#SolarVision2026
15th/35
Georgia - On Replay - Bzikebi - 8/10
I have not been this excited for a Junior ESC champion heading to the mainline show since Destiny in 2020 & 2021. It might not win like "Bzz..." did, but it seem like it'll be just as much of an earworm as that was, maybe even more.
#SolarVision2026
16th/35
Estonia - Too Epic to Be True - Vanilla Ninja - 8/10
Too many people are sleeping on this one. I love the "2000s Disney Channel music videos" vibe this gives, very Aly & AJ and early "non-Hannah" Miley Cyrus. This has potential for the top 5 if some competitors slack off.
#SolarVision2026
17th/35
Norway - Ya Ya Ya - Jonas Lovv - 8/10
If Rybak, or YLVIS, wasn't destined to go to Vienna this year, I'm glad this act is. The White Stripes kind of stadium rock this song brings was desperately needed since Mäneskin's win. This could climb into the top 10, we'll see.
#SolarVision2026
18th/35
Montenegro - Nova zora - Tamara Živković - 7.5/10
This is the best Montenegrin entry of all time, prove me wrong. Had it not been for such strong competition, this would be contending for a top 10 finish easily. Let's hope this trend continues & isn't a flash in the pan.
#SolarVision2026
19th/35
Denmark - Før vi går hjem - Søren Torpegaard Lund - 7.5/10
This is how you bring Danish back to the contest. Would've been cool to have Sissal go to back-to-back shows, and it's up against some massive competition, but a top 20 finish feels like a more than fair result.
#SolarVision2026
20th/35
Luxembourg - Mother Nature - Eva Marija - 7/10
Not my favorite song from their national final, or the best stringed instrument performance, but this will definitely have it's moment in the sun and keep the qualifying streak alive. If only Alexander had qualified, too.
#SolarVision2026
21st/35
France - Regarde ! - Monroe - 7/10
A 17-year-old Salt Laker representing France wasn't on my bingo card. She's got an amazing music career ahead of her, but I'm not as confident as the bookies are. If she hits those notes live, this song still has room to grow on me.
#SolarVision2026
22nd/35
Croatia - Andromeda - Lelek - 7/10
More preheated nachos, this time it's last year's Latvian entry. Their own "projected monkey tails" might bring them to the finals, but it won't be like Tautumeitas. Their sicanje will be a great talking point for commentators, though.
#SolarVision2026
23rd/35
San Marino - Superstar - Senhit featuring Boy George - 6.5/10
Leave it to Senhit to book an iconic artist that has never been connected to Eurovision before. Not as good as Flo Rida, but this performance also rides on the availability of the featured artist. We shall see.
#SolarVision2026
24th/35
Austria - Tanzschein - Cosmó - 6.5/10
The host country sending a German club banger? What a bold move! Moreso to use futuristic furry heads, but that's a welcome choice. The vocal range is insane, and it'll avoid last by a bit, but the public might not be fully behind it.
#SolarVision2026
25th/35
Germany - Fire - Sarah Engels - 6/10
The trend of summer hits continues with a decent tune and subpar lyrics. I'm more behind Wavvyboi's entry, but a massive overhaul is needed to prevent being bottom of the finalists. Elena's nachos have been reheated too many times now.
#SolarVision2026
26th/35
Lithuania - Sólo quiero más - Lion Ceccah - 6/10
Best non-qualifier of Semifinal 1 and the closest to Spanish we'll get this year. This should be the most "performance piece" act this year as the silver man stands out more than the song. Just not catchy enough as is.
#SolarVision2026
27th/35
Latvia - Ēnā - Atvara - 6/10
Best non-qualifier of Semifinal 2. I do see some scenarios where this qualifies, but I'm not confident the eerie vibes are enough right now. The tornado of shattered glass is a highlight, as are the high notes. There's just 10 better songs.
#SolarVision2026
28th/35
Ukraine - Ridnym - Leléka - 5.5/10
This might get the waterworks going and I won't be disappointed if this ends up qualifying. There's just too many tracks above it in its semifinal that it's outside my qualifiers range. Some songs just need to falters enough and it's in.
#SolarVision2026
29th/35
Czechia - Crossroads - Daniel Žižka - 5/10
Usually I'm a sucker for Czech entries, but not so much this year. Great vocal registry, trippy instrumentals and visuals, I just fear it's not enough to make it past the semifinal. One year we'll go to Prague, just not in 2027.
#SolarVision2026
30th/35
Albania - Nân - Alis - 5/10
The first song revealed fell this far with a performance that falters without the live orchestra. I'm curious as to the rumors of incorporating English lyrics on-screen like Italy last year, but better songs have pushed this down significantly.
#SolarVision2026
31st/35
Serbia - Kraj mene - Lavina - 5/10
So close to qualifying, but there's just too many great songs in the semifinal above it. Incredible gravelly register, more contests need this kind of metal, and this will definitely raise the pyro budget; but something's still missing.
#SolarVision2026
32nd/35
Poland - Pray - Alicja - 4.5/10
On one hand, it's always nice to see 2020 alumni get their chance to return. On the other, I wasn't confident of her qualifying then (I'd've preferred Albert Černy and Lake Malawi, tbh) and that's not changing now. Hell of a long note, tho.
#SolarVision2026
33rd/35
Azerbaijan - Just Go - Jiva - 4/10
What a downgrade! Points for using the Azerbaijani language again, but it's not enough to get back to the final. If you remember the sand artist from previous contests, expect her to try to save this to no avail.
#SolarVision2026
34th/35
Portugal - Rosa - Bandidos do Cante - 4/10
Props to putting this between two Semi-final 1 bangers, but this will get lost in the shuffle without something eye-catching in Vienna. The lullaby aspect might be its downfall, and I don't see any qualification in its future.
#SolarVision2026
35th/35
Israel - Michelle - Noam Bettan - X/10
Once again, not truly ranking this due to the continuing Middle Eastern conflicts. However, at least the odds aren't boosting it as much as last year. (Still an NQ for me, regardless)
Real rankings start tomorrow.
It's that time of year again!
Over the next 5 weeks, I'll be posting small reviews of the songs heading to Vienna, from worst to first.
Thank you for the recent support. Know that no matter what, this will always be a safe space for my LGBT+ followers.
With that, #SolarVision2026 starts tomorrow.
