ESCUnited Reviews EMA 2025: Part II

The gang is back and ready to review the second half of the EMA 2025 running order.

From the USA (Sorry):

1. Sam
2. () James

From Western Europe with Love (and Hate):

• David
• Boris

From the former Yugoslavia (and therefore probably more qualified than the rest of us to be doing this):

• Jasmin
• Emma

Let’s dive in!

Eva Pavli – “NITI “

Sam: 3/10
“Hypnotic but plodding. Starts off promising but goes nowhere.”

 James: 7/10
“As impenetrable as it is monotonous. Sounds like Pantha du Prince if he decided to write music exclusively for Lamaze classes. I rather like it, but if drunk might confuse it for a strange intermission during the national selection.”

David: 2/10
“All I could think about is how they managed to find something that sounds like a depressed steamboat. She has an impressive vocal, but I’m not really intrigued or even care about the song. It has a very deep and heavy sound, which pulls my mood down. Can’t say much about the lyrics, since I don’t understand, but in this case, then music is not exactly a universal language.”

Boris: 8.5/10
“A beautiful introverted ethereal ballad. It’s the second song, after ZveN’s vocal pile, that reminds me of Björk. Pity that the autotune is heavily tailored on this one. It really could use the power of a clear live voice.”

Jasmin: 6/10
“Again, another song with a unique arrangement moving away from what we usually hear in national selections. Eva can sing and live this could be a moment if it is staged well. Intricate and dynamic production kept me engaged throughout the song. It’s just not exactly my thing as a whole but a good starting point.”

Emma: 6/10
“All power to my girl Eva here. It’s a haunting melody and her voice compliments very well. This is how you know she is aware what suits her voice and uses it as an instrument in addition to the stripped-down production. My only issue is that it doesn’t truly go anywhere, and I feel that the performance would have to be equally as haunting and disarming to keep people’s attention on it.”

Highest Score: 8.5 (Boris)
Lowest Score: 2(David)
Total: 32.5/60
Average Score: 5.4

Klemen – “How Much Time Do We Have Left”

Sam: 5/10
“I don’t know much about Klemen, but I assume this song is autobiographical. It’s schmaltzy, sure, but the melody is very pretty, the vocals sound nice and the sentiment is obviously meaningful. I’m interested to see how the live performance goes. Just a very sweet song overall.”

James: 6/10
“A heavy – and heavy-handed – ballad about a man faced with the slow death of his loved one. There is a saying that people grieve in their own way, and the very literal doctor’s room depictions may be too much for some, too anti-septic for others. This also feels undercooked in the sense that Klemen is at a specific stage of grief and not completed it yet. While this might work on a concept album (such as Steven Wilson’s “Hand. Cannot. Erase” which covers the loneliness and eventual death of a London woman in her apartment), I am not sure about its viability as a Eurovision track. Grief may be a thing with feathers, according to Max Porter, but is it a bird you want to carry with you to Basel?”

David: 5/10
“This is something that I would rarely listen to, because the lyrics hit so painfully deep. Truly, love your loved ones while you have them! Melody-wise, it’s not any spectacular, neither are vocals. But yeah, you can tell that this was mostly about the lyrics, and that’s probably what pulls this one up for me. No way I can’t respect a text like this one.”

Boris: 7/10
“Sometimes I feel like it’s better to know less personal stuff? In a sense I feel like Klemen is responsible for the fandom’s negative receptions – “How much time do we have left” is heavy handed and unrefined, to a point it makes you feel things you really do not want to feel in Eurovision. And yet, given the subject matter, I feel like that’s the point? I felt Klemen’s pain, his desperation, his resignation, the healing and the pride and love he feels for his recovering wife. There is a rawness to his storytelling that deepens his character from A Funny Man into the deep, multifaceted green flag that he is. It could create a moment in a live performance? So long as he doesn’t cosplay like Nemo when performing it.”

Jasmin: 6/10
“Oh, a typical ballad in the sea of unique and somewhat edgy / experimental entries. It’s safe, already heard, you get the point. Do we really think this has a shot at qualifying? I think we are on the same page collectively here. It’s not bad but it does nothing that will make people vote for it. Still, enough to get a respectable score among songs that are too messy for my taste. I appreciate the structure in music rather than too much chaos (unless it’s obviously great).”

Emma: 2/10
“Just another indie ballady track for me that doesn’t really do anything interesting to begin with, let alone end on anything remotely eye or ear-catching. Very dull. His vocals are stable though.”

Highest Score: 7 (Boris)
Lowest Score: 2 (Emma)
Total: 31/60
Average Score: 5.2

July Jones – “NEW RELIGION”

Sam: 6.5/10
“This is an extremely fun girl bop. It’s not doing anything innovative but it gets the job done.”

James: 9/10
“Fans of the latest season of “True Detective” might get a kick out of the vocals, but I am not sure the vocal effects will impress Eurovision fans. That being said, it is certainly modern with the almost deadpan July Jones – certainly not the more famous and histrionic January Jones – driving men mad. Fans of indie-pop should get a kick out of the mesmeric and understated properties, and for the public at large could be a sleeper hit driven by a memorable vocal hook.”

