Lithuania. Lots of songs. No time to talk. Let’s go.
The semi-final opened with a nice dance troupe. I really like dance interval/opening acts, especially when they’re good - and this was good for sure. After that, we get to see the hosts for the fist time and one of them looks like Sivester Belt with glasses. Anyway, I’ll skip most of the talking because I’m watching this over a month later.
Also, no general thoughts sections for each individual semi-final, sorry.
The first song is just alright. It doesn’t make me feel any particular way, but it’s vaguely pleasant and listenable, even though it’s mostly made up of title repetitis. At least her vocals were decent. Still, it goes into one ear and out of the other.
I will never hate a cute indie ditty like this. It’s obviously chanceless in any kind of contest, but that won’t stop me from liking it. I would’ve liked it more if it had been more expressive, though.
This is serving drama in a very likeable way. Sure, it’s a total vocal show-off (where she didn’t manage to pull off the high notes very well), but it has a very intriguing and compelling instrumental accompanying it, which really elevates it. I also like the staging - it’s surprisingly high-quality and really helps convey the song better.
Qualified
Add this to the pile of songs that I find mostly unremarkable but not offensively bad. She had a pleasant voice, but the song sounded like something I could’ve heard on the radio somewhere in 2017. Still, it’s a fair effort, I suppose.
This is so weird. There’s a catchy hook, but it’s too reggaeton for me to actually like in any significant way. It’s the first time I thought that maybe there were indeed way too many submissions. But at least the LED backdrop was cool.
My biggest complaint so far is the font they use for titles. It’s in all caps, but the letter “e” is the lowercase version, just scaled up for some reason. The letter “s” looks like the IPA symbol for the “sh” sound. It just irritates me.
This wasn’t scary, but I don’t think it was too beautiful either. Ok, the staging was actually very pretty - LED technology has come a long way since 2003. Unfortunately, it can’t really save the song itself from being bland. Again, not bad, just bland.
Qualified
They’re competent performers, but the song isn’t very exciting. It feels like its verses:chorus ratio is around 1:10 and the chorus just repeats the title for 90% of its length. But the actually good performance swayed me towards this. I just wish the song was better.
Another cool opening act for another semi-final. Let’s see what LRT had for us in store here.
There’s something unfinished about this song, but I still don’t mind it as a whole. The staging is nice, and the vocals are decent, but the overall package doesn’t come together.
Qualified
This is very far away from being a song I enjoy. The verses are tiny, and the chorus is just made up of the title, which is repeated one million times. There’s nothing to analyse here because, once again, it just feels like a demo.
Qualified
This is clearly the weak semi-final. She’s the first vocalist who consistently sounds off while singing this song, which sounds like a demo. As the title suggests, it heavily relies on repeating “lalala” in the chorus, which is a bit of a pet peeve for me. It’s a very solid no from me. But the staging is kinda nice, I have to admit.
There’s something not-so-bad about this. It’s got a very severe case of title repetitis, but I actually don’t mind it for some weird reason. The more this went on, the more interested I got in the whole thing, especially during the bridge, which really works. In general, it’s quite fun and groovy, and she’s a good performer.
Very average. I don’t have much to say about this. This is one of the songs of all time. I guess it gets some points for being in Lithuanian, although Lithuania isn’t afraid of their own language, so these points aren’t big.
This is a painful listen. There are maybe some interesting ideas buried here, but they’re very small and buried very deep. It’s just repetitve and uninteresting. Plus, the vocal is bad too.
Third heat, nine more songs. No substantial comments from me here.
I was expecting something different based on the opening ethnic wail, but instead I got something a lot more dancey and upbeat. Surprisingly, this works overall even despite setting different expectations. I even think that her high voice complements this song well. It’s a very enjoyable package.
This is very reminiscent of a Donny Montell entry. It’s polished an poppy, performed well and just generally fun. I wouldn’t call it a huge standout, but it’s definitely very enjoyable. My only problem is that he looks too small on that stage alone when they switch to the wide-angle camera. Either the performance should’ve been more intimate or he should’ve had some dancers or backing singers.
