#Eurovision2025

Let's hop into the Eurovision 2025 with my (sometimes) controversial set of 10 THINGS I don't want to see-or hear- at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place in St. Jakobshalle, Basel, on Saturday 17 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 May
Alesia Michelle is a Eurovision blogger, based in the United States and has been covering the Eurovision Song Contest on KZbin since 2015. Check out her THOUGHTS now!
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[@escgabe]

the amount of times i said “SO F***ING RIGHT” out loud at this video. you didn’t miss once

[@aaainainaina]

WILD GABE SPOTTED ‼

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Haha 🔥🙏🏾

[@EscSoulless]

When you said "no songs dedicated to staff" I almost fell on a floor laughing 😂

[@AlesiaMichelle]

@@EscSoulless I mean it

[@EscSoulless]

@@AlesiaMichelle Im sure you do. You make fair observations, especially the one about keeping your peace 🙏

[@RoryH-jr2yq]

I completely agree on banning sponsored adverts with voting information- it ruins the whole contest, as people vote without even watching the show itself!

[@henning1152]

I will just be very hard to implement, since a lot of the campaigning is made by others than the artists or the delegations themselves

[@earl.c]

Voting isn't free, right? Why would anyone pay without watching?

[@henning1152]

@@earl.c To support your country if you are an expat or is a part of a diaspora community

[@ColmMcCann-uo6ci]

I will never give up on not wanting recorded backing vocals.

[@AlesiaMichelle]

@@ColmMcCann-uo6ci same

[@gustavsvensson1944]

YESS ew

[@in_wino_veritas]

Yes, I totally and wholeheartedly agree. Get rid of those, and send live backing vocalists instead.

[@aengusprice8869]

I fully fully disagree, imagine Bambie thugs performance with no baking vocals. It would have been awful. There are places where they can be used to great affect so people harping on about removing them need to consider that the music scene is changing and evolving and baking vocals and other technologies are not something to be hated but something to be welcomed and explored as new creative tools

[@gustavsvensson1944]

@@aengusprice8869 Backing vocals are totally cool but not pre-recorded ones. If we can’t have the full live orchestra back, at least make the singing live

[@michael_eizein]

Alesia, WHAT A MOTHER YOU ARE 👑

[@hallaskjerah]

Live vocals ONLY

[@motulifelikefigures1987]

What i wish not to see is toxic esc fans bashing eachother. It was absolutely horrible last year on social media. Peace!

[@funkerman86]

so on point with the marketing campaigns, we all know who the main culprit is year after year.

[@shroomyesc]

But also looking at Malta too. Didn't they even allegedly use advertising money to raise Malta's betting odds in 2021 or am I misremembering?

[@perunarieska9182]

Who? I've been so out of the Eurovision loop the last couple of years, didn't even know this was happening

[@berlineczka]

In topic of repeating formulas of songs: I do not want to hear accusations of being a copycat when all these acts have in common is representing the same music genre that is usually not very present in ESC (e.g. accusation of Baby Lasagna of copying Käärijä when it was obvious for people versed in rock that they simply represented similar genre and were both heavily influenced by Rammstein).

[@PersonaNG-oo7ku]

Yes. That was so exhausting. Some people really act like music just doesn't exist outside of Eurovision, which is really weird coming from the fans of a.... music-based show. Some artists just have similar style and influences, and that's all. Also... I somehow never see those accusations thrown about repetitive sad ballads or pop songs about love and partying. It's always when the act is a bit more alternative when people suddenly start complaining about the lack of originality and copying. (And I say that as a person who loves all those styles of music.)

[@alexesc_]

I'm so ready for the Eurovision season to begin! I've missed your livestreams 😭

[@NikolajMohar]

As much as I love a girl bop, I don't need another year of girl bop inflation, like we've seen in some of the previous years. At this point it's all been done. All Eurovision entries should follow these words: If you're not elevating or reinventing a trope/genre, don't do it.

