Who will win the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest? We conclude our coverage of this year's entries by discussing the 26-song lineup in Saturday's Grand Final.
Friday evening Mike and Ben talked about this year's Eurovision Song Contest—the surprises from the first semifinal, the upheaval on the odds chart, and our hopes and dreams for the Grand Final. The competition begins at 9pm CET, 3pm Eastern, and 12pm Pacific.
Mike: Hello, Cleveland calling
Ben: Cambridge reporting in as well. Well...16/20 of the semi-final entries predicted correctly. Not bad, considering the field this year.
Mike: Yeah, everybody stepped up their game this year, which I hope is a trend and not a fluke.
Ben: Agreed.
Mike: Should we dive right into the final?
Ben: Sure, we could also start by talking about what didn't make the final
Mike: I'm not through the denial phase in my mourning, but perhaps this will help.
[caption id="attachment_2700" align="alignright" width="150"]
Tanja / Estonia (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Ben: Perhaps. I think the only surprise from the first semi-final for me was Estonia not making it through
Mike: I was shocked initially since I thought Tanja and co. had sufficiently distanced themselves from the "Euphoria" comparisons.
Ben: even though it wasn't my particular cup of tea (there was something about Tanja's voice), it seemed strong enough in its field to make it through
right. It was enough of its own thing
Mike: Watching back the performance Tuesday night it was....not great
Ben: Agreed. I was disappointed at how they used the stage.
You have all these screens and the grid available
and go "Make it look like the rehearsal studio we practiced this in"
Mike: Belgium not advancing was a bit of a surprise. I mean, it's a perfect entry for Motherboy XXXV, but I thought it would have been reward for Axel singing the hell out of it.

Ben: Well, now I've got the image of Buster singing that for Lucille in my head. Which is perfect. He did sing the hell out of it, but it maybe got a little too opera-y for Eurovision viewers? France tried that a few years ago
and everyone thought it would do really well because Opera and then it didn't.

Mike: Hehe, yeah, that was the last time the Contest reached a level of competitiveness so rarely experienced.

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Hersi / Albania (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Ben: Another performance I thought was great in the first semi was Albania. I could have seen that one getting through on the strength of Hersi's performance.

Mike: Yes, she turned it out. Also: getting the tattoo for the postcard was a level of dedication I would like to see from more ESC acts.

Ben: Yeah. We should talk about how awesome the postcards are this year at a later point in this conversation. Because I've been straight up loving how they did them this year.

Ben: How did Israel not make it this year? We had talked about how the performance needed to be dynamic, and I thought they did enough to make the final.
Mike: Everybody missed on that one. The dreaded two-spot strikes again, I suppose.

Ben: True. I tend to not give too much credence to the "cursed" spots. But I'll definitely be interested to see how much this one missed the top 10. For all we know, the juries could have hated that one.

Mike: Mooch was asking me earlier if there are political ramifications that Israel is experiencing at the moment, but nothing jumped to mind.

[caption id="attachment_2704" align="alignright" width="150"]
Can-Linn / Ireland (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Ben: Nowhere near the level of Russia/Ukraine, anyways there's the whole Sodastream/Palestine thing going on right now, but somehow I don't think Big Carbonation has a sway on Eurovision. I thought Ireland had a better chance of getting to the final, but the performance was sort of middling.

Mike: There were a lot of problems with that entry. Looking back, it was no different than when Eastern European countries do songs in traditional dress and folksiness.

Ben: Yeah. The backing imagery/singers/dancers were screaming IRELAND when they didn't necessarily need to. Although it may just be me, but I found the backing singers' choreography during the chorus amusing.

Mike: Do we think Georgia finished in last place?
Ben: Probably? I liked their wine-based postcard. Also I can't wait for the gifs of the drummer/parachute guy

Mike: That was a nice touch. After Belarus got in, I was worried that somehow they would advance, too.

