Eurovision 2025 Reviews: Part 7

We've made it - only the final batch of Eurovision 2025 entries are left to review! It's been a wild ride through national finals, internal selections and a few unexpected choices along the way. Before I move on to predictions, and a full dissection of all the pre-show chaos, let's wrap up the reviews with the songs from Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.

Spain: Melody - "Esa diva"

Spain don't often get it right at Eurovision. That sounds harsh, but a quick glance at their results over the last twenty years doesn't make for a particularly pleasant read. Don't get me wrong, there's been highs - Chanel's third-place finish in 2022 being the most notable (shout-outs also to Ruth Lorenzo and Blanca Paloma) - but my goodness, the lows have been low. This year, Benidorm Fest once again returned as the Spanish national final and produced Melody with the song "Esa diva". Melody almost represented Spain in 2009, however, came second at the last moment to Soraya Arnelas. This time around, she made it one better, but I do think this song wouldn't have sounded out of place if it had been her competing entry sixteen years ago. "Esa diva" was the clear favourite to win Benidorm Fest, and it's easy to see why. Whilst it may not be the most current offering in this year's Eurovision, it's unmistakeably Spanish, with castanets, the flamenco guitar and a wonderfully exuberant latin pop style. Melody herself is a well-respected artist in the national music scene, with more than twenty years in the industry and six albums under her belt - so Spain jumped at the chance to send her to Eurovision. One thing we do know about this package is that Melody sells it very well. Her vocals are strong, and she performed the ambitious choreography given to her at Benidorm Fest with huge amounts of energy. I am expecting this to be absolutely huge on stage, with the Spanish elements that make the song sound so authentic coupled with a bit of Eurovision flourish - maybe some flames? My only hope is that they don't try to pack this too full, as one of this song's strengths at the moment is that it is staying on the right side of tacky. It's camp, but with enough class to stop the passion in the lyrics from coming across as insincere. This will be a tricky balancing act, and Spain don't always stage well at Eurovision, so we'll have to wait and see.

"Esa diva" is quite cleverly crafted as a song, particularly in its chorus, which comes in two parts: the first is polished and has a radio-friendly hook, whilst the second turns the power all the way up with more than a little bit of Swedish production magic. The verses beforehand are theatrical and restrained in a way that makes the chorus even more showstopping when it arrives, creating a song that builds without ever feeling particularly overdone. The song underwent a revamp after it won Benidorm Fest, which I think has allowed it to appeal to all of its main target audiences - the Benidorm Fest version did feel more Spanish, but I would argue that the revamp feels slicker and more suited to a performance at Eurovision. How it will fare in Basel I'm not sure. Whilst it's a fun song that I do enjoy listening - and dancing - to, it doesn't give us anything that we haven't seen before and hasn't really taken off in the betting odds either. With the notable exception of Chanel, Spanish entries of this style haven't performed particularly well in the past. The song Melody lost out to in 2009, "La noche es para mi", doesn't sound entirely dissimilar to "Esa diva", and finished second-last in the final. As I've said, I really hope Spain don't overdo this on stage. The main strength of this package is Melody herself, and if there's so much else going on that attention is diverted from her performance, I worry about this getting lost on the night. The song stands up by itself, with cultural influences and elements intended solely for the international audience, and a chorus that is complemented well by both the verses and the slower, more emotive bridge before the final chorus that gives it a bit of breathing room. Whilst I don't think we're on for another Chanel moment, this does have the potential to make it up the scoreboard if Spain get it right.

