As in 2018, Germany is selecting "Unser Lied" on 22nd February (7.15pm WIM, ARD) from a bunch of preselected artists, who then were put into a songcamp to create their entries, also just like last year. There are seven acts this year. As of yet, the songs haven't been released, and all we know are titles and impressions from the rehearsal (courtesy of eurovision.de, but only in German):

• Aly Ryan - Wear Your Love
  • upbeat pop number, Aly, in a white dress with a golden one underneath, is on a slower Robin-Bengtsson-style treadmill, with light projections putting the word "love" in different languages on her.

• BB Thomaz - Demons
  • "Queen meets R'n'B", overall rocky song with many tempo changes, accompanied with acrobatics with 3m high set of stairs and a trampoline

• Gregor Hägele - Let Me Go
  • ballad, after walking on stage Gregor just stands there, and stands there, and stands there. Also, apparently his lumberjack shirt clashes with the colourful background.

• Lilly Among Clouds - Surprise
  • experimental pop song, staging and song are described as dark. Lily is dancing in a blue top and red skirt, lots of fog and a windmachine. This song, apparently was written outside of the song camp.

• Linus Bruhn - Our City
  • "catchy radio song" (whatever that means), set has blocks on it that dancer make use of later. the song wants to tell us to put our smartphones away and build a city of words instead

• Makeda - The Day I Loved You Most
  • ballad, with next to no movement on stage, two minutes a choir makes it come across gospely

• Die S!sters - Sister
  • "sugarsweet pop", the two ladies are on a turning pedestal and move around on it. Apparently quite dramatic. This act was added to the competition later, after the international song writing team had offered it to NDR and the jury thought it was as good as the other entries and Carlotta and Laurita (who aren't sisters) were cast for it. Make of that what you will.

I have not heard anything of these acts before. Based on the descriptions Lilly Among Clouds would be my clear favourite, and not only because she is a friend of friend (of a friend of a friend ): STC's very own Kleeberg's drummer used to be in her band and she was a frequent guest in my mate's (Kleeberg's singer) flatshare.

The show will be hosted by Barbara Schöneberger and Linda Zervakis, with commentary by Peter "Rigu-Riga" Urban. We can look forward to performances by contest-alumni Michael Schulte, Lena, Revolverheld and Udo Lindenberg and Andreas Bourani.

The voting will be a three-way split between televote, an international jury (HFC sok) and a 100 people strong ESC-experts group (not explicitly OGAE, but who are we kidding?)

BoL that you find something you like among these.

lets hope for another German bog this year