Eurovision Wishlist: 10 Artists We Want To Sing For Germany!

It’s a case of a good news/bad news to hear that Germany will continue with their “Unser Song für…” format this year, with “Unser Song für Österreich” taking place in February. We’re thrilled to see Germany committed to a national final format. But sadly there’s not been much to show for it so far. Cascada were far from “Glorious” in Malmö, and whilst Elaiza showed up those who had them penned in for last place, 18th was hardly a great return.

Elaiza, last year’s wildcard winner, triumphed against the big names put up next to them…which might say something about who NDR are selecting. If they really want to get another result like Lena in 2010, they need to think long and hard about the acts they put in the final. Just in case they’re running low on ideas, we’ve got a few famous faces we’d like to put in there…

1. Helene Fischer

Perhaps what Germany has been missing over the past few years is a good old dose of schlager – and if there’s anyone who should be bringing it back to the contest, it’s Helene Fischer. Arguably the biggest female pop star in Germany at the moment, Helene has infused traditional schlager with a bit of modern pop. Her last album “Farbenspiel” has sold over 1.5 million albums worldwide , so there’s little question that she would be a popular, well-known choice. The juries might also appreciate that her music has roots in Germany’s music history too, boosting her chances across the board.

2. Andreas Bourani

Singer-songwriter Andreas Bourani is one of the rising stars in Germany at the moment, having just scored the biggest hit of his career with “Auf uns”, which hit number one on both the German and Austrian charts. All of Andreas’ songs have quite an anthemic feel to them, as seen in other songs like “Nur in meinem Kopf“. It’s certainly the type of song that would fit well on the Eurovision stage. He’s also got a wealth of experience, having competed in the national Bundesvision Song Contest in 2011. He’ll also be taking part in the upcoming 2014 edition. If Germany’s problem in the past has been a case of being overwhelmed by the occasion, surely Andreas would be the perfect fix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYNLQjrBVPo

3. Glasperlenspiel

From one act with hopes for Bundesvision to one of the contest’s alumni. The duo Glasperlenspiel competed in the 2011 contest, finishing in fourth place with their song “Echt“. That served as a launching pad for their career, leading to two albums and some top ten singles to boot. Carolin, one-half of the band, has already got some ESC experience, having served on the German jury in 2013. Electro-pop is somewhat hit and miss at Eurovision, but Glasperlenspiel have so far shown themselves to be consistently strong with all their singles. A duet always goes down well too, so there’s no reason why these two should be overlooked when it comes to picking an act for Austria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb5jTYWVjzY

4. Nena

If Germany wanted to try and one-up the United Kingdom, they could always perfect the “forgotten pop star return” formula by sending the one and only Nena. While she might just be known worldwide for “99 Luftballons/Red Balloons“, Nena is still a big deal in Germany, most recently having been a coach on the Voice of Germany for three seasons. She’s still actively touring too and has been getting great reviews as well – so there’d be no doubting her vocal or stage performance abilities, unlike the likes of Bonnie Tyler…

5. Cro

In his own words, the “King of Raop” would be a risky choice that might just pay off for Germany. Cro, who only ever performs in the panda mask that he sports in all of his videos, is a rap singer at heart but has morphed the traditional rap sound in to something much more pop: hence, rap+pop = “Raop”. Rap hasn’t exactly done well at Eurovision: Who See failed to make it out of the semi final, Waldo’s People finished last in the final and that’s just the start. But Cro’s songs do very well at standing out in a good way, so the juries might not “punish” him as they seemingly have done with other rap-based artists. He’s certainly got the success to back it up: all five of his singles he’s released in Germany have peaked in the top ten, whilst “Einmal um die Welt” also hit #1 in Austria. We’ve had the Queen of Europe – maybe it’s time for a self-proclaimed King…

6. Marlon Roudette

Perhaps a controversial choice, but one we wouldn’t be too surprised to see. Marlon Roudette is a British/Vincentian singer, born in London – so why would he represent Germany? Well, much like the likes of perennial Eurovision wishlisters Hurts, he’s had relatively little success or notoriety in the UK, yet is a big name in mainland Europe. In particular, he’s had two number one hits in Germany, whilst his debut single “New Age” also hit number one in Austria and Switzerland (as well as charting high in France, Belgium and the Netherlands).

7. Saint Lu

So far, we’ve tried to avoid any former participants in the Unser Song contests – but Saint Lu is too good an opportunity to pass up. Whilst she didn’t succeed in making it to Malmö with “Craving” in 2013, Saint Lu must be high on the list of “ideal” people to go to Vienna. Why? Well, she is actually Austrian after all! Not only that, but Saint Lu (real name Luise Gruber) actually participated in the Starmania series, known for producing Nadine Bellier and one Tom “Conchita Wurst” Neuwirth, so she has the pedigree in her home country too. Her strong blues-y sound won a lot of people over at USfM, as seen by the fact that she shot up the televoting results having curried little to no support in the pre-voting round. That appeal could very well translate across Europe and coupled with a partisan Austrian crowd on the night, Saint Lu could be just what Germany needs.

8. Robin Schulz

When you’re number one in the UK pop charts, it’s hard to not be in demand, but surely Germany could twist Robin Schulz’s arm in to putting together a beat for them? We’ve seen the likes of Avicii get involved with Eurovision recently, whilst former representatives Cascada are a “band” made up for a singer and two producers. Schulz has already shown an ability to make big hits out of nowhere – just listen to the original version of “Prayer in C” if you need an example of that. If he were to fine tune his ear to something a little more Eurovision friendly, then there’s no doubt that he could pull off something very special for Germany.

9. Frida Gold

If one act were to be the “easiest” to slot in to the Eurovision mould, it would probably be Frida Gold. The four-piece band have been a big hit in Germany since the turn of the decade, and are another former Bundesvision contestant, also in the 2011 contest (that was a stacked year!), where they finished 7th with “Unsere Liebe ist aus Gold“. It was their last album, “Liebe ist Meine Religion” that really put them in the big time though, hitting number one in the album charts (along with the rather awesome lead single, “Liebe ist Meine Rebellion”). Highly charismatic lead singer Alina Süggeler will also be a familiar face to those familiar with the Unser Song format: she judged Unser Song für Baku, sending Roman Lob on his way to Azerbaijan. Perhaps now is the time for her to lead the band in to the contest itself!

10. Rammstein

Yes – seriously. Y’all hear us out before you start crying from the rooftops!

It’s something we’re already looking at in the 2007 Roundtable, but one of the best interval acts in recent memory would have to be Apocalyptica. Heck, the very reason we were in Finland in the first place was because of Lordi. Rock and metal does have a place at Eurovision and has a legitimate chance of winning the hearts of Eurovision fans too – so why not Rammstein? They’re probably the most well known German export and certainly would be no stranger to playing on the grand stage of Eurovision. Who knows what they’d bring to the table either – they’ve crowd surfed in boats, been arrested for…*ahem* “lewd behaviour” on stage (imagine Lys Assia seeing that!) and that’s just scratching the surface. It’d be memorable, that’s for sure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0FA1Z8plyk

There they are, our ten acts we’d love to see Germany send to Eurovision. Let us know what you think of them in the comments section and if there’s anyone you think we’ve missed off!