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.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, sipping on mulled wine while staggering around a snowy German Christmas Market, Auld St. Nick… no, the true meaning of Christmas for the Eurovision fan is the multiday festival of song that is Albania’s Festivali i Këngës.
Beginning yesterday and now in its 63rd edition, like Italy’s Sanremo it has become a fan favorite national selection on top of being a smorgasbord of pop delights showcasing the country’s music industry.
30 acts are battling it out to either win the festival and/or represent Albania at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, and five ESC United writers and editors have given us their thoughts.
From Belgium, we have Boris Meersman. From Croatia, we has Jasmin Prišć. Rebecca Green, hailing from Perth, Australia, makes her debut as an ESC United reviewer. Seasoned Dutch veteran Roy Postema returns from the wilderness, and our new resident curmudgeon Sam Siegal joins the panel again.
And here are their thoughts on the first 15 batch of Albanian entrants from FiK 63 Semi-Final 1!
Orgesa Zaimi – “I parë”
Boris – 9 – “A BANGER FOR THE GAYS, GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE, GOING NEAR THE TOP OF THIS BOBBLEHEAD’S RANKING. I’m not going to mince words – “I parë” is an awesome song, and -if Orgesa can nail the rap- should be a contender to win FiK”
Jasmin – 6.5 – “And, here she is… again! Well, if nothing else, this has energy that we need but I can’t say I’m sold on it. Without a good stage concept and choreo, this won’t do anything.”
Rebecca – 8 – “Whoa. I was not expecting that at ALL. Dark ethno rock was not on my radar for this at all and I’m honestly enraptured. I have no idea what’s going on with those vocal samples at the beginning and stuff, but they work. I’m really sorry that I can’t think of anything else to say, but I’m still kind of flabbergasted. This is absolutely not what I’ve come to expect from Albania over the last few years, and I love it.”
Roy – 7 – ““I had high hopes for Orgesa this year and was incredibly excited to see her back. The beat starts off with a bang and Orgesa brings a banger of a verse raising the excitement and anticipation. The latter raises even more when you go the bridge and she showcases her voice some more. I just feel like the drop is not fully living up to it. It’s a swagger performance full of attitude, a real banger. But yet after listening to it in full, I feel like I missed something. Still a banger and a certainty to make an impact on the stage.”
Sam – 6.5 – “This is a very fun entry and huge breath of fresh air from the ballads and middling rock songs. I don’t think it’s quite as strong as “Zjerm” or “Karnaval,” but I do think this could make a respectable ESC entry – especially with good staging.”
Total: 37 points (Average = 7.4)
Erma Mici – “Mbaje”
Boris – 9 – “A dramatic power ballad with pyrokinetic rock instrumentation and a hoarse, foghorn of a vocal that doesn’t mess around. To say this up Albania’s alley is an understatement – it embodies everything they’re good at. Which is for the best, because ‘Mbaye’ slaps. It is *SO* “Albania at Eurovision”, but good god it’s top shelf “Albania at Eurovision”. It is an offering that has the capability of blowing away its ballad competitors with a strong live, and should see a final without major F-ups.”
Jasmin – 7.5 – “Maybe too shouty in places, had to lower the volume on my headphones. It sounds like it has pure Albanian character and it follows the typical formula: drama, strong vocal, more drama, strings solo, and a bit of drama in the end. It’s decent and I like the stereotypical Albanian entry, so I kinda support this one but it’s far from what I’d like to see for Albania in Basel.”
Rebecca – 5.5 – “The vocals are without a doubt the standout here. The song itself is fine, but a live performance of this will definitely ride on Erma’s delivery. The chorus has a good hook that emphasises the title and gets it stuck in your head. It’s biggest flaw is its incredibly underwhelming climax—but again, a live performance could easily fix this with a few high notes and runs thrown into that final chorus.”
Roy – 4 – “Erma has a strong voice with a slight smoky edge to it as well. This song gets shouty from very early one. It might even be a bit too much for me. The electric guitar breakdown makes sense here and gives it a nice break. I like how it goes back down after it. But if you really think about it, it never really made much of a progression. And I just keep remembering as shouting ‘mbaje’ a bunch of times.”
Sam – 5.5 – “A standard Balkan ballad elevated by the raspy, growly quality of her voice. I’m interested to hear her live vocals.”
Total: 31.5 points (Average = 6.3)
Luna Çausholli – “Qiell apo ferr”
Boris – 6 – “I will always have a soft spot for classical guitar ballads that build up into stronger instrumentation later. They possess a sense of naivete and personal growth that I find quite charming.”
