As any ESC fan knows, there are mediocre songs which suddenly shine on stage, just as there are favourites that don’t get a favourable treatment. And every year, things rise and fall over the course of the rehearsal period. So let’s find out how things are going down on stage in Kyiv!

See the bottom of this post to find out how the total scores are calculated, as well as other detailed explanations.

1. Sweden
Robin Bengtsson – I Can’t Go On

Total score for Sweden: 20.5 (out of 40)

Slick, modern, competent, catchy, but also sterile and unlikable.

2. Georgia
Tamara Gachechiladze – Keep The Faith

Total score for Georgia: 17.5 (out of 40)

I obviously would have staged it differently, and her capabilities are better than the rest of the package.

3. Australia
Isaiah – Don’t Come Easy

Total verdict for Australia: 20.0 (out of 40)

Isaiah sells his quite weak song very well. They couldn’t have done it much better, but something outstanding is still missing.

Winning these three: Sweden

Not because the song is the best (it isn’t), not because the staging is the best (I rated it just a bit higher than Australia), but because they managed to get the absolute most out of some very weak raw material, namely the song.

Explanations

What the categories mean

Concept: Meaning the idea behind what the performers are actually doing on stage, ignoring how well their performance is executed.

Look: Hairdo, clothes, but also attractiveness or likability play a role here.

Stage: Use of backdrop, lights and colours.

Camera: The camerawork, judging by the official snippets.

Performance: How well the concept is executed. Movements, facial expressions, finding cameras.

Vocals: Well, how well can the entrant actually sing?

What the stars mean

1 star – Counterproductive, doesn’t do the song any favours
2 stars – Mediocre, doesn’t help nor ruin the song
3 stars – Decent, supports the song well enough.
4 stars – Literally outstanding, unique in the context of this year

How the total score is calculated

1 star = 0 points
2 stars = 1 point
3 stars = 2 points
4 stars = 4 points

For the total score, “Vocals” is weighted x5, “Performance” x3, the other four categories x0.5.