Review: “Polskie Kwalifikacje 2025” (Poland)

Poland will select its Eurovision 2025 entry via “Polskie Kwalifikacje 2025″.
The national final will be held on Friday, February 14th 2025.
The results will be based on the jury and a public vote.

In this article, I will review the 11 competing songs in the national selection.
The songs will be covered in alphabetical order (of the artists):

#1.CHRUST – Tempo

• It’s an ethnic folk song.
• The song starts with folk singing, which sounds like tribal or ethnic humming. The melody begins with drums and bass. We can hear multiple vocalists. The first verse starts with bass and synth elements. The production is quite modern, with electronic sound. The lead singer is a female vocalist with a mid-tone voice. The chorus is upbeat and takes us back to the intro. It relies on the “Hey Dana” singing. The melody is based on drums and bass. The chorus mostly relies on this traditional singing, rather than regular lyrics. The second verse is similar to the first one, but it is richer vocally.
• The refrain starts with the sound of water and calming percussion elements. The singing is more tender, almost a lullaby. We get a different voice color from the vocalist; It develops the chorus lyrics. Later on, we get the actual and known chorus. The lead singer sings it powerfully with long notes, while the other vocalists participate in the choir singing.
• The last part is a fusion of the chorus and verse. We can hear the backing vocalists singing “Hey Dana”, while the lead singer performs another verse.
• Overall, the song is memorable and easy to digest. It feels like the audience will have an easy time singing along. However, I would be happier to get something more lyrical in the chorus. At a certain point, it becomes repetitive, but it still has its magic.

#2. Daria Marx –”Let It Burn”

• It is a James Bondish ballad, with motives of soul and gospel music.
• The song starts with the piano playing. Daria opens the first verse with a velvet voice and sings accurately. The melody is quite simple and serves the vocal delivery. The first pre-chorus is quite short, it relies on piano and violin playing. The chorus is more catchy, and this is where she uses some manners. Daria sings it with longer notes and a slightly higher tone.
• The second verse is based on piano playing, but it also features a mid-tempo beat that slowly builds. Backing singers accompany her; She sings this part with some soul elements. The powerful singing continues to the second chorus, which is presented in a more classical view. The violin and cello lead the melody. The ending comes with some gospel backing singing. Daria closes the song with soft singing and a piano in the background.
• It is a classic ballad that was made by the book. It is hard to find any mistakes in it. But on the other hand, I wonder: Will it be bold enough? For sure it will stand out due to her vocals.

#3. Dominik Dudek – Hold The Light

• It is a powerful soul-pop mid-tempo ballad
• The first verse is based on a constant keyboard playing. Dominik sings accurately, lengthening the end of some of the lines. He sings this part in a deep, mid-tone voice. As the first verse progresses, a clap beat is added. The first pre-chorus is very short; He sings it with a warmer voice and a simple melody. The chorus is based on keyboards and clap beats as well. However, he sings it in a higher tone of voice. The arrangement is based on multiple backing vocals and humming which grant it an hymn atmosphere. The chorus is catchy and easy to sing along to.
• The second verse is more rhythmic. His singing is soulful, and the melody is based on the keyboard playing. This time, the backing vocals are composed of deep male vocals and create a sense of mystery. The second pre-chorus is once again short.
• The second chorus is once again based on humming backing vocals. The bridge continues in the same line, but it is based on longer musical boxes.
• The last chorus starts with a simple piano playing with a raw production. It ends with the humming backing vocals as before.
• Overall, it is one of the ear-warning songs in the lineup. Dominik expresses himself well as a vocalist, and the text is meaningful. I am afraid that the song might leave some people indifferent. It will need a huge staging to support the story.

#4. Janusz Radek – In Cosmic Mist

• It is an emotional ballad with elements of soft rock.
• The song starts with an instrumental part, composed of piano playing. Janusz starts singing with a unique tone of voice; his singing is theatrical and quite airy. He uses some manners. Sometimes, his accent makes it hard to understand. The first pre-chorus is more dynamic. The tempo is a bit faster, and Janusz sings more powerfully. The first chorus takes it to a more painful and intimate place. He sings it with a higher tone of voice. We hear some opera backing singing.
• The second verse takes the song to a different place. It starts softly but then transforms into a rock piece as his singing becomes more raspy. The melody is based on an electric guitar. This continues into the second chorus. The song ends with a short instrumental part.
• I can’t ignore the artistic vision of this song. However, it sounds too old-fashioned and melodramatic. That’s why I find the song unappealing.

