Eurovision 2021 Semi-final 1: Second rehearsals

May qualifyToday we've seen the full live-on-tape performance from Montaigne but sadly without audio. From the video which was played we can note that Montaigne is wearing a black latex bodysuit which is covered by crystals and chains around her hip. She is rocking a yellow and pink shaved hairstyle while being accompanies by three dancers whom also are wearing latex bodysuits with shade of light blue to silver. This performance was shot in a studio setting at the SBS Headquarters in Australia. Whilst having a dark tone to the staging, we have numerous instances of a flood of lights to give it a technicolor feel to it. Most of the shots focus on Montaigne and her dancers.

Will not qualifyWe all know Azerbaijan tends to do pretty well in Eurovision and it's sort of unlikely that Efendi will miss the finals, but it's not impossible. Especially if we consider that semi-final 1 features many female Pop songs and, so far, all have superior staging than Azerbaijan as well as a better vocal performance. The wide camera angles do not make it better and the fact that Efendi looks so tiny next to her four dancers is not of great help either. We don't think Azerbaijan is making it... Even with the explosion of fire towards the end.

May qualifyNo changes for Belgium. It seems that the team was happy with the first rehearsal as everything is kept the same. The focus is mainly on the singer, Geike with several shots of the band and the backing vocalist which are performing on several platforms. Black once again dominates this performance especially for Geike wearing a chick dress with high black boots. Once again vocals are flawless and could be a surprise qualifier on the night.

May qualifyThe main difference between Albina's first rehearsal and second rehearsal really is her confidence. She knows what she has to do and even vocally, she sounded way more powerful. She is able to mix this sweet image with her sexy figure which can also be a win-win situation for the Croatian singer. Despite being a very solid Pop performance, we're not sure if Albina will make it through as her semi-final features more similar acts.

Will qualifyCan we please get a fan over here? El Diablo is here in Rotterdam and he is not taking a non qualification result. The performance is the same as we've seen in the first rehearsal. The choreography is non-stop and her vocals are stable. The mirror and the "El Diablo" sign return and one slight difference noted is that her pronunciation is improving. A sure qualifier.

Will not qualifyWe are transported in a storybook fantasy by Leslie Roy. Visually better than the first rehearsal however the vocals still need improving as some parts are quite screechy. She is still sporting the same green outfit we've previously seen with a touch of green nail polish. Towards the end of the performance, Leslie walks over to the second stage to hit her final notes. Very difficult seeing this in the final.

Will qualifyEden Alene's hair crown is now a full-time act which means there's not an hairdo change onstage anymore. Asides from that, the energetic performance taken in charge by the Israeli singer is still on point. In only three minutes, one can tell Eden's vocal talent, dance abilities and huge stage presence. It's indeed the proof that being a tiny girl means nothing as she makes the stage look too small for her. It's an extremely professional performance that we believe we'll be seeing in the finals.

Will qualifyWhat an opening show for Eurovision 2021. Lithuania provides an energetic and fun performance. This has been improved from the first rehearsal in terms of camera angles however the general performance remains the same as what we've seen in Pabandom iš Naujo! 2021 with the exception of some additional graphics on screen. Vocals are good and this is a sure qualifier.

Will qualifyThere's still pink but not in Destiny. Well, partially. The powerhouse vocalist is now wearing a silver dress (just like the singers from Cyprus, Moldova and Albania) but kept the pink long boots to match her dancers' outfit. She still is showing confidence and no sign of a bad vocal performance, in fact, she may be the strongest so far. She is all smiles while delivering attitude and sassiness onstage. As for the staging, that has not changed drastically from the last time we saw it, aside from the game of lights presented in the bridge... We almost forgot, because it's obvious, she's in the final.

Will not qualifyNo major changes from the first rehearsal. A slight noticeable change is that towards the first chorus of the song, Vasil does some hand movements and a graphical dust rises from his palm. The other noticeable change is when the mirrored chest suit is reveled, it has less light beams than the previous rehearsals. Vocally still needs improvement but slightly better. This entry will struggle to qualify and sadly could classify towards the bottom of the first semi-final ranking.

Will qualifyNo major changes for Norway's performance from the first rehearsal. The staging is very similar what we've seen in the Norwegian National Final, MGP 21 with a few added upgrades to his clothes together with backdrop and lighting differences. The stage tone is mainly set on blue but as TIX heads towards the last chorus, the stage turns into golden colors showcasing that TIX has won his inner demons. The performance itself portrays the struggles TIX has but vocally is a little off. With slight camera and vocal improvements this will go to the final.

Will not qualifyThere's an improvement and better control vocally from Roxen but there's still a lot of work to be done. We could notice a more careful way of performing from the Romanian singer, possibly to have her breathing controlled for the song's climax but it still wasn't enough. In fact, this carefulness in preserving Roxen's power to the song's last part makes the entire thing come off as dull. It will be unlikely that the jury will support this as well as the public. We think Romania will miss the final.

Will qualifyThe huge and customizable sarafan dress is back for the second rehearsal. Not many noticeable changes from the first rehearsal that Manizha has on Saturday. She has changed accessories in her hair, while the dancers are wearing new clothes. The rest of the performance is similar to the one we've previously seen with the song ending LED filled with Russian women. If there was any doubt on this before Rotterdam, now we can safely say it's a near sure qualifier.

Will not qualifyHallelujah! Today Ana Soklič struts that catwalk towards the second stage with confidence, opposed to the first rehearsal we've seen so far. No major changes first rehearsal except that she is more confident. Vocally a bit weaker than usual however if she keeps this confidence with the vocals she had on Saturday, this might surprise and qualify. But right now we are not so sure.

Will qualifyHere comes one of the Eurovision champs, Sweden. It's very unlikely that Tusse won't make it to the finals. His song has an universal message, his figure is unique and the staging is strong especially when he is joined by his dancers who were able to overcome the obstacles of life. The second rehearsal was different in terms of camera angles that continued to be changed at a really fast pace... Something they may want to review before the semi-final. Either way, yes! We'll be seeing Sweden in the final.

The lead singer of Ukraine’s band Go_A, Kateryna Pavlenko, reported feeling a little unwell this morning. In accordance with the health and safety protocol she has undergone a PCR test for COVID-19 and, as a precautionary measure, Kateryna missed this afternoon’s rehearsal and press conference.

The other members of Go_A have all tested negative for COVID-19. They rehearsed with an impressive Dutch stand-in, Emmie van Stijn. We have decided not to evaluate the rehearsal.

We wish Kateryna good health.