The performers have very nice harmonies, which is important when there are multiple performers. I really like their translucent black dresses - they look very cool and fit the kinda mysterious and slightly sexy vibes they give off. Plus, the chorus is very catchy and equally as good as the verses, which is a rarity this season.
And the way they freeze at the end as the lights turn off ties the whole performance together. And this is just a semi-final performance with a lower budget.
Qualified
After bringing one of my favourite songs last year, they really excited me again by entering this year. However, while the song is even better, the live performance really leaves a lot to be desired. The lead singer is a hottie sounds extremely breathy at the start of each verse, which really takes me out of the whole thing. In general, the vocal performance leaves a lot to be desired - like when one of the members tries to headbang with his hair still tied together, which made me wince a little. Still, the song is great, and I won’t ignore it.
Here’s how you do a one-word chorus right. I think the key is that the distorted backing vocals in the chorus manage to provide enough variety so it doesn’t feel repetitive and lazy. It also helps that the choruses all have a different structure. The first chorus is minimalistic, the second one adds a beat and distorted vocals, while the third chorus incorporates some different lines. I also like the verses, which ground the song and make it sound more accessible. And, of course, the beautiful staging helps keep the viewer’s attention on the song for its full duration. I think this is easily one of the most creative and compelling songs of the whole selection.
Qualified
This is pure joy. It’s also a little cheesy, but we all need performers who are on stage simply because they love performing. It obviously isn’t a total masterpiece or anything, but it was a nice departure from the classic duet where the performers stand still and sing while staring each other in the eyes. I’m also surprised that they sounded pretty good, considering they weren’t just dancing; they were jumping, too, which really messes with the vocals. I definitely enjoyed it.
Qualified (wildcard)
Apart from a different opening act, everything is still the same. Lots of songs, lots of work to do, no time to waste.
This definitely feels like something that would come from the Baltics. It also feels like something from the early 2000s Eurovision. I don’t mean any of these statements as a negative - I love 2000s Eurovision. It’s just that the strong Spanish vibe remind me of the kind of music a lot of countries used to enter back then. And while I didn’t find it too remarkable, I thought it was pleasant.
Ah, yes, music. This definitely is music. Ok, this is a little harsh because it’s mostly pleasant - he has a nice voice, and the dancer on stage helps with the storytelling. But the song is so generic and unexceptional that I can’t rank it any higher than I have. And I’ll avoid any horny comments about his look.
This sounds like every radio-friendly song ever. It doesn’t do anything that offends my ears, but nothing about it interests me either. It just exists for three minutes, and that’s it.
Now here’s some proper fun. Even I find it catchy despite not speaking Lithuanian. The music is really fun to listen to as well thanks to it being quite catchy and the performance is memorable as well. The vocals aren’t anything to write home about, however.
Qualified
Qualified
Qualified (wildcard)
We’re back to songs that sound unremarkable. I don’t have anything bad to say about this, but I also don’t have anything good to say either, so I’ll just stick this with the rest and move on.
Oh no, electro-swing. Ok, I actually don’t dislike electro-swing and especially this interpretaton of it because it avoids overly aggressive scatting or anything like that. It’s just a pleasant retro swing song with an enjoyable performance. I can see why both the juries and the public rated it 3rd.
Does anyone care about these intro blurps? I don’t think anyone does. You’re all here for my song reviews anyway, and it’s not like anything unexpected happens during the opening.
This isn’t actually half-bad. The lyrics are super trite, of course, as if someone used AI to generate them, and the melody is generic, but the performance is actually really good. The live backing vocalists add a lot to this and give it sme warmth. Her performance is very warm too, however, she could’ve pulled off the vibe by herself too. I also like the outfits they’re all dressed in.
A nice rock song like this will never go amiss for me. It’s a very pleasant listen, and they sing it well. While it’s a little generic, it doesn’t make me enjoy it less. After all, most songs are generic because it’s all a normal distribution. I’m always willing to give big props to a competent song like this despite that.