[@stevengoode7194]

I don't want pre recorded backing vocals

[@AlesiaMichelle]

@@stevengoode7194 we should start a society

[@stevengoode7194]

@@AlesiaMichelle 👍

[@PersonaNG-oo7ku]

Honestly, I feel like an interval act about the staff could be pretty cool, if done correctly. There is a huge group of people who work around the clock on the arena and behind the scenes that make the whole show work, but we basically never see them, so they get no recognition from the audience. If someone managed to come up with a clever song/skit that shows you the inner workings or the ESC production, by walking backstage, showing how cameramen are integrated into the act, or how costume designers help the artists look their best... I'd love it. They're bringing the music to life on screen for us and deserve some praise for it. But yeah... I don't want to have a whole segment dedicated to fawning over some guy who makes decisions from the top. I feel like it would be tacky even if we didn't have the extra controversy from this year. That was basically some rich person publicly patting themselves on the back in front of millions of people, which is pretty pathetic if you look at it this way... Give me a song about Stefan and Karolina who applied make-up for the hosts or about Drago from the sound department who made sure 150 times that all the microphones worked before the opening ceremony. Not about some dude in a suit that signs the budget for this quarter or whatever...

[@aranmcdonagh255]

My 5 NO.1 Ads NO.2 Israeli participation NO.3 Russian participation NO.4 Spectical over substance NO.5 Albania sending a song in English

[@Beckford4000]

Agreed on all 5 points!

[@ghghjvjn]

NO.6 Azerbaijan participation

[@aethden]

Heavy on the 2nd and 3rd

[@aethden]

​@ghghjvjn i also would say germany too because we're wait too complicated in this genocide

[@jodygrottino8257]

What I don't want for next years? Staff harassing the artists leading, in the worst cases, to disqualification for some meaningless gestures. We're not trying to spread hate..... aren't we????

[@BojanTomic]

@@jodygrottino8257 Meaningless gesture? 💀 I love how victim shaming is ok if your favorite artist is the one who was in the wrong. lol

[@michelrockp]

@BojanTomic There was no victim, sweety. Before you leave a comment like this, you might want to check the entirety of the story. Baseless accusations by a 'victim' usually don't age well, hun!!

[@ganapatikamesh]

Yes! I agree so much with everything you said most especially the when you were talking about blocking the bots and trolls and about protecting the community you've built and how important it is to protect that. That really has become so fundamentally important over the years, not just in the Eurovision fandom, but in so many other fandoms I'm a part of (Star Wars, Star Trek, Olympics, Kpop, Jpop, Mandopop, Bollywood, etc, etc, etc) where the amount of toxicity by folks who claim to be fans but often end up either being bots or trolls who have limited knowledge about the thing or the fandom has just grown and the fan groups, pages, etc just become a place I don't even want to go visit anymore and often end up leaving those. I'm noticing more of the pages/groups/sites/etc that I'm still a part of starting to do a lot more to finally crack down on it and so when you were speaking about what you do it made me realize that's probably why I keep coming back to your videos still because I don't usually see that toxicity and I don't recall any of the few times I have commented one of our videos ever suddenly being inundated either with trolls or bots comments either. So thank you for doing what you do to keep your community fun, safe, and conversational! I definitely think it's long past time for fans in fandoms to start having the same attitude as you on how you are running your fandom spaces. Also, 100% agree on the "can we have more time between when something happens and art is made about it." It's good to hear that I'm not the only one whose noticed this. I haven't said anything because I was thinking that since no one had said anything that maybe it was just my own perception of time between the thing happening and when movies, songs, or whatever came out. It's good to know that indeed it isn't just me experiencing that realization and wishing for that trend to ease up. If the song/act about the "staff" had been about the entirety of staff that make Eurovision happen (camera crew, sound engineers and technicians, lighting technicians and staff, stagehands, cleaning staff, venue staff, security, door staff, concessions staff, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc) then I probably wouldn't have been so turned off by it, but it was just about the executive supervisor. It felt like a song dedicated to the CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts during the Grammy's than a tribute to any of the staff that makes the entirety of Eurovision happen. I mean, dude already gets his name known with a speaking moment while being seen on camera during each show.....he didn't need a tribute. That'd be like giving a tribute to the IOC President during the Olympics even though dude gets to give speeches at both the opening and closing ceremony. He don't need it a tribute. Thankfully he knows it and both he and the head of the Paris Olympic/Paralympic organizing committee took time in their speeches to both acknowledge and thank all the staff, volunteers, athletes, and fans (something the executive supervisor of Eurovision doesn't do in any of his brief camera time either). So yeah, I didn't like the tribute to him this year. Maybe it's because I'm from "The South" in the US or maybe because I was raised with family with a set of grandparents from the "Midwest", or maybe it's the American in me, but it came across as being in poor taste (and that's even before you consider everything that happened in the days and hours before it occurred; my cousin from Louisiana would probably have exclaimed about the performance "that's like stepping in the bayou barefoot in broad daylight and getting mad because an alligator got your foot").

