Bored Panda got in touch with the curator of the Eurovision Memes Instagram page, which has a loyal following of over 33k people. The page creator was kind enough to share their thoughts on the 2023 contest. They told us that this year's finale "was the greatest" in a long time, with a very wide range of different songs and tons of competition. We were curious about which songs, in particular, impressed them the most.

"The performances that left the most impression on me were the Finnish performance 'Cha Cha Cha' by Käärijä, the Swedish performance 'Tattoo' by Loreen, and the Albanian performance 'Duje' by Albina and Familja Kelmendi," they told us.

They said that they really loved the energy of 'Cha Cha Cha,' as well as the power of 'Duje' which were "magnificent" and stuck in their head.

We were curious which of the two top songs, Sweden's or Finland's, the founder of @eurovisionmeme preferred. "I was really not sure who would win. Loreen has a great voice that conveys emotions in her song, meanwhile, Käärijä has a very rhythmic song with lots of positive energy. Both are great, but I prefer Finland," they shared.

In fact, this year's contest was so high quality that the curator of Eurovision Memes thought there were no weak songs at all. "I wasn't disappointed by anything," they said that there wasn't anything they did not like. "In general, this year's contest is one of the best."

"This year's contest has been much more perfected in every aspect such as the stage, the songs, the clothes, the artists, the interval act, everything," they heaped praise on how great 2023's Eurovision was produced.

Eurovision Week is a fabulous way to bring a ton of fun into your life. It’s an excuse to get together with your friends, have a good old time, and judge each other’s favorite songs with a cheeky grin and a sharp wit. The commentary and reactions are just as—if not more—interesting than the actual performances themselves.

And we are here for all the memes and tweets, 100%. It’s a weird but satisfying feeling when you realize that your personal opinion about someone’s singing skills, costumes, and stagecraft is being repeated by thousands upon thousands of people around the globe.

This year’s contest was held in Liverpool. Last year’s runners-up, the United Kingdom graciously hosted the contest on behalf of the 2022 winners Ukraine who are fighting back against the unprovoked Russian invasion.

Kalush Orchestra’s song ‘Stefania,’ which was pre-taped in Kyiv, was shown, culminating in the arrival of the band on the stage in Liverpool Arena. Stars like Joss Stone, Sam Ryder, and Andrew Lloyd Webber added their musical prowess to the performance, as did Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, with a surprise piano cameo. The message was very clear: Britain fully supports Ukraine, to the hilt.

This year’s winner is Swedish powerhouse Loreen, who wowed the world with her hit song ‘Tattoo.’ The stagecraft was one of the most intriguing parts of the entire contest. (And that’s saying something, as other performers also had cars, trampolines, and giant wooden boxes on the stage for their three minutes of glory.)

This is the performer’s second victory. Loreen had previously won Eurovision back in 2012 with her song ‘Euphoria.’ And we swear, every single time we hear that title, we can hear her voice singing in our heads, and we take a small trip back in time when life seemed simpler.

There was a bit of light drama surrounding this year’s top spot. If you watched the finale, you probably heard the entire arena chanting Cha Cha Cha at the top of their voices time and again, and know what we’re about to say. Finland’s representative Käärijä had won over the public’s hearts with his bizarrely viral song and neon costumes. Many people on the internet thought that Käärijä should have won.

Finland’s Käärijä took second place with 526 points, nearly outcompeting Sweden’s Loreen who got 583 points. Loreen was the jury’s favorite, however, Finland got top marks in the public vote. So there was a bit of a disconnect between what the judges of the contest valued the most versus who the rest of the world wanted to crown in 2023.

Israel took third place with 362 points with ‘Unicorn.’ Meanwhile, Italy came in fourth with 350 points for Marco Mengoni’s ‘Due Vite’ while Norway took 268 points and fifth place home with Alessandra’s ‘Queen of Kings’ (which may or may not have been playing in yours truly’s head, on repeat, all morning). Ukraine’s representatives, the electronic duo Tvorchi, took sixth place with 243 points with their powerful hit ‘Heart of Steel.’ Russian missiles hit the duo’s hometown of Ternopil minutes before they went on stage.

In last place was Germany’s Lord of the Lost with ‘Blood & Glitter’ while the hosts, the UK, were second-last with Mae Muller’s ‘I Wrote a Song.’ Some of our other personal favorites also included Belgium’s ‘Because of You’ by Gustaph; Slovenia’s ‘Carpe Diem’ by Joker Out which always makes us want to dance; and Australia’s ‘Promise’ by Voyager which was a total banger and reminded us why the Aussies are a part of this contest even half a world away.

Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham, Julia Sanina, and Graham Norton were an utter joy to watch as presenters. Meanwhile, many of us were left wondering why so many performers enjoyed rolling around on the floor.

In broad strokes, the jury tends to focus on vocal skills, technical prowess, and creativity, whereas the public usually asks itself two simple questions: is the song fun and do I instinctively like it? Funky parodies that think outside the box might do well with music lovers around the globe but might not impress the jury. You can't win with virality alone.

Meanwhile, vocally powerful ballads might strike a chord with the judges but might leave the audience snoozing or taking a break to brew a cup of tea. So anyone aiming for next year’s crown has to remember to find a balance between radical creativity and more ‘traditional’ Eurovision performances. 

How did you enjoy this year's Eurovision, dear Pandas? Which performances stood out the most to you? Did you like Sweden's or Finland's songs better? Who do you personally think deserved the crown in 2023? Are you already looking forward to Eurovision 2024 like we are? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Meanwhile, for memes about Eurovision 2022, check out Bored Panda's post right here.