It’s vaguely pleasant but not much more. Her vocals are clearer than they were back in 2018, but the song just bores me because it’s so one-note. There’s basically no progression at all - and you know how I feel about songs like this. Instead of the chorus, she just repeats the same phrase over and over again, which is another huge pet peeve of mine - in fact, I’m starting to hate this trope more and more with each passing day. The staging with lots of fabric is kinda nice, but doesn’t save it at all.
This feels like a joke entry, but it takes itself way too seriously and plays every stereotype too straight to be one. There’s one good thing about this: his vocal, which fits this kind of country music stereotype. Ok, I’m also glad they fully committed to the staging and the costumes, but that won’t save the fact that I just don’t care for the song. It’s basically the opposite of styles I usually listen to, but at least it’s well-executed.
Whether a high voice like this will work for me is basically a cointoss. Here, it works for me, thankfully. I think the key is that she doesn’t oversing it, so it doesn’t sound like a simple vocal show-off. It also helps that I have a slight weakness for piano ballads like this, so the simpler and more subdued instrumental helps balance out the vocals as well. And this is another example of an interpretive dancer actually adding to the song. It was really enjoyable.
Common logic suggests not to put two piano ballads one after the other, but I actually think this was a good choice. This way, I can directly compare them and say why both of them work despite being quite different. Firstly, it has a very memorable staging: having no LED usage can still make you stand out, and lights alone are more than enough. Well, that and an incredibly expressive singer that really elevates it.
I also like that it starts with a chorus, which is pretty rare in Eurovision. This kinda lays out what you can expect from the song (so that it can subvert your expectations later). The first chorus and the following verse are exactly what you can expect - a soft piano ballad with not much going on. But then the synths kick in for the second half of the verse and create a great atmospheric feel. I also love the way the lights all turn off before the final line of the final chorus.
Sadly, this is on the irritating side of generic. The melody feels like a 5-second loop repeated again and again, while the chorus is just the title sung over and over. And, of course, it has a stompy breakdown section, which just makes it feel even more trite. But at least he has a decent voice, so it wasn’t absolutely irritating to sit through.
Qualified
Qualified
Here we have the 12 best songs of the selection, according to the juries and the televote. I (slightly) disagree, but what can I do?
This is the first song I actually dislike. It’s cheesier than I can take, but at least the staging isn’t as tryhard as in the semi-final. In the semi-final, he had two backing performers - a man and a woman - who were pretending on a date, and then Noy randomly replaced the male performer for some reason. It gave off weird vibes, but at least I liked the attempt. In the final, he just replaced the dancers with a silhouette on the LED screen, which made it more coherent and less funny, so at least I can give some credit there.
I found this song to be a little underwhelming. It has a nice vibe, but I’m not too fond of the other components. First of all, it’s very repetitive. This is one of those songs that has a chorus that just consists of one line repeated over and over again, which is a trope I’m growing more and more tired of with each passing day because it’s just so lazy. It’s a shame because the verses aren’t all that bad.
Something about this feels Melfest-y, but not necessarily in a bad way. I think it’s the sleek and polished production style and the staging. The lasers and the dark backdrop all feel distinctly Nordic to me, which proves that the Baltics are indeed a part of Northern Europe. Though I do like it. It’s a fun listen and gives a positive first impression.
This has some cool elements, especially the staging. The effects actually add to the performance and it helps that they’re used very sparingly (and it’s basically just a shaking effect). I really liked the way the white background became red when the song became more dramatic in the semi-final, but they removed it in the final, which is a shame. The lyrics are also written well and I like the snappy delivery Gebrasy has. Overall, this is very professional and sleek in a very good way.
I could see this being an Albanian entry, and I mean that positively. There’s a screaming woman and an interesting instrumental. Of course, this means that I really like this. I think she expresses herself on stage really well, and I’m really fond of the interplay between the loud and quiet sections. It’s a genuinely outstanding performance, and the song totally deserved to qualify for the final. I also like the staging in the final a lot more: the psychedelic backdrop is weird in a good way, and the fog on stage adds to the atmosphere.
