The Grand Final of Eurovision 2021 just aired on BBC1, and what a show it was! This was one of the strongest finals we've seen in a long while, and it was still missing some of my favourites (Romania). This post is just a rather long article on my thoughts on each act from the grand final, and what I thought of the overall performance. I'll then offer my scoring, in true Eurovision style. Who'll get my 'douze points?' Keep reading to find out! First of all, the show kicks off with Cyprus!
1. CYPRUS
ELENA TSAGRINOU | El Diablo
This was a great start to the show. It had a really hellish presence on stage and Tsagrinou looked fantastic. She did forget some of the dance during a chorus of the song, but I only noticed because of Twitter after. Mistakes happen, and she carried on! It was a strong song with a memorable beat and edgy staging. I enjoy this one a lot.
2. ALBANIA
ANXHELA PERISTERI | Karma
This definitely shot up in my rankings. Her voice was brilliant, and the staging was hauntingly good. I loved the cloudy effects and the tone of the song. It's a rather tried and tested format for Albania, but it's still working, and this was really enjoyable to watch. Would it be a favourite, likely not, it does get lost a tad, but it was fun to watch still!
3. ISRAEL
EDEN ALENE | Set Me Free
This song does get lost amidst the power of the show. It's a catchy tune, but I actually preferred it before the revamp it had. Alene's voice is stunning and she hits those whistle notes perfectly, however unnecessary I felt they were. Overall, it's a nice song that seems very chart friendly, but it's not near the top of my list.
4. BELGIUM
HOOVERPHONIC | The Wrong Place
This was a rather great performance. I really enjoyed the dark and moody take on pop music. There were some questionable lyrics, but I think they worked... It made it more Eurovision, and I love that! Do I feel I stands out? Not really. I think it's very different, but its subtleties may get lost easily.
5. RUSSIA
MANIZHA | Russian Woman
I really didn't enjoy this before I saw the first rehearsals. Before I knew it, it was suddenly one of my top choices! Manizha offers an incredibly charismatic performance that shows a pretty strong liberal message, something I don't think Russia would be too happy about. It's such a fun performance, but is also a really enjoyable song that I can't help but want to whip my head around to!
6. MALTA
DESTINY | Je Me Casse
Now this was everything! Destiny is a stunning vocalist that some British fans could recognise from Britain's Got Talent. She offers a rather simplistic song in terms of staging, but it packs a great punch, has a really catchy hook, and gives real Lizzo vibes! It's a great tune, and really deserves every piece of praise it gets! I can't help but smile and sing along if 'Je Me Casse' plays!
7. PORTUGAL
THE BLACK MAMBA | Love is on My Side
This is a strange one, for me. I have a real soft spot for it, but only when It's actually playing. Thinking about it now, I'm not enjoying the idea of this song, but when I watched it live, I was really enjoying it. I'm not sure on this. It's unique, and quite calming, but I don't think it's anything too special either.
8. SERBIA
HURRICANE | Loco Loco
A lot of Eurovision stans seem to love this one. I think it's... Okay. It definitely relies on the hair-ography, and the dance-tune nature of the song a tad too much. It starts at 100 and doesn't really go anywhere either, it just tries to build on an already powerful and overwhelming tune. I enjoy it, but I think it struggles in this final.
9. UNITED KINGDOM
JAMES NEWMAN | Embers
Now, my home country. This is not a bad song by any means, but the staging, overall performance and its placement in the show really worked against it. I can see why it ended up with 0 points in the final. It's fun, and enjoyable to watch, but after Serbia (a powerful dance tune) and then followed by the effects of Greece, it doesn't have any time to shine.
10. GREECE
STEFANIA | Last Dance
This was a fun little song! I rather liked the green screen effects they used, even if they were a tad crusty now and then. Stefania has a lovely voice and sells the song quite well. I liked this performance, even with the rather monotonous dance breaks.
11. SWITZERLAND
GJON'S TEARS | Tout l'Univers
This is a stunning song! I learnt all of this, and as someone who doesn't speak French, it was quite a challenge, but I just loved it! The staging was not good, however. The 'GCSE dance' moves he displayed really didn't fit with the song, and I think the stage and his skills could've been utilised better. It was still a fantastic performance, but I had higher expectations.
12. ICELAND
Daði og Gagnamagnið | 10 Years
I absolutely love this! Their 2020 selection was wonderful, and so was this. It was fun to watch, and it was a rather cute song! Iceland really gave us everything we expect of Eurovision this year! It's definitely a strong contender, for me!
13. SPAIN
BLAS CANTO | Voy a Quedarme
Now, this is not that great. He has a stunning vocal range, but the song just isn't quite strong enough. It's rather slow, and not in a relaxing or goosebump-inducing kind of way. It's a great shame as 2020's song had a lot of potential.
