So there will be 37 in Liverpool next year...
Smart thinking by the designer to have
the co-host flags on top to keep the visuals clean!
Liverpool 2023 is effectively Turin 2022 without Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bulgaria (yes, they finally did decide not to attend Eurovision in the UK). No returnees or newbies this time, so we have 37 nations who all know what they are doing with the Contest and are continuing the process from last season. This week's show had a lot of new releases to listen to, with some big collaborations in hour one:
The playlist says it all, with KALUSH ORCHESTRA, The Rasmus, Rosa Linn and Duncan Laurence all playing a part:
"Somebody" (Acoustic) - Sam Ryder
"In The Shadows Of Ukraine" - KALUSH ORCHESTRA & The Rasmus
"WDIA (Would Do It Again)" - Rosa Linn & Duncan Laurence
"Alive" - We Are Domi
"Falling Stars" - Lidia Isac
"One Long Firework in the Sky" - Ninajirachi & Montaigne
"Complice" - Miodio
"Tick Tock" (DORA version) - Albina
"Feels Like Home" - Ulrikke
"Hands Tied" - Ariadne
"In Hindsight" - Amanda Tenfjord
"Lock Me In" - Circus Mircus
"Tonight Again" - Guy Sebastian
"Arcade" - Duncan Laurence
"Every Minute" - Eric Saade
"Tutti I Miei Ricordi" - Marco Mengoni
"Pilvien päällä" - YOUNGHEARTED
"TOKE" - Chanel
"Bríce Ar Bhríce" - Zena Donnelly
"Questo amore" - Ricco e Poveri
"Mer än ord" - Sanna Nielsen
"Paris" - Jeangu Macrooy
Occasionally I talk about a video that links to a song on the show and is a must-see. This is one of those with a link-up between two acts in Turin:
An incredible video that is very thought provoking - not often that you see a shadow beheaded in one either! A cry to arms for Ukrainians indeed...
Just in case anyone was interested in going to UMK in Turku Finland, here is the link for tickets. However, all bar wheelchair accessible ones have been sold already for the main show in the evening of February 25th 2023! There is a Family/Rehearsal show earlier that day with tickets available and the After Party is still available - I'd still get my tickets now if you are thinking of going to Finland. We have a while to go before we reach the vote for Finland in the LMBTO's Nation Favourite poll - the past week was Georgia and these were the winners:
A comfortable win, I would say, for Circus Mircus with a spread of votes among the rest - it is interesting to see that some nations have the most recent entry chosen and others go almost the other way with an 'oldie but goodie'. How will Serbia fare this week? Results on next week's show...
More fans of the show have joined the LMBTO Eurovision Facebook Group and therefore have the reward of their favourite ever Eurovision track being played on the show. Guy Sebastian's "Tonight Again" was the choice of Johan...
I did let her know when "Hands Tied" was being played on the show but I am unsure she heard it live - fingers crossed that she will at least listen on Mixcloud and that she has a great time travelling in the UK (according to her Insta she in in London at the moment!)
Show 221 will kick off with this track and there is a reason for that - one of the featured artists is one of the fans of the show and a member of the LMBTO Eurovision Facebook Group, that being Iana Kovalova. I have known her since 2017 when she was a Technical Stand-In artist in Kyiv...
She is now on the first step to Eurovision 2023!
You'll hear more about that on next week's LET ME BE THE ONE!