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. So let’s find out how things are looking 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.

16. Armenia
Artsvik – Fly With Me

Total score for Armenia: 28.0 (out of 40)

The Armenians are creating a deep, mystical and somewhat scary atmosphere here. Definitely one of the most outstanding stagings in the line-up, a perfect presentation of a rather weak song.

17. Slovenia
Omar Naber – On My Way

Total score for Slovenia: 14.5 (out of 40)

Nothing is “well done” here, maybe except his vocals. A simple dark stage would have been a lot more suitable.

18. Latvia
Triana Park – Line

Total verdict for Latvia: 0.5 (out of 40)

Everything they are doing here is not helping the song. It’s an interesting song, not a bad one at all, that kind of needs a hypnotic, minimalistic presentation. Nothing works here. It can hardly get worse.

Winning these three: Armenia

As someone who didn’t have this song on his radar before the rehearsals, I am now convinced that this will be in the top 10 on Saturday. Somehow the interaction between staging and camerawork evokes a feeling of oppression or anxiety. Magic is being performed here.

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.