Have you been following our line-up check of the ESC 2021 entries? Each song is assigned to one of our team, and once they’ve had their say, the other team members get a brief right of reply. That way you get to see what we all think – and whether we share the same opinions or disagree wildly.

We’ve already covered the “Big Five” plus the host country, the Netherlands – you can read about them here. Now it’s time for us to turn our attention to the first semi-final, and we’ll be adding each review as it’s published on our front page. Simply click the country name below to read the full review!

Lithuania
“The Roop manage to activate something in the viewer. Their number electrifies, hypnotizes, captivates.”

Slovenia
“I like its surprises, the drama, the room it gives for the singer to shine.”

Russia
“She is a badass, and I think her involvement in ESC is a huge positive.”

Sweden
“The embodiment of joie de vivre.”

Australia
“A nervous and jittery three minutes.”

North Macedonia
“It really helped me be motivated about house chores over the last week.”

Ireland
“It’s just too hectic, and sounds way too artificial.”

Cyprus
“Could be a very uncomfortable three minutes for both her and the viewers at home.”

Norway
“A more tasteful performance would go unnoticed – which can’t be said for this celestial pastiche.”

Croatia
“She can convince you you like this song more than you actually do.”

Belgium
“The chorus stretches a bit like a long session at the dentist.”

Israel
“They’ve managed to turn a disjointed song into something even more disjointed.”

Romania
“Oh boy do I miss those times when Romania sent actually good stuff.”

Azerbaijan
“We haven’t seen her doing anything with the kind of visual impact this will require.”

Ukraine
“Authentic ethnic sound, increasing intensity and what I’m sure will be standout visuals.”

Malta
“Some sections feel like treading water, and Destiny’s personality will have to carry the song through.”

Stay tuned to our front page for our reviews of the songs in semi-final 2!