The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews - Episodes Tagged with “Italy”

Episode 294: Radio Friendly

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0600

The semi-final era has not been kind to Poland. Though the country has done okay at Eurovision the last few years, they haven’t reached the heights of their debut entry in 1994. We’ll be doing a deep dive on what worked 30+ years ago and identify where Poland may secretly have its finger on the pulse of what does well at the Contest.

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

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previews of upcoming episodes,
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National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show

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Episode 284: "Joke" Entries

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Over-the-top costumes, silly phrases twisted to make catchy hooks, and a backdrop that is not always taken seriously can cause a lot of Eurovision hopefuls to be lumped (or perhaps dismissed) into the category of “joke entries.” We’ll explore some examples and try to “get it” in terms of what might be happening under the hood of these songs. Chris Molanphy from Slate’s Hit Parade will join us to help with analyzing the novelty of Eurovision entries.

"Joke" Entries Summary

What is a novelty song? (1:19)
Does "Europop" automatically mean "novelty"? (7:04)
Eurovision Joke (or Novelty?) Entries (10:04)
When Eurovision hits the Hot 100 (18:57)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

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Special Guest: Chris Molanphy.

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Episode 280: Weird Little Dudes

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Käärijä, Joost, Baby Lasagana, Tommy Cash... we've used the term "Weird Little Dudes" to describe these contestants from the last few editions of Eurovision. Something else they have in common: all were favorites to win and did extremely well in the televote. We attempt to define the term and try to identify what other Eurovision contestants may fall into this category.

Weird Little Dudes Summary

Where did the term "Weird Little Dude" come from? (1:20)
Pop Quiz: Is this act a Weird Little Dude? (3:06)
Dude (5:45)
Little (9:37)
Weird (18:16)
Are "Weird Little Dudes" actually a thing? (33:22)
Which countries are more likely to have WLDs at Eurovision? (38:28)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

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Episode 277: Nice

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0500

As we wrap up our 8th season and Eurovision's 69th (nice) edition, we take a rapid fire tour of the Contest up to this point while trying to find something nice or interesting to say about each year. Content warning: goofiness.

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Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

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Eurovision Podcast Podcrawl

What is the Eurovision Podcrawl? It's where the Eurovision podcast community picks a topic ("a year when a country first hosted Eurovision") and we all publish our episodes in our own styles. At the end of an episode, we'll point to the podcast with the next episode, and so on, through the summer! Here's the crawl:

ESC Insight: France 1959
Wind Machine Podcast: Austria 1967
The EuroWhat? Podcast: Yugoslavia 1990
Niall Points: Latvia 2003
12 Points from America: Belgium 1987
That Eurovision Site: Denmark 1964
Douze Points: Azerbaijan 2012 (week of September 8)

Episode 276: Lingua Franca

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0500

The Grand Final of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest featured 21 songs with non-English lyrics, the most to appear since the language rule was abolished in 1999. In this episode, we'll explore the history of the language rule and why language diversity has returned to the Contest.

Lingua Franca Summary

The introduction of the Language Rule at Eurovision (4:17)
The End of the Language Rule (17:17)
What may be contributing to language diversity at Eurovision? (27:29)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

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Eurovision Podcast Podcrawl

ESC Insight: France 1959
Wind Machine Podcast: Austria 1967
The EuroWhat? Podcast: Yugoslavia 1990
Niall Points: Latvia 2003
12 Points from America: Belgium 1987
That Eurovision Site: Denmark 1964 (week of August 25)
Douze Points: Azerbaijan 2012 (week of September 8)

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Episode 274: Yugoslavia 1990

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0500

1990 was the European Year of Tourism. The map of Europe was also changing, as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the movement toward what would become the European Union started to redefine the concept of borders. We’ll be taking a look at how the 1990 Contest in Yugoslavia reflected this new era in Europe, as well as how the 2025 Contest mirrors those reflections 35 years later.

Yugoslavia 1990 Summary

#EurovisionAgain, again (1:55)
A Brief History of Mascots and Postcards (4:14)
The European Year of Tourism (10:20)
How Yugoslavia Handled Tourism (15:21)
Yugoslavia at Eurovision (18:53)
The Year between Lausanne and Zagreb (22:47)
The 1990 Eurovision Song Contest (28:12)
After the Year(s) of Tourism (43:43)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Join the EuroWhat AV Club!

If you would like to help financially support the show, we are hosting the EuroWhat AV Club over on Patreon! We have a slew of bonus episodes with deep dives on Eurovision-adjacent topics.

Eurovision Podcast Podcrawl

ESC Insight: France 1959
Wind Machine Podcast: Austria 1967
The EuroWhat? Podcast: Yugoslavia 1990 (hey, that's this one!)
Niall Points: Latvia 2003 (week of July 28)
12 Points from America: Belgium 1987 (week of August 11)
That Eurovision Site: Denmark 1964 (week of August 25)
Douze Points: Azerbaijan 2012 (week of September 8)

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Episode 273: Fan Media Roundtable

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Eurovision has a unique ecosystem where the EBU and various blogs, podcasts, video channel, and other fans have a work relationship in covering the Contest. But is that relationship working? We discuss the current state of fan media with dudepoints, Niall from niallpoints, and Derek from 12 Points (all with good points).

Fan Media Summary

How was your venue covering Eurovision 2025? (4:23)
What is the distinction between fan media and "real" media? (11:27)
The EBU / Fan Media Ecosystem (17:18)
How does fan media view fan media? (23:44)
What are you looking forward to in 2026? (46:54)
The Eurovision Pod Crawl and other plugs (52:45)

_Cover photo by Fernando Lavin on Unsplash
_

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Join the EuroWhat AV Club!

If you would like to help financially support the show, we are hosting the EuroWhat AV Club over on Patreon! We have a slew of bonus episodes with deep dives on Eurovision-adjacent topics.

Eurovision Podcast Podcrawl

ESC Insight: France 1959
Wind Machine Podcast: Austria 1967
The EuroWhat? Podcast: Yugoslavia 1990 (week of July 14)
Niall Points: Latvia 2003 (week of July 28)
12 Points from America: Belgium 1987 (week of August 11)
That Eurovision Site: Denmark 1964 (week of August 25)
Douze Points: Azerbaijan 2012 (week of September 8)

Special Guests: 12 Points from America, Dude Points, and Niall Fulton.

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Episode 269: Eurovision 2025 Grand Final Preview

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Fri, 16 May 2025 00:30:00 -0500

Twenty songs have emerged from the Eurovision 2025 Semifinals and will join six auto-qualifiers on Saturday. We recap the shows from Tuesday and Thursday and get ready for the Grand Final.

Eurovision 2025 Grand Final Preview Summary

Turquoise Carpet (0:48)
Semi-Final 1 Results (3:58)
Semi-Final 2 Results (10:33)
Grand Final Preview (19:14)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Basel 2025

Keep up with Eurovision selection season on our Basel 2025 page! We have a calendar with links to livestreams, details about entries as their selected, plus our Spotify playlists with every song we can find that is trying to get the Eurovision stage.

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Episode 267: Seasoned

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 06 May 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Graphic designer and puzzler Justin Ladia returns to discuss the Eurovision 2025 auto-qualifiers: Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and host country Switzerland.

Justin Ladia

Graphic designer, puzzle person, and kendo practitioner from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Seasoned Summary

Spain - Melody - "Esa Diva" (3:27)
Italy - Lucio Corsi - "Volevo Essere Un Duro" (12:55)
Germany - Abor & Tynna - "Baller" (20:14)
United Kingdom - Remember Monday - "What the Hell Just Happened?" (29:41)
France - Louane - "maman" (42:38)
Switzerland - Zoë Më - "Voyage" (50:57)

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Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Basel 2025

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Special Guest: Justin Ladia.

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Episode 257: Disco Sauna

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0600

Azerbaijan and Iceland have their Eurovision songs selected, Germany picked their finalists, Sweden and Portugal held heats, and San Marino is doing... something.

Disco Sauna Summary

Azerbaijan's Mamagama wants to "Run With U" (1:27)
VÆB win Iceland's Songvakeppnin with "RÓÁ" (5:33)
Italy: Lucio Corsi will go to Basel with "Volevo essere un duro" (11:08)
Estonia: Tommy Cash and Joost "United by Music" (12:56)
Måns wins heat 4 of Melfest (18:29)
Portugal begins the Festival da Canção (26:20)
Germany chooses 9 Finalists (28:21)
San Marino Song Contest Semi Marathon (31:54)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Basel 2025

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Episode 256: Ren Faire

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0600

We mark the halfway point of Eurovision Selection Season with the third Super Saturday in a row.

Ren Faire Summary

Poland selects Justyna's "Gaja" (0:57)
"Espresso Macchiato" by Tommy Cash wins Eesti Laul (7:52)
Norway's Kyle Alessandro will bring "Lighter" to Basel (12:06)
Katarsis will represent Lithuania with "Tavo akys" (16:39)
Olly wins Italy's Sanremo (20:53)
Parg is a Depi Evratesil "Survivor" (26:35)
Other national selections: San Marino, Germany, Sweden, Iceland (31:55)
Coming up: Portugal's Festival da Canção (42:24)

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Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Basel 2025

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I Love Horses best of all the animals🐎 - theme song - YouTube

Episode 248: Three-Card Montesong

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

As we rush to get out of 2024 we're getting details from just about every country participating in Eurovision 2025. We recap last month's Montesong from Montenegro, learn a bit about Czechia's artist, and start adding all the dates to our calendar.

