As 2014 came to an end, we already have 5 entries, that’s probably the most entries to be presented before January ever. F.Y.R Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Belarus, Albania and Georgia have all selected their Eurovision representatives and chosen their song for Vienna in May. ESCToday.com has undergone a thorough analysis of each songs, including public reaction and also updates from each country.

[FYR Macedonia] Daniel Kajmakoski – Lisja Esenski

FYR Macedonia was the first to pick its entry to Eurovision through it’s national final Skopje Fest. Lisja esenski is a pop ballad which takes after British pop. Much controversy followed after Daniel won but the decision was not changed. Daniel has participated in X Factor and his talent hasn’t gone unnoticed. Daniel has managed to create a fan base in Macedonia that supports him. The song so far has got mixed reviews but most of them were positive. Many fans have noticed a resemblance to The Wanted’s Warzone while others think it’s one of the best Macedonian entries in the Contest.

No updates have been yet released on the revamped version however more news is expected to follow and judging on the date the song was chosen, we can expect a new version by February.

Current ranking based on Eurovision fans: 6

[Malta] Amber – Warrior

Malta followed Macedonia with their entry, Warrior by Amber which was also chosen from their national final. Warrior is a modern pop ballad with a touch of dubstep and electronica. The song is very experimenting in melody as the chorus sounds very epic and mysterious while Amber’s vocals give the song a growing sound making it fit for the Eurovision stage. Malta is currently a favorite out of all entries so far getting lots of praise from the Eurovision community. Many have also compared it to Moldova’s entry last year in structure but much more sophisticated and modern.

Malta hasn’t released news if the song will change however we expect a few final touches as the song is already in English and fits the 3 minute duration.

Current ranking based on Eurovision fans: 1

[The Netherlands] Trijntje Oosterhuis – Walk along

The Netherlands opted for internal selection this year and they clearly didn’t go wrong. Trijntje is a huge star in The Netherlands and the team behind Walk Along is very impressive, as it includes Anouk who amazed everyone in 2013 with her mesmerizing ballad Birds. The song is VERY pop and catchy as hell. The chorus is very memorable which will help The Netherlands to score high in Vienna. Reactions have been mostly positive as the entry received praises for being fresh but some fans noted that the song tries too hard to be catchy to a point where it becomes annoying. Trijntje has already started promoting the song as it was performed on The Voice of Holland and the song immediately reached #1 on iTunes.

A final version of the song is expected to be revealed in February or March as Trijntje will record it again and give some final touches to it.

Current ranking based on Eurovision fans: 3

[Belarus] Uzari & Maimuna – Time

Belarus also went for national selection from which Uzari and Maimuna was selected with their entry Time. The song is pop with some violin parts by Maimuna as Uzari does the vocal part. Much talk surrounded the Belarusian final after Alexander Rybak’s disapproval of the victory and disappointment that his composed entry Accent by Milki didn’t win. That led to him canceling his appearance in Albania’s national final. The song has got mixed reviews on social media as many fans were rooting for Milki’s victory.

The song is expected to undergo some final touches before it’s final version surfaces.

Current ranking based on Eurovision fans: 5

[Albania] Elhaida Dani – Diell

Albania is the another country to pick their entry through their traditional national final, Festivali i Kenges. This year FiK saw appearances by Aurela Gace, who represented Albania in 2011 and Rona Nishliu the 2012 Albanian representative. The winner of FiK 53 was Elhaida Dani with her entry Diell. Elhaida has previously won many music contests in Albania and also triumphed in the Voice of Italy. The song has also got mixed reviews for the dated sound of the composition but also praised for Elhaida’s vocals.

The song as stated by Elhaida in recent interviews is expected to undergo a total recomposition to fit Eurovision and also a translation in English.

Current ranking based on Eurovision fans: 4

[Georgia] Nina Sublati – Warrior

Georgia is the latest country to pick their Eurovision representatives through their national final. The national final was a competition between 5 musicians which selected Nina Sublati as its winner. Nina drew a lot of attention in the Georgian version of American Idol where she sang Blue Jeans by Lana Del Rey and was filled with praise for her vocal performance. Her voice is very gothic while at the same time clearly mixing indie with a rough pronunciation which could only be compared to Amy Lee. Nina is a Warrior in her song chosen to represent Georgia in more than just the artistic sense. The song fights it’s way through a modern production almost sounding like an American pop song while mixed with Nina’s vocals it goes to a dimension of darkness and mystery. There is also some dubstep parts which make it clear that the song is still a demo and can be worked on. Eurovision fans have embraced this creation while many were confused from the fact that it had the same title as Malta’s entry however not failing to mention that the song is far more original than the Maltese one.

No news from Georgian broadcaster whether the song will be revamped but taken the fact that it is longer than 3 minutes we can expect to have a shorter version and maybe a more sophisticated one.

Current ranking based on Eurovision fans: 2

[Spain] Edurne – Amanecer

After months of speculation, RTVE made us something to go loco for yesterday as they announced Edurne as the Spanish representative. The hot diva will be singing Amanecer (Sunrise) in Vienna in Spanish. The dream team behind the song is the man behind Quedate Conmigo, the 2012 Spanish entry, Tony Sánchez-Olhsson and also the same team who worked for Loreen’s Euphoria. The song has been recorded and the video clip to go with it is in the making so it is expected to be released soon. The Eurovision fandom went all crazy after this news and have already lined Edurne as a hot favorite for May.

What else is happening in January?

This upcoming month we expect entries Switzerland to be revealed but also other entries who will be announced in due course. We will also see the Semi Final allocation draw as well as the Insignia handover ceremony on the 26th.

So far the contest is shaping up to be very different from other years with entries that are more daring and diverse than previously.

Stay tuned to esctoday.com as we inform you on the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest.