja Keuc will return?

Sweden: Melodifestivalen stage revealed!

SVT have revealed a photograph of the Melodifestivalen stage. It looks great - much better than the 2013 stage, which I didn't really like.

Melodifestivalen is one of my favourite national selections, and this years edition is looking incredibility strong. YOHIO and Helena Paparizou will compete in next weeks semi final, and both are already proving big favourites to win the whole thing. The national final season will be in full swing very soon!

Romania: Alexandra Stan to participate in Selecția Națională?

One of Romania's most successful acts, Alexandra Stan, is apparently considering entering a song into Selecția Națională - which is the Romanian selection. Nothing is official at the moment as Alexandra told one of her fans, that a decision will be reached soon.

She would certainly give Paula and Ovi a run for their money. And Stefan Stan's duet with TeddyK - I really love that song. Alexandra is planning a big comeback and she has also announced on her Facebook page that there will be a big surprise soon. And apparently, she has been recording some uptempo numbers which would be ideal for Eurovision. Watch this space! The Romanian selection is looking very promising already, very promising indeed.

Estonia: Eesti Laul songs released!

The Estonian songs have been released online. It's another great line-up from Estonia however Sandra Nurmsalu's song isn't there. Why hasn't it been released? Her track is probably the most anticipated from Eurovision fans... I guess we will have to wait a little longer for that.

Listen to the songs here. Lenna's song is very good and I also like Tanja and August Hunt.

UPDATE - Sandra's song has now been released too. Enjoy it here. It's my favourite without a doubt.... strange, mysterious and fantastic!

Italy: Emma Marrone to Copenhagen!

YAY!!!! The amazing Emma Marrone has confirmed that she will represent Italy - she announced this news in an interview this morning! Although RAI are yet to officially confirm this but confirmation should come very soon..

Isn't this just fantastic? Other countries should take a leaf out of Italy's book as the Italians are sending their biggest and most successful artists. After sending Marco Mengoni last year, one of the biggest stars, it appears they are sending an even bigger name to the contest. La mia città could be the song she takes to Denmark. Rome 2015? I certainly wouldn't complain..... ;-)

IT IS NOW OFFICIAL - RAI CONFIRMED SHE WILL REPRESENT ITALY! THE SONG WILL BE REVEALED AT A LATER DATE.

Spain: Five acts to compete in preselection!

TVE, the Spanish broadcaster, has decided to move away from an internal selection and select their representative through a national final.

Raúl, Ruth Lorenzo , Jorge González, La Dama and Brequette will participate. Ruth's song will apparently be an uptempo number and Raúl has tried to represent Spain before with this catchy number! Maybe we will hear some traditional Spanish music this year? I certainly hope so anyway! More information will be revealed pretty soon.

UPDATE - The song titles have been announced:

1. Raul- Seguir sin ti
2. Ruth Lorenzo- Dancing in the rain
3. La Dama- Estrella Fugaz
4. Brequette- Mas- Run
5. Jorge Gonzalez- Auque se acabe el mundo

Germany: Unheilig release teaser of their Eurovision attempt!

The German national final will take place on 13th March, with 8 acts competing, and the biggest name in this selection is probably Unheilig. They have released a teaser of one of their songs - which is entitled Als wär´s das erste Mal. These guys are very popular and are already big contenders for victory.

Each act will perform two songs, and these songs will hopefully be released soon. Ocena has also released a snippet of one of her songs. You can listen to that here.

Copenhagen 2014: Semi-final allocation draw decided!

Earlier today, the semi final allocation draw took place and this decided what country would compete in what semi. 16 countries will participate in the first semi final and 15 will compete in the second.

Even though we haven't heard most of the songs, we can still get an idea of who's likely to make the final. Semi final 1 looks very tough indeed - as there are countries like Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova and Sweden will participate in it. These countries have a very good track record of qualifying.. Portugal and San Marino are drawn in this semi so they will probably have tough time qualifying. Denmark, Spain and France will vote in the first semi and the UK, Italy and Germany will vote in the second semi final. Italy cannot vote for San Marino, which makes Valentina's job even harder. The Netherlands are drawn the the second half of the first semi, where Belgium can vote for them.. it's looking good for Holland this year. It's also worth mentioning that Armenia and Azerbaijan are competing in the same semi final once again.

