Review: “Eurovizija.LT 2025” (Lithuania)

Lithuania will select its Eurovision 2025 entry via “Eurovizija.LT 2025″.
The national final will be held on Saturday, February 15th 2025.
The results will be based in 2 rounds: In the first round, the results will be based on jury and public votes. The top 3 artists will qualify for the super-final, where the public will select its winner.

I will review the 12 competing songs for the national selection, based on the running order:

#1. Noy – Just Take Me On A Date

The song opens with keyboards and drums. After a short instrumental part, Noy opens the first verse. He opens the first verse with a simple voice in a warm voice in mid-tone of voice. The first pre-chorus continues in the same line but also features backing vocals. The chorus relies on a more catchy melody, as the production features a loop of digital keyboards, covered by some effects. The backing vocals are served in a higher tone of voice.
The second verse is similar to the first one, but we get multiple backing vocals and humming this time. The same applies to the second pre-chorus. The second chorus is based on the circular digital beat from previously. On the bridge, he sings slowly, and the melody is based on the keyboard playing. The performance is based on vocal duplication until it explodes to an additional chorus.
Do you know the feeling when everything is just OK? The song left me indifferent and just passed by me. The structure is repetitive, and it doesn’t suggest anything special or unique.

#2. Gøya – After Storm

It is an electronic-indie song.
The song opens with a mysterious atmosphere. The intro is based on humming, as the melody is based on digital keyboards, percussion beats, and soft electronic sound. The first verse opens with a gentle and soft singing in a mid-tone of voice. The melody is based on bowed-string elements and keyboard playing. It continues with a dynamic electro beat that keeps on changing and synth elements. The chorus is composed of one sentence that repeats four times. She sings it in a higher tone of voice, it sounds like a prayer or outcry. The melody is based on a dense beat, sampled electronic guitar and synth elements.
The second verse is more classic. She sings it in a slightly higher tone, while the melody is based on piano and orchestral instruments. It continues in a more rhythmic direction as the beat is added. The second chorus relies mainly on those beats; she uses a special vocal twirling. The bridge is based on humming and beautiful vocal improvisations. Thereafter, we get another chorus with some backing vocals, where she expresses her vocals differently. The outro is based on bowed-string elements and piano playing, she sings it softly and takes us to a more emotional space.
The sentence “My soul awake, then I dance” repeats along with the song, creating a sophisticated point of view of the sad story. Overall, the production is strong, and the flow takes the listener on a journey. Gøya is a great vocalist who elevates the song in miles. Well Done!

#3. Liepa – Ar mylėtum

It is an electro-indie song, performed in the Lithuanian language.
The song opens with a mystery sound, composed of keyboards, synth, and electro beat. The melody is poured into the first verse. Liepa starts the singing part with a unique, gentle voice. She sings in a mid-high tone of voice, with some reverb over her voice. The first pre-chorus builds up with a faster beat and cyclic keyboards playing. It explodes with a powerful singing of high notes. The chorus is bolder, with a soft techno-dance beat. She sings purely and meaningfully.
The second verse follows. It is based on fading backing vocals, a denser electro beat, and electronic keyboards. She sings with a crystal clear voice, while the synth elements back her. The second chorus is based on the same techno beat from previously. This time, she sings it in a higher tone of voice. The post-chorus is more intense singing wisely; the beat is sampled as part of the synth elements. The bridge is more laid back, and she performs it more airier with a different tone of voice. The song ends with another chorus, where she use some vocal decoration, whilte the beats and backing vocals slowly decay.
Even though the song is in Lithuanian, it feels easy to connect. I was convinced by Liepa’s ability to tell a story. It might be strange, but this song succeeds in a complicated task: Delivering pain and emotions through electronic sound and foreign language. The arrangement is one of the best in this season. Well done!

#4. Gebrasy – Whole

It is a modern mid-tempo pop song.
The song starts with keyboards playing a moderate electro beat. Gebrasy opens the first verse with his distinctive voice, with a mid-high tone of voice. He lengthens some of the syllables. As the first verse progresses, more elements are added (including a bass beat) until it explodes with a metallic synth sound that repeats 3 times. The chorus is more hymn-like. He sings more freely and warmly. He twirls and lengthens some of the words. The tempo is higher, and the melody is still based on keyboards and multiple layers of electronic production. He closes the first chorus by singing closter to falsetto.
The second verse is more sparse and fragmented. It feels like it has a more artistic vision. From time to time, we can hear some pre-recorded backing vocals. The melody is based on more instruments, and the electronic sound keeps on changing. The second chorus relies on vocal duplication. In the beginning, it relies on more words and becomes more melodic. The bridge is based on strong and bowed string elements, while the singing is replaced by humming. The last part of the song is more of a simple ballad composed of piano.
Overall, it is another notable attempt by Gebrasy. I admit that this song has some complexity that’s probably more appreciated the second and third time listening to it. The structure can be improved, especially the length of the first verse. But I managed to like it more and more.

