With the rehearsals for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest starting in just a few weeks, we thought we’d have a little go at trying to make our own jury scores for this year’s contest. While there’s no way to accurately predict what the juries or televotes will decide next month, we can say how we would vote if we were jurors.
No Rules! (okay we do have to have some rules)
The 36 countries competing this year have been randomly sorted into seven segments. Each segment will be voted on by 5 jurors. They have assessed based on six categories: Melodic Impact, Artist Presence, Individuality, Attention Drawing, Vocal Fit, and Lyrical Impact. Exact specifications of these criteria can be found below. Our five jurors have given a score of 1 to 5 on each of the six topics, allowing each juror to give a maximum of 30 points to each song. In total there are up to 150 points available to each song. Once every song and score has been presented a full breakdown with a ranking of all 37 of this year’s entries.
Additionally, all of our jurors were asked to give one positive, and one negative comment about each song in a constructive manner. As well as opinions we have also guest Jurors from other outlets voicing their opinions. In line with our current editorial policy Israel will not be reviewed as part of this jury. You can read more about our stance here.
These are our personal opinions based on the criteria outlined. This is in no way attempt to accurately predict what will be the outcome of live shows and should not be taken as such.
Countries And Jurors For Part One
The six countries that make up the first segment being voted on are: Ben, Jazzi, Angus, and Kittens. Joining as a guest for this block is ESCUnited contributor and Youtuber Gabe.
The jurors voting in this segment are:
Voting Criteria
Criteria 1: Melodic Impact
How lasting is the beat of the track. The more the beat stays, the higher the ranking.
Criteria 2: Artist’s Presence
If a national final is used, how their presence on stage affected the performance. If an internal selection was used, and no pre-party of other live footage is available then their presence is assessed based on their history.
Criteria 3: Individuality
How different is the song compared to the rest of the acts participating this year.
Criteria 4: Attention Drawing
How drawn in are you by the song. Are you waiting for it to finish, or completely engrossed.
Criteria 5: Vocal Fit
Assessing the vocal fit of the artist to the song rather than judging their technical ability in full. ie. X singer may have a wider range to Y singer, though singer Y may utilise the range better in their song and therefore should be ranked higher than X.
Criteria 6: Lyrical Impact
How lasting are the lyrics to you. Has listening to it left you singing the song.
The Results
Greece Marina Satti – ZARI
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 3.5 | 4 | 1 | 1.5 | 3 | 13 |
| Artist’s Presence | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 19.5 |
| Individuality | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 23 |
| Attention Drawing | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 17 |
| Vocal Fit | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 18 |
| Lyrical Impact | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 16 |
Total score: 106.5
Positives
Ben: This really stands out in the lineup. It does an amazing job of blending traditional instruments with a modern style.
Jazzi: This is a track which really shows off Marina as a an artist, hence the high Individuality score here. There is no other song like this in the contest. Which should help it stand out to viewers and jurors come May.
Kittens: Very different from anything else this year and if done well staging wise could be really engaging
Angus: The song is truly a thing unto itself in this Eurovision year, and also offers a glimpse into a different approach of melding modern and traditional musical elements.
Gabe: Super authentic representation of Greek culture
Negatives
Ben: The lyrics can feel repetitive at times and the melody leaves me waiting for a really big moment.
Jazzi: This has taken me a few listens to really grab my attention and click, although once it did I have lived it since. Although I enjoy it now, initially it got lost among the other songs for me. Which worries me a little in May that this could get forgotten about.
Kittens: lacks commercial appeal, and could be divisive
Angus: The beat and melody of the track fail to be catchy or engaging
Gabe: Could be an acquired taste
Portugal iolanda – Grito
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 3.5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 20.5 |
| Artist’s Presence | 3.5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16.5 |
| Individuality | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 18 |
| Attention Drawing | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
| Vocal Fit | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 23.5 |
| Lyrical Impact | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 2 | 21.5 |
Total score: 113
Positives
Ben: It’s a beautiful ballad and she has a beautiful voice.
Jazzi: The lyrics and melody fit together really nicely. They both help build the emotional element of this song. The lyrics translated symbolize a journey, and I feel that also the Melody builds as the song goes on which helps draw home that message that iolanda is on some sort of emotional journey within this song.
Kittens: Beautiful performance and the symbolism really comes through despite not knowing the language
Angus: The lyrics are beautifully evocative and powerful, they’re pure poetry.
Gabe: Best big note of the year
Negatives
Ben: It feels a bit too slow at times and takes a while to build.
Jazzi: Although I enjoy this, in this field of songs this is not the first song that automatically grabs my attention. And this was the same in the field of Festival Da Canção songs, which makes me worry a little that this will get lost in May.
Kittens: lacks drama or a hook to be truly memorable
Angus: The slow and understated beginning has its purpose, but it also means it doesn’t quite grab the listener’s attention from the word go
Gabe: People may switch off in the first two minutes
Moldova Natalia Barbu – In The Middle
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Artist’s Presence | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2.5 | 3 | 14.5 |
| Individuality | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2.5 | 3 | 13.5 |
| Attention Drawing | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| Vocal Fit | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
| Lyrical Impact | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 10.5 |
Total score: 79.5
Positives
Ben: The instrumental is very good and she has a good voice.
Jazzi: Between this and her 2007 song, Natalia has showcased she is an incredible vocalist. She hits the high notes in this perfectly. The vocal elements in this actually add to the song really well and add individuality to the song.
Kittens: The song is well performed and will benefit from an experienced performer
Angus: That chorus goes so incredibly hard that it goes beyond being catchy and into making me emotional
Gabe: Natalia is a superb vocalist and her high notes are superb
Negatives
Ben: The song struggles to be memorable and will likely struggle to stand out.