Review: Switzerland's national final!

Switzerland will select their representative in a couple of weeks and therefore I have decided to review the participating songs. The selection is actually pretty good.

• Christian Tschanz – Au paradis

My favourite entry in the Swiss selection is Christian Tschanz with "Au paradis". It's a beautiful song and I would love to see it represent Switzerland in Copenhagen. Christian's voice is unique and the song is really good - this blogger would love to see him win! 10/12

• Sebalter – Hunter Of Stars

Sebalter has a very strong change of winning the Swiss national final. I like it - it's sweet but the whistle section is very annoying yet catchy. I hope the performance won't be crazy or messy, this song doesn't need it. I think the Swiss will like this and I actually predict it will win! Me likes. 8/12

• 3 For All – Together Forever

I loved this song at first but I've already grown tired of it. I'd probably be sick of it by May if they was to win the national final. The performance will have to be very strong for this to stand any chance, and their vocals will need to be perfect too. I think there are stronger songs but it's okay. The lyrics are pretty cheap - nah, can't say I'm a big fan of this. 4/12

• Yasmina Hunzinger – I Still Believe 

This a typical ESC ballad, it's kinda boring but her voice is awesome and the song does have something. I think this could win the selection but she would fail to qualify in Eurovision. It it my or does Yasmina look a bit like Hera Bjork? Anyway I think this is a really strong ballad - but it will depend on the live vocals to see whether she'll win or not. 6/12

• Nino Colonna – La luce del cuore

The only Italian song in the selection. It's okay, nothing special.. I don't think it's memorable enough for Eurovision. Nino is probably a great performer but it just lacks something. I do love the Italian language but I don't think it'll trouble the scoreboard... 5/12

• Natacha & Stéphanie – Une terre sans vous

A dreary French ballad... Switzerland will probably like this and I think it has a chance of winning. But I hope it won't win. This is probably my last favourite in the selection. I have no more to say really apart from it's very weak. 2/12

Okay, my predication is that Sebalter will win - and that wouldn't be a bad choice. However my favourite is Christian Tschanz. Please vote in my poll if you already haven't done! :-)

Finland: Hanna Sky wins 2nd UMK heat!

Tonight saw the 2nd heat take place in Finland - and Hanna Sky has qualified directly to the final. I'm pleased with that. Unfortunately, MAKEA was eliminated.

I tuned it to parts of the show, and I'm surprised to see that Clarissa feat. Josh only came 4th... as I thought her vocals were surprisingly good. The song is great and I have no doubts it'll make the UMK final. I was pretty sure they would've qualified directly to the final but hey-ho! Here are the full results of tonight's show:

Qualified to the final:

• Hanna Sky - Hope 

To Second Chance:

• Mikko Pohjola - Sängyn reunalla 
• Lauri Mikkola - Going down 
• Clarissa feat Josh - Top of the world 
• MadCraft - Shining bright 

Eliminated:

• MAKEA - Painovoima

The semi-final will take place next week with the grand final due to be held on 1st February. 

NuVidz: Anna Rossinelli, Kallay Saunders András, 4FUN, Stefan Stan feat. TeddyK!

Anna Rossinelli has released a new song entitled Shine In The Light - and this is the song that'll be the official soundtrack to the Winter Olympics in Switzerland. The Winter Olympics kick off in roughly 3 weeks time. You can enjoy the acoustic version of Anna's song here. Kallay Saunders András is already one of the favourites to win Hungary's "A Dal" and earlier this week he released the official video of Running. It would make a very decent Hungarian entry indeed. The Lithuanian group, 4FUN, has released a new song today. I think they are awesome and were grossly underrated in Helsinki. Enjoy their latest offering here. The video has been recorded in a forest and includes a flute solo... it's great! The Romanian national final is already shaping up to be very strong indeed and Stefan Stan with TeddyK will try to represent the country with Breathe. And this blogger loves it! Paula and Ovi's song has been receiving mixed reviews so anything could happen.

Slovenia: Participation confirmed!

YAY! Slovenian broadcaster, RTVSLO, has officially announced that they will send a representative to Copenhagen. Therefore 37 countries will #JoinUs this year!

