Magic spells, innuendo and riddles: Your guide to all 37 Eurovision songs

The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest pops its cork connected Sunday, with a "turquoise carpet" parade featuring competitors from each 37 nations.

But the contention truly begins connected Tuesday, erstwhile the archetypal semi-final volition spot 5 countries unceremoniously kicked out.

Another six volition suffer their spot astatine the 2nd semi-final connected Thursday, earlier the Grand Final takes spot successful Basel, Switzerland, connected Saturday, 17 May.

This year's entrants see 2 returning contestants, 1 nonrecreational opera singer, a thinly veiled allusion to intersexual emissions and a creation anthem astir a dormant abstraction dog.

It's a batch to instrumentality in.

To assistance you prepare, here's a usher to each 37 songs successful the contest, which I've sorted into unsmooth philharmonic categories, chiefly for my ain sanity (it didn't work).

Win oregon lose, UK contestants Remember Monday person fixed header writers a acquisition with the rubric of their entry: What The Hell Just Happened?

A souped-up, afloat throttle popular anthem, it cherry-picks the champion bits of Queen, Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Beatles, presumably to punctual voters of Britain's affluent philharmonic heritage.

With 8 tempo changes, it could beryllium tricky for voters to grasp, but the band's stellar harmonies and sparkling personalities should transportation them through.

Crucially, the opus avoids the Eurovision cliches of jackhammer creation anthems and windswept balladry – thing Remember Monday person successful communal with this year's favourites.

Sweating it retired astatine the apical are Swedish representatives KAJ, whose opus Bara Bada Bastu is an ode to the restorative powers of the sauna, implicit with dancers successful skimpy towels.

Unreasonably catchy, it's won the support of Abba's Bjorn Ulvaeus, whose been singing the way successful his ain backstage sauna. As you do.

Stiff contention comes from Austrian vocalist JJ, and his operatic ballad Wasted Love.

A timeworn communicative of unrequited love, it leans connected his grooming arsenic a counter-tenor, earlier exploding into an unexpected techno breakdown.

A favourite with the bookies, the song's lone Achilles bottommost is its similarity to past year's winner, Nemo.

Distinctive successful a antithetic mode is Ireland's entry, Laika Party – a 90s rave way astir a dog who was sent to space by Russia and near to dice there.

Singer Emmy aims for a hopeful rotation connected a tragic communicative but, contempt a peppy performance, it's a spot of a downer.

More palatable is Luxembourg's Laura Thorn, whose La Poupée Monte Le Son is simply a callback to France Gall's 1965 winning entry, Poupée De Cire, Poupée De Son.

Where the archetypal was astir a "fashion doll" operated by songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, Thorn's effect is each astir taking control.

"If you deliberation a antheral similar you tin manipulate me, spell backmost to your mum," she scolds. Yeouch.

Rome indispensable beryllium blushing. This twelvemonth features not one, but two, songs astir the vibrant civilization of Il Bel Paese.

The archetypal comes, not surprisingly, from San Marino – the autarkic microstate that nestles wrong north-central Italy.

Titled Tutta L'Italia, it celebrates everything from the county's shot squad and its vineyards, to the Mona Lisa (under her Italian sanction Gioconda).

Written by Gabry Ponte – 1 of the brains down Eiffel 65's Blue (Da Ba Dee) – it's a slight, but fun, substance of creation beats, accepted accordion playing and the people dances of Calabria.

The staging could beryllium its downfall, though, with Gabry marooned down his DJ decks portion the singers, who for immoderate crushed privation to stay anonymous, obscure their faces with masks.

More memorable, but decidedly much unhinged, is Estonia's Espresso Macchiato.

Performed by Tommy Cash (the lone Eurovision contestant to person appeared connected a Charli XCX record) it's an affectionate-ish caricature of Italian stereotypes, featuring the indelible lyric: "Life is similar spaghetti, it's hard until you marque it".

I'm trying to springiness up intersexual innuendo, but Eurovision is making it har... difficult.

A trio of artists are trying to sneak smut past the censors, led by Malta's Miriana Conte, with a throbbing nine way called Serving.

In its archetypal form, the song's chorus revolved astir the operation "serving kant" – the connection kant being Maltese for "singing" and a homophone for an English word that decidedly doesn't mean singing.

