At a grueling 4:30 A.M. my time, Australian broadcaster SBS aired Australia Decides, live from the Gold Coast in Queensland. Unlike last year, there were no very clear favorites going into the contest. The show opened with a performance of "Zero Gravity" by 2019 Australia Decides winner Kate Miller-Heidke. We quickly jumped into the ten performing acts, listed in running order:
1. iOTA- "Life"
The show opener was a rowdy, musical-theater style piece called "Life". I didn't really like this one, especially compared to the other acts. I thought the act was a little too chaotic for its own good. That being said, it did seem to really excite the crowd, so it served well in its role as the first song in the lineup.
My Ranking: 10th
Final Result: 9th
2. Jordan Ravi- "Pushing Stars"
Jordan's song was generic, but had a bit of an uplifting feel. The performance was decent overall; I particularly liked the staging elements in the background. Unfortunately for Jordan, however, it was easy to forget this performance by the end of the night.
My Ranking: 7th
Final Result: 10th
3. Jaguar Jonze- "Rabbit Hole"
This song was really good at doing what it was intended: feeling as if the listener was descending deep into chaos. Jaguar gave an energetic performance. This song gave variety to a pop-heavy national final.
My Ranking: 5th
Final Result: 6th
4. Jack Vidgen- "I Am King I Am Queen"
A pretty ballad, Jack gave an emotional performance. You can tell the performer had a deep emotional connection to his song about self-acceptance. The staging wasn't bad either, so it was a respectable (but probably not winning) performance.
My Ranking: 6th
Final Result: 8th
5. Vanessa Amorosi- "Lessons of Love"
One word: Wow. This song was my favorite going into the night, and it delivered very well. Vanessa's vocals were on point for what is likely a difficult song to sing, and the staging concept, while different than what most were expecting, of a car crash, while different from what most were expecting, was executed beautifully.
My Ranking: 1st
Final Result: 3rd
6. Diana Rouvas- "Can We Make Heaven"
This song was good, but not spectacular compared to the entries that surrounded it. Diana's performance sounded operatic yet upbeat, and it worked quite well. Overall good performance and an okay song too.
My Ranking: 8th
Final Result: 7th
7. Mitch Tambo- "Together"
For some reason, I don't think this performance was all there, but it was okay. I really liked the jumping yellow dancers in the background. The song had potential, but I think the bland chorus didn't really make the overall performance stand out very well.
My Ranking: 9th
Final Result: 5th
8. Casey Donovan- "Proud"
This was by far the biggest grower of the night. The song is very Disney-esque and generic, but Casey owned it. This may have even beat Vanessa for best vocal performance, and the simple staging made those notes all the more impactful.
My Ranking: 3rd
Final Result: 2nd
9. Montaigne- "Don't Break Me"
This song gave modern Australian pop a unique twist in a good way. The staging was very interesting and eye-catching, and while the live wasn't perfect, you could tell this had potential. I'm glad Australia gave Montaigne a chance.
My Ranking: 2nd
Final Result: 1st (will be performed in Rotterdam)
10. Didirri- "Raw Stuff"
A very interesting closer, not a typical upbeat party closer but a moving ballad. This was the other big grower of the night; Didirri moved me and the crowd in singing his very simple yet beautiful piece.
My Ranking: 4th
Final Result: 4th
In the interval, 2015 Eurovision winner Måns Zemerlöw and 2016 runner-up Dami Im both performed their own songs separately, followed by a duet titled "Walk With Me". Dami had a big announcement for us before the results: she would be returning to Eurovision in 2021!
Montaigne won the night narrowly over Casey Donovan; full results are posted above after each song.