#5. Amoralu – Freedom

It is a mid-tempo orchestral ballad, with electronic elements.
The song opens with a mysterious atmosphere. The melody is based on bold string instruments. Later on, the first verse starts with piano playing and some orchestral instruments. Amoralu sings in a mid-low tone of voice. The first pre-chorus is more intense, based on more electronic-synth sounds, and her singing becomes slightly “heavier”. The first chorus is considerably short, composed of two parts, with deep bass and percussion sound. Amoralu sings part of it with longer musical boxes. Right after, we get a short instrumental part, which is composed of piano and cello playing. The second verse is based on synth sounds and fragmented beats, towards the end she sings longer notes with some manners. The second pre-chorus is more laid back. The melody is based on simple keyboard playing and she sings softly. The second pre-chorus is based on cello and violin playing, but later on takes a sharp turn into the electronic direction. She sings this part more powerfully. The last chorus is longer. In its middle, we get more backing vocals and the return of piano playing alongside the fast electronic beat. Towards the end, she sings an extremely high note, and the final part is more orchestral.
To sum up, the artistic expression here is worth mentioning. I loved the fact that the lyrics are meaningful. However, I feel that for some listeners, it might be hard to follow. The transition between different styles and genres isn’t always hard to digest.

#6. Anyanya – Running Out of Time

It is a soul-pop song with some gospel elements.
The song begins with pre-recorded fading backing vocals. The first verse melody is based on keyboards and electronic guitars. He sings with a warm and clear voice. The first pre-chorus continues in the same line, but instead of a fragmented guitar stringing, we get a more continuous sound. The first chorus starts with a greater bass presence and richer backing vocals. The tempo is very specific and unified.
The second verse is based mainly on keyboard playing, but we hear the electronic guitar from time to time. The backing vocals are more dominant. The second chorus is more catchy; the backing singing sounds more like a choir singing. The bridge suggests a more refined style of singing. The backing vocals sound like a gospel choir; as this part progresses, the melody features more layers and even a mid-tempo beat.
Overall, Anyanya is a great vocalist. But I think the song doesn’t bring anything new. It develops as expected and safely. It is made of the material of songs that can do good with the jury, but not with the Eurovision voters.

#7. Justė Baradulinaitė – Tired

It is a country-pop singer-songwriter song.
The song opens with guitar playing and backing vocals. The first verse continues in the same way. The melody is based on very specific chords. Justė sings in a mid-tone voice. The first verse is arranged in a structure of “Q&A”, where the backing vocals are the second side. The first pre-chorus continues in the same way, but the guitar chords are more sparse, and she sings more freely and with a higher tone. The first chorus starts with a short bass stringing. However, the main element in the melody is the classic guitar. Bass stringing appears from time to time. She lengthens some of the words and her voice color becomes more comforting and warmer.
Humming takes us to the second verse, which is performed in a considerably lower tone of voice. The melody is based on denser guitar playing and fading backing vocals. The second pre-chorus is quite short, and she performs it with a higher tone of voice. The second chorus is similar to the first one, but the backing vocals are more dominant. Thereafter, we get an additional chorus, which is performed unplugged with the guitar only.
There’s something really simple about this song, and yet it is effective. I think its sincerity is one of its merits. Thanks to Justė, the song is elevated via the live performance. I am not sure how competitive it is in this line-up, but it is one of the songs which I enjoyed listening to.

#8. Katarsis – Tavo akys

It is a rock song, performed in the Lithuanian language.
The song starts with an electronic guitar playing. Katarsis opens the first verse with a mid-low tone of a husky voice. The pre-chorus is pretty short, he sings with much longer notes, and the drums are added The first chorus is slower and darker. The melody is based on bass, electronic guitar, and drums. The phrasing of the words within the sentence is meticulous. He is supported by backing singers with a higher tone of voice. The structure of the chorus is cyclic, and it is quite long. The chorus is finalized by a gloomy instrumental part, composed of bass and electric guitars.
Katarsis continues with an outcry. The second verse is more upbeat and is dominated by guitar riffs. He sings this part with a different attitude, one that comes from control and power.
The song ends with an outro which is composed of one word only – “Tavo”. The melody is based on keyboards and guitars. Later on, the drums are added and it becomes more powerful but too repetitive.
Vocally, I appreciate this effort. But the song isn’t appealing enough. Dark rock can also be interesting, but here there’s a very heavy atmosphere floating in the air. Not much happening here on the lyrical dimension. I found myself bored in the middle.