Jasmin – 6.5 – “A guitar girlie ballad can always win me over. However, this one didn’t do much for me. And it turned into a piano carried ballad in the end, oh well… Still, I find it cute and her fragile soft vocal is a nice change from all the drama FiK is serving us.”
Rebecca – 8 – “This one has an ethereal quality to it that I quite like. It’s soft and vulnerable, which immediately endears me to it. You can really hear the emotion in Luna’s vocals, which is wonderful. Albanian Eurovision entries over the last few years tend to favour powerful vocalists, so this entry stands out to me. The overall sound of the song is very mid-2000’s Idol winner’s song, and while that might sound like a bad thing to some, it calls up a lot of nostalgia for me, so I’m here for it. To play devil’s advocate, I can’t see this winning the whole thing, but it has just enough elements to it that are both familiar to and uncommon in Albanian Eurovision entries that I would like to see it have a fighting chance.”
Roy – 4.5 – “Luna has a near-angelic voice. Very light, pure and pretty. The song itself lacks a little though. The chorus doesn’t really become much bigger than the verses which creates the feeling of the song being longer than it is. The beat stays incredibly simple and pretty similar throughout the entire song. In a big field of 30 songs, no matter how good her voice, this simply fails to stand out.”
Sam – 6.5 – “I really enjoyed this. It’s a very pretty song and she has a beautiful voice, but it just doesn’t strike me as something that would do well at ESC. I’d be interested to hear a slight revamp.”
Total: 31.5 points (Average = 6.3)
Ronaldo Mesuli – “N’zemër”
Boris – 6 – “Again, one of those songs that neither excites nor bores, and falls straight into the “mildly likeable filler” category. The ethnorock instrumental break is neat, and I appreciate the clarity with which Ronaldo sings. It’s decidedly not bad, and I may warm to it more once I see it live.”
Jasmin – 7.5 – “Cultural aspects of this song nicely complement the overall song production. I just miss the power in the vocal and I’d love it! It may not be a revolutionary entry but it works for me. I see a good staging potential in this one but my hopes are not high. Also, that beginning was totally redundant, we don’t need that …”
Rebecca – 5.5 – “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Don’t speak at me during a song. Given that that’s how this one starts, I went into it with a bit of a scowl and it unfortunately coloured my opinion of the whole song. With a couple of repeat listens (in which I tried incredibly hard to keep my reservations at bay) I found it quite likeable. I always enjoy an ethnic entry, and Ronaldo has a very smooth voice that is pleasant to listen to. Beyond that, I don’t think it does enough to really stand out from the pack.”
Roy – 5.5 – “The start of this song is a bit unnecessary with a different guy speaking. The verse itself doesn’t have the best of build-ups, but the chorus has a nice sway to it. The little beat after it is pretty cool too, curious what they will do dancing-wise in that moment. At some points I have questioned whether it wouldn’t have been better to make this a duet. It sounds like it is written for one person to follow up a lyric from the other. Decent addition, but doesn’t stand out super much nor would it be the best for Eurovision.”
Sam – 2.5 – “The spoken-word intro is unsettling and makes it difficult to take the rest of the song seriously. Not that there’s much going on in the rest of the song, although I do appreciate the ethnic elements. Overall, another bland entry.”Total: 27 points (Average = 5.4)
Mihallaq Andrea – “Porositë e babait”
Boris – 6.5 – “OLD. ♥”
Jasmin – 5 – “I will not be too harsh on it because I find this to be a decent song, just not something majority of people would like to see on ESC stage (at least this is my assumption). I actually find it quite enjoyable, definitely reminds me of songs from the previous century (complimentary). Most Eurofans will call it dated and I will agree but we surely have demographics who will indulge in this entry.”
Rebecca – 5 – “Given that Albania almost always sends a young female artist to Eurovision these days, hearing an older male artist is certainly refreshing. The slow, gentle vibes complement Mihallaq’s voice incredibly well. His voice reminds me a lot of Serhat (San Marino 2016, 2019), but they feel much more solid and grounded (no shade to Serhat, I love him like my grandpa). My biggest complaint is how generic this feels. If you’re gunning to send a ballad to Eurovision it needs to stand out in some way, be it vocally or musically—this just didn’t. Over a few listens this song has certainly grown on me, but it’s important to remember that most voters will only hear a song once before they make a judgement. As nice as this track is slowly becoming for me, I can’t see it doing well at the contest.”
