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.

13. Iceland
Svala – Paper

Total score for Iceland: 19.5 (out of 40)

The dress is a great and obvious choice considering the title, but I kind of miss the colours and the cold feeling from the preview video.

14. Czech Repbulic
Martina Bárta – My Turn

Total score for Czech Republic: 5.5 (out of 40)

One of the worst presentations of any song this year. And I must say this as a fan of the song. Very badly staged!

15. Cyprus
Hovig – Gravity

Total verdict for Cyprus: 15.0 (out of 40)

All the ingredients of this recipe have already been used elsewhere, and Cyprus hasn’t created anything totally new with it. But it’s decently enough staged.

Winning these three: Iceland

One of those white women on a blue stage, the second “thing” this year after faces being projected on the backdrop. However, Svala and her team have wrapped a quality song into a quality package. Nothing impressive enough to make it stick out from the mass, probably good enough to qualify.

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.