TEAM REVIEWS: Ukraine 2025

Ahead of tonight’s Ukrainian National Final (Vidbir 2025), a panel of our correspondents reviewed and rated all of the acts. David, James, Emma, Jasmin, Boris, Roy, and Rebecca rated each song out of 10, giving us a sneak peek at what the results may be, and who we think our winner is!

As always, all opinions stated below belong to the person quoted and do not represent our team’s view as a whole, nor do they represent Matt’s views or those of the ESCUnited community.

1st place: “Kultura” (Culture) – Fiїnka – 6.86

David – 5

It’s a good thing that it’s easy to understand the word “Kultura”, and it also fits the song. It really feels like a cultural song, and the traditional sound hits very well. You can’t really imagine another country, selecting this kind of song, so it’s something unique to Ukraine. Of course, it’s no way near perfect and a bit dull in the sound, but it’s fun.

James – 8

“Today’s Ukrainian subculture being represented is the Hutsul, a small ethnic group that spans parts of Romania and Ukrainian. Ukraine has done well not just selling the culture of Ukraine of a whole, but also its history and constituent sub-groups. The message it sends is less “Glory to Ukraine” but more “We’re still here!” (to riff on the Welsh favorite). Anyway, Fiinka presents it with rapping, some flutes and will no doubt feature Hutsul dancing and costuming. Runs the risk of seeming like a PBS travel special, so insertion of modernity will be key to this entry’s success.”

Emma – 9

I love her vocal. I think it sounds like she knows exactly how to use it and she is free to play around with it. It’s an ethnic bop with a hint of rap and maybe exactly what we needed in the selection. The heavy bass in the background makes the ‘drops’ much harder and thus more prominent, which fits just right in a song like this. It ends just a little too abruptly for my taste, but maybe that will be a moment with the performance, we’ll have to wait and see

Jasmin – 5

The song is a hot mess and not the type of a hot mess I like and want to defend. I feel it’s trying to be edgy and cool but it never gets to the final destination, instead we’re circling around and the impact is not as strong. The vocal is also not for me, it’s just one of those songs that is there.

Boris – 6

“Quirky folk rap with a catchy hook. Unfortunately I know exactly what to expect from FIINKA based on what I remember from “Dovbush” – she’ll slay while wearing a garish, ugly outfit (good) and serve not a single correct note while doing so (not so good).”

Roy – 7

“This is definitely a cool song that would stand out a lot at Eurovision. Especially with a performance with a lot of attitude that we know Fiïnka can deliver. It’s a catchy earworm, but I think she can write an even better piece to go to Eurovision with. It is maybe a bit simple beat-wise.

Rebecca – 8

I love it when an entry very unashamedly shows off their culture, and this is perhaps the definition of that. The dark electrofolk vibes are immaculate here. It reminds me of what I loved so much about both of Go_A’s entries. The chorus is very easy to follow and the repetition of “kultura” through the whole song has the potential to become very anthemic and crowd-pleasing. Towards the end the song it becomes a bit of a wall of sound, but in the best, most sensory-pleasing way.

2nd place: “Sil” (Salt) – DK Enerhetyk – 6.64

David – 3

Okay, the music is cool, but what in all of the worlds, am I even listening to? I could totally see myself surfing in space to this song, if I were a drug addict, it just has the spaced out vibe. Song is chill, but I’m not quite impressed by the vocals, plus the music is what carries the most of this song.

James – 8

“I would not have expected three guys who look like they’re in a Tampa death metal band to sound like a Ukrainian language take on the Manchester Sound, but that’s the salt in the wound here. Unless Vidbir’s panel of judges is made up of your electronics-obsessed Uncle Paul who loves telling you about his days coding on the Commodore 64, I can’t see this introverted indie rock going anywhere. But after the mid-90s college radio boom, it seems this type of music is coming back for a third time, so who knows? Eurovision viability or not, it is cool to hear sounds from long ago given a fresh lick of paint in 2025.”

Emma – 10

“I didn’t think I would see a Ukrainian post-punk band in Vidbir, but then again, why didn’t I think that? Vidbir has historically given us quality and diversity, so here we are. I love everything about this track. It has the depth, it has the melancholy I love in songs, the deep yearning for a vibe and atmosphere that overcomes even the best of us at times. It transports you to a different place and state of mind. Yakiv Marnyi’s vocals flow incredibly well along the guitar and the bass, and the overall package resonates with some profound parts of my soul I can’t quite explain. Especially the final several seconds where the vocal is isolated and makes you regret that it ever ended.”

