Artisti e Canzoni – 1ª Semi-Finale ESC 2024 (2024)

All the participants • First Semi-Final • Second Semi-Final • Grand Final

🇨🇾 Cyprus • 🇷🇸 Serbia • 🇱🇹 Lithuania • 🇮🇪 Ireland • 🇺🇦 Ukraine • 🇵🇱 Poland •🇭🇷 Croatia • 🇮🇸Iceland • 🇸🇮 Slovenia • 🇫🇮 Finland • 🇲🇩 Moldova • 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan • 🇦🇺 Australia • 🇵🇹 Portugal • 🇱🇺 Luxembourg

1.🇨🇾 Cyprys: Silia Kapsi (Σίλια Καψή) – “Liar” (Elke Tiel – Dimitris Kontopoulos)

Silia is a singer of Cypriot and Greek descent, born and raised in Sydney, Australia, who has already made waves across the entertainment industry. The Sydneysider has been lead singer for the Australian Youth Performing Arts Company (AYPAC) and a recurrent lead singer at numerous high-profile events worldwide.Away from the stage her love for pop flourished and in 2022 she released a debut song, “Who Am I?”, which she had written and composed at the age of 12. The next singles, “No Boys Allowed” and “Disco Dancer”, followed in March and May of 2023. Silia has worked with world-renowned choreographers and was selected for the ImmaBeast Dance Company in Los Angeles; danced with Stephen tWitch Boss onThe Jennifer Hudson Show; and was featured in a dance documentary produced by Taboo from the Black-Eyed Peas.

• Selected entrant: Vasiliki Silia Kapsis (Βασιλική«Σίλια»Καψή, Vasilikí Sília Kapsí; born 5 December 2006; age 17; Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian singer, dancer and actress. She is set to represent Cyprusin theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “Liar“.

Early life and career.Vasiliki Silia Kapsis was born inSydneytoCypriot singer Giorgos Kapsis (Γιώργος Καψής) and Greek lawyer and former dancer Despina “Rebecca” Saivanidis (Δέσποινα «Ρεβέκκα» Σαϊβανίδη) from Thessaloniki. She spent her childhood there, growing up in an artistic environment and performing since the age of 4. She has been lead singer for the Australian Youth Performing Arts Company (AYPAC) and at a number of events worldwide,including being the solo performer at actorAlex Russell’s 30th birthday event in Los Angeles.

Her debut song, “Who Am I?”, which she wrote and composed at age 12, was released in 2022. She released two more singles, “No Boys Allowed”, and “Disco Dancer”, in March and May of 2023.Her fourth single “Night Out”, inspired by R&B and pop sounds, was released in early November 2023.

Kapsis was selected for the ImmaBeast Dance Company inLos Angeles. She worked withStephen “tWitch” BossonThe Jennifer Hudson Showand featured in a dance documentary produced by rapperTaboo.

Kapsis made her acting debut as the lead character in the 2022 short filmPearly Gatesand has worked on various television projects for the AustralianNickelodeon, appearing as a regular host on the local version ofNick News.Along with the other hosts, she was nominated for Aussie/Kiwi Legend of the Year at theNickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awardsin2023.

On 25 September 2023, she was announced as theCypriot entrantfor theEurovision Song Contest 2024, to be held in Malmö, Sweden.On 8 January 2024, the title of her competing song, “Liar”, was revealed.The song was released on the following 29 February.

Discography.

Singles.

Accolades.

• Bobby McCloughan Creative Arts Award (130th Anniversary Award) at Claremont College, Sydney (2018)
• St Vincent’s CollegeMadame Christian Scholarship for Singing (2019)
• BuildaBeast Sydney Scholarship (2019)
• Village Nation Performing Arts College Scholarship (2021)

• Selected song: “Liar” is a song by Australian singer Silia Kapsis, released on 29 February 2024 by K2ID Productions. Self-described as a song that derides “people who live in a fake world with a fake script”, it was written by Dimitris Kontopoulos (Δημήτρης Κοντόπουλος) and Elke Tiel (Έλκε Τίελ). The song is set to represent Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition.“Liar” was written and composed byDimitris Kontopoulos and Elke Tiel.In press statements given before the song’s release, Kapsis hinted that the song would be adance-pop song.She also later stated that her song was directed towards for people who live “fake” lives, criticizing them for pushing “body shaming [and] sexualliti [sic]”.

Rumours of Kapsis being picked by Cyprus’ broadcaster for theEurovision Song Contest, theCyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC), were spread as early as mid-August 2023 by OGAE’s Greek branch.Kapsis was officially announced as Cyprus’ representative for theEurovision Song Contest 2024 on 25 September. On 22 February 2024, Kapsis released a snippet as a sneak-peek to promote the song. Theo B. Kofoed, Thomas Hegnet, Sebastian Laurentius Nielsen and Martin Daugaard as the four Danish dancers who will be performing with Silia Kapsis on the stage of Malmö Arena.

Music video.Along with the song’s release, an accompanying music video was released on the same day.The music video was shot in the Cypriot city ofLimassol,and was directed by Kostas Karydas.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Internal selection.Cyprus’ broadcaster for theEurovision Song Contest, theCyprus Broadcasting Corporation(CyBC), announced its intent to participate in theEurovision Song Contest 2024 on 19 May 2023. Originally, CyBC planned to organize a national final to select its entrant;however, the show that was going to be used,Fame Story, was a Greek television show. Due to this, theHellenic Broadcasting Corporation(ERT), the Greek public broadcaster, threatened to withdraw from theEuropean Broadcasting Union if no action was taken. As a result, CyBC changed to an internal selection.Kapsis was later announced as the representative on 25 September.

At Eurovision.TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö ArenainMalmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Cyprus was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

Release history.

Lyrics of Liar (English)

2.🇷🇸 Serbia: TEYA DORA (Теја Дора/Teja Dora) – “RAMONDA” (Рамонда) (Andrijano Kadovic-Ajzi / Teya Dora – Luka Jovanovic-Luxonee / Teya Dora).

By blending modern pop with traditional Balkan influences and heartfelt lyrics, TEYA’s music has resonated with millions globally.She has recently been the artist with the most monthly listeners on Spotify in the Balkans (peaking at over 3 million) and also had the most-streamed song in the region with her previous hit “Džanum”.Despite personal challenges, including the loss of her father, TEYA’s music remains an expression of hope and resilience.Her Eurovision hero is Marija Šerifović, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for Serbia in 2007.

• Selected entrant:Teodora Pavlovska (Теодора Павловска; born 1 May 1992; age 31; Bor,Serbia,FR Yugoslavia), known professionally as Teya Dora (Теја Дора/Teja Dora),is a Serbian singer, songwriter, and producer. Born inBor, she debuted in 2018 and rose to popularity with the 2023 single “Džanum”, which went internationally viral onTikTok.

She is set torepresent Serbiain theEurovision Song Contest 2024inMalmö, Sweden, with the song “Ramonda“.

Early life.Pavlovska was born on 1 May 1992 in Bor, FR Yugoslavia. Her father was a painter and a graphic designer. Her mother is a writer and journalist with Večernje novosti, whose expertise is Vlach magic and culture. After moving to Belgrade, Pavlovska started attending music school, through which she received a scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. At her audition, she sang “No One” by Alicia Keys. While at Berklee, she shared classes with Charlie Puth. She graduated from college in 2014, and at her graduation ceremony, she received her diploma from Jimmy Page. After graduating, Pavlovska lived in New York City, where she worked as a songwriter.

Career.After returning to Serbia in 2018, Pavlovska initially began collaborating with singer Nikolija, by writing her 2018 single “Nema limita”. She continued writing songs for other Serbian artists, including Nataša Bekvalac (Наташа Беквалац) and Anastasija Ražnatović (Анастасија Ражнатовић). She made her own recording debut, under the name Teya Dora, with the single “Da na meni je” (Да на мени је), released in July 2019 under Bassivity Digital. Her chosen stage name stems from the fact that while studying at Berklee, Americans didn’t know how to pronounce her name; “Teya Dora” was the closest that they could get to pronouncing Teodora.

After several other singles, Teya Dora gained prominence in 2023 with the song “Džanum”, recorded for the television series Južni vetar: Na granici. The song went internationally viral on TikTok, generating the internet meme “Moye moye” (Моје моје). “Džanum” (Џанум; canım; My darling) was especially used on the platform during protests following the 2023 Belgrade school shooting. The official music video for the song has accumulated over 75 million views on YouTube and over a hundred million streams on Spotify. Furthermore, the single peaked at number four on Spotify’s Daily Viral Songs Global chart on 22 May, and Teya Dora became the third Serbian artist to have over a million monthly listeners on the streaming service. The other two, Konstrakta and Luke Black, achieved that during their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. “Džanum” also entered the top ten on Billboard’s Croatia Songs chart.

In December 2023, Teya Dora was announced as a contestant on Pesma za Evroviziju ’24 (Песма за Евровизију ’24;PzE ’24), with the song “Ramonda” (Рамонда). After qualifying for the second semi-final, she eventually won the competition on 2 March 2024, by coming first in the jury vote and second in the televote, and thus became Serbia’s entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.

Discography.

Singles.

As lead artist.

Guest appearances.

Songwriting credits.

• Selected song: “Ramonda” (Рамонда) is a song by Serbian singer and songwriterTeya Dora, which willrepresent Serbiaat theEurovision Song Contest 2024, after winningPesma za Evroviziju ’24 (Песма за Евровизију ’24 (ПЗЕ ’24;Беовизија 2024)).

Background.After attracting international attention with her 2023 single “Džanum”, Teya Dora applied to take part inPesma za Evroviziju ’24. She confirmed the information on 16 December 2023 inRadio Television of Serbia’s showJedan dobar dan. She had previously taken part inPesma za Evrovizijuas a songwriter, having written Filarri’s entry for the2023 edition.During the same month, she was confirmed as one of thePZE ’24 participants.On 25 January 2024, “Ramonda” was released, along with all the other songs from the competition.

Composition.“Ramonda” was written by the singer, with Andrijano “Ajzi” Kadović (Андријано “Ајзи” Кадовић) and Luka “Luxonee” Jovanović (Лука “Luxonee” Јовановић) co-authoring lyrics and music, respectively. It has been described as a “magical lullaby” and a “patriotic ballad”, with Josip Bošnjak of Index.hrdubbing it “Džanum2″.

The main motif of its lyrics isNatalie’s ramonda (Ramonda nathaliaeorNatalie’s ramonda (Наталијина рамонда/Natalijina ramonda; Наталиева рамонда, Natalieva ramonda), the symbol ofSerbian people’s struggleand victory inWorld War I, due to its ability to revive itself even after it’s completely dried out;Serbiahad lost 28% of its total population in World War I. A ramonda is worn in the eve of and on theArmistice Day in Serbia,in the same fashion as theremembrance poppy. Teya Dora said about the song: “I wish I was like a ramonda, which rises like aphoenix from the worst possible conditions. One drop of water and only a small glimmer of hope is enough for it to take the path that leads it to its original beauty and strength. I want the people to interpret the lyrics themselves, just like they’ve done with my previous songs, i.e. see some path of their own through the metaphor that I gave them. A path of the brave who fight until the last moment, who won’t give up even when it seems that there’s no hope.”

Music video.The music video for “Ramonda” was released on 1 March, a day before thePZE ’24final. The video opens with the quote “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” in English,a paraphrase ofJohn 1:5.It features Teya Dora lying on a rock, and following a light that’s leading her to a mountain (possibly a symbol ofRtanj, Natalie’s ramondas’ habitat). It concludes with a scene of the flower resurrecting.Informerdescribed the music video as “worthy of global stars”.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Pesma za Evroviziju ’24. The song qualified from its semi-final ofPesma za Evroviziju ’24 on 29 February 2024,and went on to win the contest on 2 March 2024, making it Serbia’s entry in theEurovision Song Contest 2024. The performance saw Teya Dora lying on a rock, similar to the one featured in the music video.It earned her the maximum 12 points from the jury, as well as 10 points from televoting, falling behindBreskvica’s “Gnezdo orlovo”.

Commercial performance.Following its victory atPZE ’24, “Ramonda” debuted and peaked at number 19 onBillboard‘sCroatia Songschart issue dated 16 March 2024.

Track listing.

Digital download.

1. “Ramonda” – 2:54

Charts.

Lyrics of RAMONDA (Serbian Ι English)

–

I don’t have, I don’t have, I don’t have
Neither peace, nor sleep.
The night frightens the day.
The lonely ones suffer.

Everything is quiet just like under the water.
I scream, but the sound doesn’t come out.
There is a white flare behind the mountain,
I cannot see the end of it.
This is the road for wounded,
And there is no one to guide me
Towards the bright North Star.

The world is on fire, every flower too.
Where have lilac ramondas disappeared to?

Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda

And there is no one to guide me,
‘Cause all the stars fell asleep.
Prayers also don’t help.
Where have lilac ramondas disappeared to?

Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda

Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda
Lilac ramonda

It rises from ashes,
One lilac ramonda.

3.🇱🇹 Lithuania: Silvester Belt– “Luktelk” (Wait) (Džesika Šyvokaitė / Elena Jurgaitytė / Silvestras Beltė – Karolis Labanauskas / Linas Strockis)

Music has been an integral part of Silvester’s life since he was a child. His songs are inspired by personal life experiences, particularly drawing upon his memories of exploring his sexuality in a hom*ophobic environment growing up, and how the suppression of those emotions affected him deeply. “Luktelk” (‘wait’/’hold on’) is about being stuck in limbo between two stages of barely existing and feeling alive, when you have to hold on and dance through whatever life throws at you. Silvester also competed in Vaikų Eurovizijos Nacionalinė Atranka – Lithuania’s pre-selection competition for Junior Eurovision in 2010.

• Selected entrant: Silvestras Beltė (born 26 November 1997; age 26; Kaunas, Lithuania),professionally known asSilvester Belt, is a Lithuanian singer and songwriter. He is set to representLithuaniaat theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “Luktelk“.

Early life.Beltė was born inKaunas,Lithuania. At the age of four, he developed an interest in music and began to attend music school. After his graduation, he continued his studies at the Juozas Gruodis Conservatory in Kaunas.

In 2019, he graduated from theUniversity of WestminsterinLondonwith a degree in Commercial Music Performance.After graduation, he began working in a beauty salon. In January 2021, he returned to Lithuania where he signed with a record label; initially, he intended to return to London, but could not due toquarantine regulations.

Career.In 2010, Beltė competed inVaikų Eurovizijos nacionalinė atranka, the Lithuanian preselection for theJunior Eurovision Song Contest 2010. He performed the song „Pi-pa-po“ and qualified to the final, later placing 8th out of 12 finalists.

In 2017, after being encouraged by his sister to apply, Beltė competed and later won the Lithuanianreality competition television show „Aš – superhitas“(I Am a Superhit).Upon winning, he moved from his hometown toVilnius, where he later released his debut single, „Noise“. Shortly after winning the show, he worked behind the scenes of the television show2 Barai, the Lithuanian counterpart of the reality competitionThe Bar. The following year, he competed in the sixth season of „X Faktoriaus“, the Lithuanian version ofThe X Factor, where he was eliminated in the fourth week.

On 19 December 2023, it was announced that Beltė would be competing in „Eurovizija.LT“, Lithuania’s national selection to select the country’s entry in theEurovision Song Contest 2024, with the song „Luktelk“.He was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, which he won, qualifying to the final.He went on to win the competition, earning the right to represent the country at the contest.

Artistry.Beltė describes his music as mainlypop, with someelectronic,raveandtechnoinfluences.He citesTroye Sivanas his “all time inspiration.”

Personal life.Beltė is openly bisexual and came out publicly in 2017.

Discography.

Singles.

As lead artist.

As featured artist.

• Selected song: “Luktelk” (Wait) is a song by Lithuanian singer-songwriter Silvester Belt. It was self-released on 11 January 2024. The song is set torepresent Lithuaniain theEurovision Song Contest 2024, to be held inMalmö, Sweden, after winningEurovizija.LT.It peaked at number one in his home country of Lithuania.

Background and composition.“Luktelk” was composed and written by Silvestras Beltė, together withDžesika Šyvokaitė and Elena Jurgaitytė, and produced by Karolis Labanauskas and Linas Strockis.In an interview, Beltė spoke of the song’s development: “we sat down to write, and the idea came up that it would be interesting to try ourselves on the Eurovision stage, so we decided to write a song just for this adventure”.

The track has been described as apopsong withelectronic musicinfluences and is inspired by the success of previous Lithuanian entries “Sentimentai” and “Stay”, which was written in theLithuanian language.Beltė revealed that the lyrics were written with “the intention that the consonants resemble other words in other languages”, so that the song was “simpler and more understandable for foreigners”.

In an interview, Beltė mentioned that the song is about being stuck in a matrix loop: “When we get stuck in our everyday tasks that repeat everyday, we can’t tell anymore whether we are in a dream, or in another dimension. It’s about generally not being happy, and only existing on the surface and it isn’t working anymore… [but] at the end of the day, we will wake up tomorrow and will still have to dance.”

Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Eurovizija.LT.Eurovizija.LTwas the national final format organised byLRTto select the Lithuanian representative for theEurovision Song Contest 2024. For 2024, the competition saw 40 entries compete across five semi-finals, held between 13 January and 10 February 2024, and a final on 17 February 2024.A 50/50 combination of jury and public vote determined the ranking in each phase, with the top two entries from each semi-final qualifying for the final. The top three entries from the final then moved on to a final televoting round, selecting the winner.

Beltė was officially announced to compete inEuroviizja.LT on 19 December 2023.“Luktelk” was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, qualifying by finishing first out of the eight entries in the semi-final.In the final, the song would move on to the superfinal, along with two other entries, namely “Impossible” by Shower and “Simple Joy” byThe Roop. The song eventually won the superfinal and the Lithuanian spot for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision.The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. All nations with the exceptions of the host country and the “Big Five” (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final will progress to the final. On 30 January 2024, an allocation draw was held to determine which of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show, each country will perform in; the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot.Lithuania is scheduled to perform on the first half of the first semi-final.

Charts.

Release history.

Lyrics of Luktelk (Lithuanian Ι English)

–

One day has passed and then another
As if, the time has stopped.
I’m going somewhere, then some place else,

And after it gets dark, it will all repeat again.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow
I promise to love you tomorrow
In the night, in the night, in the night
You will find me in the night.

Am I still alive?
Do you still recognise me?
The sun isn’t coming up.
Tell me, will you stay by my side?
Wait up, wait up
Just another minute
Wait up, wait up
Just another minute

One night has passed, and then another
But as always, I start over again.

We’re standing in silence while the radio’s playing
I don’t want to dance anymore.
We’re standing in silence while the radio’s playing
I don’t want to dance, but I have to dance.

4.🇮🇪 Ireland: Bambie Thug– “Doomsday Blue” (Bambie Thug / Cassyette – Bambie Thug / Cassyette / Sam Matlock / Tylr Rydr)

Cork-born alt disruptor Bambie Thug is smashing through gender and socio-political stereotypes to create an era-defining sound that borders on elements of pop, rock, electronic and more. Self-coining the term ‘Ouija-pop’ to describe their sound, Bambie Thug has made serious waves with a series of genre-defying singles and a critically acclaimed EPCATHEXIS.Doomsday Blue is about the feeling of having your potential overlooked, and is an ode to the queer community.No stranger to the big stage, Bambie has torn up festival stages across the world including Download Festival, The Great Escape and Trans Musicales, to much critical acclaim.

• Selected entrant:Bambie Ray Robinson (born 6 March 1993; age 31; Macroom,Cork, Ireland), known by their^[a]stage nameBambie Thug, is an Irish singer-songwriter. They are known to mix numerous genres in their music, coining their own term, “ouija-pop”, out of disdain for being put into one genre. Robinson’s music has been inspired by various subjects, including breakups,witchcraft, anddrug addiction.

Robinson is set torepresent Irelandin theEurovision Song Contest 2024after winning the Irish national finalEurosong2024with “Doomsday Blue”. Following their victory inEurosong 2024, both the song and Robinson have gained widespread media coverage, especially within local Irish media, drawing praise and criticism from various Irish personalities and groups.

Early life.Robinson was born in Macroom, County Cork, on 6 March 1993, to a Swedish father from Stockholm and a mother from Cork, and has three sisters. They were also raised in Macroom. Attending St Mary’s Secondary School, Charleville, they were a member of the school’s choir club, helping win the school the All-Ireland Schools Choir competition. Initially training to become a ballet performer, they later attended Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa, planning for university to study dance. They then moved to London to attend the Urdang Academy after Urdang gave Robinson a partial scholarship. However, Robinson broke their arm during their time in college, switching to study musical theatre.

After graduating from Urdang, Robinson spent two years teaching themself how to write and sing pop songs. Robinson initially signed with an unnamed talent agency; however, they left because Robinson claims the agency wanted them to head into bubblegum pop.

Musical career.

Beginnings, first singles (2020–2022).Robinson was first credited in music in 2020 as a featured artist on the Fike and Fabich song “Mean”, which was released on 26 June 2020. Robinson released their debut single, “Birthday”, on 5 March 2021. The song, which was written while Robinson was addicted to drugs and its uncensored music video being released on p*rnography sites, was described by The Line of Best Fit writer Robert Davidson as a “stoic-but-smashed stream of consciousness… with their coaxing voice documenting the events around them like a debaucherous diary. They float through brawls, consume copious drugs, and wait impatiently for their tardy dealer”. Robinson later released three more singles that year, including “Psilocyber”, a song about a “psychedelic” computer virus, “P.M.P.”, a song that promotes sexual positivity and Robinson’s love of “puss* power”, and “High Romancy”. By 2022, Rockflesh writer Stewart Lucas described Robinson’s music as “gritty and direct and seem to either be about sex and drugs or drugs and sex”.

Robinson started dating an unknown partner by the Christmas season of 2021. However, after a relationship that Robinson described as “really toxic”, the relationship ended in 2022, leading to a broken sense of “trust and sense of self” for Robinson. Robinson later released “Merry Christmas Baby” on 9 December 2022, stating in Kerrang!, “It’s funny how people change like seasons, last Christmas I swore I had found the one. Love really has a way of colouring red flags white.”

Egregore, Cathexis (2023).In April 2023, Robinson released their first single of that year, “Egregore”. The song, named after an occult term, is stated to be about Robinson’s desire to break self-destructive habits as an independent artist.

Robinson announced their third EP, Cathexis, on 11 August 2023,with the EP officially releasing on 13 October. Along with the announcement, they released two singles, “Careless” and “Last Summer (I Know What You Did)”.In an interview withDIY Magazine, they stated that the EP, influenced by their love on musical theatre, focuses on them “being creatures and characters… [however,] sometimes characters are a bit of an armour. When I’m not in an amazing mental space, they’re things I can pull on, but they’re all still facets of me.”

Eurovision Song Contest (2024). On 11 January 2024, Robinson was officially announced to compete inEurosong 2024,Ireland’s national finalfor theEurovision Song Contest 2024, with their song “Doomsday Blue”.According to an interview given out by theIrish Sun, Robinson entered to “curse out” memories of them beingraped in May 2023, around three weeks before a gig at Robinson’s debut performance at a festival. At the national final, Robinson won both the national jury voting and the televote, earning the right to represent Ireland.Denise O’Donoghue of theIrish Examinernoted the performer’s popularity on social media and in theLate Late Showstudio, where the audience called for voters to “send the witch”.

After their victory in Eurosong 2024, Robinson drew media attention, especially from local Irish media. The song, along with Robinson personally, have been criticized by Irish far-right personalities in the wake of Robinson’s victory. Hermann Kelly, the president of the far-right Irish Freedom Party, tweeted scathing comments about Robinson, stating, “Bambie Thug must be the biggest turkey since Dustin the Turkey. Seems celebrating satanism and ‘non-binary’ Woke nonsense is the fashion of the Irish Establishment”. By 6 February, over 2,000 people signed a petition to disqualify Robinson from their victory, with the petition being based on “[Robinson] making a mockery of [Irish] national culture”. In response to criticism, Robinson released a press statement on 29 January, stating, “If you don’t want to be part of the Haus Of Thug you are not obligated to come on this journey with me… don’t waste your life hung up [on] hate… [and] don’t be mad because I haven’t forgotten the art of play, fun and creation and you have”. In an appearance on The Late Late Show in February 2024, Robinson said they wished “love and light” to those who had reacted negatively to the song, mentioning that one person had started a petition to remove them from the competition.

The song itself also gained praise for its uniqueness compared to past Irish songs sent to the Eurovision Song Contest. The Irish Times writer Ed Power gave a positive review, stating, “Their sugar-and-spice mix of pop and industrial metal will undoubtedly land with a splash in Malmö.” Irish singerJohnny Logan, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland in1980and1987, stated in theSunday Worldof his belief that the song “could win the Eurovision”, praising the song’s uniqueness and the staging visuals.^[28]Despite responding to heavy criticism, Robinson also stated that they felt that Ireland “[got] behind me so much”.

