Now that the utterly chaotic 2025 National Final season is over, and we now have all the songs that will be competing at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. Instead of taking a breather, it’s time to deep dive and being overly analytical about ever single song in That Eurovision Jury 2025.
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, because boy do we have some strong opinions here at TES.
No Rules! (okay we do have to have some rules)
The 36 countries competing this year have been randomly sorted into 6 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 36 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. 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 Three
The six countries that make up the first segment being voted on are: Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Portugal, and Finland.
The jurors voting in this segment are: Euan, Jonathan, Samantha, Angus, and Lewis.
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
Lithuania 🇱🇹 Katarsis – Tavo Akys
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 4 | 3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 15 |
| Artist’s Presence | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 19 |
| Individuality | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 22 |
| Attention Drawing | 4.5 | 4 | 5 | 3.5 | 3 | 20 |
| Vocal Fit | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 21 |
| Lyrical Impact | 4 | 4.5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 18.5 |
Total score: 115.5
Positives
Jonathan: This is a really unique song that builds well and crescendos with great energy
Euan: This is perhaps the most emotionally charged song of the year, and something that really needs commended.
Angus: This song brings yet another genre to Eurovision, and does so excellently
Lewis: I love the mono-tonal staging for the national final performance. I hope we can get close to replicating this in Basel.
Samantha: Katarsis stay true to themselves with this entry, and you can sense that, the song has a nice mix of beauty and an eerie/dark feel to it. The rock influence is punchy and hard hitting.
Negatives
Jonathan: It may not be catchy enough and have enough mass appeal to make the required impact in the voting
Euan: This is a song that will appeal more to a specific niche of people that will want to vote for it, rather than a broader base. That niche is extremely small and may not be enough to put it over the line.
Angus: Musically this is much more interesting texturally than melodically, which is a sound I appreciate but does hurt how memorable much of the melody is
Lewis: I can’t help but find myself feeling disappointed by the climax of the build in this song. It feels very anticlimactic.
Samantha: It won’t stick with everyone, you either love it or you don’t.
Latvia 🇱🇻 Tautumeitas – Bur Man Laimi
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 4.5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 18.5 |
| Artist’s Presence | 4 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 14.5 |
| Individuality | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 22 |
| Attention Drawing | 4.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 2 | 17 |
| Vocal Fit | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 22 |
| Lyrical Impact | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 17 |
Total score: 111
Positives
Jonathan: This is beautiful and complex, with delicate harmonies expertly performed. A remarkable song to witness
Euan: Their presence is unmatched for a group.
Angus: This pounding piece of folk features 6 great vocalists that all get to show off
Lewis: The chemistry between these girls comes across so beautifully both in this performance and the song itself! This song sounds incredible.
Samantha: This has the perfect mix of folk music with modern influences. You can always count on Tautumeitas to give you an effortlessly clean performance, be that vocally or in terms of choreography.
Negatives
Jonathan: Intricacy and complexity aren’t traditionally great vote winners in Eurovision
Euan: If not performed exceptionally well, this could come across as a bit too messy on the live stage.
Angus: Lyrically this song doesn’t fully sing to me, even if there is some lovely and evocative imagery
Lewis: As strong as this entry is, there is the slimmest chance that a song like this could get lost in the line-up. I am concerned that this song appeals more to a niche audience than the majority.
Samantha: This either connects with you or it doesn’t, it might be too authentic for many mainstream viewers.
Sweden 🇸🇪 KAJ – Bara Bada Bastu
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 3 | 3.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 21.5 |
| Artist’s Presence | 3.5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 21.5 |
| Individuality | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 19 |
| Attention Drawing | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 19 |
| Vocal Fit | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4.5 | 4 | 19.5 |
| Lyrical Impact | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 16.5 |
Total score: 117
Positives
Jonathan: It’s fun, it’s different, it’s charming, and it’s catchy! Very nice to see from Sweden
Euan: The humour manages to break the language barrier in ways that most Eurovision entries of this nature struggle to do so.
Angus: This song is truly shockingly catchy, and hearing the chorus just once is enough for it to sometimes pop up in your brain again weeks later
Lewis: We have grown so used to Sweden sending English spoken entries that are far more serious so it makes for a nice change that we’re getting a fun entry fully sung in Swedish.
Samantha: This song is pure FUN. The performance works so well, their stage presence is unmatched and it is such an earworm. Whilst the vocals are not great, they’re not supposed to be, making everything fit perfectly.
Negatives
Jonathan: It might be a bit too cheesy to stand out against some of the more exciting and interesting acts this year. Also the chorus is quite similar to Solo by Blanka
Euan: It is still a comedy song, which to many will be off-putting and considered naff regardless of how good the song is.
Angus: The lyrics do their job, but except for setting the scene for a fun staging they don’t really warrant much attention
Lewis: An entry like this is risky. With this being a song that’s not taking itself too seriously, there will be parts of the Eurovision community who will cater themselves more for the serious, ballady performances. It doesn’t have universal appeal.
