All opinions expressed in this article are those of the person quoted and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the other team members or ESC United as a whole.
We are getting to the end of the line of the 2024 Eurovision national selection season, and the folks at Radio Television of Serbia are serving us a bumper crop of hopefuls!
Yes, we at ESC United are reviewing the 28 (!) entrants for tonight and Thursday’s Pesma za Evroviziju ’24 Semi-Finals.
However, to keep these review articles (relatively) brief, we listened and scored all 28, but randomly assigned written reviews so that we have three reviews from the pool of six reviewers below:
- Belgium’s Boris Meersman
- Cyprus’s Daniel Theophanous
- Romania and Denmark’s David Popescu
- California’s James Maude
- New Mexico’s Tyler Griffiths
- Israel’s Yehonatan Cohen
And in order of appearance, here are our reviews for Semi-Final 1 (final rankings at the end).
Marko Mandić – “Dno”
Boris – 8 – “A solid world music track. It’s strange to bump into one it in PZE because anything that sounds ethnic in Serbia usually defaults to folk and not world music, but anything that nudges the Serbs towards becoming less toxic-nationalistic is appreciated. MORE antivenom to counter the Ramondae and Breskvici of this world. The stars of the DNO show are the percussion which pumps out a strong beat, and the chanting which really ties the atmosphere together. A good track overall, but one that needs to be careful to not be too out there for the Serbs to enjoy.”
Daniel – 6 – “It’s quite a task when reviewing songs to remain objective and respective to songs sang in their native tongue (of corresponding country) and sometimes local sounds unfamiliar to me. I need to stress however, I wholeheartedly support countries to enter in their native language if they want to, it enhances the song contest’s cultural diversity. So here I judge according to a song’s immediacy to my inexperienced ears to Serbian music. Upon listening ‘Dno’ I immediately appreciate the musicality and the distinctive vocal style which conjures a certain Serbian mystical aura which I find favourable at the first. But then the song sort of meanders in this non-descript ethnic pop terrain and there’s an unsubtle addition of an autotune effect towards the end, which feels misplaced.”
David – 7
James – 8 – “My exposure to Serbian world music pretty much came from Nemanja Kojic and Ljubomir Dimitrijević’s contributions to the Soulfly world music and metal fusion albums “Prophecy” and “Dark Ages,” so I am an amateur in this area. But that being said, I am glad Serbia has reintroduced me to a side of its music I don’t normally hear, especially a bombastic, percussion heavy number such as “Dno.” This could do with a revamp as the middle third dips a bit in energy, but otherwise a solid opener for Pesma za Evroviziju.”
Tyler – 6.5
Yehonatan – 6
Total = 41.5
Average = 6.92
M.IRA – “Percepcija”
Boris – 8
Daniel – 5.5
David – 2 – “A fairly simplistic and basic offering here. Sure, it’s always interesting to hear a pop song sang in Serbian, but the foundations of this case, it’s just very empty, lacks anything memorable and eventually just becomes a drag. It’s a fine tune and beat, and it seems fine vocally as well, but without any effect.”
James – 7
Tyler – 6 – “”Percepcija” is fine! I like the English lyrics in the bridge to tie the song together, but before then, the song seems like it’s going for a fun dance bop, but it sounds too similar to songs of its ilk to stand out for me to really get behind. I think the lyrics are good, but the beat itself is just fine more than anything. I still mildly like this, but it seems quite likely this will blend into all of the other songs in this selection so not going to care too much about this song.”
Yehonatan – 4 – “On paper ‘Percepcija’ is a fine song, but it fails to really transcend above that. I’m not getting enough from M.Ira on the studio version and I find it really hard to remember the melody of the song. The most noticeable thing is that it feels very cheap in production in comparison to the rest of the selection. Oh and the jump scare of that spoken word segment.”
Total: 32.5
Average: 5.42
Bojana and David – “No No No”
Boris – 8 – “This modernist turbofolk track bangs. “No no no” follows a reliable structure of “verses that build => chorus that climaxes => instrumental post-chorus that defuses the tension” which is proven to work. It is playful, catchy and easy to sing along with, and although it’s not the most creative track, it’s a good representative of the type of music that gets airplay on Serbian music channels. The chemistry between Bojana and David will prove crucial in order to elevate it beyond that benchmark.”
