The Eurovision 2024 season is beginning to heat 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 associated with Eurovision are thriving.
Here is our latest weekly roundup with a selection of the songs and music videos released recently by Eurovision stars.
New music from Eurovision artists: 2024 | Week 6
Käärijä x Erika Vikman – “Ruoska”
Eurovision 2023 runner-up, Käärijä, and UMK 2020 runner-up, Erika Vikman, tore up the stage at Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu this weekend. The pair of silver medallists gave the debut performance of their new duet “Ruoska” (“Whip”). It’s a high-energy song that perfectly blends Käärija and Erika’s iconic musical styles, with the former leading the verses whilst the latter takes charge of the chorus: “Even if you give me mercy and embrace me / I wouldn’t feel alive until / There will be a whip, there will be a whip / And the pain is exciting.”
zalagasper – “utiram si pot”
Eurovision 2019 stars zalagasper have shared the short new song “utriam si pot” (“I’m paving my way”). The Slovenian duo describe it as a personal memo with which they remind themselves about persisting through challenges. Gašper leads the singing, discussing how he will continue on in the face of adversity: “I’m paving my way / And if it rains, I open my umbrella / If he blows it away, I catch my breath again / And if I get lost, I find my heartbeat again.”
TIX & Kudos – “Piller i Hjertet”
TIX is ready to party. Norway’s Eurovision 2021 star has teamed up with Kudos for the dance track “Piller i Hjertet” (“Pills in the Heart”). The music of the song gets the heart racing and the blood flowing, though in TIX’s case, he’s also taken something else to enhance this feeling: “It throbs in the heart / It’s pounding in the head / Tonight I’m f***ed up / On pills in the blood.”
LOBODA – “MENTOR”
“Fortunately, I will lay out my vector / Because love is my only mentor / At the moment I feel a thirst for life / I’m coming for you.” LOBODA is being guided by her heart. Ukraine’s Eurovision 2009 star feels herself gravitating towards this person and takes comfort in their presence. The song ends with an English outro from an uncredited vocalist that rounds out the theme of the song: “Love is all we need / And we’re gonna get it on tonight / Wanna make everything complete / Flying to the sky.”
Oya Baby, El Alfa & Alex Sensation feat. Flo Rida and Jowell & Randy – “Sugar Daddy”
Donde está mi sugar daddy? Oya Baby is on the hunt for a man who can treat her right. As part of this search, the singer has brought Flo Rida on board for this new song. San Marino’s Eurovision 2021 rapper features in his own verse of the catchy Latin-pop single: “Mamacita, Cubanita / I like em’ freaky let her ride me en la silla / Mamacita, Cubanita / Flo Rida freaky let her ride me en la silla”
Little Big & Little Sis Nora – “Hardstyle Fish”
Dive into the cool, relaxing waters of the deep blue sea and you might come across some “Hardstyle Fish”. Little Big have collaborated with Swedish singer Little Sis Nora for this club rave anthem. Russia’s Eurovision 2020 entrants take on the persona of some badass aquatic animals who aren’t afraid to fight back in order to avoid appearing on anyone’s plate: “I ain’t never gonna be your dish / Baby I’m a motherf***in Hardstyle Fish / I am not a dog / Or some magic little frog / I’m a Hardstyle Fish.”
Jessica Mauboy – Yours Forever
Yours Forever is Jessica Mauboy’s fifth studio album, and now it’s ours to listen to forever. You’ll find 14 songs on the LP, including recent singles “Flashback”, “Forget You”, “Never Giving Up”, and “Give You Love” (feat. Jason Derulo). Australia’s Eurovision 2018 star brings her soulful voice to every song, whether it be a ballad, R&B, or pop offering. To tie in with the album release, Mauboy has also shared a lyric video for the title song, which features highlight footage from her career so far.
Patrick Fiori – Le chant est libre
After dropping the title single last December, Patrick Fiori has now released the entirety of his new album. Le chant est libre (The singing is free) features 12 songs, mixing ballads and more uptempo numbers. One track has an extra Eurovision connection — “Qu’est-ce qu’on était beaux” sees France’s 1993 contestant joined by four other artists, including the country’s 2024 entrant Slimane.