Three-Card Montesong Summary

😾 Is anyone still mad at the EBU? (1:30)
🇲🇪 Montenegro returns with Montesong... and shenanigans (7:48)
🇨🇿 Czechia selects ANDONXS for Basxl (17:34)
🇪🇺 What's Happening in the EU (Eurowhat Universe) (20:00)
🌊 All the National Selections (22:34)
🎅🏼 Through the holidays: Albania's Festivali i Kenges and the ESC250 (44:25)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

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Episode 247: Rebuilt

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

In 2019 we examined the Big 5—Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—and offered suggestions on how they might improve their standing at Eurovision. It's five years later: how are the Big 5 doing now?

Rebuilt Summary

🇮🇹 Italy (3:46)
🇪🇸 Spain (9:19)
🤗 Eurowhat AV Club Patreon and the ESC250 (16:25)
🇩🇪 Germany (18:25)
🇫🇷 France (27:07)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom (33:10)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

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Episode 241: Exotic Switzerland

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Our 8th season begins with news about Eurovision 2025 host city Basel, our first artist announcement, and a look at the history of Switzerland at the Contest.

Exotic Switzerland Summary

Basel, Switzerland will host Eurovision 2025 (0:54)
Theo Evan will represent Cyprus in Basel (4:05)
Is everyone/the Netherlands still mad at the EBU? (7:53)
Montenegro will return to Eurovision (10:08)
Italy and Sweden tweak their national selections (14:02)
Patreon: Let's Talk About Can't Stop the Music (19:27)
Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest (21:48)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

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Episode 238: Vacay

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0500

It's the Geneva Convention vs Basel Exposition for the chance to host Eurovision in 2025. Meanwhile, the production team has been announced and a new job for ESC Director is available if you wanna work with Martin. We go over July 2024 Eurovision headlines in this episode.

Vacay Summary

Geneva vs Basel (1:22)
Eurovision 2025 Staff Updates (6:22)
Patreon Summer of Celine Book Club (10:48)
22 Countries for Eurovision 2025 So Far (13:48)

Photo by Peter Conlan on Unsplash

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Malmö 2024

Stay up to date on everything happening in the leadup to the Eurovision Song Contest on our page dedicated to Malmö 2024. You can keep tabs on the countries, artists, and songs, set your laundry folding schedule with our EuroWhat's On calendar, and futz with your Spotify algorithm with our Selection Season playlist!

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Episode 235: Calm

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0500

We check in on Eurovision headlines from June 2024 including budget discussions, host city where/when, and which countries have already expressed interest in the 2025 Contest.

Calm Summary

Eurovision Ratings Omnibus 2024 (1:04)
Host City When? Host City Where? (3:26)
Is Everyone Still Mad at the EBU? (6:11)
Patreon: "I Am: Celine Dion" (8:47)
2025 Country Count: 13 (9:37)
National Selection Updates: Italy, Belgium, Albania (17:37)

Cover photo by Luis Cortés on Unsplash

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Malmö 2024

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Episode 234: A Lotta Look

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan from the celebrity fashion blog Go Fug Yourself join us to discuss fashion, stagewear, and all the lewks from Eurovision 2024. What designs worked, which were less successful, and will 2025 be an all-denim affair?

A Lotta Look Summary

Welcome, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan! (1:16)
The Turquoise Carpet (6:38)
Favorite Looks from Eurovision 2024 (9:39)
Less Successful Eurovision 2024 Looks (16:52)
Outfit Rehearsals (25:27)
Is Eurovision Fashion Second-Tier? (30:55)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

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Malmö 2024

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Special Guest: Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan.

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Episode 231: Poop Chaos

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Fri, 10 May 2024 11:00:00 -0500

In our Eurovision 2024 Grand Final Preview, we discuss the results of the two semi-finals in Malmö, make some predictions on what may happen on Saturday, and scratch why Sweden's hosting has been itching us this week.

This episode was recorded at 7pm US Eastern Time on Thursday, May 9.

Poop Chaos Summary

Corrections: Robyn Edition (0:52)
Eurovision Semi-Final 1 in Review (2:32)
Eurovision Semi-Final 2 in Review (10:46)
Grand Final Preview (27:10)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

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Malmö 2024

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Episode 230: Designated Perceived Nudity Corner

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Mon, 06 May 2024 00:00:00 -0500

It's Eurovision Week! After we get caught up on Contest news, we make our predictions on which acts will advance to Saturday's Grand Final. Will there be heartbreak in Malmö?

Designated Perceived Nudity Corner Summary

Eurovision News: Peacock, Producer's Choice, Flags (1:19)
Eurovision Semi-Final 1 Predictions (13:01)
Eurovision Semi-Final 2 Predictions (25:52)

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Malmö 2024

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Episode 229: "Authenticity"

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Chris Molanphy from Slate's Hit Parade joins us to discuss the Big 5 and Sweden's entries for Eurovision 2024. How do the entries from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the UK, and Sweden stack up to current US Billboard chart sensibilities? Are there any bangers in the mix?

About Chris Molanphy

Chris Molanphy is a chart analyst and pop critic who writes about the intersection of culture and commerce in popular music. For Slate, he created and hosts the Hit Parade podcast and writes their “Why Is This Song No. 1?” series. His most recent book is Old Town Road (DUP, 2023), about the Lil Nas X song of the same name and the chart history and race/genre intersections that led to its record-setting chart run. Chris’s work has also appeared in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Vulture, NPR Music’s The Record, The Village Voice, Billboard _and _CMJ. Chris has also been a frequent guest on National Public Radio (All Things Considered, On the Media, Planet Money, Soundcheck), on SiriusXM and on numerous podcasts including the Culture Gabfest and the New York Times Popcast.

"Authenticity" Summary

Welcome, Chris Molanphy! (0:46)
🇫🇷 France - Slimane - "Mon Amour" ❤️‍🔥 (8:22)
🇪🇸 Spain - Nebulossa - "ZORRA" 🦊 (16:46)
🇮🇹 Italy - Angelina Mango - "La Noia" 🥱 (26:51)
🇩🇪 Germany - ISAAK - "Always on the Run" 🏃 (33:34)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom - Olly Alexander - "Dizzy" 😵‍💫 (41:32)
🇸🇪 Sweden - Marcus & Martinus - "Unforgettable" 👯‍♂️ (49:43)
Final Thoughts (1:00:56)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Malmö 2024

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Special Guest: Chris Molanphy.

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Episode 218: Imaginary Beef

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0600

With Ben traveling back from Finland's UMK, guest Trip Payne taps in to discuss that national final, Latvia's Supernova, and Italy's Sanremo Festival. Then we prepare for the biggest Super Saturday of the Eurovision season coming up next weekend.

Imaginary Beef Summary

Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman will host Eurovision 2024 (2:27)
Windows95Man wins UMK with "No Rules" (4:05)
"Hollow" by Dons wins Latvia's Supernova (9:40)
"La Noia" will go to Malmo with Angelina Mango (14:29)
Lithuania's Eurovizijalt Final Field Set (25:51)
Melfest Heat 2 (27:38)
This week: Germany, Moldova, Estonia, Denmark, Iceland, San Marino (30:29)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Malmö 2024

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Special Guest: Trip Payne.

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Episode 217: Technical Difficulties

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0600

It was a Saturday so Super it stretched into Sunday... not by choice, but Ukraine loves drama. Norway, Spain, and Malta also made their Eurovision picks, Latvia and Sweden kicked off their processes, and Lithuania is almost done with their heats. Oh, and The Draw added some structure to the 2024 Contest.

Technical Difficulties Summary

The Draw handles the Semi-Final Allocation (0:27)
VidBir (eventually) selects alyona alyona & Jerry Heil & "Maria & Teresa" (4:08)
Gåte wins NRK MGP with "Ulveham" (11:05)
Nebulossa conquers Spain's Benidorm Fest with "Zorra" (14:23)
Malta has Sarah Bonnici on "Loop" (19:43)
Il Senso and Monika Marija advance in Lithuania (25:21)
Latvia's Supernova Semi-Final (28:29)
Sweden kicks off Melodifestivalen 2024 (33:01)
This week: Italy's Sanremo, Germany's Wildcard, Finland's UMK (38:59)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

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Malmö 2024

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Episode 212: 37ish

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0600

We finally have a (tentative) roster for next year's Eurovision Song Contest! Czechia has selected their entry, artists have been announced for the Netherlands, Slovenia, and the UK, and national final season details are coming into focus. What a way to wrap 2023!

37ish Summary

37 countries confirmed for Malmö (so far) (1:03)
New color scheme! (6:38)
Czechia's ESCZ puts Aiko on a "Pedestal" (8:33)
Internal artist selections: Netherlands, Slovenia, United Kingdom (14:51)
Holidays sidebar: Sam Ryder, Secret Santas, 2023 Pop Culture (22:23)
National selection details: Italy, Albania, Germany, Luxembourg, Finland, Ukraine, Croatia (24:03)

Cover photo by Scott Evans on Unsplash

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Episode 211: Allons-y!

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0600

FRANCE has jumped the gun and released their song for Eurovision 2024. Greece has announced their artist, a handful of countries have named their contestants for their national finals, and tickets were already on sale... it's barely December? Join us as we peruse Eurovision Song Contest headlines.

Allons-y! Summary

🇫🇷 France surprise announces Slimane and "Mon Amour" (0:53)
🇬🇷 Greece will send Marina Satti to Malmo (6:15)
💚 United by Music Forever (8:45)
🎫 Tickets Wave 1 Happened (10:00)
🗳️ ESC Top 250 Voting Opens (13:33)
📲 Bluesky and Patreon (16:17)
🌍 Contestant Lists: Malta, Estonia, Spain, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Ukraine (18:10)
📝 Alumni Notes: Tumblr Trends (26:42

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Episode 209: Millstreet

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0600

It's been 30 years since a small town in Ireland took on the challenge of hosting Eurovision while the concept of Europe was undergoing a transformation. We look back at Millstreet 1993, the accommodation of several new countries wanting to join the party, and... the Bartman?

