As Eurovision 2022 gets closer, it has become increasingly more clear what to expect from this year’s event. On March 24, the organization finally announced this year’s venue for the Eurovillage: it’s the beautiful Parco Valentino in Turin. The list of songs that each country is offering has also been released.

There are forty artists competing, from countries including Israel, but excluding Russia, which has been banned following its invasion of Ukraine. So, with this list of participants and their art, here is an extensive guide to Eurovision 2022!

Albania: Ronela Hajati – Sekret

After a decade on Albania’s most prominent stages, Hajati, a singer-composer who writes songs both for herself and other artists, recently won the 60th Festivali i Këngës. A victory which sent her straight to Eurovision.

Sekret is an extremely — maybe excessively — epic track with a tribal twist. It doesn’t strike one as one of the most original songs in the race. But it is fair to say that there are few tracks that really stand out of the crowd, and it logically couldn’t be otherwise. The choreography won’t pass unnoticed, though.

Hajati will perform her song in the first semi-final, on Tuesday 10 May.

Armenia: Rosa Linn – Snap

In 2013, when she was just thirteen years old, Rosa Linn kicked off her musical career by taking part in the Armenian selection for the Junior Eurovision song contest. Nine years later, she’s ready to step on stage as a grown-up.

Snap is a sweet, adolescent pop-folk track. It might sound a bit sappy to those who don’t like the genre. But Linn has a beautiful, clean voice. And hopefully she’ll bring on stage the captivating attitude she shows in the music video.

She will perform in the first semi-final.

Australia: Sheldon Riley – Not The Same

Riley is used to walking onto big stages. Before winning the chance of competing at Eurovision, he previously competed in The X Factor Australia, The Voice Australia, and, 2 years later, America’s Got Talent! He considers music as a form of self-healing and a way to express himself.

A poignant, minimalistic track, Not The Same is the right song to cry along with. Riley is known for the strong visuals in his performances, so we are looking forward to seeing what will he bring to Parco Valentino.

He will perform in the second semi-final, on Thursday 12 May.

Austria: LUM!X feat Pia Maria – Halo

DJ Luca Michlmayr is the man behind LUM!X. He began producing music at the age of 11, and is amongst the most successful artists in the Austrian scene. He used to live in the host city of Turin. Eighteen-year-old vocalist Pia Maria, from Tyrol, will join him on stage.

Halo is definitely groovier compared to the tracks we have seen so far. Some might find it kitsch, but there’s no doubt that LUM!X and Pia Maria will make the audience dance.

They will perform on the first semi-final.

Azerbaijan: Nadir Rustamli – Fade to Black

Three weeks after he won The Voice of Azerbaijan, Rustamli was selected as the Azerbaijani contestant for Eurovision 2022. Having been into music since a young age; Rustamli was the lead of a band, Sunrise, before starting his solo career.

A soft piano intro, the strings on the chorus, the ghost of a difficult love: Fade to Black is the classic weepy song. But Rustamli’s voice is remarkable on higher notes.

He will perform it in the second semi-final.

Belgium: Jéremie Makiese – Miss You

After winning the 2021 series of The Voice Belgique, Makiese was announced by the Belgian broadcaster RTBF as Belgium’s 2022 contestant. Not only a talented singer, Makiese can be fairly defined as a champion of eclecticism. While he ran to become Belgium’s next voice, he signed a contract with the Belgian football club Excelsior Virton. Plus, he has an academic interest in geology.

Miss you is a classic R&B track. Groovy enough to make the listener want to shake their hips. Great for those who like Justin Timberlake!

Makiese will play in the second semi-final.

Bulgaria: Intelligent Music Project – Intention

This time round the contest was lacking a classic rock track, but Bulgaria kindly took care of filling that void for us. Intelligent Music Project have previously collaborated with the likes of TOTO, Black Sabbath, Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins and many more besides.

Intention is a very classic rock song, even a good one. A nice riff, the unmissable solo. To some, it may sound a bit too vintage. But it’s still a pleasure to hear something so different from all the rest. It’s definitely bound to stand out of the crowd.

The band will perform in the first semi-final.

