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DISCLAIMER: All the opinions stated in this post represent the views of the person quoted and do not represent ESCUnited as a whole. We are an opinionated lot with conflicting opinions, for which we take full responsibility.
The Greek national final is here, and ESCUnited’s team has *opinions*. From ethno-bangers to elevator metaphors, this year’s selection is a mixed bag of emotions, bops, and questionable lyrical choices.
So buckle up, grab some olives, and let’s get into it!
#1: Andy Nicolas
“Lost My Way”
Samantha Siegal: 4/10 – I may have mentioned this in a previous review, but I’m not a fan of this genre. We’ve all heard of the “Sad Boy Anthem” – this is a Sad Man Anthem. It boldly declares: “I’m a man, and I’ve got angst. Look out, because I’m troubled. Let me perform a song for you about how troubled I am.” Anyway, the song itself isn’t terribly distinctive. Given its slower tempo and repetitive lyrics, it’ll have a hard time competing against some of the more bombastic entries.
David Popescu: 2/10 – Honestly, it’s a song and it’s there. I literally stopped paying attention and forgot that I was listening to the song, while listening. It’s literally just there, absolutely no impact or anything. Decent voice I suppose, but… what else?it.”
Boris Meersman: 3/10 – ““He’s Danish, and you can tell.”
Rebecca: 3/10 – The most aggressively average lyrics I think I’ve heard in a long while. Andy’s vocals are good. But uh… can we please talk about that loud droning beat in the chorus? It’s so overpowering and distracting that I can’t focus on anything else going on in the song. I would suggest toning it down by about five notches, because it’s not necessarily a bad embellishment to the song, just too much.
James Maude: 3/10 – Twenty years the Greek public have been waiting for a national selection, and the first song most of us are treated to after eagerly opening most playlists is this abysmal dirge? Sorry, but this incessant whining over a chicken pecked piano riff is not going to cut it, and the Greek public deserve better than this navel-gazing drivel.
Emilija Radulovic: 5/10 – This particular genre of indie pop song will always be radio friendly and will do well with the audience. It reminds me a little bit of a weaker version of Arcade, only it doesn’t actually reach any particular heights and I do not think it would stand out in Eurovision unless it’s somehow revamped. It’s a good song though, the vocals are stable, I would personally listen to this, but I do not think this would make any waves in Eurovision.
Jasmin Prisc: 6/10 – Sounds a bit too much like every other male ballad on the radio. Something in the track doesn’t sit right with me and by the end, the song became to repetitive. I would like this to be more gospel oriented with some heavy choir as a support. This way it sounds a bit dry.
Andy’s angst-filled ballad didn’t quite hit the mark for our reviewers. It’s giving “man in his feels,” but Eurovision might not be the right stage for this one.
#2: BARBZ
“Sirens”
Samantha Siegal: 5.5/10 – Another song that suffers from repetitive lyrics, but besides that it’s a perfectly decent song overall. I like the somewhat melancholy vibe. The verses tease a big, climactic moment that never really materializes, which I think is unfortunately the missing piece this song needs. Like “Lost my Way,” I see this song struggling to make an impression in a competition with multiple high-energy dance bangers.
David Popescu: 2/10 – Very empty beat, despite it goes heavy. I’m just not really taken anywhere, it sounds like I’m just listening to the same thing for its entirety. Not overly impressed either by the lackluster lyrics, as well as the singing.
Boris Meersman: 6/10 – ““A decent electropop track in its own right, brought down IMMENSELY by Barbz’s insistence to sing in cursive, anno 2025. Leave it to Greece to stay behind the curve on dumb trends. (their 2030 entrant will have a mullet, bank on it). I cannot make out the individual words in “Simon Says”, so it all blends together in a ball of dramatic EDM noise. It’s not bad, but between this and having a literal fucking DANE in the selection, you’d expect ERT haven’t learned at all from Viktor Vernikos.”