Information regarding the Slovenian selection process will be announced very soon - it's very likely they will choose their entry internally. Slovenia were granted a longer deadline to get their finances in order. The Semi-Final Allocation Draw will take place on Monday.

Finland: UMK CD released!

UMK is in full swing, with the 2nd heat taking place tomorrow evening, and the official CD has been released today! Buy it here!

This CD includes all the participating songs. When I first listened to the songs, I was very underwhelmed, however a few have really grown on me. My main favourite is Hukka ja Mama. They are both great but I fear the song will go unoticed if it was to make Copenhagen. Clarissa feat. Josh seems to be the main fan favourite, and they are good - but I also think Mikko Pohjola is very strong and has a good chance of winning UMK. It's a very decent selection. And Hannah Sky is pretty good too!

Russia: Buranovskiye Babushki to compete in Russian national final?

Buranovskiye Babushki for Russia again? Whaaaat?! Indeed, as it seems the group has applied to take part in the Russian national final.

An interesting video has emerged on YouTube - of-course that doesn't really mean anything but it is interesting nevertheless. The Russian broadcaster has announced that their national final will take place in March, after being postponed from it's original date - 31st December. And the Grannies did say, in Baku, that they would love to return to Eurovision one day. Take a look at the video here. The song is shockingly bad but it doesn't matter as the Grannies are so adorable.

I MUST STRESS THIS IS NOT OFFICIAL - THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL FINAL... 

Italy: Emma Marrone selected?!

It appears Italy are going to select their representative internally this year. EurofestivalNews reports that Emma, one of the country's biggest stars, may have been selected - Ohhh!

Emma's collection of songs is very impressive and I would love to see her represent Italy. It's looking very likely that she will take the song "La mia città" to Copenhagen. However there is no confirmation, yet. I included Emma in my Wishlist series It would be perfect if RAI selected her!

Romania: Official version of "Miracle" released!

The official version of "Miracle" has been released today! It's fantastic, very mainstream, but fantastic nevertheless. I'm very excited about this.

This song sounds like it could have been composed by Swedish House Mafia or Avicii. I do love it - and I especially love Paula's 18-second high note... that's just fantastic. "Miracle" has the potential to do very well in Euroviison, if Romania selects it. The Romanian national final will take place on 1st March and several artists have already announced their interest in competing, such as Ştefan Stan and Krystal Mills with Mircea. Listen here.

Georgia: Representative to be chosen internally!

It has been announced that GPB, the Georgian broadcaster, will select their representative for Copenhagen internally. The lucky artist will be revealed in February.

However it isn't yet known how the song itself will be selected. Will there be a national final to decide the Georgian entry? Or will the song itself be selected internally too? I guess we'll find out pretty soon!

Portugal: National final to be held on 15th March!

The Portuguese representative will be chosen through "Festival da Canção" - it will consist of two shows. Firstly, there will be semi-final on 8th March and then the grand final will probably take place a week later on 15th March.

RTP, the national broadcaster, has also announced that the outcome will be decided by televote alone. Ten artists will participate in the event, and the Portuguese broadcaster will invite ten composers to compete in the event. These composers will select a singer to perform their song in the selection. So Portugal will select their representative on the same night as Norway and Moldova.

Belarus: Max Lorens and DiDyuLya call for results to be annulled!

Petition set up against TEO's win

Belarus held their national final last week, where TEO emerged victorious, however the runners up are calling for the results to be annulled. Max Lorens and DiDyuLya actually received 8746 votes, the highest amount of votes, and TEO received 5088. However there was a tie between the two - and therefore the jury had the final decesion, where they decided that TEO would represent the county in Copenhagen.

A petition has been set up, and it has already gathered 2,500 signatures. They have also sent a letter to the Belorussian president. Max Lorens and DiDyuLya hae said that they would hold a special concert under the name "For Fair Voting" Personally I'm not fused about either as both are rather mediocre but I guess "Cheesecake" has its charm. Let's see what happens here...

Lithuania: Listen to the songs!

This years Lithuanian selection is a lengthy process, and I haven't really been following it, although it is getting interesting now as potential ESC songs have been released online. Each artist will be paired with two songs - there are therefore currently 16 songs in the running.

