Eurovision seasons come and go, and while the autumn period can be a quiet time for fans, the fun doesn’t stop for the contestants who continue to provide us with a plethora of new tracks.
So we’ve rounded up some of the latest releases of our favourite Eurovision alumni. Here’s what Ira Losco, Dilara Kazimova, Milan Stankovic, Eduard Romanyuta, Severina and Demy have been up to.
Ira Losco – “Hey Now”
She may be busy as a judge on X Factor Malta, but that hasn’t stopped Eurovision 2002 and 2016 contestant Ira Losco from dropping her latest single. “Hey Now” comes from her recent double album No Sinner No Saint, but the music video notes that this song comes from the No Sinner half of the LP. In it we see a poised Ira going to see a fortune teller, who tells her he sees a woman with “courage enough to walk any uncharted path. But there is someone…something that stands in her way”.
The rest of the video sees the “Walk on Water” hit maker working a series of dazzling looks (including a mermaid’s tail) while making word of her promise in the song’s lyrics to “wreck this town tonight” by partying the night away…and destroying someone’s wedding cake. At the end we’re teased that the next single, “Bad Habits”, will continue the story from the No Saint side.
Dilara Kazimova – “Yalniz Seni Gozledim” (with Murad Arif) and “Azerbaijan”
Azerbaijan’s 2014 contestant Dilara Kazimova continues to bring the fire of her homeland to her music. The singer started off the year by releasing the duet “Yalniz Seni Gozledim” (“Just Waiting For You”) with Murad Arif. A nice ballad that blends the pair’s vocals well, the song sees the two singing to that special person who they can’t live without: “Whatever night and day I did not turn away from my desires / What rains, no storms did not bother me / Whatever the trials and loneliness / Just waiting for you”. The accompanying music video is done as a split screen with Dilara and Murad featuring on one half each as they go about their daily routine waiting to see their loved ones once again.
The “Start A Fire” songstress continued the ballad theme with “613” and “Daniş”. However, most recently Dilara has released a more uptempo track that should hopefully remind you which country she hails from (if you had at all forgotten). “Azerbaijan” is filled with traditional instruments and is the singer’s ode to the land of fire. As one would expect the music video is filled with shots from across the country, showing off its cities and natural beauty. Dilara also has a go at some simple choreography, something that we haven’t really seen from her before. But at least when Azerbaijan next host Eurovision they’ve got one of their interval songs sorted.
Milan Stankovic – “Trans” and “Kripton”
If there’s someone who’s gone through a massive transformation musically since particiapting in Eurovision its Milan Stankovic. The “Ovo Je Balkan” hitmaker has left the blonde bowl-cut and traditional Balkan sounds behind, and now sports a more clean-cut dark-brown hairstyle to go with his contemporary R&B music style. After releasing “Sve Sto Ne Smemo” with Ina Gardijan late last December, Serbia’s 2010 representative followed up with “Trans” (“Trance”) in June. The song sees Milan rapping throughout, but the chorus has enough of an underlying melody to appeal to someone who may not be as keen on rap in general. The music video for the track is fairly simple, with the singer and his friends all wandering and dancing around Tokyo – however, this is the first part of a “Tokyo Trilogy”, so prepare to see even more shots of the city in his subsequent videos.
Indeed the second part of the trilogy, “Kripton” (“Krypton”), was released in August, with the music video being shot in the more suburban areas of Tokyo. The song details how the woman who previously put Milan in a trance has now become his kryptonite. Musically, it’s not as impactful as the trilogy’s first track, and begins to peter out at the end in the absence of any real climax. Nevertheless, for a Balkan rap/R&B song it serves it’s purpose and will no doubt find its fans (it already has over 10 million views on YouTube). Here’s hoping the third installment brings the trilogy to a worthy end.
Eduard Romanyuta – “Golddigger”
At Eurovision 2015 he wanted the love of that special someone, and now Eduard Romanyuta’s partner appears to be a “Golddigger”. Perhaps not the most original song title/theme in the world, but the Ukrainian singer, who represented Moldova at the contest, provides us with an edgy pop tune with a dynamic pop drop towards the end that could easily find its way onto many people’s music playlists.
Severina – “Od leta do leta” (with Miligram) and “Magija” (feat. Jala Brat)
Representing Croatia at Eurovision 2006, Severina is one of the country’s biggest stars and has continued to release hit after hit. Her songs from earlier this year are no exception and we couldn’t let them go by without sharing them. In June she featured on “Od leta do leta” (“From summer to summer”) with Serbian band Miligram. All about partying from one summer to the next, it’s a great upbeat track with Balkan flourishes. For those of you are still searching for some summer-vibes as the long, wintry nights draw in, then hopefully this should get you back in the right mood.
“Magija” (“Magic”) is the star’s latest release from August, and features fellow Eurovision alumni Jala Brat, who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2016. In the song Severina has her loved one in the palm of her hands, unable to resist her: “And he is not afraid but he has no control / to resist when I hide my body with trousers … And it must be the magic, baby”. The accompanying music video sees the “Moja štikla” singer strutting her stuff in various guises, centred mainly around a black and white colour scheme, and was recently chosen as Croatia’s entry into the OGAE Video Contest 2018.
Demy – “Όριο Κανένα”, “Κύμα Καλοκαιρινό” and “Too Late”
Another star who’s had a busy 2018 is Greece’s 2017 singer Demy. She kicked the year off with “Όριο Κανένα” (“No Limits”), which was also released in English as “Right Now”. An upbeat groovy number, the song and music video see the singer hanging out with her girl pals, not limiting their life and making sure to enjoy what’s happening right here right now.
The “This is Love” singer slowed things down ever so slightly for her summer release “Κύμα Καλοκαιρινό” (“Summer Wave”), again released in English as well as “Summer Nights”. A more mid-tempo track we see Demy reminiscing about the summer fling she had the previous year, and wishing that she could be with him once again this year: “Last year we were together / and you were my shadow / my sunset / Until I see you again / my heart won’t beat again.”
Demy has been looking east lately, participating in New Wave 2018, which previous Eurovision contestants Jamala and DoReDoS have won. Unfortunately Demy couldn’t quite reach the top of the podium herself, but placed a very respectable fourth. However, while competing she premiered her latest song “Too Late”. Perhaps the most current and contemporary of her releases this year with a nice post-chorus instrumental, the lyrics of the song see the Greek star telling her loved one that it’s never too late for their relationship to start: “We have a chance, lets take it / So we don’t have to fake it…Too late / Baby it’s never too late”.
What do you make of these latest releases? Whose music are you loving the most? Do you want any of these artists to return to Eurovision? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Too late is amazing!
Milan??????
To think Demy has been holding the BOP that is “Too Late” from the ESC stage. Instead we got that Rain Falls From Above
Dilara’s song is AMAZING! Seriously Azerbaijan has to send more songs with national flavour to Eurovision.