i didn't watch #PabandomišNaujo #PiN2023 but i watched the clip of Monika Linkytė's winning performance. and i like it.

this year is definitely something. i actually like all 3 entries from the baltic states! can't exactly remember the last time this happened (but i’d only started watching #Eurovision from around 2015)

I'll get around to my Iceland and Sweden reviews later, but first I'm mourning "So Low". I thought the days of juries deciding ties in national finals were over, but apparently some countries still need to learn. (No shade to "Stay", it's a good song, and best of luck to Monika Linkytė, but Rūta Mur would have been on another level.)

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #PabandomIsNaujo #Eurovision #Lithuania #Eurovision2023

Die wollten sich doch nur keinen neuen Namen merken müssen...
#PabandomIsNaujo

Lithuania messed up there big time. #Pabandomišnaujo #Eurovision
I shall now cry into my drink

Rūta Mur muss das Ding schon alleine wegen des Bühnenbildes gewinnen! #PabandomIsNaujo #Eurovision

Is Vaidas really that big a star in Lithuania, or does everyone promote their concerts during LRT and breaks? #PabandomIsNaujo

Like A Movie goes off at a hundred miles an hour and kind of just stays there. I like it and it's very much the second best song on offer here, but would fear for it in Liverpool. #PabandomIsNaujo

Will tune into #Pabandomisnaujo later on because I don't think my heart can take the disappointment of my most fave song of his year up to now not making it to Liverpool.
Laters, people #eurovision

¿Estás preparado para un supersábado de infarto?

¡8 finales nacionales! 🤯

🇭🇷 #Dora2023 I 20:15 CET
🇩🇰 Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2023 I 20:00 CET
🇪🇪 #EestiLaul 2023 I 18:30 CET
🇱🇻 #Supernova I 20:10 CET
🇮🇹 #Sanremo2023 I 20:40 CET
🇲🇹 #MESC2023 I 21:00 CET
🇷🇴 #SelecţiaNaţională 2023 I 19:30 CET

Y por si fuera poco, el sábado también continúan sus respectivas preselecciones en:

🇱🇹 Lituania 2º semifinal del #PabandomIšNaujo I 20:00
🇸🇪 Suecia 2º eliminatoria del Melodifestivalen I 20:00CET

Paulina Paukštaitytė -- Let Me Think About Me

The line-up needed something for the clubbers among us, and this comes fairly close to providing that at times. I particularly enjoy the watery synths in the second half of the track, and the lyrics work surprisingly well. All in all, a decent prospect for the final.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Moon Bee -- Rumor

This sounds like the kind of song I'd listen to outside the contest, although I think the chorus is actually its weakest part. I don't consider myself a musical maximalist, but often I don't understand why some of these Eurovision hopefuls aren't given a bit more body, just an extra layer or so to keep things interesting. Nevertheless, there's enough here that I hope this makes the final.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Monika Linkytė -- Stay

I was about to write this off as another cliche-riddled ballad, but then it found another gear in the chorus and didn't look back. Lyrically there still isn't anything unusual, but the backing vocals and beat elevate this more than I could have expected going in.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Matt Len -- Midnight Train

If this was presented to me as a demo, I'd say there's a fair amount to work with: the song has a distinctive atmosphere and sounds like nothing else in this selection. The drop by Len to a deeper vocal register is an innovative way to mix things up, but the overall the track is too one-paced and his vocals too deadpan. He doesn't come across as hugely committed to his song on stage either.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Mario Junes -- Do What You Do

Sometimes I struggle to say much about a song because I find it really difficult to connect to it in any way. This is an example of such a song. I'm sure there's an audience for this, and Junes seems confident in his performance, but I was ready to move on halfway through.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Luknė -- Paradise

I can understand why you'd want to dance along to this song, but leaving Luknė alone on stage to do this just weakens a performance which already struggles to make the case for itself despite a few nice moments.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Gebrasy -- Saw Your Ghost

More of a pop offering this time from Gebrasy, who hasn't quite reached the heights of his second placing in 2021 (albeit a distant second). To me, this falls into the category of a decent song which just doesn't do anything outside the box to set it aside from the others.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Beatrich -- Like a Movie

I can always appreciate a bit of pop-rock, and this does the job with a few extras, like the energetic and engaging lead singer who seems to be the one pacing the song rather than the rhythm section. This seems to be one of the favourites from the second semi to make it through to the grand final, and I'd say they deserve it.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Antikvariniai Kašpirovskio dantys -- Sėdi ir važiuoji

Wow, this one fell apart very quickly. I'm struggling even to make an argument that this is just a bit of fun and we can let it go. This is cringe more than anything else, and those three minutes felt very long.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Agnė -- New Start

Celtic-inspired aria -- with extra green and orange in the staging just to make sure you get the reference. Not my cup of tea, but we certainly have had a fair amount of songs in recent years which could easily fill a slot in a fantasy movie soundtrack.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023

Donata -- Dreamer

Much like Petunija's song earlier on, I feel like I've heard something very close to this before. I don't enjoy this one as much, but the chorus is particularly catchy and it sweeps you along.

#PabandomIšNaujo2023 #Lithuania #PabandomIšNaujo #Eurovision #Eurovision2023