David: 2/10
“This song switches far too much for my liking… is it trying to be pop? A ballad? Electro? All of it mixed just leaves me rather more confused. The lyrics also really bothers me, trying to force me to be obsessed with the singer, as if, July is my all and everything… sweetheart, I’m dealing with too many struggles in life already, I don’t need any other sort of distractions.”

Boris: 7/10
“It’s so typical of the fandom to glom onto July Jones when she’s at best okay? “New Religion” is significantly better than the nonsense that was “Girls Can Do Anything” but unfortunately is just as unlikely to win EMA. It is overproduced and robotic and weirdly not very memorable despite being fairly catchy. I like the melody but Slovenia has much better options in Jon and Rai.”

Jasmin: 6.5/10
“This is a continuation of Raiven’s “witchcraft” vibes. At first, I thought this will be a ballad but nope… it’s definitely NOT a ballad. I see the mass appeal in this. The soft and fragile vocal sections work for me but when it shifts to the other mode, I am less impressed with it. The song plays with the tempo and it’s a decent entry trying to merge different styles into one song and it marginally succeeded in my opinion.”

Emma: 2.5/10
“Not a religion I’ll be signing up for, that much’s for sure… I am almost certain that July will have a solid performance, but when the song is this uninventive, sadly it is just not enough. The dark pop vibe is teetering the line between very dated and not dark at all, the lyrics are basic, her voice does not have enough space to be properly explored due to the heavy production that alters it, and it also ends so abruptly and without any real conclusion. What are we doing, folks?”

Highest Score: 9 (James)
Lowest Score: 2 (David)
Total: 33.5/60
Average Score: 5.6/10

Žan Videc – “Pusti, da gori”

Sam: 4/10
“Not the worst song ever but this brand of middling rock just isn’t my thing.”

James: 8/10
“Zan sounds educated in the alternative scene in the UK of the 1990s. Trippy atmosphere, nervy guitar work hovering the pick just above the strings, heavy bass and a steady beat. Songs like this always get hammered at Eurovision – I am thinking Izabo – and I doubt this would get two points and a packet of crisps in its Semi-Final, but I can chill out and enjoy it regardless.”

David: 1/10
“I’ll keep it short and say, nothing here worked well for me.”

Boris: 5/10
“The rare miss in this final. Zhan is going for an indie rock anthem here, but “Pusti, da gori” never really leaves the mid-range. It meanders back and forth without a real hook or way in, never elevating itself above a lounge track. Certainly not a bad song, but also not a particularly impactful one.”

Jasmin: 4.5/10
“Mellow rock is leaving me cold. It’s not giving me energy to headbang, and I really want to even though I have cropped hair. Low-energy mid-tempo songs just go on and on and so does this one. It doesn’t move me, I just wandered off in my thoughts and that’s not a good sign.”

Emma: 5.5/10
“I am thoroughly enjoying Žan’s vocals. It’s the kind of a male vocal that just hits the right spot for me against the guitar and the bass. Maybe it’s a little too blues-y for me at certain points, but that’s his concept so can’t argue with it. I wish it peaked anywhere towards the end instead of just kind of falling flat. But hey, let it burn, right? Slowly, in his case.”

Highest Score: 8 (James)
Lowest Score: 1 (David)
Total: 28/60
Average Score: 4.7/10

Trine – “Grace”

Sam: 3/10
“’She wears high heels, I swear sneakers / She’s cheer captain and I’m’ – oops, wrong lyrics. Was this dug out of Taylor’s recycling bin? Musically, it’s not bad, which is a shame.”

James: 4/10
“The office psycho umms and ahhs about being a sidepiece, and I don’t really care. I suspect the antagonist would get more sympathy considering this looney tunes has written a song about her. “Officer, if you need evidence for motive for her blowing up my car, here’s her entry for EMA!” There’s been a couple of songs by annoyed side pieces griping about their lovers this year, and I wonder if this is the new European cause du jour? #metootoo? It’d just be easier for all – artist, lover, and listener – if we all moved on.”

David: 2/10
“I’m not feeling it with this song, mostly thanks to the silly lyrics, which sound like they were made, just to rhyme for the sake of rhyming. It’s a cutesy innocent little song, but I just don’t quite get the idea of it. It comes out as a very awkward little love triangle, which I don’t wish to be involved nor informed about.”

Boris: 5/10
“I WASN’T TOUCHED BY GRACE // I DON’T HAVE THE FACE SHE DOES – Darling, it’s called a facelift, just tell the surgeon to PULL UP PULL UP PULL UP. Making silly Grace Khuabi references is my only joy listening to this TSwift inspired vehicle, the most salient detail of which is Trine’s JEALOUSY towards her ex’s newest flame, Grace. Girl, take some time out for yourself -ideally NOT on television- and work on yourself. Get on the apps, get some dick, some Netflix and chill, eat a whole tub of ice cream. But whatever you do, do not be the person who whines about their first world problems in the same selection as a husband’s trauma-dump about how his wife almost died from a heart disease.”