Daniel – 4 – “Fluctuating between ethnic and Ibiza beach vibes ‘No No No’ is sang in Serbian, which is always a plus. But…. it feels a bit of cop out having a chorus of ‘no no no’ and vocal effects. And the verses aren’t that exceptional either. A tad too formulaic perhaps.”
David – 3
James – 7 – “A fun, perky modern pop duet with a great build and slick percussion. There’s a playful back and forth in the lyrics about bickering lovers, and it has a catchy chorus that even foreigners could get into. Duets like this could be a dark horse for a Top Ten finish if the choreography is right and the two singers have charisma.”
Tyler – 5
Yehonatan – 7
Total: 34
Average: 5.67
Lena Kovačević – “Zovi me Lena”
Boris – 5.5
Daniel – 5.5 – “Zovi me Lena is an interesting song, which alludes to Lena as seasoned singer with studied musicality and unique vocal talents. The implementation of intricate ethereal instrumentation signal to a more mature pop sound, that would sound beautiful in a fancy bar, sipping a drink and chilling out with friends. But for Eurovision? I am not so convinced this is impactful enough.”
David – 1 – “Veeeeeeeery laid back and slow… I’m just overall bored.”
James – 7
Tyler – 5.5 – “Zovi me Lena” is a chill song overall! It has a breezy atmosphere that I like, and the instrumentation with the strings is good here. Gives the song a nice acoustic feel. The vocals are fine, the lyrics are okay, but I’m not excited or wowed by this song at all. If you really enjoy relaxing songs, then this works well, but there isn’t a wow factor that works in the televote. Would add this to a playlist if I’m driving through town, but I don’t care for this song otherwise.
Yehonatan – 5
Total: 29.5
Average: 4.92
Saša Báša and Virtual Ritual – “Elektroljubav”
Boris – 8.5 – “INU NINU. I’m already seated for James ripping me to shreds for the high score, but I actually really like it oops. Like it’s clearly meant to be a satire parodying the blue skies research going on nowadays, and its potential impact on our lives. TECH HAS TAKEN OVER OUR LIVES, LOVE IS DEAD, EVERYONE’S A CYBORG, WE ONLY LOVE TECHNOLOGY NOW :glitches out in maniacal laughter:. In a world where most new couples meet via social media and most people cannot function without their phone or the internet, it’s a poignant and relevant topic to be poking fun at before it turns into reality. The live on this needs to be smart (but not too smart), sharp and humorous, and I trust Serbia enough to give out a preliminary high score to an entry that, for better or for worse, will be one of the standouts in this very strong PZE.”
Daniel – 5
David – 2 – “Alright, no doubt where kind of genre they are going for, even the title tells that ahead of listening. Now, how does this Serbian techno song hit? At least with me, not quite well, it’s alright in the beginning, but it takes a bit long for it to start, then when it does, it’s just the same for 3 minutes. Interest is just long gone.”
James – 1 – “Oh great. A hipster novelty song. Joy! Take early ’80s German electronica, and add boneheaded spoofing of modern tech and its societal effects. This has all the subtlety of a protester farting on a stripper and claiming it was an act to point out “capitalist misogyny” while he’s being hauled off by the cops. While this may appeal to the more luddite Pitchfork reader who will be smirking and nodding along to this while drinking a $20 Erewhon smoothie, your average Joe is just going to be annoyed at this irritating nonsense and move on.”
Tyler – 7
Yehonatan – 2
Total: 25.5
Average: 4.25
Martina Vrbos – “Da me voliš”
Boris – 4
Daniel – 5 – “A pleasing sounding full-bodied voice, backgrounded by a musical score that gives summer vibes with its Spanish guitar flourishes which crescendos into this whole string section in the song’s denouement. It’s a pretty good effort, but one that doesn’t stand out much making me unsure of its competitiveness at Eurovision. Not that it has to be competitive.”