Millstreet Summary

The Journey to the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest (1:14)
A Tour of Millstreet (4:58)
A Tour of Europe in 1993 (8:16)
The Eurovision 1993 Contestants and Their Performances (12:55)
Reflections on the Contest and Its Impact (34:02)

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Episode 200: PopCon 2023

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0500

2020 was a dark time for live music. It also marked the first time in the Eurovision Song Contest’s 65-year history where the competition was canceled. Rather than letting the lights go down in Rotterdam, Eurovision’s fan community and the European Broadcasting Union found new ways to celebrate the contest’s artists with at-home concerts, fan-driven countdowns, AI analysis of song content, and internet watchalongs of remastered editions of previous contests.

When the contest returned in 2021, “Open Up”—the slogan carried over from the 2020 contest—took on new meaning. Participating nations took extra precautions to put on their selection processes safely while Eurovision made sure it could be “back for good.” Fans had more say in who would be representing their nation, the Rotterdam Ahoy crew tested the feasibility of large-scale music events, and improvements in streaming platforms over the last decade meant that even more eyes were on the contest.

What wide-ranging effects could this have as Eurovision breaks out of its European bubble and starts bleeding into other areas of pop culture, including the Billboard Hot 100 and the 2023 Grammy Awards?

PopCon 2023 Summary

What is Eurovision? (8:43)
A Big Tent (12:07)
An Interlude About Digital Streaming Technology (13:10)
It is a Normal Year at Eurovision and Everything is Fine and We're Definitely NOT About to be Rocked By a Global Pandemic That Will Shut Everything Down Nine Months from Now (16:44)
#EurovisionAgain (28:57)
Back for Good (35:02)
Eurovision Song Contest: The Legend of Fire Saga (40:28)
Televising Covid (42:08)
New Engagement Opportunities (50:41)
The Covid Bubble (53:30)
The Grand Final (1:02:46)
Eurovision Around the World (1:08:53)

Thank you again to everyone listening, guests who have appeared on the show, guests who don't yet know they're going to be on the show (get hype!), and the Eurovision community at-large. This podcast is a labor of love and we're super proud to have made it to 200!

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Episode 196: Stockholm Syndrome

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 16 May 2023 00:00:00 -0500

While Ben recovers from Liverpool's Party of the Century, special guest Trip Payne stops by to chat about the 2023 Eurovision Grand Final and the battle between Sweden and Finland.

Stockholm Syndrome Summary

Eurovision Listening Project (2:35)
How was the Grand Final as a show? (5:22)
Diving into the Grand Final results (7:06)
Semi-Finals Data Drop (19:20)
Looking ahead to 2024 (23:45)

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Special Guest: Trip Payne.

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Episode 195: Eurovision 2023 Grand Final Preview

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Fri, 12 May 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Will Finland "Cha Cha Cha" to victory? Will Sweden's Loreen get a "Tattoo" to celebrate a win? Could Ukraine's "Heart of Steel" beat the competition? We recap the Eurovision 2023 Semi-Finals and make our picks for what we think will happen at the Grand Final in Liverpool.

Eurovision 2023 Grand Final Preview Summary

Semi-Final 1 Recap (2:11)
Semi-Final 2 Recap (10:06)
Grand Final Preview (18:40)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Keep tabs on everything happening with Eurovision 2023 on our website at eurowhat.com/2023

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Episode 193: Controlled Grandiosity

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 02 May 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Maura Johnston joins us as we wrestle with the Eurovision 2023 set of auto-qualifiers. Will Ukraine pull the double? Will the UK and Spain continue their glowups? Will we be going back to Italy? Will Germany get out of the basement? Is France gonna France?

Controlled Grandiosity Summary

France — La Zarra — "Évidemment" (2:16)
Germany — Lord of the Lost — "Blood and Glitter" (6:43)
Italy — Marco Mengoni — "Due Vite" (12:29)
Spain — Blanca Paloma — "EAEA" (17:08)
Ukraine — TVORCHI — "Heart of Steel" (22:44)
United Kingdom — Mae Muller — "I Wrote a Song" (28:08)
Final Thoughts (34:28)

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Episode 182: Everything Everywhere All at Once

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0600

We are all googly-eyed after a Saturday with more than 50 hours of Eurovision programming. The good news: we now have 8 more songs heading to Liverpool.

Everything Everywhere All at Once Summary

Vesna wins ESCZ with "My Sister's Crown" (1:40)
Alika will represent Estonia with "Bridges" (4:37)
Theodor Andrei's "D.G.T. (Off and On)" wins Romania's Selectia Nationala (7:37)
"Breaking My Heart" by Reiley will represent Denmark (13:32)
Let 3 dominates Croatia's Dora with "Mama ŠČ!" (17:45)
Sudden Lights wins Latvia's Supernova with "Aijā" (22:44)
Malta selects "Dance (Our Own Party)" by The Busker for Liverpool (24:22)
Marco Mangoni will represent Italy again with "Due Vite" (27:27)
Sweden's Melfest Heat 2 (32:52)
Lithuania sets the Pabandom is Nuajo Final Field (36:31)

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DORA 2023 Opening Performance | YouTube

Episode 181: Peanut Butter Yelly Time

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0600

This weekend was a practice run for Eurovision Super Saturday as Ireland, Norway, and Spain made their selections and Slovenia shared their song. Sweden and Latvia also kicked off their processes as we get ready for a deluge of entries for Liverpool.

Peanut Butter Yelly Time Summary

Semi-Final Allocation (1:08)
Wild Youth wins Ireland's Eurosong with "We Are One" (4:44)
Slovenia's Joker Out debuts "Carpe Diem" (13:15)
Alessandra will represent Norway with "Queen of Kings" (15:23)
Blanca Paloma's "EAEA" wins Benidorm Fest (20:22)
Czech Republic held its first live TV final in 15 years (25:49)
Artist Selctions from Greece, Austria, Armenia, and Georgia (27:48)
Malta moves forward in MESC (33:42)
Lithuania's Pabandom is Naujo goes into Semi Finals (36:18)
Latvia's Supernova begins (39:47)
Sweden's Melfest 2023 Begins (43:29)
Super Saturday 2023: Italy, Estonia, Croatia, Denmark, Romania (47:47)

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Keep tabs on everything happening with selection season for Eurovision 2023 including a calendar and playlists on our website at eurowhat.com/2023

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Episode 180: Click... Click... Click...

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0600

After recapping the last (not so) quiet weekend of Eurovision Selection Season, we set our sights on finals, semi-finals, and song reveals all over Europe next weekend. Strap in: It's February, y'all.

Click... Click... Click... Summary

Germany announces acts for Unser Lied für Liverpool (1:22)
Moldova holds auditions for Etapa Nationala (2:42)
Norway finalizes the MGP lineup (5:36)
Lithuania's Pabandom is Naujo wraps its quarter finals (11:34)
Song drops: Portugal and Iceland (14:53)
Tuesday: Semi-final Allocation and Spain's Benidorm Festival (17:22)
Thursday: Serbia Song Drop and the Voice of Georgia (20:20)
Friday: Malta's continued MESC-ness, Ireland Chooses its Eurosong (22:21)
Saturday: Slovenia reveals "Carpe Diem", Sweden's Melfest, Latvia's Supernova (26:30)
Cosa Sta Facendo Maneskin: Grammy Awards Edition (28:39)
We Didn't Forget About the Czech Republic (30:10)

Cover art image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

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Episode 174: After the Fact

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Suzie Seager from the Euroriffs Podcast joins us to discuss concerts and music releases featuring Eurovision alumni.

After the Fact Summary

Suzie Seager from Euroriffs (0:40)
Slovenia announces Joker Out (5:12)
Junior Eurovision 2022 (6:42)
Song drops from Estonia and Ukraine (9:11)
The Eurovision Aftermarket in 2022 (10:50)

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Special Guest: Suzie Seager.

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Episode 173: Stiff Upper Lip

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0600

The United Kingdom has had a very rough couple of decades at the Eurovision Song Contest. Now that they're back in the driver's seat, we try to figure out what went wrong.

Stiff Upper Lip Summary

Eurovision Voting Overhaul (0:55)
National Finals: Australia Decides, Malta ESC, Ukraine's VidBir, Estonia's Eesti Laul, Albania's FiK (6:51)
Cosa Sta Facendo Maneskin: Grammy Nominations Edition (8:59)
The United Kingom at Eurovision Part 2 (11:51)
Nul Points (18:21)
2010s Go Internal (35:07)

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Episode 170: Italo Disco

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Ben takes us through the history of the synth-filled vibes of the music genre known as Italo Disco. Mike's pop music diet growing up may have more in common with the style than he realized.

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Italo Disco Summary

Liverpool will host Eurovision 2023 (1:04)
Just ASCing Questions: Italo Disco (4:15)
🕺What is Italo Disco? (7:23)
🪩 What makes a song "Italo Disco"? (9:49)
🎤 How has Italo Disco morphed since its heyday? (24:34)
🤔 What happened after Eurodance left the charts? (34:20)
🤖 What do modern Italo Disco influenced songs sound like? (39:40)

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Episode 167: Welcome to Ukraine

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Happy Eurovision New Year! As preparations for 2023 begin, we explore defending champion Ukraine's Eurovision journey over the last 20 years.

