After two concurrent semi-finals on Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd March, the time has come for Serbia to select their act for Eurovision 2023! 16 acts will perform in Pesma za Evroviziju on Saturday 4th March before a decision is reached by 50% jury and 50% televote.
Ahead of the final, we’ll be taking a look at the current fan favourites who could secure the victory. However, if there’s one thing Pesma za Evroviziju taught us last year, it’s to expect the unexpected; many didn’t expect Konstrakta to win so anything could happen!
Luke Black – ‘Samo mi se spava’
Far and away the act that set tongues wagging in semi-final one was singer-songwriter Luke Black. His electropop entry ‘Samo mi se spava‘ was really elevated by his staging, based around the concept of defeating a boss in a video game and linking directly to the song’s lyrics, which include phrases such as “I don’t wanna choose my fighter. Who’s taking control of me?”
The performance started with Luke lying on a bed before sitting up to defeat his enemies, represented by four backing dancers, which he eventually ‘unplugs’ at the climax of the performance, defeating the enemy. You can watch the performance below:
Many feel that Luke Black’s song and staging would give Serbia the best chance of a good result at Eurovision, praising it’s unique sound and concept. Do you agree?
Hurricane – ‘Zumi zimi zami’
All eyes were on the new line-up of girl group Hurricane to see how they would open semi-final two and they did not disappoint! Delivering a slick, confident performance with each girl showing off their vocal abilities, they really managed to impress the audience.
The staging was fairly simple, with the girls in bright costumes and makeup, being joined by three male dancers in the second half of the song. However, this very much feels like a performance that would undergo some staging changes should it make it to Liverpool. You can watch it below:
Could this brand new Hurricane be third time lucky and return to Eurovision again?
Filip Baloลก โ ‘Novi plan drugi san’
Another act that impressed juries and televoters in semi-final one was Filip Baloลก. Although his staging was simple, with LED panels that changed colour and shape throughout the performance and two female backing dancers towards the end, it worked perfectly with his club banger ‘Novi plan drugi san’. You can watch it below:
At just 21, Filip has just started to make his mark on the Serbian music industry. Could a win tonight put him on the map?
Zejna – ‘Rumba’
Zejna performed her song ‘Rumba’ in semi-final two and many praised her vocal capabilities, which were made all the more impressive by the fact that she used no pre-recorded backing vocals with the exception of a male voice towards the end of the song. The staging used pyro, LEDs, red and gold lighting and percussive instruments in the background, which her four female backing dancers also play towards the end of the performance. You can watch it below:
Although viewers love Zejna’s voice, many have said they would like the choreography to have more attack. Could tonight’s final give enough fire in the belly to make this happen?
Are any of our ones to watch your winner or are you hoping for someone entirely different? Let us know in the comments! You can watch Pesma za Evroviziju at 20:05 GMT/21:05 CET on YouTube.