Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Grand Final

Date: Saturday 26 May 2012
Host country: Azerbaijan (İctimai)
Venue: Crystal Hall, Baku
Hosts: Leila Alieva, Eldar Gasimov, Nargiz Birk-Petersen
Winner: Sweden - Loreen "Euphoria" (372 points)

The Opening

After the usual Eurovision ident accompanied by Te Deum, the final began with a sequence of dances. One dance included men being raised on trapezes to mimic flying to the moon and back, I'm not sure what the significance of that was. When the dances finished, Ell and Nikki sang a shortened version of last year's winning song "Running Scared". After that, two of the hosts Leila and Nargiz appeared. Following their introduction, a 60 second film of how the Crystal Hall was built from scratch in seven months was shown. When that film finished, the third host Eldar appeared.

The Songs

Eleven and a half minutes into the show it was time for the first song. Each song was preceded by a short postcard film. Furthermore UK BBC One / BBC One HD viewers had Graham Norton's commentary over the postcard films.

N.B. Looking at the results, there were four tied positions, e.g. Romania and F.Y.R. Macedonia both amassed 71 points each. However the EBU have separated all of them. I have taken the following points and placings from the official Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Grand Final web page, which I believe and trust as the only official source.

Song 1: UNITED KINGDOM - Engelbert Humperdinck "Love Will Set You Free" (25th place, 12 points)

A beautiful love ballad to start the show. At the start of the second verse a man and woman began ballroom dancing behind Engelbert. The song culminated in the crescendo on the final chorus, during which simulated fireworks appeared on the rear screens. Altogether an excellent song and an outstanding performance; 25th place (second last) and 12 points was an insult. This deserved top ten at least, and ideally top five.

Song 2: HUNGARY - Compact Disco "Sound Of Our Hearts" (24th place, 19 points)

Well blow me down, during the first semi-final I disliked this song and put it on my prefer not to qualify list. Amazingly during the final it seemed a much better song, and I actually liked it. More up-beat than the UK's entry, this power ballad was very well sung, and there was a sensible use of lighting. This was under-rated, it deserved to be placed in the top half.

Song 3: ALBANIA - Rona Nishliu "Suus" (5th place, 146 points)

At the end of semi-final 1 I was disgusted to see this qualify. I felt the song itself wasn't up to much then, and it seemed no better in the final. Performance was indifferent: Rona had a good strong voice, but the high pitched bits totally spoiled it. The best thing about this entry was Rona's smart outfit. 5th place and 146 points was way too high, this ought to have finished in the bottom ten.

Song 4: LITHUANIA - Donny Montell "Love Is Blind" (14th place, 70 points)

One I particularly wanted to qualify from semi-final 2, this was another good song. However I was a bit disappointed with the performance, I felt it was a shade down on the semi-final. Although Donny's voice was quite strong on the chorus, it was a bit weak on the verses. I think 14th place and 70 points was a fair result, maybe it could have gone a place or two higher, but I'm not sure it was good enough on the night for top ten.

Song 5: BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA - Maya Sar "Korake Ti Znam" (18th place, 55 points)

A song I didn't mind qualifying, it was a reasonable ballad which was reasonably performed. Overall I felt this was a touch down on Lithuania. It certainly deserved to finish lower in the pecking order than Lithuania, which it did at 18th place and 55 points.

Song 6: RUSSIA - Buranovskiye Babushki "Party For Everybody" (2nd place, 259 points)

Six grannies dressed in classic granny costumes, complete with head scarves. It had the gimmick of putting biscuits into an oven at the start, and taking them out near the end. The song itself, consisting of a gentle first verse in Udmurt followed by a lively chorus in English, was downright terrible. I was disgusted this qualified from semi-final 1, and disliked it just as much in the final to the extent shouted "boo" and "off" several times. I'm appalled this finished second with 259 points, it deserved last place with nul points. Better still Latvia or Finland deserved the slot in the final this took.