David – 3 – “Very casual Serbian music, which I can absolutely admire, but also not care for at all. Sadly, it’s the latter, because the song struggles to leave an impact. I absolutely adore the use of the instruments in this piece, and it’s overall calmness, but it’s a bit too lowkey, for me to care for it, so I’m less bothered in the end.”
James – 7.5
Tyler – 5.5
Yehonatan – 7 – “This is one of the many many girl ballads Serbia has to offer this year, and while it isn’t one of the stronger ones, it can hold its ground pretty well. It gets a little old in the last minute, but the mix between the Spanish vibes and the Serbian instruments is still very cool and it should definitely qualify to PZE’s final.”
Total: 32.0
Average: 5.33
Filarri – “Ko je ta žena?”
Boris – 6
Daniel – 6
David – 4
James – 5 – “A fairly herky jerky electronic song about embracing one’s feminine side. A lot of electropop acts play around with his dichotomy and learning to embrace something society tells you to reject, so I guess in that sense the herky jerky rhythm of the song mirrors the lyrics. However, it can be jarring in a song contest setting. Perhaps if the staging is done thoughtfully, this entry can change my mind.”
Tyler – 6 – “There’s a shrill electric sound in this song (that isn’t Filarri’s vocals) that is really grating to my ears, so positive points for the song being under 2:30. I like the rest of the song though! The beat and sound mixing sounds interesting other than that shrill sound and I do think the vocals from Filarri are good. I’m not sure what audience this might have at Eurovision though unless the staging and the performance is truly amazing, so at least this stands out to me in a good way. Mostly.”
Yehonatan – 8.5 – “What a great message wrapped inside a very clever song. The contrast between the very rough music and production to the lyrics about Filarri’s feminine side, is absolutely working, and creates a dynamic that pulls you in from the first moment of the song. If PZE wasn’t stacked with so many stars, this should have been a big contender for the win.”
Total: 35.5
Average: 5.92
Breskvica – “Gnezdo orlovo”
Boris – 7 – “I’ve said it when I rated Eugen: Balkan Ballads aren’t really my jam. As with Tisine, surprised to find myself a solid ”Gnezdo Orlovo” enjoyer. The charm lies in its very unpolished 90s sound, free of the usual Joksimovic Dettol (I know you disagree with me on that James, but no matter what you do, he’s never gonna be with you – Dream, me). It sounds like a REAL song, you know, not a polished setpiece aiming for a high mark. However, we must address the topic. We live in the metaverse where Israel will be disqualified for “October Rain” (okay it’s not official at the time of writing but like… it’s about to happen, you know it, I know it), and picking a song that has lyrics such as “the black birds are knocking at the eagle’s nest, they’ll soon be gone, and the sky will be clear again” which could be brought in relation with Kosovo… you know where this leads. Serbia could do without a PR disaster, and it would be smart of them to ensure that Breskvica flies from her eagle’s nest without being accosted by black birds. But yeah, a solid ballad overall. :shrug:”
Daniel – 6 – “A song that is immersed in the richness of local sounds with the interjection of modern pop producution and guitar elements, featured primarily in the chorus. It’s a pretty immediate and punchy song, one which navigates a varied sonic landscape. This is promising and definitely a contender!”
David – 6
James – 8
Tyler – 8 – “A Balkan banger. I love the instrumentation in here (maybe we can have someone stand on a box in the background playing an instrument in the staging?). It feels more epic to listen to, and I love the vocals here (yes, even the gargling back-up male-sounding singers in the bridge). I don’t think there needs to be crazy staging here (but it is Serbia after all), but I’m excited to see this live and if the vocals can be matched. An all-around really fun entry for me!”
Yehonatan – 7.5
Total: 42.5
Average: 7.08
Hristina – “Bedem”
Boris – 8 – “A beautiful atmospheric moodpiece. Always love these, always give these high marks. Bedem stands out more than usual due to the generally powerful instrumentation that accompanies most of these entries. It’s an oasis of peace, a reset, a palate cleanser, a lightning rod for sensory overload, a mental health buoy, whatever you’d like to call it. I have no expectations for a “Bedem” to get out of the semi alive, but I’ve imprinted on its dreaminess and will weep when it falls to the likes of Chai and Filarri”
Daniel – 5 – “A haunting ballad featuring a very delicate vocal that is able to convey its emotions, even if one doesn’t speak Serbian like me. After a certain point matters start to feel rather monotonous and stale. But credit where credit’s due, Hristina is a competent vocalist managing to sell the song and it’s panoply of emotions, irrespective if we are buying or not.”
