Producers didn't do a good job at mixing entries this year:
I have heard so many have had this opionion about this year, but i gotta say, that if it was some year that it actually was a slightly better draw, then it was this year.
Poland/Switzerland/Israel in semi 2
We have to think that first half of semi 2 was FILLED with ballads, so that it came three in a row was doomed to happen. I think they did rather the best they could, having Poland as number two, being "a classic rockballad" after the more experimental pop song from Latvia. Having Poland and Israel close to each other, both singers taking advantage of androgynous look was a surprise for me, but they devided them simple with putting Switzerland, being a woman and having a more pop/schlagerballad between the rockballad and the naked soulballad. Also, knowing how Björkman does it in MF, he also works with putting different colourschemes, so by having red at number 2, blue at number 3 and black at number 4, worked nice in that matter as well.
In the final: Azerbaijan/Hungary which sounded similar, Russia/Spain like really?! :? Latvia/Ukraine were two moody songs that should have been separated.
I don't understand how Azerbaijan and Hungary sound similar? An uptempo song was really NEEDED after Czech Republic and Netherlands, so Azerbaijan was the ideal one to put as number 4 in the final. Also, since we got so many ballads in the first part of the final as well, 9 rather slow songs, A few ballads after Azerbaijan was needed. I think also that the swedish producers tried to put so that two ballads sung by the same gender doesn't happen next to each other, so they put male, female, male as 5-7 in the running order. Sure they could have switch Hovi with Freddie for 5 and 7, but I think that Israel might fit better next to Bulgaria, then Hungary is. I do though believe that just the 4-5 draw was the once that got the decided in the very end of the makings of the running order.
About Russia/Spain, we have to look what came before and what came after. 2nd part of the final has a lot of moody and dark songs, even if they are more uptempo. Cyprus, Serbia, somewhat Lithuania and Croatia all had rather moody performances in their own way and then comes Russia that is also black. A change is really needed after Russia, perhaps something happy and not assiociated with that song at all needs to come after, then Spain is the best solution. For looking after Spain comes then Latvia, Ukraine and somewhat Malta, also moody and dark stage shows, which Spain, despite being black as well, was a fresh breather between all the moody ones.
And sure is Latvia and Ukaine both moody, but they aren't that similar at all, especially nothing is similar to Ukraine this year. The only draw I could argue about this year is perhaps Ukraine/Malta in the final, where I wonder why the only song that could PERHAPS be assiociated with Ukraine happens to go afterwards, that was a little weird for me.
Nevertheless, my stand point in this is the same as most of you, I don't like it that much either, it is troublesome to see how they CAN decide the draw to make one of THEIR faves win. Though, I can't help to find it interesting though, and as long as it stays, I will be more fascinated by it.