Ben: I feel like we can't leave the second semi-final without discussing Lithuania. That performance was my favorite I've seen. I was almost on team Vilija, if only for the crazy styling.

Mike: She finally learned how to deliver the opening lines so that you could halfway understand them.

Mike: I'm not sad it didn't advance. I'm glad Lithuania went out in style.

Ben: Any other semi 2 comments, or do we dive into the big show?

Mike: Let's dive.
Eurovision Final: Songs 1-5
Ben: Ukraine! They have a person in a hamster wheel!

Mike: I LOVE this entry. I wish there was a prize for most improved from debut to performance.

Ben: They would surely win it. The only thing that disappointed me about this one is that they didn't keep the styling from the official music video. Which, admittedly, wouldn't go with the HUMAN HAMSTER WHEEL, but was awesome.

Mike: That surprised me too. Perhaps they had a different production designer for the video. My understanding is Ukraine spirited away Azerbaijan's PD, which was a brilliant move.

Ben: I thought Russia did that. Regardless of who did, I fully agree it was a brilliant move. That PD got the (in my opinion, middling) "Hold Me" to second place with a memorable stage design.

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Teo / Belarus (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Mike: Who could have used a better PD: Belarus. They had 4 months to put together a performance and guys in suits is all we get?

Ben: Seriously. As much as I ragged on that video for being a copy of a copy of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines", that would have been better than the blah choice they made.

Mike: Do we think the delay in voting results on Thursday was related in any way with this entry advancing?

Ben: Jon Ola made them run the count again because he couldn't believe his eyes.
According to his Twitter, they just needed more tabulation time. I choose to think the Eurovision producers agree with our disbelief that this made the final by saddling Teo with the doomed 2nd position.
Mike: Agreed. So Azerbaijan. A little underwhelming, I think.

Ben: Agreed. It's like someone on the production team opened the brainstorming session with "aerialist" and they just decided to go with that. Especially after the spectacle of last year's performance, it's disappointing. The lyrics of the song are crying out for a contemporary dance interpretation.

Mike: When I saw the rehearsal footage, I thought "jeez, there's a lot of setup without any payoff," and I assumed the camera was going to work around that for the actual show. That didn't happen, and it made me realize the song is also a lot of setup without any payoff.

Ben: I'm trying to think back to Tuesday's performance to remember if they used one of those great sweeping shots either to or from the ceiling of the hall and I honestly can't remember, whereas I remember last year's performance vividly, which says a lot.
.
Mike: Azerbaijan's lowest finish ever was 8th place — is this entry going to set a new low?

Ben: I think with a really stacked field this year, we might see that.

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Pollapönk / Iceland (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Mike: How will Iceland do?

Ben: This is a heavy bias talking, but I think better than people are expecting. "No Prejudice" works really well live.

Mike: I like its placement in the lineup.

Ben: And Pollaponk seems like they're truly having fun at the contest. I've been following their Facebook feed all week, and it's brought me a lot of joy did you see their Opening Ceremony outfits?

Mike: I did not. Did they go with the track suits?

Ben: I'll find you a photo
Mike: Found it. A little Mother-of-the-Bride, but I like the idea.

Ben: "By wearing dresses we are supporting women, mothers sisters, daughters and friends being discriminated because they are women, like not getting equal pay for the same job as men. We want equal rights for everybody."

Ben: I've realized they're not going to win the whole shebang tomorrow, but I'm hoping Europe surprises us with the final results. Pollaponk is the act this year I'd most want to get a drink with. Anyways, I have said enough about Pollaponk. How about Norwegian Ron Swanson?

Mike: Ooof. I liked the performance on Thursday, but I still don't understand why this is one of the frontrunners.

Ben: I'm not sure I entirely understand either (power ballads, maybe?). But I thought it was a strong performance, especially after the calmer first verse/chorus.

