The Eurovision 2021 season is hotting up. Over the course of the next few months, we will all fall in and out of love with scores of new national final and Eurovision entries. But that doesn’t mean we forget about the artists from past contests.

Contrary to the commonly perpetuated myth about the song contest killing careers, we’re always thrilled to report that singers and performers associated with both Eurovision itself and the various national selections are thriving.

Here is a selection of just some of the songs and music videos released in the last week or so.

New music from Eurovision artists: 2021 | Week 3

fiedlerski (feat. Ben Cristovao and STEIN27) – “pápá”

Before he releases his Eurovision 2021 entry, Ben Cristovao has taken the time to feature on “pápá” (“bye bye”), the new track by producer fiedlerski. Although the song mixes elements of hip-hop and indie-rock, it still has a relatively chilled-out sound to it. Ben delivers the first verse and both choruses, with fellow featured rapper STEIN27 contributing the second verse. The lyrics see the Czech star learning to move on from from a failed relationship: “I just wanted to tell you I’m not calling you back / Because I’m learning to be alone / I’m not looking at your stories or what you’re doing now / I no longer decide which eyes to undress”.

Francesca Michielin (feat. Vasco Brondi) – “Cattive Stelle”

Francesca Michielin will be performing with Fedez at Sanremo 2021. But before then, the Eurovision 2016 star has teamed up with another Italian singer, Vasco Brondi, for her latest single “Cattive Stelle” (“Bad Stars”). This song continues on from Francesca’s FEAT project released last year, where she collaborated with numerous artists for the album’s eleven songs. “Cattive Stelle” is a softer offering compared to many on the album, with the Italian star delivering an atmospheric ballad. Talking about how this latest track fits into the project on social media, Francesca noted:

“FEAT is a mix of nature and urban, and, after a year inside the house, wants to go out “to see the stars again”. Cattive Stelle is a naked and raw song, light music because her dress is light. Inside there are words of love and time.”

Sam Moran (feat. Guy Sebastian) – “Pool Party”

Guy Sebastian’s fan base spans a wide array of ages. For the time being, the Australian star is giving a bit of love to the very youngest of his fans. The Eurovision 2015 alum features on the new single by Sam Moran, who is best known as a former member of children’s band the Wiggles. Naturally, it’s currently rather warm down under as they go through their summer months, so Sam and Guy have decided to throw a pool party. They tell us this repeatedly throughout the happy three-minute-long track, in addition to the fact that they’re “inviting everybody” (or presumably at least only those with no Covid-19 symptoms).

Guy has also recently collaborated with Australian rapper Illy on the song “Lonely”, which features on the latter’s new album The Space Between.

Timebelle – “Dopamina”

Timebelle are getting high off the spice of life in their new single “Dopamina” (“Dopamine”). The Swiss-Romanian band’s lead singer Miruna Mănescu sings the song entirely in Spanish, declaring that she’s going against the wishes of her family and is still going to chase after the feeling she gets being around a particular person: “My family doesn’t like it / And they were right / Strong collision / And although the heart hurts / I do not care what they say / I’m going to steal your attention”. Sonically, the track has a summery Latin-pop feel to it that might help warm the soul in the middle of the European winter.

Wig Wam – Never Say Die

Fans of glam-metal band Wig Wam have been waiting quite some time for their comeback (since 2012 to be exact). But now, the Norwegian group have released their new album Never Say Die. The LP features 12 songs, including pre-released singles “Never Say Die” and “Kilimanjaro”. Wig Wam return full of energy and with a multitude of guitars that creates the perfect atmosphere to let go and rock out.

ByeAlex és a Slepp (feat. Halott Pénz) – “Boldog leszek”

Hungarian band ByeAlex és a Slepp have brought in the help of hip-hop group Halott Pénz for their first single of 2021. “Boldog leszek” (“I’ll be happy”) was originally the opening track of ByeAlex és a Slepp’s 2020 album Rehab, but the single version sees Halott Pénz contributing to the lyrics alongside lead singer and Eurovision 2013 alum ByeAlex. They state that they’re trying to get out of a depressive mindset and aiming to remain positive in life: “I’ll be happy, breath in / I’ll be happy, breath out / I concentrate on the breathing / How can I be always down like this?”.