Jasmin – 4

“If this wouldn’t be so overproduced and stifled by distortion, maybe I’d enjoy it. I don’t know what this will sound like live but I don’t see the bright future for this one on stage. It’s not a type of song you can properly turn into a live performance. Good moody track for a rainy day tho.”

Boris – 9

“FINALLY, an entry for James Maude by three men that look like James Maude cosplayers. The general reception of the fandom falls on ‘Love the instrumentation, dislike the vocals’ and I follow that reasoning in a sense. I ADORE the Depeche Mode instrumentation, streaked with a powerful electric guitar, but I don’t mind the marmite vocals that much. They’re not for everyone but they suit the song – life isn’t sugar, and that’s the point! If DK Energetic deliver the vocals in a way that they enhance the song further, I’ll be happy to see them go to Eurovision where they would provide a truly Eurovision-unique entry, even by Ukrainian standards.”

Roy – 5

“Intriguing for sure. The vocals of the lead singer sound odd on this song. I’m not sure if they would sound the same when performed live. It’s a nice gentle rock-ish tune. However, it lacks a punch. The vocals don’t deliver on that front and neither do the instrumentals. I am not immediately put off by it and when it comes on shuffle I do tend to listen to it completely, but I think there is better in Ukraine this year.”

Rebecca – 7.5

“In the words of my mother, this sounds like if The Clash were Ukrainian—and honestly I’m inclined to agree with her! It has such an authentic 80’s alt rock sound that you’d be forgiven for thinking it had actually been released back then. The theming and message is very simple and strong, and I love the metaphor of life being a mixture of sugar and salt. In fact, a lot of the metaphors in the lyrics are very strong and satisfyingly relatable, so Creative Writing Points™ to you, friends!”

Tied for 3rd place: “Dim” (Home) – Abiie -6.43

David – 2

I don’t quite know how to describe this… obviously, this sound foreign to me, but like, from another side of the world. I think I’m trying to say that it feels like I’m just being a nuisance, by trying to understand whatever this song is. To be honest as well, I would probably also be all like “cool, I’ll just move on”, which I indeed will.

James – 7

“More folktronica that Ukraine have been famous and beloved for at Eurovision. All the winning elements are there from multilayered vocals, a narrative based in folklore, traditional instrumentation synthesized and on top of a modern beat. However, the rubber will hit the road with “Dim” when we actually see a staging, as the studio track is fairly safe in and of itself.”

Emma – 7

Listen, no matter what, Ukraine just has this incredible way of mixing pop production and the pop sub genres with the more traditional sounding vocals and instrumentation. It just works somehow. The build up in this track is very interesting, not to mention that curious bridge that transforms the memory you’ve already gotten used to by then, and piques your interest all over again. Well done.

Jasmin – 7

“Dim” is “smoke” in Croatian, a bit of language trivia for you. You’re welcome. This definitely sounds more current and the ethnic influences are strong. The mouth instrument sounds too whacky for my taste. I enjoy the harmonies with the backing vocalists. It’s a decent package, but I’m not amazed until I see it live. I could be persuaded.

Boris – 7

“A quirky folk hiphop song with liberal jew’s harp. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel at Vidbir, which had similar and better offerings in its catalogue in past years, but it suffices in this -by Ukrainian standards- bone-dry and heavy-handed selection.”

Roy – 6.5

“I love myself the sound of a mouth harp. The song manages to build some mystery and excitement in the start. Then the chorus comes kind of out of nowhere and feels like something else entirely compared to the start. The chorus is definitely catchy and the beat that starts at the end of it is pleasant as well. Another song that is nice to listen to, but that is kind of where it ends. We want something more exciting from Ukraine.”

Rebecca – 8.5

“Oh this is so catchy. I don’t exactly know how to word this without sounding critical, but it is exactly the kind of thing that I have come to expect from Ukrainian entries. The twanging mouth harp has such a unique sound to it that it sticks out in all the best ways. The message is strong and the lyrics mirror that perfectly—they aren’t generic or vague, but they convey the message in a unique and clear way. Covers all of the bases and then does a victory lap! Very nice!”

