The countdown to Eurovision has begun!

We are only one week away from the big show. Actually, things are hotting up already in Copenhagen; all of the acts and their entourages are in town, drumming up support, and practicing on the big stage.

The first semi-final is only 3 days away, on Tuesday the 6th; the second semi is May 8th. Sixteen countries will compete in each semi-final for ten places in Saturday's show. Sweden's entry, Sooz's look-alike Sanna Nielsen, performs "Undo" on Tuesday. One potential sticking point is that she sings 4th out of the 16 acts, and going early is usually bad news. (In the past seven years, all of the winners have come from the final 5 songs performed.)

I admit I didn't like it at first, but after hearing it on Swedish radio these past weeks, it is growing on me. Interestingly enough, the bookies have it as the second favorite in the betting!

Who's the bookie's favorite, you ask? Why, that would be Aram MP3, with "Not Alone."

It's not bad, actually. It appears the bookies are going for ballads this year. However, he has an even worse spot in the semi-finals, going first on Tuesday. Ugh.

And who has the longest odds of winning? at 250-1, it's Tijana from the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia with "To the Sky." The video for the song has a nice eurodisco thump and lots of beefcake if you're into that sort of thing:

But it's the live performance from the Macedonian final that shows why bookies have it at such long odds:

I will be reporting after the lineups are set on Thursday. It looks like another great show!!!