Athena Manoukian – “Belas”
Athena Manoukian is getting into spot of “Belas (“Trouble”). This trouble is stemming from her relationship, where she and her partner are at loggerheads. However, despite this, Armenia’s Eurovision 2020 entrant still knows the pair continue to share love for one another. Writing on social media, Athena said
“‘Belas’ is a song that refers to relationships that go through various difficulties but nevertheless love is still there. That’s what love is like. Belas!”
O.Torvald – “Червоні колготки”
Andriy “Kuzma” Kuzmenko was a Ukrainian singer who led the rock band Skryabin. He later became a writer and his debut book, Я, “Побєда” і Берлін (Me, “Victory” and Berlin), is now being turned into a film. The movie was originally set to premiere in 2022, but was delayed due to the war in Ukraine. Two years later, it’s finally hitting the big screens. You’ll hear a number of Eurovision alumni on the soundtrack — Jamala and Tina Karol released their songs from the movie back in 2022. Now, Eurovision 2017 band O.Torvald have dropped their contribution, a cover of Skryabin’s “Червоні колготки” (“Red Pantyhose”).
Stig van Eijk – “Kjærlighet”
“What would the world look like if people focused on lifting each other up and not literally tearing each other down?” That’s the question Stig van Eijk, Norway’s Eurovision 1999 representative, poses with his new single. “Kjærlighet” (“Love”) is a chill track with laidback vibe that also features spoken word sections from a child to show that love can be nurtured from a young age.
LPS – “Počakaj me”
“Time flies / And the world goes even faster with you / We’re not getting it back / That’s why I’m waiting for you, I’m waiting for you here.” LPS want to make the most of every moment they have, and to spend that time with friends. Slovenia’s Eurovision 2022 group deliver this message through the charming pop rock song, “Počakaj me” (“Wait for me”). It comes with an equally endearing music video that shows the band heading on a road trip. Speaking more about the message of the song in the video’s description, the band note:
“It talks about the transience of moments and the realisation that we cannot get time back. Let this song be a reminder to surround yourself with people with whom time flies.”
Jurijus – “Falling In Love”
Jurijus is “Falling In Love” again. Lithuania’s Eurovision 2019 representative has got a special someone on his mind and hopes he’ll be able to spend much more with them in the future: “I see the sunset glowing in your eyes / I feel your love is right by / I want to sleep forever in your arms / The sight of your heart makes me smile.” Jurijus utilises electronic production for the song, with some vocoder effects incorporated into this as well.
石元 丈晴 (Takeharu Ishimoto) feat. Stephanie Topalian – “Price of Freedom”
Stephanie Topalian represented Armenia as part of Genealogy at Eurovision 2015, representing Armenians who have fled to Asia. She continues her work in Japan and has now featured on the new acoustic album by Takeharu Ishimoto. Topalian provides vocals for five tracks, including “Price of Freedom”. Accompanied by piano and strings, she sings about a person who has lifted her up to new heights: “Even when we part, you will never be gone / As the times go by, there’s something that I realise / There was not a single thing that I can do, if I didn’t have you.”
New national final songs from Eurovision artists
Here are the new songs from Eurovision stars released this week that have been entered into a national selection for Eurovision 2024.
Mahmood – “Tuta Gold” (Sanremo)
Eurovision participation: Italy 2019 & 2022
Emma – “Apnea” (Sanremo)
Eurovision participation: Italy 2014
Il Volo – “Capolavoro” (Sanremo)
Eurovision participation: Italy 2015
Ricchi e Poveri – “Ma non tutta la via”
Eurovision participation: Italy 1978
Diodato – “Ti muovi” (Sanremo)
Eurovision participation: Italy 2020 (contest cancelled)
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.
You missed Ricchi e Poveri for previous Eurovision acts in national finals with new songs.