MILKI — Alexander Rybak’s hotly-tipped act for EuroFest 2015 — rode a wave of enthusiasm into last night’s national selection EuroFest. But by the end of the night the runaway favourite had stalled at fourth place. The group came a very respectable second with the public, but didn’t fare as well with the jury. For Alexander Rybak, who put the group together and wrote their song “Accent”, it appears to have been too much to bear. After the contest he took to Facebook to say that he’s taking a break from it all, and that he’s disappointed the jury failed to deliver him a win. “I really hope that I will never again see this jury because it will be very difficult to pretend that I’m happy and that I want to smile,” he says.
English translation
I go on tour to many places around the world and everywhere Europeans say so much dirt about my homeland, Belarus. And I defend it, defend it. I say that it has a good system. And they say, “What kind of system? It’s all bought/ bribed” And I keep defending it. But I don’t even know anymore what I am defending. Every year, I meet the Belarussian delegation and they keep saying, “Sasha, please, write us a song. What do we need to do to win in Eurovision?” And so I wrote a song, spent so much time, so much money. I found some unique and talented girls and I wrote a song about pure and authentic Belarus, how I see it. And then the jury failed it. I even sacrificed by not celebrating Christmas with my parents. But it’s not even about that. Everywhere in Europe, people supported us; experts; fans of Eurovision, and here the jury decided to fail us. I saw this jury before. I’ve met everyone. I remember when I was sick, one guy from the jury came and said to take a picture, one chance with the kids. I smiled and took a picture and he said, “We will always support you.” And this is how they support, yeah? I really hope that I will never again see this jury because it will be very difficult to pretend that I’m happy and that I want to smile.
A jury member responds
Andy, one of the jurors, posted an explanation of how he voted underneath Alexander’s Facebook post. He was encouraging and offered a peace branch, but Alex is not ready to accept it.
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Accent was catchy but I really don’t see it making the grand-finals. Alexander should be happy he won’t have to face embarrassment at Vienna 2015 if this failed to qualify there.
Rybak is still a young kid I get it…still someone has to explain to him that expecting every single ESC event and show with his name included to focus on him as if this was still 2009 is rather naive and not that clever … This becomes the proof he needs to grasp that if he really want to live under the Eurovision umbrella for the rest of his life and not attempt to make music his life outside of it .. then he’s going to have many more disappointments.
Leave Rybak aloooooone! He’s a human!
Accent is not the best one (for me), but it deserves 2nd place.
I disagree if Accent is ‘Party for everybody’ which sung by young girls. For me, Alex Rybak gives them the best song for their homeland. They succeed to show the other people that this is Belarus, and they love the accent
I know it’s really hard for Alex Rybak. I noted that none of their song could win the national finals (MGP, MESC , Eurofest).
Take a break Mr Rybak, have a nice vacation 😀
Didn’t Alex suffer from depression a few years back? I’d be kinder towards him if I were you. Some comments here are so harsh and insensitive. Cut the guy some slack.
@davved I don’t think his explanation is weird. I did not like Accent anyway, but regardless of my personal opinion of the song, it was not very well performed by the girls – they came across as amateur and inexperienced, and were not coherent as a group. Even if Accent was the best song, the live performance was not and that would hurt its chances terribly in Eurovision. Yes they would have five months to get ready but who knows who they would have got better. The jury explanation makes sense because they came across as not ready for a… Read more »
@Deven “Belarus’ Eurofest is a farce after Alexander Rybak was asked to write a song to help them win and then he gets screwed over” That doesn’t make any sense, you are basically saying that because the broadcaster invited Alexander Rybak to the selection, he should have been given the win because he did them a favor and gave them a song. If they had wanted him and no-one else to represent them, they would have internally selected him. It was a competition and to give him the win as a favor would have surely been the exact kind of… Read more »
Well, i understand Alexanders frustration. The jury guys explaination is just very weird. What does gunesh and her six attempts got to do with Milki?. The juries should judge the SONGS not the performers and their personal historys.
This is sounding very biased in my opinion.. I hope Belarus changes act for ESC
Alexander, dear. Take some pills, brush your hair, smoke some pott, have dirty sex and then grow up honey. You are soooo immatureand spoiled that almost sounded like a lesbian lookalike version of a young Paris Hilton… milkywas not the greatest music project of the world. Andthat song is awful… I will use that silly annoying song to punish my stepchildren and make them have nightmares
Spoiled mountain monkey…
“Accent” is just “Party for everybody” singed by young girls…
I can’t believe how immature he is! Like if you don’t win, you don’t. I know the song he wrote etc. was much better, even I prefer it to this. But in the fact, the “famousness” of this has gone into his head too deep. He can’t even lose, because he is the famous winner of the 2009 with the most scoring song in eurovision ever.
