Natalia Barbu proved that she will make the semi or at least go down fighting next Thursday, with an excellent second rehearsal for the Moldovan entry Fight.

The stage is on fire; at least, that is how the Moldovans make it look, and the theme is more evident than ever in the second rehearsal, with the screens filled with explosions of sparks and burning streams of metal flowing threateningly behind Natalia. She performed in red herself this afternoon, although it looks like we have yet to see her costume for the final.

She continues to turn in extremely strong performances vocally, and those high notes at the break sounds as special as ever. This song desperately needs to maximise its hooks coming after an entry as dynamic and different as Switzerland, and Natalia tries to do that by immersing herself in the angry, Evanescence-esque performance style.

Sparks fly
Fight packs a nice punch on the screen as well as the stage now, with the singer regularly in close-up surrounded by waves of red and grey silk against the burning flames. In the long shots, the stage becomes a lump of molten metal; close up, the artists on stage are performing in a sea of fire. As she plays in the introduction of the song, Natalia appears almost beautifully silhouetted against the pyre. Later in the song, sparks even fly beneath her feet as the stage floor catches light with the rest of the set.

Moldova really is fighting to stay above water in its current position in the draw, but Natalia's performance and the great visual package on stage at least give it a fighting chance.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz4jKaQlCUg