Eurovision 2013: Semi 1 Predictions and Hopes
We’re only a few hours away from tonight’s First Semifinal, where sixteen songs will vie for only ten spots in Saturday’s Final. After over a week’s worth of staring, examining, and likely over-analyzing each entry and presentation, most people here in the Press Centre have come up with their list of likely qualifiers, as well as their personal favorites.
…and who am I to argue with tradition?
If I were to make an educated guess about tonight’s Qualifiers, I’d guess that the Top Ten will be:
- Austria
- Belarus
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Ireland
- Moldova
- Netherlands
- Russia
- Serbia
- Ukraine
However, if we were going simply on my personal preferences, my Dream Team would be:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Ireland
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Slovenia
- Ukraine
Who are your picks? Leave a comment, send a Tweet (@escinsider)…have your say!
Also, if you’re looking for alternate commentary, look no further than ESC Insight, who will be providing a downloadable mp3 (available here) as well as our new App (available for Apple devices, downloadable here)!
Posted on May 14, '13, in 2013, Personal, Special Comment. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
The ESC Insider 
Oh heck, I’ll give this a shot:
Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Ireland
Moldova
Netherlands
Russia
Serbia
Ukraine
I’m taking everyone’s word for it that Belarus isn’t cutting it live. Otherwise I’d have them in place of either Estonia or Cyprus. (Probably Estonia due solely to the running order.)
And a bonus prediction: If she qualifies, Cyprus gets the #2 position in the final. They’re the country that least wants to win.
By the way, am I the only one who thinks Estonia’s song sounds like it should be the closing credits theme to a girly Anime series? No series in particular … I just get that “Japanese Pop Ballad Sung by a Seiyu” vibe from it. Here’s a specimen for comparison purposes:
So Despoina is this year’s Pernilla Karlsson.
Sad about Croatia, and indignant about Lithuania and Ireland.
Now I can take your word on the contenders for Barbara Dex. Israel has a taste issue, while Romania is aiming for over-the-top; what is Serbia’s excuse?
Scratch what I said about Cyprus; that was under the assumption that she was a high-scoring non-qualifier. Other than that, I would draw a parallel between them.
How Serbia evaded last place is beyond me. It was by far the worst, from concept to execution. It also contained one of the two awkwardly placed on-stage embraces in my memory this year, the other coming from Fyrom. Hugging is a behaviour that should be encouraged, and those instances do not support this claim.
Ireland? Suitable last place entry in my opinion.
Russia? Sex-free is the word.
Winner? What winner? Denmark? Oh, she was more pleasant than her Ukrainian cousin we met back in 2011, I suppose.