History Recap / EurovisionSongContest2023

* PrecisionFStrike: In the tradition of Måneskin, Italy's entry contained the lyrics "''E ci siamo fottuti ancora una notte''" ("And we fucked again one night," although it could also mean "we swindled/robbed each other"). Unlike with Måneskin, though, Marco Mengoni sang the unexpurgated lyrics in his performance, and nobody seems to have gotten upset.

* DefiantToTheEnd: Knowing it would inevitably be a two-horse race, the Finnish televote didn't give Sweden any points at all, even though their jury gave them 12, and 12 went the other way.

* DefiantToTheEnd: The Finnish televote didn't give Sweden any points at all, even though their jury gave them 12, and 12 went the other way.

** Although not returning as a performer, Music/DuncanLaurence, winner of Tel Aviv 2019 for UsefulNotes/TheNetherlands, is a credited songwriter of their entry for this year, "Burning Daylight" by Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper.

* DiscretionShot: This year's "postcards"[[note]]A short clip, about forty seconds in length, made to give TV viewers something to look at while the stage is being prepared for the next contestant, at the same time introducing the act in question[[/note]] begins with a fish-lens view of a landmark from Ukraine, followed by that from the United Kingdom, and then from the participating country, where the entrant(s) are shown having fun and engaging in various activities. Keeping with the edition's slogan, "United by Music," all three locations per postcard share a theme, such as libraries, monuments, beaches, etc.

---> I am laid bare in front of you\\
Please give me a chance [...]\\
Was I able to sing Great France?

* EpicFail: A year after Sam Ryder led them to a respectable second, hosts United Kingdom returns to its underwhelming ways with Mae Muller scoring 25th. Bad as it was, however, she can at the very least take small consolation with the fact that she was barely kept from the bottom by Germany, represented this year by glam rock band Lord of the Lost, bombing for the second consecutive year.

* FanDisservice: Croatia's Let 3 consits of men around 50-60 starting off wearing spoofing military outfits. By the last refrain, they removed the outfits and spent the last part in nothing but tank tops and boxers.

* MissedHimByThatMuch: From the semifinals, Latvia's Sudden Lights from the first one finished ''one point'' behind its tenth-placer (and hence finals qualifier) Luke Black of Serbia.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Sweden's Loreen (just like her winning turn in 2012), Moldova's Pasha Parfeni and Cyprus's Andrew Lambrou all perform without any footwear. At least for the former two, it's supposed to represent an EarthyBarefootCharacter.

* MissedHimByThatMuch: From the semifinals, Latvia's Sudden Lights from the first and Iceland's Diljá Péttursdóttir from the second both finished ''one point'' behind tenth-placers (and hence finals qualifiers) Luke Black of Serbia and Alika Milova of Estonia.

* AllIssuesArePoliticalIssues: Downplayed from the previous year, but still present given Ukraine's inability to host this edition due to the ongoing Russian invasion. Some songs are also considered to indirectly reference the conflict--for example, Croatia's "Mama ŠČ!" by Let 3 is, on paper, a satire on strongmen and feature the mustachioed singers dressed in military caps and gaudily-painted tench coats before stripping down to their underwear, which some interpreted as a subtle TakeThat to UsefulNotes/VladimirPutin and his perceived emphasis on hypermasculinity, whilst Czechia's "My Sister's Crown" by Vesna has lines sung in Ukrainian in a show of solidarity with their near-neigbours.

* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: The final chorus of Käärijä's "Cha Cha Cha" has the screen pour out a massive rainbow of light.

* AudienceParticipation:
** Serbia. See ThisIsForEmphasisBitch for further context:

* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: "Game Over, bitch" features in live performances of Luke Black's "Samo mi se spava", being an (infamous) reference to the Spanish pre-party.[[labelnote:note]]Initially believed to be a drunken ad-lib, Luke eventually confirmed on his Discord server that "bitch" was in the original lyrics but [[{{Bowdlerize}} had to be edited out for TV performances. Though he ''was'' drunk when he did that part on stage.]][[/labelnote]] Of course, this did not stop the live audience from shouting the last word during the first semi-final and grand final, much like what happened with Latvia's "veggies and pussy" in 2022.

* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: "Game Over, bitch" features in live performances of Luke Black's "Samo mi se spava", being an (infamous) reference to the Spanish pre-party.[[labelnote:note]]Initially believed to be a drunken ad-lib, Luke eventually confirmed on his Discord server that "bitch" was in the original lyrics but [[{{Bowdlerize}} had to be edited out for TV performances.]][[/labelnote]] Of course, this did not stop the live audience from shouting the last word during the first semi-final and grand final, much like what happened with Latvia's "veggies and pussy" in 2022.

* AngryFistShake / FistPump: Used in "My Sister's Crown" in a couple of ways. The background had hands repeatedly grasping at the screen and sometimes beating a fist against it. The members of Vesna also raised their fists in solidarity at the end of the song.

* BodyMotifs: In a curious coincidence, four songs mention the word "heart" in their title: Denmark's "Breaking My Heart", Cyprus's "Break a Broken Heart", Portugal's "Ai coração" ("Oh Heart") and Ukraine's "Heart of Steel"--the former three referencing CardiovascularLove, the latter providing a symbol for the resilience of the Ukrainian people. Additionally, there's the song "'''Blood''' and Glitter" for Germany, and the stage costume of Spain's Blanca Paloma is meant to symbolize a large red heart on her chest. This led many to joke that those artists actually intended to apply for the ''other'' ESC, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Society_of_Cardiology European Society of Cardiology]].

** UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}'s Music/MarcoMengoni returns exactly ten years after finishing seventh with "L'Essenziale" in Malmö 2013.

** Some interval skits brought back (in)famous past contestants such as Bucks Fizz (winners, Dublin 1981), Scooch (22nd, Helsinki 2007), Subwoolfer (Norway, 10th, Turin 2022), and Ireland's favourite talking fowl Dustin the Turkey (15th in the Semifinal, Belgrade 2008). The Grand Final also featured a brief interview to Jan Leeming, host of the 1982 edition in Harrogate.

** The opening video for the Grand Final features Kalush Orchestra singing "Stefania" interspersed with Britons joining in, such as last year's runner-up Sam Ryder on guitar, Creator/AndrewLloydWebber on piano[[note]]Webber also has a Eurovision connection by way of having written "It's My Time" for Jade Ewen (fifth, Moscow 2009)[[/note]], and even Catherine, Princess of Wales, on piano from Windsor Castle.

* DidNotSeeThatComing: During the jury points, when Greece gave Cyprus only 4 points instead of 12 as it usually goes, the entire audience could be heard gasping.

** PlayedWith in the case of France's entry "Évidemment". The song is exquisitely French ''chanson'' mixed with disco, retreading old ground after last year's effort "Fulenn" didn't pay dividends, and it even concludes with a giant French ''tricolore'' lighting up behind La Zarra. The "played with" aspect comes from the fact that La Zarra herself isn't French but Québécoise, and part of the song's lyrics are an outright commentary on her appropriateness as the representative of the notoriously proud French people.

* GratuitousLatin: In addition to Italian, Norway's "Queen of Kings" also includes some OminousLatinChanting, marking the language's second usage at Eurovision following Serbia's "In Corpore Sano" in 2022.

* PassingTheTorch: Unlike the last two editions[[note]]Duncan Laurance could not attend the 2021 final due to a positive COVID diagnosis, while Måneskin frontman Damiano David injured himself right before the 2022 final[[/note]], this year the outgoing winners, [[Music/{{Kalush}} Kalush Orchestra]] of Ukraine, are able to hand the trophy to the new champion, Loreen of Sweden.

* TheVoice: [[Music/MelanieC Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisholm]] (a native of the Liverpool-adjacent Whiston) was the announcer of this edition, maining introducing the hosts in each show.

