Eurovision 2023 is in full swing – and night one of the semi-finals have been magnificent (Picture: Redferns)
Eurovision 2023 is finally here and in full swing, and the semi-final performances do not disappoint.
Tuesday saw thousands descend on the M&S Arena in Liverpool to watch 15 acts give their best at the first night of the semi-finals in the hopes of competing in Saturday’s Grand Final.
From Eurovision royalty Loreen to new favourite Kaarija, plus plenty of other stiff competition, the contest is wide open.
Voting has now opened, with not long to go before we have the first 10 acts for the 2023 Grand Final.
And if you need a refresher, here’s who played tonight and how their tracks went.
Norway – Alessandra – Queen of Kings
Alessandra kicked off the first night of the semi-finals off with the brilliant Queen of Kings.
The absolute anthem is hard to listen to without clapping or stamping your feet – and that’s exactly what the M&S Arena did.
It’s easy to see Norway being one of the top five in the Grande-Final – Queen of Kings has been a favourite among fans from the get-go.
Malta – The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)
Malta’s answer to the Jonas Brothers brought all the nostalgia as the second act of the night with their track Dance.
If you felt like you were attending a teen party in the 80s, with sparkles and a sax solo, you get the feeling that’s precisely what they were going for.
The Busker were well able to get the crowd going with their pure happy pop – a proper Eurovision track.
Serbia – Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spaa
Welcome to the absolute fever dream that is Serbia’s entry, and revel in it.
Luke Black entrances the audience with his ominous whispers and mesmerising movements as he sings about wanting to sleep forever, all while seriously intense dreamscapes occur around him.
The audience absolutely loved it, and we reckon there’ll be a few odd dreams tonight.
Latvia – Sudden Lights – Aija
Latvia’s offer to the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest is the powerful Aija by Sudden Lights.
It starts off hypnotic before launching into a powerful and emotional track – something that would not feel out of place in the soundtrack of the Twilight franchise.
The band go relatively low-key with their staging, relying more on the music and guitar solo. The crowds at the semi-final were loving it – will it be enough?
Portugal – Mimicat – Ai Coracao
Portugal had the arena going wild with stampoing and clapping as she burst on to the stage with her wild track Ai Coracao.
The quick and catchy tune is only amplified by her cheeky stage presence and dance moves – along with those of her back-up dancers.
As the fifth track in the semi-finals, things are really heating up.
Ireland – Wild Youth – We Are One
The only country to win Eurovision three years in a row, Wild Youth hope to bring glory back with their track We Are One.
The genuinely uplifting track had a huge reaction from the audience, with frontman Conor O’Donohoe having a great command of the stage in a sparkling gold jumpsuit.
It captures the heart of Eurovision for sure – but what will voters think?
Croatia – Let 3 – Mama SC!
Now that is a performance.
Croatia’s hopefuls brought true madness to the stage with their track Mama SC, and if Serbia’s staging was a ever dream, this is a hallucinogenic trip.
Dressed in military clothes and hoisting prop missiles across the stage before stripping down to their vests and underwear for by far the most mind-blowing performance so far, Let 3 are far from forgettable – which is exactly what you want in the semi-finals.
Switzerland – Remo Forre – Watergun
One of the slower entries from tonight’ss semi-finals, Switzerland’s acts being more low-key actually helps it stand out.
The anti-war track Watergun shows off singer Remo Forrer’s powerful voice, with military-like drumming amplifying the message.
It sends a powerful message – how will Europe respond?
Israel – Noa Kirel – Unicorn
Israel is back with another solid track this year as Noa Kirel’s Unicorn gets a huge reaction in the M&S Arena.
A seriously strong pop song with hooks in the bridge, chorus and everywhere else, Unicorn is a major contender at this yeaar’s semi-finals.
The staging and dancing – including from Noa itself – makes it one of this year’s most memorable tracks.
Moldova – Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna
Moldova brought folk and legend together with their track Soarele si Luna, which saw the band sway on stage in a hypnotic rhythm as rings of fire burst across the screens in the background and stage floor.
As well as being a solid song with a catchy flute hook (we don’t have enough of those, honestly), the performance of the song was almost more like watching a stage show.
The intricate costumes and characters makes Moldova certainly one to watch.
Sweden – Loreen – Tattoo
A whole 12 years since she won Eurovision for Sweden, Loreen is back – and to say she’s still got it is an understatement.
Already a favourite to win again this year, Loreen’s new track Tattoo has everything fans love in a Eurovision track, from the voice to the stage presence.
Loreen is totally on form tonight and showing exactly why she’s a favourite – she is an absolute professional, and the reaction from the crowd is, so far tonight, unmatched.
Azerbaijan – TuralTuranX – Tell Me More
After a lot of staging and dance routines, Azerbaijan stripped it back with a classic indie rock song.
Tell Me More sees duo TuralTuranX combine their guitars and voices, relying on the music to impress the audience.
The nostalgic-sounding song seems straight out of 1970s Eurovision – it’s something special, but what will the votes reflect?
Czechia – Vesna – My Sister’s Crown
Feminist anthem My Sister’s Crown starts off powerful and only keeps the pressure rising.
Crowds responded in force to the semi-final performance, with the artists dressed in matching pink jumpsuits and walking down the stage as though on a carousel.
There is seriously tough competition tonight – but My Sister’s Crown should still have done enough to stand out.
Netherlands – Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight
The Netherlands have gone for a bit of a tearjerker with emotional duet Burning Daylight.
Duo Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper’s voices sound incredible together, and their chemistry on stage is palpable – only amplified by the stars and dry ice filling the stage alongside them.
It’s a different sort of song than we’ve heard so far in the competition, and could work in their favour.
Finland – Kaarija – Cha Cha Cha
It is brilliant. It is insane. It is Eurovision, baybey!
Finland’s absolutely bonkers track Cha Cha Cha looks to be the only song in the running to knock Loreen off her crown, and it’s clear from the Semi-Final performance why.
Kaarija’s energy, on-stage acting and the pure fun of it all makes it a favourite among critics and fans alike, and there’s going to be a lot of people walking away tongiht with this stuck in their heads – potentially for days.
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The acts have now all finished up, and voting will soon begin.
It’s still all up in the air as to who will get through – there’ve been plenty of surprises before.
Eurovision 2023 semi-finals can be viewed on BBC and BBC iPlayer.
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It’s a hard choice on who to vote for…