Tied for 3rd place: “No Time to Cry” – Masha Kondratenko – 6.43

David – 6

Alright, this is quite well produced and cool. It’s not really capturing my interest completely, but I don’t mind just headbanging calmly along with the song. The sound is interesting and very modern, maybe the structure are a bit questionable, but it’s not a bad effort. Improvements could be needed, for better potential.

James – 6

“Thematically, it’s another powerful, compelling anti-war pop song with a heavy electronic beat. It’s gloomy, and I am not sure some of Masha’s vocals work, as some come off as mumbling. Masha sticks to topical Ukrainian themes, but many other artists have done this better. We’re starting to get the point where we’re cynically making tiers of anti-war or effects of war songs. Danger lurks when we become fatigued about such things.”

Emma – 8.5

“Okkk, Masha! Fantastic dark pop mix of Ukrainian and English, just a wonderful blend. The distortion in the chorus is such a clever touch, adds a specific flavor to the song. I think they have the space here with some specific staging ideas, and this haunting melody and production leaves me personally kind of mesmerized. I love a good dark lullaby with a frenzied thread to it. Let’s go, Masha!”

Jasmin – 7.5

“Dark electro pop vibes are a safe card for me to like a song if presented well. The black & white contrast in the music video helps a lot. I feel such a staging could be an interesting choice for this song. She needs a strong delivery here, attitude, emotion(less) face and great vocals as the track sounds overproduced in places, so we might get something different live. Overall, it’s isn’t ground-breaking, but it is good.”

Boris – 2

“You know how chefs put their heart and soul in their food? The last time I was at the Botanique, I ate a €16 burger that tasted like despair, as if the cook had put all of their misery and frustration into it. “No time to cry” is the musical equivalent to the Botanique Misery Burger. Masha pelts us with a morose, unpleasant barrage of “IT’S BAD HERE, PITY US” statements featuring distorted vocals and an over-tuned hum of an instrumentation that makes it boring as well as irritable. If I wanted to inflict smug, overhyped trash upon myself I’d listen to MGP. Sadly, Ukraine will reach the final this year while Norway will not.”

Roy – 8

“This is a really nice song. It builds in tension and has a unique backing track. That all while having a great popvocal on top. It’s got a catchy enough hook with the ‘no time to cry’ as well. The music video already shows a great artistic vision that makes me excited for the live performance. I am a bit concerned with the way the vocal is so echo-y and vibrating on the studio cut. I am curious how they will solve this for the live performance and if it would still sound as good without those effects. If all of that is still good, this would definitely be a great pick for Ukraine.”

Rebecca – 7

“This really feels like a corrupted nursery rhyme, which is a very cool and unique theme they could run with. Also I feel like I’m saying this for every song in this selection but the English is… kinda funky. I can’t quite put my finger on why exactly, but it’s like a written version of the uncanny valley. The end of the song gets quite repetitive, so I would like to see a revamp that adds some instrumental variation to the final chorus.”

5th place: “Bird of Pray”- Ziferblat -6.29

David – 1

These guys clearly have a certain unique style, which reminded me of how much I dislike it, that I remembered they were also there last year. Oh dear lords… what on God’s horrific planet, are we witnessing with this all over the place mess!? I was harsh on these guys last year… and I shall be once more!

James – 7

“The vocals are great… when there’s more than one singer, giving an almost white voice effect to this pop rock throwback. When the male vocalist is on his own, it’s not quite as magical, but at least Ziferblat are trying something different here, yet giving us foreigners what we would love to hear out of Ukraine. In this case, it’s some prog rock with pop and some Ukrainian vocalization. I am not too convinced this would go down well at Eurovision unless they have some special moves and daring visuals for staging.”

Emma – 7.5

“This somehow feels like I’m listening to a Beatles classic, but more ethnic and traditional. It wouldn’t normally be something that sticks with me, but this is actually very interestingly produced. It’s authentic, and feels natural to the band itself. They aren’t trying hard to imitate even when the inspiration is obvious. The choir is a nice touch. I prefer something else in terms of music, but I actually do feel like this can be such a good entry to grace the Eurovision stage.”

Jasmin – 3

“Not even those vocal harmonies help. From start to finish, this song doesn’t sit right with me. I appreciate the rock moment in the selection but this is really weak if we would compare it to already selected songs for Eurovision and it is not my type of rock to begin with.”

