J❄️hq

Hello hi! It's the return of Buzzfestivalen, where we find out if Buzzjack agrees with the choices made by Sweden this year. The winner of this (or the runner-up, depending on how Loreen fares here) will go forward to be Sweden's representative in the NF Rejects contest being hosted by uhsting! So as to not drag the process out for too long, and due to expected lower interest compared to previous editions, this is being run as a ONE BIG FINAL format with all 28 entries from Melodifestivalen 2023. Please vote in the traditional Eurovision format (a top 10, starting with 12 points, 10 points, 8 points, 7 points and so on, down to 1 point). Axel Schylström - Gorgeous Casanovas - Så kommer känslorna tillbaka Eden - Comfortable Elov & Beny - Raggen går Emil Henrohn - Mera mera mera Eva Rydberg & Ewa Roos - Länge leve livet Jon Henrik Fjällgren, Arc North, Adam Woods - Where You Are (Sávežan) Ida-Lova - Låt hela stan se på Kiana - Where Did You Go Laurell - Sober Loreen - Tattoo Loulou LaMotte - Inga sorger Marcus & Martinus - Air Maria Sur - Never Give Up Mariette - One Day Melanie Wehbe - For the Show Nordman - Släpp alla sorger Panetoz - On My Way Paul Rey - Royals Rejhan - Haunted Signe & Hjördis - Edelweiss Smash Into Pieces - Six Feet Under Tennessee Tears - Now I Know Theoz - Mer av dig Tone Sekelius - Rhythm of My Show Uje Brandelius - Grytan Victor Crone - Diamonds Wiktoria - All My Life (Where Have You Been) If you can please PM your votes to me (J❄️hq) by Tuesday 28th March 2023, 23:59pm (UK time) so that it's in line with the nominations process that Iz is running for other national finals, and I intend to reveal the results the following day.

Alcaraz back at #1 for the time being after winning Indian Wells and ending Medvedev's winning streak at 19 matches. The first set (the tie-break especially) of Sabalenka vs Rybakina was wild. So happy for Rybakina, would love for this rivalry to continue and get another repeat in Miami :D

It's nice, it's different, it's unusual 01 Finland: Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha 02 Austria: Teya & Selena - Who The Hell Is Edgar? 03 Israel: Noa Kirel - Unicorn 04 Moldova: Pasha Parfeny - Soarele Si Luna Amazing 05 United Kingdom: Mae Muller - I Wrote A Song 06 Czechia: Vesna - My Sister's Crown 07 Sweden: Loreen - Tattoo 08 Slovenia: Joker Out - Carpe Diem 09 Norway: Alessandra Mele - Queen Of Kings 10 Belgium: Gustaph - Because Of You Great 11 Denmark: Reiley - Breaking My Heart 12 Armenia: Brunette - Future Lover 13 Switzerland: Remo Forrer - Watergun 14 Albania: Albina & Familja Kelmendi - Duje 15 Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX - Tell Me More 16 Netherlands: Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper - Burning Daylight 17 Ireland: Wild Youth - We Are One 18 Poland: Blanka - Solo 19 France: La Zarra - Évidemment Good 20 Georgia: Iru Khechanovi - Echo 21 Lithuania: Monika Linkytė - Stay 22 Iceland: Dilja - Power 23 Cyprus: Andrew Lambrou - Break A Broken Heart 24 Estonia: Alika - Bridges 25 Italy: Marco Mengoni - Due Vite 26 Australia: Voyager - Promise 27 Germany: Lord Of The Lost - Blood & Glitter 28 Malta: The Busker - Dance (Our Own Party) 29 Latvia: Sudden Lights - Aijā Hmmm 30 Greece: Victor Vernicos - What They Say 31 Portugal: Mimicat - Ai Coração 32 Serbia: Luke Black - Samo Mi Se Spava 33 Ukraine: TVORCHI - Heart Of Steel 34 Croatia: Let 3 - Mama ŠČ Dreadful 35 San Marino: Piqued Jacks - Like An Animal 36 Romania: Theodor Andrei - D.G.T. (Off and On) 37 Spain: Blanca Paloma - Eaea This shaped up to be a really solid year, it's just that Spain/Romania/Ukraine/Croatia/Latvia/Malta were all early picks that were either selected on 'Super Saturday' or before, and that's over half of my bottom 10.

