Qween

It’s a really strong album, I think it will grow over time - especially some of the songs I’ve ranked/rated lower at this early stage. It’s the most experimental she’s been since Ray of Light, lots of really interesting twists and turns in most songs. In that respect it’s a quintessential Madonna album, never giving people what they expect, making an album completely on her own terms and somehow giving us what we didn’t know we wanted or needed. Mother knows best etc etc. I’m a pop queen at heart, so for the most part the strongest moments for me are where she leans into the pure joy and immersion of all out pop. However, I also really appreciated the more introspective final third including the Erotica coded pair (My Sins and Betrayal) are sublime - the spoken word sections are so sumptuous and divine. Rank 01 Love Sensation - pure distilled pop joy 02 Danceteria - would have loved a 5+ minute sprawl on this one 03 Bizarre - if there’s a hit to be had here, this is it 04 Fragile - just gorgeous 05 I Feel So Free - the necessary link between Confessions 1 and 2 but also such a statement of intent 06 Betrayal - could be ripped straight from Erotica 07 My Sins Are My Saviour - another perfect example of updated classic Madonna 08 Bring Your Love - enjoying the new mix and slightly more natural vocals 09 Read My Lips - what Hard Candy wanted to be but wasn’t because she took her eye off the ball 10 L.E.S Girl - the sun coming up on the club night 11 The Test - a gorgeous bookend to Little Star 12 One Step Away - gorgeous vocal, but there’s not really much to it as a song 13 Good For The Soul - slightly flat vocal on this one and it doesn’t really go anywhere 14 Love Without Words - 15 School - interesting but feels like a tour interlude 16 Everything - same as above

I have many many thoughts - all of them positive - but I shall simply say that the THREE WEEK wait for Danceteria is going to be killer.

Can I have 38?

Are there any numbers / countries left unclaimed?

Thank you Yehesi and Ojnoj for the medal positions!

I think 4th is about what I realistically expected for Delta but I live with hope in my heart that one year my favourite song will win (it’s never actually happened in 20 years of active viewership though).

Omg I am cry

That’s a lot less than feared

Too many non Israel songs getting high televised here is not giving g good vibes

This feels like a slow and painful march to the inevitable now

At least Bulgaria seem fairly likely to get a sizeable televote (over the other potential contenders) to see Israel off…again

COME ON BULGARIA (now that it’s obvious Delta isn’t winning)

Good - Israel dropping off Bad - Delta not surging ahead

This is all totally scattershot - but I guess that’s the point for now

The UK not getting 0 at least

My husband “had to” vote for Bulgaria 🫠

This household has cast 56 votes for Delta so we’ve done our bit

10.0 Australia 08.5 Czechia 08.5 Finland 08.0 Italy 08.0 Romania 08.0 Lithuania 08.0 France 08.0 Croatia 08.0 Ukraine 07.5 Norway 07.5 Denmark 07.5 Cyprus 07.0 Germany _______________________________________ 06.0 Sweden 06.0 Belgium 06.0 Malta 06.0 Poland 05.5 United Kingdom 05.5 Austria 05.0 Albania 03.5 Greece 03.0 Bulgaria 02.0 Moldova 02.0 Serbia —— Israel

This Austrian entry is the definition of: thank you but we definitely don’t want to host again

I surprisingly loved Norway (and not because I’ve spent the last week there).

Scrap that - he’s just doing ESCs greatest hits in 3 minutes. Surprisingly good song too.

Italy honouring Eurovisions 70th year with a performance that would have felt dated in 1956

Cyprus honouring the gods of Eurovision past by offering ABSOLUTELY NOTHING vocally

Surely there’s no greater exemplar of how mid this year is that even SWEDEN have sent something this meh

Poland sounds about 15 years too late to the contest