New music releases from Hadise, OG3NE, Barei and more

It’s a long wait until Eurovision season kicks back into gear again. So, here’s some recent new music releases from past artists to help tide you over until the national finals kick off again next winter.

Hadise “Farkımız Var”

She first rose to fame in Belgium. But since representing the land of her ancestors at Eurovision 2009, Hadise has gone on to become one of Turkey’s biggest pop superstars. In 2015 she became, at the time, only the second Eurovision star to pass 100 million views on YouTube. And she’s not afraid to use her clout to hit out at media censorship and Turkey’s continued absence from Eurovision.

With over 67 million views on the official music video for her latest single “Farkımız Var” (We Are Different), her star shows no signs of dimming just yet. Released in March, the track sees Hadise detail the ways in which she and a lover are incompatible. Over electro beats with urban and ethno flourishes, she sings “We have a limit / We’re not allowed to cross the line / … / We have no words to pass the test”.

Barei “You Number One”

At Eurovision 2016 she became the first Spanish representative to sing completely in English. And, for the most part, Barei’s follow-up releases have also been in English. Her newest single “You Number One” is no exception. The stripped-back number is something of a motivational anthem, urging the listener to “do your thing / There is no one better / You know what I mean / Get over the ceiling”. Light and breezy, it acts as a gentle motivator and reminds us that “You’re the only one / No one is better than you / So forget ’em all /’Cause you’re a number one”. After getting her fans to help write “Impulso” in 2017, Barei calls upon her followers once again to make the official music video for “You Number One”. Published in May, it consists of multiple homemade clips made using the musical.ly app.

OG3NE “Clouds Across The Sun”

After their 11th place finish for the Netherlands in Kyiv, the ladies of OG3NE called in the big guns for their post-Eurovision bop “But I Do”, a Zara Larsson co-write. Their latest release “Clouds Across The Sun” may lack any Scandi-superstar involvement, but the group’s trademark harmonies are tighter than ever. Described in official promotional material as a “chill house song”, the Vol siblings sing of a long-lost summer romance. They drank Bloody Marys and danced all night, only to never meet again. The official music video has a happier ending, with the two young protagonists triumphing over bullies and ending up together.

Joci Pápai “Látomás”

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Joci Pápai’s unique mix of music and his Romani culture brought Hungary a top ten finish at Eurovision 2017. So it’s not surprising that Joci has continued to explore the sound in his subsequent releases, including “Látomás” (Vision), which landed in May. Once again, the singer deals with dark themes, singing of a messed up world. The accompanying music video is highly stylised. Filmed in black and white, it features a dancer not dissimilar to the one who joined him on stage in Kyiv. She lithely moves between billowing computer-generated smoke, which gives the clip Bond-like vibes.

Alyona Lanskaya and Gleb Matveychuk “Если бы не ты”

Just like numerous popstrels who went before her — Ani Lorak, Ivi Adamou, to name just two — Belarus’ Alyona Lanskaya has long since abandoned the frivolous pop numbers that brought her Eurovision love. For her latest effort, the Eurovision 2013 star joins forces with the Russian singer Gleb Marveychuk. “Если бы не ты” translates to “If Not You”, and sees the pair ask who can save their respective hearts if not each other. There’s high drama both sonically and visually — the two spend most of the official music video circling each other menacingly before ending the clip in an embrace.