Joci Pápai is the clear favorite to win A Dal 2019, says ESCDaily’s chief editor Steef van Gorkum. Pápai, who came 7th in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest representing Hungary, is popular with both the televote and the jury. On top of that, “the jury will bulldozer everyone who can beat Joci Pápai in a televote.”
Steef van Gorkum lived in Hungary for several years and intensively studied the Hungarian national selection process. “It’s always a battle, a negotiation between jury and public. Sometimes the jury convinces the televoters to vote for what they want. But the opposite has also happened. That is how ByeAlex won A Dal in 2013.”
Kállay-Saunders and Fatal Error will be eliminated
This year, Van Gorkum thinks the jury wants Pápai Joci to win. “He is a big name, and he has already represented Hungary in Eurovision successfully. The same goes for András Kállay-Saunders, who is back with his band The Middletonz. However, the jury does not like his rap song. Kállay-Saunders and metal band Fatal Error are the only two who could beat Joci Pápai in a televoting round, but the jury will eliminate them before it comes to that.”
Because of this strategic voting by the A Dal jury, Van Gorkum considers Szekér Gergö a dangerous outsider. “He has both jury and public support. But enough to beat Joci Pápai? I doubt it.”
Acoustic Planet not popular with home audience
The jury has another favorite, besides the song “Az én apám” by Joci Pápai. This is the newcoming band Acoustic Planet, who won the first semi final with “Nyári zápor”. “They scored 45 points, just like Joci, but they are mainly popular with the jury. Their audience support is not that high. I think they will reach the final four, but they don’t stand a chance in the final televoting.”
A Dal 2019 Final; voting system & participants:
In the Hungarian final, 4 jury members will give 4, 6, 8 and 10 points to their top candidates. At the end of this voting, the top 4 will qualify for the superfinal round. In this round, 100% televoting determines who will represent Hungary in Tel Aviv.
- Oláh Gergö – Hozzád bújnék
- Joci Pápai – Az én apám
- Szekér Gergö – Madár, repülj
- Bogi Nagy – Holnap
- Fatal Error – Kulcs
- Acoustic Planet – Nyári zápor
- Bence Vavra – Szótlanság
- The Middletonz – Roses