JEdward Songwriter To Help Russia In Israel

This is Russia's Eurovision entry. Sergey Lazarev is good. He's an experienced singer and performer and can be relied upon to do a good job on the big night. Firstly, yes, Russia will be in the final until last year when they slipped up with the very poor Yulia Samoylova. Secondly, yes, this has a great team of writers and instrumentalists behind the scenes, (including the Irish Sharon Vaughn who composed Waterline for JEdward in 2012!). That was a superbly written song, just let down by the boys who didn't deliver on the night.

So this has a hell of a lot going for it and yet, no, I don't think it'll win. It's OK, it's a big number and has all the right heart-warming notes and chords but it never quite makes it. You don't really remember it afterwards. It could do well with the juries but will it win the televote (as he did last time)?

In the video there is a sort of double voice going on which Sergey will not be able to do on his own in a live performance and there's also a lot happening in the background which may be less easily reproduced live.

At the time of publishing this, the bookies give The Netherlands the edge and they're now favourites. It's a close run thing, though and, with Sweden and Armenia yet to declare, and we know they ought each to have a strong entry, it is still anyone's guess.

North Macedonia, incidentally are at 110-1.

Eurovision. The possible winners?

There are, at last, one or two entries in this year's Eurovision Song Contest which make the show worth watching again. Russia, Sweden, Armenia, Malta and Israel have yet to release their entries and each is expected to be strong so no-one can predict much at the moment as to a winner.

Above I feature North Macedonia's entry. I think it is one of the best although it is not at all fancied by the bookies at the moment. The country used to be referred to as the Federal Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia which was never going to get them many votes and they've really not done terribly well in Eurovision, usually failing to reach the final. This year they will and I have a feeling that, if the singer performs well on the stage, they'll surprise everyone.

Switzerland won't get the politically correct vote so will probably not make the top spot but their entry is possibly the most likely to be a chart topper and I can see it getting played a lot in whatever discos are called now in the holiday hotspots.



The Netherlands have a much-fancied entry. It's a well-written and very well sung track although I wonder if its delicate parts might get lost on the night and it does need the choir-like backing which I don't know how they'll reproduce in a live performance. It does just end rather oddly, though, which may not make it as memorable for the judges and voters. nevertheless, expect The Netherlands to be in the Top 10.



Norway won't leave with nul points this year. The group is a slightly odd mix but it is a strong, initially pretty traditional Euro-pop number with an interesting Nordic feel about it. Just as you start to get a little bored, however, and are wondering whether that is Gary Barlow singing, some weird noises emerge from one of the older blokes and it has a certain power which should get a good few votes. A strong number, especially with that Gary on the team.




After last year's very near miss and the pretty and pretty impressive performance we got on the stage, Cyprus have to meet high expectations. They may just do that with Replay which has another of the island's beauties giving us a modern track which could easily make most of the charts across Europe. It has that big, fat brass thing going in the background which several tracks have featured this year and it is almost as if a new button has been programmed into whatever software everyone is using in track production these days. I don't think Cyprus will win this year either but this ought to keep them in the Top 10.



Italy have yet another clever song and the singer reminds me of the guy who really should have won a couple of years ago with the amazing song form Francesco Gabbini and gorilla. You remember that one. Well this isn't quite as good but is modern, very italian and cool. Again, much depends on how well the singer comes across on the night and it isn't a winner but I expect it'll keep Italy up there with the best this year.



Belgium have a very well-produced number but I just don't know how the young singer will come across live on the big stage. It's a great song and would make the charts here and abroad so I expect it will grab plenty of attention but a winner? I have my doubts.




And that, I'm afraid, is it, so far.

Global freezing: Iceland scary 2nd favourites to win Eurovision

This, believe it or not, is the second favourite with the bookies to win Eurovision out of the 25 songs released so far.

Portugal have also gone for the weird and wonderful but commentators will probably coin a phrase that makes the strange noises fit some genre or another. With their tuneful solo victory still fresh in our memories, no-one likes to be rude but I do have to remind you that Portugal came last - in Lisbon - last year.

Sweden's incredibly lengthy process to pick an entry goes on and on but they are down to choosing between two at last so maybe they'll push the likes of Iceland down the rankings soon enough. After all this time, you tend to expect something that is guaranteed to be top 4. From the songs released so far, though, that shouldn't be too tough. I'd even give UK a chance as things stand at the moment.

Worrying times.

Ukraine seems to have let Russia march in and nobody else is anywhere near stopping the Red Flag being raised in Tel Aviv

By not participating this year, Ukraine have left the door open for Russia to march in and steal not just the show but all the money for hosting it next year. Putyin is putting up his best singer Sergey, who is not only screen-friendly but he can sing and is hugely popular even amongst nations whose population largely comprise people trying to escape the Big Red Flag.

The bookmakers place him miles ahead of anyone else - and we haven't even yet heard the damn song!

Presumably, if the song is any good the odds will fall even further and so I've had to take some drastic action and grab some vaguely reasonable odds while I can which I have never had to bother about doing in the past.

Hopefully, though, nations like Greece and Cyprus will give us something to make up for the loss of the Ukraine girl, each selecting a major act for the show and seemingly determined to make up for Cyprus narrowly being defeated last year.

There are some other outsiders like Slovenia who have a gentle and quite charming little number but the personalities in performance of a couple of avocados so they probably won't offer the Russkies much by way of a battle. Having said that, Trump may well be engineering some data management techniques to keep his wife happy.

Spain have an entry which would not have been out of place in the 1970s. It is, though, one of the very few cheerful numbers you'll hear from those currently selected. For that reason and the fact that it is typically euro-poppy I give it a chance.

The Czech Republic and Belgium have a couple of pleasant lads with more up-to-date tunes but both still lack the Ed Sheeran touch to be truly memorable or make more than the left hand side of the board.

There may be some others to consider backing but it is way too early. One decent entry from the many countries yet to declare could change everything.

UK will not, I fear, be doing much to halt the Russians this year. The song may be a bit stronger when heard amongst all the other crap there is this year so far but the singer is not that great and just looks like he is totally out of place and would be better placed behind the counter at the doughnut ship or wherever it is he has been working and will be going back to in May. We have a song with no ending. It's not good. It's just a trickle of bigger thats eems to habe been added on at the end and refuses to scan or sut any convention I'm aware of.