On the eve of the Poland's national final Polskie Kwalifikacje 2025, 11 Aussievision contributors have listened to the 11 Polish songs and ranked them in the usual Eurovision style.
2025 has seen a return to Poland holding a national final to choose their Eurovision entry, after they used an internal selection last year.
We have several returnees from previous Polish national finals: Daria Marx (2022), Kuba Szmajkowski (2022, 2023) and Dominik Dudek (2023). Also returning is Justyna Steczkowska who represented Poland back in 1995 and was almost chosen last year.
Poland made their Eurovision debut back in 1994 with Edyta Górniak's To Nie Ja! which gave them their best result to date when they finished in a formidable 2nd place. Poland has entered the Contest 26 times and since the semi-finals were introduced, has qualified to the Grand Final on 16 occasions. Their most recent best result was in 2016 with Michael Szpak's Colour of Your Life which finished in 8th place after surprisingly finishing in third place in the televotes.
Let's take a look at what the Aussievision team thought of the Polish songs...
11. Marien - Can't Hide (19 points)
Highs: 5 points from Liv
10. Janusz Radek - In Cosmic Mist (27 points)
Highs: 7 points from Emma; 6 points from Dale
9. Tynsky - Miracle (32 points)
Highs: 7 points from Joel; 5 points from Hayley
8. Kuba - Pray (50 points)
Highs: 8 points from Craig and Sam
7. Sonia Maselik - Rumours (55 points)
Highs: 8 points from Liv; 7 points from Hayley and Jamie
6. Daria Marx - Let it Burn (55 points)
Highs: 12 points from Saskia; 8 points from Emma and Joel
"I'm a sucker for Bond songs and this is a really great example of this. Reminds me a lot of the Polish song that never was, Empires (2020). That made my top 10 of Eurovision that year and if this were to win would be vying for a similar position." ~Saskia
5. Chrust - Tempo (58 points)
Highs: 10 points from Saskia; 8 points from Jamie and Dale
"Really cool aesthetic and atmosphere. If it is selected it would really shine in any lineup."~ Saskia
4. Teo - Immortal (65 points)
Highs: 10 points from Dale, Jamie and Sam
"This is just a really nice, well produced regular dramatic pop ballad. And sometimes I just want a bit of that, nice work Teo." ~Dale
"I could see this winning the Polish selection. Teo has a voice that gives you chills from when you first listen to his vocals. I will be keen to see his live performance." ~Jamie
"At Eurovision Poland does ballads well – think Edyta Gornika and Michal Szpak. It is rare for male vocalists to convey such deep and heart wrenching feelings but Teo absolutely pulls it off. His handsome, moody appearance will certainly capture a lot of hearts, and I feel this is simply a deeper, more sophisticated male ballad than Dominik’s." ~Sam
3. Dominik Dudek - Hold the Light (66 points)
Highs: 10 points from Tim; 8 points Fleur, Hayley and Saskia
"Dominik Dudek- Dominik Dudek's song in 2023 was my favourite that year in the Polish competition. Hold the Light is a competent ballad. It's a nice listen but would be a very safe choice for Eurovision." ~Fleur
"I really like this soul-esque song. I think it sounds a bit similar to Austria 2018 which worked really well for the juries. So if this does go to Eurovision, it may just need to work on getting to the final. It’s just a sweet beautiful song with a great chance for some vocal performances." ~Tim
"Dominik Dudek's song in 2023 was my favourite that year in the Polish competition. Hold the Light is a competent ballad. It's a nice listen but would be a very safe choice for Eurovision." ~Fleur
2. Sw@da & Niczos - Lusterka (86 points)
Highs: 12 from Liv; 10 points from Emma, Hayley, Fleur, Craig and Joel
"There is a great thumping beat to this song! This is so like Go-A's Shum! I loved this song from the first listen - there is something here that transfixes me to this song. But.. the more I listen to it, I can hear the quiet moments of this song quite loudly (if that is possible at all!) There needs to be some kind of crescendo to this song otherwise it stays the same, it is almost monotone in a way. This song needs a build up to something." ~Hayley
"Enjoyable banger. I love this even though there is a lot going on here. I just hope this is performed well at the Polish national final." ~Fleur
"Loving the Go_A vibes with this one!! Such a fab song, but something’s gotta lift in the live version if this has any chance of taking the title." ~Joel