Song 7: ICELAND - Greta Salóme & Jónsi "Never Forget" (20th place, 46 points)

Back to a decent entry now, this was an excellent song which was sung very well. The chorus was particularly catchy. I liked the way it featured use of the violin, particularly during the instrumental break. Graham Norton said "That could do very well for Iceland tonight". 20th place and 46 points was an insult, this should have finished in the top five.

Song 8: CYPRUS - Ivi Adamou "La La Love" (16th place, 65 points)

An entry I felt borderline about qualifying; it had a really catchy chorus and an excellent dance routine, which I joined in with, but I felt the song as a whole was below par. 16th place and 65 points was about as much as this deserved.

Song 9: FRANCE - Anggun "Echo (You And I)" (22nd place, 21 points)

The second of the Big Five entries; a topless man belly flopped on to the stage, and the lady began singing. Thereafter the song, as a whole, was rather disappointing. This should best be valued for the amazing gymnastics from the men, including on the boxes during the first chorus and on the floor during the final chorus. 22nd place and 21 points was about as much as this deserved, after all it is the Eurovision Song Contest, not the Eurovision Gymnastics Contest.

Song 10: ITALY - Nina Zilli "L'Amore È Femmina (Out Of Love)" (9th place, 101 points)

The third Big Five entry, it was quite a good song, and sung very well. 9th place and 101 points was a good result, although I think it deserved an even higher placing.

Song 11: ESTONIA - Ott Lepland "Kuula" (6th place, 120 points)

I quite liked this in semi-final 2 (albeit not one of my favourites that night), and was pleased to see it qualify. This excellent ballad was sung very well in the final by a smartly dressed singer. It certainly deserved its 6th place and 120 points.

Song 12: NORWAY - Tooji "Stay" (26th place, 7 points)

I was disgusted to see this qualify from semi-final 2. Perhaps I was a little too harsh at the time; during the final it didn't seem quite so bad, but I still wasn't overly impressed by it. The song itself was below par, although the chorus was catchy. This entry should best be valued for the dance routine which I tried joining in with, as well as the back flips at the start (which I didn't attempt). It's hardly surprising this finished last with just 7 points. I still think The Netherlands or Portugal deserved the place in the final this took.

Song 13: AZERBAIJAN - Sabina Babayeva "When The Music Dies" (4th place, 150 points)

The host nation now, a ballad from a female soloist, and there was plenty going for it. It was very well sung, although it got a bit screechy towards the end. In addition, Sabina and the backing group were well dressed. A reasonable song, though in my opinion not as good as last year. On those grounds this made me wonder if this was a subtle attempt not to win again. I feel this song was over-rated, it deserved a top ten placing but definitely not top five.

Song 14: ROMANIA - Mandinga "Zaleilah" (12th place, 71 points)

An excellent song with a very catchy chorus, and an excellent performance. The backing group played a variety of musical instruments; among them there was the drummer and the accordion player (a Eurovision favourite). What was the significance of the bagpipes though? This was a Romanian entry, not a Scottish entry. Another under-rated song, it ought to have been top five.

Song 15: DENMARK - Soluna Samay "Should've Known Better" (23rd place, 21 points)

An entry I originally hoped wouldn't qualify. In the end I didn't mind it in the final, during which it was an above average song performed quite well. What a weird mix of outfits; e.g. the cellist's printed purple hoodie, the drummer's printed sleeveless T-shirt and the lead singer's sailor hat? What was the significance of the sailor hat? This was under-rated to finish fourth from last, it deserved a midrange placing, approximately 11th to 15th.

Song 16: GREECE - Eleftheria Eleftheriou "Aphrodisiac" (17th place, 64 points)

One of the songs I particularly wanted to qualify from semi-final 1. This was one of the best songs in the final, with an excellent dance routine which I tried to copy. The performance was outstanding too. For some reason the bars which featured in the introduction and after each chorus sounded vaguely similar to, and reminded me of, certain bits of the Westward TV opening march. This was grossly under-rated, it should have finished in the top five.

