Natalia Gordienko will represent Moldova at Eurovision 2021 with her song “Sugar”.
Natalia was originally due to sing “Prison” at Eurovision 2020. However, the contest was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, just like several other countries, Moldova rested its usual national final for one year and internally selected Natalia instead. Her entry “Sugar” was premiered at a lavish red carpet event in Moscow, organised by her Eurovision collaborators “The Dream Team”.
Let’s take a look at 10 facts you need to know about Natalia Gordienko. Let’s do this!
Moldova at Eurovision 2021: Facts about Natalia Gordienko
1. She’s a Eurovision veteran
Last year wasn’t Natalia’s first bite of the Eurovision apple. She first represented Moldova at Eurovision 2006. She performed alongside boyband star Arsenium and Moldovan rapper Connect-R. They brought Latin vibes to the Athens stage with their song “Loca”. The song placed 20th in the grand final.
2. She got her big break at the age of ten
Natalia has performed since the age of five, but had to wait a few years to get her big break. At the age of ten, she featured on the Moldovan children’s television show Cheiţa de aur (Golden Key) and became a star.
3. She placed second at the Slavianski Bazaar
In 2006, Natalia was the runner-up at Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, an annual Belarusian music festival dedicated to Slavic music. The prestigious contest has previously been won by future Eurovision stars like Ruslana, Željko Joksimović and Donny Montell.
4. She’s a New Wave winner
The following year, Natalia went on to win New Wave, the international contest for young performers. New Wave has previously been won by future Eurovision stars like Sergey Lazarev (as part of Smash!!!), Jamala and DoReDos. We haven’t been able to find any performance clips from the contest, but here’s Natalia backstage with Romania’s Mihai Traistariu.
5. She collaborated with Mohombi
Natalia is an established pop performer and in 2016, she collaborated with the Swedish R&B star and Melodifestivalen regular Mohombi. Their song “Habibi” combined Middle Eastern and Latin vibes, creating a breezy, summer vibe. To date, the video has clocked up over one million views on YouTube.
6. She’s an award-winning DJ
In 2009, Natalia started the DJ Star project. She even took to doing some DJing herself, despite having no experience behind the decks. Natalia went on to win first prize in her competition.
7. She’s an Honoured Artist of Moldova
In 2008, Natalia was given the Artist Emerit honour, awarded by the President of Moldova. She was the youngest singer to have ever received this award. It might seem a little premature to give such an award to an artist who was only 20, but as Natalia has shown in the 12 years since, her career has only gone from strength to strength.
8. She hosts the Moldovan national lottery show
Every week, Moldovans tune into the Loteria Națională to see who will strike it lucky. Natalia helps to host the half-hour show, which includes different games of chance.
9. She regularly collaborates with the Dream Team
Both “Prison” — Natalia’s intended entry for Eurovision 2020 — and “Sugar” were co-written by the so-called “Dream Team”. Behind both songs were the Russian maestro Philipp Kirkorov, the successful Greek songwriter Dimitris Kontopoulos and “Scream” lyricist Sharon Vaughn. The trio were joined by Mikhail Gutseriev on the “Sugar” credits”.
10. She’s a mother
As well as having a busy showbiz career, Natalia is also a mother. In 2017 she gave birth to a baby boy. And it’s a family affair — Natalia’s grandmother helps raise her great-grandson.
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What do you think of Natalia’s career? Are you ready for some sugar? Tell us your thoughts below!
I honestly didn’t like “Poison” at all. “Sugar” is not a masterpiece but it is certainly better designed for the Eurovision audience and the contest and I think it will get more than what the previous entry would have gotten.
I need to make a personal announcement: if any sexy Moldovan man wants to know me, write me, I am ready to open my heart!
Fact number 6 confuses me a bit. She started a DJ contest, had no experience of DJing but went on to win it?
Forgot fact 11. Sold herself and became Kirkorov’s pet.
WARNING! NATALIA GORDIENKO THE LORD AND SAVIOR IS COMING… STREAM SUGAR AND VOTE FOR MOLDOVA OR REPENT!
I thought Mohombi had only appeared twice at Melodifestivalen.
Sugar is not my cuo of tea, but I hope Natalia can redeem the result of Loca. Moldova is a country that, despite having less resources than other public broadcasters, can be very creative and thus I think they deserve to win the contest someday and host it in Kishinev the following year.
Wiwibloggs are doing these “10 facts” articles about every contestant.
Currently, her song Sugar sits at my #10.
I almost coughed up my cereal as my eyes scrolled past your comment!
you’ll be happy to hear that she flutters between my 5-3rd place
Oh that I don’t mind 😉
It was that I initially misread part of what OP had posted about where Sugar sits.
She posts in Russian and not Romanian?
About 15% of Moldovans use Russian as their first language, maybe she’s in this group, dunno.
Well, if you know your history, Moldova used to be one of the 15 countries that was part of the Soviet union. That would explain why she would know Russian.
I do know this, but this isn’t necessarily a proper explanation. Armenia and Azerbaijan also were a part of the Soviet Union and neither of these two countries use Russian as their recognised language, in contrary to, say, Moldova.
Natalia would have been 4 years old when the Soviet Union collapsed and Moldova became an independent republic. Moldova’s specific cultural ties to Russia obviously extend beyond the context of the USSR.
Her parents are Ukrainian and she therefore knows Russian, Ukrainian and Romanian
It may have something to do that she has Ukranian origins and I suppose that a lot of her followers are from Russia-Ukraine too.
That too. Her surname is Ukrainian
She is gorgeous and talented !