1 star: Dud

2 stars: Meh

3 stars: Contender

4 stars: Strong chance

5 stars: Winner

1. NORWAY

Kyle Alessandro - Lighter

Our Norwegian singer, Emmy, failed to make the cut, but this one did. Them’s the breaks... Generic and formulaic, teenager Kyle’s effort is destined to get lost in the crowd. At least we get the rare treat tonight of hearing a song in English. Kyle might as well have stuck to Norwegian.

1 star

2. LUXEMBOURG

Laura Thorn - La poupée Monte Le Son (The Doll Turns Up The Sound)

This aul doll’s average song is boosted by a stage show that is breath-taking, even by modern Eurovision standards. Fun fact: the song wasn’t influenced by the Barbie film, rather by the fact Luxembourg’s winning tune 60 years ago was also about a doll.

2 stars

3. ESTONIA

Tommy Cash - Espresso Macchiato

Now this is what Eurovision is all about. A hyper fella doing the oddest dance moves you ever saw - is he double-jointed, or just, er, jointed? Fun and frothy, and the song is a tribute to coffee! Look out for the stage ‘invader’ - à la Courtney Cox and The Boss. Possible top four this.

4 stars

4. ISRAEL

Yuval Raphael - New Day Will Rise

Defying calls to ban Israel from the contest, Yuval, a survivor of the music festival attack on October 7, 2023, in which 378 people died, provides a suitably haunting anthem with a message of hope.

3 stars

5. LITHUANIA

Katarsis - Tavo akys (Your Eyes)

I’m not sure grunge will ever be a success at Eurovision, but at least this is a sighting of the lesser-spotted band tonight - where have they all gone? Truly, we live in the age of individualism. These miserable party-poopers came ahead of Ireland on Thursday... how?

1 star

6. SPAIN

Melody - Esa Diva

A song appealing to all the ladies out there to find their inner diva (even “early-rising mothers”). It’s all rather drab, with a few clickety-clicks here and there to remind us it is the........

© Evening Echo