Musical style.Robinson has used the term “ouija-pop” to describe their music. In a 2023 interview, they stated “my stuff is hyperpunk avant electro-pop. We call it grit pop or rot but recently I’ve been coining the term ‘ouija pop'”. They stated that they coined the term due to a reluctance of being “put in a box”, instead combining numerous genres, with Robinson “never having anything in mind” whenever making music. One of Robinson’s major influences musically is a reluctance to be stuck to a style or genre; in an interview withNME, Robinson claimed that they could do “everything” creatively, stating their belief that the heavy metal music community had expanded to include more genres and be more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. However, they also stated that the heavy metal community was “under attack”, with Robinson considering themselves a “rebel”.

Robinson has stated an emphasis on trying to be “good role models” with music, stating a belief that many within the industry “glamourise” drug addiction. They stated in an interview withGay Timesthat “We need to parade healthy behaviour. It’s important if we are going to be breaking [through] so that younger kids and teens listening to our music, and looking up to us, aren’t fed this negative behaviour.”

In interviews, Robinson has stated that their favourite artists wereDolly Parton,Britney Spears,Nina Simone,Paul Simon,Joni Mitchell, andLed Zeppelin.

Personal life.As a child, Robinson was diagnosed withADHD.They currently reside inEast London.In their spare time, Robinson has occasionally worked as aparty princess at events for disabled children.They have also previously maintained anOnlyFans account, posting p*rnographic pictures. Robinson has described themself in their personal life as “not a very angry person”, instead bottling up anger for their musical performances.

Robinson is non-binary. They have stated on numerous occasions their experiences on being a member of the LGBTQ+ community and being LGBTQ+ in the music industry. In an interview with Gay Times, Robinson stated, “I like being part of a cool queer rising scene. I also didn’t have that growing up so it’s important to have people you can relate to and have music that speaks to you and allows you more freedom to be yourself – more queer voices is what the world f*cking needs.”

Robinson practices neopagan witchcraft, particularly sigil and manifestation magic. They have also stated to have done blood magic during their period, stating that it is “an offering of your own blood onto a spout and it’s also really good for your skin”.Witchcraft has had a major influence on Robinson’s music; numerous spells and hexes are included in various songs, with Robinson making their own sigil as their own official logo.

Robinson has expressed support for the exclusion of Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 as a result of the Israel–Hamas war. Basing their argument over the exclusion of Russia from the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, Robinson stated in the Irish Examiner, “When things were going on with Ukraine, Russia wasn’t allowed to enter, so I don’t think there should be a rule for one and a different for another.”However, they have also stated that the decision to exclude Israel should be left to theEuropean Broadcasting Union.

Discography.

Extended plays.

Singles

Notes.

• Selected song:“Doomsday Blue” is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Bambie Ray Robinson, known by their stage name,Bambie Thug. Self-described as “an electro-metal breakdown”, it was written by Robinson,Olivia Cassy Brooking,Sam Matlock, and Tyler Ryder. The song was self-released on 13 October 2023 as part of their firstextended play,Cathexis, and is set to represent Ireland in theEurovision Song Contest 2024. “Doomsday Blue” became Robinson’s first charting song in their home country.

Background and composition.“Doomsday Blue” was composed byBambie Ray Robinson,Olivia Cassy “Cassyette” Brooking(who also provided uncredited backing vocals),Sam Matlock and Tyler Ryder. In interviews given out by Robinson, Robinson claims the song is about heartbreak, deception and the pain of unrequited love, describing it as “explosive” and “hard-hitting” but also “sweet” and “soulful”.In an interview with ESCBubble, they said that the song was originally written inWembley. They explained that whilst writing the song with Ryder, they intended to include as many different genres as possible, describing the song as “genre-defying”. They described the song’s composition as a mixture ofalternative rock,popandjazz. They also described the song as “an electro-metal breakdown” that shows their music style and performance, including using a variety of genres and “switching things up” at the end of the song.

The song’s lyrics feature numerous “spells”, including the incantation “Avada Kedavra”, a phrase derived fromAramaicwhich was popularised by theHarry Potterfranchise, in which it is used to refer to the “Killing Curse”, a curse that causes instantenous and painless death. In a post onTwitter, Robinson stated that, as anon-binary person, they were “not a fan” ofJ. K. Rowlingdue to herviews on transgender topics, but instead a “fan of being clever with language”.

According to Robinson, they initially applied forEurosong 2024to “curse out” memories of being raped in May 2023 by an unnamed acquaintance, around three weeks before they were set to make their debut festival performance.When applying forEurosong, they decided that “Doomsday Blue” worked best for Eurovision and the Irish audience out of the songs they had considered.On 11 January 2024, Robinson was officially announced as a participant inEurosong 2024.

Music video and promotion.An accompanying music video was released on 8 March 2024 and was produced byDublin-based production company CAMP. According to Robinson, they initially intended for the video to be “very dark”, but relented after hearing that children liked their song, instead making it “a little more cutesy, spooky and comedic”.The music video features a young witch writing in a “blaze bible” to cast a boyfriend, later transferring into a “candy-coloured dream world” that Robinson claims was inspired by the colors of thetransgender flag. The boyfriend later ends up turning into a creature with the world breaking down, signaling the start of a toxic relationship and for Robinson, “how quickly a situation can turn unsafe [for queer people]”.

To further promote the song, Robinson confirmed their intent to participate in several Eurovision pre-parties, including the London Eurovision Party,^[9] Eurovision in Concert 2024,and Pre-Party ES 2024.

Critical reception.“Doomsday Blue” has drawn praise from numerous past Irish Eurovision entrants.Johnny Logan, who won Eurovision for Ireland in1980and1987, stated in theSunday World that he believed the song could win the contest, praising the song’s uniqueness and staging visuals.Ireland’s 2022 entrant,Brooke Scullion, also believed that the song could win.Multiple beat reporters have also praised the song; Rita Dabrowicz, a writer for the indie music review siteVanadian Avenue, praised the song, stating beliefs that “[Robinson] will bring a hell of a spectacle with them that surely will be remembered for a long time”.Ed Power, writer forThe Irish Times, praised the song as a “sugar-and-spice mix of pop andindustrial metal[that] will undoubtedly land with a splash inMalmö.”

Numerous conservative personalities and groups have criticised the song and Robinson. Hermann Kelly, leader of the far-right Irish Freedom Party, posted a tweet comparing Robinson to 2008 Irish Eurovision entrant Dustin the Turkey and calling the song “woke nonsense [typical] of the Irish Establishment” that “celebrat[es] Satanism”.By 6 February, over 2,000 people signed a petition calling to disqualify Robinson from competing at Eurovision, on the basis of “[Robinson] making a mockery of [Irish] national culture”.Two days later, Father Declan McInerney, an Irish Catholic priest, also heavily criticized the song and Robinson, stating in a sermon that “the poor devil can neither sing nor dance”, while also claiming that Robinson was trying to push “certain orientations” on the Irish public and declaring that “[Ireland] is finished as a country”.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Eurosong 2024.Ireland’s national broadcasterRaidió Teilifís Éireann(RTÉ) broadcast aEurosong 2024special episode ofThe Late Late Showon 26 January 2024 to select the Irish entrant forEurovision Song Contest 2024. The edition was the eighth iteration of the national final in this format. The winning song was selected via a combination of international jury, national jury, and public voting, which each group having a third of the total vote.

“Doomsday Blue” was announced to compete inEurosong 2024and premiered on 11 January 2024 on an episode ofThe Ray D’Arcy Showbroadcast onRTÉ Radio 1. It was drawn to perform second. In the grand final, Robinson came in third with the international jury, scoring eight points. However, Robinson was able to win both the televote and the national jury votes, securing two sets of 12 points, combining for a total of 32 points. The total was eight more than the second-place finisher, Ailsha with “Go Tobann”. As a result, the song won rights to perform as the Irish entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision.TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Ireland was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.On 26 March 2024, it was announced on the official Eurovision YouTube channel that Ireland would be performing in the fourth slot in the running order.

Robinson was later drawn to perform fourth in the semi-final, ahead ofLithuania’sSilvester Beltand behindUkraine’s duo ofAlyona AlyonaandJerry Heil.

Charts.

Release history.

Lyrics of Doomsday Blue (English)

5.🇺🇦 Ukraine: alyona alyona & Jerry Heil (альона альона та Дже́рі Гейл) – “Teresa & Maria” (Тереза та Марія) (Alona Savranenko / Anton Chilibi / Ivan Klymenko / Yana Shemaieva – Alona Savranenko / Ivan Klymenko / Yana Shemaieva)

Ukraine’s song for 2024 is a collaboration between two of the country’s most successful artists.alyona alyona is the most popular female rapper in Ukraine and a co-founder of the local major label that Eurovision Song Contest 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra are signed with.And, in just 4 years after starting her video blog, Jerry Heil has become an incredibly popular artist with her videos receiving tens of millions of views. “Teresa & Maria”was written to remind people that everyone is capable of achieving great heights, and that ‘all the divas were born as human beings’; emphasising that we all start small and that it is our actions that define us.

• Selected entrant:

.Aliona Olehivna Savranenko (Альо́на Олегівна Савране́нко; born 14 June 1991; age 32; Kapitanivka, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR), better known by her stage name Alyona Alyona (stylized inall lowercase), is a Ukrainian rapper and songwriter. She released her debut album,Pushka(Пушка), in 2019, followed by an extended play the same year,V khati MA(В хаті МА).

Alyona has been dubbed “the new rap star of Ukraine” and “the sensation of Ukrainian rap” by Ukrainian media.In an article titled “15 European Pop Acts Who Matter Right Now”,The New York Timeslikened her toAzealia Banks.

She andJerry Heilare set to representUkraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “Teresa & Maria”.

Background.Aliona Savranenko was born in theurban-type settlementofKapitanivka,Novomyrhorod Raion,Kirovohrad Oblast. She holds two bachelor’s degrees,one of which comes from the Gregory Skovoroda Pedagogical State University ofPereiaslav. Before doing rap, she worked as a teacher at “Teremok” kindergarten ofBaryshivka,Kyiv Oblast. She then headed the kindergarten of the neighboring village of Dernivka.In total, Savranenko worked for four years in kindergartens, and left the job once she gained popularity.

Singing career.Alyona started writing rap music in the middle of the 2000s, with multiple attempts to reach a wider audience. Her initial stage name was Alyona Al.kaida.

Under her current alias, Alyona Alyona released her first videoclip in October 2018, for the song called “Rybky” (“Рибки“).On 24 October, she released the second videoclip of the same track, this time with professional directing. On 12 November, she released the videoclip of “Holovy” (“Голови“), which garnered one million views on YouTube in the first month.This was followed by two more videoclips: “Vidchyniai” (“Відчиняй“) on November 30, and “Zalyshaiu svii dim” (“Залишаю свій дім“) in December. The latter symbolically depicts the artist leaving Baryshivka, her home town.

In January 2019, in the middle of a political scandal involving PresidentPoroshenko, alyona alyona released a new song, titled “Obitsianky” (“Обіцянки“, “Promises”). Later that year, on 8 April, Alyona Alyona released her first album,Pushka(Пушка), as well as the videoclip of the hom*onymous main track.The album features four previously released songs, as well as nine new ones, including “Padlo” (“Падло“), in a duo with Alina Pash. Alyona was praised in the Vogue issue of that month as “Ukraine’s most unlikely rap star”.

Alyona Alyona performed at the Sziget Festival in Budapest in August 2019.In December 2019, she wrote the lyrics of “Vilna” (“Вільна“), a song performed by Tina Karol and Julia Sanina and included in the soundtrack of the Ukrainian feature film Viddana. On 7 February 2020, she signed with the Polish label Def Jam Polska. On 15 January 2021, Alyona Alyona won the Public Choice Award at Music Moves Europe Talent Awards contest.

Alyona Alyona was part of the Ukrainian jury for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. She and Jerry Heil were selected among the finalists of Ukrainian preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Teresa & Maria”; they went on to win the selection on 4 February 2024 and will represent the country at the contest.

Discography.

Studio albums.

Extended plays.

Singles.

As lead artist.

As featured artist.

Videoclips.

Collaborations.

Accolades.

.Yana Oleksandrivna Shemaieva (Я́на Олекса́ндрівна Шема́єва; born 21 October 1995; age 28; Vasylkiv, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine), known professionally as Jerry Heil (Дже́ррі Гейл, is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter andYouTuber. She began her career after launching her YouTube channel in 2012, publishingvlogsandmusical covers.

Heil began her professional music career in 2017, releasing her debutextended playDe miy dimwith Vidlik Records. She later released the single “#OKHRANA_OTMYENA” in 2019, which became a top five hit in Ukraine. Her debut studio album#YA_YANAwas later released in October 2019. Since beginning her YouTube channel, she has accumulated more than 34.9 million views, and 395 thousand subscribers.

Heil andAlyona Alyonaare set to representUkraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “Teresa & Maria”.

Career.

