One of the last countries to announce their entry, Azerbaijan chose Nadir Rüstəmli’s “Fade to Black.”

Azerbaijan will compete in the second semi-final.

Ursula’s Thoughts: I really like the instrumentation of this song with the big orchestra sound that reminds of Downton Abbey’s opening sequence. I can’t get over the line “It hurts so fast” which just doesn’t sound right to my ear.

Christa’s Thoughts: This is one of those Eurovision songs that feels like the English lyrics were just run through Google translate, which I always find entertaining. His voice is amazing, but this song doesn’t stand out to me, especially among all the other solo ballads this year. It does feel very classic Eurovision, though.