Ukrainian music critic explains why KAJ from Sweden may not win Eurovision
KAJ band (photo: instagram.com/humorgruppen.kaj)
Ukrainian music critic and reviewer Roman Buturlakin evaluated the bookmakers’ predictions regarding the winner of Eurovision 2025. In his opinion, the odds can change quickly, and Sweden, currently forecasted to have the highest chances of winning, might actually end up without the top spot.
Why the critic doesn’t believe Sweden will win
Roman assessed the bookmakers' predictions regarding KAJ, who are representing Sweden, and Ziferblat — the Ukrainian band that, so far, is not expected to win or even rank in the top ten finalists.
"I think people should pay less attention to bookmakers, because it’s clear that Ziferblat has been shifting up and down the rankings a lot since the national selection, from as low as 18th place to as high as 7th. So, the forecasts vary widely. Everything depends on many factors, and I specifically monitored what happened last year. Just a few months before the Eurovision final, even the winners NEMO were ranked far lower," the critic explained.
"In other words, they weren’t in the top five, not even top ten. And in my opinion, relying on these predictions is like drawing with a pitchfork on water — you can't depend on them too much. It’s better to trust your emotions and rely solely on that," he added.
KAJ band (screenshot)
As for Sweden’s entry, the reviewer believes it’s not the kind of song he would call a winning one.
"As for Sweden, I think the chances of victory are slim because I don’t see a performance that typically wins. Last year, when I saw NEMO in the semi-final, I felt from the very first seconds that it was a winning act. When I was reviewing the performances of all participants, I wrote that NEMO was the best. In the semi-final, I realized that the performance impressed me the most, and the song was very surprising. It was clear that it would be the winner," Buturlakin noted.
"Well, I don’t have that feeling about Sweden. Of course, they could win because the bookmakers give them the most attention, but I don’t see anything particularly special in that song. It’s light, it could be — and probably already is — a hit in European nightclubs, but I don’t see it as the kind of song that would be remembered for long, even just for the year following a Eurovision win. For now, I haven’t heard a song I’d want to see as the winner," he concluded.
Bookmakers’ predictions – new data
At the start of the second Eurovision semi-final, Sweden is still predicted to win. However, Austria is now close behind. According to the bookmakers, the Netherlands may end up in third place. Ukraine is predicted to finish in 13th place. Still, things could change.
Bookmakers’ predictions (screenshot)
Earlier, we wrote about KAJ, who are predicted to win Eurovision.