Mike: Sorry, I should have said "was a frontrunner": it's now 10th favorite to win

Ben: I still think it'll do well, although it's first in a pack of supposed frontrunners in the lineup

Mike: Yeah, with all of Scandinavia in the Final, there are going to be a lot of points floating around.

Ben: Yeah. It was a very good year for the Scandinavian countries. Okay, so what did you think of Romania?

Eurovision Final: Songs 6-10
Mike: I think the song is passable, but there's a lot of gimmick going on onstage.

Ben: For me, the song's always felt like it's trying too hard, and the gimmicky performance isn't helping at all.
"Playing With Fire" was better.

Mike: When describing a "Eurovision-y" song, this would be a prime example.

Ben: YES. It's Eurovision-y to a fault.

Mike: The piano donut though.......why?

Ben: I ask the same question. It clearly isn't functional.

Mike: Or practical! You see Ovi entering and exiting!

Ben: If it was large enough to hold both of them and have both of them playing, it could be cool (and remind the viewer of their last song). As it is, it's just one more unnecessary gimmick.

Mike: OH! And Paula's weird arm thing!

Ben: Paula loves that choreography during "All the things I see"

Mike: Thank goodness they're both charming.

Ben: This song is basically a series of gimmicks with just enough connecting material between them

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Aram Mp3 / Armenia (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Mike: Is that a segue to Armenia?

Ben: It is now. I like the song (and would totally give it the "Best Use of Dubstep Elements" prize), but have never understood why it was the frontrunner this year. There's a nice "You're all alone...You're not alone" mirroring in the lyrics.

Mike: I think it struck the balance between the Eurovision ethos and actually moving the medium forward a step

Ben: That could be it. The performance felt a little expected to me. Before watching rehearsal footage, I could have told you that the song would start with Aram in spotlight and would have the backdrop go crazy once the dub step drop happened. So perhaps not expected, but predictable.

Mike: Oh yeah, but I think I was expecting more visually interesting craziness instead of pyro overload

Ben: Me too.

Mike: "Aram casts Firaga"

Ben: HERE'S SOME FIRE YOU GUYS DUBSTEP IS CRAZY. For me, it's not as clear a frontrunner as "Euphoria" was a few years ago, which I think speaks to the quality of the field this year

Mike: Absolutely. I don't even think Armenia is a frontrunner at this point.

Ben: Agreed. The winner isn't already set in stone, which excites me.

Mike: Does that mean there's hope for Montenegro?

Ben: I wouldn't go that far. The skating was cool, but I'm still not sure how it fit in with the rest of the performance.

Mike: I was impressed with Montenegro's performance on Tuesday. Being able to see how the figure skater was interacting with the floor display helped a lot.

Ben: Montenegro has sent "joke" acts the past two years, so it's nice to see them take things seriously

Ben: I think the stage show was enough to push them to the final, but I'm not sure it'll take them all the way to the top.

Mike: I don't think so either, but I hope the skater earns them some points for degree of difficulty—doing those tricks on rollerblades instead of ice skates must be challenging.

Ben: Agreed. Does Poland get any difficulty points for their live laundry and butter-churning demonstration?

Mike: I mean, I'm not in the demo for that part of the performance, but I do applaud Poland for translating the video into a workable stage production.

Ben: As a representative of the demo for that part of the performance, I also applaud them for translating the video into a stage show. I was a little disappointed by Cleo's live vocals. Not that this song requires perfect pitch, but it was a little screechy.

Mike: I'll be curious to see if they improve during Saturday's show—that could have been nerves

Ben: true.

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Freaky Fortune ft. Riskykidd / Greece (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Mike: Speaking of nerves, what was going on during Greece's performance Thursday? The guy on the left flubbed his lines and had a few other hiccups during the song.

Ben: He seemed nervous. I wanted more trampoline
I also wanted the main singer to wear a shirt that's not super long for some weird reason.
8:27 PM

Ben: Again: song needed more trampoline. You could have had someone jumping for the entire song rather than just the key change

Mike: I...ugh...this entry concerns me.