Jazzi: I do lose interest in this song as it goes on, there are parts of this that are incredibly repetitive, in the pre-chorus, chorus and within the melody. I do worry if this song will sustain people’s interest for more than three minutes when you hear a large part of the whole song within the first minute and then it just repeated again in the second half.
Kittens: Too middle of the road and throwaway – essentially unmemorable
Angus: It’s clear what the lyrics are trying to convey, but they land somewhere between awkward and bland once you pay attention to them
Gabe: Backing track doesn’t meet her high standard
Slovenia Raiven – Veronika
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3.5 | 14.5 |
| Artist’s Presence | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4.5 | 22.5 |
| Individuality | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 17 |
| Attention Drawing | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 19 |
| Vocal Fit | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4 | 23.5 |
| Lyrical Impact | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2.5 | 17.5 |
Total score: 114
Positives
Ben: Raiven has one of the strongest vocals of the year.
Jazzi: I really like the visual elements in the music video and think they suit a song like this perfectly, I think this lends itself to good and interesting staging in May. Vocally as well this shows off a range in Raiven’s voice and it works really well within this song. We hear deep notes, we hear big notes, we hear operatic notes hence the high vocal fit marks.
Kittens: Brings the high drama, vocally quite interesting
Angus: Raiven delivers the meaningful lyrics powerfully as she shows off her impressive range on this track
Gabe: Raiven’s charisma is exceptional and her appearance is instantly memorable
Negatives
Ben: To some, the vocal may be a bit to “screamy”.
Jazzi: I do feel this song takes a while to build to its big crescendo at the end. And then when I feel we get there I am unsure whether it lasts long enough. This worries me in terms of how attention drawing this could be come May. However visuals could play a big element here.
Kittens: It all feels somewhat overengineered and I’m not sure the message of the song comes through well in any performance we’ve seen so far.
Angus: While there is much to commend in the musical choices and experimentation on this track, it melodically ends up falling a bit flat
Gabe: Verses fall a little flat
Malta Sarah Bonnici – Loop
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1.5 | 11.5 |
| Artist’s Presence | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2.5 | 17.5 |
| Individuality | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| Attention Drawing | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 11.5 |
| Vocal Fit | 3.5 | 4 | 3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 17.5 |
| Lyrical Impact | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 9 |
Total score: 76
Positives
Ben: She is an amazing dancer and can vocally deliver live.
Jazzi: This is a fun song that will get crowds up and dancing as the semi-final two opener. Sarah seems a fun and engaging performer as well, you can also tell she loves every minute of performing this. Which means she will make some sort of connection with the audience in May, and hopefully draw some sort of televote.
Kittens: Catchy hook and the dance break is slick and adds to the performance
Angus: Sarah Bonnici is a born performer and really knows how to sell a song on stage and to the camera
Gabe: Sarah executes vocals and choreo superbly
Negatives
Ben: The melody feels very derivative and doesn’t do much to set itself apart from every other dance track that has competed before it.
Jazzi: The lyrics personally leave a lot to be desired especially in the verses. Although I guess they suit the vibe of this song at least. This is the genre of girl bop that unfortunately we have heard a lot in the contest over the years hence the harsh mark for individuality. There are other girl bops that draw my attention over this as well. I could see this struggling in May. However staging, could yet prove me wrong.
Kittens: Quite generic and easily forgettable
Angus: The melody during the dance-focused parts of the track lacks any presence and can lead to listeners to stop paying attention.
Gabe: Least memorable of this year’s pop songs
Lithuania Silvester Belt – Luktelk
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4.5 | 3 | 20.5 |
| Artist’s Presence | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4.5 | 19.5 |
| Individuality | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 18.5 |
| Attention Drawing | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 21 |
| Vocal Fit | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4.5 | 22.5 |
| Lyrical Impact | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 17 |
Total score: 119
Positives
Ben: The melody is extremely memorable and doesn’t grow old. I’ve had the chorus stuck in my head since it dropped.
Jazzi: The hook of this is so catchy and in Eurovizija.LT this immediately grabbed my attention and really stood out to me. Vocally, I think this suits Silvester’s voice perfectly. I think in the staging and fashion you can also really see who Silvester is as an artist. Lithuania have hopes for their best result in years with this if it all comes together as well as it did in the national final.
Kittens: Catchy song with a good hook, will get the crowd going for the dum-dum bits
Angus: It’s a very catchy song that can pop up in one’s mind even long after having last heard it
Gabe: Use of colour and minimalist staging executed to perfection
Negatives
Ben: HELP I CANT FIND SOMETHING BAD (Ben will be scolded for this)
Jazzi: Lyrically while it all makes sense and it works and shows Silvester’s longing for someone I don’t know if they are the most deep and meaningful lyrics we will see at this year’s contest in terms of telling a story, however you don’t have to have the deepest lyrics to do well in Eurovision.
Kittens: quieter than some other tracks and could be easily drowned out by other louder, bigger tracks
Angus: Silvester is yet to give me quite the attitude this song deserves during live performances
Gabe: Not particularly melodic
You can find the part two, three, four, five, and six, and the full results linked respectively.
What do you think of our scores? Are there any countries you’d score differently? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we cover the rehearsals of Eurovision 2024!
Information Source: That Eurovision Site
Header Image Credits: Carlton Agius (Sarah Bonicci), Armida ÄŚepukaitÄ— (Silvester), Kurunis (Marina Satti), Mihai Turculet (Natalia), Sebas Ferreira (Iolanda), and Tjasa Barbo (Raiven)
That Eurovision Site 
Rory Gannon