It’s May, and that can mean only one thing…Eurovision 2023! The weird, wacky and wonderful competition is back, bringing fresh sounds from all over Europe (and down under, of course).
From piano ballads, to funky pop, folk and even catchy metal tunes, there’s a wide range of different songs in this year’s competition, as ever. It’s always interesting to hear (and see) the influences and characteristics of artists from different countries, so let’s dive into some of our favorite entries from this year’s Eurovision song contest.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Brunette – Future Lover (Armenia)
First let’s take a look at Future Love, the entry by Brunette from Armenia. This opens as a quiet piano ballad with a sense of longing, increased by the layers of melancholic harmonized vocals alongside a simple piano arrangement.
The first half of the track conveys art pop vibes with an ethereal quality, before orchestral arrangements help steadily build the tension alongside the vocal approach as the track climaxes. It’s a powerful song that should go far in this year’s competition.
La Zarra – Évidement (France)
France’s entry from La Zarra has a lot of characteristics that remind you of classic Eurovision songs. Dramatic atmosphere, sweeping string arrangements, and similar to the first track, a sense of longing behind the lyrics.
This can be a central theme when songs tend to have romance as the topic, particularly in this competition. The song develops into an uplifting second half with pulsing electronic grooves and soaring vocal melodies, with an introspective lyrical outlook drawing the track to a close.
Voyager – Promise (Australia)
The Australian band Voyager bring poppy, prog metal vibes to the competition with a unique sound. There are heavy downtuned guitars and big drums in the mix, very typical of modern heavy metal, alongside strong electronic influences.
The chorus hook and synthesizer/guitar solos give a big 80’s flavor to the track, which is a great combination. It’s a really interesting track to check out, and you may well find the chorus line stuck in your head for a few days.
Alessandra – Queen of Kings (Norway)
Norway’s entry by Alessandra is a triumphant sounding anthem with soaring, melodic vocals taking centre stage. Immediately the Scandinavian influence in the sound is apparent, with melodies emulating traditional and folk songs.
The lyrics also draw on this influence with references to the northern lights and the north and southern seas. The catchy and driving chorus wouldn’t be out of place in a Scandinavian heavy metal song, and combined with memorable lyrics and hooks throughout, Queen of Kings could well go far in Eurovision 2023.
Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha (Finland)
We mentioned the Eurovision characteristics earlier, and Käärijä from Finland have certainly got these down to a tee. Their bold stage outfits and frankly strange stage performance stand out from the start, the intro featuring a simplistic pulsing techno beat with high energy vocals.
This kicks into a catchy monosyllabic chorus which was made for crowd participation, particularly alongside a Rammstein-esque pounding guitar riff. Additionally, distorted guitars feature later on in the song, providing an interesting counterpoint to the electronic Europop sound. It’s one of the quirkier entries, but isn’t that what we’re here for? Definitely check this one out.
Check out our Eurovision 2023 setlist here. The final will be shown on Saturday 13th May. Happy jamming!
Henry works in Chordify's Support and Content teams, with experience in music from studying at university and playing guitar. At Chordify he helps users and creates support content, as well as writing and editing articles.
