REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: MONTENEGRO!

San Marino wasn't the only country to qualify for the first time last year - Montenegro did too, and it seems Knez's entry is going to continue this trend. Maybe. Here's what we think about Adio..

Ana: I was missing Balkan sounds when suddenly Montenegro appeared. It’s obvious that Željko Joksimović is behind this and it sounds great. I also love the fact that he sings in his own language. If Knez can pull it off live, in m opinion, Montenegro deserves the top 10. 9/10

Ilkar: This has all Joksimović trademarks: great orchestration and instruments, slow start that grown into a boombastic climax in the end. Great singer. Wonderful backing voices arrangement. What's there not to like if you like some Balkan pathos and ethnic vibe? Very similar to his previous ones but that's his style, why should he write something that's not him just because it's Eurovision? .5/10

Jack: Excellent! Željko Joksimović clearly composed the song and all of his efforts have been very successful in Eurovision - will Montenegro's 2015 entry continue that trend? Hope so. I really love this one. It's also wonderful that Knez is singing in native tongue.. if only other countries followed the same philosophy. Yes, I'm looking at YOU Serbia!! I wish Montenegro the best of luck! 9.5/10

Jess: I have to say I really do like this song, Knez is such a great singer! 7/10

John: Montenegro has sent a typical euro “joke song” to Eurovision once too often. Last year they sent a classy ballad but have really excelled themselves this year with a marvellous song by artist Knez. Fast becoming one of my favourites of 2015, I sincerely hope this effort will be appreciated and rewarded. 8/10

OUR VERDICT - 42.5/50
OVERALL SCORE - 8.5/10

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: SAN MARINO!

Valentina Monetta famously gave San Marino its first ever qualification last year. Are Michele and Anita going to have the same fate? Or will San Marino stay in the semis? Here's what we think..

Ana: Every time I listen to this song, I miss Valentina Monetta. I find it boring and dated. It’s like if they had only two days to prepare their entry and send it. Definitely, this deserves to stay in the semi final and ask Valentina to come back next year. 3/10

Ilkar: What to say? This starts well and sounds interesting. The feeling is a bit gone by the time the chorus kicks in and it turns to something very familiar and already heard. The kids will charm the TV audience anyways so let's all switch on the light on our cellphone and join the chain of lights, ok? 7,5/10

Jack: San Marino's 2014 entry became one of my favourites (along with Emma and Ruth) and I loved Maybe even more after Vale qualified - so whoever would represent San Marino this year would have big shoes to fill.  I feel it's a respectable effort from San Marino but not one of my favourites, if this makes sense. We're yet to see this performed live too.... I fear it may crumble live as they are both still very young. Will San Marino qualify for the 2nd year in a row? Maybeeeee. 4.5/10

Jess: I really do like this song! Michele & Anita voices work so well together! 8/10

John: "If we all light a candle" ? The most ill-advised lyric of the century crops up here but, being the forgiving type, I will concede to liking other aspects of this song (after hearing it several times). If it fails abysmally it will likely have more to do with it being the San Marino entry than anything else. Overall a pleasant sound.  6/10

OUR VERDICT - 29/50
OVERALL SCORE - 5.8/10

Let's remind ourselves of Anita's and Michele's Junior Eurovision entries...

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: IRELAND!

Molly Sterling won Ireland's national final - beating off stiff competition from the likes of Erika Selin, Kat Mahon and Nikki Kavanagh. Will Ireland make the final this year? Could Molly even be a dark horse? Here's what we think about Ireland's effort...