"It took a bit of time for me to get there with this song, but it has an undeniable vibe which sticks with you and would stand out in a Eurovision lineup. How this does for me, however, will depend almost entirely on what they do with it live - it will either be transfixing or very static. Still, this is a high-risk high-reward effort for Poland, and I'm impressed!" ~Craig
"I LOVE phonk and this tune dips into some of the popular sounds of contemporary phonk - it's particularly reminiscent of Dxrk ダーク - RAVE, a tune I absolutely adore. It makes for a fascinating soundscape and something we've never seen at Eurovision before." ~Liv
"That pulsating beat immediately captivated me. There's a lot going on here, yet everything seamlessly blends into a cohesive whole. The artistry and originality shine through in a refreshingly contemporary way, making me wish the song went even longer." ~Emma
1. Justyna Steczkowska - GAJA (118 points)
Highs: 12 points from Jamie, Emma, Sam, Hayley, Tim, Fleur, Dale, Craig and Joel; 10 points from Liv
"This has a lot of things going for it. I think there are a lot of ethnic bops this year for Poland and this is the one that stands out the most. It has a great beat to it and upon first listen, I knew that this was great song. I can see this being popular in Basel and absolutely making the final. Best option for Poland" ~Tim
"How does one pack so much drama into a little song? This will look and sound absolutely HUGE on stage, there’s so many vocal highpoints here." ~Joel
"This song packs some punch and comes at you as a wall of sound. Heavy driving bass with long drawn out vocals - it is intense. It is a shame there is the six person rule on stage as I see Justyna backed by 20 dancers Ruslana-Wild Dances style. Yes of course this is going to Eurovision. Eurofans are sleeping on this one. Poland - don't balls up this staging - less is often more!" ~Hayley
"This bangs. Catchy, camp, dramatic - what more could you want?" ~Craig
"Justyna has oodles of experience, stage presence and this is the most "Eurovision ready" entry of the bunch. You can imagine some fire blasting on stage and her just clomping around and it working quite well!" ~Liv
"Only a star as fabulous Justyna could sing about the greatest Ancient Greek deity Gaia! Not only does this song have a fascinating subject matter, but it is also complimented by a funky, bold and catchy instrumental. This earthy number is totally different from her ethereal 1995 Eurovision entry. It is 30 years since Justyna competed in the Eurovision-wide show, and after a near miss last year, it is about time Poland sent her again!" ~Sam
"Poland, it is time to send Justyna back to Eurovision again after a 20 year absence and just missing out on selection last year. Her song is amazing and I can see her being a definite semi-final qualifier." ~Jamie
"This slaps you in the face in the first few seconds, it screams I'm bringing Polish traditional with a modern twist straight away. It builds nicely, good chorus, a cracking instrumental, and some big vocal moments. This has impact. If this works live, send this Poland." ~Dale
"What a stark contrast to Justyna’s last appearance at Eurovision in 1995. This is nothing short of epic, offering boundless potential for captivating choreography and striking visuals. From the very first note, it demands attention—bold, unapologetic, and perfectly embodying a powerful declaration of feminine strength and respect. Absolutely brilliant!" ~Emma
"Bring on the Ethno-dance beats, but seriously this is by far the choice of the competition in terms of performance and production. This could definitely get Poland back into Eurovision final qualification and it will be fantastic to see Justyna back." ~Fleur
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Wielki Finał Polskich Kwalifikacji 2025 will take place on Friday, 14 February (15 February for us Aussies) and will be broadcast live on TVP. The winner and 2025 Polish representative will be chosen via a 100% public vote. You can also watch via the Eurovision Song Contest's YouTube page.
The running order is:
Chrust - Tempo
Kuba - Pray
Justyna Steczkowska - Gaja
Tynsky - Miracle
Sw@da & Niczos - Lusterka
Janusz Radek - In Cosmic Mist
Marien - Can't Hide
Teo - Immortal
Sonia Mazelik - Rumours
Dominik Dudek - Hold the Light
Australian times are as follows (Saturday morning):
3.45am - Western Australia
5.15am - Northern Territory
5.45am - Queensland
6.15am - South Australia
6.45am - NSW, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania
For continued updates on all the Eurovision Song Contest news follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. All links at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet
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