The national final season is in full swing. Tonight, Eurovizijos is going to take place. We’ve taken a look at the entries below, so here is the XTRA Preview & Review!
XTRA Review: Eurovizijos
Monika Marija – “The Truth”
Nathan: This delicate piano ballad is accompanied by an incredibly strong vocal performance, full of depth. When the chorus kicks in, so does the drum beat and it lifts it again. For me, this is a strong album track rather than a strong Eurovision entry for Lithuania but it must be said that Monika delivers it flawlessly. The last minute of the song is very engaging and enjoyable.
Score: 6.5/10
Nick: This might come close to being the most incoherent ballad of the year. After three minutes, I’ve forgotten all about the start… The build in this is too confusing for my well being.
Score: 2/10
Ryan: Monika is a fantastic singer, and arguably the artist with the most technical ability here. However, her song does feel more formulaic than “When We’re Old” and lacks emotion as a result. Nevertheless, this is still a strong performance that would represent Lithuania well.
Score: 7.5/10
Tim: I like her ballad, but it sounds a bit like John Lundvik’s It’s My Turn and sometimes similarities can overshadow the song a bit, but basing her performance, she did alright but nothing spectacular.
Score: 6/10
Kotryna Juodzevičiūtė – “That Girl”
Nathan: Well this was not what I was expecting from a Lithuanian final, I must say. The funk R&B disco vibe is so popular at the moment thanks to Calvin Harris and Bruno Mars revitalising the genres with their recent approach. This is such a refreshing change for a Lithuanian final. I like this a lot more than I was expecting.
Score: 7/10
Nick: There certainly is a fair amount of attitude in this entry Kotryna delivers. The Dua Lipa look works quite well for her. It’s not of the highest standards and quality, but nevertheless, this is fairly decent. Just not feeling the ‘Hell yeah’…
Score: 6/10
Ryan: This is very similar in style to “4Love”, just with a female vocalist instead of a male. However, there’s more of an R&B feel to this one. It does feel dated. Yet, this does feel more memorable than Jurgis’ effort.
Score: 6/10
Tim: I love how her vocals are on point. Her artistic style makes her look like she’s Lithuania’s Dua Lipa and I am not complaining because I am loving her performance.
Score: 8/10
The Roop – “Yes, I Do”
Nathan: Immediately, this sounds inspired by the Stranger Things soundtrack. The 80s synth that starts to develop as soon as the song begins then transforms into a more traditional pop rock song. It doesn’t really go anywhere from the first chorus onwards and I can’t really remember it after it ends.
Score: 3/10
Nick: The performance is better than the song. That made sure Lithuania chose the wrong act last year, so I hope they’ve learnt. It’s not bad, but this is a throwback to the previous century.
Score: 5/10
Ryan: This is another track with a promising verse that leads to an underwhelming chorus. There is an interesting production and atmosphere to this, but is very repetitive and would require significant revamping to reach its potential.
Score: 5/10
Tim: I like what has been done with the lighting, so the song had a performance factor going on. But I personally don’t like the song, maybe this genre just doesn’t appeal to me.
Score: 5/10
Paula – “1 2 3”
Nathan: This is my favourite song in the whole Lithuanian process this year. I much prefer the original version to the acoustic track that we heard last week, however the acoustic version did allow us to appreciate Paula’s excellent vocal capabilities. Depending on which version she sings on Saturday night, if chosen she could give Lithuania a really strong entry for Eurovision in Lisbon. (I hope another chair gets smashed this week in the Final)
Score: 9/10
Nick: Imagine Zara Larsson singing a song by Ed Sheeran. Very current, modern and well performed. Paula would definitely benefit from a session in the production studio, but then this could well be Lithuania’s best choice for Eurovision.
Score: 8/10
Ryan: I prefer the original version to the stripped-back version performed in the semi-final, but the vocal melody is still there in both and it is a very strong and catchy melody. Paula is a fantastic performer and surely one of Lithuania’s brightest prospects and must be destined for Eurovision one day!
Score: 8/10
Tim: Loving all the hand gestures in her performance, really grabs the attention of the viewers. With the song, it sounded like Ed Sheeran wrote the song and sounds a bit like Shape of You. I don’t mind it cos it has such an addictive hook. I just don’t think it worked well for this song.
Score: 6/10
Jurgis Brūzga – “4Love”
Nathan: An instrumental that reflects current pop trends whilst still harking back to 80s synth, incredibly modern staging and smart energetic camera shots. “4love” is an entry that I didn’t really expect to make it this far but it’s also easy to see why it has when it’s presented so well to the audience! The infectious beat makes me tap my feet for the majority of the song but personally, I probably wouldn’t go back and listen to this multiple times.
Score: 7/10
Nick: Synth sounds from the 80s, singing like the early 90s… He is a fantastic performer and manages to sell this song, which is far from my kind of song. It’s interesting, but doesn’t manage to convince me in the three minutes it has.
Score: 5.5/10
Ryan: A solid synthpop song with 80s influences, the chorus lets down the promising verses. The production in the track is professional but this would get lost amongst much stronger male pop songs in Lisbon.
Score: 5.5/10
Tim: It’s upbeat and very EDM and I am loving it. I am liking how confident he looks on stage. But if I’m judging on the overall performance. Something is lacking for me and I can not pinpoint it if I am going to be honest. All I know is, some improvements will be needed.
Score: 6/10
Ieva Zasimauskaitė – “When We’re Old”
Nathan: Wow, just wow. This is spectacular, enchanting and delicate. The images shown on the screen behind Ieva help sell the performance even further. Then, the crowning glory is the final two lines of the song in Lithuanian. It is perfect. Bilingual brilliance. A strong vocal in the Final should give Ieva the win – if there’s any justice!
Score: 9.5/10
Nick: When I saw Nathan, Ryan and Tim’s reviews, I was expecting a very instant hit in the face from this ballad. Ieva is an absolutely marvelous performer who sells this song amazingly well. It’s not as instant as I had hoped for and I can’t see it doing much in Lisbon, but this is too lovely not to get a high score from me.
Score: 9/10
Ryan: This is my favourite ballad of the entire national final season. It’s so simple yet so beautiful and the tone of Ieva’s voice has a wonderful quirk to it which makes it stand out amongst other ballads not just in this final, but in all of Europe’s national finals too. This is the only entry of the six that would certainly get Lithuania back into the Eurovision final, I can not praise this enough. Simple, beautiful and emotional.
Score: 10/10
Tim: This is by far the best ballad I have heard on the NF season. She really sells the song very well and I can really feel the emotion of the song. The performance is so simplistic yet effective. I would not be surprised if she wins.
Score: 10/10
Who do we want?
The XTRA Jury, this time consisting of Nathan, Nick, Ryan and Tim has spoken. Below you can see the average each song achieved. Their favourite for tomorrow’s show is Ieva Zasimauskaitė’s “When We’re Old”!
- Ieva Zasimauskaitė – When We’re Old: 9.6
- Paula – 1 2 3: 7.8
- Kotryna Juodzevičiūtė – That Girl: 6.8
- Jurgis Brūzga – 4Love: 6.0
- Monika Marija – The Truth: 5.5
- The Roop – Yes, I Do: 4.5
Below, we’ve included a playlist for you. Which of these six do you like best? Make sure to let us know who you like by commenting!
[ypt playlist_id=PLgXlwbW2GIgITfVwjW4sQvlRYz5xOAwZ1]
Comments on XTRA Preview & Review: Eurovizijos – Lithuania