Estonia’s 2026 choice is Vanilla Ninja with ‘Too Epic To Be True’, selected through Eesti Laul after winning the public superfinal. On paper, that gives the entry a ready-made narrative. A well-known band with Eurovision history and a hint of nostalgia. And a country trying to follow up Tommy Cash’s third place last year with something more straightforwardly accessible.
The song is an unapologetic slice of glossy retro AOR-pop, sung in English and built around a title hook repeated often enough that nobody can accuse it of being shy about its intentions. There’s polish here, and Vanilla Ninja are seasoned enough to know how to stand on a Eurovision stage without looking as though they have wandered there by mistake. But the song itself stays curiously static. For all its sheen, TETBT (my fabby acronym) rarely gets beyond first gear, and the chorus lands with less force than the title promises.
Context helps a little. Vanilla Ninja are hardly strangers to Eurovision. They came eighth for Switzerland in 2005 with ‘Cool Vibes’. Their return gives Estonia a recognisable, professional act rather than a gamble on raw potential. Sven Lõhmus wrote the song. His name carries weight in Eurovision circles, so this is clearly not a casual throwaway. It just feels oddly dated for something so determined to sound big and cinematic. Not disastrously dated, perhaps, but in a way that suggests turning up for a party that was livelier a few hours earlier.
History
Estonia’s recent Eurovision form has been solid. The country has qualified four years in a row. Tommy Cash took third in 2025. 5miinust & Puuluup (both bands having names that could sweep the board if playing Eurovision Scrabble with a rotten set of tiles) reached the final in 2024.
As for 2026, this feels borderline. Estonia has the second half of the first semi-final, and a competent live performance is more or less guaranteed. But competence isn’t always enough. Having juries back in the semifinal will help Vanilla Ninja, as they may respect the professionalism. Televoters could go either way depending on what happens before and after. There will be people for whom this lands as pure nostalgic fun. For everyone else, it risks becoming one of those songs that ends and gets forgotten.
5 Points
