Sergey Lazarev, who was announced as Russia‘s act for Eurovision 2016 back in December, has finally unveiled his song for Eurovision. He’ll sing “You Are The Only One” — a contemporary number that melds schlager and electronic dance.

It’s a banger with major attitude. The build-up is sexy and inviting, leading to a memorable chorus that showcases Sergey’s energy and vocals. Moving away from Russia’s recent track record of peace song after peace song, he tackles the topic of love and his obsession for one lucky lady. Thunder and lighting, it’s getting exciting!

The song was produced by Eurovision veteran Philipp Kirkorov who assembled a dream team of music professionals to work on Sergey’s entry, including songwriter Dimitris Kontopoulos and choreographer Fokas Evangelinos. The music video features Sergey and Miss Russia 2015 Vladislava Evtushenko. A lot of money has been put into that, y’all! It’s ready-made for the Eurovision stage, taking Måns projection mapping and BLOWING IT UP. Sergey jumps on pillars, sings beneath water and stands before fire. He’s bringing the heat and this will no doubt look amazing in Stockholm!

Sergey Lazarev – “You Are The Only One”

Since Sergey Lazarev was announced as Russia’s act for 2016, Mother Russia has become a fast favourite with bookies, with stiff competition from Poland and Sweden, both of whom are yet to choose their songs for Stockholm. Will “You Are The Only One” put Russia back on top?

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Sergey Lazarev – Our first reaction

Who is Sergey Lazarev

Sergey is one of the biggest male pop stars in Russia. Having released songs in both Russian and English, he has warmed the hearts of millions of fans across Russia (and also made them sweat with his sizzling photo shoots).

Originally a member of the pop duo Smash!!, Sergey pursued a solo career after the group broke up in 2006. Sergey competed in Russia’s national final back in 2008 with the song “Flyer“, managing fourth place. He is also a dancer, placing second in Russia’s version of Dancing on Ice in 2006.

What do you think about the song? Can Sergey score Russia its second Eurovision victory? Let us know in the comments below!

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NoHunty
NoHunty
8 years ago

There is no way in hell this song would ever get played on the air in the U.S. Whoever said that it could do well there is flat out delusional. The lyrics are so terrible that a middle schooler could do better.

Sergey has a good voice, though. It’s a shame they didn’t give him a better song.

Eugene
Eugene
8 years ago
Nachogazpacho
Nachogazpacho
8 years ago

People does not know that some spanish choreographer and dancer are working in russian eurovision proyect. Good luck sergey and davidb

Constantine
Constantine
8 years ago

@Ricardo
Oh, honey, just shut the front door. It will be a miracle if Ukraine qualify to the final tbh

aponny
aponny
8 years ago

Unfortunately, I’m not feeling the song. It’s so Eurovision-y, it hurts. 🙁 Sergey is a super talanted and hard-working dude. It’s always a pleasure to watch him perfom live. He deserves better than this.

maxxx
maxxx
8 years ago

Lazarev and Kirkorov promised something mesoscale and amazing on stage. 200%, which Russia is one of the main contenders for the 1st place. Good luck!

Ricardo
Ricardo
8 years ago

Haven’t we heard this kind of thing like at least a million times at Eurovision?? I don’t see anything new here…he’s a like a Russian Sakis Rouvas…..Ukraine is bringing a far more interesting and contemporary song.

oxyk
oxyk
8 years ago

@Redfox, I agree. Moreover, some countries can decide to not participate in ESC if it will be held in Russia. No one wants to be kidnapped and held in jail for 600 days without any guilt, or to be sentenced to 10-20 years. As long as we already have such incidents, where innocent people has been kidnapped from our territory, snatched to Russia and jailed for some fabricated case. Who knows who’s the next. Definitely our society will demand to ignore ESC in Russia.

Redfox
Redfox
8 years ago

this song is so cliche and tries to put too many things together just like russian interior design. though it is not as tacky. but there is nothing originaö

the iTunes charts posted here only show the amount of russian economic refugees residing in those countries.

I dont think this is a winner, I wouldnt mind Russia winning, but I AM against them organizing an event like ESC cause the sourse of their money is destroying nature in Siberia. if a russian wins, the contest should be held in London, ha.

This is my opinion (TIMO)
This is my opinion (TIMO)
8 years ago

Ok. After listening to the song l changed my mind, it does sound like it can fly high and it is eurovisionary. The result Russia can get it depends on how sergey can deliver, perform on stage hope they don’t butcher the song good luck

Void
Void
8 years ago

This song is a magnet! I can’t stop watching again and again!

