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 Serbia’s Pesma za Evroviziju ’24 Semi-Finals. We reviewed Semi-Final 1 on Tuesday, and are reviewing Semi-Final 2 tonight.
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 2 (final rankings at the end).
Nadia – “Sudari”
Boris – 7.5
David – 5
Daniel – 5.5
James – 6.5 – “”Sudari” starts off and builds effectively as a smooth and mysterious electropop song, but it has a few touches that let it down. The guitar solo at the end is silly and unnecessary, and some of the female backing vocals are distracting. The protagonist of the song, though, could be considered unreliable and obsessive, which makes for an interesting staging possibility, which this would need to stand out above the rest.”
Tyler – 6.5 – “”Sudari” is probably the most basic entry in this selection, but honestly, I kinda vibe with it. Even if the vocals aren’t strong (seems much too soft for what this song entails), I still think the song is very catchy. The use of Serbian and English lyrics blend well together–they don’t seem stronger than the other for me. I like the beat too, and this could be a cute live performance that I’ll like!”
Yehonatan – 4.5 – “A pretty safe electro pop song that doesn’t manage to stand out very well. I’m not a huge fan of the mix between the Serbian and the English which doesn’t help it a lot in my ranking.”
Total: 35.5
Average: 5.92
Hydrogen – “Nemoguća misija”
Boris – 4 – “Every other straight guy in their early 20s goes through a Green Day phase before their brains reach peak development and they move on to something better. Give it time. Ideally not at the PZE final barring an excellent live though.”
Daniel – 5 – “Harking back to my youth with these emo sounds. Although I was never into emo really, but I guess one absorbs music through the ether but also radio was more of a thing then. Again singing in Serbian gives this an edge but it does meander and remain in this generic emo territory making it sound fairly dated.”
David – 4
James – 7
Tyler – 5 – “It’s like I’m back in the 2000s listening to light punk rock with this song, maybe reminiscent of Green Day? I hate Green Day, so that’s not a compliment for Hydrogen! 🙂 The lyrics and vocals are fine, but don’t wow me at all, and the beat itself is so basic rock that it filters out to me as white noise. I wish I was nostalgic for this kind of song, but whenever 2000s-esque music gets a new coat of paint and is released nowadays, it reminds me of the ravages of time. I digress though. This song is mid.”
Yehonatan – 5
Total: 30.0
Average: 5.0
Iva Lorens – “Dom”
Boris – 6 – “Natalia Tena serves up a basic bop for the basic gays. You could do worse as a general concept for a PZE entry. But this one, sadly, gets a bit lost in the shuffle for me.”
Daniel – 7
David – 4
James – 4 – “Slow and jazzy, and then they hit you with bass and what sounds like toddlers hitting a plastic covered sofa. She puts you to sleep, then wakes you up. Maybe that’s the point. But I do doubt its viability as a Eurovision entry as it bounces around, slow downs, and despite the herky jerky movements lacks a wow moment. Additionally, everyone loves the slow, barely interested vocal stylings of your Billie Eilish types, but it doesn’t work here. Sounds like mumbling over a soundtrack of the binmen clearing the dumpsters in the alley.”
Tyler – 5
Yehonatan – 6 – “If Billie Eilish was Serbian and was doing ethnic fusion music, this would probably be a song that she would release. It’s a very interesting mix of genres that I don’t think we’ve got to see before on the Eurovision stage. It can come across a little boring at certain parts, but still interesting as a whole.”
Total: 32.0
Average: 5.33
Zejna – “Najbolja”
Boris – 8.5
Daniel – 7.5
David – 5 – “Well, this is up my alley, but yet, I’m left disappointed. How come? Well, yes, I do love the energy, the power it spews, the musical passion that it delivers. What gets to me, is how the composition is fully delivered. There is something that doesn’t feel right, and the song feels more stretched out, rather than building upon what it has already created.”
