Portugal PORTUGAL 2025 - Napa - Deslocado

[ESC United Mod Team]

 

[kengaIME]

Josh delivered a strong performance last night at Festival da Canção, and his song "Tristeza" undoubtedly has huge potential for Eurovision. The track is well-composed, emotional, and memorable — a perfect foundation for success. Josh’s vocals were impressive as always, delivering power and clarity with every note. However, while the song shines, the staging still leaves significant room for improvement.

The concept behind the performance is ambitious and striking. The use of the pole adds a unique visual element and a sense of elevation, but it still feels underdeveloped. A cleaner, more polished execution of this prop could make a huge difference in the final presentation. Additionally, the stage often feels too static — for a song with this much emotional weight, the performance would benefit from more movement and fluidity.

The atmosphere could also be enhanced with better visual effects. A layer of smoke on the stage floor, for instance, could add drama and make the performance more immersive while conveniently hiding the base of the pole. Lighting could be used more creatively to build tension and create dynamic moments, especially during the song’s climax.

Overall, it’s a good idea that didn’t quite work out due to flawed execution. The poor camera angles shattered the illusion of levitation, reducing what could have been a breathtaking moment to something that looked more like a circus act. The song’s intimacy and emotional depth were completely overshadowed.

Despite these shortcomings, the potential here is undeniable. With thoughtful adjustments to the staging and visual presentation, this performance could easily become a standout on the Eurovision stage. Josh has the voice, the presence, and the song — now it’s just a matter of refining the execution to make the most of it.

I truly believe that if RTP wants to take Festival da Canção to the next level, they need to bring in a good creative director — someone who can take these amazing artists’ ideas and turn them into unforgettable moments on stage. The creativity is there, but the execution still needs that extra touch of finish and polish.

I hope Josh and his team closely evaluate his performance and make the necessary improvements; otherwise, he won’t be going to Basel — and believe me, I truly want him to go.

There’s still time to fix this, and Josh truly deserves a staging worthy of his talent.

 

[b4ld3r]

Napa or Fernando are the best options, not very impressed by the pole dancer's song

 

[JSSArcos]

The jury will not stop voting for Josh because of a static performance or because of his nails. They will vote because of his voice, composition, melody and feeling of the song. Resolving the feeling part (which really seemed forced at times), this song is guaranteed a 12 from the Portuguese jury.

The only one who can take that away from her will be Diana (but we still need to know how she will sound live).

The televoting will be very close, and I honestly think there will be one of the biggest discrepancies between the jury and the televoting ever.

If there is a great division in the fandom, Napa will win this.

 

[Zeus]

It was the most complex, demanding, and artistic performance that has ever been on the Festival da Canção stage.

Bandua is clear

 

[JSSArcos]

Bandua is clear

Don't remind me of that robbery

 

[njdevils94]

Josh needs to fix his staging a lot and maybe even change it entirely. Peculiar is pretty much out of the running to win thanks to not being top 5 in the first round. Capital da Bulgária and Xico Gaiato got robbed failing to get out of the semis.

Big winners to me of the night by default were NAPA and Fernando Daniel waiting in the other semifinal.

 

[Seregil Korit]

I'm gutted for Sofia

Explain yourself, Portugalia

 

[Decayingbooks]

I truly believe that if RTP wants to take Festival da Canção to the next level, they need to bring in a good creative director — someone who can take these amazing artists’ ideas and turn them into unforgettable moments on stage. The creativity is there, but the execution still needs that extra touch of finish and polish.

The thing is that since 2017 that RTP is not only searching for a great song performed by a great artist, but also an artist with a team that can do what they can't, that is the staging and marketing. RTP does not have a video clip in their budget and they have made it clear, multiple times, that it is up to the winning artist to have a video clip or not and keep in mind that the artists performing at FdC are paid by the broadcaster to perform, it is unknown how much, but Carolina Deslandes confirmed in 2021 that they do get paid, if the artists decide to invest that money on a unforgettable staging or just wing it out alone on stage is up to them.

