We come to Eurovision’s first ever winner today – Switzerland. One of Eurovision’s founding members, they haven’t had a good run recently with precious few qualifications to the finals in the last decade or so. They last won in 1988, when a certain Canadian chanteuse took them to victory over the UK by just 1 point in one of Eurovision’s most exciting and dramatic finishes. That Canadian was Celine Dion of course and it just so happens that their entry this year, Rykka, is also Canadian…

However, Celine Dion had both a great song and a stunning vocal, something that this entry most certainly does not. It could have been improved by a revamp after its win in the Swiss national final, but it’s more or less stayed the same, though Rykka’s live vocal has improved since that final. I just find the whole thing very irritating, especially the vocal during the chorus and the way she holds the mic and her head like she was going to try and perform a sword swallowing trick with it!

One of my friends has a very different view of this song to me I will admit, but it’s one where I have to disagree with him on! It’s in the weaker semi-final, but I just think this will struggle to qualify (not least as it’s in an awful position in the running order – 3rd – which isn’t a good position to qualify from) and will simply be yet another missed final for this venerable Eurovision nation.

Live at Eurovision in Concert in Amsterdam

Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest:

First entered: 1956

Appearances (excluding this year): 56

Best result: Winner 1956, 1988

Last year’s result: 17th (last) in semi-final (did not qualify)