Alexa — “Hoodies and Cold Nights”
So this is more or less how you put together a modern ballad. Alexa’s voice is front-and-centre, and while I wish she’d pronounce the lyrics a bit clearly, perhaps by slowing down a bit, her singing is versatile enough to get me past that. The piano which starts the song returns to the foreground midway through and at the end of the track, which is good pop song practice. The layers of synths and beats which take over for the bridge and chorus never overshadow Alexa, rounding out a solid song which maybe just doesn’t have that special something to make it stand out enough.

Alina Amon — “Without You”
Another ballad, this one with a more melodramatic approach, with Amon wailing and emoting her way through the three minutes. This is a compliment more than anything else, as the backing vocals are more impressive than the instrumentation, which occasionally feels thin when it should be swelling to assist with the mood. In fact, Amon’s voice is so central to this song that I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up in the semi on the strength of that alone. If there’s one thing that attracts the jury vote in national finals and Eurovision itself, it’s a big passionate vocal performance.