My Score: 6.5

Lithuania: Katarsis - "Tavo akys"

Lithuania are on a strong run of form at Eurovision at the moment. They have qualified for the final every year since 2021, with very different styles of music each time. This year, the national selection Eurovizija.LT once again gave us something completely new for Lithuania, in the form of alternative rock band Katarsis, who will be performing "Tavo akys" in Basel. "Tavo akys", which translates to 'your eyes' is a very sad, downbeat number, with a sound that is distinctive in this year's field. Katarsis bring themes of pain, longing and anger. The lyrics of the song - empty words, burning houses, crying eyes - match this bleak mood, and also the grey utilitarian outfits worn by the band. It feels like Katarsis have poured out their anger at the state of the world into their art, creating a song that is both harrowing and beautiful at the same time. The last part of the song is dominated by the single word "Tavo" ('your'), which is repeated no fewer than forty-eight times, creating an atmosphere that is disconcerting yet captivating. I wouldn't like to predict how televoters will respond to that particular element of the song, but I do think it will find its audience on the night. In a year of bombast and lots of noise, "Tavo akys" is a welcome moment of quiet that gives you the space to feel something without asking you to look in ten different directions just to understand the performance. I appreciate this package for its minimalism, because I think that with this song, and this group, it couldn't be anything else. It's another entry that feels authentic, both to the artist and the country, and of course that is only helped by the use of the Lithuanian language. There's an urgency to a song like this, an internal rage that can only be released in a way that is slow and controlled, to keep as much attention as possible.

However, I don't think "Tavo akys" does this perfectly. At times, the mood feels slightly engineered; a manufactured intensity supported by lighting tricks and a lot of dry ice on stage. The song also feels like it doesn't ever really get to the point. Its arrangement is quite winding, with vocals that float around without ever landing in a particular place until we reach the "Tavo... Tavo" which you either get or don't. My fear is that those who don't connect with this song to start with are going to find it frightfully repetitive and zone out before the song has even finished. I also don't know if Katarsis possess enough grit to be taken seriously as rock artists, and would conjecture that their outfit choices don't do anything to help them here. To me, "Tavo akys" feels like the latest attempt to reach into the 'alternative' music scene at Eurovision, by sending something that is true to the genre whilst feeling sufficiently sanitised and watered-down to appeal to a wider audience. This isn't something that has ever quite been pulled off so far - as much as I would love that not to be the case - although I think that this song is about as close as we've got. For all its faults, "Tavo akys" does build drama, putting a contemporary spin on traditional elements. Yet that's not what I get visually from Katarsis, who come across more as grumpy teenagers than anything else. I do think that one day, somebody will get this sort of music exactly right, and will be duly rewarded for it, but unfortunately I think this one misses the mark slightly. It's not bad, but lacks the immediacy needed to make an impact on the scoreboard this year.

My Score: 5

Poland: Justyna Steczkowska - "Gaja"

Thirty years ago, Poland were making only their second appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest. Following a second-place finish for Edyta Górniak which remains the country's best ever result was always going to be a difficult ask, but Poland sent a fresh-faced Justyna Steczkowska to Dublin with the song "Sama". Performing first on the night, Justyna scraped together fifteen points to finish eighteenth in a field of twenty-five. We then fast forward to last year, when Justyna released the song "Witch-er Tarohoro", and submitted it to the Polish internal selection process, where, despite having gained popularity in the Eurovision fan community, it narrowly lost out to Luna's "The Tower". This year, however, it was a different story as Justyna once again submitted an entry - this time the song "Gaja", which was performed in a televised national final in February, eventually winning the public vote by a clear margin. "Gaja" is worlds away from Justyna's previous Eurovision entry. "Sama" was quite downbeat and melancholy, with a primarily static performance, whereas "Gaja" is full-throttle. It's a song about Mother Earth, evoking Greek goddesses in a jam-packed performance that reads like some sort of pagan rave. Justyna is accompanied on stage by several bare-chested men writhing around in leather harnesses, and the whole affair ticks a lot of Eurovision boxes: dramatic gestures, ethnic instrumentation and crafted to appeal to a television audience. The song's verses are like a spell is being cast - moody, with hushed incantations; but the chorus takes the listener to a different place altogether, as Justyna throws herself into all manner of poses before eventually being raised above the stage and hanging from the ceiling - all without ever losing her breath. Justyna is showing Europe that she may now be fifty-two years old, but she most certainly has still got it!