I didn’t find this very special in the semi-final, but it really popped in the final. First of all, the guy has a gorgeous voice, which is important for a gospel song like this. He also brings live vocalists, which greatly improves the overall impression of the act. The simple but clever use of the background LED also helps it because it helps him convey the message of the lyrics a lot better. The only thing I didn’t really like was the bridge. It does fit with the song thematically, but it broke the musical flow too much for me to appreciate its inclusion.
I’m not a fan of the chorus with her stretching out the title into “taaayaaaaayaaaaaared”, but I do like kinda the instrumental. Guitars are always cool. Still, this is probably the least standout entry in the final. It’s just ok.
It took me until I was halfway through the song to properly get it. At first, I was afraid that this dark mood wouldn’t last and they’d trade it for better accessibility. Thankfully, not only didn’t they do that, but they doubled down on that mood in the bridge. And sure, I usually complain about songs just repeating one word over and over, but this song does it right. What does it do differently, you might ask? Well, it doesn’t just loop the same four notes over and over again. Instead, the music continues building up and progressing, which keeps it interesting.
I also love the staging for this. The backgrounds and the lighting evolve with the song to properly set the mood. What starts off as a pure white LED backdrop takes us on a whole journey through dark fields and then space - although they sped up the white part in the final, which made it a little less good in my opinion. There’s also a very effective use of lights. I suppose this is another reason why the song remains interesting - the staging is visually gorgeous.
This was the clear standout of its semi-final. As my musical theory knowledge is somewhere in the negatives, I have no idea what it does to sound interesting, but it clearly does something. Musically, it’s almost hypnotic, while the staging conveys the story really well. Even I, someone who only knows what “labas vakaras”, “sveki” and “mano kortelė” mean in Lithuanian, can understand the message with ease.
Everything about this makes me uncomfortable. It started off as a nice folky song, which made me expect something cutesy and cosy. I like cute things. Instead, it goes on with her wishing death on her ex. “I watched you jaywalk / And I wished for the wheels to welcome your head”. And she sings it with such a happy face and a smile that it gives me shivers, and not in a good way at all. I’m sure this was the intention - to make the audience feel creeped out, but I simply dislike this.
As far as artistic songs go, this is much better than The Bluest Bell. I really like the “ethnic choir” opening, which immediately creates a bit of an unsettling atmosphere. I also like the outfit because it easily conveys the message even to people who don’t speak Lithuanian: this is about domestic abuse. Clearly, this is also about male domestic abuse, which isn’t talked about very often, but should. I think it’s great that a topic like that is being brought up on, well, not international stage, as this is still the Lithuanian selection, but at least it’s being brought up publicly.
I’m also glad that this song is good. It’s also unsettling, but this time it’s in a good way. I’m pretty sure this song sounds dissonant (not that I can actually tell, my musical knowledge is very poor), which is why it sounds unsettling (instead of just having gruesome lyrics set to a happy instrumental). Despite that, it’s still pleasant to listen to, which is good. And, judging by the translation of the lyrics, it’s also really well-written, which also makes it appeal to me. I like the painting metaphor used for relationships and draining someone’s colours as a metaphor for abuse. I think it would’ve been too bold for Eurovision, but I really hope he tries again next year.
This is the most televote baity entry of the whole selection so far. And, to my surprise, I don’t mean this negatively. It’s actually really enjoyable because they perform it well. The vocals are good, the music is nice and memorable, and the staging fits this kind of song. It’s super enjoyable, and I’m glad it was put through to the final as a wildcard. And it’s also a fitting closer, so I’m not surprised to see this at the end of the show.
I think this was a very strong selection. There were very few songs I found really bad, though a lot of them were very middle-of-the-road. Still, most of the right entries qualified for the final and the best song even won overall, which shows that Lithuanians are sensible people who make the right choices. While most people complain that having 45 songs in the selection is bad, I think this is a good format because it clearly works for Lithuania. They’ve qualified for the past four years in a row and got decent results. Therefore, I don’t think anything needs to be changed. However, I’d maybe add a second chance round instead of giving a direct wildcard to some entries to make it feel fairer.
This is only the third time I’m putting a winning song at the top of my ranking this season. Yay!