Jasmin: 6/10
“Alas, a sweet cozy song that is perfectly inoffensive and pleasant. Is it competitive? Not really. However, it has some redeeming qualities compared to other songs in this selection, so I can be more forgiving. A typical teenage song, nothing more, nothing less.”

Emma: 1.5/10
“Girl, please stop comparing yourself to other girls, and he clearly doesn’t deserve you… you deserve better. And so do we, out of the realm of these origin story-Taylor Swifty tracks.”

Highest Score: 6 (Jasmin)
Lowest Score: 1.5 (Emma)
Total: 21.5/60
Average Score: 3.6/10

RAI – “Frederick’s Dead”

Sam: 4/10
“Once upon a time, in a land called the United States of America, a seventeen-year-old girl was aimlessly traversing YouTube when she discovered a strange European music contest, full of partying babushkas and monsters playing heavy metal and a German woman singing about painting her toenails. That girl grew up to write for a Eurovision website, and if this song goes to Basel, it probably won’t qualify for the Grand Final. It will, though, live forever in YouTube compilations of the “CRAZIEST EUROVISION SONGS OF ALL-TIME!!” influencing a new generation of young Americans to spend every Saturday in February saying things like: ‘Sorry I can’t hang out, I’m watching Slovenia’s national competition to pick their Eurovision entry.’  The circle of life.”

James: 8.5/10
“If EMA had a sense of humor, this song would not have been last, much like the 1991 film “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare.” It was followed by a meta-sequel, a spin-off with a match-up against Jason Voorhees, and a crap remake. But in my estimation, this humorous dark cabaret-ish rock number is neither final, nor crap. Not exactly being a noted scholar of Slovenian history, I don’t know if the titular Frederick is a person of Slovenian importance and it’s in bad taste to cheer to his death, but the song will probably want to make you drink to it as an accompaniment.”

David: 6/10
“What… the… fuck? Hahahaha, this is just so messed up, as it’s hilarious. In a way, I kinda needed something like this, something screwed up which somehow could make me smile. I guess it’s alright, it’s fun while it lasts, but I don’t think it’s the same, when you go back to the song. Charm eventually is worn off.”

Boris: 8.5/10
“[Teya] Who the hell is Frederick? [/Teya] Who cares, oh my gosh he’s SO DEAAAAAAAAAAAAD HAHA. You have cynical and then you have “Frederick’s dead” which a bare step above a Dead Baby Joke on the Black Humour scale. It’s a theatrical pastiche (it would be the first one on an ESC stage since Prima Donna) that brazenly takes grieving in the opposite direction it should be going, goes out of its way to trample on dear dead Fred’s memory and I fucking LOVE IT. I really hope Slovenia pick this if they’re not picking Jon. I especially hope they pick it in the Super Final over Klemen Slakonja, which would easily be the funniest outcome of the 2025 season.”

Jasmin: 5.5/10
“I’m sure there is some deeper hiding meaning behind this song. However, putting that aside for now, I would have liked this more if the song had stayed jazzy for longer. Fits the narrative of the selection – out of the box but totally incohesive and almost random.”

Emma: 4/10
“Is this a marching band with an electric guitar and possibly a supervillain? Sheesh. I do see the vision, it’s very theatrical, Phantom of the Opera type of vibe, but it seems all over the place for me. It’s almost produced like a musical, but it confuses me with weirdly placed guitar solos and all the marching and all the evil laughter towards the end. It’s hard for me to decide if I dislike it because I don’t outright hate it, but it seems too convoluted to be given anything above a 4 on my personal scoreboard. It left me a little confused and iffy about it.”

Highest Score: 8.5 (James, Boris)
Lowest Score: 4 (Sam, Emma)
Total: 36.5/60
Average Score: 6.1/10

With that, the rankings for the second half are as follows:

1. RAI – “Frederick’s Dead” | 6.1/10
2. July Jones – “NEW RELIGION” | 5.6/10
3. Eva Pavli – “NITI” | 5.4/10
4. Klemen – “How Much Time Do We Have Left” | 5.2/10
5. Žan Videc – “Pusti, da gori” | 4.7/10
6. Trine – “Grace” | 3.6/10

Which brings us to our final EMA 2025 ranking:

1. Jon Vitezič – “Vse ti dam” | 6.8/10
2. RAI – “Frederick’s Dead” | 6.1/10
3. July Jones – “NEW RELIGION” | 5.6/10
4. ZveN – “Divja” | 5.5/10
5. Eva Pavli – “NITI” | 5.4/10
6. Kiki – “O-ou!” | 5.3/10
7. Klemen – “How Much Time Do We Have Left” | 5.2/10
8. Žan Videc – “Pusti, da gori” | 4.7/10 (TIE)
9. Astrid and the Scandals – “Touché” | 4.7/10 (TIE)
10. ANNA – “Čau” | 4.6/10
11. Trine – “Grace” | 3.6/10
12. PolarAce – “Kind” | 2.4/10

EMA 2025 takes place  tonight at 20:00 CET and all EMA 2025 songs are available to stream at rtvslo.si.

Who would #YOU like to see win EMA? Let us know our socials (@escunited), Discord, or at our forum.