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If you know music, you've heard of Eurovision. But most Americans have no idea what actually goes on in the annual competition, which has the entirety of the European continent in a chokehold every May.
This year, I decided to hold my breath and take a deep dive into the world of Eurovision, and it's been the weirdest yet most exciting jump into new music I've taken in recent memory. Today, I'm sharing my favorite songs from this year.
In the Eurovision Song Contest, countries choose songs to represent themselves, and the people of Europe get to vote for their favorite song. Out of fairness, you aren't allowed to vote for your own country.
There are three live-broadcasted shows, including two semi-finals deciding who qualifies for the Grand Final. Six automatically do—the host (Sweden this year) and the Big Five (the countries contributing the most financially to the contest).
When listening to all of the songs, I decided to make things extra interesting: I wouldn't look at what countries they're from until after I finished ranking them, and I was pleasantly surprised. Here's my top ten songs from this year's lineup!
10. AZERBAIJAN 🇦🇿
Fahree - Özünlə Apar (feat. İlkin Dovletov)
Azerbaijan's song barely makes it into the top ten. But it's still an amazing song—it was actually quite difficult for me to order the entire top twenty songs, so all of them were bound to be good.
The slightly haunting melody sung by Fahree, as well as the traditional Azerbaijani mugham vocals at the end, add bits of flavor and uniqueness that really solidified the track as one I wouldn't mind to see win the competition.
9. CYPRUS 🇨🇾
Silia Kapsis - Liar
"Liar" is a traditional dance-pop song, which as an American is something I expect from songs coming out of Europe (as a stereotype). And I was partly right—many of the songs on the lower half of my ranking are dance tracks I found a bit generic.
However, "Liar" stands out just enough to make it to the number nine spot. Kapsis's vocals and the melody of the chorus are captivating, and the production of the song is also quite upbeat and energetic, making the song very fun to listen to.
8. CZECHIA 🇨🇿
Aiko - Pedestal
Immediately from the first few seconds, I knew "Pedestal" would be one of my favorites. It's a classic pop-rock track, and the instrumental is super palatable for American ears. It's very reminiscent of many pop-rock artists we have here.
On top of that, the lyricism of the song adds to the song's value: the message of self-love is one that I have been needing to hear. Altogether, it makes for another great song that I think has a good chance of making in far in the competition.
7. ESTONIA 🇪🇪
5MIINUST, Puuluup - (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi
Estonia's song first stood out to me because of its long name. But after a few listens, the song itself also became one of my favorites to win the competition. That's because of how unique it sounds.
The low, deep vocals and catchy melody remind me a little of Mongolian throat singing, and the instrumental is upbeat and humorous. It was quite unlike anything I'd heard before, which made it an immediate favorite of mine.
6. SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭
Nemo - The Code
Switzerland's song is a track of epic proportions—the incredible vocals, skilled rapping, and extravagant production come together to illustrate a captivating and cinematic vibe. There's a reason why this is a big favorite to win.
Another layer to the song that I didn't fully understand until now, as I'm writing about these songs, is that the track details how Nemo came to understand their non-binary identity; it's an unapologetically queer anthem.
5. UKRAINE 🇺🇦
alyona alyona, Jerry Heil - Teresa & Maria
At first listen, this song was an immediate contender for my top spot before it was beat out by even better songs. Of course, I knew immediately it was in a foreign, probably Slavic language (which have always been quite pleasing to my ears).
The haunting melody of the chorus is so memorable, and the rapping in the second half of the song is also something I enjoyed. It's one of the slower songs on the entire lineup as well, but upbeat enough to be refreshing and great to listen to.
4. SAN MARINO 🇸🇲
Megara - 11:11
This song was the dark horse of my rankings, and from what I've seen is also a bit of a controversial opinion. Despite being the Sammarinese representative song, it's actually in Spanish (not Italian, as you'd expect).
The intense vocals overlaying the rock production has added bits of flamenco and electro, which make for a complex, upbeat, fun, and energetic listening experience. I'd love to see this song performed live, and maybe even win.
3. FRANCE 🇫🇷
Slimane - Mon amour
The French song, as you'd expect, is a classic, slow-moving love song tinged with deep emotion conveyed in a romantic tongue. The song crescendoes as it goes on for a final, extravagant finish.
When translated, the lyrics add to the beauty of this song. If I had to pick a slower song to win the entire competition, it would be this one. That's why it makes it into the top three.
2. ITALY 🇮🇹
Angelina Mango - La noia
This was originally my number one pick, until one song I listened to much later dethroned it. But it's catchy, upbeat, and super addicting. And it has one aspect that most of my favorites from this year's lineup have in common: relatability.
The song, with Italian lyrics, is a commentary on boredom, especially as something to embrace. Life has its highs and lows, but also moments where nothing happens—a time for reflection, preparation, and rejuvenation.
Before I go into my number one pick, here are my honorable mentions:
11. Belgium (Mustii - Before the Party's Over)
12. Slovenia (Raiven - Veronika)
13. United Kingdom (Olly Alexander - Dizzy)
14. Sweden (Marcus & Martinus - Unforgettable)
15. Serbia (Teya Dora - Ramonda)
1. GREECE 🇬🇷
Marina Satti - ZARI
My favorite to win Eurovision is arguably the most ethnic, upbeat, and experimental song on the entire line up. "ZARI" by Marina Satti is fully sung in Greek, and seeks to represent Greek culture, especially youth culture.
The song has been described as "if ROSALÍA were Greek"; it features a deep, catchy, industrial, and uniquely ethnic production that grows in intensity as the song progresses. It's an earworm that I haven't been able to get out of my head.
On top of that, I was surprised when translating the lyrics to find the song described a situation incredibly, almost identically, similar to recent experiences in my life. That was the exact thing that elevated this song to my number one spot.
The song's title translates to "dice," and is a commentary on love, risk-taking, and especially uncertainty. The message, which is quite philosophical (fitting for the birthplace of the subject), hides behind the celebratory facade of the track.
Something I've learned this year that this song echoes is that vulnerability is necessary for deep connection, and inherently requires risk. Embracing uncertainty, "rolling the dice" is a necessary part of a full experience of life.
I hope you enjoyed this ranking of this year's Eurovision songs. Some of these opinions are probably controversial, especially considering I'm not necessarily part of the show's target audience. And my opinions might change!
But this was a fun experiment that I'll probably do again. Eurovision will take place on May 7–11, and I can't wait to see which country comes out on top. For now, I'll have these songs on repeat.
Cover photo: Vladana performing "Breathe" (representing Montenegro) in Eurovision 2022 in Turin, Italy.
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