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I love a damn good head-banger! He is going for as many televote points as he can get to close the gap on Loreen and maybe pass her. And he stayed on tune this time!

Alika is going to move up big-time!

We are getting close to the real heat!

The commercial break is going to help Blanca, with the performance sinking deep into everyone's minds before Loreen comes.

I've got chills after that one! If she doesn't finish 3rd or higher, something is terribly wrong!

Oh, boy! Here we go! Blanca can break a lot of hearts out there tonight and steal it all!

La Zarra is likely to siphon some serious points from the top contenders ranked above her.

But if Finland is too close to Sweden after the jury vote, they could swipe it from them with a big televote score. I'm betting on the possibility that Spain gets 2nd in both the jury and televote and steal the whole thing.

I thought otherwise. What started out as a tribute to Oleh's mother became a tribute to all the women (including mothers) fighting the war. I picked them for 4th last year, and scored them 3rd in the final. They were contenders before Putin threw his deadly temper-tantrum. Ukraine has been on an electro/EDM/hip-hop roll lately, 4 years straight, including the 2020 cancellation.

And this is how I saw the automatic finalists as their performances were presented at the Eurovision Web site: 9.58 France (#4 bookies' contender as of Tuesday at 12:00 P.M., E.D.T.) After last year's shocking disappointment, La Zarra and her team used the playbook of Barbara Pravi from 2021. This time, they start off slow, but they quickly transition into a dance tune, bringing the video to the stage. She is a real contender tonight. 9.45 Germany (14) Aafter a steady stream of embarrassing failures (2018 being a surprising exception), they turned to something they haven't tried yet: Hard rock, sending industrial metal band Lord of the Lost, outfit, ferocity and all, to change their fortunes. They figure to be in the hunt for a top-10 finish, but they may have to get past Australia to get there. 9.54 Italy (8) Italy does not send scrubs! Ever! And after 10 years, Marco is back with another ballad to give Italy an upward bump from last year's outcome. And the song and his delivery might be more than enough. 9.63 Spain (5) After a nasty streak of below-top-20 finishes ended with Chanel finishing 3rd, Blanca comes to prove that last year wasn't a fluke. And from what I saw in the video and on stage, if Loreen or Käärijä slip up, or the juries or the public slip up in their voting, she could steal it all. The song and the performance are beyond exceptional. 9.51 Ukraine (3) Tvorchi and the song are here to prove that Putin's war will not stop them, and though short, the ferocity of the music and stage performance exemplify that. No one expects a repeat of last year's televote tsumani, but they are almost certain to finish in the top-half. 9.44 United Kingdom (10) With all the major contenders having come and gone, and Mae Muller herself being a top-10 contender, nonetheless there are people who are genuinely afraid that, in going last, she will be forgotten and she will be at risk of ending up with at least one more goose-egg for the U.K.; never mind that the video was among the very best in the competition, and that the stage performance is on par with other contenders with dance routines. Right now, Loreen is given a 52% chance of winning, but recent polls suggest Käärijä (with a 22% chance) could topple her. Will the end result be a foregone conclusion, or will Helsinki celebrate? Or will there be a huge upset in the making? My bet for the upset is on Blanca.