Croatia: Mia Dimšić – Guilty Pleasure

One of the most praised singer songwriters in Croatia, Dimšić cites Norah Jones, Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift as some of her major influences. For those who like the dreamy nightingale artistic persona, this will be a must.

Guilty Pleasure is a very simple, melodic song. But Dimšić’s cheekiness is to be appreciated. Her straight face as she pretends to play the guitar while a dancer caresses all her body is worth millions! May this be one of her guilty pleasures too?

Watch her performance in the first semi-final.

Cyprus: Andromache – Ela

Born in Germany, and raised in Greece, Andromache was brought up by a family of passionate performers. As for many other contestants, her career was kicked off by the participation in a Talent Show.

As soon as they listen to Ela, listeners will feel carried away to the beautiful shores of Cyprus. As can be read on YouTube’s comment section “this is so Greek/Cypriot in the best possible way. Love when a country sends something traditional”.

Andromache will perform in the second semi-final.

Czech Republic: We Are Domi – Lights Off

When Dominika Hašková, Casper Hatlestad and Benjamin Rekstad first started making music together, while studying at the Leeds College of Music, they didn’t expect the project would last long. And yet, after a relocation to Prague and years of work on their sound, here they are ready to walk onto the stage of Eurovision.

Lights off is another danceable song: the perfect track to party with. And Hašková has one of the most pleasant vocal timbers in the competition. Even though they are not the bookmakers’ favourites, we can expect the audience to have fun with their performance.

They will play in the second semi-final.

Denmark: Reddi – The Show

With Ihan Haydar on drums, Ida Bergkvist on bass, Agnes Roslund on guitar and Siggy Savery at the vocals, Reddi looks like one of those classic all-girl band Lorelai Gilmore used to love so much — and it goes without saying that Lorelai’s tastes are unquestionable! They all had worked with the biggest names in the industry for two decades when they first debuted as a band the Melodi Grand Prix stage. And their music shows it.

At first, Reddi might sound like the typical sob song too. But after the poignant piano and voice introduction, a lovely punk guitar and a seriously energetic drum jump in to make everything groovier. This will be a favorite for Avril Lavigne and Paramore’s fans (and of Lorelai Gilmore’s too, of course).

Listen to their performance in the first semi-final.

Estonia: Stefan – Hope

The first time Stefan tried to climb his way onto the Eurovision stage it was 2018: he didn’t make it, but his music suddenly became a thing in Estonia. He made a second attempt in 2019, and he scored a third position. In 2020 he made it to the finals again, and again he lost by a hair. Now, he’s finally coming to Turin, showing us that perseverance really does pay.

His track, Hope, is an upbeat pop song with strong True Detective vibes. Spaghetti Western fans will love the video (is Stefan not-so-subtly blinking an eye to the Italian audience?).

Watch him perform in the second semi-final.

Finland: The Rasmus – Jezebel

For all those old enough to remember a 2003 hit, The Rasmus are an old acquaintance. Their most famous song, In the Shadows, made them one of Finland’s most internationally successful groups. After more than 30 years making music together, they’re now jumping on Eurovision’s stage.

Jezebel is exactly what one would expect from The Rasmus. An alternative rock track, but easy enough to listen to please pop lovers too.

They will perform in the second semi-final.

France: Alvan & Ahez – Fulenn

Multi-instrumentalist electro artist Alvan and the vocal group Ahez believe that tradition should be constantly evolving. And here they are, heading to Eurovision with a song that breaks every single cliché about French Music.

If listeners close their eyes, Fulenn will carry them directly to Scheherazade’s thalamus. This arabesque, fast-paced song sounds perfect for belly dancing. But there’s a catch: the lyrics are in Breton!

France is a member of the big five, meaning they do not compete in the semi-finals, but they vote other artists’ performances. They will vote on the first semi-final.

Georgia: Circus Mircus – Lock me in

On their Facebook page, Circus Mircus states that the band “was formed in Tbilisi, Georgia by three local circus academy dropouts at the end of 2020”. And they were so deeply into their new activity that they released ten videoclips in less then a year. The project now counts four members, namely Damocles Stavriadis, Igor Von Lichtenstein, Bavonc Gevorkyan, and Iago Waitman.

