The Ballads of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 — Ranking from Worst to Best

Ladies and gentlemen, We’ve got a Contest!

First of all, I must admit that it feels so good that this year we’ll have an actual contest, no matter the circumstances in which it will take place — there’s a chance we’d get a show in which some of the performances would be the “backups” made in case an artist tests positive for Coronavirus.

I definitely missed the excitement, the style, the drama, and most importantly, the live music of the festival. We didn’t get to witness those songs in all their glory that Saturday in May, but in 2021, the story will be different.

Now, let’s talk about the actual songs.

This year, we’ve got 39 countries competing for the crystal microphone in Rotterdam, 39 songs that have to conquer the hearts of Europeans and Australians that week, through two semis and a final. Among them, we’ve got ourselves a decent number of ballads, some of them evoke the classic trope of the epic ESC slow number, some of them are more modern and sound closer to TV drama soundtrack tunes, and some of them are just hard to classify.

As a big ballad fan, I’ve listened to every single one multiple times and have finally come up with a comprehensive ranking, from the ones that just didn’t do it for me to those that I consider masterpieces — three of them, especially, could actually win the contest.

Before I give you my list, I’ve got to be clear and explain my criteria behind my choices. Basically, there are four rules that you should know:

1. This list is based entirely on my opinion of the tunes, regardless of how well I think might do in the actual contest.
2. As a musician, I focused on the composition, production, and vocal performances for the songs, regardless of the artist’s trajectory previous to the contest.
3. While I would mention the song’s popularity among Eurofans or its betting-odds standing, these are not relevant to my reviews.
4. My definition of “Ballad” does not include mid-tempo tunes with slower moments, so Roxen’s Amnesia will not be here.

Without further ado, here’s my Official Ranking of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 ballads.

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Vasil — Here I Stand (North Macedonia)

Look, Vasil Garvanliev is a pretty good singer. The man has range, strength, and a distinctive tone. On paper, that would make for a great ballad, a sweeping orchestral number that would make us swoon. And yes, that was exactly what the North Macedonian delegation was aiming for with “Here I Stand”, but the punch just didn’t land.

The song takes forever to reach the first chorus, and it meanders a bit too much. There is a moment in which it grows into a thick-sounding gospel-influenced track, but even when the choir works wonders in that last third, that doesn’t create much of an impact. It feels like the good part came a little too late. Vasil’s final note should feel like the culmination of a process of growth, but he didn’t make much of a buildup in the first place. This is the weakest of the ESC ballads for me.

Vincent Bueno — Amen (Austria)

I don’t really think this song is bad at all; in terms of instrumentation, the spacious production, the piano, and the backing voices make for a solid instrumental, and Vincent Bueno’s voice is quite pleasant. My problem with it, to be completely honest, is that it’s not memorable at all.

The hook sounds well enough, and the way the production dresses actually lifts the songwriting in the final chorus, but the melodies themselves, and the verse-to-chorus transitions just strike me as generic. I have no idea how it might do in the show, the slick production could make this a jury fave for sure and I might need to eat my words, but “Amen” only works for me in the musicianship aspect, and not very much at that either.

Blas Cantó — Voy A Quedarme (Spain)

To me, Spain’s song choices of 2020 and 2021 have been a total waste of vocal potential. Blas is one of the most skillful pop singers in Spanish popular music in the last decade, but he rarely gets to shine in a stand-out song. Don’t get me wrong, “Voy a Quedarme” has him at the top of his vocal powers — range, attractive melismas, and tons of moments for his great falsetto to shine, like in the bridge — , but everything under his voice sounds irrelevant and generic. There’s not much of a song for him to sing, and a great voice alone, especially a male voice, is not enough. Also, it’s been frustrating to see that the song gets zero promotion in his own country, let alone Europe; it seems like the record label just has no respect for Blas, and that raises concerns among his fans.

“Voy a Quedarme” is a pleasant song but in a year where there’s a bunch of really good male vocalists, some of them coming with potential winners, it’s gonna get drowned by superior pieces on Saturday night.

Anxela Peristeri — Karma (Albania)

It was hard for me to choose between calling this a ballad or not, especially since the revamp came to our lives. “Karma” is a very traditional Albanian song, complete with a total display of ethnic musical elements and the entrancing nature of the native language, but most importantly, it has power from the start; even before she starts singing, the massive instrumentation sets the tone.

Anxela’s voice defends the track pretty well, and the melody itself leaves a mark, but it’s the instrumentation’s force that takes this one forward. The Balkan region always delivers at least one potent ethno-ballad, and this year it was the Albanians that brought the goods to the table.

