Review: “Luxembourg Song Contest 2026”

Luxembourg will choose its Eurovision 2026 song via the “Luxembourg Song Contest 2026”.
The selection will be held on January 24th, 2026.
The results will be based on public votes and international jury votes.
In this post, I will review the 8 songs in the selection

#1.Andrew the Martian – “I’m The Martian”

• It is an indie rock song with rap influences. The song starts with the keyboard playing. The first verse opens with Andrew singing in a half-smokey voice, with quite considerable effort. The melody is based on a keyboard, with some fading electronic effects. The first pre-chorus is short, and the melody is based on drums beat.
• The first chorus is based on an electronic beat, combined with a drum beat. The singing is mostly like rapping. The phrase “I’m The Martian” repeats again and again. The melody itself is mysterious. The second half is more about vocal power.
• The second verse is based again on keyboards, but the rate is different. Sometimes his singing leans more towards reciting. The second chorus is quite similar to the first one. It is mostly remembered due to the unique melody. The bridge is performed with some vocal effects that make it sound like through a megaphone. It is performed in Portuguese. The last chorus is sped up, and it sounds live a modulation. There are more effects, including pre-recorded backing vocals.
• Overall, the song suggests a diverse path, but at the same time, I am not about the music creature. While it could be a nice jam song, Eurovision seems less suitable

#2. Daryss – “Melusina”

• It is a classic ballad with Chanson influences.
• The song starts with a recitation with some vocal decorations in the background. The first verse is based on a simple piano playing. As this part progresses, the melody gets another layer of string samples and synthesizer sound. She sings slowly and accurately with a mid-tone of voice.
• The chorus is more of a waltz piece. The rate is very specific, combining a constant beat. The melody features cello playing, piano playing, and rich production.
• The post-chorus includes semi-operatic singing, as well as choir singing. The beat is faster. The second verse features soft electronic elements in its production and resembles more of the second half of the first verse. The bridge comes after, with a laid-back production and much slower word phrasing. The piano becomes dominant in the melody.
• The second chorus follows. The singing is more theatrical, sometimes whispering, sometimes an outcry. The chorus develops much more dramatically, including some heavy breathing. The classic arrangement, together with the choir singing, pushes everything forward. The song ends with a notable sigh.
• Overall, it is a high-quality classic Chanson ballad, that will probably do better with the jury. If it is staged convincingly, it will be a contender.

#3. Eva Marija – “Mother Nature”

• It is an indie pop song. The song starts with a short instrumental part, which is merged into the first verse later on. The melody is based on the strumming. Eva sings in a clear, thick voice. The first pre-chorus brings in an addition of a more nostalgic piano sound. She sings it more boldly.
• The first chorus is based on piano, drums, and bass. The composition elevates it. She sings this part with a warmer voice, supported by backing vocals. It ends with violin and piano playing. The more contemporary continues into the second verse as well. It is slightly faster, but the violin becomes the main part.
• After a short pre-chorus, we get the second chorus. The lyrics are a bit repetitive. The post-chorus is instrumental and features the beautiful sound of the violin with a drop beat. The song ends with raw production. Overall, the whole effort is one to mention. You can’t ignore the artistic identity of Eva and the song. I am just not sure it will be appealing enough to make people vote for it. While the violin might tick some Eurovision boxes, the rest might still be a challenge.

#4. Hugo One – “Born Again”

• It’s a dance club song with huge influences of 1980s music.
• The song starts with a dance beat and a synth sound.
• The melody of the first verse continues in the same line. Hugo sings it with a warm and mid-high tone of voice. The first pre-chorus starts with a melody based on percussion and strongs. He sings part of it in a lower register and with some effects.
• The first chorus progresses quite expectantly. The beat is more dominant, and the structure is pretty constant. The second verse opens with guitar and drums. It is short and simple. From there, we get another chorus with a less danceable production.
• The post-chorus is mostly around the stadium singing of “Oh oh.” It is followed by the disco-club beat and another chorus. Overall, I felt like one minute of the song was enough for me. The song develops in a very expected way. The features beats sounds like overused.