Ana: I think that this is one of the most underrated songs this year. Molly is only 16, she’s really talented and her voice has something special. She could do well in Vienna and be this year surprise if her team prepare a good staging and create an intimate atmosphere. 9/10

llkar: Molly may be only 16 but she's got a wonderful dark voice. The song is beautiful and she reminds (in a good way) of many wonderful voices from Kate Bush to Bette Midler. I like the piano driven arrangement. A real song by a real artist 8/10

Jack: Even though Molly wasn't my #1 favourite in the Irish selection, I am happy she won. Her song is beautiful and she's amazing live, especially when considering her tender age. The studio version and the live version sound almost identical... unfortunately,  we couldn't say the same about Nikki Kavanagh. ;-) I hope Ireland qualifies and reaches a decent postion in Vienna. Hopefully the curse of performing #2 won't dampen Molly's chances.. 8/10

Jess: Molly has such a wonderful voice, and her song is very beautiful! 7/10

John: Thankfully Ireland has broken the habit of following trends. Although this doesn't set any new trend it goes back to what Ireland does best at ESC but is modern enough not to be considered "dated" . I really like the melody and the depth of the lyrics. Molly is just 16 and surely has a bright future ahead regardless of the outcome at Eurovision. 8/10

OUR VERDICT - 40/50
OVERALL SCORE - 8.0/10

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: LITHUANIA!

The Lithuanian selection seemed to go on for months and months.. although the winning combination isn't a bad one at all. Actually, it's one of Lithuania's best. Check out our reviews below...

Ana: Vaidas and Monika are “feeling love round in their hearts” and they make me feel it too.  This song just makes me feel happy and I really love the way they perform. They will stand out in Vienna with a different style among so many ballads. It’s a very sweet song non-apt for diabetics. 9/10

Ilkar: They finally did it. Together. And this song is better than any of their effort before. They have a great chemistry, they look and sound great together, the song works and they do great job with it. This could surprise us all in Vienna if they keep the good thing going and not spoiling it with some weird staging. 7.5/10

Jack: The Baltic's are really bringing it this year. I love Lithuania's song! As John says below, it probably isn't going to be a contender for victory although I do hope Vaidas and Monika achieve a decent position in Vienna. Please let this qualify! It's a great opener to the 2nd semi final. Their performance during the national final was gorgeous - that kiss <3 !!! It makes me happy and that's good enough for me. 8/10

Jess: This song is very catchy, and it's a song that I listen to quite a bit. 8/10

John: Rather like a country song that has crossed over into mainstream pop, this is a pleasant song but stops short of being anything more. It is unlikely to be a threat to many of the other contenders. 5/10

OUR VERDICT - 37.5/50

OVERALL SCORE - 7.5/10

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: GEORGIA!

Nina Sublatti will close the first semi final with a dark and mysterious song. Warrior. Will Georgia qualify or will Nina's song stay in the semis? Here's what we think about the Georgian entry!

Ana: Nina’s voice is really powerful and she looks like a real warrior but this song is too dark and even scary. I try to enjoy it but I’m not able to do it. 3/10

Ilkar: The new version has improved the song, cutting off some useless elements. It still has the risk of becoming very shouty live on stage, and a bit too aggressive. She will surely have a visual image to match and to remember, at first sight and this beats most of the screamy midtempo female songs this year. 8/10

Jack: In a year of two Warriors, I think the Georgian one is superior however I do love both. Nina's style (her tattoos etc) is fantastic and I think they can create something rather remarkable on stage. So much better than last years effort from Georgia although I did kinda like that too! Nina's also drawn to close the 1st semi final, so she is an almost certain qualifier. Overall another strong entry from Georgia! 9.5/10

Jess: The first time I heard this song I was not a fan, however after the revamp it has grown on me slightly. I think it will work well live. 5/10

John: In a year when Warriors and Heroes abound, Georgia unfortunately fails to live up to the sentiment inferred by the title of its entry. A very ordinary song, I just get the feeling I've heard it too many times before. Nevertheless I wish only the best to Georgia in 2015. 3/10

OUR VERDICT - 28.5/50
OVERALL SCORE - 5.7/10

Greece: Listen to 'One Last Breath' in Greek!

Wow.. Maria-Eleni Kyriakou has released a Greek version of her Eurovision entry below. Fab! I wish she would sing this version in Vienna. Enjoy below :-)

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: ROMANIA!