Welcome to Ukraine Summary

Host City When? 2023 Rules Edition (2:23)
Sara James advances to America's Got Talent Finals (5:30)
Cosa Sta Facendo Måneskin? MTV VMAs Edition (7:21)
"SNAP" Chat: Hot 100 Edition (11:10)
Welcome to Ukraine (12:33)
Act I: Ukraine Enters the Eurovision Chat (14:39)
Act II: Maximizing the Maximalism (21:05)
Act III: Crimea (31:46)
Favorites and Hopes for 2023 (40:38)

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Episode 166: Volare

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0500

"Nel blu, dipinto di blu" (also known as "Volare") is not only one of the most well-known Eurovision songs, it's one of the most successful Italian songs ever. We dig into the song's backstory and it's continued impact on popular culture.

Volare Summary

Noa Kirel confirms for Israel (1:27)
Host City When: Short List Edition (3:43)
SNAP Chat: Bubbling Under Edition (5:51)
What do you know about "Volare"? (7:36)
Sanremo 1958 (10:40)
Eurovision 1958: Hilversum (14:26)
The US Music Industry in 1958 (17:12)
1959 Grammy Awards (23:51)
The Extended Legacy of Volare (26:40)
Where are they now? (32:19)

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Episode 165: Lugano

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0500

How did the first Eurovision Song Contest telecast come about in 1956? We talk about coronations, cattle calls, and continental broadcasting in this week's episode.

Lugano Summary

Host city when? Bid Process Edition (1:21)
Snap Status (2:55)
Cosa Sta Facendo Måneskin: VMAs Edition (3:54)
Hooverphonic for Brussels Airlines (6:40)
History of Eurovision: 1930 Onward (10:34)
The European Television Season (14:53)
The Birth of Eurovision (18:29)
Eurovision History as Broadcasting History (24:32)

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Episode 164: Host Country Where?

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Now that the United Kingdom will officially host Eurovision 2023 on Ukraine's behalf, we take a look back at the other times substitutes needed to be called in to produce the Contest.

Host Country Where? Summary

United Kingdom will host Eurovision 2023 (1:22)
Israel selects Noa Kirel for Eurovision Wishlist (5:29)
Rosa Linn's "Snap" is Charting (7:13)
American Song Contest Emmy Nomination (9:04)
Eurovision Latin America Song Contest Announced (9:57)
Host Country Where? (11:37)

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Episode 163: Iceberg

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0500

With around 250 entries on the Reddit post for the 2022 Eurovision Iceberg, we take a look at some of the stories we missed (or skipped) in this year's Contest.

Iceberg Summary

Layer 1: What is the Eurovision Iceberg? (1:02)
Layer 2: Electric Callboy, Sam Ryder Illuminati (3:41)
Layer 3: The Eurowhat's Level (9:51)
Level 4: Circus Mircus, S10 and Ronela, Carol McGee (10:52)
Level 5: Subwoolfer Threatens to Eat Host, Achille Lauro Roblox (16:57)
Level 6: "I'm Famous Singer in Estonia" (23:30)
Level 7: Ochman's Confederate Flag T-Shirt (25:53)
Level 8: Ronela Mistaken for ISIS Uprising (27:31)
What does the Eurovision Iceberg tell us? (29:47)

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Episode 162: Midsommar

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We're joined by @dudepoints to discuss some Swedish post-Eurovision activities: ABBA's Voyage concert experience and Martin Osterdahl's Max Anger book series.

Midsommar Summary

Ukraine will not host Eurovision 2023 (0:57)
Eurovision Live to Tape 2022 (7:52)
Eurovision in the Wild: AGT 2022 Edition (11:13)
Main Topic: Midsommar with @dudepoints (13:54)
ABBA Voyage (17:14)
Max Anger (23:16)

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Special Guest: Dude Points.

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Episode 160: Just ASCing Questions

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 31 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We check in with the Eurovision jury shenanigans and then offer a sample of what we've been doing over on Patreon. Andy Dehnart from Reality Blurred joins us to look back on NBC’s American Song Contest experiment.

Just ASCing Questions Summary

News: Jury Doody (1:42)
Just ACing Questions: Is it you? Is it me? (Originally published May 9, 2022) (8:10)
Could the American Song Contest have worked? (12:31)
How could the American Song Contest have generated buzz? (19:09)
Could the voting and jury have made more sense? (23:17)
What would season 2 need to look like for this to succeed? (27:28)
Is the ASC less than the sum of its parts? (38:45)
Do we have predictions on who's going to win? (44:18)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. You can find a service to subscribe to the show here.

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Special Guest: Andy Dehnart.

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Episode 159: Long Time, First Time

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 24 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Bradley Dalton-Oates joins us for a deep dive of the full Eurovision experience as a first-time attendee. Did Turin do a good job of promoting brand Italy?

Long Time, First Time Summary

How to watch Eurovision in Turin (1:13)
How did the rehearsal shows compare to the Grand Final live show? (10:41)
What did you think of the second semifinal? (14:27)
What was your semifinal one experience? (23:00)
The Rainbow of Death: Brand Italy (31:44)
What about the United Kingdom Eurovision experience? (43:35)
What is the status of the Big Five in 2022? (49:11)
Final Shout Outs (53:26)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. You can find a service to subscribe to the show here.

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Episode 158: Slava Ukraini

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 17 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra claimed the Eurovision 2022 trophy thanks to a record-breaking televote. Dave Steeves joins us to do a mini-dive into this year's Grand Final.

Slava Ukraini Summary

Numbers! (2:03)
Jury Doody (11:12)
Cosa Sta Facendo Måneskin: Wish.com Edition (16:33)
Welcome to the off-season! (21:34)

Eurovision 2022 Review Series

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat. Special Guest: Dave Steeves.

Episode 157: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ — Eurovision 2022 Grand Final Preview

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Fri, 13 May 2022 06:00:00 -0500

We started Eurovision Week with 35 semi-finalists. 20 have moved on to join the Big 5 in Saturday's Grand Final. We take stock of our predictions from last episode and make our picks for who will win Eurovision 2022.

¯_(ツ)/¯ Eurovision 2022 Grand Final Preview Summary

Eurovision Semi-Final 1 (2:27)
Eurovision Semi-Final 2 (12:34)
Eurovision Grand Final Preview (24:37)
Who will win Eurovision 2022? (31:42)

Eurovision 2022 Review Series

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

Episode 155: Sommelier

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 03 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Glen Weldon from NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour joins us to discuss the songs that have automatically qualified for the Eurovision 2022 Grand Final.

Standing Summary

France - Alvan & Ahez - "Fulenn" (2:54)
Germany - Malik Harris - "Rockstars" (6:54)
Spain - Chanel - "SloMo" (11:49)
United Kingdom - Sam Ryder - "SPACE MAN" (15:07)
Italy - Mahmood e Blanco - "Brividi" (20:04)
Eurovision 2022 Sommelier (25:37)

Eurovision 2022 Review Series

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

Special Guest: Glen Weldon.

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Episode 151: Lilith Fair (Taylor's Version)

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0500

We have a running order! We have tickets when! We have Mike Nothnagel joining us to discuss the rest of the first semi final for Eurovision 2022: Portugal, Croatia, Denmark, Iceland, Greece, and Norway

Lilith Fair (Taylor's Version) Summary

Eurovision News: Running Orders and Tickets (sort of) (1:36)
Cosa Sta Facendo Måneskin: Lollapalooza Edition (3:43)
Welcome, Mike Nothnagel! (8:40)
Portugal - MARO - "saudade, saudade" (9:35)
Croatia - Mia Dimšić - "Guilty Pleasure" (14:34)
Denmark - ReDDI - "The Show" (20:40)
Iceland - Systur - "Með hækkandi sól" (26:28)
Greece - Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord - "Die Together" (31:07)
Norway - Subwoolfer - "Give That Wolf a Banana" (36:40)

Eurovision 2022 Review Series

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

Special Guest: Mike Nothnagel.

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Episode 148: One More Google

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0500

In the last week of Eurovision Selection Season, we have a manageable number of internal selections to process and ease into the sunset with chill vibes from three national finals.

One More Google Summary

Tuesday: Switzerland (2:02)
Wednesday: Georgia and Cyprus (4:52)
Thursday: Belgium, United Kingdom, and Greece (10:44)
Friday: Austria (22:57)
Saturday: Sweden's Melfest, Iceland's Songvakeppnin, and Portugal's Festival da Cancao (27:18)
Coming up this week: Israel, Malta, Azerbaijan, Armenia (40:41)

Spotify Playlists

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

Episode 147: Math

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Our brains may have turned into soup, but we survived the last overstuffed Saturday of Eurovision Selection Season. Just barely though... we were told there would be no math...

Math Summary

Internal selections: The Netherlands and Montenegro (1:43)
12 Points Germany goes to "Rockstars" by Malik Harris (5:25)
Denmark's REDDI won "The Show" (11:13)
WRS wins Romania's Selectia Nationala with "Llamame" (14:47)
"Fulenn" wins France's C'est Vous Qui Decidez (19:09)
Konstrakta will represent Serbia with "In Corpore Sano" (24:05)
Cosa Sta Facendo Maneskin: iHeartRadio Edition (29:52)
This week: Internal Selections, Songvakeppnin, Melfest, Festival da Cancao (31:59)

Spotify Playlists

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 146: Україна

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0600

We stand with Ukraine.

Україна Summary

Eurovision Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine (1:31)
Eurovision in the Wild: David Byrne Edition (7:02)
Australia Decides on Sheldon Riley's "Not the Same" (9:15)
The Rasmus wins Finland's UMK with "Jezebel" (15:49)
More Super Saturdays: Iceland, Sweden, France, Romania, and more (20:45)

Spotify Playlists

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 145: Quante voci? In questa economia?

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0600

In the biggest Saturday for Eurovision 2022 selection season, 6 songs were chosen for Turin. We travel to Norway, Slovenia, Croatia, Poland, San Marino, and Malta and examine a variety of TV formats along the way.