James – 8 – “We could do with some racy turbofolk at Eurovision, and Zejna delivers here. The track could do with a bit of polish – the electric guitar part feels a bit thin and the programmed percussion doesn’t quite pop. But if perfected, and if Zejna can deliver an eye-catching stage performance, then Serbia could have a contender on its hands to take on Croatia’s Baby Lasagna.”
Tyler – 6.5
Yehonatan – 7.5 – “Zejna is bringing us one of the only trubofolk entries in the national final, and does it with a very interesting drum beat that makes it feel like a car race track. She definitely owns the song and judging by her previous attempt in PZE, this should be a spectacular show live.”
Total: 43.0
Average: 7.17
Filip Baloš – “Duga je noć”
Boris – 8 – “This is Novi Plan, Drugi San. Except… Gayer? 😍😍😍. It does all the same things – tempo, empowerment, yasss king slay, etc. If you liked Novi Plan Drugi San, you should like Duga je Noc. The sleek neutrality of former worked better though. In tailoring his song for a certain audience (me), Filip made himself more niche and less competitive. This could theoretically work out like it did for Luke Black, were it not that this PZE already has several gay vote siphons (Zorja, Konstrakta, Kavala, Filarri), making it harder for Filip to get a good result. But we appreciate the effort dearly, my sweet gay prince.”
Daniel – 7.5 – “Ok this is pretty decent Serbian pop serving us the goods. An electronic fast-paced pulsating track with a proficient male vocal. ‘Duga je noć’ is instantly appealing, fluctuating in speed and vocal style, which even goes into choir mode to boot. Perhaps in the end, sonically things start to feel a little stale, but… a good effort nonetheless.”
David – 7
James – 7.5
Tyler – 8.5
Yehonatan – 7 – “It’s very hard to look at ‘Duga Je Noc’ without directly comparing it to Filip Baloš’ previous song ‘Novi Plan Drugi San’. It tries to capture a similar vibe, and does it significantly less good than in last year. The song isn’t as fast paced as I’d like, and it makes it less powerful. Hopefully Filip can come up with a great live performance to make up for that.”
Total: 45.5
Average: 7.58
Nemanja Radošević – “Jutra bez tebe”
Boris – 4 – “Why is every dud in this PZE a straight guy with that haircut and that beard? Nemanja, Milan, Dusan, what is the difference? Is this the default template for men in Serbia? Jutra bez tebe also feels like it follows a default template. It’s painfully mid FiK-style dad rock, down to the cheesy guitar solo that always accompanies these.”
Daniel – 4 – “I imagine this play’s on the radio in a taxi cab in Belgrade. Non-descript generic filler music, that just fills up empty sound space collecting royalties so people don’t have to talk to each other.”
David – 8
James – 7
Tyler – 4 – “I get 2012 Zeljko vibes from “Jutra bez tebe”…and that’s not a good thing for my taste! I don’t care for the electric guitar riff at the end, it gives the song the vibe that this is a middle-aged dad trying to be cool for the youths. Dadrock could work at Eurovision, it would certainly be a genre that hasn’t been tapped into, but I don’t think this song really stands out enough to warrant its inclusion. The beat feels generic, I’m not impressed by the vocals nor the lyrics. Maybe this can sneak through to the PzE final, but why should it?”
Yehonatan – 4.5
Total: 31.5
Average: 5.25
Yanx – “Kolo”
Boris – 6 – “Trash. Trash trash trash TRAAAASH. 😍 PZE24 has a lot of femmetrash (I somehow only get to write about only two of these? Is the total number genuinely 6 or fewer? It feels higher), and “Kolo” doesn’t even follow like… a specific line. It throws in world music instrumentation with no rhyme or reason, adds breathy vocals on top” and a few sultry thot anthem breaks. It’s all over the place. I WANT to like it more, because there’s no way it won’t be a hilarious trainwreck in the making, but PZE24 actually has several real songs and good novelty in its arsenal, doesn’t quite need Yanx’s brand of frankensteined nonsense.”