#9. Petunija – Į saldumą

It is an electronic folk song.
The song opens with guitar riffs. Petunija starts by humming and singing with some twirling. These give the song some ethnic vibes. The first verse begins with a soft acoustic guitar, which transforms into bass. She sings the first verse with her well-known, unique voice. The melody is also based on a mid-drum beat. The first verse is based on folk ethnic singing. Petunija sings the main part, while we can hear her pre-recorded voice in the backing vocals.
The second verse is based on drums and bass. The beat spins over the melody, and her singing is softer, and yet is the main element. The pre-chorus continues similarly; it is also based on clap beats. It is finalized by an electronic drop with some effects over the pre-recorded backing vocals. The beat combines synthetic elements. The second chorus is a bit more rhythmic. The singing sounds like a lullaby, but it is well-fitted in the electronic production.
The third verse is based on electronic guitar and bass. The song takes us to the region of electronic rock. She shows another side of her voice.
The song ends with another chorus, which is based on a raw production and acoustic guitar. Overall, the song suggests a curved melody, which keeps changing between the different parts. Although it is rooted in folk music, this is one of the most modern entries in the lineup. Besides Petunija’s divine voice, the production keeps the listener engaged throughout the song. It has a high potential. Well done!

#10. Sophie Ali – The Bluest Bell

It is an indie-lullaby ballad.
The song opens with a gentle guitar playing. Sophie opens the first verse in a soft, angelic voice. The melody is simple, smooth, and monotonous. Thereafter, keyboards were added as well. The first chorus opens with a bass stringing. The chorus is a bit more rhythmic. She sings over short musical boxes. It ends with a clap beats which continue to the second verse.
The second verse is a bit more rhythmic. Her voice is duplicated via some effects; The melody is based on acoustic guitar and keyboards. The second chorus is quite similar to the first one, but it is served with more attitude. The bridge is more lyrical and personal; it sounds like a sad ballad from movies in the 1960s or 1970s. It is even slower, and the melody is sparser. Towards the end, a soft bass loop leads us to the outro, which is more unplugged. She sings softly.
On one hand, there’s something magical, pure, and innocent about this entry. but sadly, it passed by me. I think it crosses the threshold of “being too effortless”. In addition, her vocals are quite bound.

#11. Lion Ceccah – Drobė

It is an electro-house song with folk elements.
The song opens with a folk singing in white voice technique. The introduction is performed by Lion and female backing singers. It is bold but also too dramatic. The first verse is based on house beats and synth elements. He performs it in a mid-tone of voice, almost effortlessly. The first pre-chorus is more catchy, and the house beats are back, while the melody is based on keyboards and synth. The chorus resembles the intro, it is performed in almost operatic singing. The melody is based on keyboards and an electro beat.
The second verse begins with pre-recorded metallic backing vocals. He sings it with a low tone of voice. The second chorus features backing vocals, singing in long notes and a growing beat. The bridge follows; it sounds like a techno-trap pop and includes lyrics in English. Lion and his backing vocalists sing each word by word. Digital keyboards and trap production lead us to the last part of the song, which is performed more theatrically. It is finalized by powerful singing.
I find the song a bit problematic. It was hard to follow the transition from one part to another. The intro was a bit terrifying. But to sum it up. The main problem here is that the song isn’t catchy at all.

#12. Black Biceps – Visaip man reik

It is a rap-hip-hop song.
The song opens with trumpet and saxophone playing. The lead singer opens the first verse with fast rap-singing. His singing is full of swag and attitude. In the first pre-chorus, we hear more instruments like keyboards and drums. This part is more melodic. The chorus sounds more like a football stadium hymn. It is designed as “Q&A”, where the singer sings a phrase and the rest of the band members repeat after him in masculine voices. It continues into a more instrumental part direction, where the trumpet and saxophone dominate the melody.
The post-chorus is childish (and not entertaining, as long as you’re over 8 years old). Its lyrics include nonsense words like “Wabba dib dab dee” and “skibidi”. The melody is based on percussion and accordion; the sound is very Eastern European. The second verse follows, and it is conveyed through rap singing. This time, the lyrics are also in English. The band members support him by backing the choir. The second pre-chorus is more curvy (melody-wise) and it is based on drums, keyboards, and accordion. The chorus opens with trumpet and saxophone. Just after, we get another chorus, performed in a fast speaking/rap singing. The song ends as the intro.
It looks and sounds like they enjoy themselves a lot while performing. However, I didn’t like it. For me, it was a bit too messy and trying too hard to be a “joke entry”, rather than something complete musically.

Prediction

In general, it looks like the jury and the public will have different preferences for the winner.
The top 3 of the public will probably be: Black Biceps, Katarsis, and Liepa.
The jury might prefer Petunija, Gebrasy, and Katarsis.
I believe the super-finalists will be: Katarsis, Liepa, and one of Petunija/Gebrasy.
The jury will probably rank Black Biceps quite low. I also see Gøya as a dark horse.
In this scenario, it seems that Katarsis might win.