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The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest starts in less than a week! It’s time to Get To Know Your Eurovision Entries! Let’s take a look at the contestants that will compete in the second semi-final. 

Armenia: “Walking Out,” Srbuk

Armenia has a stellar track record at Eurovision, but they suffered a minor slip-up last year when “Qami” failed to qualify. So this year, they’re back to their usual formula– a high octane song with a big chorus. Srbuk is starting off the show on Thursday, May 16th and her vocals are to die for (not mad at that key change!). Hopefully Armenia will bring it next week.  

Ireland: “22,” Sarah McTernan

Ireland, the country with the most wins in Eurovision history, had a great year last year. The sweet ballad by Ryan O'Shaughnessy gained worldwide attention thanks to its charming music video, which featured a gay couple. The Irish entry this year is a cute little pop song by Sarah McTernan. “22″ is bubbly and radio-ready.  

Moldova: “Stay,” Anna Odobescu

After putting on an amazing show two years in a row (Sunstroke Project finished third in 2017 and DoReDos came tenth last year), Moldova is sending a ballad that feels dated compared to the successes of the past few years. Plus, at the big show, “Stay” will feature sand art, which is something Ukraine did in 2011. 

Switzerland: “She Got Me,” Luca Hänni 

It’s been a rough couple of decades for Switzerland. Sure, they gave us the first ever Eurovision winner, Lys Assia. And a young Celine Dion represented the Swiss in 1988, which launched her international career. But they’ve had a lot of misfires recently, up until now. Luca Hänni is very successful in Switzerland and neighboring countries. He’s quite cute, and the song is a BOP. “She Got Me” is a big dance track with a latin twist. It’s fair to say that this song has the most personality of a Swiss entry since... well, ever. (Except for maybe this, which sadly, didn’t make it out of the national final.) With Luca representing them, Switzerland is looking at a top ten finish for the first time in a long, long time. 

Latvia: “That Night,” Carousel

Carousel is a Latvian band that brings us a quiet little song called “That Night.” It’s moody and pretty, but it will most likely suffer from following the high-energy Swiss entry. However, its simplicity could pay off, as it’s quite different from everything else in this semi-final. 

Romania: “On a Sunday,” Ester Peony

After a somewhat controversial win at the national final (she came first with the jury, but didn’t do that well with the public televote), Ester Peony will be representing Romania. “On a Sunday” is a little bluesy, a little goth. Romania is bringing the pyrotechnics to the Eurovision stage, which is a great thing– if they want to make the final, they’ll have to make this entry a bit more memorable. 

Denmark: “Love is Forever,” Leonora

In 2018, Denmark enjoyed a top ten finish with Rasmussen and his vikings. This year, the Danes are sending Leonora with the cutesy “Love is Forever.” It’s a sweet sentiment, but the song might be a little too saccharine. This is the first Danish entry to be multi-lingual; “Love is Forever” includes verses in Danish and English, but also French and German.

Sweden: “Too Late for Love,” John Lundvik

The Swedes are heavy hitters at Eurovision. They’ve got six wins under their belts, and they always send something polished. This year is no exception. John Lundvik made his Melodifestivalen (Sweden’s national selection show) debut in 2018 with a song that landed him in third place. So this year, he came back with an even bigger anthem and won. It’s a catchy tune, made better with his fabulous gospel backing singers. Fun fact, John was one of the co-writers for the British entry this year, “Bigger Than Us.” So he’ll be competing against himself (although it’s unlikely the UK will be able to topple Sweden). 

Austria: “Limits,” PÆNDA

Last May, we all watched with surprise as the Austrian contestant, César Sampson, was announced as the jury’s favorite, finishing in third place at the Grand Final. This year, Austria chose PÆNDA, born Gabriela Horn, to represent them at Eurovision. The blue-haired songstress brings us a pretty ballad called “Limits.” It’s a nice song, but as with so many others in this semi-final, we are left wanting more. 

Welcome back to Get To Know Your Eurovision Entries! Let’s continue with our analysis of the 2019 Eurovision songs. Next up, the remaining eight acts of the first semi-final. (If you’re curious about the others, check them out here.)