Quante voci? In questa economia? Summary

News: Kelly Clarkson, Snoop Dogg to Host American Song Contest; Ukraine Update (1:25)
Azerbaijan announces Nadir Rüstəmli (4:32)
Norway Gives That Subwoolfer a Ticket to Turin (6:19)
Slovenia hits the "Disko" with LPS (13:07)
Croatia Gives in to Mia Dimšić's "Guilty Pleasure" (15:35)
Poland crosses the "River" with Ochman (18:25)
Malta Thinks Emma Muscat is "Out of Sight" (21:48)
Achille Lauro's "Stripper" is Una Voce per San Marino (27:24)
Cosa Sta Facendo Maneskin: Vibe Rate Edition (32:53)
This week: Australia Decides, Finland's UMK, Iceland's Songvakeppnin, Melfest Heat 4 (34:08)

Spotify Playlists

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 144: HyperRoop

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0600

It was another busy week for Eurovision as Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia made their picks for Turin. We get caught up and look ahead to the next Super Saturday in this week's episode.

HyperRoop Summary

Austria selects Lum!x and Pia Maria to perform "Halo" (1:25)
Ukraine's VidBir chooses Alina Pash's "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" (3:49)
Estonia puts all its "Hope" in STEFAN (9:23)
Monika Lui wins Lithuania's Pabandom is Naujo with "Sentimentai" (14:36)
Citi Zeni's "Eat Your Salad" wins Latvia's Supernova (19:02)
Cosa Sta Facendo Maneskin: BRIT Awards Edition (23:42)
Romania's Selectia Nationala holds a semi-final (25:22)
This week: San Marino, France, Malta, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia (27:44)
Nordic Process Check-in: NRKMGP and Melfest (30:33)

Spotify Playlists

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

Episode 143: Oops! All Screens!

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0600

North Macedonia, Ireland, Israel, and Italy have determined their songs for Turin, and that was only about 1/3 of Eurovision Super Saturday number 1 for the 2022 season. We recap this weekend's non-stop content stream.

Oops! All Screens! Summary

Eurovision 2022 Hosts (1:22)
North Macedonia runs "Circles" around Andrea (3:50)
Brooke representing Ireland? "That's Rich" (6:02)
Michael Ben David wins X Factor Israel with "I.M." (12:08)
Cosa Sta Facendo Maneskin? Italy Picks "Brividi" Edition (15:52)
Super Saturday: Melfest, EMA, Supernova, Selecrtia Nationala (21:23)
This week: Song drops, NRK MGP, Pabandom is Naujo, Eesti Laul, VidBir, Una Voce Per San Marino (31:48)

Spotify Playlists

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

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Episode 142: Convoluted

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 07:15:00 -0600

Moldova made a surprise internal selection and Spain made its Eurovision selection at last week's Benidorm Festival. We discuss these songs and look ahead to the first Super Saturday of 2022!

Convoluted Summary

Zdob si Zdub will represent Moldova again (1:15)
Spain choose Chanel's "SloMo" at Benidorm Fest (4:14)
Pabandom and MGP (8:48)
Cosa sta facendo Måneskin? Sanremo Edition (16:49)
Midweek Selections: Eesti Laul, North Macedonia, Ireland (17:48)
Super Saturday: Iceland, Melfest, Israel, EMA, Supernova (20:45)

Spotify Playlists

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

Episode 141: Sound of Beauty

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Ben returns with his thoughts about Lithuania's Pabandom is Naujo, Norway's 2022 process, Maneskin's appearance on Saturday Night Live, and a look ahead to EMA and Benidorm.

[Episode Title] Summary

News: Sound of Beauty Logo and Slogan, American Song Contest Delayed (1:13)
Last Week in Eurovision: Norway's Melodi Grand Prix and Lithuania's Pabandom is Naujo (5:06)
Eurovision in the Wild: Australian Open, Peacemaker, Maruv (10:52)
Cosa sta facendo Måneskin? Saturday Night Live Edition (12:26)
This Week in Eurovision: Slovenia's EMA Fras and Spain's Benidorm Fest (18:24)

Spotify Playlists

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

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Episode 140: Pivot

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Dave Steeves returns to the program to discuss Norway's Melodi Grand Prix, a casual approach to Eurovision Selection Season, and the pivoting that is happening in response to the pandemic.

Pivot Summary

Last week in Eurovision (2:51)
- Malta snippets drop
- Finland UMK announces acts and songs
- Poland switches to a national final
- Omicron disrupts Melfest and Songvakeppnin
Cosa sta facendo Måneskin? Coachella edition (8:27)
Norway's Melodi Grand Prix begins (10:57)
Coming up this week (18:43)

Spotify Playlists

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

Special Guest: Dave Steeves.

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Episode 139: Hunker Down

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0600

This week we travel to Lithuania for Pabandom is Naujo, check out the Eurovision menus in Romania and Latvia (ooo, salad), and see how famous Maneskin's birthdays are.

Hunker Down Summary

Montenegro chooses Vladana and "Breathe (Unforgivable)" (1:16)
Song drops: Romania and Latvia (2:57)
Pabandom is Naujo! Week 1 (6:14)
Cosa sta facendo Måneskin? Famous Birthdays Edition (10:32)
This week: Finland's UMK artists, Norway's MGP, Poland's Artist (maybe) (13:38)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 138: Unprecedented

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0600

It's full steam ahead to Eurovision 2022, with Albania making its (correct?) choice, a wild ESC 250 countdown, and looking forward to selection season series starting Saturday.

Unprecedented Summary

Eurovision 2022 Selections: Festivali i Këngës 60 ()
Cosa sta facendo Måneskin? New Year's Rockin' Eve Edition ()
ESC 250 Results ()
Coming up this week: Montenegro and NRK MGP Artists, Lithuania's Pabandom is Naujo ()

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 137: Class of 2021

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0600

The Czech Republic has made their selection, a number of processes have released more details, and we check in with the Eurovision Class of 2021.

Class of 2021 Summary

Selections: We Are Domi, S10, Amanda Tenfjord (1:22)
Processes: Pabandom is Naujo, Australia Decides, Benidorm, Festivali i Këngës (8:15)
News: Eurovision 1964 Video Clip; Cosa sta facendo Måneskin? (12:40)
Checking in on the Class of Eurovision 2021 (16:31)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 136: Eurovision 101

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0600

With a lot of new folks discovering Eurovision over the past year and selection season 2022 underway, we put together a tutorial to answer the question: How does Eurovision work?

Eurovision 101 Summary

Bulgaria's Intelligent Music Project debuts "Intention" (1:01)
What's Måneskin Up To? Grammys and the Voice (6:10)
Selection season news (8:35)
- Estonia's Eesti Laul
- Slovenia's EMA freš
- Czech Republic's online selection
- Sweden announces artists for Melfest 2022
- Una Voce per San Marino begins casting round
- Norway's Melodi Grand Prix details its format
- Albania's Festivali i Këngës releases its songs
Eurovision 101
- What is the Eurovision Song Contest? (16:54)
- What are the Eurovision rules? (19:33)
- What does a year in Eurovision look like? (23:09)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 133: Metaverse

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Does breaking the fourth wall work at Eurovision? Ben takes us through a collection of songs that try to go meta.

Metaverse Summary

News (1:16)
Eurovision Again: 2012 (10:23)
When Eurovision Goes Meta (15:16)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 132: Hot 100

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0500

Maura Johnston guides us through how the Billboard Charts work and why Måneskin and Duncan Laurence cracked the American Top 40.

Hot 100 Summary

Host city when? Torino 2022! (0:45)
How do the Billboard charts currently work? (2:52)
How Duncan Laurence May Have Got on the Billboard Charts (7:40)
Why is "Beggin'" rocketing up the Hot 100? (12:35)
Other Eurovision Hot 100 Appearances (18:02)
Why a 25-year gap between chart appearances? (22:16)
Will Eurovision tracks be making more Hot 100 appearances? (32:00)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

Special Guest: Maura Johnston.

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Episode 131: Viña del Mar

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 00:00:00 -0500

We continue our series of music competitions with Eurovision connections by visiting Chile's Viña del Mar International Song Festival.

Viña del Mar Summary

Eurovision Again: 1968 (1:07)
Belgium Selects (3:29)
What is the Viña del Mar Festival? (6:41)
El Monstruo (16:16)
Xuxa vs El Monstruo (19:56)
Enrique Iglesias and Paolo Meneguzzi vs El Monstruo (31:20)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 130: Quale Città?

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 00:15:00 -0500

As we wait for the Eurovision 2022 host city announce, we take a look at the five cities hoping to stage the event for Italy.

Quale Città? Summary

News: ABBA, Dunkin Radio, Belgium, Eesti Laul, Melfest (3:17)
Italian City Thunderdome (12:13)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

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Episode 129: Sanremo

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 23:00:00 -0500

Italian music aficionado Bradley Dalton-Oates takes us on an historical tour of the Sanremo Music Festival and its relationship with Eurovision.

Sanremo Summary

How were you introduced to Sanremo? (1:29)
How would you describe the Italian music scene? (5:43)
Sanremo's Influence (10:35)
Sanremo History (17:46)
What might Italy hosting Eurovision look like? (27:47)
Wrapping up (32:02)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Want to support the show? Join our Patreon! Listener support has helped with getting episode transcriptions and refreshing our website.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat.

Special Guest: Bradley Dalton-Oates.

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Episode 128: Bordspel

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 23:00:00 -0500

Dave Steeves facilitates a play through of the Eurovision Song Contest Board Game. Mike en Ben verstaan de Nederlandse taal niet.