Ben: Greece tends to be an inevitable inclusion in the final, but I think it'll be interesting to see if they finish outside of the top 10 this year.

Mike: I hope they do, this entry felt so phoned in.

Ben: This entry mostly highlights the difficulty of performing the current EDM trends live.
Eurovision Final: Songs 11-15
Ben: So: how about the crowd reaction to Conchita Wurst?

Mike: I have never seen/heard anything like that before

Ben: I know!

Mike: Did you hear them going nuts during the green room interview?

Ben: That's mostly what I'm referring to
Every time they were talking with her, the arena was roaring

Mike: Also: that performance was fantastic

Ben: Whoever did the staging knew what they were doing. Absolutely perfect.
Ben: Austria shot up in the prediction rankings for good reason after that performance. I think it should be interesting to see if that goodwill holds out until tomorrow.
Mike: I like Austria's place in the lineup—it will outshine Greece and Germany and it's deep enough so it will stay fresh (not that there are other bearded lady power ballads to confuse it with)
Ben: Eurovision 2027: the year we mixed up the bearded lady power ballads. Agreed on the positioning.
Mike: Hey, if Austria wins, you know there will be at least 2 copycats next year
[caption id="attachment_2947" align="alignright" width="150"]
Elaiza / Germany (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Ben: I was really digging Germany when it was released, but it's definitely getting outshined by the rest of the field this year.
Mike: Ben Morris, the guy who illustrated the delightful Eurovision MiniPop avatars, was at the jury dress rehearsal. It did not go well for Germany, apparently.
Ben: I was just about to say that of the Big 5 this year, they seem the most likely to place lowest
Mike: It's weird, because the ESC version of the song is not that drastically different from the original, but its spark faded fast
Ben: Agreed! It's a perfectly lovely song, but it's just outranked this year.
Does Sweden want to bring the contest back across the Copenhagen/Malmo bridge again?
Mike: Do they want to? Absolutely. Should they? Welllllll........
Ben: I would be on board with that if it meant we got more Lynda Woodruff, but I would also like to see another country get the contest.
Mike: I'm glad the performance was not as boring as the one I predicted, but the song leaves me cold.
Ben: Sanna does seem a little icy. I think it's a strong power ballad, but it might be missing that little extra spark to take it all the way to the top.
Mike: There's no movement until the second chorus, and even that movement is coming from the lights
Ben: From a driving in the car perspective, I played a bunch of the songs for a friend while we drove from Atlanta to Auburn for a puzzle thing and there's a lot of great things to make light of in this song, from the drumbeat that starts in the second verse to the vocal gymnastics in the chorus
Mike: I won't be surprised if "Undo" wins, but I will be disappointed
Ben: Same here.
Mike: Meanwhile, I would be thrilled AND surprised if France wins
Ben: I think they'll do well, but I don't see a win. I love the gameshow portions of the original video - there's something delightfully "flat" about the coloring but I'll be interested to see how they translate things to their stage show.
Mike: Vive la France! Yeah, they're not winning. I like that they are kicking off the second half of the show, which should provide a nice energy boost to the proceedings
[caption id="attachment_2847" align="alignright" width="150"]
Tolmachevy Sisters / Russia (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Ben: Agreed. Excellent choice by the producers. Okay, so Russia. How about that crowd reaction when they got announced?
Mike: I LOLed
Ben: As did I. The thing that sort of confuses me is how much more it feels like one of the Tolmachevy Sisters is singing.
Mike: I mean, there was so much to boo, I'm sure the reasons weren't unanimous
Ben: It feels like the melody could be split between them on the verses but it's like 2/3rds left one, 1/3 right one
Mike: Yeah, I noticed that too. I think the shell game between the chorus and the verse is supposed to make you forget but it still comes through as uneven