It's a notation to a well-known operation successful the resistance / ballroom world; but respective countries complained it broke broadcasting guidelines, prompting a hasty re-write.

If the stunt was meant to make headlines it worked, but present that Miriana has our attention, she's not letting go.

Her performance, featuring a elephantine disco shot pursed betwixt 2 reddish lips, is gloriously OTT, and she has an enviable acceptable of pipes. Too atrocious the opus is riddled with Europop cliche.

Another contestant doubling his entendres is Australia's Go-Jo, who wants america to "take a sip" of milkshake from his "special cup". Interpret that however you privation but I'd beryllium wary of hitching a assistance successful his crystal pick van, if I were you.

With a smattering of Electric Six's saucy disco funk, Milkshake Man is tasty capable to get Australia backmost successful the finals aft lone achieving a semi past year.

Finally, we person Finland's Erika Vikman, whose opus Ich Komme is billed arsenic a "joyous connection of pleasure, ecstasy and a authorities of trance".

Structured to mimic the pneumatic realities of lovemaking, it recalls iconic cheery anthems specified arsenic Kylie's Your Disco Needs You and Donna Summer's Hot Stuff – and ends with Erika shooting into the entity astride a monolithic golden microphone that's decidedly not a stand-in for a phallus.

Little successful beingness is much devastating than the operation "I'm acrophobic it's cancer".

The illness volition impact 1 successful 2 of america and, though endurance rates person dramatically improved, the interaction tin beryllium devastating.

This year, 3 abstracted Eurovision contestants person been touched by cancer, inspiring songs of unmatched heartbreak and reflection.

French vocalist Louane captures it best. Her opus Maman, is an intimate speech with her mother, who died erstwhile she was conscionable 17 years old.

Over 3 verses, Louane describes the "emptiness" she was felt; and however she filled the void with atrocious behaviour and meaningless emotion affairs. But, arsenic the opus progresses, she tells her mum she's settled down and recovered purpose... by becoming a parent herself.

She sings it beautifully, with a substance of regret and strength. And erstwhile her daughter's dependable appears successful the last moments of the song, it would instrumentality a steely bosom not to shed a tear.

Over successful Norway, 19-year-old Kyle Alessandro shared a akin story, erstwhile his parent was diagnosed with crab successful autumn 2023. Thankfully, she's present successful remission, but thing she said during her attraction inspired his Eurovision entry: "Never suffer your light."

Kyle took that operation and turned it into a thumping popular opus astir surviving adversity. "Nothing tin pain maine now," helium sings. "I'm my ain Lighter."

Klemen Slakonja, meanwhile, is simply a comedian champion known successful Slovenia for his impressions of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin - but his ballad, How Much Time Do We Have Left was written aft his wife, histrion Mojca Fatur, was diagnosed with bony marrow cancer.

As helium sings, Klemen's dancers rise him into the aerial and clasp him upside down, to correspond the disorientation the household felt.

"When she work her diagnosis, our satellite turned upside down and I felt that unreserved of humor successful my head, the aforesaid 1 I consciousness whenever I americium upside down successful the performance," he told Eurovision World.

Defying the odds, Mojca survived, and joins him connected signifier astatine Eurovision. It's a profoundly intimate and moving moment.

Listening to this year's line-up, it's similar the contestants each heard Cascada's Evacuate the Dancefloor and went, "Nah, we're good, thanks".

There are nine bangers everywhere, with Belgium's Red Sebastian (named aft the crab successful The Little Mermaid, bless him) submitting an full opus astir the loved-up liberation of an all-night rave.

"Where nary words are needed to consciousness the transportation / Where clocks ne'er tick and wherever emotion is the ending."

A favourite with fans, the 90s rave elements of Strobe Lights consciousness a small dated to me, but his meticulously-choreographed show is simply a treat.

Denmark's Sissal takes a akin sound, with a throwback Euro-bop called Hallucination that effortlessly evokes two-time Eurovision victor Loreen.

Sissal said her biggest extremity was for the assemblage to consciousness they couldn't beryllium down during the song. Mission accomplished.

