With all thirty-seven songs released for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, things have been heating up. The national final season provided a lot of notable moments, from multiple fan favorites returning for a second chance; to the voting going off and delaying the results by a day, and all of them have narrowed down to an elite group of songs.
One thing which stands out from this year’s class is how much energy it possesses. With the recent switch to the 100% televote the previous year, the average tempo rose amongst the songs. Another trend is the use of native languages: since “Zitti e Buoni”‘s victory in 2021, the number of songs featuring native languages increased–this year, around 43% of the songs have at least some lyrics which are not in English.
Despite the diversity, these songs could be placed in categories, and then the juries and the televote will have to decide who will come out on top!
The Balladers:
With the return to 100% televote to the semi-finals, ballads are harder to come by in this year’s field. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t songs which slow the frantic pace down for a little bit, and allows the voice to shine through.
Slimane’s “Mon Amour” has that classical French charm which has prevaded the contest for years. With lyrics about trying to get a lost love back and with a classic atmosphere, it has the draw which could bring people in. And with Slimane’s consistently good live performances, including a fully acapella segment during a Dora interval, he could put Europe under his spell for three minutes.
Meanwhile Dons also proves that he could surprise, as “Hollow” provides a sullen ambience throughout those three minutes. One of Latvia’s most well-known artists, Dons showcases his experience through his performances and the heaviness of the track.
Amongst the women, Teya Dora has a notable music pedigree, with a degree from the Berklee School of Music and songwriting credits for many Serbian artists. After her huge hit “Dzanum” in 2023, Teya continues with “Ramonda”, a melancholic ballad with elements of Serbian history integrated in the imagery.
iolanda also arose as a dark horse with her song “Grito”, a song which starts slowly, then develops into a rousing anthem which allows for a riveting shout near the end. Winning Festival da Cancao at a canter, she has proven her vocal and performance abilities, time and time again. And with Portugal’s current run at Eurovision, iolanda has the opportunity to not only surprise, but also get a great score on the final night.
The Queer Quartet:
For those looking to the future, Mustii is your man, with the electro-pop “Before the Party is Over”. Co-written by Pierre Dumoulin, best known for “City Lights” in 2017, a similar darkness hovers over this soundscape, as Mustii muses on the state of the world, but ultimately deciding to join into the party of life before it all ends. The music video has particularly strong visuals, which could provide inspiration for the staging.
One standout amongst the crowd is Nemo’s “The Code”. In contrast to Switzerland’s previous few entries, this drum-and-bass entry mixes electronic and opera to amplify the feeling of escaping from the box. The lyrics reflect Nemo’s journey, defining the gender binary to find their own identity.
Another artist utilizing electronic music to his ends is Silvester Belt, representing Lithuania with the song “Luktelk”. Dealing with the rush of life and trying to slow things down for a moment, it became a hit in Lithuania after its first performance, before winning the national final.
Rounding out the Queer Quartet is Olly Alexander from the United Kingdom, most notably part of the group Years and Years. His Eurovision song, “Dizzy”, is a solid pop confection about falling in love and not wanting the bubbly sensation to end.
The Pop Bop Girlies:
One thing that Eurovision fans love to see is a woman singing and dancing her heart out to a fun pop bop. While a feature of mid-2000s Eurovision, it gained a resurgence thanks to the success of “Fuego” in 2018, with 2021 having a variety of them, wearing in silvery beaded dresses. Since then, that trend slowed down; but if these ladies have anything to do with it, it could bring the genre back into the fold!
If there’s a country who knows how to do their pop bops, it’s Cyprus, and Silia Kapsis proves this in spades with “Liar”. A combination of a clean production, forceful lyrics, and strong stage presence will prove hard to beat when the staging comes around. Impressive still is that Silia is seventeen years old–one of the youngest of this year’s field, and she is up for the challenge of opening the live shows.
Also opening its semi-final is Sarah Bonnici, who’s representing Malta with the song “Loop”. The intense choreography in the national final brought it to the top, featuring blindfolds, engaging dance moves, and Sarah’s strong stage presence. A revamp amplifies the production to add to the energy, and the visuals shown during rehearsals provide promise for this song.
For somebody who’s willing to go back in time, then “We Will Rave” by Kaleen is your jam! Inspired by the 1990s rave scene, it invites the brokenhearted to hit the dancefloor and dance all their troubles away. While Kaleen released her debut album in September, her background is based on dance, which should make the staging intense yet filled with energy.
Representing Luxembourg in their first entry in over thirty years, Tali comes into the arena with “Fighter”, a summery bop encouraging the listener to take on the challenges in front of them. The winner of the Luxembourg Song Contest, Tali managed to outlast six other contestants to get the ticket to Malmo, and wants to prove this country has got what it takes to compete in the modern-day contest!
Coming up as a dark horse, on the other hand, is Nutsa Buzaladze from Georgia, who comes in as a “Firefighter”. A fun pop song with sprinklings of traditional elements, Nutsa further amplifies it with her live performances during the pre-parties, thanks to years of competing on singing shows across Europe and Asia.
A New Way of Doing Pop:
Representing Slovenia, Raiven tells the story of “Veronika”. Inspired by the woman of the same name who was wrongly accused of witchcraft in the fifteenth century. It’s wrapped in an electropop and operatic package, which Raiven elevates with her vocals in every performance. Slovenia knows how to change genres up in the contest, and “Veronika” could propel the country to new heights.
Despite having only a few singles at hand, Angelina Mango became a rising star in Italy, thanks to her youthful songwriting and her vibrant stage presence. This led her to rise to the top with “La noia”, a cumbia-influenced pop song with urban elements. With Dardust and Madame co-writing the song, the song pops out onto the stage, and Angelina consistently delivers in her performers. Altogether, it results in one of the most creative songs in the contest, and one of the main contenders to win.
