ESC Insight Playlist – Second Place Special
National final season has officially come to an end for another year, and for a group of worthy competitors, the journey to Rotterdam continues. But before we turn our focus exclusively to the chosen few, let’s look back at some of the performers who came achingly close to the finish line. All of the songs below finished in second place in their respective selections.
‘Time‘ by Sissi (Estonia)
Many pundits expected Estonia’s national selection to be a straight fight to the finish between last year’s winner Uku Suviste and fan favourite Koit Toome, with Juri Pootsman thrown in as a potential wildcard. However, this soulful ballad crept up from behind and wound up in second place. Keep an eye on this lady for future Eesti editions – she’s definitely one to watch.
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‘Pourvu qu’on m’aime‘ by Juliette Moraine (France)
France are currently riding high in the odds thanks to Barbara Pravi’s dramatic chanson Voila, but this runner-up from the country’s surprisingly fruitful national selection is equally beautiful and impactful in its own way. Could have been an entry for France at any time from 1965 to the present day, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing…
‘Chiamami per nome‘ by Francesca Michelin & Fedez (Italy)
2016 fan favourite Francesca Michelin is currently enjoying another massive domestic hit with this tender ballad, which finished in second place at the highly competitive San Remo festival, behind ultimate winners Måneskin. It’s her third duet with rapper/vocalist Fedez, and on this evidence they make for an excellent team…
‘Monument‘ by KeiiNO (Norway)
No list of the great near-misses of 2021 would be complete without KeiiNO. The televote winners of 2019 may have fallen at the final hurdle in this year’s Melodi Grand Prix, but with Monument they’ve cemented their place as Eurovision fan favourites for years to come. It seems very unlikely that we’ve seen the last of them, either…
‘Every Minute‘ by Eric Saade (Sweden)
A Eurovision bronze-medallist from back in 2011, Eric Saade returned to Sweden’s Melodifestivalen this year with a cool, brooding modern pop track and an über-slick stage show that suggested big ambitions. Ultimately, the overwhelming goodwill towards Tusse proved unassailable, but Eric still has a big local hit on this hands, so we hope he’s not too disappointed…
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