Daniel – 5
David – 4 – “Localized dance pop, it’s alright I must say, but not something extraordinary. I’ll give the song this much, it seems fit as an intro song to this style and genre in the Serbian language. However, with no guarantee that it will be seen as successful. The song do also have far more power, then what is presented vocally, so that mixture there is far from perfect.”
James – 3
Tyler – 7.5
Yehonatan – 6.5 – “There is something very uplifting about this song, it feels genuinely happy. The build throughout the song as well as the playful rhythm make it stand out a lot and it shouldn’t have a problem qualifying to the PZE final.”
Total: 32.0
Average: 5.33
Kat Dosa – “Tajni začin”
Boris – 7
Daniel – 6 – “Promising titillating sounds, which fringe on the RNB. Coupled by a sultry vocal and a thumping beat, a stimulating song to say the least. But…. It lacks a chorus, at least I couldn’t hear one, and therefore its impact feels rather muted. I still like this very much, but a contender at Eurovision? I am unsure.”
David – 4 – “Oh dear, localized bubblegum pop trash, cause why not. Alright, it’s not THAT bad, just very simplistic. How so, cause all I hear is that heavy drum beat for the entirety of the song, and then I struggle to pay attention to anything else. I mean, the music is final, just lacking and not so creative. Oh yea, and some cheap vocal added on top.”
James – 5.5
Tyler – 5.5 – “Go girl give us nothing! I shouldn’t say that–if anything, this song feels like the continuation of “100% te ljubam” or perhaps a remake? I’m not impressed by the vocals from Kat Dosa, as it feels reined in. This song could be so much more interesting to me if it kept the hollow, cave-like intro instead of going into a basic-sounding girlbop. I slightly like the song more though (after all, if something is basic, it means that it works for most people so I don’t hate it even though I’ve heard this song before), so this score seems appropriate.”
Yehonatan – 6
Total: 34.0
Average: 5.67
Džordži – “Luna park”
Boris – 6 – “I can see the appeal Luna Park would have but it’s not for me – it’s specifically aimed at the introverted rock chicks that I imagine make up the vast bulk of Dzordzi’s fanbase. “Luna park” is effectively a Boy Band song presented as indie rock, by a boy band twink carried hard by his guyliner. As a standalone song, it is lowkey good and perfectly reasonable. In the strong selection that is PZE24, not a song not particularly willing to dedicate much attention to.”
Daniel – 4
David – 7
James – 4 – “As far as county fair or amusement park songs go, this is fairly middling. It lacks the nostalgic charm of Tim McGraw’s “Something Like That,” although Dzordzi does include a cotton candy euphemism that may be too salacious for some. McGraw plays the slightly aroused gentleman turned on by the sensations of the fair and his date, whereas Dzordzi uses the fair and its rides as an opportunity to give and receive certain sexual favors. McGraw keeps it classy, Dzordzi does not. And will a weak pop rock song that sounds like it’s from 2007 work at Eurovision?”
Tyler – 4.5
Yehonatan – 7.5 – “It’s very hard to make pop-rock songs that doesn’t sound completely uninspired, and we’ve seen many of those in this national final season. But Džordži manages to actually sound contemporary and engaging, which is very refreshing for the genre.”
Total: 33.0
Average: 5.50
Dušan Kurtić – “Zbog tebe živim”
Boris – 4
Daniel – 6.5
David – 6 – “Immediately, this reminds me of turbo-folk music. Usually, it’s much faster than this song, but from a Romanian point of view, this is absolutely gypsy-styled music, which we call “manele”. I don’t always appreciate this style, but rather loathe it. However, Serbians have always just been better at this style, to make it far more enjoyable.”
James – 3
Tyler – 5 – “I like the horns and the instrumentation in this song, but I also don’t really care for this song that much? The song itself feels like like I’m in a Mexican restaurant listening to the band playing. I’m not impressed by the lyrics or the vocals at all, The English lyrics was unexpected at the end, but doesn’t enhance the song for me. In fact, it doesn’t enhance my experience of liking this mid song. It’s okay, I’m not champing at the bit to listen again and I don’t think I will until I watch this live!”
