Azerbaijan: Farid Mammadov Releases New Single

Farid Mammadov returned to Azerbaijan as the runner-up at Eurovision 2013. But he has certainly won the award for most controversial placing in Malmö. In wake of the contest, Azerbaijan has been accused of paying for some of Farid’s 234 points and the investigation into the accusations are still going strong. It’s fair to say he and his “shadow” were certainly one of the most memorable acts from 2013.

After almost two months of hibernation, Farid returned to the spotlight yesterday by releasing new single “K tebe”. Unlike his Eurovision entry “Hold Me”, this song is sung in Azerbaijani rather than in English. Yet it is still an orchestral ballad that reminds us of the Farid we all know and love.

Despite most of us not understanding the lyrics, “K tebe” is still surprisingly catchy and somehow finds a way of getting stuck in our heads. We may not have the wind machines and flying petals, but the song still doesn’t hold back on the violin and electric guitar combo. It’s perfect for those who are at a loss without Eurovision or the National Selections.

The way Azerbaijan seems to miraculously finish in the top 5 every year is annoying for us all. But at least they give us some pretty good songs to listen to and attempt to sing along to as we wait for confirmation that Azerbaijan will be returning to Eurovision in 2014.

Katie Wilson contributed this story from the U.K. Follow her on Twitter at @katiewillfly and like our Facebook page to keep up with the latest Eurovision news and gossip.