[@lorifrancis8171]

I'm from "the South" here in the US, too ... We'd call having a song about yourself in the broadcast like that as "Martin being full of himself" 😅😅😅

[@DavidDamen-ve7br]

they should do a tribute to Brotherhood of man tbh RIP Martin Lee

[@sarahenchanted]

Omg I would love an interval act of artists from recent years performing eurovision songs from the ones we've lost

[@adoiltz]

Absolutely NO barebones staging next year. Yes I’m talking about entries like Moldova’s this year. We can’t have an LED background that looks like an AI generated iPhone lockscreen as our entire staging nonono.

[@Beckford4000]

It was so sad to see how little Moldova put into the staging. I loved Moldova's entry, but then the staging was dreadful. Germany is another case. Germany did well from his vocals, nothing else. That staging was clearly Germany giving up the will to live.

[@pitchan3786]

Oh a song for Martin Österdahl being performed was like watching a stage performance dedicated to KJU of North Korea. It was lame and creepy and it's got to stop.

[@florchi86]

Hi Alesia I have been rewatching the early 2000's Eurovisions and boy do I agree we need the juries like water in the desert jajaj because public voting can be very easely manipulated.

[@GospodinNelson]

This year the running order was supposed to make a balanced grand final of favorites being in both first and second half and then they put Nemo and Baby Lasagna close to each other while it was always between Switzerland and Croatia

[@Amy1cut]

And meanwhile sandwich Slovenia in between of them..

[@AlbertGMag]

I want a revision of the maximum number of performers on stage so that we can have dancers and live backing vocals, but not one or the other! We can put a sensible limit so it’s not the Super Bowl with hundreds of people on stage (America’s song contest, I see you) but something more than 6, please! I think it will definitely foster creativity.

[@EuroDai]

I totally agree with all that Alesia Michelle. Why aren't you an ESC producer, already?

[@williamdacic]

For some reason 12:19 instantly reminded me of Yseult's ''I'm not agree at all'' and brought a huge smile on my face!

[@kellieknight2561]

How has it taken me this long to find your channel?!?! Love finding another North American to nerd out on ESC!!! Yes to sooooo many of your list! Bad dance/chroeo - park and bark if you have two left feet! The interval acts this past year were OOF! and the song for Martin seemed too strongly overt in the attempt to praise EBU and distract from all the BS that was happening…… And YES to copycat acts! Just because something worked last year doesn’t mean it will work this year - do your own thing!!!!!!!

[@AlesiaMichelle]

@@kellieknight2561 ha! Welcome

[@Dominic-he7sg]

Things I don't want to see at ESC 2025: 1. Any conflicts preventing the realization of the contest to begin with. 2. Disqualifications during the show (or before for that matter). 3. Country X threatening to withdraw if country Y participates. 4. EBU doing a piss poor job at keeping the distance between countries and participants that don't like each other. 5. Ostendahl and EBU not taking accountability for their wrong actions. 6. Juries continuing to be selected little prior to the show and not hearing the songs multiple times before voting. The main reason why I think the juries are a good addition is that, unlike the audiences, they can judge a song not only by its first impression. 7. Political voting (but I've almost given up on this one, as it's the issue from the beginning and there's no way of dealing with it properly). 8. Ethnic songs like Ulveham, Fulenn and Eaea being completely overlooked. In fact, I'm afraid nobody will even try to send those style for a couple of years now. 9. One semi being stacked with fan-favorites more than the other. IDK if there's a way to stop that, but I just hope that it is so. 10. Countries cheating in the contest.

[@kellieknight2561]

ALLLLLLLL of this! ❤

[@Copyrightbreaker22]

One thing I don't want to see is already comfirmed it will be...

[@JeremyAndrosoff]

CELINE. DION. FOR. GRAND. FINAL. INTERVAL. ACT. PERIOD.

[@TeuberCZ]

I don't want odds being available before the show. It highly influences the voting based on odds rather than on actual feeling for the song. I have seen it happening a lot near me more often year by year I don't want prerecorded vocals I want to RESHAPE the jury system (more than 5 people from wider music genres, and/or less power, like 40% and also include them in the semis)

[@BojanTomic]

But in the last two years the best songs won, thankfully. The public just votes for the most "fun" or "hip" song.