Ben: the main theme of the performance (besides "please don't hate us") seems to be LOOK AT THESE TWO IDENTICAL PEOPLE SINGING THE SONG, and the song feels like one person could be singing it with a bunch of backing singers. Also, how about that balance beam?
Mike: I was more impressed with the Gandalf realness after their braid comes undone
Ben: Yep. Also, did the simultaneous turn to camera and smile creep you out at the end of the song?
Because it creeped me out at the end of the song. Thanks, images of identical twins in popular media!
Mike: I was watching at work and may have not been paying attention. And I may have also not been paying attention when I rewatched later on Tuesday.
Ben: Okay, well pay attention tomorrow. They'll do it again.
Mike: If any other country did that entry, no way would it have qualified.
Ben: FULLY AGREED
Eurovision Final: Songs 16-20
Mike: What do you think about Italy's entry?
Ben: Personally, I liked last year's better, although I like that they're going outside of their jazzy comfort zone
The song this year makes me think of ads for DSW
Mike: HAHAHA
Ben: Right? Just lots of shots of shoes in the street and walking around while the chorus plays
Mike: All I can think about is how "Bad Romance" came out five years ago. Maybe not the strongest aesthetic choice?
Ben: Maybe. The outfits in the video were cool, but I didn't get the feeling that any of them were really Emma
Mike: Of course, I LOVED Italy's last three entries, so I'm not as keen on them leaving their zone.
Ben: Last year's was my favorite of theirs since they came back. I'm interested to see how strong Emma's vocals will be live. I looked up some performances and I think it'll depend on how active the rest of her performance ends up being
Mike: I feel like nobody has been talking about this entry, so I'll be curious to see how that affects the final score.
Ben: Agreed. I think we'll see a lower score than last year.
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Tinkara Kovač / Slovenia (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Mike: Well, we know Slovenia will finish better than last year (they were in absolute last place).
Ben: They can only go up. I remember really liking this one as we shifted from phase 1 to phase 2 of coverage, but it's another one where more time with the rest of the time has diminished it in my opinion. The song's nice, but the performance underwhelmed me.
Mike: I think they couldn't stop fiddling with it and the song became overproduced.
Ben: I'd agree with you there, especially that new microphone effect that suddenly popped up in the performance
Mike: I think if they stuck with having a band like in the national final, this would have been a much stronger entry. I'm glad it qualified, but I think it may underwhelm in the full field.
Ben: Agreed. I was hoping for some circular camera effects like the national performance.
Mike: The stage vortex also seems ill-advised.
Ben: But with the full field, I fear they may end up closer to the bottom. On the plus side, this time it's the bottom of the grand final.
Ben: Finland, Finland, Finland (the country where I'd like to be pony trekking or camping, or just watching TV)
Mike: Slightly different vibe than last year
Ben: I think I said it in my review, but their song reminds me of The Killers
Mike: Absolutely.
Ben: both the song and the styling
Mike: I wish Finland had done their selection a little later in the season. I don't think this song got the traction it deserved.
Ben: Agreed. The Finnish selection is always one of my favorites if only for the styling of the judges
Mike: Hehe
Ben: Finnish hipsters are on an entire other level. But this one could totally get under ranked
Mike: It did advance from the surprisingly tough second semi, so maybe people are paying attention
Ben: True. If anything, at least it's better than last year's entry
Mike: (...I liked last year's entry quite a bit...)
Ben: I liked it from a musical perspective, but the lyrics irked me. But enough of 2013 Finland, how about 2014 Spain?
[caption id="attachment_2950" align="alignright" width="150"]
Ruth Lorenzo / Spain (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Mike: It's a Eurovision first: I like Spain's entry!
Ben: THE RAIN! THE RAIN! THE RAIN!
Mike: DANCING! DANCING! Maybe that's why Estonia didn't advance
Ben: I think the updated version is better than the original version, but it's still not one of my favorites amongst the Big 5. I'm not sure what to think of its positioning in the final