Boris – 8.5

“Bird of… pray? Would that be a red cardinal or is this one of those next-level puns like when Artis from Survivor Philippines accused Skupin of attempted manslaughter via collapsable shelter and described him as “non-châlet”? Anyway, in addition to irritating the crap out of David Popescu by having multiple styles and phases blend together seamlessly, I see very little wrong with Ziferblat’s offering. It has the same mewling vocals as “Place Like Home” but marries them with a cheerful choir. The result is a contemplative entry that sucks you in from the start and doesn’t beat you over the head with its moralistic message.”

Roy – 9.5

“WOW, just WOW! This is near perfection. We go on an incredible rock-guided journey with this one! We have a female choir starting us off before we get the very clear vocals from the lead vocalist. He puts a lot of passion in his vocal in the studio version already, I can only imagine how captivating it will be live. This is easily the best choice for Ukraine, it is very stageable and you can already picture all of the camera angles they could use for it as well. In all honesty I feel like this song is pure perfection. The only reason why I don’t give it a 10/10 is because I always feel a little odd about the title. Did they try to make a pun with bird of prey and praying? The lyrics would suggest that praying makes sense in the context, but a bird of prey then wouldn’t. I don’t know exactly the reasoning, maybe there even isn’t one, but it is the only thing about the song I could dock points for. I desperately hope Ukraine will send this to Eurovision!

Rebecca – 7.5

I don’t know what I was expecting from this one when it started but it certainly wasn’t this. It has a very British prog rock sound and I’m totally down for it. The lyrics are a bit nonsensical and repetitive, but I think it kind of works in this instance? Also really love the lead singer’s voice, very angelic. I don’t think this is the right choice for Eurovision but I definitely enjoyed this!

6th place: “My Sea” – Molodi – 6.0

David – 7

The structure of some of the English lyrics are questionable, as in, it really doesn’t make sense sometimes… that’s Ukraine for ya! Honestly, the song itself is not bad. It’s enjoyable, well produced and vocally nice. Sure, there’s things that could be better, especially the intro, since it takes a while to get interesting.

James – 7

“The back third is great, giving an epic feel right at the bridge after two fairly humdrum verses and choruses. But it takes far too long to get there. Lyrically, it mines the alienation of being away from home and loved ones, and the permanent scars of what recent years have left behind.”

Emma – 2

“Yeah, this is basic as you can get with a radio friendly track. Not my thing. Let’s get something more interesting in, please.”

Jasmin – 6

“There isn’t too much I can say about this one. It’s just a pop song done well. The melody is somewhat predictable, not imaginative or unique in any way. The drop is underwhelming and it reminds me of Serbia 2023 Samo Mi Se Spava… yeah, that was not “it” and neither is this.”

Boris – 7.5

“A tad on-the-nose with the message (hmmm I wonder which sea Molodi are singing about), but this radio-friendly pop-rock tune is not without its charms. The English pre-chorus and Ukrainian chorus match well, and the melody is catchy enough to charm both the wine moms and their gay teenage sons at home. Won’t bring home the bacon for Ukraine, but if they pick this, they’ll be looking at a respectable 6th place in Basel without any hiccups.”

Roy – 6

“Decent song with impactful lyrics. The instrumentals and melody are a little simple and ordinary. The nice thing about this song is that the vocals don’t sound too difficult to replicate similarly live. It also would not misstand on a good album, but as a stand alone single, especially for Eurovision, it lacks the punch.”

Rebecca – 6.5

“A very well produced if slightly plain pop song. I feel like this one would sound better if sung completely in Ukrainian, because while there are some good English lyrics in there, most of them feel a little too… I don’t know the right word for it. Broad? Catch-all? Something like that. The Ukrainian choruses are by far my favourite parts of the song, and I would like to see them capitalise on that more.”

7th place: “Stay True” – Krylata – 4.79

David – 2

I don’t really know what to say here. It sounds like a dramatic ballad, that eventually turns into… dramatic pop? I dunno? All I know, is the song is trying to go somewhere, but then slows down, just to speed up and repeat. The fact the English are the slower parts, while the Ukrainian parts aren’t, also bothers me. Like, when it gets a it exciting, then I don’t understand the language.

James – 4

“Sure, she may be staying true, but I’d also like her to stay consistent. This is a jerky pop song that swaps between tempos as quickly as Krylata swaps between Ukrainian and English.”

Emma – 4

” I am traditionally not a fan of drum n bass unless they reallyyyyy fit incredibly well into something else and that’s not the case here. I get it, it’s creative and overall okay, just not for me.”

