K catching up with Estonia finally. Let the stream of conscieousness commence.
Sissi - Time resonates well live (better than I thought it would), but the real obstacle here is Sissi's lack of a stage presence. She just... doesn't know how to move on a stage? Or in which camera to look? Perhaps she'll be ready to win EL in like... four years from now.
Gram-of-Fun - As i thought she would prove again, Kristel is just not made for live performances. It's a pity because Lost in a dance is SO good (like, out of this world good, i gave it a 10/10 for a reason), but her voice and general locomotion just don't work. I will have to say though, the MEN in Gram-of-Fun delivered an excellent a+ vocal performance, i'd love to see them back at some point, with Kristel as their songwriter ofc.
Kadri Voorand - She just JUMPS at you, you know? Her energy, her personality, the general FORCE with which she sings (not quite bellowing but still very loud and engaging). I love this ballad and I wouldn't be half sorry if she made the superfinaal. Easy second fave SO FAR, have your RainyStar after I update the NF faves ranking later tonight.
Helen - honestly, excellent filler that might have done decently in the other semi? The act flows SO well with the general cadence of the beat, she's charismatic, the song is pleasant. Deserved better tbh!!
REDEL - I HAAAATED "Tarttu" in studio, but the staging is the sort of acid trip that could ONLY work with a 'song' such as this one. It's like an art school trip to a nuclear reactor gone right. I'm okay it advanced, certainly MORE okay with it than I was with [insert every semi 1 qualifier sans Linna's].
Rahel - Lol imagine how good this would be if Rahel could sing. (she can't. at allll) (
?)
Uku Haasma - A lovely song but it was really let down by its lack of staging. Imagine THIS with Seis's/Imerika's staging instead of Daniel Levi's (That's All I Need's staging. Lol imagined him doing a stage dive for a sec and cackled
).
Heleza -
Also a lovely song let down by its lack of staging. But girl, this is not FdC a puffy dress ISN'T ENOUGH IN ESTONIA. Ahem. Still like her though, if only because she still forced an Inga Gimp Dance while looking like a Vietnamese New Year's lampoon
Uku Suviste - "The Lucky One" - I have resisted Uku Suviste's inevitable victory for song long, but I have finally, FINALLY come to terms with it! Hooray :tosses paper confetti everywhere. Honestly, I unironically enjoy the high octane DRAMA and extraness of this staging concept? The lightning, the chains, the forced vocal flexing to remind you he wasn't just chosen for his looks (he totally was btw
) Blas Canto should take note because THIS is what 'good desperation' looks like on a himbot.
Alabama Watchdog - even if we toss aside the problematic issues, this is just not a good song lol. It is noisy and aggression inducing, and taps too hard in the "if I say deliberately offensive shit it'll make me famous" school of provocation. Take it from me babe, it WON'T, at all. I do approve of an attitude where you don't GIVE A FUCK about what others think about you though
but I'm all the same happy they NQ'd because you know,
bad song and possibly highly problematic political views.
Jüri Pootsmann - I'm honestly
still not sure what this creature is tbh (
? Yeah, definitely
).
Suured Tüdrukud - Honest, Dagmar and Kaire's song is such a schlager cliché but Dat Live, man. What's the superlative of 'outsell'? That's what I would use to describe their performance. It really shouldn't be *this* good and it just fucking wipes the lingering ghosts of Alabama Watchdog and Jüri (and by extention, KEiiNO) from memory.
Yeah, this semi was amazing lol, what a stark contrast with semi 1. A quick rank
01. Kadri Voorand
02. Suured Tüdrukud
03. Helen ()
04. Gram-of-Fun
05. Uku Suviste
06. Uku Haasma
07. Heleza
08. REDEL
09. Jüri
10. Rahel
11. Sissi
12. Alabama Watchdog.
The first 11 + tragically robbed trash heroine Kéa = the 50% green entry quota needed to dub this as a good EL overall. Yay! Now fingers crossed Uku actually wins.