Rebecca: 5/10 – I was definitely not expecting that beat drop, and somehow it still manages to be a little underwhelming. There’s an etherealness to it, which is pretty nice. Vocals are solid and the tone matches the theme of sirens very well. Not much more to say unfortunately. It’s fine, but could be better. Hoping for live vocals that wow me.
James Maude: 5/10 – Best part of the lyrics are Genius.com’s transcription resulting in utter nonsense because its AI can’t make out Barbz’s deliberately garbled pronunciation. “Sirens” gets credit for being relatively subtle for the Greek legend imagery, for being upbeat and having a protagonist who escapes the pickle she was in. It’s just a pity the vocal delivery sucks.
Emilija Radulovic: 4/10 – It’s cinematic and has a good build up. Her voice leans into what we can call ‘cursive’ singing these days, which I’m not the biggest fan of, but with this one in particular, it doesn’t grate on me as it normally does. I like the rhythm change when it moves into a more EDM vibe as it’s a natural build up and transformation. I think that may be the best portion of the song because the final third kind of loses the momentum and loses me along with it.
Jasmin Prisc: 8/10 – A very nicely produced song with house elements which usually isn’t my cup of tea but this works for me. The vocal is on point and the stage potential for this one is massive. Please, don’t waste it!
BARBZ brought the mythical vibes, but the song left our team wanting more. Sirens are supposed to enchant, not underwhelm!
#3: Evangelia
“Vále”
Samantha Siegal: 8/10 – It goes without saying: a certified banger. The girl bop to end all girl bops. This is a fantastic entry – both for the Greek national selection and for Eurovision. It maintains its energy the whole way through, never lulling or dragging. I especially love the ethnic instrumentation at the end. Looking to another national selection, I almost feel this is the song Elvana Gjata’s “Karnaval” aspired to be.
David Popescu: 3/10 – America is full of these absolutely trashy talentless garbage female rappers… why in hell, would anyone copy that?! Greece is a wonderfully rich and cultural country, why would you NOT just include more of that, and perhaps better, why not ONLY sing in Greek?! Sorry, this just hit a nerve!
Boris Meersman: 8.5/10 – “How embarrassed do you reckon Evana Gjata must feel now she flopped AND Evangelia has released a much better version of “Karnaval” on a dime? Out goes “BAILANDO UNO DOS TRES Y BOLSONARO” and in comes a summery bop that, with a budget and a vision could rake in quite a bit of televote points.”
Rebecca: 7/10 – An easy-listening dance track with a great, anthemic Balkan vibe. It’s very chill to listen to, has a fun beat that I was casually bopping to the whole time, and the BPM change near the end is unique and Very Greek™. I can really see the crowd being a huge plus to the live performance if it’s done correctly, and a large, excitable audience like the ones we often see at Eurovision would be perfect for that. Very enjoyable!
James Maude: 8.5/10 – It starts off a little sleepy, but once this ethno-banger gets going, it’s quite fun and mesmeric. The Greek flair in the instrumental solo should make this stand out in Switzerland. But as with the country’s solo win at the Contest, the magic lies in blending traditional instrumentation with modern dance, not pushing too much in either direction. Give this song a half-decently choreographed dance, and we have a potential Top Ten entry at the contest.
Emilija Radulovic: 2.5/10 – Evangelia, whyyy. The only thing I actually love about this song is the Greek language in it, but can we please move away from the dated, David Guetta-esque Eurocup 2010 songs? Guys, we are truly past this. Her voice is traditionally good, and the final bridge of the song where the Greek instruments come in is great, but it really isn’t enough this time.
Jasmin Prisc: 7/10 – This is vaguely familiar… oh right, Elvana from Albania had literally the same song. It’s good but might turn out super flat live unless she comes prepared. Anthemic and fun, probably will fare well with the televote but I’m not sold on it until I see the live performance.it messy.”