Early career.Heil began using her alias at the age of 15. After registering for the Russian social media serviceVKontakte, she used the name Jerry Mouse, referencing thecartoon character of the same name. She then changed Mouse to Heil, citing her desire to use whatever American surname she saw on the Internet first. She has expressed her embarrassment for the backstory behind her stage name, calling it “moronic”.

In 2012, Heil launched herYouTubechannel, where she postedvlogsandcoversof songs made popular by Ukrainian and international musicians, such asTwenty One Pilots,Okean Elzy,The Hardkiss, andKodaline. Okean Elzy frontmanSviatoslav Vakarchukfrequently republished Heil’s covers of songs by the band and cited his approval of her versions.

2017–2018: Professional breakthrough and De miy dim.In 2017, Heil signed a recording contract with Ukrainian record label Vidlik Records, known for its association with Ukrainian musical groupOnuka. She was introduced to the label and its founders Yevhen Filatov and Nata Zhyzhchenko – the leader singer of Onuka – after Heil began looking for producers to assist with her song “De miy dim”. Heil then began working closely with the label, and recorded her debutextended playDe miy dimwith them, which was later released in October 2017.

In 2018, Heil auditioned for season nine ofX-Factor Ukraine. She advanced from the initial audition in front of the judges to the bootcamp phase of the competition, where she was eliminated. After her elimination, Heil returned to music and released the singles “Kava” and “Postil”; the latter of the two releases featured her debutmusic video.

2019–present: “Okhrana, otmyena”,Ya, Yana and Eurovision.In March 2019, Heil published a portion of her upcoming single “Okhrana, otmyena” onInstagram, which she had recorded with Ukrainian producer Morphom.The track quickly gained momentum, when Ukrainian singers such asNKandVera Brezhneva complimented and further distributed the song’s snippet.Heil later released a full version of the song throughYouTube the following month, where its music video has received more than 14.8 million views; “Okhrana, otmyena” additionally became a top five hit in Ukraine.Following the success of the song, Heil began pursuing songwriting, where she wrote songs for musicians including Brezhneva and the Kyiv-based band Cloudless, with Ukrainian songwriter and producerKonstantin Meladze.

In September 2019, Heil released her debut studio album Ya, Yana onto YouTube. The album included eight songs, and was commercially released the following month. In January 2020, Heil was announced to be competing in Vidbir 2020, the Ukrainian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam.Her song “Vegan” qualified to the final, where it finished in sixth place.

Heil participated again inVidbir in December 2022with her song “When God Shut the Door”, competing to represent Ukraine in theEurovision Song Contest 2023. She finished in third place.

She and Alyona Alyona were selected among the finalists of Vidbir 2024 with the song “Teresa & Maria”.They went on to win the final on 4 February 2024, earning the right to represent Ukraine in theEurovision Song Contest 2024.

Personal life.Heil is fluent inUkrainian,Russian, andEnglish. Most of her songs are recorded in Ukrainian. She is vegan.

Copyright infringement.In August 2018, publishing company Komp Music Publishing– the licensee ofUniversal Music Groupin Ukraine – threatened a lawsuit against Heil for her unauthorized usage of the song “Believer” byImagine Dragonsin one of her videos. The company then insisted that all Universal Music Group songs included on Heil’s channel must be removed and demanded a fine of several thousandUkrainian hryvniasfor violating copyright laws. The company launched two lawsuits against Heil, which resulted Heil’s channel being removed from YouTube.

AIR Music, a partner of Heil, took up the case. In a meeting between representatives from both companies, they negotiated a deal where Heil’s fines were substantially lowered, and an agreement was reached regarding how many copyright infringements Heil had committed. Komp Music Publishing subsequently withdrew their lawsuits, and Heil’s channel was restored.

Discography.

Studio albums.

Extended plays.

Singles.

As lead artist.

As featured artist.

Filmography.

Awards and nominations.

• Selected song: “Teresa & Maria” (Ukrainian:Тереза і Марія) is a song by Ukrainian singersAlyona AlyonaandJerry Heil. Self-described as a song about hope inspired byRoman CatholicsaintMother Teresaand theVirgin Mary, the song was written by Alyona, Heil, Anton Chilibi, andIvan Klymenko. It was released on 11 January 2024 through Enko Music, and is set to representUkrainein theEurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition.“Teresa & Maria” is composed by Anton Chilibi andIvan Klymenko, with lyrics written byAliona SavranenkoandYana Shemaieva.Prior to this song, Shemaieva made various past bids to enter the Eurovision Song Contest, making attempts torepresent Ukraine in 2020and2023.According to the duo, the song attempts to inspire hope by using the figures ofRoman CatholicsaintMother Teresaand theVirgin Mary, mother ofJesus;^[4]although, the duo have admitted that the song doesn’t revolve around the two figures, instead wanting to use them for symbolism of “charity, love, [and] unification”. To the duo, both figures, who are considered saints, started out as human beings, implying that divinity exists within humanity.

In other interviews, they have also described the song spreading of message of taking responsibility of one’s self to better one’s future, stating that happiness is only achievable if one seeks out for it and creates it for themselves.In response to criticism in light ofcriticism of Mother Teresafor her clinics in India displaying a lack of medical care, Savranenko defended Mother Teresa stating “she wanted people to live, not die, that’s all”.

According to both singers, they collaborated due to their admiration of each other’s singing abilities, wanting to combine the two in a song.Heil and Alyona were officially announced to compete inVidbir 2024 on 12 January 2024.After their victory inVidbir 2024, Heil announced that the duo were considering changing their performance for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Vidbir 2024.Ukraine’s broadcaster, thePublic Broadcasting Company of Ukraine(Suspilne), officially announced their participation in theEurovision Song Contest 2024 on 7 July 2023,organizing an 11-entry competition,Vidbir 2024, that was to take place on 3 February 2024. The edition was the eighth iteration of the national final.The winning song in the final was selected by a 50/50 vote of a jury panel and a televote, with an 11 point maximum allocated to each group.

The duo were officially announced to compete inVidbir 2024 on 12 January 2024.After voting results were delayed by a day,on 4 February, the song was announced to have won the competition, earning 10 points from the juries and a maximum 11 points from the televote. As a result of the victory, the song won the right to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision.TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö ArenainMalmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Ukraine was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

The duo were later drawn to perform fifth in the semi-final, ahead ofIreland’sBambie Thugand beforePoland’sLuna.

Charts.

Weekly charts.

Release history.

Lyrics of Teresa & Maria (Ukrainian / English Ι English)

–

Spri-spri-spring carves its way,
No matter what, the world is on her shoulders
Pa-pa-path is winding and rocky
But you should know: your own happiness is in your hands

Come on, little girl, light up
I’m not holy, I’m alive

Mother Teresa and Diva Maria are with us
Barefoot, as if on a blade, they walked on the ground
With us mama Teresa, Diva Maria
All the Divas were born as human beings

Mother Teresa and Diva Maria are with us
Barefoot, as if on a blade, they walked on the ground
With us mama Teresa, Diva Maria
All the Divas were born as human beings

Even when we were little, we searched for a path,
And life is a loop, as if for those who are falling
On her shoulders, still a young girl,
She carries a burden of pain, seeing it as a flaw

Again not as she should be, or too tender,
Clothes on her bones, naked or going down the aisle
Where is your child? What is your life?
But the years are flying! You should be aware: the end is near

And may someone want us to break
May there be energy in you not the elbow-deep, but the finger-deep
And may someone hide hatred and envy behind a smile,
When you let anger into your heart, instead of kindness and love.

But there are saints in the sky, their feet have seen this earth, you know,
That’s why your thorny path is not in vain
And though it may be very scary and dark and sometimes not easy,
But you’ll always have your ancestors following you from heaven

Mother Teresa and Diva Maria are with us
Barefoot, as if on a blade, they walked on the ground
With us mama Teresa, Diva Maria
All the Divas were born as a human beings

Mother Teresa and Diva Maria are with us
Barefoot, as if on a blade, they walked on the ground
With us mama Teresa, Diva Maria
All the Divas were born as human beings

6.🇵🇱 Poland: LUNA – “The Tower” (Fyfe / Luna / Max Cooke – Fyfe / Luna / Max Cooke)

An accomplished singer, LUNA has been involved in the music industry since her youth, singing and dancing in a folk band, as well as performing in musical theatre and the Grand Theatre-National Opera in Warsaw. She can play the violin and the piano, is a songwriter (in both English and Polish) and a composer, and she is also a yoga teacher.Art, philosophy and fashion are LUNA’s playground, but she’s also fascinated with astrology; LUNA cares for Mother Earth and draws as much kind energy from the Moon as possible.And when she lacks energy – she enjoys a cup of coffee!

• Selected entrant: Aleksandra Katarzyna“Ola”Wielgomas (born 28 August 1999, age 24, Warsaw, Poland), known professionally as Luna(stylised inall caps), is a Polish singer and songwriter. She is set torepresent Polandin theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “The Tower”.

Early life and education.Wielgomas was born on 28 August 1999 inWarsaw. She has three brothers and is a daughter of entrepreneur Andrzej Wielgomas. Her family manages Polish food processing family-owned company Dawtona.She studied at the “Tadeusz Baird” National Music School inGrodzisk Mazowiecki, taking violin classes. From 2015 to 2018, she attended course in legal and political sciences.In 2018, she began studying at theUniversity of Warsaw.

Music career.

Beginnings.In 2010, Wielgomas joined the Artos Children’s Choir at theGrand Theatre in Warsaw, where she studied singing with Danuta Chmurskaand performed in operas.

2018–2019: Ola Wielgomas.In 2018, Wielgomas established cooperation with theKayax label as part of the “My Name Is New” project.It was then that she recorded her debut song titled “Na wzgórzach niepokoju“. Released via Kayax on 19 September 2018, the single was composed by Marcin Nierubiecwith lyrics by Wielgomas.^[10]The song was played onPolskie Radio Program III. In May 2019, Wielgomas performed in Jaga Hupało’s studio during theLong Night of Museums.^[12][13]In June, she released the single “Zastyga“.A month later, she played at theNaturalnie Mazury Festival.In August 2019, she performed at the Pol’n’Rock Festival.

2020–present: Luna.In 2020, Wielgomas began her cooperation with composer Michał “Fox” Król, resulting in the single “Luna”, which announced the singer’s new artistic path.The title, meaning “Moon” in Latin and severalRomance languages, would become Wielgomas’ stage name; the singer attributed this choice to a connection that she feels with the satellite and with nighttime in general.Also in 2020, she recorded the song “Serca przemokną”, which, however, was removed from the internet after a short time.

During the 28th finale of theGreat Orchestra of Christmas Charity in January 2020, Luna played a concert in a television studio. In July, she performed at a concert with the band Cukier at the Stodoła Club in Warsaw.On 28 August, she sang the song “Dlaczego drzewa nic nie mówią” withMela Koteluk.On 25 November 2020, she released the single “Zgaś”. The song was very well received and was featured on the lists of the best Polish songs of 2020.The song was also played on many radios, including: in Chillizet,Radio Eska, orPolskie Radio Program I. In the song, she included sounds from space, published byNASA.

On 2 February 2021, Luna released the single “Mniej”. In this song she also included sounds from space,including: withVenus(as a symbol of beauty, love and art) andMercury (understanding). The song was included in Radio Wawa’s Top 13, Radio Eska’s Hot 20 and at the top of Radio Victoria’s Alterlist. In the same year, a remix of the song performed by Skytechwas published, which reached the top of the DJ Top 10 list.

On 21 April, Luna released the single “Nie Please o More”, which she recorded in a duet with Marcin Maciejczak. A music video with lyrics was also created for the song.The song was included in theRMF FM radio’s Poplista. On 29 April, she released the English-language version of the song “Zgaś”, entitled “Blind” as a single, and made a music video for the song. On 20 May, she released the single “Wirtualne Przedmieście”,which talks about being on the border of the virtual and real world.^[44]She made a music video for the song, which was recorded at theNational Museum of Ethnography in Warsaw. On 18 June, she released the English version of the song – “Virtual Rivers”. On 12 August, she released the single “Zabierz Nasze”and on 10 September, “Melt Away”.

On 19 February 2024, Luna was announced as thePolish entrantin theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “The Tower”.

Other activities.From 2015 to 2017, Wielgomas played the role of a Kraków woman in the performance “Miracle or Krakowiaki and Highlanders”. She was also associated with the theater focus “at Machulski”.Wielgomas is an ambassador of the initiative Equal Spotify. She is also a representative of Poland in this initiative.

Artistry. Wielgomas is interested in astrology, philosophy, art, ecology and fashion.She citesNick CaveandBjörk as her “biggest inspirations”.In an interview with Radosław Pulkowski from the K-MAG magazine in December 2020, she indicated nature as her inspiration, in particular the connections between the micro and macro worlds, which she sees in them. She is also fascinated by poetry, particularly the work ofBolesław Leśmian. Wielgomas has stated that “Luna” is her alter ego, which is “full of secrets and magic”.She adopted the nickname “Luna”, because it means the Moon fromLatin, which great influence she observes in her life. She added that the nickname is also related to her sleepwalking.