Bordspel Summary

Introduction to the Best/Worst Idea (1:30)
Eurovision Song Contest: The Board Game (4:08)
The Grand Final (28:19)
Review: did we like the Eurovision Board Game? (33:12)

Links / Credits

Cover art: Mike McComb
#31: Eurovision Gifts for 2018
Episode Transcript (Descript)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Want to support the show? Join our Patreon! Listener support has helped with getting episode transcriptions and refreshing our website.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat. Special Guest: Dave Steeves.

Episode 127: New Wave

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 23:00:00 -0500

New Wave has been part of the music competition journey for many Eurovision contestants. We take a look at the contest's history.

New Wave Summary

News: Eurovision Again 2006 HD, Måneskin cracks the US Top 40, Spain visits Benidorm (0:50)
Birth of a New Wave (6:33)
How It Works (11:37)
SMASH!! and Other Alumni (14:49)
"Russian" New Wave (21:27)
2021 Info (25:55)

Episode 126: A Song Called Hate

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 23:00:00 -0500

Film buff and Eurofan Evan Stewart joins us to discuss the Hatari documentary A Song Called Hate.

A Song Called Hate Summary

Eurovision Again: 1980 (0:57)
News Desk: Belarus, Italy, Måneskin
A Song Called Hate intro
Welcome, Evan Stewart!
Let's Talk About the Documentary
Who is the audience for A Song Called Hate?
Would you recommend this movie?

Links / Credits

Cover art: Andres Putting | Eurovision.tv
#62: Morocco 1980
A Song Called Hate Homepage
Episode Transcript

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find us.

Want to support the show? Join our Patreon! Listener support has helped with getting episode transcriptions and refreshing our website.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or find us on Twitter @eurowhat. Special Guest: Evan Stewart.

Episode 125: The Discourse 2021

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 23:00:00 -0500

Meredith Clark joins us to discuss some of the societal issues that Eurovision struggles to address in the fandom discourse.

The Discourse 2021 Summary

Welcome, Meredith Clark! Twitter | Instagram (1:17)
Eurovision Politics 2021 (5:02)
The Online Fandom (13:49)
How do we break down the discourse? (24:28)

Episode 123: Live on Tape

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 11:00:00 -0500

Bre Booker joins us to discuss the pre-recorded Live on Tape performances from the 2021 Eurovision Song Celebration YouTube specials.

Live on Tape Summary

News Desk (2:48)
Welcome, Bre Booker! (8:14)
American Song Contest Submissions Open (11:10)
Eurovision Song Celebration Live on Tape Performances (14:11)
Would Eurovision Plan D have worked? (34:07)

Episode 122: Revised Head Canon

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 25 May 2021 11:00:00 -0500

Ryan's back! We help to provide a revised head canon to fill the gap between 2018 and 2021 and review this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

Revised Head Canon Summary

Welcome back, Ryan!
Grand Final Thoughts and Stats (8:12)
Semi-Final 1 Stats (16:42)
Semi-Final 2 Stats (23:58)
Final Thoughts (35:37)

Episode 121: Eurovision 2021 Grand Final Preview

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Fri, 21 May 2021 09:00:00 -0500

33 songs competed on the Eurovision stage Tuesday and Thursday but only 20 advanced to the 2021 Grand Final. Who will win the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam?

Eurovision 2021 Grand Final Preview Summary

Discovering Peacock will be carrying Eurovision
Where Can I Watch the Eurovision Song Contest in the US?
First Semi-Final (3:22)
Second Semi-Final (7:23)
Grand Final Thoughts (13:38)

Episode 119: Critical Condition

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 11 May 2021 11:00:00 -0500

Mark Blankenship joins us to discuss the Eurovision auto-qualifiers. Are the Big 5 and the Netherlands in good shape or are they in critical condition?

Critical Condition Summary

News
- Great American Pop Culture Quiz Show
- Eurovision Village (Opens Saturday, May 15)
- Where Can I Watch the Eurovision Song Contest in the US?

Welcome, Mark Blankenship!
- Mark and Sarah Talk About Songs

The Big 5 and host country the Netherlands:
- France - Barbara Pravi - "Voila"
- Germany - Jendrik - "I Don't Feel Hate"
- Italy - Måneskin - "Zitti e Buoni"
- Spain - Blas Cantó - "Voy a Quedarme"
- United Kingdom - James Newman - "Embers"
- The Netherlands - Jeangu Macrooy - "Birth of a New Age"

Episode 110: Oops! All Songs!

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 11:00:00 -0600

Oops! Everyone looked at the calendar and realized Eurovision entries are due next week! We give a first listen to 25% of the 2021 field.

Oops! All Songs! Summary

Songs Dropping All Over Thursday and Friday
- Belgium is "The Wrong Place" for Hooverphonic (1:57)
- Remember Romania's Roxen? She has "Amnesia" (5:13)
- The Netherlands gives "Birth of a New Age" from Jeangu Macrooy (8:02)
- Philipp Kirkorov, in association with Philipp Kirkorov and the Dream Team, presents Philipp Kirkorov's "Sugar" by Moldova's Natalia Gordienko (a Philipp Kirkorov production) (10:39)
- Australia's Montaigne sees in "Technicolour" (19:11)
- Serbia goes "Loco Loco" for Hurricane (22:04)

Super Saturday 2: The Revenge!
- Uku Suviste is "The Lucky One" to win Estonia Eesti Laul (25:48)
- Denmark goes retro with Fyr Og Flamme's "Øve Os På Hinanden" (29:32)
- The Black Mamba's "Love is on My Side" wins Portugal's Festival da Canção (33:57)
- Italy's Sanremo rocks out with Måneskin's "Zitti e Buoni" (36:39)

MOAR SONGS
- Flo Rida joins Senhit for San Marino's "Adrenalina" (42:32)
- Russia's surprise national final picks Manizha's "Russian Woman" (46:20)

Next week: Sweden's Melfest final and Oops! Even more songs! (51:33)

Episode 109: Eye of the Hurricane

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 11:00:00 -0600

It's the calm before a hurricane of Eurovision entries washes ashore for 2021. We give Cyprus, Germany, Ireland, and Slovenia a first listen.

Eye of the Hurricane Summary

Song Drops
- Cyprus summons "El Diablo" (1:54)
- Germany says "I Don't Feel Hate" (8:31)
- Ireland opens up its "Maps" (14:49)
- Slovenia: can I get an "Amen"? (17:53)

Weekend Recaps
- Sweden's Melodifestivalen Heat 4 (21:00)
- Portugal's Festival da Canção Semi-Final 2 (24:49)

Coming Up This Week (28:16)
- Tuesday: Italy's 71st Sanremo Music Festival starts
- Thursday: Moldova, Netherlands, and (maybe?) Belarus Drop Songs
- Saturday: Estonia's Eesti Laul Final, Denmark's Melodi Grand Prix, Daði Freyr documentary on Iceland's RUV
- Monday: Russia's surprise national final; Senhit's Freaky Trip to Rotterdam concludes with San Marino's song

Episode 103: Pabandom is When?

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 11:00:00 -0600

Lithuania's Pabandom is Naujo and Norway's Melodi Grand Prix have begun and we are optimistic about Eurovision Selection Season 2021.

Pabandom is When Summary

Process updates: France has a date, Finland has a slate, Israel has to adjust, Italy's gonna Italy (1:36)
Lithuania's Pabandom is Naujo Heat 1 (9:47)
Norway's Melodi Grand Prix Heat 1 (17:07)

Episode 101: Disco Toilet

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 11:00:00 -0600

From Albania's FiK selection to Senhit's latest disco cover to the results of ESC 250, we discuss a lot of Eurovision news from over the holidays.

Disco Toilet Summary

Anxhela Peristeri wins Albania's Festivali i Këngës with "Karma" (1:41)
Selection season updates (10:10)
- Lithuania, Croatia, and Italy announce contestants
- Belarus is open for submissions
- Serbia's Hurricane and Ireland's Lesley Roy are coming back
- Spain will use a national final for Blas Cantó's song
- Israel announces three songs for Eden Alene
- Slovenia will use EMA to select Ana Soklic's song
- San Marino's Senhit covers Abba's "Waterloo"
- Iceland's Daði needs a choir (Google Drive)

ESC 250 Results and Analysis (25:07)

Episode 100: Spotify Warped

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 11:00:00 -0600

We're celebrating 100 episodes and the end of 2020! After checking the news, we look at our Spotify Wrapped, ESC250 ballots, and our origin stories.

100: Spotify Warped Summary

Eurovision at the Grammys (1:41)
New Eurovision Logo for 2021 (5:05)
Selection updates: Israel, Estonia, France, Sweden, Portugal, Croatia, Italy (6:31)
Festivali i Këngës Picks (11:49)
Spotify Wrapped or Warped? (22:04)
Our ESC250 Ballots (30:30)
How did we get radicalized into Eurovision? (35:50)

Episode 96: Take! It! Off!

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:00:00 -0500

The Masked Singer has proven to be an international hit and a potential aftermarket for Eurovision alumni. Mike from Aussievision joins us to discuss the insanity.

Take! It! Off! Summary

News: 38 countries so far, Norway dates, Italy process (2:00)
Iceland Airwaves presents Live from Reykjavik (5:54)
Netflix offers Fire Saga For Your Consideration (8:07)
Main Topic: The Masked Singer as Eurovision Aftermarket (15:56)
Special Guest: Mike from Aussievision discusses the Australian version of the Masked Singer (26:51)

Episode 94: Double Trouble

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Ben flies solo again with another audio essay, this time looking into performers who made double, triple, and even quadruple visits to the Eurovision stage.