Evangelia’s ethno-bop is a fan favorite, though David wasn’t fully sold. That Greek instrumental break, though? *Chef’s kiss.*
#4: Nafsica
“Unhurt Me”
Samantha Siegal: 6/10 – It’s difficult to explain, but this song feels very 2005 – which, in the age of Y2K nostalgia, isn’t necessarily a bad thing! The lyrics are a little clunky, but the vocals are strong. Overall, though, I don’t see it winning any competitions.
David Popescu: 2/10 – This feels like one of those very popular dance tracks from late 90’s. Honestly, I’m digging that the song is being sung so much in Greek, and the bit towards the last minute where it becomes VERY Greek, would’ve been better with me. Instead, it’s just awkwardly added into a song it doesn’t fit with. I can see myself getting used to it, but it’s a short-lived joy… if any at all.
Boris Meersman: 2/10 – “Perhaps this terrible ballad’s cringe neologisms will FINALLY make the dumb gays realize “Undo” was a turd. (#Justice4AceWilder)”
Rebecca: 2.5/10 – Greek ballads don’t really do it for me, and this isn’t exactly an exception. Vocally it’s quite good, but could stand to benefit from some more vocal variation, high notes and the like. The lyrics are fine, if not glaringly average, but slightly confusing? It’s a mixture of vague, all-encompassing lines with lines that feel incredibly specific, and they just don’t mesh very well. I don’t get a sense of what the song is trying to convey to me aside from “I’m hurt.”
James Maude: 6.5/10 – I was going to hate on this stormy piano ballad because it violates my two Eurovision cardinal sins: overwrought break-up songs and clunky defilement of the English language. But there’s an underlying maturity to this, like the character has been through this before and is weathering another storm. Younger artists seem to treat breaking up with some nobody as the end of the world, whereas older ones treat it as if they’ve had some bad heartburn. This song is a refreshing, soothing pop of Rolaids.
Emilija Radulovic: 6/10 – Nafsica has the kind of a silky smooth voice that can make a regular pop ballad sound interesting, and I really appreciate her for this. Otherwise it’s just standard for me, but I can’t dislike this because of how classy it is overall.
Jasmin Prisc: 5.5/10 – I feel the vocal just doesn’t reach its climax at any point in the song. The track sounds like a demo, it’s a good basis but one can hardly call it a full product. It feels a bit weak but with a proper staging that could elevate it a bit. Overall, cute but unimpressive.
Nafsica’s ballad divided the team. Some found it refreshing, while others thought it was just another breakup song.
#5: Dinamiss
“Odyssey”
Samantha Siegal: 7.5/10 – This is competing with Vále for the biggest ethno-bop in the selection, though this one is a little less dynamic. I almost wonder if the production is TOO heavy – too percussive – to the point of overwhelming the vocals. That’s reall
David Popescu: 1/10 – “America is full of these absolutely trashy talentless garbage female rappers… why in hell, would anyone copy that?! Greece is a wonderfully rich and cultural country, why would you NOT just include more of that, and perhaps better, why not ONLY sing in Greek?! Sorry, this just hit a nerve!”
Boris Meersman: 8/10 – “Oh man, this will be an all-timer, up there with other trainwrecks like “Silver Bullet” by Cosmic Twins and “Aphrodisiac” by Jessika Grech. Absolutely ZERO chance in hell this will not be a dumpster fire live. Absolutely ONE HUNDRED PERCENT chance I will be entertained and will revisit this incoming disaster in years to come, until I’m withered and near death. Now THAT is an Odyssey I can believe in.”
Rebecca: 6.5/10 – Oh my god that drop goes HARD. Scared me a bit the first time. The pre-chorus is a little weak, which is maybe why the drop scared me at first; definitely wasn’t expecting it when I’d just been tricked into thinking it was going to be a bit sleepy. Considering what I just said about the pre-chorus, the song uses it as an ending, which is incredibly underwhelming. Without musical changes, the live performance will be doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, be it with choreography or vocals or both.