14. MOLDOVA
NATALIA GORDIENKO | Sugar
I love this. She is so obviously having such a great time on stage, and it makes the performance that little bit better. I think it's a nice little bop, and I rather liked the rather simplistic staging. She recovered nicely when she dropped the mic, and that last note was very impressive. May not have been a favourite in the odds, but I absolutely loved it (along with one of the UK's jurors; they placed it in second during the grand final, and first in her semi).
15. GERMANY
Jendrik | I Don't Feel Hate
Graham Norton said it's a marmite song, and I found myself on the 'hating it' side. This just didn't do it for me. I liked the idea of the song, and the message was nice, but the staging, performance, song, delivery... It just didn't do it for me at all. Nice attempt, but no. I didn't like this one.
16. FINLAND
BLIND CHANNEL | Dark Side
I never normally like rock/heavy metal, but when it comes to this genre in Eurovision, I suddenly like it. I enjoy this one quite a bit, and love the chorus. It does start with the chorus and doesn't really get bigger or offer much range, but it's still a visual feast and a nice tune to bang your head to!
17. BULGARIA
VICTORIA | Growing Up is Getting Old
Simply beautiful! I love the melodic beauty of this song so much. The staging is simple but effective, and the metaphorical meaning behind it is lovely. For anyone who doesn't know, the song and staging is dedicated to her father who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. The sand on the stage represents the sands of time, which eventually run out, and the song becomes a message saying that getting up is all you have in the end. Victoria offers a simply beautiful vocal and this was everything, to me.
18. LITHUANIA
THE ROOP | Discoteque
This is a fun little number. I love the chorus, and the zany choreography. It feels like a Eurovision classic. Is it the best, not for me, but it's still a treat to watch and I enjoy it quite a bit. Also, yellow is my favourite colour so I love it more just for their outfits.
19. UKRAINE
GO_A | Shum
Now, this one shot up in my rankings after seeing it performed. It's a great little show, with some very interesting direction, and very entertaining sound. It's been buzzing around my head for a few days now. It's such a fun song but is still very eerie! Great one.
20. FRANCE
BARBARA PRAVI | Voila
What a moment! The cinematography of this one was so good! It felt so intense, so meaningful, and so passionate. It looked beautiful and that helped take the song to new levels. A spotlight is al you need to make something fantastic. This was beautiful.
21. AZERBAIJAN
EFENDI | Mata Hari
This is such a cool song. I like how it ties into her entry for 2020, and I love that final few seconds where she says 'Let's Go!' It's a great tune, it stands out amongst the pop songs of this year, and tells a story about someone many people may not know of. It does lack slightly, in terms of staging, in the earlier moments of the song, but it grows as it goes on.
22. NORWAY
TIX | Fallen Angel
If you don't watch the performance and just listen to it, this is quite good. I don't think the staging is any good at all, but the song isn't half bad. It is a little bit basic, but it's nice on the ears, and does keep you singing it occasionally afterwards. I like it.
23. THE NETHERLANDS
JEANGU MACROOY | Birth of a New Age
I really don't think this one was for me. Macrooy's presence is wonderful, and it's always lovely to see the home support, but the song is nothing special and I immediately forget how it goes. It needed something more, and his charisma alone wasn't enough to make this one stand out.
24. ITALY
MANESKIN | Zitti e Bonne
This one I did not like on the night, but the more I've seen of it and heard it on Tik Tok and what not, the more I enjoy it. It's a fun little rock song, different to the usual, and I actually really like the song. Italian is a pretty lovely language and this song shows that clearly! I don't enjoy the sharp inhalations the lead singer takes between each line - it grates - but overall, it's pretty great and I can see why it won!
25. SWEDEN
TUSSE | Voices
This is a typical Eurovision pop song, and I really like it! It's nothing too unique, but it was performed well and I can listen to this one on repeat. It wasn't anything spell-binding meaning it doesn't quite reach the heights Sweden is capable of, but I still think it's good.
26. SAN MARINO
SENHIT ft FLO RIDA | Adrenalina
13 points in the televote?! What?! I expected this one to do a lot better in the actual show because it is quite a fun little performance and I really like the song! Flo Rids definitely completes it, but it gets everyone on their feet, and it was a smashing way to end the show.
MY SCORES
This was a hard decision and I'm still not quite sure I fully agree with what I have decided on. I'm confident with my top choice, but beyond that, deciding on the order was a real struggle. I did prefer some songs, but then didn't like the staging, so I had some big decisions to make! Anyway, here's my top 10 done in classic Eurovision style!
And there you have it! My 12 points go to Victoria from Bulgaria! I thought it was an absolutely stunning performance. So emotional, so beautiful. She deserved a lot better than 11th place! Deciding who should take 10th place was a struggle, but I gave it to the chilling performance from France. Greece and Sweden were almost there, with Italy and Finland just behind... I think.
Anyway, I'll see if I can link the actual performance below, and you can appreciate Bulgaria in all their glory! Thank you for reading and feel free to share your opinions with me in the comments here or on Twitter! Do you agree with my top ten? Are there any entries you think deserved better? Share every thought you have!
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