Ana Soklic — Amen (Slovenia)

I’m sorry if nobody likes the song or if the betting houses place it dead last, I will defend “Amen” ’til the end. It’s the hill I’m willing to die on. Why? Well, Ana Soklic has the best voice in the entire contest by far, and if someone can take any song to the final on virtuosity alone, that’s her.

Listen, I’m a singer too, and the musician in me just marvels at Ana’s remarkable abilities. She has the pipes, the timbre, and the expressiveness to take a pretty regular song like “Amen” to places where no other singer could. The gospel flavor also works in her favor, and despite having a bland production and a pretty mediocre bridge, that final chorus, key change and all, is perfect for her to destroy you with her greatness.

The Black Mamba — Love Is On My Side (Portugal)

Portugal’s “Love is on My Side” is elegant, heartfelt, incredibly sung, and especially unique in a contest like this. The deeply retro tune surprised the eurofandom when it took the prize in Festival da Canção, first because it’s the first song in the English language to win such a traditionally Portuguese contest, but also because of its style.

Leader Pedro Tatanka channels 60’s soul music so passionately, and the band performs with such deep knowledge that it just ended up growing up, despite having other favorites during the final. It’s also very interesting musically; the string arrangements take a more traditional approach, and the piano sound is undoubtedly modern, but the guitars, the way the bass propels sets the pace, and the bluesy guitar solo in the end sets in right in the Golden Age of soulful ballads. It’s a classic sound that translates pretty well in the 2021 context.

Tornike Kipriani — You (Georgia)

Ok, hear me out: From the production/composition standpoint, Tornike Kipriani’s “You” is nothing short of a masterpiece. The sparse but engaging instrumentation — that bass/drums combo in particular — , the calm pace, the layered atmospheric synths, complete with Tornike’s serene interpretation, make this a wonderful track. And that’s a shame because it also has absolutely no competitive potential in the contest.

“You” suffers from the “wrong place” curse; as much as I love this song, this is not a good fit for a contest in which the point is to stand out and offer something ear-catching. But this is no indictment of the ballad itself; “You” is pretty close to perfect, especially when it comes to creating a vibe, but it’s just not a Eurovision song. That being said, please go listen to it after the contest is over. You’re gonna need it in your life one day.

Victoria — Growing Up Is Getting Old (Bulgaria)

Musically captivating, yes, but that’s not what’s great about Victoria’s “Growing Up Is Getting Old”; what’s great is how important it feels. This is one of the songs that perfectly capture the spirit of Europe during the pandemic. Of course, the lyrics make several references to these difficult times we’re living, and the anxieties and tensions that have flooded everyone’s minds, but it also offers hope. The string arrangements themselves feel like they’re heading into a light at the end of the tunnel, and even when Victoria sings a chorus that carries the pain of an entire continent, it resolves in solace, in solidarity even. The clock keeps ticking, and as long as there is time, things can be better. That’s what the song means, and that’s why it could win Eurovision 2021.

Gjon’s Tears — Tout L’Univers (Switzerland)

It’s a bit infuriating to see so much talent in one single person. Swiss representative Gjon’s Tears has consistently brought the contest quality and power; last year’s “Respondez moi” was one of the most brilliant compositions in the competition, a hypnotic and delightfully nostalgic song, performed with a passion rarely heard in recent times, a really hard piece to follow up if there is one. Yet somehow, he just outdid himself with “Tout L’Univers”.

The track begins with a melancholic piano, which Gjon tackles with his inexplicably expressive voice from the start, and as the verse keeps growing we set up for an explosive, earth-shattering hook, and that’s exactly what we get. Gjon’s uncanny vocal delivery — falsetto fans, this is for you — accompanies us through a song that, from a compositional aspect, exists completely to benefit from his melodic sensitivity, and makes a huge impact after repeated listens. That final E-note at the end of the bridge is just the cherry on top. It’s not hard to see why this song could very well take the crystal mic.

Barbara Pravi — Voilà (France)

“Voilà” is one of those songs that mark a before and after, not only in the history of Eurovision but in your life. One of those songs that you could write whole books about. One of those songs that you need to share with your friends after listening to it for the first time. A song that only comes once in a lifetime.

Barbara Pravi begins the piece with a simple request; a “Listen to me” that begins an emotional journey like few other songs in popular music. Next to her, a piano that, from a humble D minor chord, accompanies her on an increasingly intense and transcendental path. Barbara demands that you remember her, that you talk about her, that you see her while she strips her body and soul. After the second chorus, the intensity increases until her nudity becomes power, greatness, and brings us to an end whose fast pace contains echoes of Jewish music, but also decades of French history. “Voilà” is pure passion, pure drama, pure theater, and pure France. It is one of those songs that we need in the European popular scene more and more. A song that represents an achievement for the contest, especially for its high chances of winning. A song that should win, for the sake of European pop.