James Maude: 8/10 – This is admittedly stupid. Dinamiss clearly has no idea what an odyssey actually entails, but hey, Homer was Greek, pretentious d-bags name drop him at college parties to try impress sorority sisters that they’re educated, etc. But like love being a crime in Bulgaria, having stupid lyrics can often be an asset to the song, especially with some fun dance breaks, competent rap verses, a savage breakdown and some cheeky Greek stereotypes. Dinamiss is clearly thinking beyond the selection by appealing to the lowest common foreign denominator and those who want to treat Eurovision as a continental party. Not a bad approach.
Emilija Radulovic: 6.5/10 – It’s giving K-pop in a way? This could be interesting on stage even though I’m not really roped in by the song itself. I absolutely love the instrumentals, I see a good choreography/dance break here along with a good light show, and love it or hate it, but it is the most exciting part of stage performances with songs like these. I can’t make a full judgment on this until I see the performance, but I’m kind of vibing right now.
Jasmin Prisc: 7/10 – This dropped hard! The fusion of rap, traditional singing and “rap” is cool and definitely stands out. I put a word rap in quotation marks because what we have here is just lazy speaking if you ask me. Without it, this would fly to the top of my charts but this way, I can’t push it higher.
Dinamiss brought the drama, but David was *not* having it. Still, the drop goes hard, and James is here for the chaos.
#6: Thanos Lambrou
“Free Love”
Samantha Siegal: 6/10 – Who dug this banger from 1988 out of the vault? I will freely admit I enjoy this. For what it is, it’s not bad. It may not be prime Eurovision material, but if any filmmakers working on a 1980s period piece need music for a training montage, I’ve got the song for you.
David Popescu: 1/10 – A few decades too late? We need to get this guy an audience of hippie grandpas.
Boris Meersman: 5/10 – “We live in the universe where the Infinity Stones don’t combine, or at least wipe out any thought not geared towards neo-hippie-tinged jingoism. “Free love” borrows its entire creative capital from Bryan Adams’s “Summer of ‘69” without every really encroaching upon “banger” territory.“
Rebecca: 6/10 – Here’s the thing: I love me a good rock song. It gets points just for that right off the bat. But this is… disappointingly tame for a rock song. Eurovision has given us some awesome rock entries over the past few years, so mediocre rock songs become that much more apparent. There’s a solid guitar riff throughout the whole song, and Thanos has that great husky, rough voice that is often associated with rock. But the song doesn’t really give them a chance to shine! The chorus is pretty bland, so all the work that the guitar riff does to hook you is lost. And aside from a very Eurovision-esque key change at the end, Thanos’ vocals don’t get much of any kind of spotlight. I’m left sadly underwhelmed!
James Maude: 8.5/10 – Never thought I’d hear a country-rocker a la Kenny Loggins coming out of Greece. This is another dumb, yet wonderful entry. What does “free love” from Thanos mean? Like Loggins’s Footloose, does he promise to come to your small Midwest town and liberate the high schoolers with his rock ‘n roll and thrusting hips? Or will this land more like Vanilla Ice’s Cool as Ice? Either way, ditch the zero and get with the hero.
Emilija Radulovic: 3.5/10 – I’m all for the guitars galore in Eurovision, but I’m not really sure this qualifies with what I actually want to see. It’s the ‘we are ending the movie, here’s a song while we roll credits’. I wish it was more creative, a little more imaginative.
Jasmin Prisc: 6/10 – A promising start that got us off the beaten track pretty fast. I enjoy in the guitar but the melody of the chorus with unnecessary pattern-like emphasis of every last word in a line just doesn’t add up altogether to me. The vocal is interesting tho. Could be more rock-ish but it’s okay.
Thanos divided the room. Some thought it was a retro gem, while others wondered if it was time to retire the rock anthem.
#7: RIKKI
“Elevator (Up and Down)”
Samantha Siegal: 4.5/10 – It’s not a bad song, but it is…kind of annoying? Comparing a person to an elevator is an awkward metaphor, and the song overall has a quirky, tepid, semi-ironic 2010s indie rock vibe that I’m not a huge fan of.