One thing that really elevates this song is Justyna's vocals. As she did in 1995, she is performing her song in a way that shows off her ability to hold such sustained notes, except this time she's doing so whilst participating in the exercise class that is her choreography. This in theory should score her some points with the juries, however, this isn't a stereotypically 'jury-friendly' song and I expect that this will get the majority of its score from the televote, as has been the case for many a Polish entry in the past. The loud and confident performance should definitely appeal to those watching at home, but I wonder if the whole display takes away a little from the song. Musically, "Gaja" isn't doing anything we haven't seen before. It goes against the trend this year in that the song doesn't stand on its own quite so well when everything else is removed. "Gaja", and I can't quite put my finger on why, doesn't have the lasting impact that I think it should. It's not trying to impress us with its melody or composition, we're supposed to be drawn in by Justyna's performance. Of course, Eurovision is a live entertainment spectacle, and this is therefore a very logical way of choosing a song - however, I don't think that is necessarily going to appeal to the juries as much as it would if the song were slightly cleaner; and I think it's also important to note that there will be some televoters that just don't get it. We have seen in recent years with songs such as "Fulenn" and "Ulveham" that packages with significant ethnic influences don't always connect with an international audience. There is, of course, the argument to be made that the Polish diaspora will support this from all corners of the continent, however, I think there's a bit of a question mark over this song at the moment. Justyna performs it excellently, but I'm not sure it's a package with much substance.

My Score: 7

Croatia: Marko Bošnjak - "Poison Cake"

Croatia's participation in Eurovision last year turned into a story that was nothing short of a fairytale. It all began when singer Zsa Zsa withdrew from the national selection Dora, leaving a vacant space to be filled by the lucky artist at the top of the list of reserves. This happened to be Baby Lasagna, with the song "Rim Tim Tagi Dim". Immediately, he became the favourite to win Dora, which he did with ease, subsequently rising in the betting odds for Eurovision itself. Eventually, Croatia came second only behind Switzerland, winning the televote in the process. It was the country's best ever result at Eurovision, and first top ten finish since 2001. Baby Lasagna returned to Croatia a national hero, and his successor was always going to have a job on their hands. Dora once again returned as the national selection, and this year's winner was Marko Bošnjak with the song "Poison Cake". Eurovision fans may recognise Marko from his previous Dora appearance, when he narrowly missed out on the ticket to Turin in 2022, and "Poison Cake" is certainly imaginative. By that I mean it seems to be a strange combination of slightly too many ideas. The song's opening is fairly standard and mid-tempo, until Marko suddenly discovers his inner goth, after which point it begins to develop a different side. We move between these different elements with all the grace of a runaway train; and I have to say that I don't think the final product works. It aims for a theatrical darkness, but that atmosphere ends up being ruined by everything else around it - Marko Bošnjak is not a man who has ever heard the phrase 'less is more', and it shows.

I think the main problem of this song is that it doesn't lean into any of its separate parts enough to make it feel coherent. Marko doesn't go as far with the goth aesthetic that helped Bambie Thug so much last year, but the rest of the song simply isn't strong enough to compensate for this. Strangely, this song does seem to be a really good fit for Marko. Whether this was deliberate I'm not sure, but he seems to thrive with the different stitched together elements and overall discordant feel. He plays the villainous narrator very well, singing about his contaminated cakes with a certain evil delight that gives the whole thing a slightly creepy edge and camp feel that is only exacerbated by the visuals on display in the music video. However, in the Dora performance, the anguished howls towards the end of the song seemed to lie outside of Marko's vocal capabilities, so I hope this is something the delegation are able to rework for the performance in Basel. This is another song with a place in the final that will be decided almost entirely on the staging. It has the potential to be presented impactfully on the Eurovision stage, but will need quite the glow-up from Dora, and a configuration that can somehow smooth out the juxtaposition between the different styles. If Marko is able to perform for the cameras, giving the attitude this song deserves, I think the song is dark enough to do reasonably well; however, I think this is a tall order for a delegation that isn't always known for getting the staging right, and with there being so many different parts of this song to get right, it wouldn't take much for everything to come crashing down around Marko and his Poison Cake.