Mad sweat for me after last night's semi. But most of whom I wanted in the final got in. Here is how I saw it: 9.35 (12) Denmark (#29* bookies' contender as of Tuesday, 12:00 P.M., E.D.T.) My guess is that the EBU looked at the bookies' boards and knew that Reiley (25 but looks much younger) had no chance. What little activity that was on stage wasn't enough to get the fans' hearts racing, given what was to come. 9.47 (8) Armenia (12) More often than not, Armenia sends a stage production that tends to keep all eyes glued to the contender and the graphics simultaneously (think 2016). Start slow, build to a thundering climax. Perfect example of how to build a song, which Brunette did (having written it herself). 9.34 (14) Romania (37) Smart move for Theodor (who is 18) to deviate from his recorded version and start off slow with the guitar. Perhaps the song was too racy for a guy his age, no? He'll have plenty of years to improve if he wants to come back. 9.55 (1) Estonia (25) Bookies gave Alika no chance of qualifiying; and yet, a song like this was the epitome of classic Eurovision. Needless to say, best singer in this semifinal, and whoever was her stage director did an enormously fantastic job. 9.42 (9) Belgium (28) I expected Gustaph to barely miss out on qualifying. Fortunately the stage performance showed us more than what I saw in the video; and I found myself almost comparing this to Serhat's performance from 2019. And who would have thought we'd hear early-to-mid-1990s-style house music on the show this deep into the 21st century? 9.47 (7) Cyprus (22) Overuse of a backing vocal track could have cost Andrew his place in the final. But his performance was strong enough to qualify. He should have brought the band with him. 9.30 (15) Iceland (30*) After 4 straight strong years for Iceland (including the 2020 cancellation and a surprise qualification last year), Diljá's solo stage performance was a far cry from what Loreen, Brunette and Alika put on stage before her. 9.37 (10) Greece (31) This 16-year-old kid had some of the best lyrics in the contest, which could easily be someone's life story today. What Victor's stage director should have brought to the stage was (1) the rain and thunder from his music video on the CGI screens, and (2) the bench with him starting off sitting on it with his guitar. The outfit he wore (especially those shorts) might have been too young even for him, especially as tall as he is. And that is why I think the performer who came next stole his spot. Evidently, the 12 points from Cyprus couldn't help him to squeak by. 9.36 (11) Poland (23) Producers revamped Blanka's song for her and her backups to perform a dance routine on stage. She had more than enough time to cover the 3-minute limit. Quite probably the strategy saved her from being sent packing. 9.54 (3) Slovenia (18) Joker Out probably had one of the most interesting videos in the roster. I knew this was going to be a band performance beforehand, and they had to sell it well, because Slovenia's record has been a tug-of-war; in 2 years and out 2 years; and even they acknowledged that they ride the razor's edge every time they play at Eurovision. Nonetheless, this performance was light-years ahead of last year's; but to have to wait until the last country was revealed had to exasperate and even scare many. It would have been highway robbery if they had given that spot to anyone else. 9.34 (13) Georgia (26) Once in a while you get a song with the most nonsensical lyrics of all the entries. Unfortunately this song fit the bill by far. Even before she took the stage, I thought that, for Iru to save herself a spot in the final, she had to bring the music video (primarily the dancers) to the stage. Unfortunately her team left the stage entirely to her. 9.30 (16) San Marino (35*) Piqued Jacks brought their music video late to the game. Despite that, their stage performance, more or less, was basic rock, and maybe too basic, the same thing that broke Bulgaria's Intelligent Music Project last year. 9.49 (6) Austria (10) Who would have thought an Austrian duo would apply comedy to a tribute to an American poet? The stage performance was very good; but I think their choice of wardrobe (for themselves and their backup dancers) and graphics didn't exactly fit the type of song they were performing. And that is why Teya and Salena took a bit of a nosedive on my scorecard (based on 10 criteria that I use for the stage performances). 9.55 (2) Albania (34*) Bookies gave Albina Kelmendi and her family absolutely no chance at all to make it to Saturday. They brought to the stage what Pasha brought on Tuesday: Culture and a good story; and they sold it like a family in crisis. Wardrobe, graphics and all, this was among the very best yesterday. I would not be surprised if they finished in the top-half of the board. 9.52 (5) Lithuania (27) "Čiūto Tūto"; is there a definition for it, or is it a chant like "Fa-la-la-laaa-la-laa-la-laaa" in "'Tis The Season"? Either way, from one tasteful performance to the next, with a story of her own, no surprise that Monika earned her way back into the final, as she did with Vaidas Baumila in 2015. 9.54 (4) Australia (13) In 2018, I thought Waylon should have brought his motorcycle on stage when he performed "Outlaw In 'Em". Who would have thought the Aussies would go one better and bring a car? If you exclude the rock elements in Käärijä's song, Voyager is probably the better hard-rocker in this roster, and could put themselves in the top 10.

