Second semi-final at ESC: Serbian Lady Gaga makes the most bizarre appearance

Colourful, flashy and sometimes very emotional…

On Thursday evening, the last 18 acts sang in the second preliminary round for one of the coveted tickets for the final of the “Euro Vision Song Contest”. Her performance was out of the ordinary: the Serbian singer Konstrakta (43) sat in front of a bowl of water with curd soap and washed her hands again and again. A performance with a message.

In her home country, the artist is a star and is even compared to Lady Gaga (36). At the ESC, she started as an underdog with the title “In Corpore Sano”. Her performance was all the more striking. Konstrakta, whose real name is Ana Djuric, appeared all in white. The five men and women behind her wore black robes and white towels over their shoulders.

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With her song “In Corpore Sano” the Serbian wanted to send a messagePhoto: Getty Images

When the singer wasn’t washing her hands, everyone clapped rhythmically to the beat of the music. But what was the point? In her song, the Serbian sings against the obsession with health, to which everything in life is subordinated. The spectacle even impressed ESC commentator Peter Urban (74), who summarized the performance as follows: “There she sits and washes her hands. The towels are handed out and she creates a striking piece of music theater with minimalist tones.” In the end, it was enough for the singer for the finale.

2000s band with the comeback

For this band, the ESC is also an international comeback. The Finnish rockers The Rasmus had a worldwide hit in 2003 with In The Shadows. On Thursday evening they opened the second semi-final with the song “Jezebel”. Singer Lauri Ylönen (43) first sang in a yellow raincoat and then shirtless. The number was so well received that the Finns also made it to the final.

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“The Rasmus” had an international mega hit in 2003Photo: Getty Images

Others opted for soft tones. Sheldon Riley (23) entered the race for Australia with the song “Not The Same” and processed the bullying of his schoolmates in it. The white train of his fantasy outfit weighed an impressive 40 kilos. During the performance, the singer wore a mask made of pearl necklaces. The performance was rewarded with a final ticket. Explanation: Australia has been allowed to take part in the competition as a non-European country since 2015 because it is a member of the European Broadcasting Union.

These countries are also in the final:

︎ Belgium: Jérémie Makiese with “Miss You”

▶︎ Czech Republic: We Are Dome with “Lights Off”

▶︎ Azerbaijan: Nadir Rustamli with “Fade To Black”

▶︎ Poland: Ochman with “River”

▶︎Estonia: Stefan with “Hope”

︎ Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs with “Hold Me Closer”

▶︎ Romania: “Llámame”