Lizel Strömberg

My Top 11 | Eurovision 2019
It's time to share my yearly post of my top favorites in Eurovision Song Contest. This year I will be making this post a bit different and create this top 11 based on the songs but also the actual performances. Here it goes, this is my Top 11 of the performances in ESC 2019!
#11: Azerbaijan
I was impressed over Chingiz vocal range and falsetto. I don’t know what it’s called but I particular liked the "bridge/break" at 2.15 when he’s taking those long and high notes. I didn’t really get the robots but I liked the detail of the heart. Another thing I liked was the beam light. I wish the camera shots was a bit tighter to make it more dynamic. 
#10: Belarus
The song starts a bit slow with guitar strings which I like and builds up to the chorus. I like the switch between the guitar strings in the verses to the chorus which has more production in it and with instruments as keys and drums. 
The staging works in her favor as it feels like a club enviroment with neon lights and graphics which fits her image and the fact that she's a young artist. 
#9: France
Where I’m at in life right now, I’m not that much for ballads. But I still found myself liking France's entry "Roi" performed by Bilal Hassani. The song is dramatic and I like the build up to the chorus. Bilal looks amazing and has a stage presence that feels through the screen. 
Something that I really appreciate about the performance is the fact that the dancers are not the stereotypical ones that we usually get to see on the stage. Giving a spotlight and an opportunity for people that doesn't often get represented are something that I value a lot. Particular for me as an asian woman, it made me really glad to see a southeast asian woman on the Eurovision stage. 
#8: Spain
For the past year or two, I have started to listen to a lot more of Latin music so it makes me glad that I found myself really liking Spain's entry this year. Miki that is representing Spain is such a charasmatic performer and the song has a more traditional touch to the music than the typical mainstream latinpop that gets played on the radio. I love the high energy of the song which you also get to see in the performance. 
I like the contrast of the staging between the verses which are more darker but when the chorus kicks in there's tons of colours everywhere! In one part of the performance there's this big mannequin of light of some kind. I like the idéa of it, it's just a shame that the camera shots and the light ruined the illusion of it walking by itself since you can see the person operating it. 
#7: Malta
It took me multiple times of listening to Chameleon before I started liking it. Now I have even put it on my playlist. I like the rythm of the song and Michela is putting nice vocals to it. 
I like the idéa of the staging with the graphics of the different colorful enviroments. The execution could have been a bit better and maybe ease with the graphics a bit in some of the shots to make it cleaner to look at. Otherwise I like it!
#6: Russia
I've been a fan of Sergey Lasarev for several years and knew I could expect something dramatic from him. Sergey is an incredible artist and is such a pro! As I said before, ballads isn't really my thing this year but I ranked this quite high because of the overall package.
Sergey is a performer and knows how to deliver something that makes an impact. Using a mirror effect in a performance is something we get to see time to time so it was very interesting to see how they would try to find a different way to used it for their staging. I like the detail of the water and how they managed to make the colour scheme work even though it was mostly black and white but with hints of blue. The performance was very neat!
#5: Italy
Soldi by Mahmood is no doubt my favorite song in this year's contest, I have been playing it for months and I still haven't got tired of it. The only reason why I didn't ranked it higher is because of the camera work. I wished it would have been better since the staging is pretty decent. The camera shots need to be more tighter and less wide shots. It's like you don't really get close to the artist because there's too many shots with the audience in it and too many wide shots of the stage. You don't really get to close to Mahmood or seeing the details in the choreography.
It's so unfortunate that the camera work isn't as good as it could have been. I hope they will change some of the shots for the finale since I think it could be a contender to win it!
#4: Hungary
Joci Pápai is a favorite from the past. I really liked his entry back in 2017 and was very glad to see him back in the contest with another entry that I really like! This time he's by himself on stage but it works because he's so good at emoting when performing. You can feel the emotions he puts to the song and his stage presence is touchable. 
With the staging I really like the golden colour scheme. One particular detail I liked was the golden path he was walking on which later on also became a part of the three behind him. 
#3: Sweden
I have put Sweden as my number 3. I love the gospel feel to "Too Late For Love" and the way the song builds up right from the start. John Lundvik is no doubt an amazing vocalist and The Mamas enhance him even more with their flawless vocals
Zain Odelstål and Dennis Brøchner has definitely made changes to the staging which is definitely to it better from Melodifestivalen! I absolutely love the lights and colour they have put in it. It was exactly what I missed during Melfest. The changes makes John and The Mamas pop more on stage. One particular thing in the staging that they have change which I really like is the beating golden light across the big screen behind John in the middle of the song. I think John is a very strong contender to win it all!
#2: Cyprus
My number 2 is Tamta with the song "Replay". I love the rythm and the attitude "Replay" has in the production. I like how playful but sassy Tamta is on stage! 
With the staging, you can tell that Sasha Jean-Baptiste has been the one in the making for it! The camera men ruined some of the camera shots but otherwise the performance was on point! I absolutely love the light and the hand choreography. I like the detail that the dancers had black nail polish, it made a more impact and the fact that the hand touching Tamta's hair was wearing these fine rings. And on top of that, there was even a change in the outfit! 
#1: Switzerland
My favorite performance of Eurovision Song Contest 2019 is Switzerland! Luca Hänni is the representing artist with the song "She Got Me". Very early in the season when I first listened to all of the competing songs, "She Got Me" was one of of my favorites. I think it's even one of my most played songs this year outside of this contest. "She Got Me" is very catchy and I can't seem to get the melody out of my head. 
There's nothing I can complain about the staging. Sasha Jean-Baptiste has done a flawless jobb and the whole team killed it! The choreography is on point, I love the contrast of the colour scheme between the red and white screens. A detail that enchanced the whole performance was the different format sizes of the camera shots, it made such an impact and it made the performance look like a music video! Even though I'm rooting for Sweden, Luca Hänni and the team truly deserve the win and I wouldn't mind it if they won!
That was it for my Top 11 performances of Eurovision Song Contest 2019! Who are in your Top 11 favorite songs/performances this year?
Let me know in the comments below!
To end this blog post, I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts about my favorites in this year's contest. I tried to make it as entertaining but thoughtful as I could make it. For the Grand Finale, I will be seeing the show at my friend's place so I'm not sure if I will be tweeting that much during the broadcast. But make sure to follow me on my Twitter and Instagram to get the latest updates! 
Until next time, ingat!
/Lizel