Fun for all the Family
While Eurovision has something for everyone, it seems like Semi Final One has a plethora of “family-focused” songs, both in the sense that they’re kid-friendly as well as embracing themes of family and home. From Norway and the Netherlands’ songs honoring the singers’ mothers, to Slovenia’s love letter to his wife, to Portugal’s nostalgia for their distant home island of Madeira, there’s a lot of love on this roster.
When you add in an Icelandic entry that seems tailor-made for Gen Alpha Minecraft fans (we’re guessing Roblox fits this as well, but we’re all far too old to know), this might be the show you share with your kids, as opposed to the entries in Thursday’s show that embrace the fact that this is the 69th Eurovision Song Contest. (We’ll talk a bit more about that in the Second Semi Final’s Spotter’s Guide.)
We All Band Together
One of this year’s trends is the presence of a number of bands, with the lion’s share popping up in Tuesday’s show. Ukraine’s Ziferblat, Portugal’s Napa, and Azerbaijan’s Mamagama all carry the mantle tonight, with Italy’s Lucio Corsi (shown in exhibition, and not one of the songs being voted on) also fitting nicely into the retro-rock vibe that the other three aforementioned acts embrace.
Possiamo parlare in italiano, per favore?
Another bit of synchronicity that we see in tonight’s show is that even though Italy is being presented as an automatic qualifier, it’s not the only song embracing the tricolore. San Marino’s song, Tutta l’Italia, was originally the jingle music for Sanremo Festival, and Estonia’s Espresso Macchiato embraces all manner of Italian stereotypes. On top of that, both of the members of Albania’s duo have spent significant amounts of their lives in Italy.
We know that Lucio Corsi will be competing for the trophy on Saturday night as a member of the “Big Five”…will San Marino’s Gabry Ponte, Estonia’s Tommy Cash, or Albania’s Shkodra Elektronike be there with him?
Staging Risks
You may notice a few repeating motifs throughout the show. Poland’s Justyna Steczkowska and Slovenia’s Klemen are both suspended from the ceiling during their performances, Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man appears in San Marino and Cyprus’s staging, and, of course, this being Eurovision, there are pyrotechnics seemingly everywhere.
Sampling Swiss Delights
Postcards, the interstitial videos that allow for techies to set up the next song’s staging, are great ways for a host nation to inject their branding into the show, as well as introduce acts to the public who are about to hear their songs. This year’s videos send our acts to spots all over Switzerland, where they get up to all sorts of local hijinks. From Cyprus’s Theo Evan dancing on a nightclub-ship here in Basel, to Estonia’s Tommy Cash trying roller-derby, to Ukraine’s Ziferblat sampling melty cheese fondue, we get a little peek into some of the artists’ personalities, as well as get some ideas on things to do while we’re in Switzerland.
I do have to ask, though…how did Sweden’s KAJ draw the short straw and have to go sawdust-wrestling in burlap pants? And will the James Bond fans among us recognise a certain Ski Resort?
Reality TV Style Announcements
One of the big planned changes this year is to the announcement process for the Semi Final qualifiers. The method for selecting the top ten songs will not change, only how the qualifiers will be revealed. Instead of simply reading out the qualifiers country by country, hosts Sandra and Hazel will divvy up our contestants into groups of three, with one of those three being given the green light to the Grand Final. After nine rounds of this, one last name will be revealed, without zooming in on the acts who have been eliminated.
It’s Coming Home
Finally, with the Contest returning to the nation that hosted its first running back in 1956, the general theme of “Eurovision comes home” is noticeable. We have plenty of opportunities to look back at the history of the show, from honoring past winners to welcoming recent fan favourites. I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but keep your eyes open for a few beloved familiar faces.
No matter where you’re from, and which song you’re supporting, enjoy the show!