Olivia Miheţ — “Fragile”
Another one to add to the “piano ballad” collection. This has a lush arrangement, and Miheţ’s vocals are some of the strongest in this selection, with some genuinely lovely backing vocals, but there needs to be a way for her to distinguish herself from the other ballads, and I don’t think there’s anything in particular here that does the trick. It’s a song that stands well on its own, but will probably disappear into the background in such a large selection.

Othello — “You’re Worthy”
Well, this is different: it’s a fusion of soul, folk, and some jazz-inflections. I’m surprised they manage to cover it within the three minutes on offer. The lyrics are about empowerment and self-acceptance, themes which usually go down well at Eurovision. With an anthemic chorus you can sing along with after just one listen it’s sure to turn some heads, but the verses don’t have the same level of confidence. In fact, the song relies too heavily on the chorus in the second half of the song, and that may prove to be its downfall.