In the second Semi-Final Germany will be providing the bop meat in this power ballad sandwich, but they’re one of the Big 5 so will be rehearsing on Thursday. So we’re skipping straight to Serbia’s Princ, and his love song Mila.
As well as being a singer, Princ can also play guitar and drums. He's fronted a rock band, was a finalist on The Voice Bulgaria, and as also tried out for Eurovision before, coming second to Luke Black’s Samo Mi Se Spava in 2023. So the big stage is very much his happy place.
First thing to note re. Princ’s staging – the opening moon from Pesma za Evroviziju is no more, along with the spinning ancer and the leather trousers and waistcoat. Which means we’re adding Mila to the list of acts that have undergone a total staging overhaul.
Princ begins this performance in the centre of the main stage, singing the opening verse in shadow as three male dancers in black outfits draw him into a beautifully choreographed contemporary routine. He’s wearing a tailored red suit, and there’s a totally unexpected and dramatic moment where two of his dancers march him down the walkway, literally dragging him by his legs as the LED screen explodes with red lights and fiery graphics.
It's presumably a visual metaphor for the Serbian lyric that translates as ‘you have brought life back from the edge' - Princ doesn’t miss a note, which is extraordinary considering the precision movements and physicality of this routine. The whole thing feels a million miles away from
Pesma – probably one of our biggest transformations so far this year.

PYRO UPDATE: Low fog at the start, then an explosion of flames in the final verse.