The Supernova 2025 Grand Final was a mixed bag. The opening act was a fun remix and awesome lighting design and dancing. It definitely got the crowd ready for the show.
1. Chris Noah, with “Romance Isn’t Dead.” The 1975, Rolling Stones, and Cage The Elephant vibes.To me, this was a chill rock song that you’d hear at a sports bar or dive bar near a stadium. Good lighting and usage of screens augment the lyrics and were a great addition to the performance.
2. Palú, with “Delusional.” This is a great rock song, but not her song. I felt it needed a singer with a better rock voice (this Joan Jett). Her dancers seemed to steal focus at times. There was some polishing since the semifinal, but not enough to win.
3. Sinerġija, with “Bound By The Light.” It had great haunting melodies. The lighting and dancers added a good emphasis to the nature of the song. The dancers gave me forest sprites and I was here for it.
4. Citi Zēni, with “Ramtai.” It’s a fun dance anthem for the summer. The other band members dancing in their costumes gave car wash brushes but in a fun way. High energy, easy to sing along. This was my winner.
5. Tepat, with “Sadzejot.” Personally, not much more to say other than Starbucks song of the week vibes. Early 2000s indie ballad 20 years too late.
6. The Ludvig, with “Līgo.” With how little he sings, it’s obvious the backup singers and dancers carry the song. Changing the dancers’ outfits from midsommar to traditional Latvian was much better. There wasn’t much range in his singing, which was a safe move, but boring.
7. Markus Riva, with “Bigger Than This.” Basic song with not much behind it. Shaky vocals. When your song doesn’t have much to offer and you work out a lot, why not go shirtless? And then it just… ends.
8. Tautumeitas with “Bur Man Laimi.” This song and performance gate me utopian cult vibes. The song is somewhat repetitive but still fun. Fun lighting and use of video mapping. I really liked the rain at the start of the performance. They probably had the smoothest choreography. I would join this cult.
9. Bel Tempo x LEGZDINA, with “The Water.” This song is kind of a lower energy Goldfrapp, for those of us old enough to remember them. The harmonies are good and didn’t overpower the main melodic line. The audio balancing helped this song this week. It’s another coffee shop song, but the more I hear it, the less I hate it.
10. Emilija, with “Heartbeat.” High notes, baby. Nails them. Beautiful song. Great stage presence. Great crowd work. She was feeling it and loving it. This was my number 2. The voting ended in a three-way tie between Tautumeitas, Citi Zēni, and Emilija. The tiebreak was the popular vote, which went to Tautumeitas by a landslide. I don’t think this will be a winner, but I wish them the best of luck in Basel.