Summer is over and our beloved artists are back in the studio! Lithuania’s Donny Montell, Latvia’s Justs and Greece’s Argo are among those honouring their fans with new releases this autumn. Let’s have a listen and see if their latest efforts live up to our very high expectations…

Donny Montell – “Light It Up”

Eurovision’s Next Top Male Model 2016 Donny Montell is one of the most successful Eurovision artists in recent memory, having participated twice, making the finals and slaying naysayers both times.

His newest effort “Light It Up” is an emotional ballad flavoured with electronic beats and piano. Stylistically it sounds like a slowed-down version of his 2016 entry “I’ve Been Waiting for This Night”, but it’s still fresh and oozes energy and emotion. He penned the lyrics and wrote the music himself, proving he’s much more than a pretty face (and bangin’ body).

Donny first represented Lithuania in the 2012 contest with the song “Love Is Blind”, finishing 14th in the Grand Final. In his second attempt, in the 2016 contest, he placed ninth in the Grand Final. He also holds the distinction of being the only artist in 2016 to do a somersault off of a trampoline during the live broadcast. Yasss.

Justs – “Have It All”

If you remember Justs’ lively performance in Stockholm, this track might be a tad underwhelming. Unlike “Heartbeat”, “Have It All” is a minimalist, steady ballad – which doesn’t mean it’s bad, of course.

Penned by Justs himself, “Have It All” suggests that you can have it all as long as you are with the right person. It also shows the other side of the story – how you can’t have it all if you’re alone.

The singer released the Latvian-language version of the song, “Kaut mazliet” (A Little Something), which has more or less the same lyrics.

Justs represented Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song “Heartbeat”, written by the 2015 Latvian representative Aminata. He placed the 15th in the Grand Final.

Argo – “Pame”

Argo have gone down in history as the first Greek act that did not qualify for the Eurovision Grand Final. Their “we tried to experiment and be different, but it didn’t quite work out” entry “Uthopian Land” was everything but utopian.

Before the contest itself, the Wiwi Jury ranked it as one of the worst entries of 2016. Argo’s performance in Stockholm didn’t impress anyone either, and they placed third from the bottom in their semi-final.

But just like Samra says in her song – you live and you learn. Apparently it worked for Argo, since their latest release “Pame” (Let’s Go), which also features Lachana Christina and Sofianidis Vladimiros, is so much better than “Uthopian Land”. It’s upbeat and it’s catchy – it’s everything you expect from a Greek entry! Do you agree?

So, do you like what you just heard? Or are you thinking, “OMG, these are nine minutes of my life I’m never gonna get back”? Tell us what you think below!

Photo credits: Official Facebook pages of Donny Montell, Justs and Argo

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Rei
Rei
7 years ago

Justs ending up just 15th in the Final was a crime.

Matilda
Matilda
7 years ago

Justs knows how to do music, love him and his voice

Ern
Ern
7 years ago

Donny Montell — NOT good!

Just — quite good!

Argo — does this group have any money?? It sounds like something they recorded on a home computer.

Jarkko
Jarkko
7 years ago

I actually like “Pame” more than “Utopian Land”, though I have to agree that it’s not as well-produced as “Utopian Land”.

The other two songs are pleasant to listen to, but I’m not wowed by them.

Zebb
Zebb
7 years ago

Hard to compare Pame and UL but the last is still better, at least in production.

Krzysztof
Krzysztof
7 years ago

And one more Eurovision 2016 star will release a new single next week, titled “Fighting For Love”. For now there are only teasers, but if you are interested who, you will find out.

Ariso Light
Ariso Light
7 years ago

If Argo had sung that song this year instead, it could have made the final easier. But usually, these types of songs don’t do well at Eurovision anyway.