Yehonatan – 3 – “This is not my cup of tea. It’s way too repetitive throughout all the verses and the chorus. The ethnic influences are a nice touch but not enough to save this song.”
Total: 27.5
Average: 4.58
Teya Dora – “Ramonda”
Boris – 5 – “It’s so strange that fans and Serbs are flocking to Teya Dora like she’s going to save the day and be a slay. Really, HER?! HER?! Out of everyone in PZE?! She sings about a national flower and the Serbs are sold? LOVE YOURSELVES. Granted, unlike the majority of the fans I’ve never associated Serbia with ballads (most of theirs are dull and lifeless?), but with girl power and man, I WISH “Ramonda” had girl power. Any power, at this point. It builds up too slowly into a climax that is too muted to really count it as one. Teya sounds bored and detached while signing it, which does not improve matters. Raiven and (if Portugal choose her) Iolanda will leave her battered in the dust in the semifinal if she goes to Sweden. This is one such song that really needs to come together live in order to work, through an impassioned performance. I’m not feeling any of it, or anything at all.”
Daniel – 6
David – 1
James – 4 – “I don’t quite get the hype for this slow ballad about finding hope in dark times, symbolized by the ramonda flower in Serbia which became a symbol of peace after World War I much like the poppy in the UK. Symbolism alone does not make a song, and there isn’t much else here. The song’s pace is slow, not really building or going anywhere. Teya goes for sombre and emotional, but doesn’t really sell it. Maybe the live show and a visual connection can change that?”
Tyler – 6 – “Okay, I keep seeing predictions of how Teya Dora is a contender for the crown, but I’m assuming it’s because of name recognition? I like Teya’s vocals here–they don’t seem mediocre at all, but the song doesn’t grow from when the song starts. “Ramonda” stays the same level throughout for me, and I’m not interested in it. It’s a good ballad, with the instrumentation and vocals, and I want the song to go somewhere, but it just doesn’t. The song feels like it was cut down from a longer and better version. If this entry wins, it’ll probably qualify, but it feels middling to me.”
Yehonatan – 9
Total: 31.0
Average: 5.17
Konstrakta – “Novo, bolje”
Boris – 10
Daniel – 6 – “Here is a question I want to put out there to artists who participated at Eurovision and attempt again. If you did really well in this first instance (5th place for Konstrakta in 2022) why risk it and go again? I suppose it worked for Jonny Logan and Loreen. Not a bad song by any means. Undoubtedly Konstrakta is a very cool conceptual performer, with ‘Novo boje’ being an even more pop and accessible than ‘I Corpore Sano’. But after her first foray into Eurovision, Konstrakta the act itself may not appear as original and effective as it did the first time round.”
David – 5 – “After Konstrakta’s success in 2022, of course there would be high expectation with her return. I honestly don’t know what to think. I like the song is far more dance friendly and far more open to a foreign listener like me this time. However, it’s not something unique as “In Corpone Sano” was, so it has its good side and bad side.”
James – 5
Tyler – 7.5 – “It’s a bit unfair for me to compare “Novo, bolje” to “In corpore sano”, but that’s the risk by trying to come back to Eurovision. I don’t think “Novo, bolje” is a disappointment. It’s just way different than what I expected coming from Konstrakta. The vocals are great, but going into a techno dance song is a direction I didn’t expect. I’m sure the song comes alive when it’s performed live, but based on the studio version, I like the electronica in here, but I’m lost when it comes to the lyrics. There isn’t a hook for me that makes this something I want to continually listen to. This song doesn’t feel as deep as “In corpore sano”, so I’m not sure what “Novo, bolje” is supposed to mean for Konstrakta as an artist. Maybe just wanted to try these kinds of sounds out? The bridge might be where the song comes together for me, but that’s way too long for me to get invested and like a song. Glad to see Konstratka back.”