Sweetlana
Sweetlana
8 years ago

He is the ONLY ONE this year in Eurovision and always in Russia! <3

Constantine
Constantine
8 years ago

Poland chose a wrong guy yesterday, I guess Russia is on the right track

El Rosario de Raquel
8 years ago

This year Rusia is the MAMARRACHA.Y Putin is big MAMARRACHA.
.

Charles
Charles
8 years ago

@VladV: What is the difference btw everybody expressing their opinions 10000 times and you desperately trying to tell the world through contant and irrelevant iTunes chart updates that this Russian entry is the best song in the world? You won’t sleep until you achieve your goal, won’t you? That reminds me of Putin … for some odd reason.

Void
Void
8 years ago

Amazing song!!!

sssss
sssss
8 years ago

i like the music but i dont think it will score better than polina.this song seems like a lot of songs we have heard.nth special anyway good luck sergey ::)

Lena
Lena
8 years ago

To me this song feels very constructed and can’t even be compared to Mans’s song. This is just a mash of something with a good video presentation. The song video is spectacular but the song does not really live up to it.
P.S. I’m really laughing at the songlyrics by the way!

Erin
Erin
8 years ago

One can’t underestimate the power of name recognition, but Sergey Lazarev will not walk in the footsteps of Mans Zelmerlow because he’s one year too late. This song presentation is all about “I came, I saw, I conquered” and I will show you the might at my command by bringing out my big guns and my big cojones. The result is that you’re alienating people rather than win them over. A copycat act, as slick and effective as it may be, will never outdo or match the previous year’s winner because there’s a yearning for a new sound, a new… Read more »

VladV
VladV
8 years ago

@Charlie The iTunes chart shows that people like the song that is way they PAY in order to download and listen it.
It is not like this forum where you can post your opinion 100 times for free.
And this is your update :

You are the only one

iTunes:
#1 Belarus
#1 Kazakhstan
#1 Russia
#12 Greece
#41 Peru
#65 Sweden
#78 Norway
#118 Israel
#149 Thailand
#157 Spain
#182 Netherlands

This is my opinion (TIMO)
This is my opinion (TIMO)
8 years ago

I can’t see it at all that Russia can score as high as they did last year, it seems they are affected by last year winner who stopped them win pushing them to 2nd position that Russia is now trying to win like Sweden ‘heroes’. They wanna fly high with this one, out of the songs chosen so far some of them are much better than this one, sorry Russia this song is nothing special and video doesn’t convince me either but good like

?nyx
?nyx
8 years ago

6/12!

DR
DR
8 years ago

This feels like it was written by checklist. They wrote it to win Eurovision, they didn’t write it to write a good song. Coz of that I have no connection to the song. The last time they sent an upbeat male soloist they didn’t get on the left hand side of the scoreboard. As the comments seem to be split, I say mid table.

@Caroline
Listen to Margaret again. You need hearing aids if you thank that’s bad. It may not be perfect, but it was amazing for the song.

Charles
Charles
8 years ago

@VladV: And do you really need some lousy iTunes charts to tell everybody here how much you love this song? Seriously? Do you depend on that like a drug addict rely one very drug possible? Come on …

Andreas
Andreas
8 years ago

If this wasn’t Russia and Sergei would we even be talking about the song? It’s average but it will surely look good in the arena. What beats me is how come they did such a lousy job with the pathetic cliche lyrics. I will never understand that! I hope it will be a great contest this year. First time I can’t attend!

VladV
VladV
8 years ago

@Charles

Well the song is now #16 in Greece and #82 in Sweden
So maybe it simple means that people like the song since the pay in order to download it?

Charles
Charles
8 years ago

@Rena/GR: “One” being far more original?? Are you even kidding me? Are you even listening to the song or just dreaming in being in bed with the singer? Hold on the composer is Greek so therefore that is reason enough for you to love it. Set your feet on the ground, wake up for once and … re-listen to the entry of Azerbaijan from 2013 and then be shocked unless of course your concept of originality is songs being just uptempo (ballads forbidden at all costs) and a recycled version of something else that was already at Eurovision. Wow your… Read more »

Denis
Denis
8 years ago

No doubt it will do well and reach top 10 but for me the song feels outdated. I’m guessing it’s written by Swedes? It sounds as something that could have taken part in the MF 5 years ago, and reached 5th in its semi-final. Good but not good enough. Something is missing.
But people will like it enough to vote for it. But don’t think it will win..

Charles
Charles
8 years ago

So … the idea was … let’s recycle the Azeri entry from 2013 … make it upbeat but the keep the exact same Swedish-schlager-rubbish-melody … and let’s create a video where Sergey almost imitates Mans in some gestures for no reason whatsoever … Conclusion? HELL-TO-THE-NO … Polina you’re forgiven, please come back! This is an absolute joke thrown at my face and everybody is still pretending nothing is wrong.