David – 1 – “Alright… there’s nothing here for me. I’m beyond bored! I was even hoping for something eventually, but nope, just nothing.”
James – 8.5
Tyler – 5
Yehonatan – 9
Total: 36.5
Average: 6.08
Ivana Vladović – “Jaka”
Boris – 6
Daniel – 7
David – 2 – “Very 90’s like, I remember this style from my youth, and you’d think that it would give me some positive memories of back then, but no. The song is just very out of my style, lacks a proper identity and instead comes out as very uninspiring. I just don’t enjoy this song, because it somehow tries to hard.”
James – 6 – “The title may translate as “strong,” but it seems more chill. This is a ’90s house throwback with a catchy chorus and girl power lyrics that would have fit in perfectly back then. However, it is a little too much of a throwback to be interesting in and of itself as an entry for a song contest in 2024.”
Tyler – 6
Yehonatan – 6.5 – “I’m usually not a huge fan of house tracks, but this is a really fun one. It is very accessible, and it creates a good atmosphere, and honestly I don’t really need much more.”
Total: 33.5
Average: 5.58
Chai – “Sama”
Boris – 5
Daniel – 6.5
David – 1
James – 3.5 – “Apart from a couple instances of what sounds like someone whacking the side of a dumpster, this is not a particularly interesting composition. This just bobs along for three minutes, ambling through a fog with the usual failed relationship cliches expressed dispassionately with auto-tuned vocals.”
Tyler – 8 – “”Sama” has the ingredients of a typical favorite of mine; the kind of beat and atmosphere that reminds me of a big open sky. Vocals that seem to lift higher throughout the song. I would like “Sama” even more with a few tweaks, including less autotune in Chai’s vocals, the random horns can go, and for there to be a moment where everything comes together and it’s an explosive bridge to an ending that sweeps you off your feet. But “Sama” feels more of a vibe than anything. Which is good, but I don’t see it getting as many votes as, for example, “Sebi”. It’s really good to me, but could have been even better! But alas.”
Yehonatan – 5 – “There is something hypnotising in the track itself. It creates this environment of a quiet storm, dramatic but far away from you, and it’s very interesting. Unfortunately the song itself doesn’t live up to the hype the music creates and it can get rather forgettable, but it’s still very interesting.”
Total: 29.0
Average: 4.83
Zorja – “Lik u ogledalu”
Boris – 9 – “A much stronger effort than Zorja’s first. Lik u ogledalu takes a while to get going but once it does, it goes HARD. The polyphony, the dramatic orchestration, the opera. This song has POWER. Most people relate Serbia to power ballads. I think their best eurovision export product is girl power. This entry has BOTH. Zorja should be in the winner conversation for PZE because she’s one of the few entries I can see get a sizeable amount of jury votes while also qualifying easily in that hard first semi. The only reason I’m hesitant to fully commit myself to Zorja is because she would be the final nail in Raiven’s coffin, and Slovenia is a country that has been waiting for a strong result far longer than Serbia has.”
Daniel – 6.5
David – 2
James – 8.5 – “This power ballad starts slowly, but by the end with her operatic vocals and the orchestral elements you are begging for mercy. This is all a platform for Zorja to strut her stuff as arguably the best vocalist in this Semi-Final, and if all is alright on the night she should be catnip for jurors.”
Tyler – 7.5 – “I mean this affectionately, but “Lik u ogledalu” seems like a song from a video game score that utilizes an orchestra. That’s a good thing, I swear! The song starts off giving me Bond ballad vibes, but then the orchestra and instrumentation comes in and makes me more interested in the entry. I’m not sure how the staging will meet my expectations from the studio version, but I hope it’s fantastic. I like this a lot, but this also doesn’t seem like an entry that will translate well to the stage or to a wider audience.”
