- “Fulenn” by Alvan & Ahez (France)
- “Hope” by Stefan (Estonia)
- “Rockstars” by Malik Harris (Germany)
- “Die Together” by Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord (Greece)
- “Hold Me Closer” by Cornelia Jakobs (Sweden)
Fulenn – Alvan & Ahez
Pretty bold of France to compete with this entry after the absolute rave that was “SHUM” by Go_A. I can’t help but compare the two. The drop doesn’t feel as inspired in my opinion. I feel like I’ve heard it before. The energy level also doesn’t move around as much as Go_A’s entry. Alvan & Ahez kinda remind me of “Nova Deca” from 2018, which is another entry I wasn’t too crazy about. Even so, I still think it’s cool that they are competing with a song in Breton instead of French.
Hope – Stefan
I’m not really a country fan so I can’t help but be a little biased against this song. Someone in the comments section said that this song sounds like “Hey Brother” by Avicii and now I can’t unhear it. It wasn’t until the “I hope” section of the song that I really started getting into it. Overall, I don’t mind listening to “Hope,” but it’s not a winner for me. Sorry, Stefan.
Rockstars – Malik Harris
I wasn’t sure what to expect when listening to this song. But as I listened to the lyrics, it was like being hit by a freight train. It was “growing up is getting old” all over again. The lyrics are both relatable and heartbreaking. I’ve personally felt a lot of the sentiments expressed in this song. This is also the second instance of rap in this contest, which I’m pretty happy about. Can’t wait to see him perform this live!
Die Together – Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord
“Die Together” has a lot of captivating moments. The use of vocoder in the beginning creates a nice texture. Then the lyrics really pull you into the song. My favourite line is “We don’t laugh anymore / And when we cry we do it on our own.” I also love the way Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord starts the second verse with just “I love you.” It sounds so tender. I just really like her voice, honestly. With the right ambience, this song will be really powerful as a live performance.
Hold Me Closer – Cornelia Jakobs
I think if I had to summarize my thoughts regarding this song, I would say “It’s good, but it’s not the best song I’ve ever heard.” I like the lyrics, Cornelia Jakob’s voice is nice, and I especially like when that bass synth kicks in during the second verse. However, I’m not as moved by “Hold Me Closer” as I had hoped. I still like this entry more than Sweden’s entry last year and I genuinely hope they do well this year. I guess it’s just not top ten material for me.
Who has my vote (for now)?
Malik Harris is getting my vote, hands down. I mean no offense to the other entries in this article, but I was really moved by Germany’s entry. I would also name Greece as an honourable mention. I’ll be honest, I was worried about the quality of the entries this year because last year was so competitive. But with 15 more entries to go, things are looking good!