Eurovision rehearsals kick off on Monday, and Russia’s Sergey Lazarev is busy stretching his vocals and teasing us as he does.

On Thursday he and his team of backing vocalists and dancers gathered to work on their performance, which Sergey recently revealed will require immense physical endurance.

A highlight for us was hearing them perform “You Are The Only One” a cappella. Try accusing him of playback here!

Sergey’s on-stage team is mostly Swedish, and most of them have performed at either Eurovision or Melodifestivalen.

They are: Alvaro Estrella (Sweden 2011, Azerbaijan 2013, Melodifestivalen 2014), Jennie Jahns (Azerbaijan 2013, Azerbaijan 2014), Daniel Gill (Malta 2008, Sweden 2011, Norway 2012), Adam Svensson (Melodifestivalen dancer) and Johan D. Seil.

Daniel — a Brit — is the only non-Swede, but he lives in the Scandinavian country.

His vocal coach Alex Panayi — who we spoke with at Junior Eurovision 2014 — is incredibly well-respected.

He served as a juror on Cyprus’ Eurovision Song Project 2015 and competed at Eurovision 1995 and 2000.

You can see him in the video above at left directing the rehearsal.

Back to Moscow. ? #eurovision2016

A post shared by Johan D. Seil (@jdseil) on

Back in December 2015 we already knew that Russia was going for gold this year.

As we reported at the time, producer Philipp Kirkorov had assembled a dream team to work on the song, including Dimitris Kontopoulos, who has created some of the most successful and memorable Eurovision entries along with Kirkorov.

They include Eurovision 2008 runner-up “Shady Lady” from Ani Lorak and Russia’s 2014 entry “Shine” by the Tolmachevy sisters.

Fokas Evangelinos, the stage director and choreographer, oversaw the stage direction for Dima Bilan’s 2006 entry with the piano woman and Farid Mammadov’s man-in-a-box from 2013.

These Eurovision all-stars are gunning for the trophy. Do you think they’ve got what it takes?

READ MORE RUSSIA EUROVISION NEWS

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Manne
7 years ago

Fikiri: why are Russia nr 1 everywere. Russia maffia pays everything

elis
elis
7 years ago

@Charles
make your conclusions about yourself, not about me. Looks like you are the one here who thinks and dreams about Sergey.
I gave you facts from producer of Russian entrance at ESC 2016. And you try to judge his own career on stage, when its not connected with Sergey and his perfomance at all. They needed singers and dancers in one, and they found them in Sweden.
go on, deny reality, deny all facts, stay angry and jealous. Looks like you like it.

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

@elis: 1) Define “angry” and look up for the word “shade” or “sarcasm” if you have time left after wasting hours listening to Sergey … 2) Who on earth is still paying attention to Filipp Kirkorov anyway? He’s like Christer Björkmann of Russia, another Simon Cowell-wannabe, desperate and eager to win Eurovision at any cost … he never really accepted his awful score in 1995 .. so let’s use Swedish back up singers and dancers ….after all we’re in Sweden … what a coincidence so unintentional … right …

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

@fikri: Remind me to sending you for Xmas a RiRi Dictionary for you to understand better the concept of attack if there is still some room left in your brain not occupied with Sergey for you to learn something more than any 5th grader . And that LOL right after your first question? Seriously? So Kardashian …But if you think that being 1st or 2nd in any poll or whatever makes him the best artist this year …then my dog is the same thing in all my polls …

power b.
power b.
7 years ago

Yesterday’s show at Russia One Chanel with Sergey is now available (if you understand Russian)
https://russia.tv/video/show/brand_id/5169/episode_id/1297081/video_id/1468661/

fikri
fikri
7 years ago

@charles: why are you attacking everyone who supports sergey? lol… i mean, you can scream on the rooftop to the whole world and it still won’t change the fact that he’s 2nd in ogae poll, 1st in wiwibloggs jury reviews and 1st in 1st in betting odds, just sayin’. clearly his song is the best -if not one of the best- in the contest.

i do dream about sergey, actually. what’s that about, well… it’s none of your business. 🙂

elis
elis
7 years ago

@Charles
wow, you are so angry….brr.
today, Filipp Kirkorov gave answer on this question, why they have chosen swedish back vocalists. He said that they need singing and dancing vocalists, and the only country which has school for dancing and singing at the same time back vocalists is Sweden. I suppose somewhere in Russia there are back vocalists who can sing and dance at the same time, but they are hard to find. And Sweden has lots of them.

