The semi-finals are a curious thing. Draw is everything if you have to compete in one. It’s true that ten songs will qualify, which give you a better than average chance of making it through. But it does help if you get a good draw.
In their earlier appearances, our friends in Montenegro had a habit of being drawn to sing first in the first (or only) semi-final. It had three times in their first four goes at Eurovision glory, and the first occasion fell to today’s birthday boy Стефан Филиповић/Stefan Filipović. He’d made the short trip to Serbia with high hopes. After all, if Serbia can win, why not the country of the black mountain? Sadly, being draw first is a devil of a draw, and it proved so for Stefan. He did get a maximum. And was another country’s second-favourite. And he got one other point too. Broadcaster RTCG would have to wait another six years to make a Grand Final.
Stefan is 36 today.
Срећан рођендан, Стефане!