Romania's national final will be remembered for Ruslana's interval act (which lasted almost 30 minutes!!) but let's not forget about Voltaj. They won the national final, beating Luminiţa Anghel, and here's what we think of their song! 

Ana: It doesn't matter the language in which they sing this song, it always touches me. It’s simple but effective at the same time and I love the message. I think they will make the whole Europe get emotional because their song has something special and they know how to transmit it. 9/10

Ilkar: Another great song with good arrangement and beautiful melody, topped with important lyrics and not artificially made to fit the Eurovision mode like most of the Romanian entries. I can even forgive them the English as most of the song is in Romanian anyways and you hardly notice they switch to English in the end until you realize you actually do understand what he is singing about. 7.5/10

Jack: I'm very impressed with Romania's effort this year. It's great they'll sing in Romanian too and not just English. Voltaj deserve to make the final and I think they will. It's an amazing song with a great message. I think it's a dark horse. Could Romania finally be victorious? 9/10

Jess: Great singers, great song, such a great choice by Romania! 7/10

John: A strong ballad such as this is a welcome move from Romania this year. If the very obvious sentimentality can be overlooked and the song judged purely on its musical merits - a pleasant melody and a really strong singer – there are possibly enough ingredients for a winner here. 7/10

OUR VERDICT - 39.5/50

OVERALL SCORE - 7.9/10

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: ALBANIA!

Elhaida Dani won Albania's version of Star Academy in 2009, then she won Top Fest and The Voice of Italy in 2012 - can she win Eurovision too and give Albania's its first ever title? Here's what we think....

Ana: I guess Elhaida is thankful to the composer who hasn’t allowed her to take “Diell” to Vienna, because this is way better. Her new song is modern and catchy and I love the beat of the chorus. We should be careful with Albania this year since she’s incredible singing live and the live performance can be even better than the studio version. 10/10

Ilkar: Elhaida didn't only change the song but also genre and look. All for the better it seems. The song builds and grows and gets a bit messy by the end overpowering her vocals. She needs to be spot on with her vocals live anyways or this can become a total mess. If she nails it, she can go very far. At this point before hearing it live a strong 7/10

Jack: Changing Elhaida 's song was the best choice ever. Diell just wouldn't have stood out in Vienna, despite Elhaida's amazing voice. The song was rather boring and typical. Although the song she's taking to Vienna, I'm Alive, is awesome. One of the best this year.. And it's Albania's best entry ever! I really hope she will achieve top five in Vienna - and I wouldn't mind seeing her win it all to be honest. She has the voice, she has a fabulous song - let's now hope it'll be great live too. Anyone fancy Tirana next May? 10/10

Jess: I was a massive fan of Diell so when the song changed, I wasn't sure what to expect and when I'm Alive was released I was not a big lover of it. However it is slowly growing on me. 6/10

John: I must admit I am lovin' this song. If the live version makes even half the impact the studio version makes then it could easily end up being my number one. What a lovely melody and sweet-like-honey vocal! Should most definitely qualify for the grand finale. From there who knows what will happen !!! 8/10

OUR VERDICT - 41/50
OVERALL SCORE - 8.2/10

The original song..

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: DENMARK!

Anti Social Media won DMGP back in January, even though Anne Gadegaard won the televote. This did cause some controversy.. Anyway, here's what we think about the Danish effort....

Ana: Denmark was totally wrong choosing this song. I love the 60s style but the song is too simple and flat. Maybe, being an uptempo song will give it some extra points but I’m not sure if that will be enough to make them reach the final. 4/10

Ilkar: Back to 60's with this The Beatles inspired number that I find only irritating. Totally uninteresting and unoriginal in every way. Nice suits thought. 2.5/10

Jack: When Anti Social Media won DMGP, I was not impressed. They had several more interesting and stronger songs in my opinion - such as Suitcase and Hotel A. Anti Social Media's entry isn't terrible. The tune is rather catchy.. If they're going to do well, the lead singer needs to work on his vocals as they were pretty horrendous during the Danish national final. But it isn't for me. 4.5/10

Jess: I have to say at first I was not a big fan of the song, however it has grown on me quite a bit! I think it is one to watch! 6/10

John: Well, they look far too innocuous to be "anti" anything but the Danish representatives this year have a very memorable tune. I really like this song and its feel-good tempo. Not the strongest entry ever from Denmark but there's something very like able about it. 7/10

OUR VERDICT - 24/50

OVERALL SCORE - 4.8/10

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: RUSSIA!