[@MariaMariamuzieklove]

They should ask the Netherlands how to do great interval acts❤ referring to the power of water and music binds us.

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Yes!!!

[@loslibrosdecarangi]

Number 3 is so spot on. Like I also wanna be Chanel, but I can't dance and sing simultaneously. Let's focus on one thing and leave the dancing for the dancers babes

[@sanjastajdohar6684]

I know we don't have to agree, but I agree completely! Especially about the hosts, that's such a pet peeve of mine. And I would add to that that I don't want the forced humor and "witty" remarks that the host clearly cannot deliver or some weird and dated "humor" and bickering among the hosts.

[@ESCbrooke]

As always, no lies detected. Co-signing all ten, plus (especially?) the honorable mentions!

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Thank you!!

[@idaimawomantrapsinsideaman5004]

Especially on reddit, if I don't like a fan-favourite song, I immediately got load of downvotes. Or someone who made videos about their opinions each years on YT (if they exclude fan-favourite songs out of their top 10, they would get full of hate comments like "don't let this bro cook again" and "this dude got horrible taste" stuff)

[@Blueie_ToHH]

To me, I dont wanna see disqualification of any participants (cuz chaos that may come after)

[@lorifrancis8171]

You are so right with this list! I truly hope there is more peace within ESC this year. I hope artists, delegations, the EBU, fan media, and fans can execute their/our roles better this year. We have the chance to have a clean start. Lets make the most of it. I am a fan of Eden's (amazing vocals). She was the right person to send, but the song could be considered too much. I'd love her to have another shot or another Israeli artist, Shmuel Perednik, to have a shot. My concern is: would the public/our fandom give the entry a fair shot? Let's all focus on the music and truly be ok if someone else says "that's not my cuppa". Bambie Thug wasnt mine. We do not make the decision what countries participate. Don't we all want more countries participating?

[@rayjaygee]

I was over forced dance breaks about 5 years ago. "Do you wanna see me dance?" "F*ck no!" Also, talking about raising the quality of interval acts; y'all remember Anatoliy Zalevskiy's performance in the 2005 interval act?? Mesmerising. Now that's what we need more of.

[@GospodinNelson]

- I don't want to see EBU seem like they don't care about fans and their social media man blocking them - Broadcasters throwing their artists under the bus and not financing them - The host putting zero effort into opening ceremony (turqoise carpet) -I know that this year it was not in focus, but I just can't accept that jury gives so many points to some entry that no one else has chance to surpass them

[@edoardo.middei]

i don’t want the delegations to stress their artist, i want them to make the artist have more decisions about the staging and the eventual dancers and props (yeah belgium and poland i’m talking about you🙄)

[@SimplethingsOfficial]

Yes Alesia.... CAMERA ANGLES ARE FREE!!!!

[@EdAPC]

I support this message. Especially things 9 and 10...and I want live vocals only. Hope they are listening.

[@ely03cassandra]

I’m Swiss and I just can’t imagine our broadcast giving the job of hosting to some amateur. That would be very unusual.

[@stump_7059]

My issue with the juries is not necessarily the way they vote (either in clusters or based on predestined notions of a country. They've been doing it for years now) my problem is with the presentation. I know why they do it in this order to give themselves time to validate the televotes and prepare graphics and such. However, it feels like the Jury points are given more importance with the long single announcement. Whereas the Televote is done in a couple of minutes. I would love to see on the Telecast how many 12 points the countries get from the Televote. Also I feel like they should give a disclaimer that the Juryshow is not the same show as the one the audience votes on.

[@GiovanniCarmosino-u4y]

Actually, some camera angles are NOT free. Wasn't there that shopping list of technical features that was leaked a few years ago? And as to digital ads, what DEFINITELY shouldn't be allowed is the ACTUAL FREAKING government directly buying those ads

[@karldr4yner]

I completely agree with you regarding the girl dance breaks as it feels very forced now… give us some male artists doing full choreo

[@jason256-8]

I am alright with most of the interval acts from the 2024 event but a new rule should be added, which is that sponsored adverts promoting a particular entry are prohibited.

