Letiţia Moisescu — “Mirunica”
I always wonder how the locals react to songs like these, best described as traditional folk modernised. Do they facepalm and beg for something more contemporary, or are they cheered to hear their culture represented on an international stage in this way? For us in the West who don’t normally hear these kinds of songs outside Eurovision, it’s always exciting to immerse ourselves in the unusual sounds and rhythms. So I’ll stay true to that general stereotype and say this was a treat; there’s something irresistibly infectious about this kind of song which gallops along at such a rapid pace and manages to sound so confident and fun.

Leyah — “I’ll Be Fine”
Now, in an earlier review I criticised another entry for a lack of variation in their piano ballad. If I’m being consistent, this is even less varied — the piano becomes louder towards the end, but that’s it. And while I don’t think this is a competitive song, I like it a lot more. The key difference is the vocals: Leyah’s voice is enthralling and functions as an instrument in itself, making subtle shifts which are amplified by the minimal instrumentation around it. The way she presents the lyrics feels authentic; I really believe that she has a connection to their content, and that counts for a lot. I would still have liked some musical variation to push this to the next level, but I’m happy to take the song as is.