FAQ: Eurovision Song Contest
Explanation: By advancing with Dons: Hollow, a record of over 1 decade was broken: since 2011, no finalist at Eurovision received such low chances (< 15%) of qualifying from the semifinals based on the odds set by betting offices. Interestingly, the last successful underdog with similarly low chances (< 11%) was Evelina Sasenko from Lithuania, who sang a slow, classic style song like Hollow. Could this be mere coincidence? I doubt it…
It’s much more likely that this kind of performance is challenging to overlook at Eurovision: highly trained vocals, beautiful lyrics, minimalistic staging. Don seems to have won over the audience, and this will likely continue in the final. Moreover, the jury, with its professional critique, may further favor him, given his undoubtedly more beautiful and powerful voice compared to his Estonian opponents.
And while the joint performance of 5MIINUST and Puuluup from Estonia is unique and amusing, the theme, related to drug use, doesn’t resonate well with the audience, let alone with the jury. The provocative and not very positive lyrics have to be toned down for the international contest. However, even with this adjustment, breaking into the top 20 seems feasible with this topic (and the nu-folk style)… Meanwhile, Don might even secure a top 15 placement!
Outcome: Latvia 16th place, Estonia 20th place => the prediction WON!