ZOË and PAMO – “Nacht”

Austria’s Eurovision 2016 star ZOË is now taking her French-language skills to other people’s songs. She’s collaborated with PAMO on the new single “Nacht”. While PAMO delivers the verses in German, ZOË takes lead of the choruses in French. The result is an interesting blend of PAMO’s hip-hop styled rap and ZOË’s lighter and softer vocals.

Mira Awad – “Yaba (Father)”

Mira Awad made history at Eurovision 2009 by singing the first Israeli Eurovision song to contain Arabic lyrics. For her latest single, “Yaba (Father)”, Awad is exploring her history as an Arab-Israeli in more detail, as she notes in the music video’s description:

“My father and I were born and raised in the same exact geographical spot – A village called Rameh in the Galilee. However, he was born in 1936 in what was called Palestine, while in 1975 I was born in Israel. The song Yaba is about our identity as native Palestinian citizens of this troubled homeland.”

Sonically, “Yaba” is a simple ballad with Awad’s emotional vocals solely accompanied by an acoustic guitar. The Eurovision alum sings: “Father, our land is beneath our feet / But we have no homeland / We live in houses of stone / But feel in exile”. Mira’s father is the main star of the music video.

FOURCE – “Met Niemand Delen”

Boyband FOURCE were put together to compete in the Netherlands’ Junior Songfestival 2017, and went on to represent the country at Junior Eurovision the same year, where they topped the televote. Over three years later, and the group consisting of Max, Jannes, Niels and Ian are still going strong, having achieved 20 number one hits on the Dutch Kids Top 20 chart in that time. Their latest single is “Met Niemand Delen” (“Share With Nobody”). It’s a slow, acoustic-guitar-accompanied ballad that showcases the growth each of the members has gone through – no longer pre-teens, they’re slowly becoming young adults.

1988 (feat. Margaret and Kacha) – “Bajkał”

The pop-influenced Margaret that Eurovision fans may remember from Krajowe Eliminacje 2016 and Melodifestivalen is certainly no longer here. The Polish star has since fully emerged herself with a hip-hop sound, and continues this by featuring alongside fellow Polish singer Kacha on the new single from producer 1988. The title of the track, “Bajkał”, refers to the Lake Baikal in Siberia, which is the deepest lake in the world. This water theme continues in the music video, with Margaret and Kacha performing while half submerged in a pool.

Ana Guerra and David Otero – “Peter Pan”

If you fly through the night and head for the second star to the right, you might just come across Spain’s Ana Guerra and David Otero singing their new single “Peter Pan”. Guerra, who competed in the Operación Triunfo 2017 Eurovision Gala, joins Otero for the ballad that discusses the fear of growing up. Speaking about the song, Guerra noted:

“Working with David has been a dream that I had never thought would be so beautiful. In the recording studio, he was so Peter Pan and I so Tinker Bell. Sometimes we resist growing up for fear of leaving behind that childhood and innocence that we all carry inside. Thanks David for teaching me that in life it always snows and everything stays smooth to start over. Thank you very much for counting on me to give voice to this wonder. And remember, if someone wants to reach Neverland, they must fly to the top of the sky and follow the second star to the right.”

Molly Sandén – “Kärlek slutar alltid med bråk”

One of Sweden’s top artists over recent years, Molly Sandén continues her run with “Kärlek slutar alltid med bråk” (“Love always ends in trouble”). It’s a well-produced pop ballad in which the Junior Eurovision and Melodifestivalen alum sings about her difficulty in sustaining a relationship: “Love always ends in trouble / Maybe it must be difficult to dare to go / Should one even try to understand? / Starts easily, feels so right but always goes wrong anyway”. Molly originally performed a stripped-back version of the track last year for the charity TV show Musikhjälpen.

