Patricia Kaas has been a huge name in her homeland for 20 years. Her smoky, cabaret-style has won many fans (including Gerard Depardieu) and her signing up for national singing duty is another coup for a nation seemingly shaking off its apathy for the Contest.

The song was selected in a far, far simpler way than your average Melodifestivalen. Patricia's fans voted on her website for their favourite track from her latest album. The song coming out on top was Et s'il fallait le faire and that sign of popularity alone was enough to send it to Moscow.

Sounding like a fairground carousel operated by the Child Catcher, this is very moody, noirish, effortlessly atmospheric - and under the tested tones of Ms Kaas, one that will certainly be well performed. It is hovering around fourth or fifth position in most fan polls, but this could be a case of the Contest aficianados plumping for something extremely un-Eurovisiony to show how 'musically aware' they are, rather than picking a winner.

This will be performed third out of 25 songs on the night. Whether its gentle tones will linger with the televoters 22 songs later is a question that only Saturday, May 16, can answer.

Boom Bang a Blog's un, deux, trois:

(a) Although joint-second in the overall Eurovision league table with five victories to its name, France has to go back to 1977 for the last time it topped the scoreboard.
(b) There were heavy rumours that French first lady Carla Bruni would be singing for France this year.
(c) We now know that's not true, of course.

RUSSIA
Anastasya Prihodko: Mamo

And so to the host nation, who will sing in 10th spot on May 16.

One look at the stage currently flashing and moving in every which way hi-tech can allow in Moscow's Olimpiskiy arena and it's clear that the Russians haven't skimped in any way when it comes to hosting Eurovision.

That may explain why this song isn't exactly considered a contender for victory a week on Saturday.

Anastasya was a last-minute entrant to the Russian final - literally, something like 24 hours beforehand - after her native Ukraine wouldn't allow her to compete in their domestic heat.

The publicity surrounding her inclusion must have swayed the voters as she was crowned the ultimate, controversial winner.

But will this regular, boil-in-the-bag Euro entry do the business for a country which has prided itself in sending the most contemporary songs possible to compete for the Eurovision crown?

Well, she's probably got the Ukraine vote - and is virtually guaranteed the applause of the night from the 15,000-strong audience in the auditorium.

But we're sticking our neck out here - Eurovision won't be back in Russia next year.

(a) When Russia debuted at Eurovision in 1994, they were in financial crisis and couldn't even think about staging the event if their entrant won in Dublin.
(b) How things change.
(c) When Dima Bilan won last year, he not only ended Russia's 14-year campaign for victory, he was also the first male soloist to win for 18 years. Breaking the hoo-doo for Alexander Rybak?

And tomorrow - you've been patient enough - we'll be looking at Jade and the UK.

See you then.