Btw: He’s song in 2009 was really bad and I don’t think it even deserved to win. Ugh.
He has a point that inexperience shouldn’t prevent an act from getting selected, but the “I hope I don’t have to talk to you ever” statement is not very mature. Did he have the same reaction when Annsofi got 4th in the Norwegian superfinal? Come on.
The jury didn’t even treat him that badly compared to how they treated some of the other acts.
Alexander Rybak is TOO much spoiled! 😐
I don’t like him…
Thanks Karen 🙂 You are entitled to criticize, of course. And I dont disagree, the first reaction was immature and not so smart. Today, Alexander commented a bit to the comments on his posting and among other things, he said this: “I wish Uzari the best, now that they have won (If they don’t qualify to the final, I will seriously get pissed off). But of course Milki will have new songs.”.
I hope, you will find that a bit more mature…..
Of course he has the right to be upset, but it’s his publicized reaction that was rather foolish, and even disrespectful to the other contestants. Not a smart move, and I think you know that. But sorry I dared to criticize your beloved musician.
But actually, why care about these comments? In his entire career, Alexander has often created turbulence and media-attention, making lots of random people, who doesn´t care about him, have a great time, by analyzing him and judging, what is right and wrong about him – and what he should be doing differently. Nobody questions his skills as a musician – and there is really nothing to question – but his personal behaviour seems an always interesting topic. I don´t “support him blindly” – as someone said, but I try to open my eyes and mind and see the whole person.… Read more »
Did you read, what he said on the video? ( Its translated here on this page ). He doesnt say, his song was entitled to win. Neither does he say, the jury was corrupt or bribed. He doesnt say any of those things. His complain is, that the jury failed him. I think, it hurt a lot to get 2nd place in the public televoting, but end up on 4th place because of the jurys votes. I dont think, he took it for granted to win the Eurofest, but I think, he had expected a better placement than 4th. And… Read more »
Rather disappointed in his reaction. I am a big supporter of his, but I won’t blindly defend him like some of his fans do. This is not being in contact with your “inner child” as someone else mentioned, this is being full out immature and impractical. He is complaining about the fact that he lost, because he feels like the jury were obliged to send specifically his group through. Complaining that the system is corrupt, only because it wasn’t corrupt in his favour. How extremely hypocritical. He has to realize the fact that perhaps his song wasn’t the best, maybe… Read more »
His disappointment and reaction are understandable to certain degree, you can’t expect him to feel all good and happy after working so hard and then being rejected, but still, it comes across as childish and he made himself look like a sore loser. The whole argument of “I worked so hard, I deserved to win” is used all the time by people who didn’t win in all kind of competitions, is nothing new, but guess what? Everyone worked so hard and I eveyone had a very good reason for wanting to win, not just you Alex. So again, while is… Read more »
Wow! In these words I see a man who doesn’t know how to lose. It’s like he is saying that just because everyone wanted him to be in Eurovision with MILKI it means that the jury was obliged to give him the first place. Well, that’s not how it goes. I don’t know if the jury played fair or not, but regardless of that he must have been prepared for a loss. The jury didn’t cost him the victory. The people of Belarus did not approve “Accent” as the winner. And just because he spent time and money does that… Read more »
In which parallel universe, his song was authentic, new & original? And in which parallel universe he, by the sole fact of writing a song, is entitled to be the winner? Arrogant much, Mr. Rybak?
I like “Accent” more than “Time, but that’s my opinion. Alex should have asked for the internal selection as a condition for writing the song if he didn’t like idea of competing in a national selection. He is wrong about the (in)experience. Most countries like to see experienced singers, because there is a much bigger chance that an experienced professional would win the contest as opposed to someone who has just started the career. I’m not sure there is a problem with corruption this year – voters didn’t vote “Accent” as their favorite either. I like Alex Rybak’s work and… Read more »
I like how everyone say’s he is spitting his dummy out but the things is Milki had a very catchy song (I didn’t love it but I’m smart enough to know it was the best song)
Also the juror even acknowledged it was the best song but said that he didn’t vote for it because it was their first time in eurofest? How is that fair?
The jurors are supposed to pick the song with the best potential for the contest not because an artist is inexperienced.
