Eurovision 2015: Aussie entrant Guy Sebastian is in with a good chance

IS Guy Sebastian in with a serious chance at Eurovision? Here’s a rundown of the best — and worst — this year’s contest has to offer.

Wired for sound ... Yes we get it Maraaya. You like headphones. And Abba poses. Picture: Matic Pandel and Sara Zigon

IS Guy Sebastian in with a serious chance at Eurovision?

After listening to the rest of the Eurovision favourites so you don’t have to, national music writer Cameron Adams says yes, he is.

Here’s a rundown of the best, and worst, this year’s Eurovision has to offer.

SWEDEN

Artist: Mans Zelmerlow

Song:Heroes

The song to beat, if you believe the bookies. Heard Avicii’s folk-electro hit Hey Brother? This is the soundalike version that’s already been a No. 1 in his homeland. 28 year old Mans has done the rounds of reality TV shows in Sweden so he’s got the right moves, and looks, to sell a pop song down the camera. The Swedes know how to make event pop — this has got the big chorus and quiet verses for maximum drama on the Eurovision stage.

Eurovision stage prop: some indoor digital rain and hi-tech visual graphics. And pecs.

Look no Mans! ... Swedish Eurovision Mans Zelmerlow gets excited. Cool your jets, you haven’t won, mate.

ITALY

Artist: Il Volo

Song: Grand Amore

REMEMBER Il Divo? Here’s the younger, Italian version making pop opera in suits. And hipster red glasses, quiffs and facial hair. They’ve already had a few records out, but this is their Eurodebut. Grand Amore (or Great Love) is A Big Song. And the trio hit The Big Notes in all the right places throughout what’s almost a hard rock chorus once everything kicks in. This is classic, classical Eurovision. Although the song was written in 2003 and has gathered dust until now.

Eurovision stage prop: sharp suits and the occasional operatic fist pump.

Boys to men ... Il Volo have achieved the ability to grow facial hair since this picture was taken.

AUSTRALIA

Artist: Guy Sebastian

Song: Tonight Again

OUR Guy in Vienna. Forget the tiresome haters, we’ve sent our most successful and talented (those two things don’t always go hand in hand) pop artist over to the biggest pop competition in the world. Tonight Again showcases everything we know he does well (effortless sky-high vocals, retro groove, modern production) and is a catchy party starter ready to compete with the world. The geographical outsider could also be the musical outsider this year.

Eurovision stage prop: talent

That’s our Guy ... Could Tonight Again be the wildcard in Eurovision this year?

ESTONIA

Artist: Elina Born & Stig Rasta

Song:Goodbye to Yesterday

THERE’S always surprises on Eurovision, which is part of its charm. This duo have a ‘60s feel going on — think Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra, a bit of Motown, a bit of spaghetti western and surf guitar. Elina represented her country on her own two years ago. Stig’s a newbie to the competition but they have a great dynamic. This could do well.

Eurovision stage prop: the hipster duet partners who keep their distance on stage.

Two’s company ... Estonia’s Elina Born and Stig Rasta prepare their pensive face for the lengthy judgment process.

RUSSIA

Artist: Polina Gagarina

Song:A Million Voice

POLINA’S another contestant groomed in reality TV with a string of hits in Russian, sung in Russian. This one’s in English and it’s the kind of song Celine Dion would have once walked over hot coals for. Polina’s got the pipes to handle those Eurovision key changes to take everything up a notch as they drive it home. Nothing special but very Eurovision friendly.

Eurovision stage prop: Big white dress that becomes a human screen for lighting effects.

In a Russia ... Polina Gagarina can hit the big notes at Eurovision. Pic: EPA/ROBERT JAEGER

AZERBAIJAN

Artist: Elnur Huseynov

Song: Hour of the Wolf

KEYCHANGE! Elnur looks like Azerbaijan’s answer to Justin Timberlake and he’s fresh from winning The Voice Turkey. See, someone from The Voice has done something! He sang Annie Lennox and Sam Smith songs on The Voice so he’s got the chops required on this power ballad. And there’s the mandatory key change and a choir behind him to aim for a goosebump moment. Not a bad tune.

Eurovision stage prop: sweeping camera shots to capture aforementioned key change and choir.

Justin Time ... Elnur Huseynov is getting his Timberlake on at Eurovision: Picture: Magnus Ragnvid

SLOVENIA

Artist: Maraaya

Song: Here For You

THEY’RE a duo who are married in real life — singer Marjetka Vovk’s gimmick is to wear big headphones on stage. This may be to keep her hair in place when they switch the industrial-strength fans on. Her keyboard playing hubby has cans on too. She’s got an interesting, quirky voice (think Paloma Faith) and this song is a genre orgy — soul ballad, hip hop beats, fiddle and driving piano. This is odd enough to be a Eurovision favourite.

Eurovision stage prop: surely someone’s sponsoring those his and hers headphones already.

