Like previous years, ESC COVERS will again share a blog post from Morten Thomassen of OGAE NORWAY with his views on the positions reached by all 35 2026 entries. ESC Covers google translated it from Norwegian to English.

We have learned that from our Serbian friends we can receive almost anything within what is called popular music and even though we might most like and expect a typical Balkan ballad, it is safe to say that this year’s Serbian contribution was very far from that type of music.

LAVINA was the name of the group that performed the rock song “Kraj Mene” and for those who didn’t pay close enough attention in Serbian class at school, I can tell you that it means “Beside Me” or something like that.

One might wonder how much closeness one felt when hearing and watching this song. The song was described by the group itself as poetic and dramatic metal-rock, and it is perhaps a bit difficult to fully see the poetic in this.

For me, the word gloomy probably fits better with what is being performed, but by all means, this is beautifully performed gloom and amidst all the drama there is perhaps something that feels a little poetic at times, these guys at least make a relatively typical band performance look good with the use of lots of effects.

Here the vocals are delivered very well and with the right amount of intensity that feels right for such a song and there is basically not much to draw on, the main problem when it came to collecting points was probably the type of music and the fact that another rock song from Romania took away the majority of the rock voices this final night.

No one knows where the ESC hare from Serbia will jump musically from year to year, so be prepared for someone who stands out musically next year as well, it’s rare for this country to deliver us someone safely within the ESC standard.

Featured image – ESC Covers