CT — the Eurovision broadcaster in the Czech Republic — only revealed that they’d stage a six-act national final on December 7, but news of who will sing is already leaking.
Escportal.cz — the Central European country’s leading Eurovision news site — reports that Jakub Ondra and Mikolas Josef are two of the lucky acts who will sing it out for the ticket to Eurovision 2018.
As the site reports, Jakub confirmed his selection in an interview with Czech publication Frontman.
“I was recently surprised to learn that I was selected and advanced with the song ‘Reasons To Love You‘ to the final selection of the Eurovision Song Contest,” he said on December 4.
“I signed up for it with this song that is the most catchy I’ve ever written. So I’m curious and I’m going to surprise you. Of course, I would like it if it came out and I could go on to represent the Czech Republic in Lisbon.”
Readers of wiwibloggs may be familiar with him.
Our Prague-based blogger Mikhail selected Jakub as the Czech Republic’s candidate for wiwivision 2016 — our alternative Eurovision Song Contest with the song “On The Menu”. You can check it out below. Note: This is not his Eurovision entry.
As you can see in the video, he’s got both a strong sound and look. His music is toe-tapping, warm and current — a promising combination that will serve him well in the final.
Mikolas Josef previously confirmed that he had submitted his song “Lie to me” to the selection.
And recently Escportal spotted the singer on the Instagram stories feed of a member of the Czech delegation, who was streaming as the six finalists shot a promo for the national final.
A current song with an infectious rhythm and a fresh beat, “Lie to Me” would break CT’s streak of ballads. The catchy number mixes trap music, R&B and pop to great effect and comes with some seriously saucy lyrics. As he says, “Oh, she a good girl at home, but her skirt goes up like Marilyn Monroe.”
He hoped to represent his country last year, but lost out to Martina Barta in the behind-the-scenes negotiations. No matter. His passion remains — as he showed in an interview last November when he said his only goal would be victory at Eurovision. He also mentioned that he would love to incorporate some of his other talents — including breakdancing and gymnastics — into a potential ESC performance.
Are you excited by the prospect of these two gents in the Czech Republic’s Eurovision final? Do their sounds work for you? Let us know in the comments box below.
Between these two I prefer Jakub Ondra. His song is catchy, happy and radiofriendly. Don’t know how the song submitted “Reasons to Love” sounds, but I suppose it would be something similar to the one posted above. About Mikolas Josef, I don’t like the song, it’s cool, but I don’t enjoy it.
I’m looking forward to see who are the other four artist.
I really like both songs! Is it possible that The Czech Republic has found it’s way to smoothly glide into the finals? Early to say, but I am rooting for them. Hope that other four songs are just as good, or that one of these wins.
Hope Mikolas song for ESC is ‘Lie to me’ cause it’s A BOP!
Yeah, but, how do they sound live?
Mikolas, just please, win this thing and go straight to Lisbon.
Lie to meme, is the best song by far! It’s fresh, modern and it could do well. And it’s rreally catchy!
Considering it’s the only song from this nf we know so far it’s not saying much 😉
But yeah, I agree it’s good – it’s catchy and fun.
I think no one will beat this song. It’s so good in so many areas. 🙂
Well, I just listened to Reasons to Love You and I must say that it’s also really good. Different then Lie to Me, but equaly catchy and enjoyable. Man, only two songs in and I already have trouble choosing which song I’ll vote for.
It seems like the Czech Republic is letting their artists have a lot of artistic freedom this year. Good thing they’re starting to care about the contest, they’re one of the few countries who could easily afford to host but who never won.
Definitely! Would love to see Eurovision in Prague. It’s such a beautiful city. However, I want Georgia to host at least once. Tbilisi looks gorgeous.
Georgia just hosted Junior Eurovision and apparently they had issues with hotels and such. So no they shouldn’t host anytime soon.
Prague has the facilities to host the contest.
Czech rep is a poor country how can do they afford easily?
Nah… Czechia is definitely not poor…
Poor? All major economic groups say the Czech Republic is a developed country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developed_country
The fact that Uruguay is of the same color as Kenya kinda invalidates that map, but anyway, for anyone with common sense the Czech Republic is a full-fledged Western country.
That’s the HDI, which is not the best to identify a developed country (in this case, Saudi Arabia and Russia are developed too).
IMF and OECD are better indexes for that.
Australia is a developed country yet Kenya had superior internet connectivity… wealth means nothing.
Yeah, but you need money to host ESC, not just better internet connection. Kenya could do it though, it’s not “that” expensive.
@garik
Lol, I’m from the Czech republic and we are definitely NOT poor 🙂
lol, we aren’t poor 😉
Girl… they have all the advantages of the Western countries, without most of the disadvantages. Where do you even live to think they’re poor?
Eurovision Young Dancers says hi.
Sorry, don’t think Lie to Me is suited for this competition. Radio-friendly – yes, but I can only imagine the juries slating this song, and if the low televote points which the Czech Republic have received over this year and last year, then he’ll be stuck in the semi’s imo.
Yeah, I think songs in the style of Lie to Me are televote poison and that they shouldn’t choose it, but there are other five songs to choose from anyway.
Definitely! Would love to see Eurovision in Prague. It’s such a beautiful city. However, I want Georgia to host at least once. Tbilisi looks gorgeous.
*sorry there was a little mistake with my comment.
ts, I completely agree with you. Idk why people are soo overhyped about Lie to Me?!
It’s a nice song, but nothing that could gain a lot of points from the televotes.
However, the Czech Republic should finally go to another direction, and stop sending ballads, after 3 consecutive years.
They could send a bop like Nafrnena by Barbora Polakova. Do you know that song? It’s the most streamed song ever on YouTube by a Czech artist. The good sis would never do Eurovision, though.
We usually don’t see this type of song in the competition, so the predictions now are merely speculation. I believe it would do well, it’s fresh and current, very radio-friendly as you noted. I don’t think the jury will put it down either.
United Kingdom 2015…
Are you suggesting that “Lie to Me” is the same type of music of Electro Velvet? Because I really don’t think so…
There were tho songs in past competition years that people thought would be slated by juries. ‘Cheesecake’ for example. Everyone didn’t see that qualifying but when it did, we were all shocked. I’m sure that with the right staging and with a lot of promotion, this song would get Czech Republic a spot in the final.
I got to know (and love) Jakoub Ondra via wiwivision. Still waiting for wiwivision 2017, you still have a month 😉
I understand, but I would love to see it back in 2018
but also wow what happened czechia used to not care at all about this contest and in a matter of a couple of years they’re attracting well-known singers how great is this???
Well, majority of czech people still don’t care. Lot of them don’t even know what ESC is. Our 2007-09 participation was a fiasco as we thought we were too good for the competition. Hopefully – with this new approach – it’ll get better, I really hope for it.
i would 100% support jakub ondra if chosen
lie to me is okay but I think it’s too electro swing
They are both amazing!!!!!! I smell a Czech victory!!!
Wow! Czech Republic is on fire!! hahah
This “Lie to Me” is rather good. A bop and would probably qualify.
I think Slovenia and Czech Republic will have GREAT songs this year!:)