Albania: Ronela Hajati - Sekret Armenia: Brunette - Future Lover Australia: Sheldon Riley - Not The Same Austria: Teya & Selena - Who The Hell Is Edgar? Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX - Tell Me More Belgium: Gustaph - Because Of You Croatia: Mia Dimšić - Guilty Pleasure Cyprus: Andrew Lambrou - Break A Broken Heart Czech Republic: We Are Domi - Lights Off Denmark: Reiley - Breaking My Heart Estonia: Stefan - Hope Finland: Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha France: La Zarra - Évidemment Georgia: Circus Mircus - Lock Me In Germany: Malik Harris - Rockstars Greece: Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord - Die Together Iceland: Dilja - Power Ireland: Brooke - That's Rich Israel: Noa Kirel - Unicorn Italy: Mahmood & BLANCO - Brividi Latvia: Citi Zēni - Eat Your Salad Lithuania: Monika Linkytė - Stay Malta: Emma Muscat - I Am What I Am Moldova: Pasha Parfeny - Soarele Si Luna Netherlands: S10 - De Diepte Norway: Subwoolfer - Give That Wolf A Banana Poland: Ochman - River Portugal: Maro - Saudade, saudade Romania: WRS - Llámame San Marino: Achille Lauro - Stripper Serbia: Konstrakta - In corpore sano Slovenia: Joker Out - Carpe Diem Spain: Chanel - SloMo Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs - Hold Me Closer Switzerland: Remo Forrer - Watergun Ukraine: Kalush Orchestra - Stefania United Kingdom: Sam Ryder - Space Man 2022: 23 2023: 14 Didn't expect it to be such a landslide for 2022 as I do think this year is a bit too hated! Norway and Czech Republic both could've gone either way as they've had strong entries both years but I decided to side with last year, and Sweden & UK are both among my faves this year but it just so happens that last year they had my two favourite songs. Those who I think have been strong both years and I've sided with this year are Finland and Albania, Austria too. San Marino the weakest I think where I really don't care for either :( Biggest upgrades: Slovenia, Moldova, Israel Biggest downgrades: Spain, Romania, Greece

Albania: Ronela Hajati - Sekret / Albina & Familja Kelmendi - Duje Armenia: Rosa Linn - Snap / Brunette - Future Lover Australia: Sheldon Riley - Not The Same / Voyager - Promise Austria: LUM!X ft. Pia Maria - Halo / Teya & Selena - Who The Hell Is Edgar? Azerbaijan: Nadir Rustamli - Fade To Black / TuralTuranX - Tell Me More Belgium: Jérémie Makiese - Miss You / Gustaph - Because Of You Croatia: Mia Dimšić - Guilty Pleasure / Let 3 - Mama ŠČ Cyprus: Andromache - Ela / Andrew Lambrou - Break A Broken Heart Czech Republic: We Are Domi - Lights Off / Vesna - My Sister's Crown Denmark: Reddi - The Show / Reiley - Breaking My Heart Estonia: Stefan - Hope / Alika - Bridges Finland: The Rasmus - Jezebel / Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha France: Alvan & Ahez - Fulenn / La Zarra - Évidemment Georgia: Circus Mircus - Lock Me In / Iru Khechanovi - Echo Germany: Malik Harris - Rockstars / Lord Of The Lost - Blood & Glitter Greece: Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord - Die Together / Victor Vernicos - What They Say Iceland: Systur - Með hækkandi sól / Dilja - Power Ireland: Brooke - That's Rich / Wild Youth - We Are One Israel: Michael Ben David - I.M / Noa Kirel - Unicorn Italy: Mahmood & BLANCO - Brividi / Marco Mengoni - Du Vite Latvia: Citi Zēni - Eat Your Salad / Sudden Lights - Aijā Lithuania: Monika Liu - Sentimentai / Monika Linkytė - Stay Malta: Emma Muscat - I Am What I Am / The Busker - Dance (Our Own Party) Moldova: Zdob și Zdub & Frații Advahov - Trenulețul / Pasha Parfeny - Soarele Si Luna Netherlands: S10 - De Diepte / Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper - Burning Daylight Norway: Subwoolfer - Give That Wolf A Banana / Alessandra Mele - Queen Of Kings Poland: Ochman - River / Blanka - Solo Portugal: Maro - Saudade, saudade / Mimicat - Ai Coração Romania: WRS - Llámame / Theodor Andrei - D.G.T. (Off and On) San Marino: Achille Lauro - Stripper / Piqued Jacks - Like An Animal Serbia: Konstrakta - In corpore sano / Luke Black - Samo Mi Se Spava Slovenia: LPS - Disko / Joker Out - Carpe Diem Spain: Chanel - SloMo / Blanca Paloma - Eaea Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs - Hold Me Closer / Loreen - Tattoo Switzerland: Marius Bear - Boys Do Cry / Remo Forrer - Watergun Ukraine: Kalush Orchestra - Stefania / TVORCHI - Heart Of Steel United Kingdom: Sam Ryder - Space Man / Mae Muller - I Wrote A Song 2022: 2023:

Raducanu through to the fourth round of Indian Wells! Will likely face Swiatek next. Finally another decent run at a big tournament. That makes it three Brits through to the fourth round, joining Norrie and whoever wins out of Murray/Draper later.