Roy – 3 – “Festival I Këngës always has a few of these songs sang by a strong and seasoned singer. His voice fits the bill and carries the song for the most part. The melody in the chorus is decent, but this song mostly lacks in it’s modernity. It’s not meant for Eurovision and that is perfectly okay!”
Sam – 4.5 – “Older entrants tend to have a hard time at Eurovision (babushkas notwithstanding). His voice has a commanding quality to it which drew me in immediately. This is a very nice song for what it is – maybe not for Eurovision, but I enjoyed it.”
Total: 24 points (Average = 4.8)
Kejsi Jazxhi – “Kur bota hesht”
Boris – 7 – “One of those compositions that keeps surprisingly you on first listen. Are we in a psychedelic rock ballad? Are we in a cerebral stream of consciousness ? Are we in seeing someone be kind of a badass? Yes, and somehow all three at once. I don’t think Kejsi stands a prayer, but she has a lovely song.”
Jasmin – 5.5 – “It’s not doing a lot for me. Sounds a bit gloomy and reminds me of some other songs (not calling out anyone for plagiarism here!). I feel verses drag a little to much, especially in the vocal. I expect a good vocal delivery here but my expectations of the performance are not high, it simply didn’t catch my full attention.”
Rebecca – 5 – “When this one started it caught my attention right away. I was holding my breath for something spectacular, and then… it just didn’t do anything with the hook it had sunk into me. I was prepared for something a little dark and playful, and instead I got discount James Bond. The chorus is incredibly underwhelming. Vocals could really stand out in a live performance however, and I imagine that will earn this one a few more brownie points. Overall I’m just really disappointed, because the first ten seconds of this song gave me so much hope.”
Roy – 5 – “The song starts really slow and takes a while to get going. The cymbals pick up the pace towards the chorus, but once you get to said chorus, the payoff is a bit lacklustre. Kejsi has a really good voice that even sounds like she would deliver this song with a lot of confidence, but I am afraid this song just doesn’t really deliver on that front. Definitely a talent to watch for the future!”
Sam – 3.5 – “Jazzier than the other ballads but still plodding. It’s okay but I don’t see it standing out in the competition.”
Total: 26 points (Average = 5.2)
Lorenc Hasrama – “Frymë”
Boris – 4 – “Lorenc can scream very, very well.”
Jasmin – 8 – “Louder!!! Another typical Albanian ballad and I’m somehow into it?? Still debating over that. The song in itself is not spectacular but he can sing and that is always a plus in my books. I hope he can deliver this live as well.”
Rebecca – 8 – “Eugent Bushpepa (2018) is my all-time favourite Albanian entry at the contest, so hearing a powerful male vocalist at FiK always gets me a bit excited. His vocals remind me a little of Andrew Lambrou (Cyprus 2023), which is definitely a good thing. The drum beat is spectacular, if slightly basic for a pop ballad like this, but I’m a sucker for a good bassline. The buildup to the choruses is really compelling, like an explosion of… emotion? Energy? Something like that. I just wish that the verses would give me a little more than they are, which is… not much. They’re very plain, which does help to make the chorus pop a little more, but as it stands it’s a bit of a chore waiting through the verses to get to the chorus. The epic feeling is great, but I’m left wishing it was giving me just a little more.”
Roy – 9 – “This is how you do a ballad! Just how we know Albania can do them sometime. Great build towards the chorus where Lorenc breaks open his voice and showcases his incredible talent! I really hope they don’t translate the song were it to win. The Albanian language gives it an extra mystical dimension. I love the little breakdown after the second chorus as well. Leaves great room for some awesome staging too. This is basically in the realms of what we got from France last year, a well delivered ballad with incredible vocals. Locals and casuals will love it!”
Sam – 2.5 – “Another filler ballad. At least he has a good voice to back it up.”
Total: 31.5 points (Average = 6.3)
Jet – “Gjallë”
Boris – 8.5 – “The best sort of ballad is the one that pivots OUT of being a ballad after the first minute. Jet steers his song into an accelerated, r&b inspired middle and end that nails the potency of his emotions and that grabs my attention. “Gjallë” is intense. This is one to watch on the night.”
Jasmin – 8 – “Something caught my attention after a while… I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or not but I’m intrigued to see and hear this live. I like the atmosphere and a somewhat modern approach to serving drama. Okay, singing abilities are here, I have faith this can be staged well… I am hoping this could go somewhere.”
