Switzerland: Sebalter promises new music after releasing “Better Not” earlier this year

What’s this? “Better Not”, the most recent single from Sebalter’s second album Awakening.

When did it drop? In February, but as we’ve said many times before… NATIONAL FINAL SEASON!

Thankfully there’s more new music to come. On August 28, he shared a studio shot on social media captioned “new songs coming up soon”.

Tell us more: At Eurovision 2014 he was the “Hunter Of Stars”, but Sebalter is exercising caution on the folksy “Better Not”. Debating whether or not to fight for his love, he ranks the pros and cons… he’s got his cosy life and shelter from the cold as against a potential mess. But at the same time life is short. Ultimately, while fiddling his violin, he cheerily concludes somewhat ambiguously that “No reason to fight for the mess we left and down / No reason to fight against you”.

And the music video? Filmed in the picturesque Swiss mountain village of San Bernardino, the clip is seriously chilly. It sees a solitary Sebalter battle his way through forests and up mountains while also navigating the freezing snow. But it’s not all icy and bleak, towards the end the whistling crooner finds time to play with some coloured powder. It creates a wonderful effect against the surrounding winter wonderland.

Sebalter “Better Not” (Official Music Video)

Sebalter at Eurovision: They might have given Eurovision its first ever winner and one of its most commercially successful alums, however Switzerland’s track record in recent years hasn’t been so bright. But in the last decade, Sebalter was the alpine nation’s one ray of hope. The jaunty “Hunter Of Stars” singer finished 13th at Eurovision 2014, the second best Swiss result this century.

Writing in the 2014 Wiwi Jury, Bogdan had this to say:

Ah. One of my early favourites, Sebalter deserves to be in the Grand Final. And I have a feeling that his whistling and violins and clapping will gather enough votes to push him through. There is a resemblance to Alexander Rybak’s “Fairytale” which I think won’t escape the viewers, although Sebalter’s entry is a bit more mature and less catchy because of the complicated and at times nonsensical lyrics. I don’t mind the accent (actually I think it’s quite charming) and I find the singer very cute. That should earn him some points as well!

What has he been up to since? Sebalter’s debut album Day Of Glory dropped in early 2015, spawning singles “Saturday” and “Shadows”. And despite rumours of retiring for music, a second LP Awakening landed last year. Seb’s returned to the Eurovision fold on more than one occasion, performing as a guest at a number of Swiss national finals and presenting the country’s points in 2016.

What do you think of “Better Not”? How does it compare to “Hunter Of Stars”? Let us know in the comments below.

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