Mia Negovetić and Edi – “Ljubav nema kraj”

Edi Abazi and Mia Negovetić met each other while both competing at Dora 2020. Now, they’ve joined forces for their first collaboration, “Ljubav Nema Kraj” (“Love Has No End”). The duo recorded the ballad via WhatsApp voicemails during Croatia’s first lockdown. “Ljubav Nema Kraj” tells the story of two characters who are deeply in love despite their big differences. This is shown through the music video, where Edi wears casual street clothes whilst Mia is all dressed up in a black dress. The music video was shot inside the City Museum of Rijeka and some of the exhibitions can be seen throughout the video. It currently trends on YouTube in Croatia at #13. (Mario)

Mariette – “The One That Got Away”

Four-time Melodifestivalen finalist Mariette is reminiscing about a past relationship in her new single “The One That Got Away”. An indie ballad that builds throughout its duration, the Swedish star sings about a person that she could have seen herself spending her life with: “In another life it could be me / You’re lying next to when you fall asleep / Two feet away / You’re still the one that got away”. On Instagram, Mariette noted why she thinks this song could resonate with many:

“I think we all can relate to that special someone that slipped through your fingers one way or another. An unexplored journey. A person that always have a special place in your heart, no matter what you’ve gone through or what your life looks like.”

Shirley Clamp – “Vill göra allting nu”

In a few weeks, Shirley Clamp will host the Andra chansen round of Melodifestivalen 2021 alongside Christer Björkman. Before then, the six-time Melfest contestant has dropped “Vill göra allting nu” (“Want to do everything now”). It’s a soft ballad featuring a mixture of acoustic and electric guitar instrumentation. The Swedish singer commented about the message of the song on social media:

“The song was born when I met my new love and I wrote it in secret while we were growing up and became something fantastic. It is about daring, feeling and believing. I’ve not been good at it before. It is also about throwing yourself out and not postponing love. Why wait?”

Jaguar Jonze – “Astronaut”

Australia’s Jaguar Jonze has released the new single “Astronaut”. In a post to her fans on social media, the Eurovision – Australia Decides 2020 participant notes that the song is “about my lifelong battle with anxiety – a contradiction between feeling lost in vast spaces and trapped in claustrophobic spaces. It took years for me to find the right arrangement and to feel ready to share the song. I hope it connects with someone else too.” Jonze showcases a softer side of her music compared to what we’ve seen before, delivering a mid-tempo indie-ballad.

Sondrey – “Insomnia”

At Melodi Grand Prix 2020, Sondrey showcased his cool and suave synth-pop sound. Now, the Norwegian star continues down that road with the new song “Insomnia”. Sondrey sings about loosing sleep over a person who keeps chasing after him: “Still you calling me / Can’t let go, I’m loosing sleep / I can hear you in my dreams / Insomnia, insomnia”.

RAYA – “Pollyanna”

She competed in the UK’s Eurovision: You Decide in 2018 with a Greta Salóme penned track. But this time, Raya Clark is doing it all on her own in “Pollyanna”. This is RAYA’s first self-produced song and if you ask the London based singer and DJ, it sure takes guts to make one: “After years and years of fear and procrastination and telling myself I’m not good enough, it feels good to just DO IT.” Unlike her national final entry “Crazy”, this latest track is less pop and more groovy. (Mario)

Click on the links below to read our individual articles on other new songs released by past Eurovision stars in the last week:

Go_A – “SHUM”

Athena Manoukian – “You Should Know” (music video)

Which of these new songs is your favourite? Have we missed out on any? Do you have any artists you want to shout out to? Let us know in the comments.

Read more new music reviews here

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3 Comments
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Okt
Okt
3 years ago

Lovely to listen to something different from Mariette. Great song and lyrics.

Rezzo
Rezzo
3 years ago

Ulrikke released a new song you might have missed on the playlist.

Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago

Jaguar Jonze is great, I love her music and the aesthetics she picks for her videos.