Jasmin – 7.5

“If nothing else, this song has layers and its changes of pace helped me feel engaged and I wanted to hear where the song will go next. It’s modern and unique enough among other songs. If she can pull of those high notes, this is my favourite.”

Boris – 4

“Krylata is “Wings” in Ukranian, and the wings beat like those of a damselfly – Krylata spitfires on-the-nose references to the war (a lot of the other acts do this too but they’re more subtle) over an accelerated drum & bass. The tempo of “Stay True” is so fast-paced that it mangles the lyrics into incomprehensible gibberish, and turns what I think is intended as a piece on Ukrainian Identity into a fairly unattractive warbly wash of sounds that I have very little confidence in.”

Roy – 7

“Krylata has a really good voice. The main words of the song highlight her slight lisp which isn’t the best. When the drum & bass kick in, the song becomes a lot better. She show more attitude and the song allows itself nicely for a cool staging. I also like the part where the beat completely falls away and there is a moment of minimal instrumentation. It’s a decent effort by this young talent, it’s not quite fully there yet, but I feel like she is one to watch for a future edition!”

Rebecca – 5

“The rap verse was very unexpected but surprisingly fitting, and hell, if Krylata can pull off those high notes live then I’ll be suitably impressed. It is, however, another song with vague and generic English lyrics which I’m getting very tired of. I also hate how it keeps dangling the threat of a drum and bass drop above me, because it never actually happens and I can’t tell if it’s intentional or was an empty threat from the beginning.”

8th place “Honor” – Khayat – 4.57

David – 3

Very intriguing but fails completely to deliver the absolute best potential. The song begins excitingly enough, and the build-up is quite well, and you’re easily lured into a crazy banging beat, with high tempo for the chorus… but you get weird sounds instead. That just killed it for me, big time. The tempo could almost not be any slower, when it didn’t need to be like that.

James – 1

“This has to be the worst Ukrainian national selection entry of all time. The assault on the English language is something to behold (“I am holding my honor after total destroyal!” “In the void and the rumble, under ashes of tumble!” “When somebody’s used to waking up in blare, don’t swear, ‘cause you never really, never bloody care!”). His Ukrainian is not much better. His singing is as clumsy as his lyrics, the instrumentation taken from the Putamayo CD of World Music Stereotypes. I’d only play this for the North Korean troops fighting for Russia in the hope they return to Pyongyang and riot, definitely not a Vidbir jury. Hasn’t Jamala been through enough?”

Emma – 4.5

“Oh? What in the video game is happening here? It reminds me of Luke Black’s entry “Samo mi se spava” and I wasn’t the biggest fan of that, but this is a tad bit better. It’s, again, got that ethnic element to it that helps, but the track doesn’t really go anywhere so it also isn’t the one for me.”

Jasmin – 4

“Why do we need those spoken introductions? Not into that. I expected much more from him to be honest. That’s the downside of knowing the artist’s discography, you expect a lot and then you don’t get it… this doesn’t intrigue me at all. The drop sounds a bit derivative. The staging potential is what might save it from being very low in my rankings… just disappointed.”

Boris – 7

“It is SO difficult to take Khayat seriously in this. I appreciate the drama, the chanting, the crescendo… but then I hear *the words* he’s singing and IJBOL. Honor’s libretto reads like the lyricist has been looking up English rhyme words in a thesaurus – they’re … not what an English speaker would come up with. Destroyal?? Honor is a hype-hungry mess, which Khayat could carry if the performance is fierce enough, but I’m secretly hoping he switches from English to Melovinese on the night.”

Roy – 7

“Starts with a nice build of excitement. Builds even nicely towards the first chorus and the drop. The drop itself however is lacking. However nicely produced and mastered, it just falls flat compared to the rest of the track. Another one that is nice to listen to in a playlist, but would fall a little flat on a big stage like Eurovision. I am also not the hugest part of the ending part where they ‘slow down the tempo’. It just doesn’t feel like a nice way to end the song on.”

Rebecca – 5.5

“Given that this jumps right into TALKING AT ME, I’m going into this feeling incredibly angry. I don’t wanna enter your temple, man, please stop. This has a weird mix of natural and unnatural English phrasing, and it’s not that it doesn’t make sense per se but for a native speaker it’s just slightly jarring. The saving grace of the whole thing is its air of dark theatrics that gives off a sense of camp drama. It makes me quite excited to see the live performance, because I feel it will make this song much, much better.”