Rebecca – 8 – “Gosh, male Albanian vocalists just seem to hit my ears in all the right ways. While it starts out fairly tame and generic, it very quickly sets itself apart from the pack by introducing these great electronic beats into the orchestration. Also wow, Jet has some pipes on him! Can’t wait to see if it can be replicated live with as much impact as I get from the studio track. I’m impressed by this one!”
Roy – 8 – “Jet’s voice is incredibly pleasant to listen to. The piano subtly introduces it and you think you are in for a good old ballad. HOW WRONG OF YOU! It gets intense and then… Trap beat…. All the emotion gone. I was ready to write it off, but Jet doesn’t stay with his trap mistake for too long and then introduces the chorus to us. Ooh and it is catchy and epic for sure! The bridge before the second chorus gives a lot of room for staging too. This is very ready for Eurovision and incredibly stageable. Besides, Jet seems to be a good vocalist and judging from his lyricvideo outfit, has great style too!”
Sam – 5 – “Another song that sounds like many songs stitched together. It feels like this is more of a showcase for Jet’s vocals (which are undeniably strong) than a cohesive song. The first couple verses are very pretty, and I wish the rest of the song matched.”
Total: 37.5 points (Average = 7.5)
Djemtë e Detit – “Larg”
Boris – 3 – “The intro suggests you’re in for a powerful orchestral rock song. Soon after, “Larg” reveals its true ’whiny and nationalistic’ colours and they’re no part of any entertainment rainbow that I’ve ever seen.”
Jasmin – 5.5 – “Ah, a rock moment… my enthusiasm dropped to the floor after the introductory instrumental. This song sounds like they combined rock with some ethno elements but the execution is not the best. The instrumental serves, especially the bridge, bonus point for that because that slaps, I don’t care! Not into the vocal at all. It could come to life during the show, but certainly not competitive for the win.”
Rebecca – 4 – “Folk rock is such an awesome genre, and the intro for this one had me so excited. However, things very quickly fell apart. The vocals sound very strained, and the song as a whole doesn’t feel especially cohesive. I was hugely disappointed by the end. Most of my points for this one go to the absolutely sick instrumental solo at the end there.”
Roy – 6 – “Oehhh, this is nearly some sort of nomadic folk metal in the beginning. It got me really excited. In execution this song is messy. It lacks a bit of an identity, yet it has a nice flow to it. The voices dance over the heavy melody of the song nicely too. Love the frantic ending with guitar solo as well. Will this win FiK and do well in Eurovision? Probably not, but I think it’s a very welcome addition to the selection!”
Sam – 3.5 – “Starts out with a strong, dramatic opening, but it loses steam quickly. The ending is cool, although the guitar noodling isn’t really my taste. It almost sounds like a couple songs stitched together.”
Total: 22 points (Average = 4.4)
Nita Latifi – “Zemrës”
Boris – 4 – “In a group of thirty songs, there’s bound to be a good amount of filler. This is one of the filler.”
Jasmin – 5.5 – “Another ballad written by numbers… the chorus is disppointing and it just doesn’t do much for me. The guitar adds some character into it by the end, but still… we can do better than this.”
Rebecca – 4 – “It’s… fine? Yeah. That’s about it. It’s a ballad, Nita has a pretty good voice, and uh… that guitar riff near the end there was a nice little surprise, I guess? But then the song just sort of ended? It felt like it was supposed to kick up another step, maybe have a key change or something, but it just stopped, and I couldn’t really remember what I’d just listened to. So yeah. It’s fine.”
Roy – 3 – “Nina has a pleasant voice that has potential to carry a lot grander ballad than this is. This song stays a bit more in the same place and doesn’t ever develop into something bigger. The guitarbreak is nice, but there is a lot of songs in the selection that involve an electric guitar better. It gets a bit repetitive too.”
Sam – 4.5 – “Another standard Balkan ballad, but one of the better female ballads in the competition. Strong vocals.”
Total: 21 points (Average = 4.2)
Martina Serreqi – “Nëse qaj”
Boris – 5.5 – “A loungy latin pop song. It’s okay, and doesn’t set my world on fire. All will hinge on Martina’s charisma to sell it.”