Russia are sending a song about peace, again, which has ruffled many feathers. Anyway, Polina Gagarina will fly the Russian flag and she is one of the favourites to win it all. What do we think though?

Ana: It’s a very good song and I know that Polina will put it off, but it isn't one of my favourites. Although Russia is not a winner for me so far, I’ll wait to watch the live performance. I have the feeling that it’ll be amazing, and the song will grow on me even more. 8/10

Ilkar: A song heard a million times before. The video filled with clichés from kids to the elderly and pregnant women. She's good singer and certainly will shine on stage but the song is just so unoriginal and uninteresting and such a standard production and arrangement. 3/10

Jack: Russia's entry is naturally going to cause controversy, and will no doubt be booed in Vienna (sigh), yet I love it. It's a song contest and I think Russia's entry is one of the best (if not the best) this year. Polina's an amazing artist and I wouldn't mind seeing her win. Russia has arguably sent much worse recently and have always achieved respectable positions... so I'm sure they'll do well in Vienna. It's a finalist for sure and maybe a winner. Maybe... It needs good staging though and Polina must hit those high notes. удачи России! 10/10

Jess: I was not sure what to expect from Polina, however I really do like the song. Polina has such a lovely voice! 8/10

John: Ok, setting aside the inherently flawed sentiment, the song from Russia is a powerful ballad, and Polina Gagarina's voice is equally powerful - or at least so the studio recording would suggest. I don't think it will curry favour with the masses and it might have been a more mature consideration on the part of the Russians to have sent this song in their own language. 7/10

OUR VERDICT - 36/50
OVERALL SCORE - 7.2/10

Where Are You? Bosnia & Herzegovina!

Bosnia & Herzegovina remain absent for the third year in a row, blaming financial problems. They really wanted to participate this year, like Bulgaria, but had to withdraw last minute as they simply couldn't afford it. The Bosnians are yet to win although they have been very successful throughout the years. Their best placing was in 2006 with Hari Mata Hari.

Before their withdrawal in 2013, Bosnia had managed to qualify every year and are arguably the most successful Balkan nation in Eurovision. My favourite Bosnian entries include 1999, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2012. It would indeed be lovely to have 'em back. Maya Sar was the last Bosnian act to grace the Eurovision stage with this beautiful ballad...

If they returned, who should sing for Bosnia? I'd love Hari Mata Hari to comeback - and he was even rumoured to be their entrant this year although that obviously didn't work out. Sigh. I'm sure we'll see them return soon it's just a case of when. Hopefully in 2016!

San Marino: Valentina Monetta to announce votes!

It's official. Valentina Monetta will reveal the San Marinese votes during the final of Eurovision 2015. Yihuu. Valentina managed to bring San Marino it's first ever qualification last year with Maybe.

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: BELARUS:

Uzari & Maimuna won Belarus's national final back in December and I think it's fair to say that we were all rather surprised. Will Belarus qualify? Here's what we think about Time...