David Popescu: 1/10 – This is some REALLY cheesy and corny lyrics, holy hell!
Boris Meersman: 5.5/10 – “Or as my friend Zac -who listened to this selection fully stoned- describes it: “7Eleven – Up and Down”. One of those songs whose fun factor scales with your inebriation level (“UP AND DOWN AND DOWN AND UP AND ELEVATOR NEVER STOPPIN’ “– actual lyrics of a song), “Elevator” is like something you’d see pop up on a Selectia Nationala Longlist or as an Una Voce audition, where it would be swiftly jettisoned out of the competition. It is almost stupid enough to be funny when you’re sober, but whether that’s reality or just me clinging to floater trash in a mediocre selection, I’ll leave up for you to decide.”
Rebecca: 8/10 – I am absolutely in love with this funky elevator song. The track literally sounds like elevator music, especially right at the beginning there, but then it just gets so goddamn groovy I can’t help but bop along. The icing on the cake is the little elevator dings at the beginning and end. We’re on a three-minute elevator ride before we head back out into the real world that is ten times less fun than the music going on here. The lyrics are pretty mediocre but given the nature of the song I wouldn’t expect them to be a poetic masterpiece; they serve the simpleness of the tone it’s going for, and it works. Part of what sells me on this one is that I can literally see the staging take shape in my minds eye—there’s this great elevator theme that they have to work with, and there’s so many ways it could be staged to make it that much more fun and entertaining. High hopes for the live performance of this one, so fingers crossed!
James Maude: 7/10 – This has the vibe of Paolo Nutini’s “New Shoes,” but it’s dumber. It’s hardly going to challenge the classics of elevator lyrics from Aerosmith or Flo Rida. But it’s peppy enough to not be written off as elevator music. Short of referencing the elevator shaft detonation scene from Die Hard, no elevator imagery is left unturned. But Rikki sounds like he’s having fun with it, so I can forgive the corniness.
Emilija Radulovic: 2/10 – Funky city pop has to be realllyyyyyy good to do something for me, and unfortunately I don’t see it with this. Sorry.
Jasmin Prisc: 3.5/10 – Even when I try really hard, I don’t see a lot of positive here. It’s just a simple inoffensive song with a somewhat catchy tune. However, these lyrics really make me want to skip it after the first chorus. I can’t take this seriously.
RIKKI’s elevator metaphor was a rollercoaster for our reviewers. Rebecca is ready to ride, while David wants to take the stairs.
#8: Konstantinos Christoforou, Kostas Karafotis
“Parádeisos”
Samantha Siegal: 5/10 – I always appreciate ethnic elements, but this song is overall a little underwhelming compared to its competition. I almost feel bad saying that – it’s perfectly pleasant to listen to.
David Popescu: 5/10 – This is probably the kind of Greek music I absolutely enjoy to have running in the background, just casually enjoying the vibes of this very local sound. Very Greek, very traditional in sound and it’s just pure joy. Of course, it’s not something I willingly I’d listen to, as I said already, something to casually enjoy in the background.
Boris Meersman: 7/10 – “An acceptable, non-embarrassing folk ballad in a deeply non-serious selection. I can get behind it on paper. UNFORTUNATELY, the Ugly Fucking Old Bitch From Cyprus is the one performing it, and I expect to curdle on “Paradisos” the second I see Konstantinos smug it into unlikability. KOSTAS DARLING, YA BETTER CARRY LIKE FED-EX.”
Rebecca: 3/10 – Look, I usually love it when countries give us something ethnic. The problem here is that Greece consistently gives us something ethnic, and it’s usually far better than this. This feels like a Balkan entry straight out of the mid-2000’s, so it’s giving me extremely dated vibes. It’s not bad, but it’s not giving me anything remotely unique or fresh in a Eurovision context.
James Maude: 6.5/10 – You have to appreciate that an old school ethno-ballad makes it to this national selection. That being said, it’s a fairly stock one. Two great performers, but they’re not really challenged and the underlying track doesn’t really ramp up to an explosive finale.