[@stella_le]

all i want is no more loreen vs käärijä discourse like oh my g-d are we done is it over

[@EssexVerbonac]

I want to get back to 40+ participants, so very badly

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Same

[@GospodinNelson]

It's not gonna happen in 2025

[@daszkiewicz_borisovicz]

Thank you darling for this video. My 7 things I don’t need to see at ESC. 1. Unskilled media staff/provocateurs/bait media and gotcha journalism from all the sights (fan media, national media and even EBU accounts as well). Coverage matters and results in overall impression and image of the contest, we need to be protective to contest, to artists and to any other professional involved. 2. Previous contest winners returning to the competition without improvement/or transformation of their music. There are a lot of artists who need this stage and opportunity it gives. Give them a shot. 3. Basic songs in a sake of virtue signalling. 4. More than one country represented by one composer. 5. Forced English lyrics. 6. Broadcasters throwing their representatives under the bus leaving them alone without funding. (Romania’23 is an example). Here also goes the bullying by the national media. 7. All forms of bullying of an artists. Happy to see ESC-season started.

[@daszkiewicz_borisovicz]

Maybe two things to add. 8. “Eurovision is political” as an excuse of failure by artists/their staff. It’s a damn poor taste. Get over it and go on. 9. Controversial, but Ralph Siegel. Enough.

[@sarahenchanted]

100% agreed on "things that just happened". It feels extremely exploitative of traumatic things going on in the world and a cheap way to get attention and points. The first thing that comes to mind with the unnecessary dance breaks is Poland 23. It worked out in the end but in hindsight it felt little desperate (i still enjoy it tho) I think after last year, i would hope the EBU cracks down on ad campaigns to vote for xyz song. It seems to be something others have done recently and 2024 was the tip of the iceberg lol

[@trildi]

Also: can't the EBU just re-think the whole TikTok ''partnership''? It's awkward, it's dismissive of the fans and it looks amateurish given all the delays we experienced with posts in the last two years. Honestly, a KZbin partnership would probably produce more professional and sleek results.

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Well Tiktok paid... KZbin probably was shopped and they decided not to sponsor. It costs money to do Eurovision, more and more dollars every single year... TikTok is dictating music charts nowadays. Do I think they are getting everything they need out of the various partnerships: TikTok, included? Hell no. Do I think they should abandon partnering with TikTok? Absolutely not. What you're raising her makes it very clear that the Brand role they planned to add to the Eurovision team needs to be hired as soon as possible.

[@trildi]

@@AlesiaMichelle Yep, I understand, and I'm very realistic about the costs involved. Hopefully the new brand manager will ensure TikTok up their game, I just really hate them with a passion and I think they've alienated Eurovision fans. Let's see what improvements we can see this year!

[@henning1152]

The first point is interesting, what ends up winning Eurovision, is very much what is right in the moment. 2016, a song about ethnic crimean tatars and soviet warcrimes won during a current russian invasiion of Crimea. In 2018, a song very much involevolved with the metoo movement won in less than a year after it all began. In some cases I definitely agree that things should take time, but it depends on how it is made

[@heppolo]

I personally don't wanna hear songwriting camp songs at Eurovision, even "The Code" had that "we better tick all the right boxes" contrived element salvaged only by a tremendous performer.

[@davidcaleyachetty2785]

Hello, this is the first of your videos I have ever seen and thank you for your content. I agree with most of the things you said, especially about the interval acts. I thought the UK did it well in 2023 (maybe I’m a bit biased) but this year’s was awful. I also agree with you on the pointless props.

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Welcome aboard! 🙏🏾🤗

[@stevengoode7194]

What we don't need are entries using props,having dancers around them when there's no need for them.

[@KyleClarke-pj4dp]

I'm on the same wavelength as you on a few things. 1. Backing Tracks for Singers who can actually sing amazing 2. Props that aren't being used 3. Pyro for the sake of having it 4. Cheap Dance Breaks for the sake of having one. I don't mind the backing tracks for SOME artists but most shouldn't have them. I LOVE dance breaks but if we are to have them, they need to be Chanel, Eleni, Noa, Ruslana and Sarah Bonnici level and need to Wow people. A prop needs to be used and should be essential to the song and performance

[@a.s.1659]

the final point is so real i am so DONE with watching singers do badly on purpose and be rewarded with qualification over artists actually hitting notes successfully

[@PersonaNG-oo7ku]

Can you give me some examples of it? I've been thinking about the lineup this year and I couldn't really find an act that fit the description. Most singers that didn't deliver on the vocals (in my opinion at least) were not doing a joke/funny entry. Unless we're talking in general and it's about something from previous years.

[@escserg6731]

You are "so done" with them? Name at least one example, please. I don't remember anyone "doing badly on purpose and rewarded with qualification".