Listen to the songs here. Kristina Radžiukynaitė was eliminated  last nights and therefore eight artists remain in the race:

• Vilija Matačiūnaitė
• Justinas Lapatinskas
• Monika Linkytė
• Martynas Kavaliauskas
• Ieva Zasimauskaitė
• Vaidas Baumila
• Mia
• VIG Roses

The song, that'll represent Lithuania, will be selected on 8th February and then the artist selection will take place a week later, on 15th February.

Finland: Lili Lambert eliminated, Softengine qualifies directly to the final!

Finland kicked off their selection tonight, with the first heat of UMK taking place.

A total of 6 acts performed where one act qualified directly to the final, one act was eliminated and four acts will take part in the second change round. I think the most underwhelming performance tonight was Dennis actually - it's a sweet song but the performance was so boring. Here are the results:

Qualified to the final:

• Softengine – Something better

To Second Chance:

• Dennis Fagerström – My little honey bee
• Jasmin Michaela – Kertakäyttösydän
• Hukka ja Mama – Selja
• MIAU – God/Drug

Eliminated:

• Lili Lambert – Let me take you there

I'm disappointed that Lili has been sent home, but her song was boring and it wouldn't have stood out in Eurovision. My favourite from tonight was actually Hukka ja Mama. The second heat will take place next Saturday. 

Israel: Mei Finegold selected!

Yay. It's official!!! Mei Finegold has been officially chosen to represent Israel this year! I'm delighted. I think that IBA have made a fantastic choice here.

This blogger has been listening to her stunning rendition of Hallelujah all day long... The 31 year old rose to fame in 2009 - when she came 3rd on Israel's version of Pop Idol. I am seriously expecting great things from Israel now. Her song will be chosen in March, through a televised national final, where she will perform three or four songs, and one will be chosen for Eurovision. I hope she will take a rock song to Copenhagen! Listen to her cover of Creep. And here's an original song entitled Pictures.

NuVidz: Aram MP3, Greta Salóme, Tooji, Farid Mammadov!

Aram MP3 was announced as the Armenian representative on New Year's Eve and the day after he released Just go on. Nice song and it's defiantly a brave choice from Armenia... his ESC track will be revealed next month - I'm very excited about Armenia's song actually. I think it'll be great. Greta Salóme, Iceland's 2012 representative, has re-worked a well known Norwegian hymn. It's entitled Vetrarsálmur. What do you think? Rebels is very different from Tooji's normal style but I really love it. Why have I only just discovered it? Anyway, I always thought he was really underrated in Baku and "Stay" was amoung my favourites that year. Azerbaijan are always successful in Eurovision - and 2013 was no exception as they came 2nd with Farid Mammadov. Well he's back with a new single! Farid has released Her an yanimda, which is kinda boring but the Azeri language is so beautiful! I really wish Azerbaijan would sing in their native language one year.

Belarus: TEO takes "Cheesecake" to Copenhagen!

TEO has won the Belorussian national final with a song entitled "Cheesecake" and will therefore represent Belarus in Copenhagen, this May. I didn't watch the show although I have caught up with the performance and I'm kinda underwhelmed...

I can see it's appeal though - but I'm not a fan, but maybe it'll grow on my by May. He reminds me of Robin Thicke actually. The winner was determined by a jury and televote although there was a tie between TEO and Max Lorens & DiDyuLya. But the jury choose TEO to represent the country in Copenhagen... a good choice? We'll see! "Cheesecake" was written by TEO and he has already said that he doesn't plan on changing the song. Although he will have to change the lyrics somewhat as they mention “Google Maps” on several occasions. Remember the Facebook song? Uh-oh! Nuteki came 5th, although in fairness, the lead singers vocals were rather painful to listen to at times. That scuppered his changes, in my opinion!

Enjoy "Cheesecake":

Israel: Mei Finegold internally selected?

One of Israel's biggest newspapers, Israel HaYom, has reported that Mei Finegold will represent Israel in Copenhagen!

