Europe’s biggest songwriting competition the Eurovision Song Contest is set to return in May at the PalaOlimpico in Turin. Reigning champions Italy will have their work cut out to retain their crown with a strong field expected at this year’s event. According to oddschecker Ukraine is favourited for this year’s Eurovision but picking the 2022 champion won’t be easy with the likes of Sweden, Spain and Poland also among the heavily fancied nations. Here are the nations to watch at Eurovision this year.
Italy
Roman rock band Maneskin won Eurovision 2021 with their hard rock banger “Zitti e Buoni”, which received praise for its progressive lyrics and challenging themes. Italy will be represented this year by 2019 runner-up Mahmood, who will join forces with Blanco, one of the country’s biggest up and coming artists. Despite losing out in 2019, Mahmood’s song “Soldi” was a global phenomenon, so hopes are high that his partnership with Blanco will be a winning combination.
Ukraine
Traditionally a fan favourite at Eurovision, Ukraine almost upset the apple cart last year with their entry, “Shum” by Go_A. The dark techno hit shocked many by finishing second in the semi-final before finishing 5th in the final, despite being sung completely in Ukrainian. This year’s entrant is “Stefania” by rap group Kalush Orchestra, a song dedicated to the mothers of the world. Ukraine’s last win was in 2016 but they are expected to do well this year partly due to the sympathy people feel for their current situation.
Sweden
Sweden is one of the most successful nations in the history of Eurovision. Their most famous representatives are ABBA the group that won in 1974 before going on to have international success. There have been a further 5 victories since then, with the most recent being Måns Zelmerlöw with “Heroes” in 2015. This year’s representative is Cornelia Jakobs who will be performing her ballad “Hold Me Closer”.
Spain
For a country with such a vibrant and popular music scene, Spain has underachieved at Eurovision in previous years, which has been reflected in their placings. However, they’re set to make a big impact this year with the kind of song that traditionally does well at the competition. “SloMo” by Chanel is a reggaeton-pop hit that is sure to get the crowd on their feet.
Poland
Having only debuted in the competition in 1994, Poland is yet to win Eurovision. Their second-place finish that year remains their best result. They failed to qualify for the last three editions, which has led to interest waning in the nation. However, they are back this year with “River”, an emotional ballad that is sure to tug on the heartstrings. This kind of song traditionally does well with the judges, so many are predicting a strong performance from Poland.