Marina Satti has been a constant wishlist name for Greek representatives at Eurovision, and this year, she has accepted the challenge. The song, “Zari”, mixes aspects of Greek traditional music, Balkan music, and urban pop; the lyrics talk about chance, both in the context of romance and in how Greece sees itself. It has received mixed reviews within the country of life, but has topped the charts in Greece and is pitted as dark horse to do well on the night.
Rock and Roll Never Dies:
In contrast to the 2023 contest, where we’ve saw a number of bands amongst the mix, the 2024 class is lacking for those who like a bit more heaviness in their music. But that doesn’t mean that the genre has fizzled out entirely; like Damiano David proclaimed after Italy won three years ago, rock doesn’t die here.
One of the earliest songs chosen in the Eurovision season is “Pedestal” by Aiko, representing Czechia. The empowering number plays on the early 2000s pop punk revival headed by Olivia Rodrigo, containing all the determination and effusiveness the genre contains. And with Aiko steadily improving her vocals before the show, she could be the one to surprise.
On the other hand, Gåte is representing Norway with years of experience in folk rock, which is a rarity in this contest. Their entry, “Ulveham” is not only the first Eurovision entry in the Norwegian language since 2006, but it also had the lyrics modified before the Melodi Grand Prix final due to sharing lines with a thousand year old folk ballad. Nevertheless, the sheer power in Gunnhild’s vocals, along with the stunning visuals, are enough to catch Europe’s eye.
Megara, who competed in Benidorm Fest in 2023 with the fan-favorite “Arcadia”, tried their luck again for San Marino with the song “11:11”. With a cheeky reference to Benidorm in the lyrics, the band asserts that they don’t care about what the haters have to say, and will embrace those who love them all the same. San Marino has gone down the rock-and-roll route with the three winners of Una Voce per San Marino, but could Megara earn San Marino an elusive qualification to the final?
Finally, one of the major contenders for the 2024 contest, Baby Lasagna tells of the phenomenon of Croatian youth leaving their hometowns for a better life in the song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”. With a mix of electronic, dance, and rock, it surprised everybody in Dora by winning comfortably, and becoming a hit in Croatia itself. While not a proper rock song, its commentary and eclectic nature adds an edge to the contest, and current odds could suggest Baby Lasagna could take it all.
Folk it Up!
Eurovision is a stage for different countries to showcase different aspects of their cultures, and folk music, or folk-adjacent songs, is a great avenue to do so. This year’s class leans less on pure folk and more of blending different genres, however.
Ladaniva brings a bit of Armenian culture for this year’s competition through “Jako”, named after the lead singer of the band. Despite other people telling Jako she should be quiet and remain humble, she rebels and prefers to dance to her own rhythm; and encourages others to do the same. Their live performances always catch the crowd on fire, and their staging intends to do the same.
Fellow Caucasian nation Azerbaijan also jumped on the folk train, with Fahree and mugham singer Ilkin Dovlatov collaborating on the ambient track “Özünlə apar”. Featuring the first major use of the Azeri language in the contest, it conveys a mysterious atmosphere, discussing about the ambiguities of a relationship. Fahree has the vocals to carry the song’s journey.
Jerry Heil and alyona alyona form a dynamic duo for Ukraine, with the former known for her previous Vidbir participations and the latter as one of the country’s most known rappers. Their collaboration, “Teresa and Maria”, is a folk-hip hop mix encouraging people to take their own unique paths, asserting that “all the divas were born as a human beings”. The mix of traditional Ukrainian singing from Jerry and rapping from alyona alyona creates an intoxicating package which is hard to ignore, and their performance could manage to bring it to life.
Electric Fields is another name familiar to the Eurovision community, thanks to their participation in Australia Decides in 2019 with “2000 and Whatever”. Now, they’re representing Australia with “One Milkali (One Blood)”, a continuation of their mix of pop and Aboriginal influences. It also features the first use of the Yankunytjatjara language, one of the many languages spoken by the Aborigine people. Australia has a reputation of elevating their songs with staging, could they do that with “One Milkali (One Blood)”?
And now for something a bit different…
Eurovision 2024 is already known for its eccentric acts, but these don’t fit in the rest of the categories above. This doesn’t mean they don’t have their audiences; maybe you could find your way towards their eccentricity!
For those who are looking for something with a surprising edge, Bambie Thug has got something for you! With their “Doomsday Blues”, they provide a mix of jazz, rock, and electropop, which Bambie refers to as “ouija pop”. While it’s an acquired taste amongst the fandom, Bambie proves themselves time and time again on stage, and could bring Ireland newfound fortune in this year’s field.
Two Estonian bands, 5miinust and Puuluup couldn’t be any more different. The former is one of Estonia’s most popular hip-hop groups, whereas the latter is known for their neo-folk music, particularly with the talharpa. But with “(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi”, a song inspired by a conversation about not knowing much about drug usage, they made magic, winning Eesti Laul and becoming a hit in Estonia itself. With its eccentric mix of genres and a dance move which could make its way to Tiktok.
Another one is Joost’s “Europapa”, which quickly accumulated YouTube views and Spotify listens as soon it was released. Like with “We Will Rave”, it goes back to the 1990s for inspiration; but has a darker edge to the happycore love letter to Europe. “Europapa” also makes references Joost’s late father through Joost’s journey and the outro in the end.
Continuing the 1990s trend is Windows95Man, going into the competition with “No Rules!” Finland’s follow-up to “Cha Cha Cha”, the track is a statement of living your life on your own terms, and the eccentric performance leans onto that principle.
Now it’s your turn–which genre could stand out in this year’s contest?