* ShoutOut: In celebration of host city Liverpool's strong musical heritage, the Grand Final's interval act features Eurovision alumni providing cover versions of songs associated with the city: Music/JohnLennon's "Imagine" by Music/{{Mahmood}} of Italy (runner-up, Tel Aviv 2019; sixth, Turin 2022), Music/DeadOrAlive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Music/{{Netta}} of Israel (winner, Lisbon 2018), Music/AtomicKitten's "Whole Again" by Music/DadiFreyr of Iceland (entrant, Rotterdam 2020; fourth, Rotterdam 2021); Music/MelanieC's "I Turn to You" by Cornelia Jakobs of Sweden (fourth, Turin 2022), and "Better the Devil You Know" by the city's own Sonia Evans (runner-up, Millstreet 1993), before they join Tel Aviv 2019 winner Music/DuncanLaurence of the Netherlands and Ruslana, Ukraine's first winner from Istanbul 2004 (via a pre-recorded appearance with a youth choir from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate,_Kyiv the Golden Gate of Kyiv]]), in a moving rendition of "[[Theatre/{{Carousel}} You'll Never Walk Alone]]," both as a nod to its association with Liverpool F.C. and as a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

** Finland's Käärijä performs "Cha Cha Cha" with only a pair of sleeves covering his shoulders and arms. His chest is uncovered.

* SubduedSection: The bridge for "Cha Cha Cha".

* ShoutOut: In celebration of host city Liverpool's strong musical heritage, the Grand Final's interval act features Eurovision alumni providing cover versions of songs associated with the city: Music/JohnLennon's "Imagine" by Music/{{Mahmood}} of Italy (runner-up, Tel Aviv 2019; sixth, Turin 2022), Music/DeadOrAlive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Music/{{Netta}} of Israel (winner, Lisbon 2018), Music/AtomicKitten's "Whole Again" by Music/DadiFreyr of Iceland (entrant, Rotterdam 2020; fourth, Rotterdam 2021); Music/MelanieC's "I Turn to You" by Cornelia Jakobs of Sweden (fourth, Turin 2022), and "Better the Devil You Know" by the city's own Sonia Evans (runner-up, Millstreet 1993), before they join Tel Aviv 2019 winner Music/DuncanLaurence of the Netherlands and (via a pre-recorded appearance) Ruslana, Ukraine's first winner from Istanbul 2004, in a moving rendition of "[[Theatre/{{Carousel}} You'll Never Walk Alone]]," both as a nod to its association with Liverpool F.C. and as a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

** Tvorchi of defending champions Ukraine finish sixth with "Heart of Steel," an uplifting song that symbolizes the resilience of the Ukrainian people. Apart from matching last year's host Italy in bucking a recent trend for mediocre-to-bad defending-champion finishes, the song's message took a whole new meaning after the electro-pop duo's hometown Ternopil was struck by Russian missiles on the day of the finals rehearsal.

* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: "Game Over, bitch" features in live performances of Luke Black's "Samo mi se spava", but not in the [[{{Bowdlerise}} original]], being an (infamous) ad-lib during the Spanish pre-party. Of course, this did not stop the live audience from shouting the last word during the first semi-final and grand final, much like what happened with Latvia's "veggies and pussy" in 2022.

* LyricalColdOpen: Norway's "Queen of Kings" opens with OminousLatinChanting, Czechia's "My Sisters Crown" opens with very little instrumentation for its opening bars before the beat comes in and Austria's "Who The Hell Is Edgar?" goes straight into the lyrics. Armenia, Romania, Germany, Iceland, Slovenia, Belgium and Cyprus were also all-but-lyrical cold opens (Germany, Belgium and Slovenia all began with the chorus sang at a lower tempo before the first instrumentals or verses), though, in contrast with her 2012 winner Euphoria, only France and Switzerland had longer instrumental intros than Loreen did with Tattoo.

--> "0.003, Give me two years and your dinner will be free."

* LyricalColdOpen: Norway's "Queen of Kings" opens with OminousLatinChanting, Czechia's "My Sisters Crown" opens with very little instrumentation for its opening bars before the beat comes in and Austria's "Who The Hell Is Edgar?" goes straight into the lyrics. Armenia, Romania, Germany, Iceland, Slovenia, Belgium and Cyprus were also all-but-lyrical cold opens, though, in contrast with her 2012 winner Euphoria, only France and Switzerland had longer instrumental intros than Loreen did with Tattoo.