Wiwi Jury: Ukraine’s Ziferblat with “Bird of Pray”

The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 37 competing songs in Eurovision 2025. Next we review Ukraine, who have chosen Ziferblat with “Bird of Pray”.

Were we flying on the wings of Ziferblat’s melodies? Read on to find out!

Ziferblat – “Bird of Pray” (Ukraine Eurovision 2025)

Review: Ziferblat – “Bird of Pray”

Lucy: This song opens with a really gorgeous, mystical tone, before bursting into a verse that completely mis-matches it. The verses feel rushed and grating, before we head into a pleasant whimsical-sounding chorus. I start to enjoy and get into the song during the first chorus, then it heads back to those verses I can’t get onboard with. I can’t decide if they sound dated in a bad way, or retro in a timeless way. Either way, it’s not for me. I want them to succeed as they are huge Eurovision fans, but it isn’t my vibe.

     Score: 6

Ruxandra: There are some songs this year that make this edition feel original, and this one is definitely one of them. The song starts powerfully, and I was initially concerned whether they could keep building its intensity as it went on — but they did. Everything is well-crafted and perfectly placed; the song flows smoothly yet remains completely unpredictable. I simply love the level of poetry in the lyrics. Besides the great vocals, I also appreciate the harmony with the backing vocals, which feels essential to this track.

     Score: 10

Antranig: Since 2022, we’ve talked about the fact that Ukraine can send absolutely anything and qualify without any effort. However, during that time, they’ve sent entries that had at least some modicum of quality. This year, they’re putting the theory to the test. This song is absolutely dire, devoid of any sort of musical intrigue. While the opening verse offers some level of interest, as soon as we reach the English chorus I feel the irrepressible urge to stop listening, as I am greeted with uninspiring lyrics and a really dull tune. Absolutely not for me.

     Score: 2

Deban: Whilst Ukraine is undoubtedly the most highly-ranked country at the Eurovision Song Contest, many of its offerings have been isolationists in their own lane. In 2025, Ziferblat’s appointment deepens this. Rooted in 70’s subculture visuals, and Supertramp DNA, “Bird of Pray” draws in an alternative sound that is atmospheric, yet subtle in its political tone. I acknowledge the powerful elements here, but ultimately, this isn’t my kind of music.

     Score: 6

Ukraine Eurovision 2025 ranking

In the Eurovision 2025 Wiwi Jury, we have 17 jurors but only have room for four reviews. The remaining scores are below:

We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a high of 10 and a low of 2.

Wiwi Jury verdict: 5.93/10

What do you think of Ukraine’s Eurovision 2025 entry? Share your own score and review for Ziferblat’s “Bird of Pray” below!

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