Belgium: “Wake Up,” Eliot

The last time Belgium did well at Eurovision was in 2017, with a young lady named Blanche. So this year, Belgium has teamed up the writer of that song, Pierre Doumoulin, with singer Eliot Vassamillet. Much like 2017′s “City Lights,” “Wake Up” is modern, moody, and cool.

Georgia: “Sul tsin iare,” Oto Nemsadze

Well, let’s be honest, this is a rough one. Georgia doesn’t have a great track record at Eurovision; they’ve haven’t made the final since 2016. Singer Oto Nemsadze sings with passion, but his vocal stylings are jarring. “Sul tsin iare”means “Keep On Going,” and while the performance is powerful, it lacks universal appeal.

Australia: “Zero Gravity,” Kate Miller-Heidke

After several years of internal selections, Australia decided to open things up this year and had their first ever national selection show, Eurovision– Australia Decides. Kate Miller-Heidke, a classically trained singer and actress, was declared the winner, and this is an entry you have to see to believe. The giant platform dress– yes, we’ve seen that all before (here, here, and here). But the dark creature behind her on a pogo stick? That’s supposed to be a physical representation of “depression.” Rehearsals in Tel Aviv have just started, and rumor has it the Australians are changing things up a bit for the big show. They promise something even bigger and better.

Iceland: "Hatrið mun sigra,“ Hatari

Only Iceland could give us a performance like this. They’re a techno-punk-metal-BDSM-anti-captialist group with an uplifting message behind their song: "Hatrið mun sigra” means “Hate Will Prevail.” An usual sentiment for Eurovision, until you realize Hatari are… 90% not serious. Let’s call them an art school project all grown up. You see, when they get out of the leather and latex, they really seem like pretty nice guys! If everyone in Israel’s in on the joke, then they’ll succeed at doing Silvia Night better than Silvia Night.

Of course "Hatrið mun sigra” has created quite a stir among fans. But this is the kind of absurdity that could win Eurovision (remember 2006?). Apparently in Iceland, some of their biggest fans are toddlers and grandmas– so it would seem they appeal to a wide audience. Iceland is the only Nordic country who’s never won Eurovision, but they’ve come second twice, first in 1999. And then again, in 2009. Maybe 2019 will be their lucky year.  

Estonia: “Storm,” Victor Crone

Estonia outsourced this year by selecting Victor Crone of Sweden to represent them at Eurovision. You may remember Victor from Melodifestivalen 2015. This time, he went to nearby Estonia, got himself a song co-written by Estonian superstar Stig Rästa, and won Eesti Laul. “Storm” is a country-twinged pop song, catchy, although a little generic.  

Portugal: “Telemóveis,” Conan Osiris

Portugal, true to form, is sending us something completely different. But this year, it’s quite captivating. Conan Osiris (real name: Tiago Miranda) is an ARTISTE, darling. “Telemóveis” is a song that combines elements of traditional Portugese fado music with Asian influences. It’s extremely experimental, and will definitely stand out. Which is a risk, but one that will probably pay off.

Greece: “Better Love,” Katerine Duska

After failing to qualify for the final last year with a Hellenic ballad, Greece is back to their normal form by sending a party song. Katerine Duska is a native Canadian, of Greek ancestry, and has a very Florence Welch vibe. “Better Love”is cool and current, and it’s likely the Greeks will give us a very polished performance.

San Marino: “Say Na Na Na,” Serhat

Serhat, who previously represented San Marino in 2016, had one of the surprise hits of that year with his song “I Didn’t Know.” He came 12th in his semi-final, so he just failed to make the final, but a star was born that day. He went on to record a disco duet of the song with Martha Wash(!), of The Weather Girls(!!), that popped up on the US dance charts. So it was inevitable that Serhat would return to Eurovision one day. “Say Na Na Na” continues with the disco theme. It’s one of the year’s most joyous, and also, most stupid, songs. Serhat was chosen to close out first semi-final, which means we can probably expect a high-energy, fabulous performance. San Marino has only made the final once in its decade of Eurovision participation, so hopefully Serhat will give us something spectacular once again.