Jylia
Jylia
7 years ago

People who said that Sergey has no voice, can’t sing and use a playback…where are you? I miss you…kidding, not really)
Well, for those who interested, these 4 guys are also dancers so they’re gonna sing and dance at the same time

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

@katra: Winning material … in 1983 you mean? We’re in 2016 …right? @fikri: I can only wonder how many times a day you dream of Sergey and what those dreams are really about? Clearly not music … that certaintly would be too irrelevant … So … Swedish back up singers … cuz there are no suitable Russian singers that could do the job? Oh I see .. it would be to degrading and humiliating to ask them to be “back up” … right … humility at its best … so let’s ask a bunch of Swedish nobody-knows-who-they-are to do the… Read more »

Comi
Comi
7 years ago

Why aren’t you posting about Sanja’s(Serbia) first TV performance of her song?

katra
katra
7 years ago

The song is winning material. I am slightly worried of the over-trying though. Sometimes it’s the more laid back songs that to do well. Good luck.

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@power.b

maybe you could give her a vote, remember Moscow where Sergey was so kind to give his coat to Ira 🙂

power b.
power b.
7 years ago

Nicky
I do hope she will end up at top 5, but recently Bulgarias song took over the odds. As for semis – she will definitely lead along with Russia.

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@power.b

also another question for you, how do you see the chances of Malta this year with Ira Losco?

power b.
power b.
7 years ago

Nicky
Yes, I’m Russian. But my roots are from Cyprus and Armenia. Also I love spending my holidays in London with my cousin 😉

momentum
momentum
7 years ago

SUPER! Russia, Sergey – winner!

Maclaren
Maclaren
7 years ago

Hi Eugene, what is your take on Bulgaria’s fourth / fifth place with bookies? Also noticed yesterday that it was catapulted from ca 10th to top 5 in a matter of one day. What’s happening there? And yes the fact that France stopped gaining momentum with bookies have been noted here as well

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@power.b

just a question, are you russian? 🙂

and we are similar to each other, I Like Ira, just like you like Sergey, we both have different tastes of music

anyway, we both don’t like overscreaming diva’s, am i right 🙂

power b.
power b.
7 years ago

Irina
Kogda lyudyam ne do chego bolshe doebatsya, oni nachinayut provodit paralleli
Take it easy 😉

Irina
Irina
7 years ago

Really Sergey is Sakis???:)) It is write people who don t know Lazarev:))) Ok, see sooner:))

power b.
power b.
7 years ago

Nicky
Oh yes, we are, girlfriend lol 🙂

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@power.b

so we are competition this year 🙂

power b.
power b.
7 years ago

Nicky
I would definitely do both. Sakis and Sergey. At the same time hopefully.

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@power.b

well i don’t see it as a winner, it’s more of a Sakis Rouvas clone, who also had a massive staging with his songs

I really loved Polina, but Sergey is nowhere near how great Polina was last year 🙂

Manne
7 years ago

Vinia 19: Daniel Gill has lived in Sweden for many years. But i shamed of them, that they sing for Russia.

fikri
fikri
7 years ago

his performance this monday will turn all the naysayers to sayyayers, i’m sure! go sergey! 😀

power b.
power b.
7 years ago

Nicky91
hey love
russia took all the boxes:
catchy tune
hot guy
staging is gonna be like wow
you know, its like the whole package and i do really believe it can win

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@power.b

why???? i just can’t like this song, even the backing vocalists of Sergey are better singers than him lol 🙂

Previ
Previ
7 years ago

Backing vocals will give this song an extra boost. Really impressive and strong voices

power b.
power b.
7 years ago

this is winning, really, it is!

Rachael
Rachael
7 years ago

Sounds amazing

Nicky91
Nicky91
7 years ago

@Lola you can’t be serious, this song is so cliche hahahahahahahaha @karminowe.usta well the irony that the song isn’t exciting, it’s bland and boring and i feel awkward listening to it but that’s your taste of music i guess, and yes i know what i’m talking about, i’ve got some years of experience watching The Voice, X Factor and Eurovision, so i know something about music, also my favourite music is 80’s and current hits right now, favourite singers for me are Red Hot Chili Peppers ( have you heard of them) and the beatles, but also lot of current… Read more »

vinia19
vinia19
7 years ago

The winner. Daniel Gill is not Swedish, he is British.

karminowe.usta
karminowe.usta
7 years ago

Sergey must win because his song is very exciting. I can`t stop to listen “You are the only one”:)

It would be amazing and unforgettable show;)

PS I like Shady Lady – this performance was great:)

Lola
Lola
7 years ago

Winners!

Marco
Marco
7 years ago

Why are you not talking about Barei’s first acoustic concertar with their backing vocalists??? In this page is all about France, Rusia, Italia and Australla. We also want no Know about the other countries please!!

David Who
David Who
7 years ago

Impressive singing, but it’s in a lower key than the video track started in. (Unless, of course, the difference is due to the way the live recording was recorded. That can happen.)
I wish them all the best. Please don’t lower the key though!!