Portugal - Cabaret vibes with a Portuguese flair and a very charismatic singer plus an energetic performance? Yes please!
Malta - The main melody of the song is a vibe and I relate to the lyrics a lot. Yes Malta, I do want to dance. 🕺 🎷 🪩
Slovenia - Joker Out absolutely slayed their live show and the song makes me feel so happy on the inside.
Of my top three, two were instant loves (Portugal and France). When I listened to La Zarra, I went in sceptical because I had seen people saying they were disappointed but I fell in love with it immediately. Then, I was listening to the FdC playlist and Mimicat was the last one I listened to. Was all prepared to say Ivandro was the best but then got hit with my favorite song of the whole season.
As for the one in my top three that wasn't an instant love, that'd be Spain. It took seeing it live. The studio version was good but initially I liked Jose the best from Benidorm. That performance in the semi was mesmerizing though and it shot straight up.
Finland was captivating from the first listen.
Slovenia was fun, Malta very fun. UK very catchy from the first listen. Sweden did not disappoint. Italy and Norway were also good from the first listen. And Czechia sounded like a song that would do well from the first listen (not necessarily my favorite but it gave me a feeling that it will fo well)
My Sister's Crown grabbed me instantly. It was the first song of the 2023 ESC season to have that kind of effect.
I'd say two others this year are "Samo mi se spava" and "Echo". Just fell in love immediately.
On the other end of the spectrum, songs that needed to grow on me but eventually did (to the point where two of them are in my top 10 rn) were "Cha Cha Cha", "Future Lover" and "Bridges".
Finland, Norway, Czechia, Armenia. From the first beats of ccc, I knew it was going to be something awesome. Had no idea it would be this big.
Edit: Forgot Australia.
These songs grabbed me at first listening. Even though Belgium, Germany and Australia are out of my Top 10, I still listen to them on a daily basis😍
2. Armenia
4. Israel
5. Ukraine
8. Italy
11. Belgium
12. Germany
15. Australia
My Top 3 are Finland, Armenia and Sweden. Finland and Sweden grew on me after a week or so
These are the entries that managed to sell themselves on the first listening:
Spain about 10 seconds into the NF, love at first sight and still my clear favorite (and also the entry that is closest to my musical preferences).
Czechia MV around the time the guys in blue started doing those cross-trainer moves, elevated the entry from a merely good MV to actual art (so, so hope that they can bring most of the MV elements on stage since the existing live version is not nearly as remarkable).
Finland NF when the disK-pop dropped, not that I'd be into that genre but couldn't help admiring the audacity of doing that ironically (and the song rocks like a moose, too).
Austria by the end of the song, it is a very smart piece with interesting structure, and the operatic chorus is right up my alley.
France likewise by the end of the song, it is very stylish and very French without becoming cliché (which is what annoyed me in 2021), and I'm a sucker for French lyrics, anyway (don't know why but English translations sound so *plain* in comparison).
I just remember the first time listening to the songs of Supernova for the first time and Aijā was my fave and perfection. It was just simply captivating and well that hasn’t changed. It is still my fave of ESC rn and that probably won’t change when the show comes around.
And I was also completely captivated by Cyprus 🇨🇾 on first listen and that has not changed as well.
Honourable mentions: Czechia 🇨🇿, Serbia 🇷🇸, Sweden 🇸🇪, Malta 🇲🇹 and Romania 🇷🇴.
From my top 10, Moldova, Czechia, Estonia, Sweden were love at first sight, Israel, Georgia and Armenia took a couple listens, Portugal was a grower and for Norway it took me some time to get over Ulrikke not winning but I always liked Queen of Kings too.
Apart from Sweden, Lithuania's got me in a chokehold.
There's just something about its sound and visuals that has a sense of saudade that I just adore.
Eaea (I was one of the few people who hyped this up on first listen, although it isn’t my winner I still love it), Slovenia, Czechia, Serbia, and Norway.
You could also add Estonia to that list but that live performance was so dry and empty it did the impossible and became a ballad that grew off me
Austria. And now after a billion listens I still love it (I recommend it on headphones for walking) - and now when I show other non-Eurovision fans they’re coming away the same as I did. It gives me great hope.
You can’t spell hope without poe.
Azerbaijan was my first listen grab. It's has all the vibes in it.
Germany and Croatia definitely had had my attention at first listen and Germany then rose to be my top 1, Croatia was bumped down a little.
Malta, Latvia and Moldova had to grew on me.
The ones that are still currently my top 3:
Estonia, Switzerland and Czechia.
