Not since we started the countdown with Lithuania at rock bottom 43 have we returned to the Baltic countries – and once again positioned in the middle of the three, it’s Estonia. One of my favourite Eurovision countries, they suffered unexpected disappointment last year (after finishing quite high in last year’s countdown), finishing last in their semi-final. Two contest veterans have teamed up as a duet this year – can they bring back the success of Estonia’s top 10 finish in 2015?

Every year, there is at least one song that is designated as the “fanw*nk” song – immensely popular among Eurovision fans but whose success a the actual contest is often hit and miss (Valentina Monetta in 2013 is a classic example of this). This year, the indisputable fanw*nk song comes from Estonia and I am not ashamed to say I LOVE this! It definitely fits into my top 5 or 6.

I mourned Elina Born coming last in Eesti Laul, the Estonian national final, but was delighted to see that this won and the song has just continued to grow on me. It’s very Abba-esque and very Eurovision – an up-tempo, hyper-catchy duet but with the bittersweet lyrics of regret and lost love – what could be more Abba than that! Unsurprisingly this is proving hugely popular with Eurofans, I just hope the wider public enjoy it and the juries don’t kill it.

Koit and Laura are each making a return to the contest. Laura was part of girlband Suntribe in 2005, though failed to qualify from the semi-final. Koit’s contest past is even more distant, all the way back in 1998 – when the UK last hosted Eurovision, with Terry Wogan and Ulrikka Johnson presenting the show in Birmingham. Koit finished a very respectable twelth and I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that Verona gets more like that sort of result than Suntribe did!

(I have added a couple of Abba parody videos at the end – I love Verona but the lyrics, staging etc made me think a bit of the comedy below!)

Mum’s reaction: No comment

Official music video:

Live at Eeesti Laul, Estonian national final:

Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest:

First entered: 1994

Appearances (excluding this year): 22

Best result: Winner 2001

Last year’s result: 18th in semi-final (did not qualify; last place)

Bonus songs – a couple of affectionate Abba spoofs:

French and Saunders:

Not the Nine O’clock News: