Ummm what?

So Rūta Mur and Monika Linkyté got exactly the same points? How was the winner decided then?
#Eurovision2023
#PabandomIsNaujo2023 #PabandomIšNaujo2023

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.)

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I'm glad Moon Bee reached the final. It was one of my favourites from the first heat. #PabandomIšNaujo2023

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Rūta Mur -- So Low

So here's one you've probably heard about, and with good reason. Yes, it is a throwback to 80s synth-pop and not the most original song you'll hear this year, but is is tasteful, it is classy. Mur's vocals are perfect for this style. At this point, the ticket to Liverpool seems to be Mur's to lose.

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Gabrielius Vagelis -- Šauksmas

While Vagelis get some points for singing in Lithuanian, I can't see this as anything more than a decent mid-tempo song with a confident performer. That's good, but it usually doesn't win you the ticket to the contest.

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Justė Kraujelytė -- Need More Fun

I was a big fan of Kraujelytė's 2022 entry, and while I don't want to spend each review comparing previous entries to the new one, this is certainly a more conventional pop song, which is probably a good move for her this time. Bonus points for some interesting staging which keeps Kraujelytė off-camera for half the song.

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Petunija -- Love of My Life

I suspect I've heard something very similar to this song before: the chords and general atmosphere are giving me a strong sense of deja vu. Having said that, this is the kind of piano ballad I love, and should Lithuania send this to Liverpool, I can almost promise that I'll send some votes its way.

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Noy -- Destiny's Child

Did Noy borrow Joseph June's pink suit from last year? In any case, I'm afraid I find a lot about this performance falls into the amateur realm; I'm struggling to make an argument for the track.

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Joseph June -- Vacuum

I haven't warmed to June's previous PIN offerings, but this one seems a little better. At least, I don't find it annoying. It's catchy, with a simple but effective beat. Ultimately, this is something I could see finishing mid-table in a national final.

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