After an early start from Azerbaijan, we move on with our crammed second day of first rehearsals at La Seine Musicale with another heartfelt performance, this time, from Bulgaria’s Denislava and Martin, singing Voice Of Love.

Personally, this is the first stage performance of the year when I can safely say “we were not expecting this”. If Malta’s Ike and Kaya were spending the evening in the garden, Denislava and Martin are staying there the whole night, in a pop-up teepee.

Only their shadows are visible during the first verse, which gives a warm, intimate atmosphere, and makes for some interesting visuals, before they emerge at the end of the first chorus, during on one of the many key changes, dressed in all-white and surrounded by aerial drapes à la Norway 2010.

A quick reminder that the song was co-written by North Macedonia’s 2021 ESC representative Vasil Garvanliev, who knows a bit about bringing it on-stage with elaborate visuals to accompany a seemingly-sedate song.

I don’t know about you, but this performance is a bit “in tents”. [I’ll get my coat.]