Mei took part in ‘Kokhav Nolad 7′ (Israel's version of American Idol) a few years ago, where she finished a very respectable 3rd. It is not official and hopefully IBA will announce their 2014 representative soon. I do like the sound of her - she has a very good voice and would make a decent choice. Maybe we could be hearing some rock from Israel this year.

If she is chosen to fly the Israeli flag, her Eurovision song would be selected through a national final in March. Enjoy one of her finest covers here!

Update - it appears that IBA have selected her for Eurovision, although she needs consent from her record label first and therefore it is not official, yet...

Romania: Demo version of "Miracle" leaked!

A demo version of "Miracle" has leaked online this morning, the song Paula and Ovi are hoping to represent Romania with. Ovi has been quick to respond and has said that this isn't the official version, and that the official version will be released very soon...

Someone called "Older Tom" uploaded it to YouTube, and Ovi asked him to take the video down due to violation rules although "Older Tom" simply ignored this request and instead deleted his comment!!! I hope TVR won't penalise them because of the leak... Listen here.

Belarus: National final to be held tonight!

They have strippers and they have cheesecake! Tonight Belarus will choose their representative for Copenhagen. It's a rather poor line-up, although there are a few decent songs. Nuteki seem to be the main favourites and I really hope they will win. Their song is fantastic!

The show will kick off at 19:30 CET. Here is the running order for tonight's show:

1. Natalia Tamelo – Not What I’ve Been Looking For
2. Nuteki – Fly Away
3. Artsem Mikhalenka – Rapsodiya #1
4. Matvei Cooper & DUX – Strippers
5. TEO – Cheesecake
6. Daria – Starlight
7. Elena Siniavskaya – Via Lattea
8. Alina Moshchenko – Angel Crying
9. Janette – You Will Be Here
10. Anastasia Malashkevich – Runaway
11. Switter Boys feat. Kate&Volga Karol – Vechnaya lyubov
12. NAPOLI – Stay With Me
13. Max Lorens & DiDyuLya – Now You’re Gone
14. Tasha Odi – Empty Universe

Alyona Lanskaya, Polina Smolova and Gunesh will perform as special guest.

Romania: National final on 1st March!

A few acts have already announced their interest in representing Romania - such as Paula & Ovi, Krystal Mills & Mircea Cioclei and Ştefan Stan. I have also heard a sneaky rumour that Alexandra Stan is also interested in competing...

It has now been confirmed that Romania will select their entrant through a national final on 1st March. Interested participants have until 14th February to register, then after a professional jury will listen to all the songs - the final 12 acts will be revealed on 20th February. This blogger hopes to see Electric Fence give it another go! :-)

Copenhagen 2014: 36 countries officially confirmed... for now!

Slovenia are still deciding whether to participate or not, they will announce their plans next Friday, but for now we can be certain that at-least 36 nations will be represented in Copenhagen.

Poland and Portugal have officially returned - which is awesome Unfortunately, it's now confirmed that Croatia, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Serbia won't participate. Bosnia & Herzegovina, Turkey, Slovakia, Monaco and Turkey won't return and Liechtenstein won't make their debut. Here are the countries that'll defiantly participate:

• Albania (RTSH)
• Armenia (AMPTV)
• Austria (ORF)
• Azerbaijan (Ictimai TV)
• Belarus (BTRC)
• Belgium (VRT)
• Denmark (DR) 
• Estonia (ERR)
• Finland (YLE)
•  France (France 3)
• Georgia (GPB)
• Germany (NDR)
• Greece (NERIT)
• Hungary (MTV)
• Iceland (RÚV)
• Ireland (RTÉ)
• Israel (IBA)
• Italy (RAI)
• Latvia (LTV)
• Lithuania (LRT)
• FYR Macedonia (MKRTV)
• Malta (PBS)
• Moldova (TRM)
• Montenegro (RTCG)
• The Netherlands (AvroTros)
• Norway (NRK)
• Poland (TVP)
• Portugal (RTP)
• Romania (TVR)
• Russia (RTR)
• San Marino (SRMTV)
• Spain (TVE)
• Sweden (SVT)
• Switzerland (SRG SSR)
• United Kingdom (BBC) 
• Ukraine (NTU).

So far, 30 countries will participate in the semi finals. Maybe that'll be 31 if Slovenia confirms their participation too,