#5. Irem – “Bad Decisions” (Hush Hush)

• It is a dance-pop song.
• The introduction features a small vocal part of the chorus. The first verse starts with dance-pop beats. Her singing is playful. The melody features semi-ethnic elements, created by string and wind instruments.
• The first pre-chorus is based on keyboard playing, while singing wisely, we get longer notes. The first chorus follows. It starts as in the introduction. The production uses the technique of vocal layer duplication. The beginning is almost raw, melodically.
• The chorus continues with more dance-pop vibes, and we get some French lyrics. The second verse is faster. The genre blends with some urban pop. The lyrics include some German. The melody is based on synth and ethnic elements.
• The second pre-chorus is similar to the first one. The second chorus relies on an ethnic pop framework. The post-chorus is performed with whispers, and then becomes more sassy and engaging. It ends with the last chorus, with much modulation and more electronic synthesis and synths. Overall, it is a bit like Dua Lipa, but a bit ethnic. The song is engaging and develops smartly. It must be elevated with a tone of charisma. This is one where the live performance will be crucial

#6. Luzac – “Prison Dorée”

• It is a trap pop with electronic elements.
• The first verse starts with monotonous keyboard playing. The rate is particular, and Luzac sings it with a mid-tone of voice. It continues to a rougher sample string sound, and it is developed into synth-based sounds. Luzac is accompanied by a male choir singing/humming. His singing is more theatrical.
• The first pre-chorus brings a more delicate sound, with the melody based on keyboards. He sings this part softly, emotionally, and with a higher pitch.
• The first chorus is based on a cyclic electronic synth loop, which almost resembles of dubstap. The lyrics are quite repetitive. The second half of the chorus is more intense and engaging. The second verse continues the same line from the chorus. The melody is based on a kind of more “angry” beat with short music boxes and bold sound. Something is lost around this mess.
• The second pre-chorus gives us a sweet and emotional part. The second chorus is similar to the first one. It is also composed of 2 parts, with the second of them more dramatic. It proceeds to the bridge, which has the same structure as the first half of the first verse. The melody is based on keyboards. From there, it progresses to a more electronic phase. The backing vocals are back. This time, the beats have a longer amplitude. The song ends in a simple way.
• Overall, the song has some noticeable moments. But I feel that in some cases, the emphasis on the electronic sound was too much. Moreover, the whole arrangement sounds too chaotic.

#7. ShiroKuro – “Eye to Eye”

• It is a pop-rock song.
• The song starts with processed vocals and some synth elements. We get a short instrumental part, based on the piano, violin, drums, and rich production. The first verse starts with breathy singing, and the melody is based on piano and drums. The violin and recorded voices create a framing. From there, we get a greater presence of bass. The second verse feels more intense, but it is founded on the same basis. The lead singer’s voice is thin and quite pitchy.
• The chorus is designed in much simpler and more emotional lines. The melody is based on a slow drum beat, piano and strings.
• Faster drum beats lead us to the third verse. Vocally, I liked the other verses. It is more rocky, but sometimes the singing might mistakenly be heard as off-tune. The second chorus is stronger than the previous one. The synth elements play a major role, and we also get some backing vocals.
• The bride starts quite simply, but becomes more powerful. The lead singer sings it in falsetto, which is combined with more rock singing and reciting. The song ends with one last chorus.
• The song is much a grower for me. I started appreciating it more since the 3rd time I heard it. This tells a lot about its complexity and the work behind the song. I hope the band will deliver in their live performance. I am not about its chances, but at least it is different from all the others.

#8. Steve Castile – “Sweet Tooth”

• It is a soul-rock song.
• The song starts with a soundtrack that reminds me of church music. The introduction features deep piano chords. Steve serves the first verse with a soulful, bold singing and a low-toned voice.
• The first pre-chorus is based on a more dynamic production, which also combined some wind instruments. We can hear some female backing vocals as well.
• The first chorus paints the song in rock colors. It comes across through the vocals and the attitude. The melody is based on bass, electric guitar, and drums. He sings it with a slightly more smoky voice. The post-chorus relies on keyboards and guitar with “la la la”.
• The second verse continues in the rock direction, but stepping towards the country rock genre. The melody is based on keyboards, guitar, drums, and some effects. The second pre-chorus is based mainly on guitar and unique voice.
• The second chorus is stadium rock, very catchy, and easy to sing along to. The bridge is based on cleaner production, but we get more vocally. He is accompanied by backing vocals, and we even heat a bit French.
• The song ends with one last chorus, which is based on drums and bass.
• Overall, it is a sweet candy for rock lovers. There is a small loss of potential in the beautiful introduction, which isn’t reflected later on. I must admit I am not a big fan of the lyrics. But, he seems to be a great performer, and the song has contagious energy.

Prediction

As for now, I think the winner will be Daryss or Luzac

My Personal Ranking

1. Daryss – “Melusina”
2. ShiroKuro – “Eye to Eye”
3. Irem – “Bad Decisions” (Hush Hush)
4. Steve Castile – “Sweet Tooth”
5. Eva Marija – “Mother Nature”
6. Luzac – “Prison Dorée”
7. Andrew the Martian – “I’m The Martian”
8. Hugo One – “Born Again”

Who is your favorite to win the “Luxembourg Song Contest 2026”?

Eurovision 2026 will be held in Austria in May 2026