We’ve been impatiently waiting for Serbia to choose their representative for Eurovision 2024 and we finally kicked it off tonight with the first semi-final show.
In both semi-finals, 14 acts will battle for 8 places that lead to the Grand Final on Saturday (March 2nd) while the remaining 6 acts will not advance to the second stage of the selection.
Our main hosts for this evening were Dragana Kosjerina and Slaven Došlo, while in the green room, Kristina Radenković and Stefan Popović interviewed all the artists.
Here is a brief overview of how it all went down.
Nevena Božović opened the show with an incredible performance of last year’s winning song Tattoo, sung by incredible Loreen from Sweden.
After the introductions of the participants, the show was set to officially begin!
- Marko Mandić – Dno
Marko opened the show with a dynamic and interesting stage concept wearing a red sequin cardigan, combining several styles of music into a truly unique composition.
- M.ira – Percepcija
Next on stage was M.ira with jer electropop entry accompanied by two male dancers and purple staging, wearing a silver lurex oversized jumpsuit with bell sleeves.
- Bojana X David – No, No, No
Pink and black always went great together and Bojana & David proved it again by wearing black PVC 00s hip-hop-inspired outfits with pink accents. The performance full of energy and a catchy rhythm made us all move at least a bit in our living rooms.
- Lena Kovačević – Zovi Me Lena
Lena took us on a journey with her mystical entry with a unique melody and a huge orange moon in the background. She wore a beaded off-the-shoulder silver gown with draped sleeves and a high slit and a matching turban.
- Saša Baša i Virtual Ritual – Elektroljubav
The show continues with an entry combining elements of electro sound, hip-hop, and dance music. The artist successfully provoked the viewer’s imagination with their „outside of the box“ thinking and creative stage concept.
- Martina Vrbos – Da Me Voliš
A nice change of pace – a heartfelt ballad brought by Martina wearing a textured black mesh gown with shoulder pads standing firmly on two yellow stage blocks. The addition of red fabrics and visuals enhanced the whole experience.
- Filarri – Ko Je Ta Žena
A comeback artist Filari said we should all embrace our femininity by wearing a gender bent white suit upper half with a ball gown lower half, inspired by Billy Porter. We got to enjoy a truly captivating stage concept inspired by heads and hand visuals reminding us of high art concepts.
- Breskvica – Gnezdo Orlovo
Breskvica brought traditional elements on stage with bagpipes and a recognizable Balkan singing style. Her outfit was decorated with big white feathers on her shoulders, accompanying the fierce eagle from the LED screens.
- Hristina – Bedem
A truly enchanting and magical ballad that took us on a journey through space and stars. Sometimes less is more, just a couple of lights, and the magic is there. Wearing a deconstructed white and beige layered pantsuit with attached gloves and loose pieces to catch the wind she flew above the stage.
- Ivana Vladović – Jaka
The atmosphere heats up again with a glimpse of disco and funk performed by Ivana wore a blue printed kimono and revealed into a black wetsuit with silver accents.
- Chai – Sama
Even though Chai was alone on stage, her presence and impactful moves on stage showcased the message of the song, even though she is alone, she can do it all. Chai wore a bodycon silver lamé jumpsuit with attached gloves and silver accessories.
- Zorja – Lik U Ogledalu
Zorja brought the drama to the stage wearing a completely black structured ballgown. Her high notes have left us speechless again. Reminding us of the evil princess seeking revenge, Zorja shows her vulnerability by taking off the wig while staring at the broken mirror.
- Kavala – Vavilon
Kavala wasn’t afraid to be original and experimental on stage in terms of music, dancing as well as fashion – Victor Victoria style beaded headdress with a loose silver batwing dress.
- Kenny Nije Mrtav – Dijamanti
The competition closed the band of young performers singing their electro-rock number with amazing energy wearing white and silver deconstructed suits.
VOTING
As in previous years, voting was done via both a public vote and a jury vote, with a 50% weighting given to each, to decide the winner.
INTERVAL ACT
During the voting, we were reminded of one of the most successful pop bands of all time and Eurovision winners of 1974, ABBA! After a brief overview of their career in the form of a short documentary, Gift performed “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)”, Dragana Radeković performed “Fernando” in an operatic style, Orthodox Celts performed “Does Your Mother Know” in a Celtic style, traditional Balkan choir with a brass ensemble performed “Money Money Money” in Serbian. Additionally, the ABBA tribute band performed “Dancing Queen” and a capella version of “Take A Chance On Me”.
RESULTS: Finally, the following acts are the PZE24 finalists! The order in which they were announced (below) is not the reflection of the votes. After the announcement of the results, each finalist got to draw their running order position for the Grand Final (shown in brackets)
- Hristina – Bedem (5)
- Lena Kovačević – Zovi Me Lena (15)
- M.ira – Percepcija (7)
- Bojana X David – No No No (14)
- Breskvica – Gnezdo Orlovo (3)
- Marko Mandić – Dno (6)
- Kenny Nije Mrtav – Dijamanti (10)
- Zorja – Lik U Ogledalu (11)
Congratulations to all the finalists! The second semi-final is scheduled for Thursday, February 29th.
What do #YOU think of Serbia’s choices for the PZE24 final so far? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our Discord, or on our forum page!