[@blackburdy5261]

i think your right about the hosts, i think the uk did it right with the mix of hosts in liverpool, but to be honest it was a cakewalk for them.

[@MickWard]

Just discovered your channel. Love what you're saying. Love you.

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Welcome!! And thank you for the kind words.

[@KieranLikesCake]

I like fun dance moves that the fandom can get behind but I agree otherwise about the dancing

[@Beckford4000]

Finland's Kaarija had everyone doing the dance. Poland's Blanka was so contrived, trying to copy Chanel, Elenie and even Noa, just to save an obviously poor song/singer. More Kaarija, less Blanka.

[@alexpapas99]

Well there is a country I don't wanna see.😊

[@AlesiaMichelle]

@@alexpapas99 they are confirmed

[@alex5623]

@@AlesiaMichelle Praying it gets revoked if they keep their actions up in Lebanon because there's no way it can be ignored at that point even if they turned a blind eye to the earlier vile acts. I'm just not ever going to watch Eurovision again if EBU doesn't learn its lesson.

[@javiaib9791]

Same here

[@in_wino_veritas]

Same here. But maybe they're either getting banned, or they would change course after the next election (but I don't know if the next government will be sworn in, let alone, stopped the war come May, or whether this is a scam election, just like in Russia)

[@MickTheCunt]

Germany?????

[@avilhelm]

I hope they do a Lys Assia tribute as an interval, if not all her 3 songs at least her winner and not just the chorus but the whole ass song please! Would I like Gjon's Tears to sing Refrain? Yes

[@Sk88p]

I agree on the meaningful movement for people who can sing, but certainly cannot dance. I Actually don't mind a dance break if the person can actuall dance and it's done right, like Noa Kirel last year, but yeah it should not become a standard thing. I do agree on also missing the interval acts from those ballet/dance schools. That is how you make commercial for your country. I still hope we see something related to Celine Dion. I would be a crime if they didn't!

[@KyleClarke-pj4dp]

I LOVE dance breaks, but I don't want cheap Dance breaks like Liar, Firefighter and Luktelk. I want dance breaks that WOW me, like Eleni Foureira, Chanel, Noa Kirel and Ruslana. The only two that wowed me this year were Sarah Bonnici and Kaleen, if we get dance breaks like there's if not better then I'll be happy

[@blackfishart]

Thanks! Appreciate your thoughts.

[@ely03cassandra]

If there will be again dance breaks next year, I want them from a male artist like Luca Hänni in 2019. We don’t really get male dance breaks.

[@escserg6731]

With the current voting system, I will always have issues with juries. Not because they push higher songs that are not my favorites or something (they can do whatever they want) but just for the fact that they have absolutely the same power as televoters have. People who want juries back to the semi finals are that kind of fans that literally became juries themselves. They stopped enjoying the show as casual people and started trying to be intelligent critics, overanalyzing each and every song, applying some categories to them, according to which some of them deserved to qualify / do well or not. That's understandable but still sad. Which joke entries didn't hit their notes and when? Finland was hitting everything this year. How do you objectively say if a song tells a good joke or a bad one? And that formulation that people that want certain kind of songs are not our friends is very problematic, very high school clique thing.

[@kieranedmunds2936]

Joosts vocal was awful and Finland improved from UMK but was still a bit iffy in places

[@sharkfinn4]

And the world was SAT. 🔥

[@AlesiaMichelle]

@@sharkfinn4 🤣

[@aaroncardwell4228]

😂 I’m surprised you didn’t mention bad internet connection during the rehearsals.

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Well the virtual press room was simply a fail last year…

[@georgededic6278]

Generally speaking there is clear difference between a joke entry and an 'out of the box' entry. I get that in some cases the lines are blurred but generally - Konstrakta - out of the box, Telemoveis from Portugal - out of the box, Finland 2024 - joke entry. Some out of the box entries can have exactly the same effect on the audience as a joke entry would WITHOUT devaluing the contest as whole and watering down the proposition for seasoned artists to participate! So please, please, please - no more joke entries! We can have amazing songs and still achieve a 'good laugh' for those casual viewers who tune in just for this reason. I just love the way you explain things Alesia, outstanding as always! :)

[@cendrapolsner8438]

I completely get what you're saying. I'd like to rephrase: I'm on board with any massive comedy and camp happening AS LONG AS I can feel and see a solid substance with it. That's why I couldn't enjoy Finland's Win95Man this year...I just saw a mediocre retro-style clownerie of pretended outrageousness for the sake of being just. that. When I saw Croatia´s Let3 in 2023 I saw an ultracamp punk-performance with artistic vision and skill to pull it off. Just like I love what you call "out-of-the-box" entries that are no joke entries at all but solid artistic visions.

