Voting for the annual ESC 250 celebration closed on the 16th of December 2024, and now we have a nervous wait to find out the results! The event is hosted by songfestival.be, with the results revealed on the 31st December 2024 on EFR12 Radio to close out the year. Find out more about it here!
While we wait to find out the official results, members of the TES team will be sharing their votes for this year and explaining the reason for their picks. This time it’s Molly’s turn to reveal how they voted.
The Rankings
My favourites have always been songs that make me want to dance however I do love the overall package of a performance. Sometimes songs that I have ranked lower on a first listen I later rank higher when I get to see the live performance since a first listen doesn’t always show the full potential of a song. Some of these songs have been ranked based on the song, visual quality and how it has grown on me through the years.
1 point: “Teresa & Maria” – Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil (Ukraine, 2023)
Teresa & Maria is a song with one of the most beautiful stages I had seen within the competition and it used the space it was given to give a bigger impact to the song that had blown me away. The song itself adds to the package by having a beautiful blend of vocals and rapping with Jerry’s voice adding a beauty to the song that ties the whole performance together to make it pure art to me.
2 points: “La La Love” – Ivi Adamou (Cyprus, 2012)
La La Love is the summer anthem of 2012 that I constantly listen to, to this day and makes me want to dance every time. It fits the summer vibe and the staging may be simple with the bench and dancing however the choreography and Ivi’s charisma make it work and elevate an already amazing song. It has always been a special and fun summer pop song for me.
3 points: “Tattoo” – Loreen (Sweden, 2023)
I may be biased to having seen this song live however even when I saw it on TV I was blown away by how Loreen had made such a simple stage work and harmoniously tied the song and performance. She showed why she was such a legendary performer within the content. She knew her strengths and threw it all into Tattoo along with how each element tied into her heritage in a way that felt beautiful.
4 points: “Only Teardrops” – Emmelie de Forest (Denmark, 2013)
Only Teardrops pairs amazing vocals, amazing staging and a fun song together to create a timeless hit that has stayed within the hearts of many Eurovision fans including mine over many years. It’s simple but it works especially with how it incorporates the flute into the song to make it sound like a magical and fantastical experience making me listen more and more.
5 points: “SloMo” – Chanel (Spain, 2022)
The staging and choreography made Chanel and the song the focus of the performance. The way she used lighting and graceful moves to tie into the sensuality of the song made it the powerhouse that it has become. It played into the popularity of this song and how it used song trends of the time to its strength. Chanel was able to channel the charisma of Eleni Flourela and made it her own.
6 points: “Soldi” – Mahmood (Italy, 2019)
The synergy between Mahmood and the audience during this performance is astounding and is one thing that drew me to this song. The song is very catchy and can easily become an earworm no matter how many times I listen to it. This song is simple yet it works to attract attention even with the simple claps it also makes me want to clap along.
7 points: “Fuego” – Eleni Foureira (Cyprus, 2018)
This song is an example of a top Eurovision girl bop and it will take a lot to knock that spot that Fuego has taken and secured. From the start, the song draws your attention then slowly builds up to a song that would make me want to get up and dance every time it plays. The choreography adds to the package this song brings along with Eleni’s magical stage presence.
8 points: “Rise Like a Phoenix” – Conchita Wurst (Austria, 2014)
Conchita came on stage with a bold song for its time and commanded my attention from the beginning it played. This song is compared to a Bond theme for a reason with how strong and dramatic it is and Conchita’s vocals and stage presence add to this along with the outfit being so bold and strong which is what makes it stand out to me.
10 points: “Voilà” – Barbara Pravi (France, 2021)
A spotlight and a passionate French singer were all this song needed to be amazing and make it into one of my favourites. This powerful ballad hits by not only best representing France but also with some of the most simple staging I have seen. It makes the vocals the main presence and gives full attention to Barbara which was all that was needed for this song to shine.
Special Mentions
Before I announce the 12-point winner I have some honourable mentions since I had many songs that I would have liked to add but didn’t make the final list. All these songs have either given me special memories for the contest or have also been impactful with how the synergy between the music and performance has elevated the song and made it impactful.
- “Zitti E Buoni” – Måneskin (Italy, 2021) – This song had so much impact and catapulted the contest to its status today. Without Måneskin the contest may not have dragged in the bigger international audience that the show has currently. The song is different and unique from what was being sent at the time with the stage presence of the performance being one of the things that carries it.
- “Popular”—Eric Saade (Sweden, 2011)—It has been more than a decade since this song was released, and to me, it’s still a timeless hit that has not aged. I can still listen to this song and enjoy it no matter how long it has been. This song is timeless, and that shows the genius of not only the overall performance but also the song itself.
- “Ela”—Andromache (Cyprus, 2022)—This song may not have qualified in the 2022 contest, but to me, it was magical. Even with the staging, it gave into the themeing that tied it all together. Her vocals and the way she sang the song added to the magical elements of the song, which to me made it memorable, no matter it not qualifying.
- “Fairytale” – Alexander Rybak (Norway, 2009) – The song is an amazing mix of use of fantastical vocals and use of the violin that I have rarely seen in any other Eurovision entries. This song is creative and unique. There is also that fantasy element that tends to draw me to these types of songs. He has a charisma that helps elevate the performance of the song.
- “Ramonda” – TEYA DORA (Serbia, 2024) – The themeing of the song being about a flower adds to so much beautiful themeing and that ties the whole performance together. Similar to Ukraine for 2024 the staging was inricately crafted to represent the song and the beautiful performance by Teya. The performance was artistic and was able to be one of my favourites of the 2024 show.
- “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” – Baby Lasagna (Croatia, 2024) – This song was similar to how a lot of people felt about Cha Cha Cha in 2023. There was so much energy that I felt within the song and not just by the song itself but also coming from the artist that was felt across the audience. The song is about moving from your home town which many people can relate to which is another thing that I felt makes this song relevant to so many people.
- “Gravity” – Zlata Ognevich – (Ukraine 2013) – This song is magical and saying that I love fantasy songs which yes this one fit into the category and it had a story to tell that was shown through the performance and music. With it being more then a decade since this song came out it has a timeless element to me that makes me always enjoy going back to listen to this song.
And Molly’s 12 points go to…. “Euphoria” – Loreen (Sweden, 2012)
Euphoria what more do I have to say than iconic? This song is timeless not only that it took a platform and lights to make the staging seem like a standout but also Loreen’s vocals elevated this song to the status it is today. The song had a wide appeal when it was released and made many people get into Eurovision including me and even with that this song and performance always draw my attention when I recognise it.
Listen to our collective ESC 250 playlist on Spotify
Enjoy our collective ESC 250 playlist on YouTube
Now that Molly has revealed their votes for ESC 250 this year, what do you think of their picks? Who received your 12 points this year? As always, please let us know what you think by commenting below. Be sure to follow ‘THAT Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all of the latest Eurovision news.
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU
Euan T