Ana: At the beginning I didn't like this song but after the revamp it has really grown on me. It’s quite catchy and modern and I love the mix of the pop sound with the violin. It may not be a winner entry but they definitely deserve to be in the final.  8/10

Ilkar: This was my favorite in Belarus and I think it's a pretty good one. The violin works magic for this, it's catchy. The arrangement for the rest isn't the most original one, nor he isn't the best singer in the world perhaps but all in all it's a fine effort. And I want to see that hourglass on stage and Uzari running three minute on treadmill to reach it in time.... 7/10

Jack: At first, I didn't like this entry whatsoever. I just found it annoying and also because they beat MILKI in the national final.. I'm still gutted they didn't win, I can't lie. Loved MILKI! Anyway, the new version of Belarus's entry is actually rather fantastic and they deserve to qualify. It's no winner but a song Belarus can be proud of. I hope it won't become a mess on stage. I like it. Will they take that giant egg-timer to Vienna? 7.5/10

Jess: All I can say is I just love this song! It is really catchy and Uzari & Maimuna work so well together! 10/10

John: Aside from Koldun's 6th place entry back in 2007, Belarus is another example of a country that has failed consistently to make any impression on the Eurovision audiences. Urazi & Maimura with Time is, I fear, going to continue that trend. Much as I would like to say otherwise, there is really nothing to redeem this from inevitable failure. 2/10

OUR VERDICT - 34.5/50
OVERALL SCORE - 6.9/10

Ukraine: Zlata Ognevich's 'Pray For Ukraine' would've made a perfect entry!

We're all aware of the difficulties facing Ukraine at the moment, and due to these they had to withdraw from Eurovision. I think it's a great shame we won't be seeing Ukraine in Vienna. Anyway, Zlata Ognevich's new track is entitled Pray For Ukraine and I think this would've a perfect entry for them! Why? The song is incredible, has a fantastic message and Zlata is of course simply fabulous! I really am upset that we won't be seeing Ukraine in Eurovision this year but I naturally see why they won't be there.. they can't give it their all. They have more important issues BUT I believe Zlata's new track would've rocked and brought Ukraine a more than respectable position. Plus another uptempo wouldn't have gone a miss :-P Zlata performed this song, and a few others, at a pre-Eurovision bash in Riga last night (she was a special guest). Enjoy her awesome performance below (courtesy of WiwiBloggs):

....and here's the official video!

It remains to be seen if Ukraine will be back, this blogger hopes they will! It's always sad seeing countries withdraw from the contest. Please come back!!!! #PrayForUkraine.

Italy: Il Volo release 3 minute version of 'Grande Amore'

The final version of Italy's entry was revealed today. Some fans have been worried that the 3 minute version won't have the same impact as the original although it's still amazing. The introduction, Gianluca's part and the ending have been trimmed to comply with the EBU's rules - but it doesn't really make much difference if I'm honest. I can still see Italy winning - unless they really muck up the staging *cough France 2011* but hopefully that isn't going to be the case. The original version has clocked 20 million views.. Impressive indeed! Listen to the final version below:

REVIEWING THE CLASS OF 2015: HUNGARY!

Boggie (Boglárka Csemer) will fly the Hungarian flag with a song about peace. A respectable effort for sure, but is Wars For Nothing worthy of qualifying? See what we think below!

Ana: Boggie is really sweet and I can say nothing bad about her and her voice but I can’t listen to the full song. I always have to stop it before it ends. I think that it’s extremely boring and it’ll be difficult for her to get the attention of the European audience. 3/10

Ilkar: This song gives me the most trouble this year. I feel like I'm missing something. It can be great but then why can't I see or hear it? I feel like I should love it but I don't. Somehow it feels wrong. I don't know. I also have no idea how this will do in Vienna, the same way I have no idea how PKN will do. Winner? Null pointer? I don't know so I give 4.5/10.

Jack: Hungary's song is sweet and has a lovely message... but it is a tad on the dull side, don't ya think? If she's going to qualify, they will need to create something memorable on stage - otherwise I fear Boggie will go unnoticed. Hungary should have sent Kati! 4/10

Jess: From the moment I heard this song it really touched my heart, and Boggie is such a great singer. 7/10 

John: I just managed to stay awake long enough to form an impression of this song. A good cure for sleeplessness but other than that it has precious little to offer. It moves as slow as a snail with a limp and and goes about the same distance. Sorry Hungary! 4/10

OUR VERDICT - 22.5/50
OVERALL SCORE - 4.5/10