9th place: “Waste My Time” – Future Culture – 4.07

David – 1

This song wasted my time…

James – 5

“Sounds like an even more stoned version of Rebelution. I know we should expect more commentary on war and folktronica from Ukraine, but “Waste My Time” seems like a colossal mismatch for Vidbir, and would be for Eurovision, too. It’s a repetitive three minute island-inspired rock song that doesn’t quite waste your time – the air raid sirens at the end of the video suggesting that the youth wasting time doing young people things is a luxury not really afforded them – but is not a memorable three minutes either.”

Emma – 3

“A more soulfull-y track I suppose, it’s giving Sunday morning background music. Sweet, but nothing special. I also don’t really think the female vocal fits very well here.”

Jasmin – 2

“The title of this song is highly suggestive of three minutes I used to listen to this song. Sadly, it wasn’t a wild ride, or a pleasant ride for that matter. It was a three minute of me trying to figure out which aspect of this I enjoyed, and I found it, but barely. The female vocalist hit those notes in the last chorus. Over and out.”

Boris – 5

“A lame hippiefest that would easily be amongst my favourites in Montesong. Yeah, I’m not sure how I feel about labelling a Vidbir entry as “Montenegrin”, but here we are, in heaven, falling.”

Roy – 7.5

“This song has really relatable lyrics. Something our generation nowadays can take note off. Everything feels like it always needs to have meaning and be productive. While a lot of people must realize it Is very okay to just do nothing in moments as well and ‘waste your time’ for a bit. That with a nice funky beat that is well put together, this is definitely a personal favourite of mine. The bass is nice, the voices sound incredible (together) and it’s got something catchy about it too. Is this the song Ukraine should send to Eurovision though? No, for that it is just a bit too uneventful.”

Rebecca – 5

“Peak chill vibes here. The title line is nice—sometimes you don’t wanna go out with the people you love, you just wanna sit around and do nothing with them! Aside from that, however, the lyrics are just very generic and repetitive. It’s nice overall but I’m kind of bored by the half-way mark.”

10th place: “Wind of Change” – Vlad Sheryf – 3.93

David – 1

Oh dear Satan… this is SOOOOO cheesy!

James – 4

“A high pitched voice demands the answers or he will die! Such impatience on a not particularly great piano ballad.”

Emma – 6.5

“Starts off really slow and it almost lost me for a second, but then that fantastic chorus came through and I had an “a-ha!” moment. It’s cinematic in a way that brings some nostalgia in, which is always a good thing. It’s almost simple (complimentary) but not generic because it’s well written and well produced. I am not sure if this is victory material, but it is certainly a decent entry, so good job.”

Jasmin – 5.5

“The chorus brings back the memories – yeah, the song is dated but that doesn’t always need to be a bad thing. The vocal is on point and it’s a pleasant listen. However, it’s hard not the hear the 2002 or so vibes in this entry. My inner child is content but present me is not impressed and is slightly bored.”

Boris – 0.5

“An odious, misguided cancer ballad, proliferating bad falsetto’s and self-righteousness. Instant ick, hard pass and shame on Suspilne for allowing this crappy song to blemish their Vidbir label forever.”

Roy – 4.5

“Vlad has a really nice voice, however there is quite a heavy echo-effect put on his voice in the studio version of this song. The composition is rather basic and the lyrics feel a bit randomly put on top rather than actually trying to be one cohesive entity. I am curious for this live performance, with a good delivery this could get a score a little higher than this. I would still choose for something else in the selection to go to Eurovision though.”

Rebecca – 5.5

“He’s never seen a flower, that’s so sad. This is a bit of a bland ballad with a twinge of 90’s Disney production to it. The lyrics don’t make a whole lot of sense, but I’ve definitely heard worse before so there’s that. The melody is surprisingly infectious compared to the rest of the song, which gives it an almost awkward attention-grabbing momentum with high peaks that fall off into nothing. Vlad’s vocals seem very good though, and I’m interested to see if he can actually hit all of those high notes.”

While our team selected Fiїnka as their favorite entrant, they only rated the official Ukrainian entrant, Ziferblat, an average of a half point away! Do #YOU agree with our editors? Do #YOU think Ziferblat was the right choice? Let us know in the comments, on social media or join the discussion in our Discord or on our Forum!