Jasmin – 6 – “Laid-back song with latino vibes in Fik? Hmmmm, kay… Something like this is not even in my first 10 ideas when you ask me about Albanian music. I am surprised they picked it for this selection in the first place. The song is decent, not really my style but surely unique. I wonder if the performance will give us something fitting to the song or fitting to the general FiK vibes…”
Rebecca – 7.5 – “Another one that stands out from the get-go by simply not being a ballad. That being said, I really enjoyed this one. The castanets especially made me smile, such a neat little addition that really gives the track personality. The bossa nova style is so relaxing without putting you to sleep. Martina’s vocals are immaculate, and I can’t wait to hear them in a live performance.”
Roy – 4.5 – “This song has a southern American vibe to it. Martina’s voice is pleasant to listen to as well. The little instrumental after the chorus is nice too and gives a relaxing atmosphere. Ultimately this song just stays too much at the same level of intensity and I can only label it as ‘nice’, but not for Eurovision.”
Sam – 4.5 – “I thought this was just ok. Pleasant but not really memorable. I wouldn’t mind hearing this in a bookstore or coffee shop.”
Total: 28 points (Average = 5.6)
Alis Kallacej – “Mjegull”
Boris – 5 – “A bog-standard, formulaic vocal flex ballad. “Mjegull” is not boring to listen to, and that’s its biggest accolade. Its appeal lies in Alis’s mastery of vocal techniques, and that is not something I value by itself. The music needs to be good, and here it’s decidedly average.”
Jasmin – 5.5 – “If Albania loves something then that must be a power ballad with a marvelous vocals. Is this such an entry? It could have been but it’s not… after slightly underwhelming chorus we got this unnatural beat in the second verse that caught me off guard. Upon listening the second chorus, drama built but what’s with the hook? It’s really not doing its job in my opinion. Strong finish but that hook is not it, sorry.”
Rebecca – 7.5 – “I was ambivalent about this one—until that second verse hit, and then I was really getting into it. There’s enough variations in the instrumental and vocal between verses and choruses to keep you engaged the whole way through. Also wow, stunning high note in the final chorus. I’ll be extremely happy if he can pull that off live, and if so it’ll definitely move up in my rankings.”
Roy – 7.5 – “Alis’ voice is really mysterious and are very good. The piano start adds to the mysteriousness of it. Alis’ voice reminds me quite a lot of Sam Smith’s voice. Even the way the song is written is something I could see the British artist do. It’s got something catchy to it as well. It is very radio-friendly and even has great potential to be played with the orchestra of Festival I Këngës. He shows off his vocals in the end as well, definitely a darkhorse to keep your eye out for!”
Sam – 4.5 – “It’s 95% Balkan ballad, 4% R&B and 1% Imagine Dragons-style stomp rock. Nice vocals (although some of the high notes are a little rough), but not particularly interesting overall.”
Total: 30 points (Average = 6.0)
Kleansa Susaj – “Ta dija”
Boris – 5 – “Classic FiK – not overtly exciting, not particularly tedious, just an average, somewhat antiquated orchestral ballad straight from the early 90s. It doesn’t offer more to a Eurovision listener besides that FiK Filler label, however.”
Jasmin – 6 – “It’s cute and pleasant, really nothing wrong with it but it’s just another song on the list that is not competitive… good for her but this is not leaving an impact. I still find it enjoyable to an extent and songs that are “safe” like this one get the average score in my books.”
Rebecca – 3 – “Right off the bat, this is not my kind of song. I’m not sure how to describe why that is, but something about it just rubs me the wrong way. It has a certain teen-pop feel in the beat and the electric keyboard that I don’t really go for. This is another track, however, where I can absolutely see it being elevated by the live performance. As a contender for Eurovision, it’s a safe pop ballad that will rely on vocals to carry it to the finals—which we’ve seen done plenty of times, but I don’t know if that’s really what I want to see happen yet again.”
Roy – 5 – “Kleansa has a gorgeous voice, she’s already proven that last year as well. I do feel like last year’s song was better and more memorable than this year’s attempt. This time she showcases her vocals with some electric guitars in the background. There’s a flamenco-like clappy bit with electric guitar too. She is clearly very talented, but I’m afraid this is not the song for her yet.”
Sam – 6 – “It’s a pretty song, and she has a very nice voice. It feels like the song holds back on opportunities to showcase it more. Overall, it doesn’t leave as strong an impression as perhaps it could have.”