Eurovision SONG Contest not Eurovision SINGING Contest.
I think Alexander Rybak not is a good songwriter. That’s the whole thing. But he’s a good artist and musician
I wish, all the judging critics here would try to see a little bit deeper and see the whole person. His reaction seems very emotional and a bit childish, but this is a side of his personality, which makes him sparkling and amazing in other situations. Alexander has a very good contact to his “inner child” and he has a huge sensitivity. These are excactly the features, which makes him show an incredible energy, joy and charm, when he is on stage. It is also, what makes him have brillant skills to teach and work with children. He is a… Read more »
Man, he looks so exhausted for working with MILKI even after Eurovision ’14. He really deserves a break, seems like this is not a perfect time for him to shine again and most especially for the girls.
I understand Aleksander’s frustration. They asked him for a favour (write a winning song for Eurovision) and returned him a kick in the ass. Sorry, that’s very foully played by Belarus, but what do you expect from a foul state?
It’s a shame. Europe asked for Milk and Belarus only delivered Time. Sorry, Time is a big flop, a poorly arranged wannabe anthem with a bad singer and an annoying violin.
After won the Eurovision for Norway in 2009 as singer and composer of his song , he failled as composer at MGP in Norway in 2013, his song finished 4 in superfinal, song sang Annsofi. He failled this year for Eurovision 2015 in Malta 5 place for Franklin in final, and now in his homeland with Milki who finished at 4 place in national final.
Well, that’s the game, Alexander.
What a bad loser, Accent sucked and the jury should have voted it because Rybak gave good effort and spent time and money on it? It’s disrespectfull to other competitors. One should win because of a good song and performance, not because you are defending a stupid system! What a bullocks! Even public did not televote his song best….
This year’s entry could end up a bit like Armenia 2014 at the Junior Eurovision.
Understandable that Rybak is upset as we would all be if we dove full force into something, gave it our all and fell short of our goal. However, his attitude comes across as quite juvenile and this will only hurt his image which he’s probably not thinking of as he appears to be reacting on raw emotion rather than rationale. His rant makes him appear ungrateful and spoiled… at the end of the day it’s just a Song Contest. One door closes and another opens. With that in mind, I’m not in his shoes so I have no idea what’s… Read more »
@Bronson I agree with you, Alex didn’t really deserve to win. I haven’t even heard the Belarussian songs yet, but I hear MILKI was most deserving to won.
seems Rybak was too childish to respond the result, this is competition and everyone has a different taste and NOT because he was the writer of the song with his title as a ex-Eurovision winner does’nt guarantee he will get through so easy to Vienna. And if he want to help his homeland he should be do that without purpose, not just grumbling over the result. I’m so disappointed with his attitude.
meeoowwww .. its all bitchy in belarus .. bitchy belarus .. lol
after listening to milk for the first time, i can now see that the only reason people liked it is because alexander rybak was involved.
Belarus’ Eurofest is a farce after Alexander Rybak was asked to write a song to help them win and then he gets screwed over.
Belarus, will you EVER learn??????????
Last night, Belarus not only killed their chances of ever winning Eurovision. But I think they killed their chances of qualifying in Vienna. It’s obvious that BRTC doesn’t want to win or even build up a reputation of qualifying. I was really excited for Belarus this year. But last night proved they can’t be trusted to select their entries for Eurovision.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like Time. But it will end up like FYR Macedonia in 2011.
he’s probably just frustrated because he never expected milki too lose and his song in the maltese selection also failed.
The other artists have just as much right to represent Belarus as Alex’s manufactured girl group. To think he could just walk in & be given the ticket to Vienna sounds very conceited.
I thought Milki & Accent were rubbish. They did not deserve to win.
(And, yes, a bl*wjob probably would help.)
Well, he’s kinda overreacting, but I do agree that Accent was waaaaay better than any of the other songs. :-/
It’s as if he almost has double standards – he acknowledges that Europeans call Belarus bribed, yet the only way he would have emerged victorious is through bribing/cheating. He needs to get over himself and realise not everyone likes the same thing; I don’t even understand why his song won yet alone got the most points in ESC history – Europe disagrees with me. People have their own opinions and are entitled to have one, and Alexander just needs to move on. If he really wanted to send Milki to ESC, instead of whining and giving up he should come… Read more »
The problem is not even the fact that he lost. The problem is that he lost against total crap without any potential. When you’re a patriot, you can not agree for such things.
Belarus despises Eurovision.
I think Alex needs a bl*wjob…