As any good Circus Artist, these guys are not afraid to be bold. Lock me in is one of the most original tracks in the race. It opens on a lovely hip hop strophe. The bridge will instantly conquer any Talking Heads fan. And the psychedelic twist in the chorus shows that these guys really are the eclectic types.

They will perform in the second semi-final.

Germany: Malik Harris – Rockstar

Singer and rapper Malik Harris was born into a family of classical musicians. But in an interesting twist of fate, it turned out he preferred rap music to bel canto. For over a decade, he has been writing his pop songs on his guitar. And Rockstar made it to Eurovision 2022.

AnotherR&B song, Rockstar is an easy to listen, slightly predictable song — it probably wouldn’t stand apart if one was to judge it just by the melody. But Harris’ brilliant rap definitely gives it a kick. Germany is one of the “Big 5”, and will vote on the second semi-final.

Greece: Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord – Die Together

Big kudos to Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord. Not only does she write international hits: she also studies medicine and did her placement in a hospital for COVID-19 patients. The ultimate multitasker.

At first, Die Togheter sounds rather indie. But then it suddenly turns into a very classic pop song. A very poignant one, as the title suggests. She’s in the bookmakers’ top 5.

Listen to it live in the first semi-final.

Iceland: Systur – Með Hækkandi Sól

These three sisters have been singing together ever since they can remember. The children of a legendary jazz-funk musician, they seem keen on keeping high with the family tradition.

Systur belive in the healing power of music, and Með Hækkandi Sól shows it well. This dreamy folky ballad is as warm and cuddly as it gets. Perfect to listen to while watching the sunset. Also, their boho look is great.

Systur will perform in the first semi-final.

Ireland: Brooke – That’s Rich

A fan of Eurovision, Brooke loves to discover new artists through the competition. But this year, she’s the one to be discovered. This singer-songwriter is already making waves in Ireland and the UK, and is ready to go very international. She quotes Blondie as one of her influences, which lets us hope for serious show-womanship.

That’s rich is another song to shake your body to. Again, nothing too original, but you’ll love it if you like Ke$ha.

Brooke will sing in the second semi-final.

Israel: Michael Ben-David – I.M.

Israel’s entry Michael Ben-David has been singing and performing since he was 13. After having been in music for a lifetime, he recently won X-Factor Israel, thus gaining his ticket to Turin.

I.M. is a pleasantly groovy hymn to self-love, the kind of track that gets you a smile, whatever you feel about the music. And Ben-David’s vocal qualities are impressive. It is very danceable. The audience should expect to have fun when Ben-David walks onto the stage.

He will perform in the second semi-final.

Italy: Mahmood & Blanco – Brividi

After winning the Sanremo Festival in February, Mahmood and Blanco will represent Italy at Eurovision 2022. It won’t be the first time for Mahmood, who already represented Italy in 2019 with Soldi. The 19-year-old Blanco, for his part, is just debuting on big stages. To the pleasure of all their Italian supporters, they are second favorite according to bookmakers. Read our article about them and their track!

As one of the Big five, they will fly directly Final. Traditionally, six countries are automatically qualified for the final  – France, Spain, the UK, Italy and Germany – as well as the host country, which this year crosses over with Italy, of course.

Latvia: Citi Zēni – Eat Your Salad

This 6-piece band from Riga love to call themselves the ‘Princes of Rap’ and ‘Divas of 21st Century Pop’. And who are we to say they aren’t? Too bad for Citi Zēni that this sets the bar pretty high.

And yet, Eat Your Salad quite lives up to expectations. This classic hip hop track is not only groovy enough to make you want to dance. The lyrics are… well, let’s say Citi Zēni do have a catchphrase. It might sound like a commercial (it does), but it’s undeniably fun. Eat your salad! Save the Planet! Being Green is sexy!

Eat your salad with Citi Zēni in the first semi-final.

Lithuania: Monika Liu – Sentimental

After a long time abroad, Liu settled back in Vilnius and kicked off her pop career. Shortly after her 2015 debut, she became one of the most respected artists in her country. Now, she’s ready to be back to international stages.