Total: 25 points (Average = 5.0)
Shkodra Elektronike – “Zjerm”
Boris – 10 – “I’m an easy man, truly. I hand out positive scores to songs I mildly enjoy but am not smitten by. Sometimes however you run into something AWESOME, and Zjerm is that all-caps AWESOME. It’s the Dinle/Rändajad of the decade. The contrast of the female vocalist’s frail, flowery voice with the male vocalist’s deep, menacing bass-baritone is a wonderful duality that could awaken mummies from the depths of the Duat. Fantastic entry. I HOPE this one delivers in the live shows. We could be in for a f’cking treat.”
Jasmin – 9 – “Umm, hello? Where was this before? I’m all into this. It is intriguing and feels very current and authentic compared to many filler songs this contest has. Male vocal does bother me a little bit as it is now what I usually listen to but the overall atmosphere behind this one keeps me engaged all the time and the chorus just slaps! Albania, take the risk here, give this a chance and see how it will get rewarded in Basel!”
Rebecca – 9 – “Going into these reviews, I was aware that this particular song was highly rated. Listening to it now, I can absolutely see why. The electronica, orchestra and ethnic elements all blend together so stunningly without feeling overwhelming. And that dark rap verse? Holy cow, I’m in love with everything about this. There’s a melancholy behind all this powerful instrumentation, the kind that makes you close your eyes and just FEEL the music. This is without a doubt my winner, and I think if Albania sent this to Eurovision they would be breathing some new life into their contest prospects.”
Roy – 8.5 – “Ooh this is unique! From the first tunes and the way the leadsinger starts off, you know you’ll be in for a ride. The song then builds to something bigger with good instrumentation behind it as well. The way the ‘shndrits’ fade away slowly into the beat is done really well. There is a lot of electronical intricacies in this song. We then go to a mysterious male voice which gives a whole different dimension to the song. I am not sure if that part actually adds what it should be adding or rather detracts from the entire piece. The female singer comes back in and the chorus is reintroduced. A catchy electronical masterpiece, really well done and I can’t wait to see it live!”
Sam – 7 – “This is the ethno-bop the competition needs. It will have stiff competition with “Karnaval” for the win, but whereas “Karnaval” might make a more successful Eurovision entry, Zjerm has the makings of a potentially iconic one.”
Total: 43.5 points (Average = 8.7)
Ardit Çuni – “Amane”
Boris – 7.5 – “You’re so used to female trashbangers that you’re always caught off-guard when a man attempts the same thing. Fortunately, I’m a feminist, and treat men equally poorly as women. Have the same amount of points as Elvana, my good man.”
Jasmin – 6.5 – “This is a different kind of a party… it is certainly daring and I am intrigued what they’ll do live with it. The instrumental becomes a bit annoying at some point tho. Hey, at least it is different, we’ll take it.”
Rebecca – 7 – “We always talk about the girly dance tracks, but personally I’ve always preferred the ones with male artists. Has a very Balkan sound with a killer beat that I was bopping to the whole time. Also has those classic lyric-less choruses that you can envision the dance break fitting into. While I don’t think this is the right candidate for a Eurovision entry, I do enjoy it a fair bit.”
Roy – 7.5 – “Ooh this is unique! From the first tunes and the way the leadsinger starts off, you know you’ll be in for a ride. The song then builds to something bigger with good instrumentation behind it as well. The way the ‘shndrits’ fade away slowly into the beat is done really well. There is a lot of electronical intricacies in this song. We then go to a mysterious male voice which gives a whole different dimension to the song. I am not sure if that part actually adds what it should be adding or rather detracts from the entire piece. The female singer comes back in and the chorus is reintroduced. A catchy electronical masterpiece, really well done and I can’t wait to see it live!”
Sam – 5 – “As soon as this song started, I noted immediate similarities to “Fuego,” “Slo-Mo,” “Loco Loco,” and “Sekret.” It doesn’t quite reach its ethno-bop potential – even with the dance break – but it’s fun enough and a nice change of pace from the ballads. Could be elevated by good staging.”
Total: 33.5 points (Average = 6.7)
*
And from Semi-Final 1, ESC United has a clear favorite – while Orgesa Zaimi and Jet both had strong entries averaging in the mid-7 range, Shkodra Elektronike crushed it with an average of 8.7 (high of 10, low of 7) with “Zjerm”.
Tomorrow, we shall see what ESC United thinks of the Semi-Final 2 entrants.
What do #YOU think of the Fik63 entrants thus far? Do #YOU agree “Zjerm” should walk away with the victory and be performed in Basel, or do #YOU have another favorite. Let us know in the comments below, on our social media, or in our forum.