Song 17: SWEDEN - Loreen "Euphoria" (Winner, 372 points)

In the days leading up to the final, this was strongly tipped by UK bookmakers to win. At the end of the second semi-final I didn't mind this qualifying, though it wasn't one of my favourites that night. I liked it considerably more in the final, it was quite a good song which was performed very well in both voice and dance. The chorus was really catchy, I particularly liked the way Loreen got up from the kneeling position and waved her arms around; I joined in and copied that. Was the strobe lighting on every instance of "going up, up" really necessary though? Near the end Loreen had a dance partner. Although one of the better finalists, it wasn't the song I wanted to win, but as the voting progressed I began routing for Sweden in order to keep Russia off the top. In the end, I was extremely overjoyed to see this beat the Russian grannies by a large margin of 113 points.

Song 18: TURKEY - Can Bonomo "Love Me Back" (7th place, 112 points)

An entry on my prefer not to qualify list during the second semi-final. In the end I didn't mind this in the final, it was a reasonable song, though not really my taste in music. The dance routine was excellent, I joined in and copied it. Overall performance was excellent, both vocally (the lead singer had a strong voice) and in the dance routine. What was the significance of the capes though, was the group meant to be vampires or bats? Was the end formation really meant to be a boat as Graham Norton said it was? Although it merited a top ten placing, 7th place and 112 points was perhaps a bit high.

Song 19: SPAIN - Pastora Soler "Quédate Conmigo (Stay With Me)" (10th place, 97 points)

The fourth Big Five entry. The last few years Spain have given Eurovision fans lively dance-a-long songs, but this time they went for a sing-a-long power ballad. An excellent song, which was very well sung; Pastora had a strong voice. This definitely merited a top ten placing, though I think it deserved 6th or 7th.

Song 20: GERMANY - Roman Lob "Standing Still" (8th place, 110 points)

The fifth and last Big Five entry, another ballad. A reasonable song, which was quite well performed. Just as well this wasn't the Eurovision Dress Contest though, I thought the group members were sloppily dressed. What was the significance of the lead singer's hat? This was over-rated, I'm not convinced it deserved a top ten placing. Put it this way, it wasn't as good as Spain, and therefore deserved a lower placing than Spain.

Song 21: MALTA - Kurt Calleja "This Is The Night" (21st place, 41 points)

One of the songs I most wanted to qualify from semi-final 2, this power ballad was one of the best finalists in terms of song quality, and very well sung. 21st place and 41 points was an insult, it deserved a top ten placing.

Song 22: F.Y.R. MACEDONIA - Kaliopi "Crno I Belo" (13th place, 71 points)

A song I began to like during, and thus wanted to qualify from, semi-final 2. Quite good song, though certain parts were bit overpowering. It was well performed too, the lead singer had a strong voice. 13th place and 71 points was about as high as it deserved though, it was definitely not good enough for top ten.

Song 23: IRELAND - Jedward "Waterline" (19th place, 46 points)

Jedward's second attempt at representing Ireland, this was the song I most wanted to qualify from semi-final 1. Perhaps not as memorable as "Lipstick" last year, but it was still one of the best songs in the 2012 final. Performance was outstanding, both vocally and in terms of the excellent dance routine. The fountain added the finishing touch to this water-themed song. Grossly under-rated, this deserved a top ten placing, though top five would perhaps have been pushing it a bit.

Song 24: SERBIA - Željko Joksimović "Nije Ljubav Stvar" (3rd place, 214 points)

One of the songs I most wanted to qualify from semi-final 2. Željko previously sang "Lane Moje" for Serbia and Montenegro in 2004. In my opinion, not quite as good as "Lane Moje" in 2004, but it was still one of the best finalists of 2012; very well sung with outstanding quality of voice. Just like "Lane Moje", it featured a long instrumental opening and a powerful end section. In my opinion, the final decent entry of the night, this definitely deserved its top five placing. In the light of the way the voting went, it's a pity this didn't finish second and force Russia to third place.