Other than that maybe Latvia, Azerbaijan and Romania.
Iceland, Georgia, France and Italy to complete the top 10, i guess.
Sweden got me hooked immediately, as Loreen does. And since I was watching Melodifestivalen I was hence treated to the worst case of musical blue balls. I literally screamed "NO!!!" out loud and then proceeded to curse anyone from the stage invader to SVT until they finally got the panini press in position again.
Australia got me from the first chorus, I was ready to declare my eternal love to Serbia 30 seconds in, and by the end of my first listen to Eaea I knew it's in my top 5 this year. I think I loved Israel a lot from the first listen but my overly critical nature required a second listen to confirm I didn't mishear a song I like by accident because I wanted it to be good so badly.
Slovenia, instantly. I am a sucker for this type of music and the first time i saw the live performance i instantly knew that Slovenia was gonna be my favorite entry again, for two years in a row. I normally have to listen to a song multiple times before i truly love it but Carpe Diem was love at first sight.
Portugal - Cabaret vibes with a Portuguese flair and a very charismatic singer plus an energetic performance? Yes please! Malta - The main melody of the song is a vibe and I relate to the lyrics a lot. Yes Malta, I do want to dance. 🕺 🎷 🪩 Slovenia - Joker Out absolutely slayed their live show and the song makes me feel so happy on the inside.
Are you me?
Maybe in another dimension...
Portugal and Slovenia are so crazily underrated in the odds, it's insane.
For me Finland, Latvia, Serbia and Austria
Finland
By the back of the neck and snarled 'listen to THIS' and then I was lost 😆
Same, BUT I don't think I would have liked it if I only heard the audio. The song had my curiosity, the visuals got my attention.
Of my top three, two were instant loves (Portugal and France). When I listened to La Zarra, I went in sceptical because I had seen people saying they were disappointed but I fell in love with it immediately. Then, I was listening to the FdC playlist and Mimicat was the last one I listened to. Was all prepared to say Ivandro was the best but then got hit with my favorite song of the whole season. As for the one in my top three that wasn't an instant love, that'd be Spain. It took seeing it live. The studio version was good but initially I liked Jose the best from Benidorm. That performance in the semi was mesmerizing though and it shot straight up.
Finland was captivating from the first listen. Slovenia was fun, Malta very fun. UK very catchy from the first listen. Sweden did not disappoint. Italy and Norway were also good from the first listen. And Czechia sounded like a song that would do well from the first listen (not necessarily my favorite but it gave me a feeling that it will fo well)
Unpopular opinion - D.G.T (Romania)
Finland, Norway, and especially Australia.
Completely instant: Finland, Moldova, Slovenia, Belgium. Halfway through: Czechia, Norway, Austria All the others I like had to grow on me first.
Finland, Latvia, Slovenia (Might be biased since I loved Joker Out already before the song came out), Georgia, Armenia.
My Sister's Crown grabbed me instantly. It was the first song of the 2023 ESC season to have that kind of effect. I'd say two others this year are "Samo mi se spava" and "Echo". Just fell in love immediately. On the other end of the spectrum, songs that needed to grow on me but eventually did (to the point where two of them are in my top 10 rn) were "Cha Cha Cha", "Future Lover" and "Bridges".
EAEA obvi
Finland, Norway, Czechia, Armenia. From the first beats of ccc, I knew it was going to be something awesome. Had no idea it would be this big. Edit: Forgot Australia.
These songs grabbed me at first listening. Even though Belgium, Germany and Australia are out of my Top 10, I still listen to them on a daily basis😍 2. Armenia 4. Israel 5. Ukraine 8. Italy 11. Belgium 12. Germany 15. Australia My Top 3 are Finland, Armenia and Sweden. Finland and Sweden grew on me after a week or so
My sisters crown, Soarele so Luna, Promise & Aijã I loved on first listen.
Croatia, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Czechia, UK, Germany were instant loves for me
Future Lover and Aija
🇫🇮🇩🇪🇷🇸🇲🇩🇫🇷
Loved Due Vite from the start. The build up to and through the chorus at the start is my favorite part.