Double Trouble Summary

Eurovision, Again? (0:55)

Defining a "Lead Artist" (2:00)

Golden Boy (3:17)

The Four-Timers Club (4:25)

Three is a Magic Number (9:04)

CAROLA (11:00)

Close Close Close, but No Cigar (13:07)

Second Time's the Charm (15:36)

Glow-Ups (17:33)

The Direct Opposite of a Glow-Up (20:50)

Failure to Launch (24:58)

Keep That Same Energy (25:56)

What's Another Year? (26:50)

Episode 90: Wine Aunt Energy

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 11:00:00 -0500

We open up our mailbag and a chilled bottle of pinot grigio as we get caught up on Eurovision news from the last month.

Wine Aunt Energy Episode Summary

Mailbag (1:27):
- How to pronounce "Niamh"
- Bucks Fizz boiled sweets
- The worst Halloween candy
- Bruno Toniolli

No, really, are "Husavik" and "Jaja Ding Dong" eligible for Oscars? (6:30)

#EurovisionAgain (13:10)
- Copenhagen 2014
- Jerusalem 1999

Eurovision Back for Good (20:43)

Returning artist updates (24:09)
- Moldova
- Greece
- Israel
- Slovenia
- San Marino

Artists not returning (41:58)
- Croatia
- France
- Italy
- Albania
- Germany

Episode 87: AfriMusic, AI, and the Free European Song Contests

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 11:00:00 -0500

The 2020 Eurovision Song Contest did not happen. We discuss three Eurovision-adjacent song contests that did happen in the first half of 2020.

AfriMusic, AI, and the Free European Song Contests Summary

News: Andorra returns? Cyprus re-selects (2:09)
#EurovisionAgain: Riga 2003 and Italy 1991 (5:07)
What is the AfriMusic Song Contest? (17:13)
What is the AI Song Contest? (28:35)
What is the Free European Song Contest? (36:18)

Episode 76: Sanremo LXX (Long, Xtra Xtra)

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 17:00:00 -0600

Saturday proved to be a marathon as Australia, Latvia, and Italy chose their Eurovision entries and a whole bunch of other countries made progress.

Sanremo LXX (Long, Xtra Xtra) Summary

Eurovision in the Wild: Oscars 2020 Edition (1:43)
Israel selects Eden Alene (7:00)
Australia Decides on Montaigne (8:36)
Latvia chooses Samanta Tina (13:47)
Malta's X Factor belongs to Destiny (21:06)
Italy's Sanremo 70 ends with Diodato win (23:00)
Other checkins: Lithuania, Sweden, Iceland, Ukraine, Norway (30:46)

Episode 75: Austvia Superdecides

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 17:00:00 -0600

It's time to update your Eurovision Top 2 videos as Czech Republic makes their choice and Australia, Italy, and Latvia get ready to make theirs.

Austvia Superdecides Summary

Semi-Final Allocation for Realsies This Time (1:40)
Eurovision Ticket Sales (5:15)
Spain releases Blas Cantó's "Universo" (8:28)
Czech Republic chooses Benny Cristo's "Kemama" (10:12)
Greece selects Stefania (14:16)
Weekend Recaps: Lithuania, Norway, Sweden (15:58)
Italy's Sanremo Festival Begins (33:27)
Our picks: Australia Decides (35:35)
Our picks: Latvia's Supernova (44:49)
Coming up this weekend: Malta, Ukraine, Iceland, Poland,

Episode 71: Sticks Nix FiK Picks

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 17:00:00 -0600

We're barely a week into 2020 and we already have Eurovision drama up to our ears (HI ALBANIA!). We get caught up on the news from over the holidays in this episode.

Sticks Nix FiK Picks Summary

Albania's Fesitvali i Këngës chooses Arilena Ara's "Shaj" (1:51)
Georgia Idol chooses Tornike Kiniapi (13:34)
Australia Decides fills its roster (16:39)
Selection process news: Italy, Netherlands, North Macedonia (23:07)
ESC 250 Results (25:42)
Coming up this week: Ukraine artists, Norway's Melodi Grand Prix, Lithuania's Marathon (30:34)

Episode 69: Ben’s Grand Eurofying Theory

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 18:00:00 -0600

Ben flies solo this week after getting too caffeinated while prepping for the last Eurowhat of the year. He develops a theory about Eurovision in the last decade and makes an audio essay about it. It involves snacks.

Episode Summary

How to define a decade (1:48)
Pop, with a Folk flourish (4:15)
Power ballads! (6:10)
The Azerbaijan Pop machine (9:00)
Italy returns (11:18)
Fuego, Replay, and repetition (14:48)
Folk, with a Pop flourish (17:26)
Interesting choices, struggling titans (19:06)
Balance shifts again (22:18)

Episode 64: Win Win Win Win

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 18:00:00 -0500

We jump back 50 years to that time Eurovision had a four-way tie for first place... and no way to break it.

Win Win Win Win Summary

How many countries are in Europe? (1:44)
Are you the next Jon Ola Sand? (9:05)
Update: What WAS that Germany postcard? (12:17)
Eurovision 1969: The Big Tie (14:16)
Netherlands - Lenny Kuhr - "De Troubadour" (19:35)
Spain - Salomé - "Vivo Contando" (22:00)
United Kingdom - Lulu - "Boom Bang A Bang" (24:04)
France - Frida Boccara - "Un Jour, Un Enfant" (27:40)

Episode 61: It’s Rotterdam! Ahoy!

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 18:00:00 -0500

Happy Eurovision New Year! We're talking about Eurovision 2020's host country the Netherlands and the host city of Rotterdam.

It’s Rotterdam! Ahoy! Summary

Happy Eurovision New Year! (1:23)
The Mailbag (4:58)
- Prioritization Grids: Random and Normal
- Fun with our Eurovision Lyrics Generator
- Eurovision in the Wild: From Russia with Love Edition
- Please Clap

The Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest (12:13)

Ahoy, Rotterdam! (22:00)

Episode 56: The Big 5 Gut Rehab (Italy)

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 17:00:00 -0500

We love a summer renovation project and the Eurovision Big 5 could use some work. Well, maybe not Italy...

The Big 5 Gut Rehab (Italy) Summary

How many cities are in the Netherlands? (1:10)
#SayNomNomNom (3:43)
What is the Big 5? (7:11)
Gut Rehab: Italy (12:54)

Episode 54: Madame X is Eurovision

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 18:00:00 -0500

Maura Johnston joins us to discuss Madonna's Eurovision performance, Madame X, and how the Queen of Pop can navigate 2019.

Madame X is Eurovision Summary

Welcome, Maura Johnston!
Grand Final scoreboard updates (3:32)
Hatari wins Iceland Kids' Choice Awards (8:01)
Eurovision in the Wild: Billboard Edition (9:06)
Barbara Dex update (10:10)
Madonna: Eurovision, Madame X, and 2019 Pop (14:47)
What other superstars should Eurovision seek out? (40:50)

Episode 52: Eurovision 2019 Grand Final Preview

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Fri, 17 May 2019 10:00:00 -0500

This is it. The Eurovision 2019 Semi-Finals are done and we know what 26 countries will compete in Saturday's Grand Final. We add our own wild speculation to the mix.

We break down the results from the semi-finals and how accurate our predictions were (Hint: hoo boy...) and what we think of Israel's presentation of the Contest so far. After checking in with the auto-qualifiers rehearsals, we make our picks for who will win the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. Will Iceland's "Hatrid mun sigra" sigra? Could Australia's "Zero Gravity" rise to the top? Is Netherlands' "Arcade" playing a winning game? Or will France's "Roi" reign supreme?

Eurovision 2019 Grand Final Preview Summary

SPOILER WARNING: We know not everyone watches the semi-finals and some folks may still be avoiding any information about the auto-qualifiers’ rehearsals. If you want to remain unspoiled, you may want to save this episode until after Saturday’s Grand Final. Who knows, we could be hilariously wrong in everything, so you may have that to look forward to.

How was the first semi-final? (4:15)
How was the second semi-final? (18:08)
Eurovision Grand Final preview (36:26)
Our predictions (44:42)

Episode 50: The Mountaintop

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 07 May 2019 17:00:00 -0500

Dave Steeves joins us to discuss the Eurovision auto-qualifiers as we ask the eternal question "Could Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the host country advance if they had to compete?"

The Mountaintop Summary

Language musing (1:56)
EBU Eurovision Podcast (4:08)
Hatari Merch (5:55)
Spain - Miki - "La Venda" (8:43)
France - Bilal Hassani - "Roi" (12:54)
United Kingdom - Michael Rice - "Bigger Than Us" (18:11)
Italy - Mahmood - "Soldi" (25:45)
Germany - S!sters - "Sister" (32:14)
Israel - Kobi Marimi - "Home" (39:07)

Episode 38: Euro Vortex

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 17:00:00 -0600

Eurovision 2019 Selection Season is in full swing! We dive into the Euro Vortex with the United Kingdom, Montenegro, Italy, and Hatari among many others.

First up, Ben and Mike recover from last week's polar vortex by checking in with some Eurovision in the Wild on US TV. Kseniya Simonova—the sand artist from Ukraine's 2011 entry "Angel"—blew away Terry Crews on America's Got Talent and might win the final? Meanwhile, CBS has enlisted some Eurovision help with The World's Best while the Tennis Channel is causing folks to ask "Is this a Eurovision?"

This past week has brought about a handful of selections. Russia reminds us that Sergey Lazarev will be their only one for 2019. The United Kingdom will try to make Michael Rice's "Bigger Than Us"... something. Australia finally decided. Montenegro introduces this year's first group. And Italy has opinions about "Soldi" by Mahmood. Like... A LOT of opinions.

There was also a vortex of semi-finals throughout the weekend, with Iceland, Lithuania, Sweden, and Romania getting closer to making their final choices. Could we be on the cusp of a Hatari / Laura Bretan collaboration in 2020? We'll need to get through the chaos of next weekend's dozen or so selections and broadcasts.