Yehonatan – 7.5
Total: 41.0
Average: 6.83
Milan Bujaković – “Moje tvoje”
Boris – 4
Daniel – 6
David – 1 – “A song that truly doesn’t know where it’s headed. It has a promising start, but eventually, it seems more like the song loses itself, whether it should create a build-up, or remain low-key. As a listener, I’m wondering why, instead of where, it is going, wherever it is headed toward to. Anyhow, lost on the road, and unable to be picked up.”
James – 4 – “A pedestrian adult contemporary ballad about a relationship at its end. Can we just call it finance-manager-at-an-Audi-dealer-core and start seeing less of it at Eurovision national selections? I am sure Milan is a capable, charismatic crooner and can sell this live, but do we really want aimless romance on the menu in Malmo?”
Tyler – 5
Yehonatan – 5 – “While there is nothing wrong in particular with the song, it’s main flaw is that it is just very unmemorable, and following such a strong line up I find it hard to believe there will be a place for this song in the PZE final.”
Total: 25.0
Average: 4.17
Durlanski – “Muzika”
Boris – 5
Daniel – 5 – “A Serbian rap-singing that speeds up from the get-go. The chill-out background synths try to blanace things out, but the rap-singing is relentless. The continuous spewing of words (in Serbian) simply don’t stop par from a slight, very slight, breather in the bridge for like 5 secs. And thus for a non-Serbian speaker it fails to grab me with none of the music elemets able to seep through.”
David – 1 – “Rap beat mixed with a jazzy tune? How could anyone think THAT would be a good idea, it’s literally a car crash! This is not “muzika”, it’s a sad display.”
James – 2
Tyler – 5.5 – “For a song called “Muzika” it seems apt to include different instrumentation and musical styles in the song. I hear strings, horns, rapping, and light jazz in here that almost comes together for me to become melodious. I’m not a fan of the singing here as I’m not sure if Durlanski’s vocals are good or just lazy. I don’t expect big key changes from everyone, but give me something more. I’m leaning towards slight like for “Muzika”, so I hope the live performance can elevate this into love territory.”
Yehonatan – 5.5
Total: 24.0
Average: 4.0
Here is our final ranking for Semi-Final 2, with Filip Balos leading the way with a respectable average of 7.58. We shall see how he fares in tonight’s Semi-Final and if he can make it to Malmo. Our Semi-Final 1 favorite Breskvica made it to the Final, so we shall see if we were good luck for Filip.
- Filip Baloš – “Duga je noć” – 45.5 (Average = 7.58)
- Zejna – “Najbolja” – 43.0 (Average = 7.17)
- Konstrakta – “Novo, bolje” – 41.0 (Average = 6.83)
- Nadia – “Sudari” – 35.5 (Average = 5.92)
- Kat Dosa – “Tajni začin” – 34.0 (Average = 5.67)
- Džordži – “Luna park” – 33.0 (Average = 5.50)
- Yanx – “Kolo” – 32.0 (Average = 5.33; Median = 5.50; HiLo = 4.5)
- Iva Lorens – “Dom” – 32.0 (Average = 5.33; Median = 5.50; HiLo = 3.0)
- Nemanja Radošević – “Jutra bez tebe” – 31.5 (Average = 5.25)
- Teya Dora – “Ramonda” – 31.0 (Average = 5.17)
- Hydrogen – “Nemoguća misija” – 30.0 (Average = 5.0)
- Dušan Kurtić – “Zbog tebe živim” – 27.5 (Average = 4.58)
- Milan Bujaković – “Moje tvoje” – 25.0 (Average = 4.17)
- Durlanski – “Muzika” – 24.0 (Average = 4.0)
Fan favorite Teya Dora comes in 10th in our Semi-Final 2 review, and Konstrakta came in 3rd due to it being, no surprise, a divisive entry some fans don’t warm to.
Tune in to Serbia tonight and watch who will win Pesma za Evrovizija ’24 and represent the Balka
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.
