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EUROVISION

Get set… get ready…. get betting: Five Eurovision songs to watch

Although Denmark is widely tipped to take the Eurovision crown this year, the outcome can be hard to predict, as illustrated by Finnish monster mask wearing rockers Lordi's win in 2006.

Get set... get ready.... get betting: Five Eurovision songs to watch

For those willing to take a punt on someone else, here are some of the other songs people are talking about in Malmö this week:

Britain: Bonnie Tyler – “Believe In Me”

The Welsh singer’s entry comes courtesy of American song writer Desmond Child, who has previously worked with artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith. The country-flavoured number lacks some of the energy and drama of Tyler’s megahits of the eighties, but could still to pick up nostalgia votes across the continent.

Azerbaijan: Farid Mammadov – “Hold Me”

The central Asian nation has done well since its Eurovision debut in 2008, and Farid Mammadov is likely to conquer hearts across Europe with his charming smile and bulging biceps — the 22-year-old crooner recently completed his own workout video.

Germany: Cascada – “Glorious”

Perhaps the most successful contestants this year after Britain’s Tyler are Germany’s Cascada, who topped international charts in 2009 with the hit single “Evacuate the Dancefloor.” Having sold millions of albums around the world, the dance outfit shrugged off accusations it plagiarized last year’s winner Loreen.

The Netherlands: Anouk – “Birds”

Anouk shot to fame in The Netherlands in 1997 with “Nobody’s Wife”, a rock anthem that went on to become a hit in several other European countries. “Birds” has been compared with American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey, but the song’s Swedish producer has said he doesn’t think it will win.

“The song wasn’t written for the Eurovision Song Contest,” he told daily Sydsvenskan.

The Ukraine: Zlata Ognevich – “Gravity”

The Eurovision Song Contest has never shied away from creative choreography, and the Ukraine has certainly thought outside the box this year. Ognevich is carried on stage by a 234 centimetre (7 feet 8 inches) tall “giant” meant to symbolise her inner strength, and “Gravity” has been well received by Eurovision fans.

AFP/The Local/sh

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EUROVISION

Sweden among favourites after leaping through to Eurovision final

Cornelia Jakobs, Sweden's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, burst into tears and jumped onto presenter Mario Acampas, after shooting through to the final on Thursday night.

Sweden among favourites after leaping through to Eurovision final

Jakobs was emotional at the press conference after her victory, telling the story of her progress from an “largely unknown” indie artist to the Eurovision stage. 

“There are a lot of feelings right now in this little body, an extremely large amount of feelings that can’t really fit in, so they’re exploding,” she said, before beginning to cry. “But I’m so happy and overwhelmed by all the support I’ve got from all these fantastic countries.” 

When the time came to pick lots for which half of the final she would appear in, she leapt onto Mario Acampas, the presenter asking questions at the press conference, wrapping her legs around his waist and clasping herself tightly to his torso. 

He then walked her over to the bowl where the lots were lying. 

“I want you to choose the second half,” she said to him. “Imagine that I have a pistol here and on the count of three I’m going to shoot you if you don’t choose.”

He refused to pick for her so she took one herself and got the second half. 

Jakobs, with her song, “Hold me closer”, was the clear favourite to go into the final, and will go through alongside Finland’s The Rasmus, and his song Jezebel, Serbia’s Konstrakta with “In corpore sano”, as well as entries from Belgium, Czechia, Azerbaijan, Poland, Estonia, Australia, and Romania. 

You can see her performance on Thursday in the video below. 

In the final, she will meet the other favourites, which include Ukraine, Italy, and the United Kingdom. 

The final will be shown on Sweden’s state broadcaster SVT at 9pm on Saturday. 

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