Also one thing that has been recently mentioned in both the official podcast and the post-fdc radio show is that RTP philosophy is to give the artists total creative freedom over their entry, both when they invite the composers to participate and regarding how they want to stage their songs, there's, obviously, technical and monetary limitations that the broadcaster can't overcome(pyro being one of them), but that's how they operate.

Josh needs to fix his staging a lot and maybe even change it entirely.

If he can and the broadcaster let's him, Josh has until the final to change things, but RTP, and I can't stop repeating this over and over, has to send all the info regarding the entry, song, artist, props, etc, like two days after the nf final.
Portugal, like Sweden, needs a eurovision ready package.

 

[kengaIME]

The thing is that since 2017 that RTP is not only searching for a great song performed by a great artist, but also an artist with a team that can do what they can't, that is the staging and marketing. RTP does not have a video clip in their budget and they have made it clear, multiple times, that it is up to the winning artist to have a video clip or not and keep in mind that the artists performing at FdC are paid by the broadcaster to perform, it is unknown how much, but Carolina Deslandes confirmed in 2021 that they do get paid, if the artists decide to invest that money on a unforgettable staging or just wing it out alone on stage is up to them.

Also one thing that has been recently mentioned in both the official podcast and the post-fdc radio show is that RTP philosophy is to give the artists total creative freedom over their entry, both when they invite the composers to participate and regarding how they want to stage their songs, there's, obviously, technical and monetary limitations that the broadcaster can't overcome(pyro being one of them), but that's how they operate.

That’s true, and I really appreciate RTP’s commitment to giving artists creative freedom. But at the same time, I feel like this approach sometimes leaves artists without the support they need to fully realize their vision, especially when it comes to staging. Not every artist has the resources or experience to create a compelling visual performance on their own, and that’s where a strong creative director or staging team from RTP could make a huge difference. The balance between creative freedom and professional guidance is something I think they still need to work on.

 

[Xico_16]

I'm astonished at the amount of people here that are underestimating Fernando Daniel. I get that many previous well-known singers like Deslandes, Aurea and Barbara Tinoco did not do well in FdC, but Fernando is on another level performance wise, his voice is one of a kind and I believe he will elevate the song so much

I will admit I'm swimming against the tide as I'm not a fan of Tristeza, but since the beginning that I think Fernando is taking it. I like Medo, don't love it, he has better songs, but his voice alone just takes any song up a notch it's just my opinion xD

 

[Dark]

I genuinely want to know if Josh is satisfied with the staging. The concept is very good, but its execution was terrible. The performance was static, had no progression at all, was too dark and too bright at the same time (the entire metal structure was always visible, including when it was shaking) and the camera angles were horrible.

If they want Josh stuck on the pole for the entire of the 3 minutes, there has to be some kind of dynamism or people will get bored and underwhelmed. Showing the wow factor after 30 seconds also doesn’t help in keeping people engaged.

Honestly, I think Josh’s initial plan was to start offstage and end up on the pole, since we saw a story where he appeared crawling down some stairs for a few seconds, and none of that was present in the performance. Most likely, his team tried to find an easy mechanism to secure him but couldn’t, so they opted to have him stuck for the entire performance.

Unfortunately, I doubt things will improve for the final (especially since I don’t think they’re allowed to make significant changes to the performance).

In terms of styling, I actually like it, but I would have gone for a shinier or lighter suit. His voice was flawless.

I hope Josh is already thinking about the Eurovision staging because if he wins, he’ll have two days or so to plan the performance. and give instructions. If the pole have to be ditched, PLEASE DO!

I also hope he’s humble enough to realize that this didn’t work and that people are only criticizing the performance because they genuinely love the song and want it to shine at Eurovision. I wont mind a comment from him acknowledging the situation.

However said this was Eurovision ready is clearly delusional.


As for me, I'm extremely disappointed and I’ll be waiting for Henka’s performance on the next saturday. If it's stronger than Josh she'll get my vote instead.