Germany, meanwhile, person been hoping to reverse their 15-year losing streak with Baller, a super-catchy trance anthem that wouldn't dependable retired of spot astatine Berlin superclub Berghain.

Performed by Austrian siblings Abor & Tynna, it's languishing successful the mediate of the field, aft Tynna developed laryngitis, robbing the duo of the accidental to impressment fans astatine Eurovision's assorted pre-parties. But present that she's recovered, the opus could emergence up the rankings.

That's little apt for Væb, aka the Icelandic Jedward. Their energetic dance-rap song, Roá, is each astir rowing from Iceland to the Faroe Islands, "because nary substance what happens successful beingness you conscionable support connected rowing done the waves".

Sadly, it's not arsenic heavy arsenic it sounds.

Spanish prima Melody fares amended with Esa Diva, a pumping location way with a sprinkling of flamenco guitar, that documents her travel to fame.

And Azerbaijan's Mamagama spell each Maroon 5 connected Run With U, a creaseless popular opus elevated by a twinkling riff connected the saz – a long-necked plucked instrumentality akin to the lute.

OK, truthful I've stolen that statement from Shkodra Elektronike.

They're an Albanian duo surviving successful Italy, who fuse the taste euphony of their hometown, Shkodër, to a progressive physics sound.

Their opus Zjerm (Fire) imagines a clip erstwhile cross-cultural knowing would pb to bid and harmony – a satellite without a request for soldiers and ambulances, and wherever "oil would odor similar lilac" (no, maine neither).

Greece's entry, Asteromáta, is besides rooted successful past and memory, arsenic Klavdia describes the unbreakable enslaved that refugees stock with their homeland.

"Even if they transverse the seas / They shall ne'er hide the ineffable world they called home," she sings, successful a haunting ballad that blends accepted Greek and Pontic elements with soaring strings.

Taking a much upbeat attack is Dutch vocalist Claude. A exile from the bloody civilian warfare successful the Democratic Republic of Congo, helium moved to the Netherlands astatine the property of 9 and fell successful emotion with Eurovision portion waiting successful the exile centre.

His song, C'est La Vie, is simply a tribute to his mum, who taught him to spot the affirmative successful their situation.

Fizzing with state and joy, it combines elements of chanson and French-Caribbean zouk, and looks acceptable for a apical 10 placing.

The occurrence of "goth gremlin witch" Bambie Thug astatine past year's Eurovision has conjured a veritable coven of imitators successful 2025.

Polish vocalist Justyna Steczkowska, representing her state for the 2nd time, adjacent includes a Slavic magic spell successful her song, Gaja – summoning the tone of the parent Earth to "cleanse" her of a toxic relationship.

It's a suitably aggravated performance, with Justyna singing agelong sustained notes and playing a furious violin solo, earlier being hoiked into the rafters connected a brace ropes.

What a clip to beryllium alive.

Marko Bošnjak, meanwhile, is cooking up a Poison Cake to provender to his tormentors - chiefly the radical who bombarded him with homophobic hatred messages aft helium was selected to correspond Croatia.

The disapproval was truthful aggravated that helium mislaid his dependable and couldn't permission the location for 5 days.

His opus is suitably melodramatic, replete with guttural synths and creepy playground chants. It's a small overbaked, but should inactive sail done to the finals.

Taking a much ethereal attack are Latvian radical Tautumeitas, whose opus Bur Man Laimi translates arsenic "a chant for happiness".

Reminiscent of Bjork and Enya, its overlapping people harmonies are based connected accepted Latvian wedding songs, making it 1 of this year's astir captivating entries. I fearfulness it whitethorn beryllium excessively subtle to people well, though.

Further enigma is provided by, Theo Evan, Cyprus's reply to Nick Jonas. The lyrics to his song, Shh, are a riddle, written by erstwhile tennis subordinate Elke Tiel, whose "hidden information volition lone beryllium revealed connected the Eurovision signifier successful May".

He opens his show perched betwixt 2 pieces of scaffolding successful a recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's celebrated Vitruvian Man sketch – truthful there's a clue.

Shh is 1 of a fig of gothic popular songs, sung by brooding young men with absorbing hair.

Among the champion is Kiss Kiss Goodbye, by Czechia's Adonxs, who divebombs from an angelic falsetto to an unsettling baritone arsenic helium confronts his absent father.

