Since their return in 2016, Croatia are two-for-two in the qualification stakes. Now, they’re looking to make it a hat-trick. Broadcaster HRT will reveal their act for Eurovision 2018 tomorrow, February 13, as revealed in a Facebook post today.
And if social media buzz is anything to go by, we already know who’ll be their act: Franka!
HRT’s Facebook has been teasing images of their act all day. In two pictures, the performer is hidden but is clearly wearing a white shirt. This ties in with a picture of Franka wearing a very similar top.
There’s also the hint that Croatia’s act was a former entrant to their national final, Dora.
Franka participated in Dora in 2009 and 2010, finishing 7th both times. Initial reports late last year suggested HRT would bring Dora back again, but that was scrapped for an internal selection after all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecV-aqwOi8o
Who is Franka?
A place at Eurovision 2018 would mark an incredible comeback year for Franka Batelic. At just 16 years old, Franka made her name winning the talent show Showtime in 2007. Amongst the judges of that contest was none other than Jacques Houdek.
Franka regularly released singles throughout the rest of the decade, including her attempts at Dora. Also in 2009, Franka won Ples sa zvijezdama, Croatia’s version of Dancing With the Stars.
But up until 2017, Franka seemed to have left the music industry. She’s come back in style though with her latest single, “S tobom“. The track charted at #3 in Croatia and has put her right back in the spotlight.
Franka’s social media also suggests she’s been working on new music still. Could that be her Eurovision track? We’ll find out tomorrow, when HRT reveals all!
Do you think Franka would be the right choice for Croatia? Can they qualify for a third straight year? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments section.
She’s obviously already confirmed with Crazy… Looking forward to this one…
An interesting choice (if she is chosen). I wonder whether she will sing in English or Croatian. I love Croatia (although last year was a mess) and I want them to qualify for a third consecutive time.
There has leaked info on headline page of most popoular Croatian newspapers – Jutarnji telling its Franka with song Crazy.http://online.jutarnji.hr/info/jutarnji-list-1999.html It seems to be pop uptemo song by claims of those who apparently heard it but not sure if those are only assumptions or true. Furthermore, Chris, I think for esc and Franka its important to say that Franka won OGAE song contest in 2008 with song Ruža u kamenu. And for those who think Franka cant sing – during her absence from music scene Franka was studying musical courses at Berkeley University
Indeed it does. Then I guess it’s a good thing that the Brits didn’t send their ‘Crazy’, for us to at least stand out in the title. Anyway, I hope Franka’s ‘Crazy’ is better than the other. I hope for a ‘bop’ (as kids call it today), as we already had two great slow tempo songs last two years.
I can see the improvement now obviously. Good luck!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZRUo-mo0yo
I hope she takes “S tobom”. And I hope she learned to sing live. 🙂
This girl can do both bops and ballads. I hope she went for a bop and english to make a memorable performance overall, but sth. tells me she’ll release a well produced croatian ballad (S tobom 2.0) which could be received well in the Balkans, but I doubt if it would work for the rest of Europe. Myb I’m just fed up with growing up and hearing generic croatian ballads all the time. Myb it would actually be well received across the continent. Otherwise, a bop would be more desirable.
The word speak rate in Croatian is too fast! I don’t think I’ll be able to singalong to a song in Croatian.
Interesting to hear. As a Croatian, I never looked at it that way. I think of Japanese as a really fast-paced language, for example.
Well , Japanese has very short words in general so the number of words is large but syllables are average…..
Croatian seems to have quite long stressed words.
So ballads would be easy to follow but fast paced pop songs not.
iLove franka
petar grašo is in the puzzle
Emmelie stop!
Oh, how original! Internal choice of young female pop singer! What a decision, dear HRT! Esc viewers will be happy, they have never seen this before!
Croatia will shine with this interesting and extraordinary choice!
We need more of these novelty acts! -_-
oh how sarcastic…i can’t believe that the fact that she is a young woman bothers you! what would be original by your standards? another woman with a beard? tooth fairy? santa claus? and when we talk about novelty acts, we were a novelty act last year and it’s someone elses turn now
PS: It is irony of course.
anyone who was unfortunate enough to read it can see that
I don’t understand that when you have a world class superstar like Emina Jahovic why doesn’t she participate for Serbia/Croatia/BosniaHerzegovina? Her latest album Dalje is a masterpiece. Any song from that album could win Eurovision easily…
Because superstars usually participate in Eurovision?
She doesn’t want to participate, as far as I know..
I love Ruza U Kamenu… It would be so cool if she came with a song in Croatian…
For once my friend who spills the tea on Croatia didn’t lie. Azerbaijan, Croatia and Cyprus will be THE trinity this year, I can feel it.
Is it true that Aisel will work with Dimitris Kontopoulos? Hopefully it’s not another overraed You are the only one!
Knowing Azerbaijan’s desperation for success and disregard of their local talents, I’m inclined to believe the rumors.
Wikipedia briefly said her entry would be partially in Azerbaijani. If only – would be the first time they actually sang in it.
This is soo sad. I mean last year, they served quality with an Azeri composer, and there are so many great Azeri composers, but I don’t get the force to work with foreign composers. They could also work with Turkish composers, and serve entries with oriental or Turkic sounds, but yeah, let’s wait.
Hopefully it’s another bop, such as Skeletoons.
I miss Turkey. Don’t miss their conservative hissy fits, but I do miss their bops.
Sorry bout those I wish we would come back! It’s a shame we complain when there are countries like Malta, San Marino, F.Y.R Macedonia which participate with less people but we co plain that we don’t do better (the even though we only missed qualifying once and we have had 5 or 6 top 10 results this century).
For all the hand-wringing about the split-voting system, in the years since it was introduced, they finished in the top ten all but once (4th in 2009, 2nd(!!!!) in 2010, and 7th in 2012, nothing too shabby). Plus they were receiving a ton of votes from countries like Azerbaijan, so I don’t know why they got so upset. (I also find it funny that they established Turkvision as a way to get away from the Big 5, only to feature Germany, a member of the Big 5). I think they should come back – I think the Turkish people want… Read more »
Leave a little room for Estonia and Latvia if those pan out.
Omg how could I forget about my new country Estonia’s winning entry? She can join the goddesses club.
I’m praying so hard that Estonia and Latvia make the right choice. I don’t give a single crap how any of the other NFs pan out as long as those two choose wisely.
She sounds amazing! Hrvatska, šaljite Franku 🙂
I hope it is her. I wanted her to be our representative since 2007.
Your username showing her divine entity in the best way. Am SNATCHED.
That username. ROFL!!!
It would be an amazing choice!
It’d be good news if so! Never heard of her until now, but I do like this song a lot and think she could do well. (Incidentally, if the song came out after last September, it could also be her Eurovision song).
she also won OGAE song contest in 2008
Yes, she is one and only Croatian winner of OGAE Song Contest. 🙂 She beat Take That in 2008.
croatian language too maybe
It is also roumored that song is in Croatian! 🙂
PLEASE LORD YES CROATIAN ! a croatian pop song like if love was a crime omg the dream !
She sings well, so why not 😀 hope she sings in Croatian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPbr96d2_wc
Her comeback singl “S tobom” (eng. “With you”) is booming in Croatia! She is in Top 5 of HRtop40 (national radio top-list) for sveral weeks now. It looks like the 4-year break she took gave a lot of knowledge and new ideas. I have high hopes for her!