After not qualifying in 2013 and withdrawing in 2014, Serbia returned to Eurovision with a bang in 2015. Bojana Stamenov oozed soul and belted it out Mariah-Carey-style, ultimately taking Serbia back to the top 10. So naturally we’re wondering who should follow in her footsteps and up the game yet again. After soliciting suggestions from far and wide, we have found six super Serbian singers who we think have the voice, the look, and the appeal of a Eurovision winner.
Ceca
Serbia is known for turbofolk — and Ceca is a queen of this divisive genre. In her more-than-25-year-long career, she has emerged as one of the most well-paid Serbian singers and has performed in front of millions. The concert she held for her 40th birthday attracted 150,000 people, so performing in front of 15,000 screaming Eurofans in Stockholm wouldn’t faze her. Described by some as Serbia’s Beyoncé, would this megawatt superstar deign to sing at Eurovision? We hope so!
Indira
You say “Indira”, I say “gay icon”. Beloved by the Balkan LGBT community, she would no doubt become beloved by the European LGBT community if she sang at ESC. Her traditional voice makes for an uneasy but catchy clash with the dance music she churns out year after year. Unique, fierce, and vocally on point — she could really slay.
Jelena Karleusa
Jelena has released ten successful albums and currently has the most-followed Instagram account in the Balkans with 660,000+ followers. She’s got major swagger — she has claimed that Kim K and Beyoncé copy her style — and deploys it in her own fashion line, JK Wear. But she’s more than a fashionista: she’s also a major advocate of Serbia’s LGBT community. Sister slays — for herself and her many LGBT fans.
Sasa Kovacevic
Who knows how to work pop-folk, disco and hip-hop? Sasa Kovacevic, baby! His 2004 single “Pakao i raj” brought him fame at home, and he’s followed up with two albums and a slew of singles. He’s giving us major Balkan ballad feels above, but with a more modern flair than the likes of Eurovision evergreen Zeljko Joksimovic. Sasa would no doubt spice up Eurovision — and maybe he could perform shirtless too.
Emina Jahovic
Emina, who has dual Serbian and Turkish citizenship, rose to prominence in the 1990’s as a protégée of Dino Merlin. Now one of the biggest success stories in the former Yugoslav Republics, she is constantly brought up in conversations about potential Eurovision singers. She certainly has a lot of international support, but is she top 5 material? We think so!
Aca Lukas
https://youtu.be/wELGyHJTGno
Aca Lukas serves up an unpredictable potpourri of jazz, Romani, and traditional Serbian sounds. And boy has the man lived. Besides his well-documented struggles with gambling and drugs, which, at one point, sidelined him from music, he’s also been shot in the leg, collaborated with death metal bands, and courted controversy for an album with a cover of him laying in a coffin with his middle finger extended. The caption? “To all of them who wished I were dead.” All of that drama has helped fuel nine studio albums. He’s definitely a bad boy with a very good touch.
Who do you want?
You can vote for as many acts as you like, but you can only vote one time! Let us know which of these acts most appeals to you!
[polldaddy poll=9049976]
Jelena Karleuša is the most original singer from Serbia. She has unique sound, original lyrics (all lyrics from Serbia are about drunk men who are dumped and about women singing about their Valentine and similar) She sings about killing instead of dumping (Savršen zlo?in), licking salt from her body (So), being blond Scherezade (Nova religija/Plava Šeherezada), dumping a man who becomes women hater (Muškarac koji mrzi žene) etc. Yes, she often makes remakes of Hebrew, Spanish and Indian songs. That’s because there’s no composer in Serbia who’s talented for that. She makes awesome performances at her concerts. She strips her… Read more »
I live and work in Belgrade as a stylist for public figures. My job is to follow fashion by singer dress and the way that wear their clothes. With us is the most popular, most extravagant, the best trained and best performances Jelena Karleusa So my vote goes to JK
Again, as somebody who comes from Serbia, I think the author chose right people. Again, 4 of them are longlasting (Sasa and Emina, not really). In my previous post I said who I would add to the list (I think with Seka, Dragana and Lepa Brena you have the top). Now, what I dislike is that people would rather say ”no” to Ceca simply because she is singing pop-folk (one can’t say that she is turbo-folk star anymore) – even though she is massive star, not only of the Balkans, but of Europe. Not saying that Finish people know her.… Read more »
Living in Serbia my whole life, I can say that Serbian people and media would find everyone on this list, except few of them, a disgrace to represent Serbia. Ceca has a lot of local and international success, I don’t think she cares about Eurovision at all. Indira is considered as a low in Serbian music industry, even for turbo-folk. Karleuša, on the other hand, would make a great show at Eurovision. She would be attacked by Serbian media if chosen to represent and she is in dispute with RTS. Emina Jahovi? could be the most probable on the list… Read more »
I think Emina has a lot of fans, but unlike others – she is not a star. Ceca will not go down the throne to some European festival. Indira and JK would probably loved it. Lukas would get high. Sasa Kovacevic, well, he is just a pretty head.
Good article. Great choice. Except for Emina, you have basically chosen 5 biggest stars of Serbia. I would presonally add Seka Aleksic or Lepa Brena or Dragana Mirkovic and there you have it!
Listen this artist from Serbia, they are better then Aca, Ceca, and Indira.
Artists: Sevdah baby i Djixx, Zemlja gruva, Sajsi MC, Marko Mandic, The Beatshakers, Sky Wikluh, Svi na pod, Luke Black, Negative, Tea Break, Ensh, Artan Lili, Gramophonedzie, etc, etc.
Much better then that turbo folk shit.
I mean, really, cant you chose something normal for Serbia? All this is just sh*t
I voted for Sasa, Aca Lukas and also wrote in Ivan Kurtic who recently won on Pinkove Zvezde.
He is a Serbian Roma from Nis, and has an excellent voice and good stage presence. Here he’s singing Ederlezi live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiAnINETRPw
Bring back Sara Jo instead
One artist that immediately springs to mind is Jelena Tomasevi?! Amazing artist and soulful singer!
Jelena is the QWEEN!
She is going to serve us some bodyodyody and face ,face,face for our nerve is she is she selected to eurovision one day,i would literally GAG
No to Turbofolk. Big NO to all of them, except Sasa Kovacevic.
And also, In my opinion, Emina doesn’t know how to sing.
I think Emina, Jelena, Sasa and Ceca would all score Top Five with a good song!
That serbian babe Sasa Kovacevic is so damn hot hunk! <3 😀
Of course i voted him 🙂 And he wins the wiwi poll with big margin of votes 🙂
He has gathered over the 28% of the whole votes 🙂
The girl that i first kissed in my teen years when i was teenager {12 years old} 17 years ago back in 1998 was named Sasa by the way.. 🙂
Excluding Emina, you just choose what is worst of Serbia LOL
Please no turbo folk. I know a lot of people from Serbia and Croatia and turbo folk is highly hated, as is Jelena Karleusa and Ceca.
oh and hell no to Aca Lukas, knowing him he would probably get drunk or high before the show lol
I’m saying this as a Serb from Montenegro
No to Ceca
No to Indira
No to Sasa
No to Jelena Karleusa(although she could make an AWESOME performance, her vocal abillities are not so good lol, you can check her Beovizija 2004 performance if you don’t believe me)
YES to Emina, she, unlike Jelena, CAN sing and make the hell out of a show. I was at her concert and I was amazed, I’m really hoping that Serbia will finally send her(or Turkey, who knows 😀 )
I would also suggest Aleksandra Radovic, she has amazing voice!
sasa. done. 🙂