Yeah, I'd have preferred the 19th position that Ukraine have drawn, but better than being first half. The songs performing last had a decent run during the 2015-2018 years and Estonia managed a televote top 10 last year which I would happily take.

Wardy - our place in the running order will be determined by random draw as one of the host countries. I think it gets drawn next week at the Head of Delegation meeting. For those who were thinking the BBC were leaving it very late to announce, I just watched a YouTube video where someone had somehow calculated the best date for a Eurovision entry to be revealed, going by average results of songs selected on each date, and March 9th came out on top. We're winning :kink:

I can't wait for Austria to get their "you have received, from the public............ 216 POINTS!" moment

I think it's well worth being an OGAE member, only £17 a year and it gets you access to the ballot, discounts on merch from the Eurovision online store, a quarterly magazine about Eurovision...but just for the ballot it's a bit of a long shot. They 'only' had 222 live show packages allocated to OGAE UK this year for the primary ballot (those who've been a member for at least a year or so - or maybe that was the figure for primary and secondary combined), and just over 1,300 people were included in said ballot. I guess that's still better odds than being stuck in a Ticketmaster queue that can only be as specific as saying there are 2000+ people ahead of you...

Anyone manage to secure any tickets? I've got live semi 1 which I'm delighted about as it's easily looking like the better semi-final.

I don't get what's a not really? I think the BBC want to turn around the image of Eurovision in the UK, and in particular want a respectable entry/result when we're hosting the contest. Not sure they want to aim to win this year though and have to deal with back-to-back hosting duties.

I really like the clip of "I Wrote a Song". The title gives "That's How You Write a Song" vibes but thankfully it sounds a lot better (even if I did ironically get into that by the time of the contest).

This aged. Three titles on the trot

It's fine, not bad but kinda just passes you by, especially on first listen. I think it'll be very borderline now that the juries aren't involved in the semi-finals (I think they settled on this entry before that voting change was announced), and it's in the same half as "Cha Cha Cha", "My Sister's Crown", Noa Kirel and likely Loreen, so it will be very easy for this to get lost.

Three matches this year that he's won now after being match point down, my goat Cameron Norrie won the title in Rio, after back-to-back finals against Carlos Alcaraz. Sounds like Alcaraz was unable to move well by the end, but either way it's nice to see Norrie get a win rather than going 0-3 in finals this year.

I listened to "Gladiator" earlier and didn't get the hype. This year needed something like "Solo", it's just sad that as good as it is, we're yet to get Margaret to Eurovision.

Theoz and Kiana are essential for me, my third pick would be Melanie Wehbe and then I'm less bothered, maybe Tennessee Tears. - "Mera Mera Mera" was robbed last night. Should've got the fourth spot instead of Mariette, otherwise it was the right qualifiers in a strong heat. I'll be rooting for Marcus & Martinus in the final but won't be mad when Loreen wins, this is leagues ahead of "Statements".

Great to see Andy Murray defeat evil on his way to the quarters.

I really like this, I think France could end up being my biggest glow-up of the year.

Julia Sanina (Vidbir judge, X Factor Ukraine judge), Alesha Dixon, and Hannah Waddingham from Ted Lasso have been announced as the hosts for all three live shows. Graham Norton will be joining them for the final (whilst still being on commentary duties, alongside Mel).

Ellie Goulding is due to be one of the headliners at a music festival in California on the day of the final, so I think we've thankfully avoided her this year.

YES This is alright, just a bit "oh, that Epic Sax guy seems popular, let's try that"

I would've preferred Sissi or Ollie, but at least this entry is giving 'professional' unlike some of the Super Saturday picks...

I think the fandom are reading too much into it, just because we've gotten used to Eurovision social media being very on the ball. The NF and the results were broadcast on the Eurovision YouTube channel, and it felt like they had more organisation in the NF (it was clearly aimed at an international audience rather than a Czech one given it was hosted in English, and would the Czech broadcaster really have got those two podcasters to do the artist interviews?), so would they have really let it get to this stage if the song or artist was going to be a problem? Anyway, if Czech Republic end up not competing with this entry, the EBU owe me the £8 I bet on this shortly after the song was released (split the bet over outright and each way) xx