VladV
VladV
8 years ago

Chart update :

#1 in Russia
#1 in Belarus
#3 in Kazakhstan
#49 Greece
#119 Sweden
#129 Spain
#173 Netherlands
#177 Thailand
#184 Norway

Kyle
Kyle
8 years ago

My top 10: 1. Russia (2. Poland) 3. Armenia 4. Ukraine 5. Iceland 6. Norway 7. Hungary 8. Austria 9. Netherlands 10. Spain This year’s Eurovision is turning out to be amazing! This song just confirms it….AND we are still expecting some good entries from Australia, Poland, Azerbaijan, Sweden and Malta. The “Thunder and lightning, it’s getting exciting” hook is memorable, i found myself repeating it after the song finished playing..that says a lot. Also, the guy is handsome and can sing live. Video is amazing too, you can tell they put a lot of effort in the production of… Read more »

oli
oli
8 years ago

the girl in the video is the vize-Miss Russia and competed at miss universe without placing. the original winner competed at Miss World being 1st runner up to Spain’s Mireia Lalaguna.

Héctor
Héctor
8 years ago

Not bad. At least, it’s not another russian hypocrite song about peace and love.

Huh
Huh
8 years ago

Peter: That was Alex Sparrow, not Jack Sparrow. Russia did not have the Pirates of the Carribean in the 2011 contest. If you were thinking of a pirate in the Eurovision, then Latvia had pirate entrants way back in 2008.

AM Casablancas
AM Casablancas
8 years ago

this song it’s good, I’m from Germany and I see that people who don’t like this song has a very biased mind, but the song itself is wonderful, top 3 to me and I predict this to be within top 3 most likely win the contest with Justs topping second.

Tom
Tom
8 years ago

This is so bland dear lord
I have a feeling juries thankfully will crucify this.

Racal
Racal
8 years ago

Typical cliché of a Eastern European ESC song (and that’s not a compliment). Sounds quite dated and the way he moves somehow reminds me of Dima Bilan (again, not a compliment). But you can clearly see they put a lot of money into this…

Overall disappointing, but this will of course qualify thanks to the former Soviet vote. Not sure it will have a big impact in the final though…

Freyah
Freyah
8 years ago

Tbh, on listening a few times, this song seems like the song that would make Andra Chansen in Sweden but lose the duel. It’s not bad though.

oxyk
oxyk
8 years ago

@Random.sage2.6 you’re getting the wrong impression about our mean Eastern Club 🙂 I won’t speak for the whole set of members, but for Ukraine. We will be happy with 2 options: 1) Russia will be screwed and our Jamala will get into top 10 (so we can insult their ambitions a bit). 2) Russia will win (yeah!) and will host ESC 2017. it means this cash cow will have to part with considerable amount of money and will have less money to fund their reckless army operations on our land. this song have very strong old school Russian pop tune,… Read more »

Nari
Nari
8 years ago

Kill me or not, I never gonna vote for this kind of stupid song

ESC84
ESC84
8 years ago

When it comes to lyrics, don’ t find Swedish to do it..

Leaf
Leaf
8 years ago

I just don’t see a winner from what I’ve heard.
It is well produced, kinda dated but not all the way old fashioned.
Has a hook…. the video seems alright.
7/10

Peter
Peter
8 years ago

Hmmm…tricky…. So let me just say, Sergey and his song+ production is way better than Dima Bilan when he won in 2008. So by that measure Sergey could easily win. Sergeys style and attitude also reminds me a bit about Jack Sparrow that sung for Russia in 2011, and we all now how he did then. But, off course, Sergey seem more refined than both Dima or Jack. So by all standards this should do well. But! And that’s a big but! We now have juries in Eurovision. I just think that juries will not be as convinced as the… Read more »

bartosz
bartosz
8 years ago

This…is…bad… But because it is Russia, then it will place well in Stockholm…

esc1234
esc1234
8 years ago

very well produced, i am not sure if it is a winner but its top5 material definitely

Bård
Bård
8 years ago

Excellent production! Sergey will surely pick up lots of votes. But for me the song itself simply isn’t good enough. Top 10? Yes. Top 5? Maybe. Winner? I doubt it.

Jeremiah
Jeremiah
8 years ago

@SJ

If Poland were off Rihanna’s album, it’d be #2-4. If Russia were sun by someone with ‘White’ or ‘Johnson’ as the last name, it’d hit 100 on the dance charts and could do well in clubs. It’d all depend on the marketing of course.

Jess
Jess
8 years ago

I love Poland! Russia Okay but it would be beter if they get those awful lyrics away

VladV
VladV
8 years ago

#1 in Russia
#1 in Belarus
#3 in Kazakhstan
#105 in Spain
#181 in Israel
#183 in Sweden