Her Eurovision song reflects her world citizen lifestyle. With Sentimental, Lithuania went more French than the French. Very unexpected and very classy.

Listen to her performance in the first semi-final.

Malta: Emma Muscat – I am what I am

Singer, pianist, composer: Emma Muscat is an all round musician who’s already been noticed internationally. The Italian audience might remember her for her participation in the 2018 participation in Amici di Maria De Filippi, one of Italy’s most watched talent shows.

Yet another easy-listening pop song, I am what I am is not the song Muscat was supposed to sing at first. She felt her previous entry, Out of Sight, wasn’t “the maximum for the competition”. Will this prove a wise choice? Listen to Muscat’s performance in the second semi-final

Moldova: Zdob şi Zdub & Fraţii Advahov – Trenulețul

And the award for the most unexpected, original song in the race goes to… Moldova! With this playful, gipsy track Zdob şi Zdub & Fraţii Advahov’s performance is bound to be remembered.

Having been around since 1994, Zdob şi Zdub are known for their spectacular, edgy live shows. Frații Advahov, who will join them on stage, a folk duo so popular they have their own orchestra. In short, expect to have fun when they walk on stage.

Zdob şi Zdub & Fraţii Advahov will perform in the first semi-final.

Montenegro: Vladana – Breath

Vladana is what you would call a high achiever. When she wasn’t busy being a popstar, she founded a fashion magazine Čiviluk, of which she’s now editor in chief. She co-wrote her Eurovision entry together with Darko Dimitrov, who has given to the festival  no fewer than 12 entries.

Breath is very dramatic, so dramatic as to feel a bit solemn. Not the most original track in the competition. But Vladana’s warmth can’t pass unnoticed.

She will perform in the second semi-final.

Netherlands: S10 – De Diepte

The enfant prodige of Dutch music, S10 rose to stardom with a self-produced album at the age of 17. She’s 21 now, and ready to go international.

De Diepte is an introspective pop song with strong soundtrack vibes. The track you might hear playing while running to stop your loved one from taking a one way flight to the other side of the world. And it is really pleasant to hear her sing in Dutch. In the words of YouTube commenter Luc Ebzentic “Finally someone who is going to show Europe that Dutch isn’t a harsh language when spoken fluently”.

Listen to S10 perform in the first semi-final

North Macedonia: Andrea – Circles

Brought up in New York by a North Macedonian family, Andrea grew up listening to gospel and soul and she funnels that passion into pop. When her family moved back to North Macedonia, she enrolled in the country’s most prestigious music school. She’s been working in music since the end of 2020.

Circles is a very dramatic R&B track. Not a front-runner in the competition, according to bookmakers. But Andrea has a beautiful timbre.

She will perform in the second semi-final.

Norway: Subwoolfer – Give That Wolf A Banana

Another plant-based track from the far North. Great! But are the singers, Keith and Jim, really wolves? Actually it seems they are aliens from the moon. In Jim’s world “when we land on a new planet, we copy the behaviour of the first creature we meet”.

The audience should bless Norway for being so progressive as to let aliens represent their country. After all, it’s all about the song, isn’t it? And this one is rather fun.

Give those wolves a banana in the first semi-final.

Poland: Ochman – River

The grandson of renowned Polish tenor Wiesław Ochman, Krystian Ochman has been into music since his teenage years. And when he won The Voice of Poland, he became a star too.

A rather predictable pop song, River is still amongst the fore-runners according to bookmakers. One might like it or not, but Ochman’s vocal range is impressive.

Listen to Ochman’s performance in the second semi-final.

Portugal: MARO – Saudade Saudade

A Portuguese song called Saudade Saudade might not sound like the edgiest of ideas. But one should never judge a book by its cover, right? In fact, MARO’s warm, chill ballad is bound to stand apart. It’s probably the most introspective song in the race.

It should not come as a surprise that Jacob Collier wanted this Berkeley music graduate to join his debut touring band.

Listen to MARO in the second semi-final.

Romania: WRS – Llámame 

Wait, is this not the Spanish entry? For Eurovision 2022, Romania went seriously Latin. And for his performance, singer dancer WRS will almost literally bring fire on stage (take a look at the video).

