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.

4. Malta
Claudia Faniello – Breathlessly

Total score for Malta: 28.0 (out of 40)

Claudia gives everything, effortlessly. But how much do I wish this had a dark/golden stage.

5. Romania
Ilinca ft. Alex Florea – Yodel It!

Total score for Romania: 25.5 (out of 40)

The staging here isn’t coherent enough to shine by itself, but her perfect yodelling is doing the job well.

6. The Netherlands
O’G3NE – Lights And Shadows

Total verdict for the Netherlands: 36.0 (out of 40)

Very polished, very talented, but also a little bit cold. However, the vocals and the performing are too good to call this anything but a near-perfect presentation of a bulky, uneasy composition.

Winning these three: The Netherlands

Easily one of the most competent performances in the competition. But their lack of charisma will prevent them from truly succeeding.

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.