Tonight in Kyiv, the second semifinal of the Ukrainian national selection has concluded. The last time we were here, we celebrated the joint victories of Krutь, Go-A, and Jerry Heil who were able to secure their tickets to next Saturday’s finale. This night promised and delivered an extremely diverse and fun selection of songs that competed to have the honor of representing one of the most successful countries of the 21st century. This evening, eight acts took the stage to compete for the last three slots in for the final on 22 February 2020.
The running order for the night was as follows:
- MOONZOO feat. F.M.F. Sure
- FO SHO
- Elina Ivashchenko
- Oleksandr Poriadynskyi
- Garna
- Khayat
- David Axelrod
- Tvorchi
Let’s take a quick look at the acts:
MOONZOO feat. F.M.F. Sure –Maze
This song is a variety of things: it is modern, atmospheric, retro. Dynamic is an understatement when describing the staging, it was full of color and movement bringing even more life to the already vibrant song. Their performance was so fun to watch and they were an exciting way to inaugurate the night.
FO SHO – BLCK SQR
I will admit I was not extremely sure how they would decide to stage this song, but they made a smart choice and really focused on the square motif and added a strong urban twist. While this might not be the most common genre to Eurovision national selections, FO SHO brought so much energy and attitude that it was impossible not to be caught in their vibe. Their styling and staging was one of the most fun and inventive ones I have seen.
Elina Ivashchenko – Get Up
In an ode to womanhood, Elina brings about phenomenal vocals to a moving song. Her outfit was truly unique and seem to take center stage along with a visually stimulating stage design. A singer known for her incredible vocal talent, she not only delivered, but she served thoroughly. Her performance was pretty much the full package of a compelling message to a vocally technical song that is paired with great staging.
Oleksandr Poriadynskyi – Savior
Oleksandr should be so proud of his great stage performance tonight on the main stage after quite the delivery. His vocals were accompanied by riveting visuals that made the epic ballad feel even more grandiose and futuristic with the mesmerizing red and yellow matrix lines. He exuded confidence throughout his performance and even during the critiques with the judges.
Garna – Who We Are?
What a powerful delivery, she had the audience giving her a standing ovation for her performance. Her vocals were outstanding, she had that perfect balance of rock edginess and soulful control. The staging was a bit more pared back, simply using a red-white-black motif so as to focus on the vocal talents of Garna.
Khayat – Call for Love
Khayat did not come to play, he came to slay. His vocals were phenomenal, particularly in those ethnic portions where the quality of his voice really shined. The visuals were equally spectacular using this green and gold design scheme with a futuristic and dystopian twist. The styling was on point and extremely modern, a pretty complete package.
David Axelrod – Horizon
David has a romantic, 90’s inspired ballad that he delivered with his heart. The styling is very reminiscent of Croatia 2019 with the angels surrounding him from every angle. The staging was very blue and epic and really helped show the emotional appeal that David set out to deliver.
Tvorchi – Bonfire
This song just exudes style and cool factor. I really love the color palette between the royal violet and indigo blue, it makes them and the stage come alive. Despite it being just the two of them, they are able to really fill up the stage with those cool graphics, I mean who thinks of a hummingbird and a Dr. Andross mask. The staging was so dynamic and changed up with the song. It was an incredible way to end the night, the whole crowd was cheering.
Voting for Vidbir 2020 is a 50/50 split between the juries and the televote. The juries and the public both assign an act to receive their top score of 8 points, and will assign the remaining acts a point value from 7 down to 1.
At the end of the night, Tvorchi, Khayat, and David Axelrod were announced as the qualifiers for the final. They will go on to compete with Krutь, Go-A, and Jerry Heil next Saturday for a chance to represent Ukraine in Rotterdam. The full point totals from tonight are posted below (bold means qualified).
- MOONZOO feat. F.M.F. Sure: 7 points
- FO SHO: 6 points
- Elina Ivashchenko: 8 points
- Oleksandr Poriadynskyi: 8 points
- Garna: 2 points
- Khayat: 14 points
- David Axelrod: 11 points
- Tvorchi: 16 points
What do #YOU think about the results from tonight’s semi-final? Did your favorite act make it though? Let us know in the comments, on our forum, or on social media!
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