Emilija Radulovic: 7/10 – Listen, this may be my Serbian heart speaking, but hot diggity damn! It absolutely moves me. Greek is one of the most beautiful languages out there so this speaks to me in more ways than just one. Am I the only one who misses Greek melos in Eurovision? I sure hope not. I’m seriously biased here, because realistically the song isn’t all that inventive either, but in an ocean of songs in English that all sound similar, I can’t help but love it as an overall product. I said what I said!
Jasmin Prisc: 7/10 – It’s a lovely song. Their harmonies certainly add to the music which reminds me of some traditional songs from the Balkan area. If stages with beautiful visuals, this could be a moment for slightly older / serious demographics. However, I don’t expect it to do well.
A traditional Greek sound that didn’t quite elevate (unlike RIKKI’s elevator).
#9: Georgina Kalais & John Vlaseros
“High Road”
Samantha Siegal: 4/10 – Good vocals, extremely mid song. Are there any lyrics besides “I’ll take the high road?” I genuinely can’t recall. This song is so bland that I struggle to find anything interesting to say about it.
David Popescu: 2/10 – This is quite… depressing, isn’t it? I do feel like we’re in blues territory, but it’s not exactly my style. Pleasantly lovely voices, but I’m not paying attention. I’m just being honest and admit, I’m just not part of the target audience.
Boris Meersman: 1.5/10 – ““I sometimes don’t understand these people. If your song can be summed up with the words “good for you :dismissive wave:”, are you in the right place? Like, who is this for? I’m tempted to say Georgina herself, with John’s pointless cameo attached to her like a remora, or a bad therapist enabling her Main Character Syndrome. Darling, every single one of us is an ant – forcing queen behaviour outside of your worker role is a swift way to make the hive turn against you. Understand this when you have last place handed to you.””
Rebecca: 4/10 – I’m not one for duets at the best of times (pretty sure I’ve said this before) so this just isn’t meant for me. I like the concept of the lyrics, of taking the high road over being petty, and I think it’s executed well. Georgina has a voice very suited for this style of music, but on the other hand I think John sounded a little off in his solo sections? Maybe he was ad-libbing too much? Not quite sure what was going on there. Also, I felt like was mostly just Georgina singing while John only got a few solo lines? I guess that’s not a huge issue, but they’re both credited as the singers yet John feels more like a feature or a guest on the track.
James Maude: 5/10 – Didn’t expect to hear blues at a Greek national selection. And I won’t expect to hear this at the Final, but its appearance is a victory for variety. Sadly, such variety is absent within the song. The chorus grates in its repetition (“I take the high road” over and over again), and though this could be fixed live, the interaction between the two vocalists seems non-existent.
Emilija Radulovic: 4/10 – It’s alright. A little Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack, a little Hooverphonic-y? Plus, the ‘high road’ repetition gets a little boring by the end.
Jasmin Prisc: 5/10 – Hmmmmmm… is this retro or just dated??? I never got the urge of songwriters to take one line, repeat it 10 times and call it a chorus. The song has character as it doesn’t sound like a standard pop song. it’s edgy and all the clapping and harmonies make something of it but this is Triana Park level of repetitive which means it is not for me.
This duet took the high road, but our reviewers took the low road and still got there first.
#10: Xannova Xan
“Play It!”
Samantha Siegal: 8/10 – Another dance banger that may not be as musically complex as Vále but damn if it isn’t just as effective. It’s my personal favorite song in the selection, and the only one I’ve had on repeat. What it lacks in sophistication it makes up for in fun. Why would I listen to something like “High Road” when I can listen to this, over and over again?
David Popescu: 7/10 – Playful and seductive, with Aphrodite references.
Boris Meersman: 3.5/10 – “Good on Xannova for understanding that her only chance is to play to the lowest base possible (white, unemployed, uneducated, chronically online bottoms low on self-esteem and high on panda points), because that is her song’s only niche. “Play it!” is defined by its desperation, and its Israeli/Azerbaijani style of pandering adds a layer of “ick” one would associate with an insidious pinkwashing agenda. It’s a hard no from me, hun.”
Rebecca: 4.5/10 – The beat drop definitely has power behind it, and it’s unique compared to a lot of the other dance tracks we’ve heard this season. However I just don’t like the chorus much. Something about the intonation of the vocals hits my brain the wrong way, and I can’t seem to get past it. In any case, this is one of the ones that I believe really needs to be consumed as a package deal with the live performance in order to judge it properly. For now, it’s not doing it for me.
James Maude: 9/10 – Clumsy Greek God references make you rolls your eyes, but not-so-subtle references to hitting her G-spot make her eyes roll a completely different way. It’s highly oversexualized fun, with even the percussion being tied to the shenanigans referenced, and I am here for it, though you may want to have a word with your kids if they’re unwittingly shouting the “like playing a drum” lyrics. We need up-tempo fifth at Eurovision as the fandom has become way too puritanical and sanctimonious lately.
Emilija Radulovic: 2/10 – I see the vision of a girl bop they were going for, it’s just nowhere near good for it. Plus, this Aphrodite line makes me cringe just a little because come on, you can do better than that to show how Greek you are.
Jasmin Prisc: 7.5/10 – I didn’t recognize the chorus in this song. So, it’s essentially a dance break and that means choreography must be fire! Otherwise, it doesn’t do much. I like the production and the song can definitely be more impactful but I’ll take a good drop over la-la-la chorus. Looking forward to hair flips and splits.
Xannova Xan brought the party, though Rebecca wasn’t fully convinced. James, however, is ready to hit the dance floor.
#11: Klavdia
“Asteromáta”
Samantha Siegal: 7/10 – It’s a very pretty song, and vocally impressive. I do however feel like it somewhat lacks cohesion, but I can also see myself being sold on the live performance if she pulls it off.
David Popescu: 3/10 – Absolutely love just listening to the Greek melodic language. However, as much as I hat to say this, we’re much closer to that deep and slow kind of music, which sets my mood off. Despite there might be some moments with some high energy and rhythmic beats, it’s just very short lived. Musically is where it just completely doesn’t reach me.
Boris Meersman: 6.5/10 –Isn’t this just a stripped down, less interesting “Oneiro mou”? (1, 2, 3, ….56)”
Rebecca: 7.5/10 – This one gives me big Onirou Mou (2018) vibes, and considering I really loved that one, I’m loving this one as well. I guess this is technically a Greek ballad, and I have established I’m not a fan of those, but I would argue that this falls into a subcategory I like to call “Greek Epic Ballad,” and I’m much more partial to those. I’m almost certain that it’s to do with the drums. The vocals are great, and something about them gives me the impression that they will be STUNNING live, but I won’t add that into my calculations just yet. The lyrics make my little Creative Writing heart weep tears of joy. They’re emotional and elegant and tell a simple yet moving story. An all-around great package that I’m very excited to see live.
James Maude: 9/10 – A magical New Age number that tells a story, builds slowly, and contains a mesmerizing vocal performance that, if hit right on the night, could do wonders for Greece. This almost strays into the folktronica that Ukraine has been so good at lately, but delivers its own Hellenic spin. Greece has fumbled on execution on visualizing a song’s core themes and ideas (see Stefania), but if Greece do a half decent job of conveying the star imagery and the motherhood themes in the lyrics onto the stage, Klavdia could have a hit on her hands.
Emilija Radulovic: 9.5/10 – HELLLOOOOOOOOOOOO, YES, YES, YES. Her voice is incredible, the instrumentals are fantastic, it’s the perfect mix of dramatic, modern and traditional. It doesn’t try too hard, it has a soft build up that feels like it sticks to the heart. There is this seamless fusion of authenticity and contemporary vibe that makes it a standout contender for Eurovision in my humble opinion. I will reserve my total points just because I need this to deliver live, but otherwise, this is my winner. This just gave me everything I wanted out of a Greek selection. Full body chills!