Mike: Relative to how Spain has been doing the last few years, it should do quite well. Overall, I would guess middle of the pack?
Ben: That's my guess as well. Better than usual, but it's a strong field.
Mike: Ruth Lorenzo can deliver a power vocal, so that could help
Ben: True.
Mike: This is kind of a weird stretch, going from Finland's rock to Spain's power ballad to Switzerland's pop
Ben: Yeah. "Well, these three have to go somewhere." "Just stick them together."
Mike: "In the middle of the second half." I was impressed with the performance of this, but the song still kinda bugs.
Ben: Sebalter's song has grown on me, but I still have no idea what he's talking about. Switzerland would totally sneak an extra 6 people on that stage if they could.
Mike: I think this song has this year's most upsetting lyric: "I am the hunter / you are the prey / tonight I'm gonna eat you up" And I say that knowing Switzerland is followed by a song about child abuse
Ben: I would vote for "I'm/ skinning you out/ no longer apaaaaaaaart" but Switzerland is definitely up there.
Mike: Not to be overly punny, but is Hungary out of the running to win?
Eurovision Final: Songs 21-26
Ben: I'm not sure they're completely out, but with Conchita stepping up, they're going to need to fight more. There's 5 or 6 songs sort of vying for the win this year, so it's going to be all about who performs best.
Mike: That's a fair assessment. I think Hungary needs to work out some of the kinks from Tuesday's performance if they want to stand a chance. I continue to be impressed with what Malta has been doing
Ben: The song's grown on me, but I felt the performance needed a little more energy. To quote a friend on Twitter: "Malta, I am here for you, but no one is sending you to the finals for a non-existent stage show and a dead eyed stare."
Mike: Yeah, the staging could have been a little more interesting, but the execution of the backing vocals caught my attention. Hitting the timbre to match the studio version in a live performance takes some skill
Ben: The Mumford & Sons influence is nice, but I thought there needed to be some more active camera work.
The vocals were nice (and, with the jury, may have helped them out), but in a larger field of songs this one doesn't feel as strong.
Mike: I wonder how much of the camerawork/energy was dictated by being first in the lineup
Ben: I guess we'll see, now that they're 22nd in the lineup.
Mike: I also think it's cutesy having "Coming Home" immediately followed by the host country's entry
Ben: I hadn't thought of that. Sneaky producers!
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Basim / Denmark (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Mike: I think Denmark may be my least favorite of the auto-qualifiers
Ben: I still really like the song, but it's no longer my favorite of the auto-qualifiers, either. I think it's a nice blast of energy after Malta
Mike: It feels out of place from the rest of the field, but in a dated rather than revolutionary sort of way
Ben: Right. Eurovision should be as much about looking forward as it is mixing in what's going on in music now and this feels very "now," which actually isn't a bad strategy when you're the host nation. Do well enough to show why you got the hosting gig in the first place, but not so well you have to run it again.
Mike: I noticed something similar last year—it felt like Sweden was experimenting since they had a freebie
Ben: I could see this placing in the top 15
Mike: Absolutely. I'd even go so far as cusp of Top 10 (even though I personally would not appreciate that outcome)
Ben: Agreed. So somewhere between 10th to 15th place, which seems about right. One I'd definitely like to see crack the top 10 is The Netherlands. Whoever did their production design this year knocked it out of the park
Mike: I love everything about this entry, including the fact that it is now third favorite to win the Contest. Thank you Europe for appreciating this song.
Ben: I did not like "Birds" last year. At all. But I love that this weird piece of Dutch Americana is getting a bunch of love. They found a way to still feel intimate, but also make the song arena-ready
[caption id="attachment_2570" align="alignright" width="150"]
Valentina Monetta / San Marino (Eurovision MiniPop: Ben Morris)[/caption]
