Scoring the Spectrum: Eurovision 2025’s Regional Highlights

Scoring the Spectrum: Eurovision 2025’s Regional Highlights

Year after year, the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) dazzles audiences with a glittering line-up of performers, each vying to harmonize artistic vision with show-stopping stagecraft leaving jurors and televoters in a state of dilemmic despair during the finals. In 2025, the trend iterates through a line-up strongly characterised  by language diversity, meaningful lyrics and a diverse blend of genres ranging from pop, folk, rock and the occasional joke song to ignite a few laughs and giggles. Instead of nominating predictions in the usual fashion, this year invites a different lens: who triumphed within their regional blocs? Here’s a closer look at who I think would be the  best-placed entries from across the Eurovision universe irrespective of whether or not they qualify to the finals.

Best Placed Big 5 Country: France (Louane – “Maman”)
Despite fans repeatedly nagging about France’s annual obsession with sending slow, emotionally-charged ballads, it is nonetheless the ballad powerhouse of the ESC. This year is no different and is arguably amongst the best ballads France has ever sent to the contest. “Maman”, sung by Louane, is a  tearjerking ode to maternal strength and the timeless emotions that fill the empty void of meaning that follow a parent’s death. She delivers a raw and cinematic performance that finds power in subtlety allowing diverse audiences to reconcile with its lyrics extending far beyond language barriers. 

Best Placed Nordic Nation: Sweden (KAJ – “Bara Bara Bastu”)
While France has remained steadfast in championing its love for emotive ballads, Sweden took a bold detour from its usual formula of English-language pop perfection—delivering something entirely unexpected this year. It is a song where humour is met with harmony in this unexpected Nordic gem. With a tongue-in-cheek tribute to sauna culture, KAJ blends traditional motifs with contemporary production, proving Sweden still knows how to innovate within the Eurovision formula.

Best Placed Former Yugoslav/Balkan Nation: Albania (Shkodra Elektroni – “Zjerm”)
Indisputably, Albania stands out as one of the impeccable performances this year that actually carries with it a minuscule chance of winning the entire contest. Zjerm, meaning fire in Albania, is a powerful ballad that explores the complexities of human compassion in a world that is brimming with injustice and oppression in a morally-constrained society. Moreover filtering the songs ontological richness, still leaves us with a captivating song that astutely amalgamates between the sound of tribal folk with electrofolk making it one of Albania’s bets entries into the contest.

Best Placed Central European Country: Austria (JJ – “Wasted Love”)
If there was one country that truly deserved to take home the top prize this year, it would be Austria. Performing on a boat battling a boisterous summer storm, Austria’s JJ brings Opera to the ESC stage with hints of pop and EDM creating one of the strongest songs in terms of musical composition and genre mixing.  The song which dramatizes the intense emotions reverberating during a phase of unreciprocated love, illustrates a powerful case of how classical vocal techniques and lyrical depth can be adapted to contemporary music formats making it arguably the most impressive performance of the year.

Best Placed Benelux Country: Netherlands (Claude – “C’est La Vie”)
It is a simple song about the beauty of life that still manages to resonate with many. Claude delivered one of the most effortlessly stylish performances of the year with his bilingual bop, seamlessly blending French and Dutch lyrics into a smooth, retro-inspired sound. With vintage flair, charismatic stage presence, and a clever nod to the Netherlands’ multicultural identity, the performance stood out without trying too hard. It was a celebration of linguistic and cultural fusion that felt both nostalgic and fresh—earning applause and solid points across the board.

Best Placed Baltic State: Estonia (Tommy Cash – “Espresso Macchiato”)
The surrealist rapper delivered a genre-defying performance that blurred the lines between performance and absurdist theatre. Welcoming this year’s joke entry is Estonia, whose Espresso-Machiatto appears to humorously play with Italian stereotypes through a series of nonsensical lyrics. It was as polarising but it was always unforgettable. Love it or not, the act boldly showcased Estonia’s commitment to creative risk-taking and artistic experimentation on the Eurovision stage.

Best Placed Caucasus Country: Armenia (Parg – “Survivor”)
It has been a weak year for the Caucasus Countries and Armenia appears to be the most stand-out performance this year. Parg who usually engages in a stirring fusion of folk instrumentation and cinematic pop, this year entry seems to merge between hard rock and athletic pop.  Parg’s commanding vocals, paired with energetic visuals, created a performance that transcended language and borders. 

Best Placed Anglophone Islands: Malta(Miriana Conte – “Serving”)
Malta brought unapologetic sass to the stage with “Serving,” a bold, club-ready anthem dripping with attitude and flair. Miriana Conte commanded attention from the first beat, delivering slick choreography, eye-catching fashion, and undeniable star power. It was a masterclass in pop performance—polished, provocative, and impossible to ignore.

Eurovision 2025, as accustomed as we are to every year, will see large disappointments and surprises but in doing so, it gave nearly every region a chance to shine. These performances weren’t just songs; they were cultural statements, regional triumphs, and soft power tools disguised in glitter and fog. Eurovision’s power lies not just in picking a winner, but in showcasing the kaleidoscope of Europe’s (And Australia’s) creativity—and this year, it did just that.

Eurovision Song Contest 2025: Predicted Best Performances (Summary)