Semi Final One/Two: Romania, Russia, Greece and Iceland

Pe-o Margine de Lume (it's not a song about a low-fat substitute for butter) begins with some cod operatics for a minute or so, then - what's this - it's some buxom young pup taking the same tune but making it all modern, and a bit faster.

It works well, and with the right sort of old-fashioned/trendy choreography on the big night, this is a clever enough riff on the tried-and-tested Eurovision formula to appeal to a broad cross-section of televoters.

Just the sort of thing you only find at the Eurovision Song Contest, it's unlikely you'll hear Pe-o Margine de Lume blasting out the speakers at Creamfields this summer. Unless they need to clear the place.

Boom or Bang?:More likely the soprano end of the points scale than the bass baritone.

Russia: Dima Bilan - Believe

While Romania was sorting itself into fourth place back in 2006, the Russians finished two places above them as the eventual runners-up to Lordi.

The man clutching that silver was Mark Owen lookalike Dima Bilan, who has returned to the Big Singing Game for 2008 with another hotly-tipped tune.

Now, I'm about to type a sentence which may shock and stun UK readers, but this year's Russian entry comes via the hugely successful Timbaland. Yes, that Timbaland - who has worked with Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and the Pussycat Dolls.

Whereas the British music industry pretends not to have heard the question when the BBC puts out the request for potential Contest-winning material, staring awkwardly at its shoes before shuffling out the room to play in the garden, the Russians are determined to take the trophy. More importantly, they're prepared to put in the required effort to make that happen.

That said, this may not be the song to do it. While it's a highly polished product, which wouldn't sound out of place in the UK (or US) Top 10, Believe just doesn't stand out as a winner in an event like Eurovision.

That said, this is Russia. In 2004, they sent a girl who gave one of the worst live vocal performances ever heard at Eurovision but still clawed in the douzes from their neighbours. Mother Russia's apron strings have their uses.

Boom or Bang?: Geography will place this Top 10, but not Top 3.

Greece: Kalomira - Secret Combination

Greece flounced out of Eurovision in a big huff in 1998 when it dawned on them the only country which really appreciated its efforts on the Contest stage was neighbours Cyprus.

Three years later, they flounced back. They spent the interim taking GCSEs in Being Really Good at Eurovision and - as past results have shown - they passed with flying colours.

In a complete reversal of fortune, one of the least successful 20th Century Eurovision nations has become the one to beat in the 21st. The year after Greece surprised everyone by winning the Euro 2004 football championships, they took their maiden ESC victory in Kyiv with Helena Paparizou's My Number One.

Their entry this year follows a similar formula. Taking traditional Greek instruments and chucking them in the mix of an otherwise average pop song means the proud and ancient Greek nation don't feel their identity is compromised, but still have a shot at winning. If they'd worked that out a bit earlier, there'd have been no need for that three-year huff.

Kalomira will close the first semi final with Secret Combination and, considering the weak-ish quality of most of the 18 tunes preceding her, she is in a prime spot to linger in the voters' memories.

Boom or Bang?: Secret Combination is a 'safe' bet for the final. Mm-hah.

Symetry and neatness should demand that today's entry ends here, with the final song of the first semi final.

Which 10 songs do you think will get the golden ticket to the Eurovision Song Contest itself?

Post your predictions as a comment and we'll see who has the greatest sense of Euro prescience (no prizes, sadly, just the chance to be a bit smug).

However, time is against us if every song is going to get its preview before the music gets underway in Serbia next week (Semi Final One is on BBC Three on Tuesday, May 20), so we'll close this bit of Boom Bang a Blog with the opening song of Semi Final Two.

Brace yourselves.

Iceland: Euroband - This Is My Life

Iceland's is easily the best promo video of the 43 entries for Eurovision 2008. It is inspired by the countless videos you'll find on YouTube of young men (it's usually young men) tucked away in their bedrooms miming to classic songs of Eurovision past, presumably while mum is at bingo and dad is in no danger of walking in and catching him.

This Is My Life may sound like a red leatherbound book really unpopular people have to make and present themselves with, but it is one of the entries getting the popular nod from Eurovision fans across the continent. And Israel.

Undoubtedly an energetic tunefest, the draw may have put the mockers on the Euroband's Eurovision vision. This will be performed first (not a problem in itself, Brotherhood of Man - and others - won the whole Contest from spot number one), preceding the hot favourite from Baltic cousins Sweden.

Both are uptempo, slightly dated songs which belong on a Now That's What I Call Music compilation from 1995, but Iceland is the less crowd-friendly of the two.

It's a shame, as it's an enjoyable piece of fluff and would be good fun to have in the final shake-up.

We'll regroup next time - where two of this year's big contenders are presented for your consideration.

Boom or Bang?: We'll be nice. Iceland's going through..