Song 25: UKRAINE - Gaitana "Be My Guest" (15th place, 65 points)

A song I didn't want to qualify from semi-final 2; I disliked it just as much in the final. It featured a female soloist with four backing members dancing behind her. Although lively, the song itself was quite poor really. About the only good thing about this was the dance routine, and the gradual appearance of a crowd on the background screens. 15th place and 65 points was much more than it deserved; it should have finished in the bottom five. Better still, I think The Netherlands or Portugal deserved the slot in the final this took.

Song 26: MOLDOVA - Pasha Parfeny "Lăutar" (11th place, 81 points)

The final song of the night, and another song I didn't want to qualify. I was still unimpressed by it in the final, the song itself was below par. The best thing about this entry was the excellent dance routine, including floor dancing and cartwheels. Grossly over-rated, this should have finished in the bottom five.

Tele-voting and Recap

The three presenters reappeared and explained the voting procedure before the lines opened. A brief recap of the songs was shown to remind viewers. I liked the way they said "UK VIEWERS CANNOT VOTE FOR THE UK ENTRY", with the Graham Norton saying "Remember, you cannot vote for Engelbert." Were any UK viewers foolish enough to try dialling the stem with 01 on the end? I voted for Iceland. A second recap was shown before the lines closed.

Interval Act

After the lines closed it was time for the interval act. It began with various individual musicians and groups of musicians playing an assortment of musical instruments. In addition there was a torch procession. After a while Emin Agalarov was lowered on wires on to the stage to sing "Never Enough". It wasn't a bad song, but not as memorable as "Don't Go" by the Hothouse Flowers in 1988. Well done to all the musicians involved in playing their parts at the correct times. On the whole, an interval act that will be forgotten overnight. Not a patch on the unforgettable Riverdance in 1994.

Voting Time

All 42 countries, including the 16 which failed to qualify, voted in the final. The voting order was:
Albania, Montenegro, Romania, Austria, Ukraine, Belarus, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Malta, San Marino, France, United Kingdom, Turkey, Greece, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Moldova, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Cyprus, Croatia, Slovakia, F.Y.R. Macedonia, The Netherlands, Portugal, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Latvia, Spain, Finland, Georgia, Italy, Serbia, Germany, Russia, Hungary, Israel, Ireland.

Sweden was strongly tipped to win, even before the semi-finals. It was hardly surprising Sweden was immensely popular during voting. Italy was the only country to award no points at all to Sweden. 18 countries gave 12 points to Sweden: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, The Netherlands, United Kingdom.

22 other countries gave between 3 and 10 points to Sweden, with their 12 points going to another country as shown in the following table.

Calling Country	Points To Sweden	12 Points To
Albania	5	Greece
Azerbaijan	7	Turkey
Belarus	6	Russia
Bosnia & Herzegovina	8	F.Y.R. Macedonia
Bulgaria	8	Serbia
Croatia	7	Serbia
Cyprus	10	Greece
F.Y.R. Macedonia	6	Albania
Georgia	8	Lithuania
Greece	6	Cyprus
Lithuania	10	Azerbaijan
Malta	6	Azerbaijan
Moldova	7	Romania
Montenegro	7	Serbia
Portugal	3	Spain
Romania	10	Moldova
San Marino	3	Albania
Serbia	10	F.Y.R. Macedonia
Slovenia	10	Serbia
Switzerland	7	Albania
Turkey	6	Azerbaijan
Ukraine	6	Azerbaijan

Sweden became uncatchable, and thus effectively won, during Georgia's turn to vote. At the start of their turn, the top three was Sweden 294, Russia 210, Serbia 190. With eight countries still to vote, including Georgia, Serbia and Russia, a maximum of 84 (7 x12) points was still available to both Russia and Serbia. So if Sweden had received no further points, the only country that could potentially tie with Sweden was Russia (210 + 84 = 294), in which case the tie-break rule would have been applied. As it happened, Georgia awarded 5 points to Russia (taking its cumulative total to 215) and 8 points to Sweden (taking its cumulative total to 302). With up to 72 (6 x 12) points still available to Russia after Georgia had finished voting, the worst case scenario that could have occurred thereafter would have been Russia 287 Sweden 302.