Wielgomas records climate and describes her music as emotionally characterized.Her music has repeatedly been depicted as mysterious and she describes her sound as “cosmic pop”.

Discography.

Studio albums.

Extended plays.

Singles.

As lead artist.

As featured artist.

• Selected song:“The Tower” is a song by Polish singer-songwriter Aleksandra Katarzyna Wielgomas, known monoymously asLuna. Self-described as an account of the journey of strength and self-realization from the depths of darkness and negativity, it was co-written by Luna,Paul Dixonand Max Cooke, and was released on 23 January 2024 byUniversal Music Polska. The song is set to representPolandin theEurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition.“The Tower” was written and composed by Aleksandra Katarzyna Wielgomas,Paul Dixon, and Max Cooke.In interviews, Wielgomas has stated that the song is about a journey to self-realization and self-actualization from the negativity humanity faces. The song uses the metaphor of a tower of negativity and limited potential, urging the listener to topple the tower with strength.Wielgomas later stated in an interview withWiwibloggsthat she wanted others to “create your own rules in the world, your own terms and build your own tower – the one that leads to your destiny, something that is great for your life and for your happiness”.

The song officially premiered on 23 January 2024 at the Spatif nightclub inWarsaw.Around a month later, the song was announced byTelewizja Polska, Poland’s broadcaster for theEurovision Song Contest, to represent the country for theEurovision Song Contest 2024.

Music video and promotion.Along with the song’s premiere, an accompanying music video was released. According to Wielgomas, the music video uses the metaphor of chess to describe the relationships she has endured. Wielgomas has stated in interviews that the appearance of her opponent represents struggles in her life, including “crossing boundaries”. The duel itself represents her facing different loved ones and their relationships, and by the end of the video, she is battling herself, knowing that she has to defeat her past self to create her own fate.

To further promote the song, Wielgomas confirmed her intent to participate in several Eurovision pre-parties, including theNordic Music Celebration,theLondon Eurovision Party, Pre-Party ES 2024,and theBarcelona Eurovision Party 2024.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Internal selection. oland’s broadcasterTelewizja Polska(TVP) announced its intent to participate in theEurovision Song Contest 2024 on 20 September 2023.Following acontroversy surrounding the previous year and its selection, TVP considered switching to an internal selection; this was later confirmed in January 2024. After 22 songs were shortlisted, an five-member internal committee awarded scores from 1 to 10 to ten of the received submissions on 13 February.Six days later, Luna and her song were revealed to be Poland’s representatives for the contest, winning by one point over second-place finisher,Justyna Steczkowska’s “Witch-er Tarohoro”.

At Eurovision.TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö ArenainMalmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Poland was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

She was later drawn to perform sixth in the semi-final, ahead of*ckraine’s duo ofAlyona AlyonaandJerry Heiland behindCroatia’sBaby Lasagna.For its Eurovision performance, creative artist Jerry Reeve was put in charge of the song’s staging.

Charts.

Release history.

Lyrics of The Tower (English)

7.🇭🇷 Croatia: Baby Lasagna– “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” (Marko Purišić – Marko Purišić)

Baby Lasagna is a project created by singer-songwriter Marko Purišić in order to compose the kind of songs he wanted to release.The Umag musician has a relaxed approach to making music, which is reflected in his humorous and casual lyrics.Using what he sees as the predictable arrangement standards of the music industry, Marko tries, for those who listen carefully, to convey a deeper message about the worries and sufferings of our environment. Baby Lasagna’s mission is to entertain you while drawing attention to the social and spiritual challenges of individuals and society.

• Selected entrant: Marko Purišić (born 5 July 1995; age 28; Umag, Croatia), known professionally as Baby Lasagna, is a Croatian singer, songwriter and music producer. He is set torepresent Croatiain theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”.

Career.From 2011 to 2016 and from 2018 to 2022, Purišić served as the guitarist forManntra, a Croatian rock band.While still a member of the band, they participated inDora 2019, securing the fourth position with the song “In the Shadows” with a total of 12 points.Following his tenure with the group, he transitioned to pursue a solo career in 2023. On 21 October 2023, Purišić released his debut single “IG Boy” under the pseudonym Baby Lasagna through Molly Studios. Two months later, in December 2023, his second single “Don’t Hate Yourself, But Don’t Love Yourself Too Much” was released.

Purišić was among the participants ofDora 2024, the Croatian selection for theEurovision Song Contest 2024, with the song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”; he advanced from his semi-final on 23 February 2024 and ultimately won the final on 25 February.The song debuted at number 24 on theHR Top 40 chart, making it Purišić’s first chart entry in Croatia;following hisDora triumph, it peaked at number one,as well as debuted and peaked at number two onBillboard‘sCroatia Songs chart.On 23 March, Purišić served as a presenter at the 31stPorin Awards.

Other projects.In 2022, Purišić played a significant role in co-writing several tracks forMono Inc.’s 12th studio album,Ravenblack. contributing to the album’s success as it reached the number one spot inGermany, marking the band’s highest-peaking album to date.Notably, many of the songs penned by Purišić were selected as singles, including “Princess of the Night”, “Empire”, “Heartbeat of the Dead”, “Lieb mich”, and “At the End of the Rainbow”.

Artistry.Purišić came up with his stage name in aneureka momentwhile searching for a market inNovigrad to buy water and take a headache pill. His visual presentation was described as “sometimesgoth, and sometimes anemoreinterpretation ofMattel’s famousKendoll” byN1 Hrvatska’s Bruno Šlat.

Influences.Purišić citesRammstein,Electric CallboyandTonči @ Madre Badessaas his musical influences.

Musical style and songwriting.His music has been described as a mixture ofpop punk,techno,metal, andhouse.Purišić’s musical style revolves around autobiographical storytelling, delving into his personal experiences, while also addressing broader societal issues, particularly those affecting his homeland.Noteworthy examples include “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, a poignant narrative depicting a young boy’s journey from Croatia in search of a brighter future in another country.

Discography.

Studio albums.

Singles.

• Selected song: “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” is a song by Croatian musician Marko Purišić, better known asBaby Lasagna. Self-described as a humorous song about theeconomic emigrationof young Croatians, it was written solely by Purišić. The song served as the third single of Baby Lasagna’s upcoming debut solo album,Demons and Mosquitoes, and was released on 12 January 2024 throughVirgin Music Group. It is set torepresent Croatiaat theEurovision Song Contest 2024, after winningDora 2024by a wide margin.

Background and composition.“Rim Tim Tagi Dim” was written and composed solely by Purišić. According to him, the song was written by himself in his bedroom, and was inspired by an opportunity he had to take a job on a cruise ship that he refused.It was originally meant to be a filler song for his future debut album,Demons and Mosquitoes, but realized the potential of the song after it surged in streams and decided to enter the song into Dora 2024. The song was officially announced as a reserve song for Croatia’s national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, Dora 2024, on 2 January 2024 to serve as a backup if any entry in the main lineup withdrew.

In numerous interviews, he stated that the song was inspired by a mass exodus of young adults leaving Croatia for better opportunities in foreign countries. To Purišić, the song is a “humorous and light hearted approach” to the issue. The song itself tells a story of a young, rural man who leaves his village for a better life in a foreign country; although excited, he is still wracked by anxiety over moving.Purišić was also inspired by his ownanxiety. In the song lyrics, ‘rim tim tagi dim’ serves as the name of a fictionalfolk dance of the man’s native village.Sonically, “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” merges elements oftechno,heavy metal,popandtrap.It is based on a sample taken from theSounds of KSHMR Vol. 2Splicepack.

Critical reception.The song has drawn relative praise. In reactions byWiwibloggs’ William Lee Adams and Cinan, the two praised the song for its composition and lyrics. Adams stated in response to the song’s composition, “nothing here feels sort of forced, cheesy, or generic; it feels sincere… this is quality. It just feels like a sincererock song.”Writing forIndex.hr, Martina Radoš called onCroatian Radiotelevision(HRT) to fire those who placed Purišić among the reserves.^[13]In an article for the same publication, Josip Bošnjak wrote: “It’s an unusual musicaloxymoron. Sad everyday life in a cheerfulIstrian tone.”The song was praised byMatko Jelavić,Zorica Kondža^[16]andVedrana Rudan.

Večernji list‘s Hrvoje Horvat dubbed the song the worst one atDora, comparing it to the works ofDead or Alive;^[18]Horvat’s comment was condemned by Bošnjak. The song was also compared toKäärijä’s “Cha Cha Cha” andPain’s “Party in My Head”; in response, Purišić expressed admiration for the former artist.^[20][21]Käärijä himself praised the song, dubbing it “crazy”.

Music video and promotion.An accompanying music video for the song was released on 20 February 2024.The video was directed by Purišić’s partner, Elizabeta Ružić, and filmed in her nativeKaštelir-Labinci.According to aJutarnji list review, the music video features a rural man, surrounded by fellow rural residents and farm animals, who emigrates out of Croatia in search of a better life.In the video, the rural man displays that, while excited to move out of his rural lifestyle, he is still overtaken by anxiety and fear.

Promotion.The song’s victory atDorasparked aTikTok trend that saw users recreating a part of the choreography.Those who took part in the trend include Croatianmembers of the European ParliamentValter Flego,Biljana BorzanandPredrag Matić,and Jasenka Auguštan-Pentek, the mayor ofZlatar.On 9 March 2024, Purišić visited the International Cat Show, organized inZagreb by the Association of Croatian Felinological Societies (SFDH) as a result of one of the song’s lyrics about a cat meowing gaining popularity.

On 22 March, Purišić performed the song at the 30thVečernjak‘s Rose Awards.To further promote the song, Purišić announced his participation in Eurovision pre-parties, includingAmsterdam’s Eurovision in Concert,Madrid’s PrePartyES and theLondonEurovision Party.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Dora 2024.HRT, Croatia’s broadcaster, organized a 24-entry competition,Dora 2024, to select Croatia’s representative for theEurovision Song Contest 2024.The competition consisted of two 12-song semi-finals that culminated into a grand final, with eight songs qualifying from each semi-final to make up the grand final. In the final, the winner was selected from a 50/50 combination of votes from the public and a jury that consisted from international and local Croatian juries.

Purišić was announced on 2 January as a reserve entry in the case of anyone in the main lineup’s withdrawal.The following day,Zsa Zsa withdrew from the competition, with Purišić taking her spot in the competition. It was drawn to perform seventh in the second semi-final, which took place on 23 February. The performance was choreographed by Luana Kličić and Sebastijan Žeželić, who also took part in it as backing dancers, as well as Purišić’s brother Martin who played the drums.It featuredCroatian folkelements such aslace,headscarfsand awashboard, with Purišić wearing a Valentina Pliško-designed costume with white baggy sleeves inspired by theCroatian traditional clothing. The sleeves were compared to those worn by Käärijä at theEurovision Song Contest 2023.

The song managed to qualify for the grand final, and was later drawn to perform 14th in the grand final.Purišić performed a repeat of his semi-final performance. Upon the announcement of the voting results in the grand final on 25 February, the song was revealed to have won the competition, winning both the jury and televote with a combined total of 321 points, 239 more than Vinko Ćemeraš’s “Lying Eyes”, the runner-up. He also won 247 points from televote, 220 more than Alen Đuras’ “A Tamburitza Lullaby”, the televote runner-up; all other entries earned 218 points from televote combined. As a result, the song won the rights to representCroatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision.TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö ArenainMalmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Croatia was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

He was later drawn to perform seventh in the semi-final, ahead ofPoland’sLunaand beforeIceland’sHera Björk.Purišić’s performance at Eurovision is set to feature certain modifications. Pliško announced the creation of new costumes that are going to be more heavily inspired by the traditional clothing, as well as masks for the dancers that are going to be inspired by Istriančentrini. Martin Purišić is set to be replaced by Matija Klaj on the drums.

Commercial performance.Prior toDora, “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” debuted at number 24 on theHR Top 40 issue dated 14 January 2024, before peaking at number four the following week.Following its triumph atDora, it reached the new peak of number one on the chart issue dated 3 March 2024.It also debuted at number two onBillboard‘sCroatia Songschart issue dated 9 March 2024, behind “Fantazija” byGršeandMiach.

Cover versions.On 26 February, a day after theDorafinal,Vatrogascireleased theirCroatian-languageparody cover of “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, titled “Rim Tu Tiki Tiki”.

Track listing.

Digital download.

1. “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” – 2:59

Charts.

Release history.

