Serbia
Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava
You wait for years for a Eurovision entry inspired by Nine Inch Nails and now, on the heels of Latvia’s entry, comes a second one. The first-ever Serbian artist signed by Universal Records, Black has poured his post-lockdown angst into a noir-ish slab of cyberpop. It’s essentially NIN’s Pretty Hate Machine goes inter-railing. And yet, there’s no arguing with its claustrophobic punch.
Slovenia
Joker Out – Carpe Diem
One of the year’s more anonymous entries – it’s The Killers meets The 1975, without the attitude or the spark.
Spain
Blanca Paloma – Eaea
Rosalía is Spain’s biggest pop star since Julio Iglesias – so it is no surprise that her cybernetic flamenco sound has filtered down to Eurovision, as can be heard in Eaea, from costume-designer turned Euro contender Paloma.
Sweden
Loreen – Tattoo
Loreen already claimed Eurovision for Sweden in 2012. Now she’s back for a second tilt, with a serving of frosty electro-pop. Both imperious and aloof and cheesier than a French farmer’s market, it has all the attributes of a potential Eurovision winner.