[@Vandmelon15]

I’m torn about the juries in semifinal talk… After the Azerbaijan 2022 case, I see why they aren’t included in the semifinals, but I also think that this way of doing it kinda makes it more likely to happen that 1 song gets a lot of jury votes and wins in the final no water what the televote says. It kinda filters out the jury entries, so there are fewer jury friendly acts in the final and then they are more likely to go for 1 song…

[@AlesiaMichelle]

I hear this sentiment but I disagree... I argue we had PLENTY of "jury-friendly" songs advance and the notion that televoters won't gravitate toward "ballads" and/or "vocal moment" tracks typically seen as jury friendly is a bit overinflated imho.

[@kennet7837]

This year was the worst ESC. Not because of the song quality which was mostly good, but because of all the drama surrounding it. All I ask for is for ESC 2025 to not turn into a repeat of what just happened. This is the first time I'm glad ESC was over. I hate to say I'm not looking forward to the next edition.

[@ESC_FAN_SLOVENIA]

I agree with all of them but the last one is soooooooo real.

[@aaronward13]

I’m so with you on the copycat acts🙏🏻

[@dududu8078]

the queen has spoken

[@MariaMariamuzieklove]

I want no politics. I don’t want right wing European politicians asking their followers to vote for a certain country, to make an anti-Arabic statement.

[@danielt8449]

My 1 that i would add is countries losing momentum built in the last year... looking at you Ireland 🇮🇪 😂😅

[@Frederic1406]

Great insights, as always. I wouls add something which is maybe not as important but I am tired of the boring and uninspired postcards. Lisbon 2018 were poetic and Tel Aviv 2019 were excellent, you got really engaged. Since Rotterdam 2021 I have been bored to death, they generate a huge decline in my attention during the show instead of hyping me up for the next entry.

[@patrickmackin2941]

The one thing I don't wait to see is reacter over hypeing one song out off them all plus the live orchestra bk and singing live

[@Marcepan541]

What I really don't want is pathetic vocals hiding behind layers and layers of recording vocals....I know we are living in different times now but a strong pipes is a must. This is Eurovision! Come on now

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Agreed

[@MarkoTrenk]

Nek si ti njima rekla.

[@rylanelrick8106ops]

Who is your fate? Who do you want to win? Are you a fan of junior Eurovision?

[@KyleClarke-pj4dp]

I LOVE dance breaks in Eurovision, it's what got me hooked onto the contest. But if you aren't doing Chanel, Eleni, Noa, Ruslana, Kaleen, Sarah Bonnici level of performances and quality of dance breaks, then I don't want it because it comes off as a few things. A. It comes off as cheap B. The Dance Break is there for the sake of having one C. You don't care about the choreo and assuming that having a dance break by default will give votes. As much as I love Firefighter, Luktelk and Liar, the dance breaks were cheap and nothing we haven't seen from artists in and out of the contest. For 2025, I want dance breaks, but Chanel, Eleni, Noa, Kaleen, Ruslana and Sarah Bonnici level dance breaks. I want to be WOWed like I was with those performances. That to me is the point of a dance break

[@ely03cassandra]

I’m wondering if anybody will be trying to copy Nemo. I think that would be a difficult task. 😆

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Baby, Bambie, and Joost are the templates

[@Saturinus]

You keep saying "last year", but you mean "this year", right? 😅

[@AlesiaMichelle]

@@Saturinus okay WORD police you know what I mean

[@ZiaHere.]

new year starts in September ✌ ✌

[@Saturinus]

@@ZiaHere. lol 😄

[@MagnoliaaTree]

Hahahha same here the new year begins when eurovion ends. 😂

[@PennyAfNorberg]

2: look a esc 1991, when the wall fell down after esc 1990...

[@mike.a5726]

It's time we see something about the host country be presented on stage. I'm tired of seeing ex eurovision stars as an interval act. I wanna see chocolates, clocks and mountains. Promote your countries the right way ...At this point I wish some would pull an Azerbaijani promote level

[@AlesiaMichelle]

I agree

[@Soul-o1k]

If you like Eurovision why you don't react to junior Eurovision 2024?