After joining the boyband SHOT for a while, this eclectic artist from Buzău is now working on his debut solo EP, Mandala.

Listen to his performance in the second semi-final.

San Marino: Achille Lauro – Stripper

Italian singer Achille Lauro really wanted to be on the Eurovision stage this year. He competed in the San Remo festival, but he didn’t make it to the podium. But even as a fourteenth ranked, he didn’t give up. Shortly after the end of the Festival, he announced he would take part in Una Voce per San Marino. And this time, he got the outcome he hoped for.

Stripper is a pop punk track with Lauro’s usual glam twist. Italians know all too well that, when it comes to him, it’s all about the performance. There will be glitter, promiscuous crotch caresses, and naked torsos. A great moment to let your inner groupie out.

Throw him your bra (or boxers) on stage in the second semi-final.

Serbia: Konstrakta – In Corpore Sano

“What could be the secret of Meghan Markle’s hair?” sings Konstrakta in In corpore sano.  A satire on unattainable beauty standards, Serbia’s entry can boast one of the most original lyrics in the competition. This probably won’t make a huge difference when performing live, but good for Konstrakta the track is pretty danceable too — in a gloomy way.

The artist is also the conceptual designer for her music videos and has a degree in architecture, so we can expect to see interesting things on stage.

She will sing in the second semi-final.

Slovenia: LPS – Disko Spain

Given how young they are, Filip, Gašper, Mark, Zala, and Žiga have been making music together since 2018, when they met in the music room of their school. Ever since then, they have built a dedicated fanbase in Slovenia.

To be a teenage band, their style is a bit retro. Let’s see how this disco track feels when played live.

Slovenia will perform in the first semi-final.

Spain: Chanel – SloMo

Now, this really is the Spanish entry. Born in Cuba, Chanel Terrero has already reached international stardom by starring in productions of the likes of The Lion King, Flashdance, The Bodyguard and Mamma Mia. Plus, she danced on stage with Shakira.

SloMo is her debut as a singer. A classic Latin track: predictable, but still unmissable.

Spain is one of the “Big 5” and will vote in the second semi-final.

Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs – Hold Me Closer

As many other contestants, Cornelia too was born in a family of musicians. Her father is a famous rockstar, her grandmother a composer. She began her career as part of the girl band Love Generation, and debuted as a solo artist in 2018.

Her song, Hold me closer, ranks third in the bookmakers classification. So keep an eye on Jakobs.

She will perform in the second semi-final.

Switzerland: Marius Bear – Boys Do Cry  

In 2016, Bear threw it all away and started touring Germany and Switzerland as a street musician. Three years later he released his debut album and here he is now, ready to compete at Eurovision.

The title clearly refers to The Cure‘s classic Boys Don’t Cry. And it’s fair to say that Bear set the bar a bit too high with such a reference. And after all, The Cure’s track was already itself a critic of masculinity. Yet, Bear’s message is good: probably the right one to get Eurovision’s young audience’s appreciation.

He will perform in the first semi-final.

Ukraine: Kalush Orchestra – Stefania  

Named after the city of Kalush this band tries to combine Ukranian folk music elements with modern insights. In accordance with this attachment to roots, Stefania was written as a tribute to the mother of Oleh, one of the band’s members.

But no worries: you don’t have to be Oleh’s mum to appreciate this track. And actually, Stefania has all it takes to stand out of the crowd. It is one of the very few rap entries in Eurovision 2022. Bookmakers already give it a 35% chance of winning. Good job, Kalush Orchestra!

Listen to their performance on the first semi-final.

United Kingdom: Sam Ryder – SPACE MAN

Sam Ryder’s story is the classic YouTube fairytale. One day you are the boy next door playing covers on his guitar. The day afterwards Alicia Keys is posting a reaction video of you playing one of her hits. And now, this 32 years old singer from Maldon is ready to represent his country at Eurovison 2022.

Ryder’s got a beautiful timber, and SPACE MAN is catchy enough to rally support in Turin. Will Ryder get his happy ever after?

The UK is part of the “Big 5” and will vote in the second semi-final.