And here is my take on yesterday's semifinal: 9.42 (11) Norway (#6 bookies' contender as of 12:00 P.M., E.D.T., on the day of the competition) The benchmark for the competition. Alessandra's stage performance was easier to grade than the video. She was shaky enough that I thought she was in trouble. Nonetheless, I had a feeling she would still qualify. 9.38 (12) Malta (32) Something entirely different from Malta; but I gather the public was getting the same vibes from The Busker that they got from Citi Zēni (Latvia) last year. 9.42 (9) Serbia (16) What to follow "Biti zdrava"? Something seductive or to mesmerize the audience with. And the music fits the mood. Luke Black was riding the razor's edge on my pre-contest evaluations, but his stage performance (better than his national contest performance) pretty much got him across the cutoff point. 9.34 (14) Latvia (36) Alt-rock has a place in this contest. Unfortunately, not all alt-rock is embraced equally and some alt-rockers find themselves in the wrong year. This is one of those years for Sudden Lights and their song. Latvia has failed to qualify in 12 of the last 14 contests (excluding 2020). 9.65 (2) Portugal (24) Mimicat is probably the best singer in this year's roster, and she uses her voice for a fun, well-choreographed stage performance worthy of contention. 9.21 (15) Ireland (19) Despite their late-rise on the bookies' boards, it was a foregone conclusion to me that Wild Youth had no chance here. A typical textbook pop/rock composition (yet again) had zero chance against the advanced material that came before and after them. Ireland has failed to qualify 8 out of the last 9 times (excluding 2020). 9.35 (13) Croatia (17) Obviously I misread what I thought the audience thought of Let 3's performance, because to me, compared to their video, it looked quite a bit sloppy at first watch. I will undoubtedly get a better second look in the final. Needless to say, they made their feelings about the leading purveyors of war known. 9.50 (5) Switzerland (14) Peace, peace, love, love; that's what everyone wants; but reality is very hard to ignore. The lyrics of Remo Forrer's song are being played out right now, as countless hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled the country (and probably never to return), to avoid the prospect of conscription (some being literally dragged to bootcamp, even at gunpoint, when last I read), and being thrown straight into Putin's meat grinder in eastern Ukraine. 9.42 (10) Israel (7) Noa's performance was undoubtedly heavily dance-driven, putting on display even more than what I could have perceived from the music video. 9.53 (4) Moldova (20) A heavily-culture-oriented performance from Pasha (wardrobe and all) could give Moldova back-to-back top-10 finishes and 3 straight finishes in the top-half. 9.56 (3) Sweden (1) Showmanship is Loreen's strongest asset, and once again she puts it on display; but in the eyes of many, probably not as strong as was 11 years ago; and once more, she is facing stronger competition. She will figure greatly on the jury side of the scorecard Saturday. 9.42 (8) Azerbaijan (33) This performance, from twins Tural and Turan, was unlike anything Azerbaijan has ever put forth; a journey back to turn-of-the-millennium soft-rock/alt-rock. I have a soft spot for feel-good tunes; unfortunately, the Eurovision public this year thought otherwise. Once more, the contenders this year advanced only by public vote; quite probably precipitated by jury improprieties in which the Azerbaijani delegation may have been involved. 9.43 (7) Czechia (11) I was expecting that Vesna bring their music video outfits and routines to the stage. So much the better that they didn't. And a flurry of multiple languages will likely get them votes from more places. 9.45 (6) Netherlands (21) Was there a chance that Mia and Dion could finish even half as well as did Ilse and Waylon (2nd) in 2014? Maybe. Unfortunately pop ballads may be on the outs with this year's viewers and audience. 9.65 (1) Finland (2) Awww, $#!+! Here comes the heat! Exactly what I thought when the stage went dark before Käärijä went to work. A mixture of electronic dance, rock and a lot of energy, with audience participation elevating the ferocity of this performance, says to me that he could very well have the televote locked up. How close will he be to Loreen, should she win the jury vote on Saturday? That could make the difference between winning and losing. Then again, there are 22 more contenders yet to perform.