[@AlesiaMichelle]

Because I want the CHILDREN to have fun-free of critique and commentary.

[@markharan86]

Number 0.5: Ireland flopping again

[@ESCHayden]

Nice video Alesia! 😎 Had me laughing at times. 😂 Agree with most of your points, though my maint point of difference is to do with voting campaigns. Absolutely do not want government departments plastering ads all over YT and TSq, no way. But don't have an issue with an artist putting a post on their *own* social media asking their fans to vote for them.

[@HejaSverige]

I don’t think that was what she meant but I agree

[@AlesiaMichelle]

@@ESCHayden there is nothing wrong with promoting ORGANIC on your own social. The issue is putting MONEY behind those posts.

[@ESCHayden]

@@AlesiaMichelle Ah yeah, I see what you mean. Agreed.

[@mastermaltese8731]

No1: Malta getting last!

[@nicolamarchbank1846]

Absolutely agree with the joke entry point! I am 41 now, I've been with this Contest since 1992, I do not find joke entries funny. I watch this for the range of proper songs and songwriting, the introduction to new artists and music scenes and the creative staging. I have a personal rule of thumb - if the British can't do it without being destroyed, you (insert country) can't either. The UK could NOT have sent 'No Rules', we'd be on a double Nul Points AGAIN. No problem with Estonia, because there was a point to the lyrics, they were saying something substantive, whether you agree with the point or not. Finland was a toilet-break. About the hosting point, boy am I glad we got away with it with Hannah. That could have gone very wrong and really was just powered by her personality and the fact that she could speak French and the British are famous for not being able to speak our own indigenous languages, never-mind foreign languages. I agree totally about the dance-break thing. I didn't like it in 2023. I don't want it now. Deliberate body movements, hand-movements, interactions with backing performers like Portugal 2024 that was effective. The emersive staging event that is most memorable (UK) did not work and probably repelled a lot of people, so I get your point. I find Sweden very style over substance most years, so I would like a refocus on the songs myself. About interval acts, I agree, that was Sweden on autopilot. I am sorry, I am a nerd, but I think of David Hasselhoff's version of 'Hooked on a Feeling' first, because its just camp as hell and it's the Hoff. Blue Suede also covered the song, so it's not even their song. I didn't think I would ever say that the BBC out did SVT at Eurovision, but I think they did. It would be lovely if we got an interval performance which mixes their own very unique mixed culture, make an asset out of the different dance and music styles of the main communities in Switzerland or even poke fun at the stereotypes around their country, chocolate bunnies and Heidi etc. There's definitely a rock and metal scene to explore in Switzerland. I am okay with a degree of Eurovision nostalgia if done well, like Lys Assia, Celine, Peter Sue and Marc, Esther Ofraim, Daniela Simons, Annie Cotton, Vanilla Ninja, Anna Rossinelli, Sinplus, Sealter, G'jon and others in the history and potential redemption for Timebelle given the staging in 2017.

[@ludwighaas8227]

i dont want to see the audience boo a talented artist because of their nationality or their religion

[@AlesiaMichelle]

That’s not why folks boo’d

[@Uil7686]

Dont act delusional, you know the real reason they boo`d

[@mirzasara85]

I would like to see a Palestine 🇵🇸 flag at Eurovision

[@bammer180and1]

Yess! I have been streaming “Trafik” almost daily lol!

[@alarmamanchester]

I don’t want to see MO

[@MewDenise]

I don't wanna see any booing. Be silent instead

[@AlesiaMichelle]

I said this almost 10 years ago… still feel the same

[@PesmazaAIviziju]

11 - Måns Zelmerlöw 😇 Nah seriously the only thing i'd add to the list is that part of the community creating dramas for no reason and harrassing artists, would be great if they could take a break.

[@natasafortuna6521]

Borning comment, but I can only say I agree Michele! 😊

[@samuelgalea7679]

Countries investing in their artist through marketing because they really believe in their entry shouldn’t be punished .. others should send acts they believe in

[@AlesiaMichelle]

YOU CAN PROMOTE THE SONG without ADS YOU SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RUN ADS TO GARNER VOTES- period.

[@venycal]

Teatime with Alesia Michelle ☕❤

[@UsernameUsername0000]

12:01 😳😳😳 No worries I’m not a bot tho. This is just a burner account I use because nobody wants 10 people spamming and cussing under their comment to clog their actual account’s notification.