Due to some issues with our recording, our Semi 1 predictions will be in text form!
As per our usual prediction, we give each song a Yes or No answer over whether they will qualify and we give a short answer as to our reasoning for the answer we gave.
1) Moldova
Kylie: No. Even though it looks good, I think juries will kill it. It’s a really tough one but I’m stick my neck out despite it being a borderliner, I wouldn’t be surprised if it did qualify after all.
Nicolas: No. I feel that juries will deliberately put this last because of the act. Televoters might save them from last place, though. Oh, and Romania of course.
Sara: No. This might come last in the semi-final, it might not even get high points from Romania because he’s Ukrainian.
2) Armenia
Kylie: Yes. It’s basically a rallying call to their diaspora, even though their jury performance as a bit wobbly, I think their televoting diaspora will see them through.
Nicolas: Yes. I don’t even think juries will mark it down (apart from possibly the Netherlands and Belgium, targeting that same diaspora in a negative way) because of how surprisingly good it sounds live. I agree that diaspora will help this qualify.
Sara: Yes. I actually think it sounds kinda nice and it’s purple and pretty.
3) Belgium
Kylie: Yes. It looks great and sounds great, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t qualify!
Nicolas: No (laughs). I will only believe we are in the final when I see the envelope with our flag on screen. I just can’t imagine the East voting for us, it’s too sterile, too marketed towards Northern and Western Europe.
Sara: Yes. He is amazing and cute and it should do very well. It’s very Sia-like and she’s liked in Eastern Europe, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t like him. This is a definite qualifier and if it’s not, I’ll cry myself to sleep.
4) The Netherlands
Kylie: No. It sounded really good but visually I really don’t think it is up to scratch.
Nicolas: No. As Kylie said it doesn’t look good. I even disagree on it sounding good. Her jury rehearsal was possibly her worst runthrough so far.
Sara: Yes. I don’t why, but I just said “yes” based on my predictions system! (For people that don’t know my system: I take statistics from views, likes, dislikes, comments on certain Youtube videos as well as the odds, charts, fanpolls etc.)
5) Finland
Kylie: No. It’s another difficult choice and I think it’s borderline but I have a bad feeling that juries will knock it back, even though it looks good.
Nicolas: Yes. I don’t see juries marking it down that badly, seeing as their rankings are published, how do you think that would make them look if they collectively put Finland last? Also, I can easily see this doing really well with televoters.
Sara: Yes. I agree with Nicolas that juries wouldn’t dare put it last, and if every jury has it in the middle, it’s a good thing with this new ranking system, because televoters will put it high. Those together give it a qualifying result.
6) Greece
Kylie: Yes. What can I say? She completely slayed her jury performance and it looks very nice, no problems qualifying at all!
Nicolas: Yes. I think it’ll sail through to the final but not do well there, it looks and sounds impressive but the song is still very bland. It will get lost with all the other ballads in the final.
Sara: Yes. Greece always qualifies no matter what crap they send. That, and the fact that she sounds and looks good.
7) Estonia
Kylie: Yes. Well duh! It was a pretty solid performance tonight.
Nicolas: Yes. Of course it will qualify! It’s an amazing staging, possibly the best of the year. Add Elina’s boo.. uhm, crying to that, and you have a televoting magnet!
Sara: Yes. This will definitely qualify but I don’t think it’s going to do as well as everyone says. It’s going to be that song that is a fan favorite but ‘flops’ in the final.
8) FYR Macedonia
Kylie: No. Oh god, what have you done?! I think this will be last in the televote actually.
Nicolas: No. They had a qualifier on their hands with this song, but they completely destroyed it with the staging. Merj are obviously great singers, but their style does not match the song at all. Same goes for Daniel’s weird moves.
Sara: No. Just because you have Grammy award-winning singers on stage doesn’t mean you’ll qualify. Macedonia needs to learn how to stage entries because this had so much potential. Daniel ruins it with his voice and his awkwardness. This is not an RnB song so stop trying to make it one.
9) Serbia
Kylie: No. I’ve got a bad feeling that it will be a fan favourite that won’t make it out of the semi.
Nicolas: Yes. What to say? It’s fabulous! Viewers at home will be waiting for an act like this, they’ll love it! However, in the final it’ll do nothing at all…
Sara: No. People who would vote for this are all in the hall. I don’t think people at home will find this vote-worthy in such a strong semi. The breakdown is just too ridiculous looking with the backing singers/dancers that people would just laugh.
10) Hungary
Kylie: Yes. It stands out in its own little way, juries will love it.
Nicolas: Yes. Boggie has a lot to thank the producers for with that amazing draw. She couldn’t have wished for a better moment to perform. People who hated Serbia (and they’ll have as many haters as they’ll have lovers) will be yearning for a beautiful, intimate song like this. Still, she needs to get her facial expressions right.
Sara: No. Juries may really like this but televoters will find her too robotic and boring, so they’ll take a pee break (like I did last night).
11) Belarus
Kylie: Yes. It’s a borderliner but I think it’s got enough friends to see them through, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it failed.
Nicolas: No. Biggest. Disappointment. Of the year. This could’ve had such a strong staging! They had a good staging on their hands in the semi, but they’ve just lost that. People will forget about this one.
Sara: No. I’m really disappointed in Belarus this year. Sure, he sounds good but their stage performance has nothing special to make it stand out.
12) Russia
Kylie: Yes. Well, duh!
Nicolas: Yes. Semi-final winner.
Sara: Yes. I think it’ll win the semi. At first I didn’t think it was smart to have a band on stage but Polina has a really good aura around her. She’s beautiful and she has a winner’s face and song.
13) Denmark
Kylie: Yes. There’s no reason for juries to mark it down and I think it will get a reasonable televote, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t qualify in 8th or 9th.
Nicolas: Yes. Simple, it’ll end up in the middle of the televoting rankings and in the middle of the jury rankings. Easy qualification, trouble in the final.
Sara: No. It’s time for Denmark to fail. If you can’t get support from your own country, how do you expect support from other countries?
14) Albania
Kylie: No. Even though Elhaida nailed all her notes tonight, I just feel the staging isn’t interesting enough to get big support. It might be a jury favourite that fails due to lack of televote.
Nicolas: No. Did she even nail all the notes? To me she sounded quite off, to be honest. That, plus the fact that it’s completely anonymous, won’t help at all.
Sara: Yes. While watching an illegal stream thanks to the Armenians (thanks Tamar!) this came across as very strong on screen.
15) Romania
Kylie: Yes. This has no problems at all qualifying.
Nicolas: Yes. Another song targeting their diaspora, but in a less ‘in your face’ way. It’s a very strong melody performed by a band with experience.
Sara: Yes. It’s a sweet song that everyone will go ‘aww’ to. And the diaspora will help it, of course.
16) Georgia
Kylie: Yes. God bless Nina, she’s been really sick today but she really did the best she could tonight, she was about 95% there and it looks really great.
Nicolas: Yes. She was so much better than in the first dress rehearsal! This is such an amazing end to a crazy semi-final, televoters will love her!
Sara: Yes. She’s lucky with the draw because everyone will remember this and be singing it all night. She has very striking eyes and a very powerful voice, even though she couldn’t hit all of her notes.
ESC Pulse 