Hello everyone! As the 68th Eurovision approaches, which will be held in Malmö, Sweden in 2024, I must say I’m delighted to see that many performances, rock or not, incorporate rock music elements. However, it’s evident that this year’s contest will be overshadowed by political events. With Russia being disqualified due to the war and Israel’s continued participation drawing criticism, particularly in Sweden where there is a significant Arab population, security measures are expected to be at their highest on the day of the contest. There’s a lot to discuss, but let’s get back to our main topic. Here are the rock and metal performances competing in Eurovision 2024:

1 – Gåte – Ulveham (Norway)

If you’ve watched the performance before reading this, you might have already heard the best rock & metal entry of this year. With an outstanding performance in the national finals, Gåte’s “Ulveham” seems poised to secure a top 10 spot. It’s hard to predict how well it will resonate with the Eurovision audience, but it definitely should be considered a dark horse. The band is expected to deliver a spectacular visual show on the Eurovision stage. If they deliver a solid vocal performance on the final night (I am confident they will pass the semi-finals), Norway could very well end up in the top 5.

2 – Baby Lasagna – Rim Tim Tagi Dim (Croatia)

One of the most anticipated entries this year is from Croatia (not for me). Croatia, which was leading the odds for a long time, has now dropped to second place. “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” by Baby Lasagna has reached many people, but if you ask me if the song grew on me, the answer is no. In my personal ranking, it doesn’t even make it to the top 20. People comparing it to Rammstein makes no sense to me. The song is not good; using all musical elements to make a song does not mean the song is good. This kind of music shouldn’t even exist in the art world. Based on the odds, it seems like Croatia might do well, but I’d like to say “terrible” just like I did for Voyager’s song last year. If it wins, it will top my worst winners list, surpassing Netta’s “Toy.” Not necessary at all, moving on to the next performance.

3 – Bambie Thug – Doomsday Blue (Ireland)

Ireland, which hasn’t made it to the finals since 2018, decided to take an experimental approach in 2024. I think Bambie Thug’s song, which reminds me of Poppy, will finally bring Ireland back to the finals. However, it’s worth noting that Eurovision success heavily relies on the performance and show on the night of the contest. I’m very curious to see how Ireland will convey the atmosphere of this song in a 3-minute performance, and I think it will make it to the top 15 in the grand final.

4 – MEGARA – 11:11 (San Marino)

Typical San Marino song, I must say. Every year when I listen to San Marino, I think we have more talented and creative students in our high school music competitions. As always, the song is terrible. They won’t make it to the finals. I don’t think the fact that the band is Spanish will give them any advantage.

Since we’ve briefly reviewed the rock & metal performances, I want to provide a general overview of the Eurovision entries for those who love the contest. Israel’s participation, Luxembourg sending an Israeli artist, and Germany approving Israel’s participation have caused these countries to plummet in the odds, which means we can’t evaluate everything musically. Besides, the “Tik Tok” phenomenon spreading some songs like a virus and the absurdities in the voting system make the contest worse every year. So, while commenting on the countries below, know that I’ve tried to leave external factors aside as much as possible and judge based on my personal taste. Let’s get started!

1- Albania: Among the songs I expect to see in the final.
2- Armenia: I’ve always loved traditional elements, it’s a very fun piece and I hope they get a good result.
3- Australia: Not necessary. (I’ll use this phrase for a few more countries.)
4- Austria: They’ve tried to use everything that worked last year, hope they don’t make it to the finals.
5- Azerbaijan: I’m eagerly anticipating the performance of this experimental piece from our brother country.
6- Belgium: I LOVE IT, it’s in my personal top 3.
7- Croatia: Not necessary.
8- Cyprus: It would be very fun to watch live, eagerly awaiting their final performance.
9- Czechia: I don’t think we’ll see them in the final.
10- Denmark: An excellent voice, it’s in my personal top 10.
11- Estonia: Not necessary.
12- Finland: They decided to participate at the last minute to troll the contest due to Israel’s participation, the song is not necessary.
13- France: Terrible artist and song, potential last place.
14- Georgia: Good artist but bad song.
15- Germany: Despite a good artist and song, I don’t think they’ll achieve a good result due to political reasons.
16- Greece: EXCELLENT, it’s in my personal top 3.
17- Iceland: Not necessary.
18- Ireland: With this exciting piece, I expect to see Ireland in the final this year.
19- Israel: One of the songs I listen to the most, despite a strong song and artist, they’ll drop due to audience votes.
20- Italy: My favorite, it’s at the top of my personal list.
21- Latvia: I didn’t like it until I heard it live, if they make it to the final, it will be because of the artist’s performance.
22- Lithuania: I can’t say I liked it.
23- Luxembourg: The song is perfect to me, but being Israeli, the artist won’t rank high.
24- Malta: Very bad, shouldn’t make it to the final.
25- Moldova: This song didn’t suit a metal artist like Natalia Barbu, won’t make it to the final.
26- Netherlands: Not necessary. (This song, which went viral on TikTok, will likely rank high.)
27- Norway: Our favorite, we’re expecting surprises and a top 10, our hearts are with you!
28- Poland: I can’t say I liked it.
29- Portugal: As always, they maintain their unique style and quality, hope they make it to the final.
30- San Marino: Terrible, won’t make it to the final.
31- Serbia: Despite a popular artist, the song is very weak, but they’ll still make it to the final.
32- Slovenia: I don’t expect them in the final.
33- Spain: Not necessary.
34- Sweden: They’ll push for the top 5 in their home country.
35- Switzerland: The favorite in the odds, I’m very curious if they’ll deliver the vocal performance without playback.
36- Ukraine: One of the countries I expect to see in the top 5.
37- United Kingdom: Sounds like the hit pop songs released every year, didn’t like it.

Thanks for reading! You can watch a short preview of all the songs below!