I will be occupied during the live broadcast. I will watch and evaluate the performances later tonight. As always, I will shield myself from any news or site that might reveal the results before I watch the semi.

Well, my evaluations have ended, all of which I have done without having watched any of the national contests or the rehearsals. These are based entirely on the songs (audio) and music videos they sent to the EBU; and as always, I use 10 criteria... 9.70 Spain (9.70 for the song, 9.70 for the video) 9.65 Finland (9.72/9.58) 9.63 Portugal (9.68/9.58) 9.58 Italy (9.60/9.56) 9.56 Austria (9.58/9.54) 9.55 France (9.58/9.52) 9.55 Sweden (9.50/9.58) 9.54 United Kingdom (9.46/9.62) 9.50 Azerbaijan (9.48/9.52) 9.49 Estonia (9.50/9.48) Croatia 9.48, Albania 9.48, Australia 9.47, Lithuania 9.45, Moldova 9.45, Slovenia 9.45, Greece 9.45, Czechia 9.44, Switzerland 9.44, Ukraine 9.43; Netherlands 9.42, Cyprus 9.42, Germany 9.42, Armenia 9.40, Norway, 9.37, Serbia 9.37, Malta 9.36, Israel 9.36, Romania 9.30, Latvia 9.29; San Marino 9.28, Belgium 9.27, Denmark 9.26, Poland 9.23, Iceland 9.20, Georgia 9.20, Ireland 9.17. After 10 years of watching this show, it is even more obvious that, with a good song, you have to be able to sell it to your listeners, on stage or in a video, or both. This year, I think Blanca did the best job with both the audio and video aspect of the song.

My second round of evaluations is complete. It took 6 days this time, as opposed to 4 days for my first evaluation. Nonetheless, once again, I have to give it to Spain! Italy remains 2nd on my scorecard, with Portugal moving up to 3rd. Austria slips to 4th, and Finland moves up to 5th. Albania, Sweden, the U.K., Croatia and Azerbaijan round out the rest of my top 10. Where Marco Mengoni's performance (including the music video) is driven almost entirely on substance, and Loreen's is driven almost entirely on style (which will be challenged as her team tries to come up with a new stage setup), Blanca Paloma has both. That spacy electronic sound goes very well with the lyrics and the way she sings. If the stage setup is anything close to what I believe it could be, she will win. Right now, the nostalgia of Mimicat, the comedy of Teya and Salena, and the ferocity of Käärijä are among those who trail her.

Once again, and for the 11th-straight year (including the 2020 cancellation), I get to evaluate what has been sent forth to this contest. I must say, though, after my first evaluation and viewing of the performances (I always do 3 before the contest begins, and always with 10 criteria), I thought only 13 songs this year were superior to last year's. Be that as it may, after my first evaluation, Spain's Blanca Paloma, with "Eaea", came up as my number 1. Italy's Marco Mengoni (7th in 2013), with "Due Vite", is my number 2. Austria's Teya and Salena, with "Who The Hell Is Edgar?" is my number 3. Sweden's Loreen (winner in 2012), with "Tattoo", is my number 4. Estonia's Alika, with "Bridges", is my number 5. Azerbaijan, Finland, Albania, the U.K. and France round out my top 10.

Here is the rest of my scorecard... 9.49 Switzerland 9.49 Netherlands 9.48 Moldova 9.47 Serbia 9.46 Greece 9.44 Australia 9.43 Czech Republic 9.41 Belgium 9.40 Azerbaijan 9.40 Germany 9.40 Romania 9.39 Lithuania 9.38 Armenia 9.37 Finland 9.35 Iceland I will likely have more to say on this later.

Welcome back to the top 10, U.K. Don't screw it up with next year's selection. Now you know what works and what don't!

U.K. needed 349. He got 183. With Sweden's points, it's definitely over.

363 points left on the board! UKRAINE WINS!

Two have to come up IMMENSELY SMALL and the last one must come up BIG!

591 remaining for the other 3. It's over. We're likely going to Lviv!

GAME OVER, MAN!!! GAME OVER!!!

57 for Greece, 36 for Portugal. That #3 spot hurt.

110 this time.