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 2023 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 Euan’s turn to reveal how he voted.
Euan’s Votes
In previous years I tried to be methodical with this by creating shortlists that get progressively shorter and shorter. However after I made a long list of 416 songs the other year I thought best to not do that again. Like many I do set myself some requirements for these. I can’t have more than one song from the same country (because this list could be filled with entirely Lithuanian or Yugoslavian entries), and no more than one song from each year (because this list could be entirely 1967).
1 point: “Time” – O.Torvald (Ukraine, 2017)
Starting it off with a banger. Ukraine’s most chronically underrated entry, ‘Time’. The year was lacking and mediocre; O.Torvald were not. The underlying beat from the backing tracking was one of the best this year. They deserved so much better than what they received for bringing some of the best guitar usage at Eurovision.
2 points: “Rock Me” – Riva (Yugoslavia, 1989)
To be honest I shouldn’t like this. I typically hate the 80s and 90s. It’s cheesy, repetitive, and doesn’t push the boat out much, but by god is it not one of the best damn winners the contest has ever had. Listening to it makes me want to get shoulder pads and a disco ball and just dance the night away. There’s a perfect classic aspect to this that makes it perfect all the time.
3 points: “Anouschka” – Inge Brück (West Germany, 1967)
Now any eurofan who’s knows me, knows one important thing; I am an absolute slut for the 60s. What I love the most about this era of Eurovision is just how intimate and captivating so many of the performances are, and when I first heard Inge I was completely enthralled. Its lyrics tell of Inge consoling someone young who’s experiencing heartbreak, and Inge’s phenomenal stage presence and evocative voice makes it difficult to not feel the warmth and compassion she’s trying to convey. Also, the horns at the start absolutely slap.
4 points: “The Real Thing” – Highway – (Montenegro, 2016)
Moving onto the more contemporary with the rightful winner of 2016. Performance wise this head and shoulders above any of the year. Where Montenegro usually struggles in this regard, The Real Thing excelled. The performance perfected the blend of looking like a music video without sacrificing the live vibes. Truly shocking that Europe didn’t let them qualify.
5 points: “Stay” – Monika Linkytė (Lithuania, 2023)
My only allotted Lithuanian on this list. Typically Monika has featured on almost all of my 250 votes with her 2015 entry, but changed it up this year as this is likely my most listened to Lithuanian entry this year. The power in her vocals were unmatched in Liverpool. The revamp of this between the semi final and final of PiN is one of my favourite elevations of a Eurovision song we’ve had.
6 points: “Truth” – Chingiz (Azerbaijan, 2019)
My winner of 2019. Look I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: mugham fucks and I would happily take a song that is just three minutes of it. So it’s only fitting to add a song that features is so prominently to my list. His vocals were fantastic. Although I prefer the studio version, even the Tel Aviv version that’s in the higher key is still amazing. A fantastic blend of contemporary and traditional that Azerbaijan need to bring more of to the contest.
7 points: “Yo soy aquél” – Raphael (Spain, 1966)
The grip this performance has over me is ridiculous. The way he gazes into the camera, the energy of his performance, the raw depth of his voice; God this man is magical and honestly we need him back in Eurovision. I don’t care how out of date it is.
8 points: “Thunder and Lightning” – Vukašin Brajić (Bosnia & Herzegovina, 2010)
This song will always hold a deep place in my heart, and I think will always feature in my 250 vote because it’s the song that turned me into a Eurofan. This was the first song that I became obsessed with after my first contest in 2010. I think I’m still chasing the ESC-high of having a rock song this good in Eurovision.
10 points: “Mon Alliée (The Best In Me)” – Tom Leeb (France, 2020)
The rightful winner of Eurovision 2020. What more can I say? Well lots in fact.
Both versions of this song were great. I do feel like I have more of a leaning towards the revamp with the guitar ballad as it feels more true to the rest of Tom’s music. The softness of the guitar and strings in the backing track combined with the ‘caramel’ nature of have kept this one of my most listened to songs of the year; outwith even just Eurovision. We need Tom Leeb back soon.
Special mentions
Before I reveal my 12 points, I would like to give a special shout-out to the songs who just missed out on making my Top 10 this time round.
- ‘Tu te reconnaîtras’ – Anne-Marie David: OG mother, exudes class. Queen.
- ‘Requiem’ – Alma: This is my go to drunken karaoke song.
- ‘Boum badaboum’ – Minouche Barelli: Love the irreverence in these lyrics.
- ‘River’ – Ochman: One of the best male vocalists the contest has ever had.
- ‘Solovey’ – Go_A: We need more amazing white voice, and or folkronica in Eurovision.
And Euan’s 12 points go to…. “Heroes” – Måns Zelmerlöw (Sweden, 2015)
Trying to write about my favourite entry is difficult for me. Trying to explain why this song is important to me is like trying to explain why oxygen is important to me. This song means so much that it is a literal part of me (that’s a literal literal too, I’ve even got a Heroes tattoo because I loved it so much). The hope (and glory) he sings about is truly infectious and words cannot express how much I adore this. It will likely forever be my most favourite entry.
Listen to our collective ESC 250 playlist on Spotify
Enjoy our collective ESC 250 playlist on YouTube
Now that Euan has revealed his votes for ESC 250 this year, what do you think of his 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: Tom Leeb | Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU | Chingiz Mustafayev