Every year our “Expert” Panel comes together to judge all entries for the Eurovision Song Contest and they’re back to take apart the 2013 entries and rank them accordingly. While their characters and comments may be wacky, the scores are dead serious. All 13 panelists will comment on the song and rank them accordingly giving it points using a scale from five to zero. At the end you’ll also get to cast your vote in the poll. If you would learn more about the panelists and to discuss the show, join us on our Forum HERE

Let’s have a look at the current scoreboard:

Albania was one of the first countries to pick a song for the 2013 ESC season and they decided to go Rock. The duo Adrian Lulgjuraj & Bledar Sejko won the National Final with the song “Identitet” which will be performed in Albian when these two take the Stage in Malmo. Now what does the panel think about this song?

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Liz: This is actually one of the very, very few rock songs this year. Isn’t that just amazing?
Eau: Probably everybody in Europe gave up on rock efforts at Eurovision after the musical misery that Slovakia caused us last year and after their even more miserable result. It’s rather enchanting that there’s still one country that has the courage to send a true rock song this year.
Liz: And out of all those countries that one is Albania, the country that also gave us Suus from Rona last year.
Eau: …(to be continued)

AND Albania does it, good quality production, the structure is perfect. When you think of folk rock, you imagine something like this. The Rock part is perfect, the folk elements are even better. I enjoyed this so much. Bledar and Adrijan can apply to be my future husbands and serenade me all night long. PERFECT.

Another song that sends my neighbours raving and running to the landlord with complaints! A rock anthem to match my soul, I can scream it from the rooftops “Nak krumeh tee, pak froom se tee!. Ooops. Maybe I should take the Cooking and Albanian Language course down in the local college it seems.

Whatever dear Albania chose this year was going to be a big come down. Last year, to put it simple.. unbeatable. It was the greatest song ever to be heard on the eurovision stage. This here entry was a disappointment BUT… from repeated listens it has a grown. A rock song with an ethnic touch. It’s stands out very well this year. The music is wonder and the guitar solo enjoy but when ends moments come, ok yeah I want.

His singing/screaming is terrible! the only good thing is the music which is wonderful!

I am always cautious when approaching an Albanian entry. As you know, you know who used to reside in the Albanian woods. Last year they sent his clone on stage to perform and I was not thrilled. Now, this is more bearable than last year, even though the beginning is clearly from another song. Singer’s voice at the beginning is like a constipated guy who just ate slugs. All in all… could be better.

The intro music is so promising but the first singer’s voice is not what I want to listen to! Makes my ears bleed and think of dirty, old, hairy men which isn’t really what you want when tucking into your cornflakes! This is by no means the worst in the contest this year but surely it has to be nearer the bottom? Will it have a chance of making the final? Lovers of guitar solo (currently doing an air guitar!)& rock may vote for this but can’t see it having much impact. If they got rid of the first bloke singing, it might have stood a chance!

One of the few Rock-ish songs at this year’s contest. As with all of Albania’s entries, it was shortened and changed for ESC, and it has lost a lot of the strong guitar elements from the original, but is still pretty catchy and well put together. The first singer is a problem, as his voice sounds like he just had throat surgery in a rather disreputable New Delhi hospital! It’s solid, but drags a bit in the verses. A place in the final will be difficult for this as I can’t see it appealing to enough people.

Interesting beginning, nice melody and… disastrous song in common. Very strange combination of something interesting and something very horrible. The shouting of singers brought me a headache after the first 20 seconds of the beginning. And the guitar solo in the end made a song to be alike a cheap rock composition. For me this is one of the least decent songs of this year

The only thing I like with this song is the “Hey Hey”. Other than that I just don’t wanna listen anymore and stay.

Good lord, what is this? What an awful song! Guards, please arrest these men for deranging my inner peace!

After several years in which their songs were among my favorites this year Albania managed to surprise me so bad that I have to wear earplugs during the semifinals, otherwise there are chances to have hearing problems. Or maybe this year they don’t want to be in the final?

I have never heard of the singer Al Bania before but I sure won’t be buying his music. Half of the song is 90% noise. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for all kinda of music, I owe that skill to my parents, especially my mother and father. But everything about this song is so forgettable and dull that I hope that Mr. Al Bania will come up with an explosive stage show which is the only thing that could save this thing.