The last post covered the first 8 songs that were chosen in the month of February. Here are the other 8:

• Croatia: Let 3 – “Mama ŠČ!”
• Italy: Marco Mengoni – “Due Vite”
• Malta: The Busker – “Dance (Our Own Party)”
• Lithuania: Monika Linkytė – “Stay”
• Australia: Voyager – “Promise”
• Finland: Käärijä – “Cha Cha Cha”
• San Marino: Piqued Jacks – “Like An Animal”
• Poland: Blanka – “Solo”

Here are some of our thoughts on these 8!

Croatia

It’s impossible to describe Mama ŠČ!, but the performance definitely says a lot and the music video says even more. 10/10 a masterpiece! Rockets, tractor noises, stripping, sequin body suits, chorus lines, questionably placed roses, and a melody that gets stuck in your head, what more do you need? Plus any song in the apolitical Eurovision Song Contest that sparks a discussion of whether humor, satire, and camp are acceptable ways to respond to fascism gets Ursula bonus points.

Italy’s Sanremo Festival

Italy once again held the Sanremo Festival, the music festival that Eurovision itself is based on, to select Marco Mengoni’s “Due vite” as their participating act. This will be Marco’s second time performing in Eurovision after he performed 10 years ago in the 2013 competition. With 28 participating acts, a live orchestra, and a finale over four hours long, this year’s Sanremo had a number of good acts including a quartet in amazing silver sequin jumpsuits and a duo who showed that you can have fun choreo even at Sanremo (also in silver sequins). The other performer who brought style, pizzaz, and a skat singing breakdown to the stage is the ICON Rosa Chemical with their song “Made in Italy.”

Malta

Malta’s national selection pitted 40 different (and mostly forgettable) songs against each other. After fan favorite AIDAN was disqualified for promoting his entry “Regina” on social media during the competition, The Busker won the final with “Dance (Our Own Party).” In doing so, they have guaranteed that Eurovision will have its mandatory saxophone solo.

Lithuania

In a very close national final, Monika Linkytė and her song “Stay (ČIŪTO O TŪTO)” narrowly beat out Rūta MUR’s “So Low.” This will be Monika’s second time performing at Eurovision after she performed in a duet in 2015. This will also be Lithuania’s third time sending a performer named Monika to the contest in the past 10 years.

Australia

Voyager will perform their song “Promise,” which is one of this year’s numerous rock pop entries. This is a catchy song that makes you want to bop your head and sing along and could do well if they bring the energy on stage.

Finland

Finland chose its participating act from seven acts competing in the UMK. As far as we could tell, in a different national final, almost every single one of the competitors could have been our favorite to win, showing quality truly beats quantity (looking at you Malta and San Marino). From the fierce competition, Käärijä’s “Cha Cha Cha” with its infectious, upbeat chorus and mix of genres emerged victorious. We are very excited that this high energy crowd pleaser complete with neon green sleeves and cha cha dancers is on its way to Liverpool! Another favorite of ours was Benjamin’s sensual song “Hoida Mut,” an infectious eurodance pop song performed in a *steamy* greenhouse. The Portion Boys’ “Samaa taivasta katsotaan” brought our favorite type of Eurovision energy like Little Big did in 2020 with “UNO.” Also competing was 17 year old Keira with her song “No Business on the Dance Floor,” a solid dance song with the regrettable lyric “swingin’ it like Harry Potter,” the trio KUUMAA and their song “Ylivoimainen,” a chill bop with easy listening vibes, and Robin Packalen’s song “Girls Like You,” a nice but basic pop song that just was not going to cut it in such a strong pool of contenders no matter how many trampolines he added. The only ballad of the group was Lxandra’s “Something to Lose” which wasn’t our favorite but added a nice variety to the entries. Overall, 2023 has been a fantastic year for Eurovision in Finland so far.

San Marino

Una Voce Per San Marino had more than 30 entries, and as far as we could tell not a single one was remarkable in a good way. (You can see for yourself with this recap of the first semi-final). However, we would definitely NOT have chosen Piqued Jacks “Like an Animal.” Any song that starts with the lines “I can smell you like an animal” and “I can chase you on the dance floor” gets a no from us. No thank you.

Poland

In the most scandalous national final this year, Blanka’s generic girl-pop “Solo” beat out fan-favorite Jann’s operatic rock/pop “Gladiator” after a last-minute voting switch. The change in rules three days before the show from a 100% televote to a 50% televote 50% jury vote and Jann’s subsequent loss lead to accusations of corruption towards Poland’s public television network. (Also competing was Ahlena with her song “Booty,” an uncomfortable performance where it seemed she did NOT want to be there.) While Solo is a fun listen and definitely a catchy bop, it is the epitome of a generic girl pop song and Blanka does not seem to elevate it beyond that. Jann is the winner in our, and most of Europe’s, hearts.