Greece 2025: Klavdia with 'Asteromata'

Klavdia established herself as an early frontrunner for the Greek Final seeing off the challenge of Evangelia with around the expected margin.

Before the final last week, Greece were around 17s in the Eurovision outright market but have since moved to 50-1+ on the exchange.

This would usually indicate either a bad choice or bad performance but I don't think either are the case here. Firstly - in terms of likely position in the final I don’t see much in it between what this would achieve and Evangelia or Barbz and this was the frontrunner anyway and secondly, what we received was largely in line with what I expected in the recently revived and not amazingly financed Greek Final. Instead, 50s+ is where Greece always should have been with this as the presumed winner.

The main issue in terms of Eurovision winner chances that is there regardless of performance is a lack of purpose, narrative or relevance of this to voters which has become a really key factor in this decade. Give this to Ukraine or Israel and you’re looking at a contender but right now this is an entry with nothing overt for outsiders to grab a hold of. I find it similar in that way to something like Ramonda from Serbia last year - an entry with a strong domestic connection but hard to become a moment of the evening.

The second problem I have with this is the pacing. The verses are excellent and it’s the opening 30 seconds to this that are very impactful in my view before falling away in the chorus - that is where the big emotional call to support is but I just don’t feel it. Oneiro Mou from 2018 has been the most obvious comparison but in my view that composition had more potential, ominously maybe since that failed to qualify and led Greece into a bland 5 year spell.

As mentioned the staging at the national final has been criticised with it too starting interesting but not developing into anything of substance. Klavdia is a strong singer but does look uncomfortable doing much beyond standing still which isn't a problem in itself but does create a challenge in keeping a visual interest. It’s obvious what we got was a quick rushed staging concept and for those purposes it was fine, but Greece do have work to do.

I’ve seen others mention qualification fears and I didn't feel the same, perhaps until writing this review which has took on a more negative tone than I thought. This is a classic “too good to NQ” song but we've seen many times how entries with a lot going for them sometimes fall.

Looking at the semi final Greece have a first half draw in the (according to expectations) weaker and larger semi. In a big blow Cyprus and an easy 12 points are notably missing. Serbia and Montenegro should be into this sound as should Armenia, Georgia and Israel whilst Australia will provide diaspora support. I do worry about the western countries however. This is yet a further nail in Montenegro's coffin as an aside but it will be interesting to see what kind of treatment both receive in the semi draw and everyone else is so far still in play.

Everything considered, this is more on the edge than it first appears and I’ll be interested to see what the qualification odds start at. I do still expect this will qualify overall and if it does will hold its own better in the final, probably coming midtable. Juries will respect it but almost certainly have far bigger priorities.

Personal Rating: 16/20

Staging Potential: 13/20

Televote Potential: 12/20

Jury Potential: 15/20

Track Record: 11/20

Total: 67/100

Early Prediction: Semi 2 7th-11th, 12th-16th in the final.