Mike: And seemingly out of nowhere. This didn't seem to be on many people's radar before Tuesday. Also not on radar: San Marino!
Ben: I had completely taken it out of contention after seeing the rehearsal footage
Mike: Me too, I had been describing it as Petula Clark on Ed Sullivan
Ben: I'm so happy they've finally made the final, even if I don't like this song as much as I did last year's
Mike: I thought Valentina had one of the best vocals on Tuesday. That's what three years of experience gets you.
Ben: To think that we've come from the Facebook Song (uh-oh-ooh-uh-ohhhh) to this in 3 years...Now next year Valentina can just watch the competition from her couch or airplane hangar or whatever
(assuming they don't just keep sending her until the European public just give them the win so they stop)
Mike: Do you think Europe will let the UK have the win this year?
Ben: I think the producers picked a perfect closer for the show with the UK's entry this year. I had a hunch that if it ended up in the second half, they'd use it as a closer. It's my favorite of the auto-qualifiers: there's a great anthemic nature, it mixes a lot of different influences (there's shades of Florence + the Machine and what's going on right now with UK Drum n' Bass in there). Switching from picking some revival act to the Introducing... program is the smartest decision the BBC's made since bringing selection internal. If they hadn't done this, I would have suggested trying to tap someone from the "Sound of..." poll they do every year
Mike: I do like that the Beeb is finally taking the Contest seriously, but there's something about this entry I find off-putting that I can't quite put my finger on
Ben: it's a little "up with people" for me, but that happens
Mike: Yeah...it feels a little unearned. It also doesn't help that the Brits I know who fully support this entry approached Engelbert with the same degree of enthusiasm.
Ben: I would have loved to see them tap into lesser known artists earlier than this - there's groups like The Noisettes who have been doing similar anthemic stuff for years and would probably jump at the chance for a stage like Eurovision. This would have been a perfect entry in 2012, if not for the fact that it's straight up called "winner":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDdXLWxtCJM
(I have a lot of opinions on british pop/rock)
Mike: Is it too early to start the rumor that the Spice Girls are in talks to rep the UK in 2015? ALLEGEDLY
Ben: Wasn't that the rumor this year as well before we found out about Molly?
Mike: It's the rumor every year. And every year it makes me sad when it's not true.
Ben: One other note about the UK's entry that may explain why I like it so much: it sounds like the one pop-ish track they tend to fit in to the soundtrack to the Doctor Who Christmas Special every year which is always a little spacey/up with people/twinkly.
Mike: YES. That sums it up perfectly.
Eurovision Final: Predictions
Mike: Alright, we went through all 26 entries. Who are your picks?
Ben: hmmm...UK, Austria, Netherlands with Iceland as a sentimental favorite that hasn't a snowball's chance in hell of winning everything.
Mike: I think I'm going with Austria to win, hoping for Netherlands, expecting Sweden, and cautiously optimistic for Ukraine to finish in the Top 5. Who do you think will finish last?
Ben: Belarus or Slovenia, although I could see Germany end up down there too
Ben: I don't think we're going to see any nul points this year
Mike: It pains me to say it, but I'm worried France is not going to connect with the general audience
Ben: True. I like their entry, but I also have hipster taste.
Mike: No matter what happens, it should be a fantastic show.
Ben: Agreed. I'm loving the venue (if only for the great use of height by so many of the acts) and the postcard idea of having artists recreate their flag is fantastic
Mike: And brilliantly executed. I loved Iceland's and Azerbaijan's
Ben: I like these much better than the Azerbaijani ones from a few years ago which became a fun game at the party "Azerbaijan: Land of...": "Azerbaijan: Land of Constant Tire Fire", "Azerbaijan: Land of Maiden Tower"
Mike: Hehe. Any final thoughts?
Ben: Covering this has been fun, and I'm excited for what looks to be an awesome show. Remember to spay and neuter your dogs and cats.
Mike: Thanks for joining the conversation!