My Score: 4

Switzerland: Zoë Më - "Voyage"

Where else could I have ended this musical journey other than this year's Eurovision host country of Switzerland? Last year, Nemo's "The Code" triumphed in Malmö to bring the contest to Switzerland for the third time. Having previously been hosted in Lugano (1956) and Lausanne (1989), this time a German-speaking city was chosen for the first time - of course that is Basel. Host countries have a peculiar task when it comes to choosing their own entry: do they send an entry that will get them another good result on home soil, or avoid the risk of winning the whole thing again by sending something destined to flop? We've seen both of these come to pass over the last few years, and I think Switzerland are heading somewhere down the middle this year. Their entry is "Voyage", which will be performed by Zoë Më. I think it's a song that is clearly not designed to win Eurovision, which is absolutely fair enough, particularly given that what they have decided to send instead is a classy, high-quality French ballad. "Voyage" starts like any other wistful song, with hints of a style reminiscent of that of Bulgaria's Victoria, and a musical intelligence that is to be respected. The song is subtle, restrained and doesn't lean too far into cliché; and Zoë performs it in a way that is gentle, yet poetic in its ability to draw the lines of the song's narrative. It tells the story of a one-sided love, though it's not made obvious whether this is unrequited and a mere dream, or if the singer is trapped in a loveless relationship. Either way, Zoë is pledging to go on the titular journey with the other person, inviting them to come with her. It's quite a dark message for such a lovely song.

Of course, I haven't discussed all of this song yet, as the last minute or so of "Voyage" is noticeably different to everything we've heard before, as the strings and melodies kick in to give us a product of the French chanson genre that feels like the musical equivalent of a cosy hug. Whilst I think the rest of the song is strong enough that it perhaps didn't need this, it doesn't feel forced or out of place, and crucially doesn't compromise the structural integrity or sincerity that the song has in bucketloads. My fear for Zoë is that she seems to lack the presence that several artists carry off so well this year. "Voyage" is wonderfully understated, but will televoters remember it at the end of the night? I'm not sure, and unfortunately I think the answer might perhaps be a no, but even if that is the case I think it is great that Switzerland have gone down this road for their host entry. In a year when they don't need to worry about qualifying from a televote-only semi-final, they have the confidence to send this package, aimed squarely at the older voter or jury member. It's not something that I could imagine winning a national final either, it's so understated that it could only make it to Eurovision in the very specific set of circumstances that it has, and I am very glad that this song is here. Zoë deserves better than several other home entries of late, but does run the risk of being forgotten, particularly if the songs either side of her on the night are of the louder variety. Whatever happens to "Voyage" in Basel, Swiss fans should always have the memories of this hosting to hold on to, and I'd argue that it's already a victory for Switzerland to be sending something so authentic, so emotive, and so beautiful.

My Score: 8.5

And we have finally reached the end! I have now reviewed every entry in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, and am ready to start making some last-minute attempts to predict the future and map out the final results. The shows themselves have, as always, come around incredibly quickly and it's hard to believe that in just over a week's time, we will have our winner. Who it will be I can't say as of yet, but what I can give you is my personal top ten, which you may have been able to work out based on my scores.

10. Italy

9. Luxembourg

8. Sweden

7. Austria

6. Finland

5. Israel

4. Serbia

3. Switzerland

2. France

1. Albania

Albania's Shkodra Elektronike are my personal choice to triumph next weekend, but we'll have to see what happens. In any case, it's looking like we are in for another excellent year of Eurovision and I look forward to continuing to scrutinise all the action!