- rhythm of nature - uliana: i have a soft spot for white voice technique singing and folk elements. the repetition of a central refrain is very much reminiscent of the simplicity of folk songs, dynamic instrumental modernises it. heavenly and almost primeval aspect from harmonies (4 - 4.25/5)
- i feel like vidbir or supernova would appreciate this a lot more
- slave - ollie: purely as a song, this is firmly structured but not outstanding - tropes are played to his advantage because this contest lacks rock. but is an exceptional performance, with the versatility and emotion of a concert over the strictly choreographed stage (3.75 - 4/5)
- it’s more the difference between a strong rock performance as a listener and rock as a novelty + i think he deserves a win eventually
- wounds (don’t wanna fall) - ant & minimal wind: duet with a lot of heart, perhaps this is my own observation but the harmonies seem to gradually become more aligned over the song. definitely some imperfections in its execution but i appreciate it (3.5/5)
- taevas jäi üles - grete paia: i agree with the criticism of it being somewhat messy and generic, but i’m surprised that i like it as a package. by the song itself being an established trope, the focus is shifted to her vocals, including a very intentional whistle note. this approach to a vocal-centric performance works by virtue of contrasts between a dynamic edm instrumental and her ethereal voice (3.25 - 3.5/5)
- days like this - noëp: d&b and orchestral blend give it a distinct sound, though i do feel a battle for dominance between the simple and upbeat chorus melody and the more gritty instrumental. the all-encompassing message of hope is satisfactorily conveyed with the choral effects (3.25 - 3.5/5)
- this has only rose in my rankings long after this nf was over. for whatever reason the live amplified the dissonance
- the game - getter jaani: catchy pop song, energy felt unsustained at parts - final chorus should have been more spectacular and crowd engagement claps in the bridge did not build up to anything, overall i’m not a fan of instrumentals being the hook (3.25/5)
- jolly roger - clicherik & mäx: the performance itself is oddly stagnant or incomplete, but i can’t think of ways i would improve upon it. this just might not be a genre i enjoy as much, thus it feels unfair to judge its execution (3.25/5)
- last man standing - stockholm cowboys: i may not be especially fond of the song, but i appreciate storytelling through staging (3.25/5)
- kell kuus - marta pikani: not a big fan of the hook, i think it’s serviceable but generic (3-3.25/5)
- warrior - laura prits: i appreciate female-led rock - it almost exploits being in the under-utilised rock genre to hide its structural faults. at this stage i cannot reward an empowerment song that falls into vapid cliches, and many evident vocal issues that she attempts to lean into growls and screams to hide. but i guess it’s still rock (3 - 3.25/5)
- too epic to be true - vanilla ninja: while upbeat, i struggle to see how this won outside of name recognition. the spoken word portion and kiss cam entirely disrupts flow and actively cheapens the performance. assessing the song by itself, it could have been a mere product of its time that i’m not the target audience for with a distinct nostalgic charm, but as a performance it’s poorly crafted and undeserving of the televote support it received (2.5/5)
- metsik roos - robert linna: has a rather pretty instrumentation, but the fact that the background is more complex and interesting than the vocalist himself weakens the final product. there is a sense of emptiness throughout the performance that frustrates me (2.25/5)
mar 2 2026 ∞
mar 8 2026 +