Lyrics of Rim Tim Tagi Dim (English)

8.🇮🇸 Iceland: Hera Björk – “Scared of Heights” (Við förum hærra, We go higher) (Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir / Ferras Alqaisi / Jaro Omar / Michael Burek – Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir / Ferras Alqaisi / Jaro Omar / Michael Burek)

The Queen is back!Hera Björk captured the international spotlight when she represented Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with her hit song “Je Ne Sais Quoi”. But this diva’s presence has been felt across the Euro-verse since the 2008 Contest, when she provided backing vocals for Iceland’s participant Euroband, before competing in Denmark’sMelodi Grand Prixa year later.Her talents have shone brightly in various competitions and events, including her celebrated anthem “Feel the Love Tonight” for LGBTQ+ pride events in 2011, her triumphant victory with “Because We Can” at Viña del Mar festival in 2013, and her emotionally charged rendition of “Moving On” in the Songvakeppninfinal in 2019.

• Selected entrant:Hera Björk Þórhallsdóttir (born 29 March 1972; age 52; Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic singer. She is known for representing Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song “Je ne sais quoi”, where she finished 19th, and at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival 2013 with the song “Because You Can”, where she won in the Best Song category.

She was selected among the contestants of Söngvakeppnin 2024, the Icelandic national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, with the song “Við förum hærra” / “Scared of Heights”.She qualified for the final and won with the English version, with which she is set to represent Iceland in the contest for a second time.

Discography.

Albums.

Soundtracks.

As part of a group.

Singles.

• Selected song:“Scared of Heights” (Við förum hærra; We go higher) is a song by Icelandic singer Hera Björk, written byFerras Alqaisi, Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir, Jaro Omar and Michael Burek. It was released on 28 January 2024 by Alda Music. The song is set to representIcelandin theEurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition.“Scared of Heights” was written byFerras Alqaisi, Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir, Jaro Omar, and Michael Burek.In an analysis of the song byESCPlus’ Iván Trejo, it is described as a ballad that is “about overcoming fear and finding strength in the face of adversity”.It was announced to compete inSöngvakeppnin2024, Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV)’s national selection to select Iceland’s entrant for theEurovision Song Contest 2024on 27 January, and was officially released a day later.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Söngvakeppnin2024.Iceland’s broadcaster for theEurovision Song Contest 2024, Ríkisútvarpið(RÚV), organized a 10-entry competition,Söngvakeppnin2024, to select Iceland’s entrant for theEurovision Song Contest 2024. The competition was split into two semi-finals consisting of five songs, occurring on 17 and 24 February 2024, with two songs in each semi-final determined by televoting and a fifth wildcard spot chosen by RÚV advanced to the grand final.In the grand final on 2 March, two entries determined by a combination of televoting and juries were selected to advance to the superfinal; the system was also used in the superfinal to determine the winner of the contest.

“Scared of Heights” was officially announced to compete in the competition on 27 January 2024, on RÚV programLögin i Söngvakeppninni. It was placed into the second semi-final, and was drawn to perform fifth. It managed to qualify to the final in one of the four televoting spots.In the grand final, the song qualified to the final in second place, along withBashar Murad’s “Wild West”.In the grand final, despite a deficit of over 15,000 votes in the first round, Björk was able to overcome the deficit by gaining almost 20,000 more votes than Murad in the second round, winning over Murad by 3,340 votes, drawing an overall tally of 100,835 votes.^[10]Although the contest wasn’t directly tied to select the Icelandic representative for Eurovision, on 11 March, Björk accepted to represent the country.

Voting dispute controversy.Immediately after the contest, multiple claims of voting glitches and appeals were made by various groups. Icelandic viewers reported on social media that the app used for viewers in the televote,RÚV Stjörnur, glitched during the superfinal. The claim was later repelled byVodafone Iceland’s director of marketing and communications, Lilja Kristín Birgisdóttir. On 3 March, one of the songwriters of “Wild West”, Einar Hrafn Stefánsson, appealed for a third-party investigation of the alleged voting glitches.The request was granted after Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir, one of the writers for “Scared of Heights”, stated her intent to “cut ties with the song” due to the alleged glitches on 9 March.

On 10 March, Icelandic news siteMannlífreported that Yogev Segal, an employee of the EBU-affiliatedIsraeli Public Broadcasting Corporation(IPBC/Kan), allegedly started a campaign to stop Murad from winning the competition by creating a Facebook group that urged its members to vote against Murad in the final.

At Eurovision.TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö ArenainMalmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Iceland was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Charts.

Release history.

Lyrics of Scared of Heights (English)

9.🇸🇮 Slovenia: Raiven– “Veronika” (Bojan Cvjetićanin / Klavdija Kopina / Raiven – Bojan Cvjetićanin / Danilo Kapel / Martin Bezjak / Peter Khoo / Raiven)

Described as a ‘musical alchemist’, Raiven thrives as a mezzo-soprano singer, author, songwriter and harpist. Her electro-pop debut arrived in 2014, but her musical evolution came to the forefront during Slovenia’s national selection shows,EMA. There, Raiven has participated with several songs over the years, including “Črno Bel”(2016), “Zažarim” (2017), and “KAOS”(2019).In 2021, Raiven won at the renowned Slovenian music festival Popevka, with her song “Volkovi”.In between all that, she has been active in both opera and theatre, and after obtaining a Master’s degree from the Ljubljana Academy of Music, the singer started to explore the electro-opera sphere.

• Selected entrant:Sara Briški Cirman (born 26 April 1996; age 27; Slovenia), better known by her stage name Raiven, is a Slovenian singer, songwriter, and harpist.She first garnered wide recognition while competing to participate in theEurovision Song Contest 2016 for Sloveniaduring the national finalEvrovizijska Melodija(EMA) with the song “Črno bel”, where she placed second. Raiven went on to return toEMAin2017, placing third with the song “Zažarim”, and has competed again in2019with the song “Kaos”, placing second.

Raiven willrepresent Sloveniain theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “Veronika”.

Education.Sara Briški Cirman started her musical path at the age of four, when she enrolled at the Glasbena Matica in Ljubljana.Between 2002 and 2011 she attended harp lessons at the Music School in Ljubljana. She continued her education in the program of the Art Gymnasium, which she attended at the Maribor Conservatory of Music and Ballet, majoring in harp with Professor Dalibor Bernatovič, jazz singing with Ana Bezjak and solo singing with professors Leona Bašovič and Tina Bohak.She has been awarded several times for her achievements in the field of classical music. Among other awards, in 2013 she won first place at the Antonio Salieri International Harp Competition in Italy and a gold plaque at the Temsig Solo Singing Country Competition. In 2015 she graduated in solo singing and continued her music education at theAcademy of Music in Ljubljana (solo singing – opera), where she graduated in 2018 in the class of Professor Alenka Dernač Bunta and enrolled in a master’s degree in solo singing with Professor Pija Brodnik. In 2021 she received her master’s degree in solo singing – opera.

Career.She released her debut albumMagenta in 2017 and later received an award, given out by the Slovenian cultural and artistic association for achievements in Slovenian popular music Zlata piščal in the category record of the yearIn the second half of 2018 she began working with songwriters and producers in Metropolis Studios (London). As a result of her work there, she released an EP albumREM, which has received critical and public acclaim.

On July 4, 2019, she performed on the Fusion Stage stage at theExit Festivalin Novi Sad, on the evening when the organizers listed the most visitors in the history of the festival – over 56,000.At the end of 2019, she performed at numerous high-profile events, including as a soloist with theRTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the RTV Slovenia Big Band, the Slovenian Baroque Orchestra and the Slovenian Police Orchestra. In February 2020, she performed with her original compositionTiwith the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra at theLjubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet, under the baton and adaptation of Matija Krečič.

On 11 September 2021, she performed the songVolkoviat thePopevka 21festival, with which she won the Grand Audience Award causing her song to receive the titlePopevka 2021.In 2021 she also finished her master’s degree in the Ljubljana’s Academy of Music, majoring in opera – solo singing.

Opera. In 2019 she dedicated herself to artistic development as an opera singer and in December 2019 she sang in the world’s first tamburitza opera,Ambrož and Katarina. She is a scholarship holder of the Berlin Opera Academy. Her roleHänslin EngelbertHumperdinck’soperaHänsel und Gretelwas set to premiere in the summer of 2020, but it has been postponed to the summer of 2022 due to a new coronavirus pandemic.

In June 2021, she sang the role ofOld LadyinLeonard Bernstein’soperaCandidat Cankar Centre. In April 2021, she received first prize and third place at the IMMCC 2020 International Singing Competition. On June 28, 2021, she received her master’s degree with a singing recital and a master’s essay entitledThe Role of AgrippinainGeorge Frideric Händl’sopera of the same name. For her outstanding artistic achievements she received thePrešeren Prizefor Studentspresented by the Academy of Music.

In August 2021, she performed in the role ofRosinaat concert performances ofGioachino Rossini’sThe Barber of Sevilleunder the direction of maestroGeorge Pehlivanian. In October 2021, together with soprano Pia Brodnik, tenor Gregor Ravnik and pianist Andreja Kosmač, she performed a concert as part of the Studenec Summer Festival entitledJesenska pesem (Autumn Song).Earlier, she performed twice as part of baroque music concerts with the Slovenian Baroque Orchestra under the baton of Egon Mihajlović and concert master Monika Toth.

At the end of October 2021, accompanied by Maltese Philharmonic Orchestra, she sang at an opera aria concert at the Astra Theater in Malta, conducted byJosé Cura.

In April 2022, she sang the title role in Händel’s operaAgrippinaat Cankar Center under the artistic direction of Egon Mihajlović and directed by Rocco Rapplo. In the same month she also sang at the closing concert of theOpernfest Pragueat the Vinohrady Theater in Prague, under the direction of the artistic director of the Prague Opera, maestro Jaroslav Kyzlink. A week later, she sang with the Albanian Opera Orchestra in Tirana at theMarie Kraja Opera Festival, under the baton of maestro Martin Andrea. In 2022, she began studying the role ofCarmenas part of a concert performance of the opera under the direction of maestro George Pehlivanian. That same year, she made her debut at theSlovenian National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljanain the show ‘Orpheus in the Underworld’ (playing the role of Public Opinion), and in 2023, she portrayed Larina in the play ‘Eugene Onegin’.

As part of her studies she performedMozart’sSpatzenmesseandVivaldi’sGloria in D majorin theSlovenian Philharmonic Orchestraas solo alto with the Baroque Orchestra of the Academy of Music in 2018. In the same year, she performed as a soloist at Cankar Center with the Big Band of the Academy of Music, under the baton of Matej Hotko. In 2019, she sang the role of Iztok Kocen’s mini-opera doctorNepotrebna (Unnecessary), which premiered in Budapest. The mini-opera was presented in Brno and Ljubljana.

Since the beginning of her music education, she has regularly attended seminars by renowned musicians such as José Cura, Bernarda Fink, Vlatka Orašanić and JD Walker.

In 2022, she presented a new electro-opera concert project, in which she combined classical opera arias with electronic pop. Part of this project, entitledDoloroso, was presented at a sold-out concert on March 8, 2022 atCankar Centre. She returned to thePopevkafestival in 2023 as a hostess, and together with her co-hostHelena Blagne, she introduced her new song “Ikona”. With it, she announced the release of the EPSirene. Her Eurovision 2024 song “Veronika” will be included in the album.

Theater.In 2018, she also performed on theatrical boards in the playTrojanke, produced by the Slovenian National Theatre Nova Gorica, where she portrayed the character of Cassandra. The work in the new translation by Jere Ivanc was directed by Jaša Koceli.

In 2021, she accepted the main role of Urška in the musicalPovodni mož(The Water Man).

Discography.

Albums.

Extended plays.

Singles

Awards and achievements.

• Selected song: “Veronika” (is a song by Slovenian singer-songwriterRaiven. Described as a “dark alternative pop song”that is inspired by the story ofVeronika of Desenice, it was composed by Raiven along with five others, with lyrics also coming from Raiven. The song was self-released on 20 January 2024 throughVirgin Music Group, and is scheduled to representSloveniain theEurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition.“Veronika” is composed byBojan Cvjetićanin, Danilo Kapel, Klavdija Kopina, Martin Bezjek, Peter Khoo, andRaiven, with lyrics for the song written by Cvjetićanin, Kopina, and Raiven.The first member is a current member and lead singer of Slovenian rock bandJoker Out, whor*presented Sloveniain theEurovision Song Contest 2023.According to Raiven, the song is inspired byVeronika of Desenice, aCountess of Celjewho was the first woman to be convicted ofwitchcraftin Slovenia. She was reportedly murdered under the orders of her father-in-law, because of her lower status and his opposition of her marriage to his son. In an analysis byWiwibloggs writer Ruxandra Tudor, the song is described as “a dark alternative pop song”, with Veronika described as “a woman of power, a magical figure”. She later went on to say that, “the song possesses a mystical allure, and its potency grows as the composition unfolds, showcasing Raiven’s formidable vocal abilities. Raiven [later declares] ‘I am, you are, Veronika,’ conveying that the power of her character, Veronika, can be found within each of us.”Raiven has also described the song as a “child of mine”, wishing to put an emphasis on visual art for the song.