As expected, Greece gave 12 points to Cyprus and Cyprus gave 12 points to Greece.
Azerbaijan gave 12 points to Turkey and Turkey gave 12 points to Azerbaijan. Is this another Greece-Cyprus relationship?
Moldova gave 12 points to Romania and Romania gave 12 points to Moldova. Is this yet another Greece-Cyprus relationship?
Portugal gave 12 points to Spain, which is hardly surprising.
However San Marino gave just 7 points to Italy and 12 points to Albania. That blows out of the window any idea that San Marino will automatically give Italy 12 points.

The Nordic countries exchanged points with each other as follows:

Calling country	To Iceland	To Norway	To Denmark	To Sweden
Iceland	n/a	1	5	12
Sweden	0	3	0	n/a
Norway	5	n/a	2	12
Denmark	6	0	n/a	12
Finland	7	0	5	12

Notice that Sweden gave no points to Iceland or Denmark. Denmark gave no points to Norway, and Finland gave no points to Norway. It just goes to show, contrary to what some may think, the Nordic countries don't necessarily award points to every other Nordic finalist. Interestingly Sweden gave its 12 points to Cyprus.

The ex-Yugoslav countries voted in an interesting manner, as outlined in the following table.

Calling Country	To Bosnia & Herzegovina	To F.Y.R. Macedonia	To Serbia
Montenegro	6	8	12
Bosnia & Herzegovina	n/a	12	10
Slovenia	7	6	12
Croatia	10	8	12
F.Y.R. Macedonia	7	n/a	10
Serbia	5	12	n/a

Interestingly F.Y.R. Macedonia gave its 12 points to Albania.

Someone from the group Lordi (who performed Finland's winning entry in 2006) announced the results for Finland. He wore the monster outfit from the 2006 performance.

Sweden won with 372 points. With a possible maximum of 12 points from each of the other 41 countries (including the 16 semi-finalists which failed to qualify), i.e. 492, Sweden won with 75.6% of the maximum possible score. Although that seems high, it's only the seventh highest under the current voting system (used since 1975). The record for the winner with the highest percentage of the maximum possible score since 1975 still rests with United Kingdom - Brotherhood of Man "Save Your Kisses For Me"; 80.4% in 1976

Reprise

Once voting was over, Loreen performed "Euphoria" again. Mid-way through the closing credits began to roll at the left hand side of the screen. Once the song finished, the show ended with the Eurovision ident and Te Deum, just like at the beginning.

And Finally

Altogether another great Contest. Many thanks to İctimai Television for producing a great final. Most of the songs were OK or very good; there were just a few that I'd rather not have qualified to the final (Albania, Russia, Norway, Ukraine, Moldova). As always it was good to have a mixture of ballads (e.g. UK, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Serbia) and lively dance-a-long songs (adult kids' Boogie Beebies big videos) from countries such as Cyprus, Greece, Sweden and Turkey.

Well done Sweden, their fifth win to-date, having previously won in 1974, 1984, 1991 and 1999. This is now their longest gap between wins, 13 years (1999 to 2012).

It was a really disappointing result for the UK, 25th place (second last), 12 points. The UK deserved much better than that. At least that was better than last place with 10 points in 2010. Fair enough Engelbert Humperdinck finished second last, but the important thing is not to win, but to participate.

Roll on the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest from Sweden. Can SVT do as well or better? Time will tell. Mark my words, next year's Contest will tell another story as far as the results go. Who knows, the UK might win next year!