Wired for sound ... Yes we get it Maraaya. You like headphones. And Abba poses. Picture: Matic Pandel and Sara Zigon

NORWAY

Artist: Morland and Debrah Scarlett

Song:A Monster Like Me

DEB was on The Voice Norway. Morland wishes he was Chris Martin. This is your classic ballad where he sings about being horrible to her, then she sings a bit about how horrible he was to her, then they unite for the chorus that doesn’t really take the story anywhere. There’s lots of singing back to back and a big last third, but you’ve heard all this before.

Eurovision stage prop: the slow reveal until they meet each other’s backs on stage.

Monster love ... Morland and Debrah Scarlett are flying the flag for Norway. Picture: NRK/Kim Erlandsen.

UNITED KINGDOM

Artist: Electro Velvet

Song:Still In Love With You

READY to hear ‘null points’ for the United Kingdom’s latest diabolical decision. Remember that woeful ragtime song Doop? This one parties like it’s 1919, but aside the old school swing they try and throw in a bit of Daft Punk squelchy acid. They also rhyme ‘sneezes’ with ‘diseases’. Eurovision is the place for novelty pop, but this gets annoying 30 seconds in. Why didn’t they enter One Direction and be done with it?

Eurovision stage prop: dapper flappers and day-glo dancers.

Gruesome twosome ... Electro Velvet sound even more annoying than they look. Picture: BBC/Sarah Dunn

SPAIN

Artist: Edurne

Song:Amanecer

IT translates as Dawn and sounds a bit like Madonna’s Frozen, except it keeps threatening to explode into something exciting that never arrives. It’s all drama, no memorable melody.

Eurovision stage prop: industrial-strength wind machines. And maybe some fire please.

Spain removal ... Edurne is doing it for the Spanish in Eurovision 2015. Picture: Valero Roja

BELGIUM

Artist: Loic Nottet

Song:Rhythm Inside

HAVE you heard Lorde’s Royals? Logic has. Again, he’s been on The Voice Belgium and this borrow’s Lorde’s minimal, gothic electronic feel. It’s not too bad.

Eurovision stage prop: space-age robot dancers and some reverse worm work where Loic dances on his back. He’s also big at using his hand as if it’s a spider eating his face.

Ring my Belgium ... Loic Nottet is boldly keeping it minimal for Eurovision: Picture: Josh Brandao

ALBANIA

Artist: Elhaida Dani

Song:I’m Alive

THIS young lady had to change songs at the last minute when the writers withdrew her original choice. Wonder if it was better than this one — this is one of those songs you’ve already forgotten by the time the last chorus comes around.

Eurovision stage prop: A cape. That’s about it.

Alive and kicking ... Albania’s Elhaida Dani is making up the numbers at Eurovision. Picture: Orsola Memo/Class Photography.

SERBIA

Artist: Bojana Stamenov

Song:Beauty Never Lies

THERE’S more of Bojana to love than your average Eurovision diva. Beauty Never Lies comes with empowered lyrics like “Beauty never lies, no it cries ‘Here I am!’ Finally I can say ‘Yes I’m different and it’s okay’.” The song starts as your average Eurovision ballad, then comes the big drop as it turns into a club banger and Bojana just kicks her voice into top gear with some ginormous notes. If people loved novelty hit All About the Bass this could be a contender.

Eurovision stage prop: Bojana stays regally still (complete with tiara) while dancers do everything around her from sign language to a load of fist pumping.

LATVIA

Artist: Aminata Savadogo

Song: Love Injected

THIS is cool. Possibly way too cool for Eurovision. It’s a minimal electro number with muted dubstep touches that lets Aminta’s vocals shine — she also wrote the song. If she looks familiar, she made the Top 5 of Eurovision last year with a song called I Can Breathe.

Eurovision stage prop: big hair, bigger dress, even bigger voice.

ISRAEL

Artist: Nadav Guedj

Song:Golden Boy

THIS is like a one-man boy band song, with a Middle Eastern vibe in the chorus. That includes the line “I’m a golden boy, come here to enjoy and before I leave, let me show you Tel Aviv.” It’s not hard to see why Nadav is known as the Israeli Justin Timberlake.

Eurovision stage prop: Nadav does some serious groin work on the D-floor with his three dancing pals.

ARMENIA

Artist: Genealogy

Song:Face the Shadow

THE terrible band name is explained by the fact this ‘supergroup’ was assembled from people whose families spread over the world after the Armenian genocide of 1915. They’re saying the song has no political overtones, they should be more worried about the fact it sounds like some overblown mess.

Eurovision stage prop: lots of grabbing the sky with the fist and back to back circle work.

Eurovision runs on SBS with the Grand Final airing live from 5am Sunday and repeated at 7.30pm Sunday night.

What the ... This is Genealogy, not one of those dodgy recreation photos you give to Grandma. Picture: Ruben Matirosyan/Public Television Of Armenia

Originally published as Eurovision 2015: Aussie entrant Guy Sebastian is in with a good chance