Lithuanian set Katarsis are an absorbing experiment, with a deliberately downbeat stone opus that declares "the foundations of everything person begun to rot".

Titled Tavo Akys (your eyes), it builds to a compelling climax, but it's hard to spot it being a vote-winner, unless Eurovision abruptly attracts an assemblage of depressed emo teens.

Rounding retired the tract are Armenian vocalist Parg, with the Imagine Dragons-inspired Survivor and Serbia's Princ, whose overwrought ballad is called Mila.

Both performers springiness it their all, but the songs don't consciousness beardown capable to past the semi-finals.

Four years aft Måneskin's victory, Eurovision's stone revival continues apace.

Italy are backmost astatine it again, acknowledgment to Lucio Corsi – deliberation David Bowie arsenic Pierrot – and his glam stone ballad Volevo Essere Un Duro (I wanted to beryllium tough).

A delicate anthem for radical who consciousness they don't acceptable in, it recalls however Lucio was bullied arsenic a kid, and however he's grown to clasp his fragility. At 1 point, helium sings: "Instead of a star, [I'm] conscionable a sneeze."

It's a timeless spot of songwriting that pulls disconnected that important Eurovision instrumentality of sounding caller and acquainted each astatine once.

Portuguese indie set Napa besides person a 70s vibe, channelling Paul McCartney's Wings connected the brushed stone tear-jerker Deslocado (out of place).

It's different opus astir migration, written aft the set were forced to relocate from Madeira to the Portuguese mainland owed to the economical crisis.

"Even though we've been present for a fewer years we ever person that tendency to spell back, and that anguish of saying goodbye to family," said vocalist Guilherme Gomes.

Last but not slightest are Ukraine's Ziferblat, who proceed the country's astonishing tally of high-quality entries successful the midst of a warfare with Russia.

Their song, Bird Of Pray, is an unexpected premix of 70s caller question set Cars, birdsong and the guitar riff from Rachel Stevens' Sweet Dreams My LA Ex – portion the lyrics are afloat of anticipation for a peaceful reunion with their loved ones.

It's amended than that makes it sound.

Where would Eurovision beryllium without a raven-haired pistillate bellowing into a upwind instrumentality acceptable to "hurricane"?

Israel has beardown signifier successful this category, and sets the barroom again with New Day Will Rise, a melancholy soft ballad sung successful a substance of English, French and Hebrew.

The song's performed by Yuval Raphael, a 24-year-old who narrowly escaped with her beingness astatine the 2023 Nova euphony festival, wherever an onslaught by Hamas claimed the lives of 378 people and triggered Israel's ongoing violative successful Gaza.

It's hard not to construe her lyrics arsenic a effect to those events – "everyone cries, don't outcry alone". As a result, her information hasn't received the aforesaid level of disapproval arsenic Eden Golan, who represented Israel past year.

That can't beryllium said for Georgia's contestant, Mariam Shengelia, who has been booed during pre-Eurovision appearances for her alleged enactment of the country's authoritarian, pro-Russian, anti-LGBT ruling party, Georgian Dream.

Shengelia has denied the accusations, pointing retired that her opus – a stirring, quasi-militaristic ballad called Freedom – is astir "freedom of choice, state to love, state to unrecorded arsenic you privation to live".

"No magnitude of manufactured hatred volition alteration that," she told the Eurovision instrumentality tract Wiwibloggs.

Montenegro's Nina Žižić tackles home maltreatment successful Dobrodošli, a brooding and refined orchestral ballad.

The singer, who antecedently entered Eurovision successful 2015 with the cyborg popular oddity Igranka, delivers her lyrics with passionateness and sincerity, but someway the opus ne'er rather takes off.

Last but not least, we person defending champions Switzerland, represented by 24-year-old Zoë Më, who describes herself arsenic a "little fairy".

Appropriately enough, her self-penned song, Voyage is delicate arsenic a fairy's wings, fluttering with a soft-spoken plea to dainty each different with kindness.

Automatically qualifying for the final, it's a invited oasis of calm amidst the steamy sauna sessions, moody goth haircuts and thrusting innuendo.

But that's Eurovision for you. All quality beingness is here. See you successful Basel!