Samantha: The only negative that I can find is maybe for some music purists, this is a joke entry and don’t get the fun aspect of this.
Croatia đź‡đź‡· Marko Bošnjak – Poison Cake
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 3 | 1.5 | 2 | 3.5 | 3 | 13 |
| Artist’s Presence | 3 | 2.5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14.5 |
| Individuality | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
| Attention Drawing | 2.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| Vocal Fit | 3 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| Lyrical Impact | 2 | 1.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 11 |
Total score: 76.5
Positives
Jonathan: It’s a well performed song with a strong beat and some interesting production, and has great potential for staging
Euan: There is certainly a unique sound.
Angus: This song is very much its own thing while still feeling like it fits right in with what we expect in Eurovision
Lewis: There’s something very guilty pleasure about this song. I love how much of a juxtaposition this song is. Very bubblegum, yet dark at the same time. If there was a song for the viral image of the pink house sat next to the dark house, this would be it.
Samantha: Croatia has not played it safe and that will set them apart. Marko has a really nice voice.
Negatives
Jonathan: For me this song doesn’t stand out, and its chorus is quite disappointing. It tries to create an atmosphere, and I don’t feel it achieves it
Euan: This has been presented in such a strange manner that’s quite off-putting, but not in a way that gels well with the song.
Angus: While somewhat fitting considering the lyrics, Marko Bošnjak’s stage performance was somewhat off putting during the national final
Lewis: Some would find the production of this song way too chaotic and not a pleasant liste
Samantha: It either sticks with you or it doesn’t. The performance has to be elevated for Basel. The vocals were at times a mess at Dora (specifically the high notes) and that definitely needs to be worked on.
Finland 🇫🇮 Erika Vikman – ICH KOMME
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 4 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 5 | 18 |
| Artist’s Presence | 4.5 | 3.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 23 |
| Individuality | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 16 |
| Attention Drawing | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 23.5 |
| Vocal Fit | 5 | 2.5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 18.5 |
| Lyrical Impact | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 17 |
Total score: 116
Positives
Jonathan: This is my song of the year. It’s heavy, it’s charismatic, and it creates a moment
Euan: Erika has generational defining stage presence and showwomanship that is just unparalleled.
Angus: Erika Vikman is a true performer, and she performs the pants off this song
Lewis: I think a huge selling point for this song is the chant section of the chorus. Eurofans love a song they can take part in, and the repetition of “Ich Komme” in the chorus is a very easy line to hook yourself onto. I also love Erika as a performer. She commands attention when she’s on stage.
Samantha: You cannot deny Erika has great stage presence, the song is catchy and fun, and it is certainly different.
Negatives
Jonathan: (Jonathan was forced to make a negative comment under duress) I shan’t hear a bad word against her, but I guess because it is so heavy and powerful, it could alienate a lot the audience
Euan: It can come across as being just quite loud and in your face with not much substance behind it.
Angus: While this would have been more of a standout in other years, “Ich Komme” bumps into some rivals with similar sounds and/or themes in this edition
Lewis: It took me a long time to buy into the hype of this song. It wasn’t until I saw the national final performance that I finally understood, but the studio cut left a lot to be desired unfortunately.
Samantha: The song is not everyone’s cup of tea, and I think that Finland is in the same boat as Sweden, some music purists might see this as a joke entry, especially the most prudish of viewers.
Portugal 🇵🇹 NAPA – Deslocado
| Juror 1 | Juror 2 | Juror 3 | Juror 4 | Juror 5 | Total | |
| Melodic Impact | 4 | 1.5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14.5 |
| Artist’s Presence | 3.5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 15.5 |
| Individuality | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.5 | 4 | 19.5 |
| Attention Drawing | 3.5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 15.5 |
| Vocal Fit | 4 | 4.5 | 3 | 4.5 | 4 | 20 |
| Lyrical Impact | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 23 |
Total score: 108
Positives
Jonathan: A beautiful song well performed, with a message that will resonate
Euan: Of all the songs this year this is the warmest.
Angus: While you don’t need to understand Portuguese to feel the story of this song, doing so or reading a translation will move you so much
Lewis: I really enjoy how mellow “Deslocado” is. It’s a very pretty song and very refreshing to hear in a year full of punchy upbeat music.
Samantha: “Deslocado” is authentic, beautiful and the message will resonate with a lot of people. NAPA have a great stage presence in terms of their style. It has an old school vibe that I love, and I think many people will too.
Negatives
Jonathan: Can they do something interesting with the staging? Otherwise this song will lose a lot of its impact
Euan: It’s so sweet, in such a loud show. It’s dead in the water and I hate that.
Angus: As gorgeous as it may be to listen to, it is difficult to accuse this song of being catchy
Lewis: There is a worry that a song like this will be easily forgotten in the semi final. Whilst some will see this as a nice breakaway from the high energy performances, some may find it difficult to come down from that level so suddenly.
Samantha: Portugal always sends something that isn’t your typical Eurovision entry, but some people will find this entry boring.
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!
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