We had four more countries rehearse for the second time before the direct finalists take the stage and as you can imagine, people are slightly excited here… So as we wait for those, here are a few more thoughts:

Romania
Much like last time, although the more I watch it the more details I pick up – I was so focused on the strangeness of the stage as a whole that I didn’t really pay enough attention to the guitar player. I can’t quite decide if having him here makes the staging looks a bit more grounded in reality or breaks the atmosphere of it. Either way, it’s still very dark – not just in colors but the mood of it and the elements that are used, and she sounded fantastic. But I feel it gets a bit lost where it is.

Denmark
This will never be my cup of tea, but it does its job well, and Leonora looks more relaxed which results in a reduced number of death stares. The colors, especially in contrast to what’s before and after it, make it stand out quite a bit, and it very much looks like it’s where it needs to be to comfortably qualify.

Sweden
If I thought that the Swedes would be pleased enough with what they had so far, I was wrong. Apparently they realized everyone aren’t trying to win enough and decided to put the pressure on in the shape of a few very strategically placed backdrops and light changes that make the entire damn thing look like it has already won. The song, in my opinion, is still very much subpar, but I always said about John that he makes the song feel way better than what it is, and that’s how the performance came across – like it’s the best things you’ve seen on the night. Dangerous one, that.

Austria
I was worried that seeing this in context – last time it was performed out of sequence – and that watching it again will dilute the magic. Thankfully, that’s not the case – it’s still beautifully intimate and very special, and is staged so well that despite being right after Sweden it draws everyone’s attention in.