Jasmin Prisc: 8.5/10 – At first, it was a slow start but when it exploded I really enjoyed it. Powerful and moving, hopefully they can come up with an immersive visual experience for the live to really draw in the audience. If the staging is right, this could be a big moment. The strongest package of the selection.
Klavdia’s starry ballad charmed most of the team, though David was left in the dark.
#12: Kostas Ageris
“Gi Mou”
Samantha Siegal: 7.5/10 – When this started, I thought I was in for “Parádeisos” Part II. I was quickly corrected. I love this. The instrumental break at the end goes hard. In a selection that feels like a battle of the pop divas, I wouldn’t hate to see this at ESC.
David Popescu: 5/10 – I’m just gonna jump straight to the point and say, had the song been like the last 45 seconds throughout its entirety, I would’ve been sold. Unfortunately, this is more on the slower and a bit softer side, and having me wait for more than two minutes until it gets amazing, bothers me quite a lot!
Boris Meersman: 7.5/10 – “Takes forever to get going, but when it does it heads straight into bop territory. “Gi mou’s” biggest problem is its speed. Once it accelerated with that good dance break, you’re in for a ride. I wouldn’t sleep on this one. It can go hard with a good live performance.”
Rebecca: 5.5/10 – Eh. It’s very Greek, which is cool. It’s also very boring. The lyrics are average, the vocals are solid but they don’t really stand out to me. The beat in the background gives it a bit of energy, which is what keeps it from the lower end of my rankings. With a couple of listens under my belt it’s grown on me very slightly, but it still lacks any kind of punch or wow factor to really sell it as a Eurovision entry.
James Maude: 6/10 – There’s a fine line when presenting your nation’s sound to an international song contest audience. There can be such as thing as “too ethnic” for a foreign audience. This song falls into that trap. “Paradeisos” falls into the other – your local sound are trimmings on a universally palatable template. “Gi mou’s” highlight is a passionate performance from Kostas, but with the Greek instrumentation clashing on a bog standard dance track, it gets lost and is not relatable (especially in studio version where we haven’t seen him perform this yet).
Emilija Radulovic: 9/10 – I almost feel bad this is in the same selection as Klavdia, because for me, I am in absolute love with this, too. The traditional instrumentation breathes so much soul into this song, it reminds me of my best summers in Greece, and the nostalgia hits hard. I love Greek male vocals, and he knows what he’s doing with it and how to use it. That final portion of the track reminds us of what a unique cultural gem this is, with the traditional instrumentation that clings to my heart. I have no doubt this is going to sound great live, too.
Jasmin Prisc: 6.5/10 – While I might not be enjoying the vocal delivery on this one, I appreciate the ethnic influences. It falls into the ethno-modern fusion and that is visibly in the last minute of the song when it picks up the pace a bit more. It’s a decent entry but I’m not fascinated.
Kostas brought the Greek flavor, but some felt it was too much of a good thing.
Final Scores
1. Klavdia – “Asteromáta” – 56 points
2. Kostas Ageris – “Gi Mou” – 48 points
3. Evangelia – “Vále” – 47 points
4. Dinamiss – “Odyssey” – 44 points
5. Xannova Xan – “Play It!” – 42 pointa
6. Konstantinos Christoforou, Kostas Karafotis – “Parádeisos” – 40 points
7. Thanos Lambrou – “Free Love” – 37 points
8. BARBZ – “Sirens” – 35 points
9. RIKKI – “Elevator (Up and Down)” – 30 points
10. Nafsica – “Unhurt Me” – 29 points
11. Andy Nicolas – “Lost My Way” – 25 points
12. Georgina Kalais & John Vlaseros – “High Road” – 25 points
Who will win? Who will flop? Tune in to Greece’s national final “Ethnikós Telikós” tonight at 20:00 CET on ERT/ Eurovision YouTube channel. And remember, these reviews are all in good fun—may the best song win!