#5. Justyna Steczkowska – GAJA

• It is a bilingual folk-ethno pop song.
• The song opens with a powerful singing of the first line of the chorus. The first verse is based on an electronic beat, wind instruments, and keyboard playing. The first chorus comes shortly after. Justyna sings it with long notes, a powerful voice, and some twirling. It is composed of 2 parts, each of them starts with longer musical boxes and thereafter a faster singing. The melody is based on percussion and keyboards. The out-chorus is more electronic, it features more dramatic beats and some manners.
• The second verse is based on the constant beat from the first verse, but we can also hear electric guitar from time to time. The melody is more fragmented; her singing is simpler. The second chorus is performed in English. Is starts with pre-recorded backing vocals. The melody is based on keyboards playing and powerful singing, The out-chorus is more ethnic and based on string elements. The bridge features animal noises, and it is mostly instrumental, it continues with a very high note. Thereafter, we get a short danceable instrumental part, which will probably be utilized for a dance break. The last part is faster and darker. It begins with one word at a time and then we get one last chorus.
• Ovall, Justyna is a great singer, and this song helps her to express her vocal abilities. The folk genre adds a lot, especially when it is mixed with electronic music. It has huge staging potential. Will it be Justyna‘s comeback to Eurovision?

#6. KUBA – Pray

• It is a mid-tempo pop song.
• The song opens with guitar playing and humming. Thereafter, Kuba opens the first verse with soft singing in a high tone of voice. The chorus is short. It is served almost unplugged, with the focus on his vocals. We can hear a choir singing in the background. Towards the end, a beat is built. The drum beat continues to the second verse, which is more energetic. The melody is based on drums and bass, and he sings faster and in a raspier voice. The pre-chorus is short, and it is based on acoustic guitar. Later on, the drums are back. The second chorus is quite similar to the first one.
• The bridge is more sparse, as it features more short instrumental moments. The bridge relies upon richer backing vocals. The last chorus starts with piano playing, and Kuba opens it with a softer voice, almost falsetto singing. The production is more laid back. He sings part of it in a more raspy voice, and then we get the drums back with a choir singing.
• Overall, it is a decent radio-friendly song. It feels like Kuba is a more mature artist. But at the same time, I can’t find any “wow factor” in this song. It develops as expected and linearly. That’s why I think it is less competitive.

#7. MARIEN – Can’t Hide

• It is a mid-tempo pop ballad.
• The song opens with piano playing. Marien opens the first verse with a mid-tone of singing. Thereafter, we can hear some orchestral instruments. The first verse is composed of 2 similar parts. The first pre-chorus is based on piano and a moderated finger tap beat. She sings this part more soulfully and we can hear backing singing. The pre-chorus ends with one long note. The first chorus begins with piano playing and then drums are added. She sings it emotionally and with some manners.
• The second verse begins with piano playing, and she sings it with a lower tone of voice. The production is quite simple. The second pre-chorus is based on the tap finger beat. The second chorus is performed more powerfully, with longer notes. The song ends with one last chorus, which relies on piano playing only.
• The whole concept feels very 2005-2010. The song sounds like a track, which is released by a winner of a music reality TV show. The song has the same issue as some of the others in the line-up, it is a radio-friendly track that doesn’t make a lot of impact. I am afraid it isn’t competitive enough for the big stage in Basel.

#8.Sonia Maselik – Rumours

• It is a pop song.
• The song opens immediately with singing. The intro is part of the pre-chorus. We can hear some backing vocals in the background and the melody is gradually built. The first verse is short and based on bass playing and a mid-tempo beat. Her singing is full of attitude. The pre-chorus is based on keyboards and bass. We hear some effects like vocal duplication. The first is based on a faster beat, keyboards, and bass. She sings it with a warmer tone of voice. The chorus is quite catchy.
• The second verse is quite similar to the first one, but the beat is more dominant. Sometimes, she uses too many manners in her singing. The pre-chorus builds up to the chorus, with a growing beat. The chorus is more rhythmic and sticks in your head. The bridge opens with humming and pre-recorded singing. It continues to another chorus, with a bit different structure, where the backing singers perform the main part, and she brings more vocal decoration.
• On one hand, there is something basic about it. But this is the kind of guilty pleasure pop, the kind that is impossible to avoid remembering. One of its advantages is the minority of pop songs in the selection.