 

[i anixi]

Something that also surprised me yesterday was Josh's lack of charisma. I had never watched him sing, so I naturally believed he would be charismatic, having bolted a song like that.
Of course I may be mistaken, this impression might have been due to the terrible staging and him being unnaturally stuck to an ugly pole.
But if this is true, there's nothing to be done about it. Charisma is not something you can get, you either have it or you don't. And this song is in desperate need, among other things, of a charismatic performer who the public believes in.

 

[i anixi]

I'm astonished at the amount of people here that are underestimating Fernando Daniel. I get that many previous well-known singers like Deslandes, Aurea and Barbara Tinoco did not do well in FdC, but Fernando is on another level performance wise, his voice is one of a kind and I believe he will elevate the song so much

I will admit I'm swimming against the tide as I'm not a fan of Tristeza, but since the beginning that I think Fernando is taking it. I like Medo, don't love it, he has better songs, but his voice alone just takes any song up a notch it's just my opinion xD

I personally don't like him, his songs or his voice. He's just an ordinary radio singer, like there are thousands out there. If he goes to Eurovision he'll just get in and get out unnoticed.

 

[AliceEsc]

I seem to be out of touch with the general feeling on Josh here.
Not only I think that it was impressive, I think it has the chance to be a contender for the win in May. The song is there (not my favorite of the selection, but definitely very strong), the voice is there, the talent is there and the staging idea to make an impact on the bigger stage is there.
Sure, it needs improvement, but there is potential with the right angles and lighting to be breathtaking.

 

[EurovisionSmile]

I personally don't like him, his songs or his voice. He's just an ordinary radio singer, like there are thousands out there. If he goes to Eurovision he'll just get in and get out unnoticed.

Someone who thinks like me. Sadly, he is a bore to me. Not to mention that his work is mediocre (at the best) IMO.

 

[DirtyFalcon]

I'm astonished at the amount of people here that are underestimating Fernando Daniel. I get that many previous well-known singers like Deslandes, Aurea and Barbara Tinoco did not do well in FdC, but Fernando is on another level performance wise, his voice is one of a kind and I believe he will elevate the song so much

I will admit I'm swimming against the tide as I'm not a fan of Tristeza, but since the beginning that I think Fernando is taking it. I like Medo, don't love it, he has better songs, but his voice alone just takes any song up a notch it's just my opinion xD

I can only agree with you on that one. He's one of those artists who can massively elevate a song live, even if the song is not amazing, a bit like Slimane for example. He might not win the jury vote if he gets into the final, but he could definitely be in the top 3 of the jury and depending on Josh televote, win in the end on a tiebreak. Interpretation of the song + charisma are always very important elements when it comes to judge a live performance and he got that. We had surprising results yesterday for the qualifiers, so we can still expect surprises with Fernando Daniel too.

Now about Josh, i think again it's unlikely to see massive changes given the fact all the details for Eurovision staging needs to be sent 24/48 hours after the final. They could also think it would be enough for FdC and with what they have in mind for Basel, keep it because they think it would be very powerful on the eurovision stage. It's risky for FdC but why not.

 

[JSSArcos]

Josh admitted in an interview that they might make changes to the performance

I think he meant more aesthetically.

It's obvious that they are paying attention to what the fans are saying. Let's see what they can change in this short amount of time.

 

[krivac]

Portugal, where the flavour? Why most songs are depressing? Are Portuguese so addicted to Xanax? My fave is Josh because at least he's a eye candy

 

[Decayingbooks]

Peculiar during the press conference afther the show - here - mentioned that he has plans for his esc staging and that the broadcaster knows that there will be a lighthouse in Basel if he wins.
I'm guessing him and his team had originally planned to have a lighthouse in the ledwall, they will also be reviewing what they did on the semi and will change what they felt wasn't polished.

 

[Decayingbooks]

Henka just shared a snippet of her singing the last bit of her song live at Signature Brew Haggerston yesterday - here - and here's another one where she sings "I'm a God" - here -
I may be copium from my part. but she sounds very similar to the studio version and that is considering that sound mixing in the venue wasn't great and the music may have come out of a laptop... Also, I don't remmember if I mentioned it before, but João Brosch's brother, who is also a producer, will be assisting Henka as a audio engineer for her live performance.

Edit: Another snippet from the rehearsals - here -