Euro Vortex Summary

Eurovision in the Wild (1:49)
Russia selects Sergey Lazarev (7:21)
United Kingdom chooses "It's Bigger Than Us" (8:43)
Australia Decides (12:34)
Montenegro: "Heaven" sent (18:08)
Italy has opinions about Sanremo (21:22)
Checking in with the Semi-Finals (27:42)

Episode 37: Australia Decides Gets AUSome

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 16:00:00 -0600

We discuss Australia Decides with Mike and Dale from the Aussievision Podcast! Which entries are we most excited about in this year's field?

Eurovision selection season is starting to get into full swing. We have artist announcements from three countries kicking off this episode, with Austria's choice reminding us of Netta. Speaking of last year's winner, we take a listen to her follow-up single "Bassa Sababa"—does it capture our imagination the way "Toy" did last year?

Coming up this week will be Australia's first-ever national selection Australia Decides. We could have done our own deep dive into the ten songs competing for the ticket to Tel Aviv, but why not bring in some actual Australians to help us out? Mike and Dale from the Aussievision Podcast conquered all the timezones to discuss the Australian music scene, which reality shows actually work as launch pads, and reminisce on the awesomeness of the looks from RuPaul's Drag Race season 6. Oh, and we chat about the 10 songs that will be competing this Saturday.

We close the show talking about the three other selection finals happening this week. A handful of semi-finals are happening as well. Will any of them bring about the downfall of capitalism? Yes, that question is on-topic.

Australia Decides Gets AUSome Summary

Artist Selections: North Macedonia, Finland, Austria (1:52)
Netta's "Bassa Sababa" (7:02)
Australia Decides with Aussievision (9:30)
Upcoming Selections: Italy, United Kingdom, Montenegro (48:59)
How Many People are in Lithuania? (52:13)
Preliminary Rounds: Iceland, Ukraine, Sweden, Romania (53:50)

Episode 27: Orchestras, Synthesizers, and Lulu

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 06:00:00 -0500

Orchestras used to be a requirement at the Eurovision Song Contest. In this episode, we take a look at the evolution of live (and "live") music at the competition.

We're getting close to having a final-ish guest list for the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest with 40* countries confirming their interest.((Armenia confirmed after we recorded.)) Yes, it's still a Facebook Maybe at this point and there are still three countries who have been invited but haven't responded. RETURN OUR CALLS, MOLDOVA.

After we check in with the Irish boycott situation and Cher's foray into Abba's catalog, we dive into the history of the music of the Eurovision Song Contest. Orchestras used to be a thing for the first 20 years of the competition. Once backing tracks were introduced in the mid-1970s (Hi again, Abba!), it was only a matter of time before Eurovision would catch up with a more modern pop sound. ... I mean, 25 years? We're now 20 years beyond that revolution and we're still encountering new sounds that run afoul of Eurovision's definition of a song. It's beyond fascinating.

Get ready for a teach-in and grab the moment to listen to this episode!

Orchestras, Synthesizers, and Lulu Summary

Eurovision guest list (1:19)
MyHeritage sponsorship (4:31)
Eurovision in Asia not a thing (7:07)
The next stage (9:10)
Gimme gimme gimme Cher's new album (13:19)
This week in boycotts (14:29)
Live music at Eurovision (15:35)

Episode 20: Bite The Apple

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 05:00:00 -0500

What if the Eurovision Song Contest were a secret plot to take over the world by forcing people to exercise daily to the winning song? On this week's episode, Ben, Mike, and special guest Josh Hehner explore this dystopia(?) in the 1980 film The Apple.

To celebrate his recent birthday, Ben took in a midnight screening of the 1980 not-quite-a-cult classic The Apple. In this movie, a Eurovision-like song contest is the starting point of an Adam-and-Eve-like story involving hippies, bedazzled beards, lyrics lacking subtlety, and a literal deus ex machina. If this sounds baffling, we invited fellow The Apple superfan Josh Hehner to help with bringing some sense to whatever the heck is going on.

Along with talking about the movie, we check in with what really happened in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, which the movie got sorta right? We discuss the practicality of National BIM Hour, surgery scheduling strategy, and how the movie might have predicted OrangeTheory. Finally, we make our picks for which songs from the soundtrack could make viable Eurovision entries and pour one out for the late, great Donna Summer.

Find your shiniest lamé outfit and add this week's EuroWhat to your exercise playlist.

Bite the Apple Summary

Welcome, Josh Hehner! (1:30)
The Apple synopsis (Spoilers, I guess?) (6:01)
The WorldVision Song Contest and the world of The Apple (13:42)
How's the soundtrack? (28:31)
What really happened in 1994? (35:28)
Could The Apple work at Eurovision? (37:48)

The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.

Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.

Join the EuroWhat AV Club!

If you would like to help financially support the show, we are hosting the EuroWhat AV Club over on Patreon! We have a slew of bonus episodes with deep dives on Eurovision-adjacent topics.

Special Guest: Josh Hehner.

Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews

Links:

Episode 17: Grand Final Preview

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Sat, 12 May 2018 06:15:00 -0500

The Grand Final of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest takes place Saturday, May 12. That means this is our last chance for wild speculation. We break down what happened at the semi-finals before sharing our hopes and dreams for which countries we want to win.

This week we welcome Barbara Sawhill to the panel to chat about what happened in Tuesday and Thursday's live shows. We discuss just how wrong we were about our semi-final one predictions, particularly why some power house countries failed to advance. Although we did much better predicting the second semi-final, there were still some surprises Thursday.((Including Mike's audio failing to record, so he's sitting out this week.))

Twenty-six countries are left. Who's going to win? It's the most exciting episode of the year as we head toward one of the most exciting Eurovision Grand Final competitions in years.

Special Guest: Barbara Sawhill.

Episode 15: Eurovision 2018 Auto Qualifiers

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Wed, 02 May 2018 05:00:00 -0500

As the Eurovision semi-finalist rehearsals are underway in Lisbon, the EuroWhat chats about the six auto qualifiers for this year's Grand Final. Will Portugal be a repeat winner? Will a Big Five country take the crown? Why so serious, Europe?

After a brief check-in with the first semi-final rehearsals—get well soon, Mikolas Josef!—we take a look at the jury who will provide half the Eurovision points. Could a hologram performance of "Waterloo" be in the near future? Also, before we talk about the Big Five, we speculate on whether France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom are at a disadvantage as auto qualifiers. Along with host country Portugal, we dive into the last six entries of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in preparation for the big events next week. GET EXCITED!

Summary

Rehearsals underway (2:00)
Judging the Juries (7:31)
ABBA reuniting! (10:10)
Is the Big Five at a competitive disadvantage as auto qualifiers? (12:07)
The last six Eurovision 2018 entries (21:06)
Programming notes (55:40)

Eurovision 2018 Auto Qualifiers

Portugal - Cláudia Pascoal - "O Jardim" (21:06)
Spain - Alfred and Amaia - "Tu Canción" (26:59)
United Kingdom - SuRie - "Storm" (33:20)
France - Madame Monsieur - "Mercy" (39:18)
Germany - Michael Schulte - "You Let Me Walk Alone" (45:06)
Italy - Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro - "Non Mi Avete Fatto Niente" (50:02)

Episode 4: The Who? and the What? Now!

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 05:00:00 -0600

Lindsey Weber from the Who Weekly podcast stops by to chat about how the Olympics are the perfect world event to prep for Eurovision before getting into the songs selected for Malta, Switzerland, the UK, Denmark, and Italy.

The Who? and the What? Now! Summary

Olympics and Eurovision (1:06)
Questions from Lindsey Weber (9:49)
Malta: Christabelle Borg "Taboo" (19:04)
Switzerland: ZiBBZ "Stones" (27:41)
United Kingdom: SuRie "Storms" (31:10)
Denmark: Rasmussen "Higher Ground" (38:03)
Italy: Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro "Non mi avete fatto niente" (41:31)
Upcoming Selections (47:55)

You ‘kay?

The EuroWhat? Podcast — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 08:00:00 -0600

This week, Ben and Mike do a deep dive into the United Kingdom's Eurovision selection process and take a look at why the country has struggled for so long at the Contest. Plus, a roundup of headlines from the last week.

Links

Ryan O'Shaughnessy's US Tour — https://ryanosmusic.com/pages/show-dates

Malta's entry: "Taboo" by Christabelle — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyrC8jJ8eb8

Switzerland's entry: "Stones" by ZiBBZ — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXOlPGnkZFY

The United Kingdom's contestants:

Gwenno "Tir Ha Mor" — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rCeygWexyA

CHVRCHES "Get Out" — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHUKKrcXfJs

The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews - Episodes Tagged with “Italy”

Episode 294: Radio Friendly

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Episode 284: "Joke" Entries

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Episode 280: Weird Little Dudes

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Episode 277: Nice

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Eurovision Podcast Podcrawl

Episode 276: Lingua Franca

Lingua Franca Summary

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Eurovision Podcast Podcrawl

Episode 274: Yugoslavia 1990

Yugoslavia 1990 Summary

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Eurovision Podcast Podcrawl

Episode 273: Fan Media Roundtable

Fan Media Summary

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Eurovision Podcast Podcrawl

Episode 269: Eurovision 2025 Grand Final Preview

Eurovision 2025 Grand Final Preview Summary

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Basel 2025

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Episode 267: Seasoned

Justin Ladia

Seasoned Summary

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Episode 257: Disco Sauna

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Episode 256: Ren Faire

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Episode 248: Three-Card Montesong

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Episode 247: Rebuilt

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Episode 241: Exotic Switzerland

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Episode 238: Vacay

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Malmö 2024

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Episode 235: Calm

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Episode 234: A Lotta Look

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Episode 231: Poop Chaos