Scoring Criteria

This is the scoring criteria I use for ESC songs!

All ESC Songs are scored out of 100 points. I use 5 criteria:

1. Lyrics
2. Composition
3. Vocals
4. Staging
5. Vibes

Each of these criteria have their own sub-category scores. The sub-category scores are totaled to give the total score for the criteria, which is then re-scaled to 100. The final score for each song is the average of all 5 scores!

CRITERIA 1 - LYRICS
Sub-Criteria	Elaboration	Max Score	Max Score Examples
Subject Matter	Is the song material interesting, or has it been done a million times before? Does it put a new spin on a path well-trodden?	10	Shum (Ukraine 2021) Non mi avetto fatto niente (Italy 2018)
Effective Use of Language	How do the words used make me feel? What do they make me imagine? Are there any interesting phrases or lines that stand out, or is everything just lyrically bland?	5	Róa (Iceland 2025) Rim Tim Tagi Dim (Croatia 2024)
Clarity	Is the song understandable? Is there a message, and does it come through to me?	5	La Poupée Monte le Son (Luxembourg 2025) Az én apám (Hungary 2019)
Flow	Do the words, regardless of language, flow well? Did it give me a eargasm, or did it just feel rough?	5	Mon Amour (France 2024) Ktheju Tokës (Albania 2019)

CRITERIA 2 - COMPOSITION
Sub-Criteria	Elaboration	Max Score	Max Score Examples
Melody/Bass	How interesting are the melody and bass lines? What purpose do they serve?	5	Zjerm (Albania 2025) Teresa and Maria (Ukraine 2024)
Instrumentation	Do the instruments catch my attention? How fitting are they for the song? Is there anything particularly interesting? Is the detail good? (Voices used as instruments are included too!)	5	La Poupée Monte le Son (Luxembourg 2025) Ulveham (Norway 2024)
Development	Is there any evolution in the song and/or does it feel like it’s moving forwards in some way? Does the song basically end in the first half?	5	Doomsday Blue (Ireland 2024) Before The Party’s Over (Belgium 2024)
Coherence	Does the song seem to know what it’s doing and where it’s going? Is it a cohesive unit that’s more than the sum of its parts, or is it 2, 3 or even 4 songs in an ill-fitting trenchcoat? Does the music tell a story?	5	Doomsday Blue (Ireland 2024) Voilà (France 2021)

CRITERIA 3 - VOCALS
Sub-Criteria	Elaboration	Max Score	Max Score Examples
Vocals	The technical side of singing. Vocal leaps? Flair? Bum notes? Strained voices? Voice cracks? (Note: As I am not a trained vocalist or vocal teacher, I’m largely basing this off the singing being on-pitch and what sounds good to me lol. Sorry if I get things wrong)	20	Grito (Portugal 2024) Eaea (Spain 2023) Sound of Silence (Australia 2016)
Immersion	Do I believe that the singers believe in what they’re singing? Do the emotions they want me to feel come through?	5	Amar Pelos Dois (Portugal 2017) Hold Me Closer (Sweden 2022)

CRITERIA 4 - STAGING
Sub-Criteria	Elaboration	Max Score	Max Score Examples
The Show	Stage Presence, Props, Lights, Camera…	10	You Are The Only One (Russia 2016) Dizzy (UK 2024)
The Story	Action. Does the staging tell the story of the song? How invested did I get in the story being told?	10	Teresa and Maria (Ukraine 2023) Doomsday Blue (Ireland 2024)
Outfits	Do the outfits and their presentation tell the story of the song?	5	Jako (Armenia 2024) Zero Gravity (Australia 2019)

CRITERIA 5 - VIBES
Sub-Criteria	Elaboration	Max Score	Max Score Examples
Vibes	How much I vibe with the song! And how I'd deal with it if it came on over the radio or something.	100	Esa Diva (Spain 2025) Hold Me Closer (Sweden 2022)

OK, so just to explain "Vibes" a little more, this is what the scores mean:

CRITERIA 5 - VIBES
Score	Elaboration
100	I am OBSESSESSED with this. I have listened to this nonstop. For weeks. Maybe months.
90	I have listened to this on repeat. On a 1 hour repeating version of the song.
80	Definitely going on a playlist somewhere.
70	Pretty good, but I don't think I'd look it up out of the blue.
60	It's alright. I probably wouldn't think of this except when I hear it.
50	Meh. I probably wouldn't turn it off or switch song if it came along out of nowhere.
40	Eh. I'm tempted to skip to the next song.
30	Nah. Definitely skipping this one.
20	NEXT.
10	Yuck. I wish I hadn't heard this.