The moment is finally here: With all 37 songs released, we crank up the pre-Eurovision 2024 scoring gizmo and offer you our preliminary top 10.
Now, keep in mind two things: (1) By “gizmo” I mean “spreadsheet,” and (2) this is only preliminary. I am certain this will change between now and 11 May. For reference, and to prove the point, here side-by-side are my preliminary ballot and my ballot after the 2023 grand final. This preliminary ballot was put together in March 2023 after all songs were released.
| PTS | Preliminary 2023 | Final Ballot 2023 |
| 12 | France | Finland |
| 10 | Finland | Sweden |
| 8 | Austria | Italy |
| 7 | Sweden | Australia |
| 6 | Italy | Estonia |
| 5 | United Kingdom | Austria |
| 4 | Australia | Belgium |
| 3 | Spain | France |
| 2 | Norway | Israel |
| 1 | Georgia | Norway |
(If you are looking for context as to why I gave points to those songs, I’m sure I will have a lot to say about the 2023 contest in future articles. For now, time to look towards the future.)
One reason things might change is staging, which is the only factor I was unable to score right now. A song like Ireland (Bambie Thug) with big visuals is going to be heavily reliant on how it stages in May, whereas a ballad like France (Slimane) might not so much. The quality of the live singing is also an obvious factor that we cannot consider yet.
Without further delay, here is our pre-contest top ten. By the way, you can check out all the songs and follow the artists on social media using this link.
Pre-Eurovision 2024 Top 10 Rankings (Reverse Order)
1 point: Ireland
“Doomsday Blue” by Bambie Thug
I appreciate that Ireland is sending something different. The Irish have fallen on hard Eurovision times since their 1990s dominance, but thawing out Johnny Logan and running him out there would not solve anything. The contest has changed but Ireland, to this point, had not changed much with it. Whether or not May goes well for Bambie, at least they are trying something new and outside of their comfort zone.
It’s an interesting performance for sure and quite unique, but this will come down to staging. If they can pull off a big show in the semifinal, the song has a real chance at qualifying and perhaps even snagging some points in the grand final.
2 points: Denmark
“Sand” by Saba
Based on some of the online commentary, I expected not to think much of this song. It was actually rather decent. She’s got a great voice and she sang with some authority. That is the sort of thing that gets my attention. I will make no promises as to what happens to it in May, but I was pleasantly surprised.
3 points: The Netherlands
“Europapa” by Joost Klein
This was a Dutch fever dream, and as a typical stupid American, it is beyond my comprehension. However, it still found a way to work. Did I love the vocals, no, and did the inside humor land with me, also no, but there’s something about it that was endearing. Perhaps in the next few months, I will be able to properly articulate what that is. Another way of saying this is “I have no idea what was going on, and yet I respect the hustle.”
4 points: Armenia
“Jako” by Ladaniva
This song exudes energy, but it also gives me a big helping of Armenian culture, or what I assume is Armenian culture. It hits you in a face with it and I, for one, could not help but feel like I was a part of it. I feel like there is a lot to like and I also think they have a good shot of pulling this off live at the contest. This is the kind of song we come to Eurovision to see – the flavors of your country that make it unique.
5 points: Croatia
“Rim Tim Tagi Dim” by Baby Lasagna
The fan favorite in this year’s contest posts a respectable five points in our opening evaluation. Baby Lasagna’s song is humorous and fun.
Staging was the only thing I could not score, and that will probably boost his totals in May. His problem is that in my evaluation, it was the worst vocal performance out of all 37 songs; I did not expect that. Despite it having made one of the best impressions overall, it’s tough to overcome that sort of obstacle. Now, the televoters in Europe may not care, but that will cost him jury votes in May.
If you are thinking, well, you had Finland first over Loreen last year and he’s not as good of a singer as she is, you are correct. Käärijä had a very fun song that I still listen to today, but while not a great vocalist, he was not the worst in 2023, either. Baby Lasagna will have some work to do, but he is in a solid position.
6 points: Ukraine
“Teresa & Maria” by alyona alyona & Jerry Heil
In fifth place was Ukraine, a three-time winner of the contest who are one of the oddsmakers’ favorites in 2024. This song, religious overtones and all, won its national selection back in February. I think this was a solid effort. Both singers, especially Jerry Heil, sang well and the emotion of the piece flowed through each of them. Ukraine has been through a lot these last few years, so it’s no shock about them sending a song about hope and guidance. I suspect it will plow through the semifinals and do well on 11 May.
7 points: Norway
“Ulveham” by Gåte
Norway used to be the black sheep of this contest for decades, and now they’re in the top ten mix every year.
“Ulveham” is so very different from everything else in Eurovision this year, and that’s sometimes a bad thing, but in this case, it’s a great thing. I gave this song significant points for originality, even if this is not something I would rush to Spotify to play. When you are entering the contest that will have had over 1,700 entries, it is tough to be original. Norway is doing that this year and it has my respect, but it’s also not bad at all. It has a witchy, let’s-have-a-séance vibe that works well and I think will connect with the public.
8 points: France
“Mon Amour” by Slimane
Just like last year, France – to my surprise, actually – starts out the pre-Eurovision 2024 rankings in my top three.
This was the best vocal performance I heard out of all 37 songs. Others came close, but he’s got the gold medal for the time being. Now, it needs to translate onto the stage in Malmö. I think if I have a concern for this song, it’s that in a year where there are going to be other songs sucking all the oxygen out of the room, this could get lost. A similar situation that comes to mind is with France’s Amaury Vassili in 2011, who sang beautifully – maybe better than everyone else that year – and it languished in the middle of the pack.
10 points: Belgium
“Before the Party’s Over” by Mustii
This song by Belgium snuck up on me. I had heard good things, but did not expect to like and respect it as much as I did. It obviously remains to be seen if he can put through a powerful live performance of equal strength to his music video, but I can see a lot of potential.
If this score holds up in the spring, it would be the highest score I have ever given Belgium at 10 points. They have never gotten more than eight from me, so it would be fair to say this made an impression. Mustii could help make back-to-back years for Belgium in the top ten.
12 points: Italy
“La noia” by Angelina Mango
Douze points goes to Italy in our pre-Eurovision 2024 rankings. This song won a hotly-contested Sanremo against several prior winners, and I can see why. I like Angelina’s vibe, I like her singing, and I like the song. Quite ironic that such a good beat and energy comes from a song that is named “Boredom.” Her performance was polished and professional – maybe it helps coming from a musical family. Either way, this song heads to the contest, in my opinion, as the most all-around complete entry. It may not be the bookies’ favorite when it all begins, but it won’t be far from it, either.
Yes, you could sing the McDonald’s menu descriptions to me in Italian and I would probably like it. Nevertheless, Italy has a good one here and I expect Angelina to do well.
Pre-Eurovision 2024: Not Making the Cut
Poor Finland came in 11th place, just one point behind Ireland. There is still plenty of time for our jorts-wearing friends over in Suomi to make a move.
Tied behind them in 12th position were Israel, Switzerland, and Latvia.
