National final season is once again upon us, and Montesong 2024 will be the first competition in which we will know a Eurovision 2025 contender.
Montenegro returns to Eurovision after skipping the contest in 2023 and 2024. They have had national finals in the past to select their act, but the last time they did so was in 2019. Montesong 2024 is a new competition, and there are 16 contenders. This contest will take place on Wednesday, 27 November 2024.
Eurovision 2025 may not be for six months, but national final season will sustain us.
We listened to all 16 songs and came up with incomplete rankings. They are “incomplete” because one of our scoring factors, as established in our official rubric, is staging.
Montesong 2024: Contenders
| Song | English Translation | Performed By |
| “Clickbait” | N/A | NeonoeN |
| “Čuješ li” | “Do you hear” | Verica Čuljković |
| “Dobrodošli” | “Welcome” | Nina Žižić |
| “Dva srca” | “Two hearts” | Baryak |
| “Kada dođe maj” | “When May comes” | Luka Radović |
| “Kraj” | “End” | Anastasija Koprolčec |
| “Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto” | “Summer, summer, summer” | Isak Šabanović |
| “Među zvijezdama” | “Among the stars” | Nemanja Petrović |
| “Nova” | “New” | Tina Džankić |
| “Obala raja” | “Coast of paradise” | Kejt |
| “Poguban let” | “Disastrous flight” | Tamara Živković |
| “Repeat” | N/A | Dolce Hera |
| “San” | “Dream” | Glumci Bend |
| “Škorpija” | “Scorpio” | Milena Vučić |
| “Stop war” | N/A | Bend 9 |
| “To ljubav je” | “That’s love” | Đurđa |
What Can Change in the Rankings?
As mentioned, the below rankings are “incomplete,” and it is always perilous ranking off of studio versions of a song. Here’s are two key factors which can tip a song away from its current position:
- Staging: It may only account for 12 percent of scoring on our card, but if a song looks very good on stage and there is a red-hot energy, that can tip the scales. Of course, the reverse is also true, that a flat or lifeless performance can do great harm.
- Vocals: The live version could be a lot better – or a lot worse – than the studio version. The latter has happened before and it can happen again.
Montesong 2024: Contender Rankings
| Rank | Song | Performed By |
| 1 | “Obala raja” | Kejt |
| 2 | “Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto” | Isak Šabanović |
| 3 | “Dobrodošli” | Nina Žižić |
| 4 | “Kraj” | Anastasija Koprolčec |
| 5 | “To ljubav je” | Đurđa |
| 6 | “Nova” | Tina Džankić |
| 7 | “Poguban let” | Tamara Živković |
| 8 | “Kada dođe maj” | Luka Radović |
| 9 | “Škorpija” | Milena Vučić |
| 10 | “Čuješ li” | Verica Čuljković |
| 11 | “Dva srca” | Baryak |
| 12 | “Među zvijezdama” | Nemanja Petrović |
| 13 | “Repeat” | Dolce Hera |
| 14 | “Clickbait” | NeonoeN |
| 15 | “San” | Glumci Bend |
| 16 | “Stop war” | Bend 9 |
General Notes on the Songs (So Far)
- The songs with the most fan support seem to be “Obaja raja,” “Dobrodošli,” “Kraj,” and “To ljubav je.”
- I found “Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto” to be the most fun and interesting song on the card, and maybe the biggest standout, but “Obaja raja” eclipsed it based on vocals.
- The best vocal scores went to Kejt, Nina Žižić, and Đurđa.
- I was surprised that I liked “Nova” as much as I did. Many of you are European, so you won’t know what I’m talking about, but it was giving “Weather Channel Local Forecast” vibes and I was here for it.
- People seem to like “Škorpija” – it is fun but lyrically a little basic and I’m not sure it will stand out in a crowd.
- “Repeat” had a good beat but I need to see the live performance of this song.
