38. Sara Siipola
39. Nutsa
40. Aiko
41. iolanda
42. Mabel
43. Megara
44. Rachel Chinouriri
45. Saba
46. Sigga Ózk
47. Bebe Rexha
48. Caroline Polachek
49. Gåte
50. Nebulossa
18. Ava Max
19. Zara Larsson
20. Dasha
21. Kaleen
22. Tyla
23. Alessandra
24. Addison Rae
25. Marina Satti
26. Olivia Rodrigo
27. Alyona Alyona
28. Loreen
29. Nemo
30. Sarah Bonnici
31. Angy
32. Margaret Berger
33. Sini Sabotage
34. Sofía Coll
35. Erica-Cody
36. KEiiNO
37. Raylee
My top 50 artists of 2024 on Spotify:
1. Charli xcx
2. Dua Lipa
3. Sabrina Carpenter
4. Chappell Roan
5. Ariana Grande
6. Bambie Thug
7. Angelina Mango
8. Tate McRae
9. Jacqline
10. Kesha
11. Becky Hill
12. Annalisa
13. Mette
14. Camila Cabello
15. Lady Gaga
16. Halsey
17. Jade
My December Receiptify:
My nostalgia kicks in hard at the end of the year
Like they only really have Wednesday now that doesn’t have an end in sight and if it ends up having Squid Game’s drop in quality, it won’t last either. The characters were certainly stronger in S2 I will say and Hyun-joo and Geum-ja are iconssss.
I really enjoyed Squid Game 2 but the drop in quality is stark. The first 2 episodes are just filler and plot outlining, much of the story repeats S1, the artistry and cinematography feels completely lost and that finale is just a crime. Idk how Netflix thinks it’s gonna survive.
Forgot to post before but here’s my updated rankings of the last 10 entries from Albania 🇦🇱 and Montenegro 🇲🇪:
RTL 🇱🇺 has posted this on their ESC account so it’s looking positive for a Luxembourgish debut in JESC 2025 as well. The age ranges match up and Tali is coaching so it really does appear to be a signal after they broadcasted the contest for the first time in 2024.
Honestly, the vibes from Elvana this time just seem so positive and it seems she’s listening to the critiques and wanting to do better. That makes me hopeful of a return. Give us Gajde 2.0 and you got it girl.
It’s kinda weird that this is the first FiK I’ve seen where the top 2 did not need any serious revamp to qualify. Like the quality was already where it needed to be which is a testament to Elhaida but also to the need for pre-performance releases.
I think either of these entries were going to be a positive step for Albania and for FiK and either were gonna be my new winner. At the very least, I’m expecting Albania back in the top 20, but we’ll have a revamp too and that staging needs as much as energy as she has.
Honestly tonight was kinda the best outcome RTSH could’ve hoped for. If there’s one thing that seems clear tonight, it was not rigged and the public was listened to. The 2 most popular dominated all parts of the vote and it was incredibly close. Well done Shkodra Elektronike.
Eurofan duty completed 🫡🇦🇱
Monaco 🇲🇨 is merging its 2 existing broadcasters in September 2025 which may explain their absence and unusual radio silence. We may be looking at 2027 for any chance of a return from then it seems now since they’ll have too short notice likely for 2026.
SOS Deluxe was worth the wait for sure. Forgot how good the original was but who decided to make Saturn the deluxe lead bc it’s one of the weakest tracks. Kitchen and Another Life are the standouts but love What Do I Do, BMF and Scorsese Baby Daddy too.
Oh Slayvenia never change. Please let this be like Finland’s moment in 2022. They’re already gonna struggle to stay with that privatisation bill but this is just some necessary extra pressure.
Ohhhhh, wait the act I wanted was acc chosen, this never happens in internal selections 😱🤩
Come on Netherlands 🇳🇱, they are coming for revenge
Ok I take everything back, Luxembourg PICK LUZAC!!!! You are qualifying once again, omg Linda Dale is a Eurovision goddess. Him and Elvana have my songs of the season by a hell of a mile.
My fav Sanremo titles:
Bresh - The Crab’s Lair
Brunori - The Walnut Tree
Elodie - Forget By 7
Francesca - Mud In Paradise
Lucio - I Wanted To Be Tough
Noemi - If You Fall In Love, You Die
Olly - Foolish Nostalgia
Rose - Outlaw
Sarah - Amarcord
Kolors - Who Do You Make Love With?
Listened to the Sanremo Newcomers finalists so here’s my ranking:
1. Alex Wyse - Rockstar
2. Settembre - Vertebre
3. Vale LP & Lil Jolie - Dimmi Tu Quando Se Pronto Per Fare L’Amore
4. Maria Tomba - Goodbye (Voglio Good Vibes)
All solid and better than usual Giovani entries.
I’d say Spain are looking at a 15th-26th place finish in the final still without seeing the stage potential of these entries and depending on what they choose but I also can see them push higher.
I do still have criticisms though: there is way too much of a focus on the Spanish market once again which is important but we’ve seen with Eaea and Zorra that Europe has a different taste and also, we need more variety than dance pop, flamenco and feel-good radio pop.
For me, the quality is better than 2022 and 2024 but 2023 is far above them all still. Staging is gonna be key to winning bc there’s no standout and I could see J Kbello even being in the conversation too. My guess is that it will be Carla v Lachispa though.
My initial Benidorm Fest 2025 Ranking:
This is a significantly stronger selection than last year. There’s plenty of radio songs again but a lot more ambition and chaotic production than before. 13/16 entries are solid to me but the top 4 is where I’m looking for the BF winner.
Looks like Croatia 🇭🇷 will be returning to Junior Eurovision in 2025 as HRT has budgeted €78k for the competition which would likely cover their participation fees.
Literally no-one has ever said that the grand final voting is more stressful and emotional than the semi final voting. The semis are the best part of the entire event to see who qualifies and the way it’s done creates so much suspense. Stop tryna make innovations no-one wants.
Waking up to finding out the EBU has told Israel they will be excluded from Eurovision 2025 if the privatisation bill is passed and Norway is refusing to play against them in the World Cup Qualifiers until FIFA investigates them, okayyy, let’s keep this energy going!
Finally watched Anora and all I have to say is Cynthia I love you, but that Best Actress Oscar is for Mikey Madison. The emotional journey that movie took me on was unlike any other movie I’ve seen. To totally command a film for 2hr20 with pure emotion, she’s an insane talent.
So we’re going full censorship mode with heavy media control, silencing acts and doubling down on the exact problems created last year and tons of vague corporate language that is very intentionally written so that it can be used whenever the EBU wants to throw a temper tantrum.
You could switch out 4 songs with Ma Ei Tea Sind, Espresso Macchiato, Armageddon & Külm and it would be a significantly better lineup. Personally love Marta Lotta and Sarah Murray but I think the main contenders for the last spot are Horror Dance Squad, Cecilia and Felix Enghult.