#9. Sw@da & Niczos – Lusterka

• It is an electronic folk song in the Podlachian language.
• The song opens with electronic keyboards and heavy synth elements. Niczos opens the singing part in a mid-tone of voice, with a kind of serious tone. The first part of the song is the chorus. It is composed of 4 identical parts, each of them with three lines. This kind of structure is typical for national folk tales. The dance beat makes this part sound more modern. The following part is the pre-chorus, which is less energetic and more emotional. She sings it with some pain and with a higher tone of voice. The melody is based programmed keyboards and drum beats. The verse is performed as a rap/spoken work, the rate is fast and the production is still electronic.
• The bridge takes us to another direction, as the singing is more operatic. The beat slowly builds back while she sings with twirling and longer notes. The song ends with another chorus, which is similar to the former one. Thereafter, we get a short instrumental part composed of drums, beat, and synth
• It reminds me of the high-quality quirky entries we used to have in “Vidbir” in the past. It is a fusion of modern and tradition, a combination of party and folk. I think it is made of the material that can do well with the public vote. The entry is original and memorable. The question is: Will the Polish voters be brave enough to select such an entry for Eurovision?

#10. Teo – Immortal

• It is an emotional ballad.
• The melody is based on piano playing. Teo opens the first verse with an accurate voice, and it sounds like he is connected to the text. The melody is very simple, but it helps him tell the story. The first pre-chorus features more elements. The production relies on a slow beat and soft electronic elements. We can hear backing singers supporting him. The first chorus takes us to a mire winterish atmosphere. it opens with humming, we can heat string elements in the background, but the keyboards are still in the center.
• The second verse starts with a slow mid-drum beat. It is slightly faster. The arrangement of this part is different; Teo sings the main part, while the pre-recorded singing completes him. Towards the end, he sings with a raspy voice, more powerfully. The second chorus has a more indie rock vibe, the melody is based on bass and keyboards, and we get more colors of voice.
• The bridge has a cinematic quality, it starts delicately and then goes to a more rough direction.
• It is a “sad-boy” ballad, but one of the successful ones. There is something simple and yet very sincere and conquering.

#11.TYNSKY – Miracle

• It is a ballad.
• The song starts with a nostalgic sound. The melody is based on bowed string elements and piano. Tynsky opens the first verse with a deep, crystal clear voice. The pre-chorus is more exciting, but for some reason, it feels like the melody is much stronger than his singing. The melody features multiple layers. The chorus is more like a hymn, and he performs it with some special phrasing.
• The second part of the song is more rhythmic, as it features some beats. The second chorus is similar to the first one. It develops more dynamically. However, towards the end, it goes to a simpler direction, where the focus is on his voice and piano playing
• I don’t know whether the problem is related to unpolished (even though we are in Polish selection) production or whether it is related to charisma and experience. Sometimes, his singing was hidden by the whole composition. Therefore, I feel it still has a long way to be Eurovision ready.

Prediction

Generally, it is a solid selection, with most of the songs are solid. However, I feel that this is one of the issues here: Most songs left me indifferent, as they are radio-friendly, and that’s where it stays. The high number of ballads might lead us to a situation where some of them will cancel each other.

At the moment, I think the top 3 will be:

• Justyna Steczkowska – GAJA
• Dominik Dudek – Hold The Light
• Sw@da & Niczos – Lusterka

My Personal Ranking

1. Justyna Steczkowska – GAJA
2. Sw@da & Niczos – Lusterka
3. Teo – Immortal
4. Daria Marx – Let It Burn
5. Dominik Dudek – Hold The Light
6. Sonia Maselik – Rumours
7. MARIEN – Can’t Hide
8. CHRUST – Tempo
9. KUBA – Pray
10. TYNSKY – Miracle
11. Janusz Radek – In Cosmic Mist

Who is your “Polskich Preselekcji 2025″ winner?
Who will win the selection?

Poland will perform in the first half of semi-final 1.

Eurovision 2025 will be held in Basel, Switzerland on the 13th, 15th and 17th of May 2025