Yehonatan – 6.5
Total: 40.0
Average: 6.67
Kavala – “Vavilon”
Boris – 9.5 – “As ebb follows flow on the tidal chart, so will an indie electropop be followed by a high score from me. Someone needs to balance out David’s impending 1/10 (heaven’s knows why growing up as a Romanian in Denmark leads to pathologically treating all good music the same way a small child treats broccoli, but here we are). VAAAVIIILOOOOOOON is top shelf camp synthpop – Kavala is already serving looks in her profile pic (is this the sane person equivalent to “Iru is coming for that top ten (based on a FUCKING PHOTOGRAPH)”, you decide), the song is a tribute to the ancient civilization of Babylon because why the fuck not, and every time she belts VAAVIIIILOOOOON I want to join in, spilling my virgin mojito over my desk as I do. No idea if Serbia would allow a Kavala in their final even if she’s good live, because she’s more Slovene in feel than Serbian, but she’s Doing It For The Gays, and that’s all that matters to me. You HAVE ONE JOB, SERBIAN GAYS AND ALLIES, and that is to vote Kavala into the final. Do not mess it up.”
Daniel – 8 – “Dark synths and an emotive female voice; this is a prime dance banger. This is a trancey pulsating beat that feels very transportive, lifting you into these big wide soundscapes. I am impressed by Vavilion bold choice to send such a song that incorporates such underground dance sounds in a Eurovision pop song. Sounding very 90s, but simultaneously very modern and fresh. So daring! I like!”
David – 2
James – 8.5
Tyler- 6.5
Yehonatan – 5 – “Another atmospherical entry that creates a mood well but fails to be a memorable song. It is pleasant but I can’t see myself circling back to listen to it, as it gets quite lost in the mix the other entries.”
Total: 39.5
Average: 6.58
Keni nije mrtav – “Dijamanti”
Boris – 9.5
Daniel – 6 – “The verses here are the highlights. They feature intricate electronic production, which in the pre-chorus become rockier and then it all just fails in the chorus where the production turns surprisingly flat with these uninspired ‘ooohhs ooohhhs’. Talk about a chorus ruining a song. The male vocal sounds competent and dare I say a little bit sexy, but that might have to do with the Slavic language that always sounds appealing to me, they could be singing about toilet paper for all I know.”
David – 4 – “The song started quite promising, but as this case for many national final songs as things progress, so does its downward trajectory. Sure, a rock-pop song is a delight now and then, but when it remains tonally the same with minimal key changes for 3 minutes straight, my interest by the end is completely depleted.”
James – 7 – “Who knew we’d get a South Park reference at a Eurovision national selection, but here we are with this band’s name. It’s a brisk, entertaining three minute punk rock block. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Tyler – 5.5
Yehonatan – 7
Total: 39.0
Average: 6.5
So after Semi-Final 1, here is the ranking of the first 14 acts.
- Breskvica – “Gnezdo orlovo” – 42.5 (Average = 7.08)
- Marko Mandić – “Dno” – 41.5 (Average = 6.92)
- Zorja – “Lik u ogledalu” – 40.0 (Average = 6.67)
- Kavala – “Vavilon” – 39.5 (Average = 6.58)
- Keni nije mrtav – “Dijamanti” – 39.0 (Avergae = 6.50)
- Hristina – “Bedem” – 36.5 (Average = 6.08)
- Filarri – “Ko je ta žena?” – 35.5 (Average = 5.92)
- Bojana and David – “No No No” – 34.0 (Average = 5.67)
- Ivana Vladović – “Jaka” – 33.5 (Average = 5.58)
- M.IRA – “Percepcija” – 32.5 (Average = 5.42)
- Martina Vrbos – “Da me voliš” – 32.0 (Average = 5.33)
- Lena Kovačević – “Zovi me Lena” – 29.5 (Average = 4.92)
- Chai – “Sama” – 29.0 (Average = 4.83)
- Saša Báša and Virtual Ritual – “Elektroljubav” – 24.5 (Average = 4.25)
Who do #YOU think should represent Serbia at Eurovision 2024? Let us know in the comments below, on our social media, or in our forum.