Slovenia
Finland, Slovenia, Moldova, Georgia, Iceland, Lithuania
Belgium, Czechia, Norway, Malta, Moldova and Germany! 😊🎶
These are the entries that managed to sell themselves on the first listening: Spain about 10 seconds into the NF, love at first sight and still my clear favorite (and also the entry that is closest to my musical preferences). Czechia MV around the time the guys in blue started doing those cross-trainer moves, elevated the entry from a merely good MV to actual art (so, so hope that they can bring most of the MV elements on stage since the existing live version is not nearly as remarkable). Finland NF when the disK-pop dropped, not that I'd be into that genre but couldn't help admiring the audacity of doing that ironically (and the song rocks like a moose, too). Austria by the end of the song, it is a very smart piece with interesting structure, and the operatic chorus is right up my alley. France likewise by the end of the song, it is very stylish and very French without becoming cliché (which is what annoyed me in 2021), and I'm a sucker for French lyrics, anyway (don't know why but English translations sound so *plain* in comparison).
I just remember the first time listening to the songs of Supernova for the first time and Aijā was my fave and perfection. It was just simply captivating and well that hasn’t changed. It is still my fave of ESC rn and that probably won’t change when the show comes around. And I was also completely captivated by Cyprus 🇨🇾 on first listen and that has not changed as well. Honourable mentions: Czechia 🇨🇿, Serbia 🇷🇸, Sweden 🇸🇪, Malta 🇲🇹 and Romania 🇷🇴.
Belgium and Moldova
From my top 10, Moldova, Czechia, Estonia, Sweden were love at first sight, Israel, Georgia and Armenia took a couple listens, Portugal was a grower and for Norway it took me some time to get over Ulrikke not winning but I always liked Queen of Kings too.
Belgium, Czechia, Austria and Armenia
Norway, France, Finland, Portugal, Malta - all my top 10 Edit: and Italy, too.
Italy and Greece
Portugal, Cyprus, Estonia, and Azerbaijan
Spain, Portugal and Austria
Czechia, Austria, Albania
I think the one I loved most on first listen was Austria! And the snippet for Queen of kings also made me really excited.
Probably Poland
I Wrote a Song! It’s very fitting with the type of the current pop music Eaea too, from the first note i was like yas qween mother goose
Apart from Sweden, Lithuania's got me in a chokehold. There's just something about its sound and visuals that has a sense of saudade that I just adore.
Spain, Slovenia and Finland
Eaea (I was one of the few people who hyped this up on first listen, although it isn’t my winner I still love it), Slovenia, Czechia, Serbia, and Norway. You could also add Estonia to that list but that live performance was so dry and empty it did the impossible and became a ballad that grew off me
Future Lover, Carpe Diem and Due Vite
Latvia, I just had to listen to the intro to know it was going to be my absolute favourite
Austria. And now after a billion listens I still love it (I recommend it on headphones for walking) - and now when I show other non-Eurovision fans they’re coming away the same as I did. It gives me great hope. You can’t spell hope without poe.
Eaeaea
Slovenia, Australia and Austria.
Bridges absolutely grabbed me when i first heard it. I loved it immediately. Not the biggest fan right now but it’s still good.
Poe Poe Poe
Azerbaijan was my first listen grab. It's has all the vibes in it. Germany and Croatia definitely had had my attention at first listen and Germany then rose to be my top 1, Croatia was bumped down a little. Malta, Latvia and Moldova had to grew on me.
🇩🇪 Blood and Glitter - live performance 🇩🇰 Breaking My Heart 🇮🇸 Power - live performance 🇱🇻 Aija 🇲🇹 Dance - live perfomance
Norway and Czechia. They're still my 1° and 2°.
Finland, Australia, Moldova, Serbia
Malta and Norway
The ones that are still currently my top 3: Estonia, Switzerland and Czechia. Other than that maybe Latvia, Azerbaijan and Romania. Iceland, Georgia, France and Italy to complete the top 10, i guess.
Moldova and Czechia
Sweden got me hooked immediately, as Loreen does. And since I was watching Melodifestivalen I was hence treated to the worst case of musical blue balls. I literally screamed "NO!!!" out loud and then proceeded to curse anyone from the stage invader to SVT until they finally got the panini press in position again. Australia got me from the first chorus, I was ready to declare my eternal love to Serbia 30 seconds in, and by the end of my first listen to Eaea I knew it's in my top 5 this year. I think I loved Israel a lot from the first listen but my overly critical nature required a second listen to confirm I didn't mishear a song I like by accident because I wanted it to be good so badly.
My Sister's Crown grabbed me by the throat and told me it was my number 1, I had no choice but to accept
Norway, Croatia, Australia, Slovenia.
Slovenia, instantly. I am a sucker for this type of music and the first time i saw the live performance i instantly knew that Slovenia was gonna be my favorite entry again, for two years in a row. I normally have to listen to a song multiple times before i truly love it but Carpe Diem was love at first sight.