"Can Estonia avoid the tragedy of absolute last place with "Verona"?
Country: Estonia
Song Title: "Verona"
Artist: Koit Toome & Laura
Second Semi-Final: Position #18
Last year's entry: "Play" - Juri Pootsmann (DNQ - 18th Place, SF1 - Absolute Last Place)
Estonia has nowhere to go but up after finishing in dead last in last year's Eurovision semi-finals. Although "Play" is a fantastic song, poor staging choices and a lackluster performance completely sunk that entry. Can "Verona" by Koit Toome & Laura reverse the Baltic country's fortunes?
Hmmm, welllll.......
Okay, here's the thing. Estonia has been sending rather somber entries the last few years. Though the tempo and tone sounds a little upbeat, "Verona" has the same doomed romance vibe as 2015's "Goodbye to Yesterday" by Elina and Stig. Though this track is radio friendly, the song is still kind of a downer. There hasn't been much traction for this song on YouTube, but that could be a function of the video not being overly interesting and the song available on Spotify.
The advantage here is that both Koit Toome & Laura have Eurovision experience. Toome represented Estonia in 1998 while Laura was part of the group Suntribe, which participated in 2005. Although the Contest has changed significantly in the intervening years, knowing the ropes should allow for a slightly stronger performance.
Also working in Estonia's favor: placement in the running order. Estonia will perform just after Lithuania and right before Israel, the last act of the semi-final. Of the three songs, this one has the clearest story and leaves a much bigger impression in terms of vocals and musicality. The second half of the second semi-final is not stacked with powerhouses((they're all in the first semi-final)), so there's more of a fighting chance.
Although I don't think Estonia has a shot at winning Eurovision, I don't think a trip to the Grand Final is out of the question.