The song was originally meant to be written for Raiven’s secondEP,Sirene, and not meant for the Eurovision Song Contest. According to Raiven, the song took six months to create, and that she focused on the “dramatic quality [of the song]… I wanted her story to not only be expressed but also resonate with the year 2024.”

Raiven was officially announced as Slovenia’s Eurovision representative for 2024 during a press conference held at the Ljubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet on 12 December 2023.The song and its accompanying music video premiered on 20 January 2024, during a special television programme titledMisija Malmö.

Music video and promotion.An accompanying music video was released on the same day the music video was released. It was filmed at theČrni Kalquarry and inRadovljica, directed by Lukas Zuschlag and Tjaša Barbo and choreographed by Zuschlag.In an interview given out byRadiotelevizija Slovenija, Raiven stated that she wanted to incorporate “the four elements – earth, fire, water and air”. Raiven, who has a phobia of deep water, stated that production for the music video was “time-consuming and very stressful”.The music video features Raiven in a body of water, with Raiven “calling out” Veronika surrounded by an entourage of four men.

Raiven performed the song atDora 2024, the preselection forCroatia’s Eurovision entry. To further promote the song, Raiven is scheduled to perform the song at various Eurovision pre-parties. Raiven is scheduled to appear at theBarcelona Eurovision Party on 6 April 2024,theEurovision in Concertpre-party on 8 April,^[17]and theNordic Eurovision Partyon 14 April.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Internal selection.Slovenia’s broadcasterRadiotelevizija Slovenija (RTVSLO) officially announced their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 14 September 2023.Initially, the broadcaster planned to host a national final, although this was later scrapped for an internal selection.

A pair of panels determined the representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, with a Slovenian panel picking five finalists and an international panel choosing the final song out of the five finalists.On 12 December 2023, Raiven was officially announced as the Slovenian representative for theEurovision Song Contest 2024.The song was released on 20 January 2024, along with a music video.

At Eurovision.TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö ArenainMalmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Slovenia was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Release history.

Lyrics of Veronika (Slovenian Ι English)

–

I hid in the river.
And went into the silent night.

With loud steps.
Voiceless cries for help.

Now that I am just water.
In the waves, I seek peace.

I drown in myself.
I surrender to the light.

Find me, wound me, protect me.
(Who do you chase when you leave me?)
Lift me up, let me go, love me.
(Who hunts you when you fear me?)

Who are you afraid of,
when you deny your desires?

You look me in the eyes.
The image of you shines in them.

I am a frameless mirror.
Just a reflection of your fears.

Find me, wound me, protect me.
(Who do you chase when you leave me?)
Lift me up, let me go, love me.
(Who hunts you when you fear me?)

I am.
You are.
Veronika.

Only she knows your truth.

10.🇫🇮 Finland: Windows95man – “No Rules!” (Ei sääntöjä!) (Henri Piispanen / Jussi Roine / Teemu Keisteri – Henri Piispanen / Jussi Roine / Teemu Keisteri)

Windows95man is a well-known entertainer, dancer and sought-after model, widely appreciated in Finland and throughout the world.A sweet and pleasant individual, he is a bit of a shy nerd during the daytime, but when he puts on his uniform – the infamous defunct operating system t-shirt and denim hotpants combo – he transforms into a superman!His DJ sets, consisting of ‘90s eurodance and techno hits, have been combined with such intense live performances that audiences have regularly been left breathless. The national final performance of “No Rules!” combined Windows95man’s attitude, Henri Piispanen’s unbelievable vocals, and a mythical denim egg, which lead the duo to an unexpected but indisputable victory in Finland.

• Selected entrant: Teemu Keisteri (born 22 August 1985; age 38;Espoo, Finland) is a Finnish visual artist and DJ who is known for his stage persona Windows95man.As a visual artist, he gained recognition in Finland for creating the characterUkkeli (‘Old man’) in 2008.As a DJ, his artistic style and appearance draw inspiration from the late1990s, during which theWindows 95operating system was produced. He is set torepresent Finlandin theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “No Rules!”, featuringHenri Piispanen.

Biography.Keisteri has studied photography at the Institute of Design inLahti. He has said that he learned during his studies that he is more of a visual artist than a photographer.He is also known as avideo artist, dance performer and DJ. Keisteri has his own art gallery calledKalleriainKallio,Helsinki.

Keisteri participated as Windows95Man withHenri Piispanen(vocals) in the2024 editionofUuden Musiikin Kilpailu, with the song “No Rules!”.Despite finishing last in the jury voting, he came first overall with 313 points thanks to the televote in Finland. He was thus selected to represent his country in theEurovision Song Contest 2024.

Discography.

Extended plays.

Singles.

Notes.

• Selected song:“No Rules!” is a song by Finnish visual artistTeemu Keisteri, known professionally by his stage name persona, Windows95man. Self-described as a song that is inspired by Keisteri’s life mantra of not taking everything seriously. It was written and composed byHenri Piispanen, Jussi Roine, and Keisteri, and released on 16 January 2024 through All Day Entertainment Oy. The song is set to representFinlandin theEurovision Song Contest 2024. It peaked at number six in Finland.

Background and composition.“No Rules” was composed and written byHenri Piispanen, Jussi Roine, andTeemu Keisteri.^[1]In interviews, Keisteri has stated that the song spreads a message that advocates to not “take everything so seriously”, with an intent for Keisteri to be as relaxed as possible while performing the song.In addition, the song title refers to Keisteri’s mantra that he has utilized throughout his life.Keisteri has also stated a desire to bring out the Finnish people’s nature of being “looney-tunesdeep inside”.

Keisteri partnered with singer and actorHenri Piispanenafter Keisteri needed a singer who was capable to hit higher notes than him.Keisteri and Piispanen were announced to compete inUuden Musiikin Kilpailu2024on 10 January 2024,with the song officially premiering six days later.

Music video.Along the song’s premiere, an accompanying music video was released on the same day.

Instead of the existing video, the performance from UMK was chosen as the official music video on theEurovision Song ContestYouTubechannel.Dubbed the ‘Rules Applied’ version, theWindows 95logo on Keisteri’s shirt and hat was censored due to Eurovision rules on trademarked and branded imagery.

Critical reception.The song has received varying reviews from multiple beat reporters.ESC Insight’s Ben Robertson praised the song and its message, giving compliments to the song’s “simplicity” and for being a more “silly” song compared to other songs sent to the Eurovision Song Contest, stating his belief that the contest shouldn’t only be serious songs.^[9]Helsingin Sanomat’s Juuso Määttänen gave a neutral analysis of the song, declaring that the Finnish people decided to “show the middle finger to the [jury]… [and] enter Eurovision with a joke [entry]… however, it is also to the song’s credit that it sounded really good”.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu2024.Finland’s broadcasterYleisradio Oy(Yle) organized a seven-entry competition,Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2024consisting of a singular grand final to select its entrant for theEurovision Song Contest 2024 on 10 February 2024. The edition was the 13th iteration ofthe contest. The winner of the final was selected by a 75/25 combination vote of televoting and juries, respectively.

Keisteri was revealed to be a competitor inUuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2024 on 10 January 2024,with the song being announced six days later.The performance featured Keisteri hatching himself from an egg made out of jeans, with Keisteri wearing a retroMicrosoft Windowsshirt and baseball cap. Main singer of the song,Henri Piispanen, also appears on the top of the egg, wearingjorts. Nearing the end of the performance, Keisteri also gets his own pair of jorts that sprays pyrotechnics.In the grand final, although the song came last in with the jury vote, the song won the televote by a wide margin, earning a combined total of 313 points; 40 more than the runner-up,Sara Siipola’s “Paskana”. As a result of the victory, the song won rights to representFinland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision.TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö ArenainMalmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Finland was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Charts.

Release history.

Lyrics of No Rules! (English)

11.🇲🇩 Moldova: Natalia Barbu – “In the Middle” (Natalia Barbu – Natalia Barbu)

Natalia Barbu is a violinist, vocalist and composer from the Republic of Moldova.Her rise to fame began in 1998 in the city of Mamaia, where she won a singing competition. Since then, she has released 4 studio albums and 20 singles. An avid storyteller, Natalia Barbu writes the lyrics for most of her songs herself. No stranger to the Eurovision Song Contest, the songstress also competed for Moldova in Helsinki 2007, where she finished 10th.Natalia’s Eurovision hero is Loreen – who also competed twice.

• Selected entrant: Natalia Barbu (born 22 August 1979; age 44; Bălți,Moldavian SSR, USSR) is a Moldovan singer and songwriter. She is best known for representing Moldovain theEurovision Song Contest 2007with the song “Fight”. She willagain represent the countryin2024with the song “In the Middle”.

Music career.Throughout her career, Natalia has worked with a group of musicians calledTrigonon an alternative jazz-folk experiment. She writes her own lyrics, composes the music for most of her songs, and collaborates on the arrangements with her crew.

In 2006, Natalia Barbu signed a three-year contract with Cat Music Records (Sony Music) office in Bucharest.

Her main success has been the release of her single “Îngerul meu” (My Angel) inRomania. The song remained in the Romanian Top 100 for 11 weeks at No.1, and was much featured onMTV Romania.

On 14 December 2006, Barbu was selected torepresent Moldovaat theEurovision Song Contest 2007with the song “Fight”.At the contest, she qualified from the semi-final on 10 May 2007 and ultimately placed 10th in the final on 12 May 2007, scoring 109 points.

In 2012, she began collaboration with musical producerRadu Sirbuand songwriterAna Sirbu(Sianna) under the labelRassada Music. At the end of the summer Natalia premiered her new track, “I Said It’s Sad”, which she says is a major style change for her. The new song reached No. 1 position in Top 10 Airplay Moldova. Later in 2012, she released “Iubire Cu Aroma De Cafea”, and “Confession”, which participated at the Romanian national selection forEurovision Song Contest 2013.

Barbu was selected to take part inEtapa națională 2024, the Moldovan national final for theEurovision Song Contest 2024, with the song “In the Middle”.She came first in the audition round on 13 January 2024 and qualified for the final.There, she was selected as the Moldovan entrant for the contest.

Personal life. In 2011, Barbu married a Romanian businessman and currently lives with him inRomania.

Discography.

• Între ieri și azi(Between Yesterday And Today) (2001)
• Zbor de dor(2003)
• Interpreta Natalia Barbu(2009)
• La capatul cerului(2021)

• Selected song:“In the Middle” is a song by Moldovan singerNatalia Barbu. The song was written by Barbu and Khris Richards. It was released on 19 January 2024 by Ragoza Music. “In the Middle” is set to representMoldovain theEurovision Song Contest 2024, which will be held inMalmö, Sweden.

Background and composition.“In the Middle” was written byNatalia Barbuand Khris Richards.In interviews, Barbu stated that the song was inspired by her children and the feeling of love. The song was written with no expectations, with her claiming that the song instead just came “from my heart”. While not written for theEurovision Song Contest, she was eventually convinced to enter by her producers. She stated that a person’s heart, the “light” of the human soul, is “in the middle” of the body, with the song advocating for finding one’s true self and connecting with “our divine self”.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Etapa națională2024.Moldova’s broadcaster for theEurovision Song Contest,TeleRadio-Moldova(TRM), organized a 11-entry competition,Etapa națională2024, to select Moldova’s representative for theEurovision Song Contest 2024. The 11 entries were selected by juries during a 32-entry live audition round. In the grand final, the winner was selected by a 50/50 combination of televoting and juries.

“In the Middle” was officially announced as one of the 32 entries for the live audition round on 26 December 2023.The song was able to move onto the grand final, finishing first out of all entries in the round.In the grand final that took place on 17 February, it drew a total of 22 points, tying with Valeria Pasha’s “Anti-Princess”. The tiebreaker was determined by jury scores, thus giving the victory to Barbu, winning her the rights to representMoldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

After Barbu’s victory, Pasha immediately filed an appeal, disputing the voting results. Pasha declared that the rules of the contest were not transparent enough; according to her, the rules did not clarify how the tiebreaker would be determined by televoting or juries, with official rules stating that the tiebreaker would go to “the song receiving the most points”.TRM opted to let Barbu’s victory stand, with Pasha being accused of having 950 invalid votes.

At Eurovision.TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö ArenainMalmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Moldova was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Release history.

Lyrics of In The Middle (English)

12.🇦🇿 Azerbaijan: FAHREE feat. Ilkin Dovlatov– “Özünlə apar” (Take Me with You) (FAHREE / Mado Salikh – Edgar Ravin / FAHREE / Hasan Haydar / Mila Miles)

FAHREE was born in Baku in 1995 and was brought up in a very artistic family; his father was a passionate jazz drummer, while his grandfather was a respected actor. During his university years, FAHREE studied hard to become a lawyer, spending 6 years on achieving both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in law.However, while the world was caught up in the global pandemic back in 2020, FAHREE was living a renaissance of his childhood dream… dedicating his life to music.The Azerbaijani singer will be joined on stage by Ilkin Dovlatov.

• Selected entrant:

.Fakhri Ismayilov (Azerbaijani: Fəxri İsmayılov, born 10 April 1995;age 28; Baku, Azerbaijan),known professionally asFahree(stylized in all caps), is an Azerbaijani singer and songwriter. He is scheduled to representAzerbaijanin theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “Özünlə apar“, featuringIlkin Dovlatov.

Early life and education.Fahree was born in 1995 inBaku. He was raised in an artistic family, his father being a jazz drummer and his grandfather being an actor. He has both aBachelor’sand aMaster’s degree in law. At the height of theCOVID-19 pandemic, he devoted himself more to music and pursued his childhood dream of becoming a musician.

Career. In 2022, Fahree released his debut single, “Dance”.He later on went to release two more singles.

In late October 2023,İctimaiTelevision(İTV) revealed Fahree as one of the sixteen shortlisted candidates in the2024 Azerbaijani selectionfor theEurovision Song Contest,and the next week, he was announced to be among the six who had moved on to the final stage.On 7 March 2024, he was revealed as the selected candidate.He will be accompanied on stage byIlkin Dovlatov, one of the other finalists of the selection,performing the song “Özünlə apar“.

Discography.

Singles.

.Ilkin Dovlatov (İlkin Dövlətov; born 16 June 1990; age 33; Baku,Azerbaijani SSR,USSR)is an Azerbaijanimughamsinger. He rose to prominence after finishing second inThe Voice of Azerbaijan(native songs version). He will accompanyFahree, who is scheduled to representAzerbaijanin theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “Özünlə apar“.

Early life.Dovlatov was born in 1990 inBaku. He was raised in a musical family, his father being a major inspiration for him to start pursuing a musical career. At the age of four, Dovlatov performed his first song “Qəlbimdə qaldı“. During his school years, a music teacher discovered Dovlatov’s talent in singing and encouraged him to perform his music.

Career.In 2023, Dovlatov competed in theThe Voice of Azerbaijan(native songs version). He was coached by Ilqar Khayal and finished as the contest’s runner-up.Dovlatov has also participated in theAzəri Starsong contest.

In late October 2023,İctimaiTelevision(İTV) revealed a trio, consisting of Ilkin Dovlatov, Mila Miles and Etibar Asadli, as one of the sixteen shortlisted candidates in the2024 Azerbaijani selectionfor theEurovision Song Contest, and the next week, they were announced to be among the six acts who had moved on to the final stage.Their song was titled “İnsanlar”.On 7 March 2024,Fahree was revealed as the selected candidate. However, on 13 March 2024, it was announced that Dovlatov would accompany Fahree on stage,performing the song “Özünlə apar“.

Discography.

Singles.

As featured artist.

• Selected song: “Özünlə apar”(Take it with you) is a song by Azerbaijani singer Fahree featuring Ilkin Dovlatov. It was written by Fahree and four other writers, and was released on 15 March 2024. It is set to represent Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition.“Özünlə apar” was written by Fahree alongside Edgar Ravinov, Hasan Heydar, Mado Salikh and Mila Miles, and features traditional Azerimughamvocals fromIlkin Dovlatov.^[1]The song is in English andAzerbaijani, making it the first Azerbaijani Eurovision entry to predominantly feature Azerbaijani language.

On 7 March 2024, it was announced that Fahree would represent Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.The song was released on 15 March 2024 with a showcase performance uploaded to the officialEurovision Song ContestYouTube channel and was released on streaming services the following day.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Internal selection.Azerbaijani broadcasterİctimai Television confirmed participation in Eurovision 2024 and opened their internal selection process to submissions on 14 July 2023, with the submission window lasting until 30 September. Live auditions for 15 artists, including Fahree, took part on 29 October 2023.Then on 6 November,İTVannounced that a shortlist of 6 acts had been selected, which included Fahree, and also a separate trio featuring Ilkin Dovlatov as well as Mila Miles, who is one of the composers of “Özünlə apar“. Despite initial reports that the trio and 2018 entrantAiselwere the final two acts in the running,it was eventually announced on 7 March that Fahree would be representing the country in Malmö.

At Eurovision. TheEurovision Song Contest 2024will take place at theMalmö ArenainMalmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Azerbaijan was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Release history.

Lyrics of Özünlə Apar (English / Azerbaijani Ι English)

–

I lived a life standing on my own,
Chaos inside and mysteries unsolved.

Only with you I feel
How the burdens of my life just disappear.
Through all the lows and highs
Love has guided me to gates of paradise.

Hold my heart in your hands,
Do you have what it takes?

Hurricanes are roaming but you take away the pain
Healing all the scars and breaking chains.

Come take me with you
Even the sky is not wide enough for me

13.🇦🇺 Australia: Electric Fields– “One Milkali (One Blood)” (Michael Ross / Zaachariaha Fielding – Michael Ross / Zaachariaha Fielding)

Electric Fields are the first duo to represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest. Fans might well remember the pair from SBS’ 2019 national selection show,Eurovision – Australia Decides, where they came a close second to Kate Miller-Heidke with their unforgettable track “2000 And Whatever”.The extraordinary voice of Zaachariaha Fielding and brilliance of producer and keyboardist Michael Ross unite in a way that merges traditional living culture with music that ranges from soulful pop to epic-scale electronica.Their song incorporates Yankunytjatjara; an Aboriginal language of the Anangu peoples, one of the oldest living cultures on earth.

• Selected entrant:Electric Fieldsis an Australian electronic music duo made up of vocalistZaachariaha Fieldingand keyboard player and producer Michael Ross. Electric Fields combine modern electric-soul music withAboriginalculture and sing inPitjantjatjara,YankunytjatjaraandEnglish. The duo have released anEPand several singles. They are set to representAustraliain theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “One Milkali (One Blood)”.

Career.

2011–2020: Formation andInma. In 2011, Zaachariaha Fielding auditioned for thethird seasonofThe X Factor Australia, performingTracy Chapman’s “Talkin Bout a Revolution”. In 2013, Michael Ross auditioned for thefifth seasonperformingPhil Collins’ “You Can’t Hurry Love”.

The pair has been performing as Electric Fields since 2015. Their repertoire moves acrosspop,soul, andelectronica, while being described as “Daft PunkmeetsNina Simonein theDeep Forest”.

In June 2016, the duo released their debut EPInma(which derives its name from the cultural ceremony ofAṉanguwomen known asinma). Daniel Browning, a presenter and producer ofABC Radio National said “Co-creating music that is as exciting as it is emotionally moving – the beauty and sheer power of their musicality is breathtaking. Often featuring Zaachariaha’s traditional languages of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara people, Electric Fields music ranges from pop to epic-scale electronic works, through to intensely intimate story-songs.”Their music was played at the Spirit Festival 2016 and Adelaide Fashion Festival 2016 and onTriple J.In 2016, the duo won theEmily Burrows Award, an award given to recognise and further the professional development of original South Australian music artists or bands.

The duo won Best New Talent of the Year at the 2017National Indigenous Music Awards.The duo was nominated for Artist of the Year at the 2018 National Indigenous Music Awards.

In December 2018, the duo was announced as one of the entrants inEurovision – Australia Decidesin an attempt to representAustralia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.Electric Fields performed at the competition with their song “2000 and Whatever” on 9 February 2019 and came second in both Jury and Audience vote, and second overall. In May 2019, the duo announced the Australian jury votes at the Eurovision Song Contest final.Later that year, Electric Fields toured with “2000 and Whatever” around Australia.

In July 2019, Electric Fields received two nominations at theNational Indigenous Music Awards.

On 3 April 2020, Electric Fields’ collaboration with Norwegian groupKeiino“Would I Lie” was released.

The duo were joined virtually byJessica Mauboy,Missy HigginsandJohn Butlerfor a performance ofPaul KellyandKev Carmody‘s song about theGurindji strike, “From Little Things Big Things Grow”. The performance was recorded at theAdelaide Botanic Gardenconservatory, and broadcast for the season finale ofABC Television’s 6-partpandemicseries,The Sound, on 23 August 2020.

In August 2020, they performed three acoustic sets at the Ukaria Cultural Centre inMount Barkerin theAdelaide Hills, in a collaboration with online streaming platform Sunny Side Uploads.

In October 2020, the duo performed “From Little Things Big Things Grow” at the2020 AFL Grand Final.

In December 2020, Electric Fields headlined one of the shows in the queer talent-seeking series “Express Yourself – Queer Discovery”, which was run byAPRA AMCOSandSydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

2021–present.In February 2021, Electric Fields performed “Don’t You Worry” and “Gold Energy” at theSydney Cricket GroundforMardi Gras.

In November 2021, Electric Fields performed “From Little Things, Big Things Grow” at theNational Indigenous Music Awards. In the same month, they signed a global deal withWarner Music Australiaand released “Gold Energy”. On 18 March 2022, the duo released “Catastrophe”.

In February 2023, Electric Fields released “We the People” as the officialWorldPridetheme song. They performed their song to a crowd of 20,000 people at the festival’s opening concert inSydney’s Domainon 24 February 2023, saying “Pride is not just about acceptance, but feeling at home in your own individuality”.

On 5 March 2024, the duo was announced as theAustralian representativesfor theEurovision Song Contest 2024with the song “One Milkali (One Blood)”.The song includes Yankunytjatjara lyrics, and the event takes place inMalmö, Sweden, in May 2024.

On 17 March 2024, Electric Fields will be performing in a concert called “Floods of Fire” with theAdelaide Symphony Orchestraat theAdelaide Festival Centre, as the finale to theAdelaide Festival.

Members.

Identity.Electric Fields’ band motto is “bypass the barriers”, and Fielding and Ross describe themselves as “two feminine brothers”, embracing theirqueer identity and affectionately referring to each other as Mala (Fielding, the “younger sibling”) and Tjutja (Ross, the “older brother”). They are very close friends but not romantically involved. They embrace their feminine identity, saying that it makes them stronger.They are 10 years and one day apart in age.

Zaachariaha Fielding.Zaachariaha Fielding is the oldest of nine children of a family who live inMimili, in theAPY lands of north-west South Australia.He studiedIndigenous Australian musicand started producing his own work at theCentre for Aboriginal Studies in Musicat theUniversity of Adelaide.

He is also known as an artist, whose work has been exhibited in several exhibitionsas well as winning theWynne Prizeand theRamsay Art PrizeA$15,000People’s Choice prize in 2023.

Michael Ross.Michael Ross is a singer, songwriter, pianist and producer from Adelaide.His musical influences growing up were mainlyMariah Carey, along withThe Cranberries,Tracy Chapman, andLauryn Hill.

Before joining Electric Fields Ross was a contestant on the X Factor Australia in 2013.

In film.Electric Fields are the subject of aSBS/NITVdocumentary, “Voice From The Desert”, screened nationally from 10 December 2018. The film was part of theOur Storiesseries, featuring emergingIndigenous Australiancreatives, and directed by Daniel Clarke and Amy Pysden. The doco shows duo performing at the2017 National Indigenous Music AwardsinDarwin, as well as covering Fielding visiting Mimili, and examining his early life experiences growing up in remote South Australia and his artistic and personal growth. There are also interviews with his parents Kaye Lowah and Robert Fielding.

Discography.

Extended plays.

Singles.

As lead artist.

As featured artist.

Other appearances.

Awards.

ARIA Music Awards.TheARIA Music Awardsis an annual award ceremony event celebrating theAustralian musicindustry. Electric Fields have been nominated for one award.

National Dreamtime Awards.TheNational Dreamtime Awardsis an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in sport, arts, academic and community and commenced in 2017. Electric Fields have won one award.

National Indigenous Music Awards. TheNational Indigenous Music Awardsis an annual awards ceremony that recognises the achievements of Indigenous Australians in music. The award ceremony commenced in 2004. Electric Fields have won one award from four nominations.

National Live Music Awards.TheNational Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia. They paused between 2021 and 2022 due to Covid-19.

South Australian Music Award.TheSouth Australian Music Awards (previously known as the Fowler’s Live Music Awards) are annual awards that exist to recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary music industry. They commenced in 2012.

• Selected song:

Lyrics of One Milkali (One Blood) (English / Anangu language Ι English)