Autumn can be a period of two halves for Eurovision fans. While we have to wait patiently for national final season to start and be content with the drip-feeding of information from broadcasters about their plans for next year, it’s also the most active time for new music releases.
This means, while we wait for the ghost of Eurovision future to become Eurovision present, we look to the stars of Eurovision past to fill our musical appetite.
For our next round-up of new music releases, we are taking a look at what some of our favourite male Eurovision stars have offered us, including Eric Saade, Nadav Guedj, Aleksander Walmann, Robin Stjernberg and DJ Bobo.
Eric Saade – “Så jävla fel” and “Vill ha mer” (feat. Parham)
We’ll be seeing a lot more of Eric Saade over the coming months as he gets ready to co-host Melodifestivalen 2019. But before then, Sweden’s Eurovision 2011 podium finisher has released his first ever Swedish-language single, “Så jävla fel” (“So damn wrong”). A slow and moody number, in the song the “Popular” hitmaker has recently gone through a break-up. He still remains in the apartment where the couple were staying together and now everything reminds him of the mistakes he made in the relationship: “The consequences of my stupid choice, everything went so fast, yeah / Our apartment you sold cheap and the debt keeps me from leaving / Closing everything we had, erasing words that you’ve just made, mm / Everything feels so damn wrong when I look at you”.
The accompanying music video sees the Swedish singer in said flat, bathed in red and blue light as he attempts to write down his thoughts. In the end though he just has to burn them away.
The manboy‘s latest release is “Vill ha mer” (“Want more”), which features rapper Parham. Another mid-tempo pop offering with R&B touches, this track sees Eric hitting it off with someone who’s out searching for something a little extra: “You want more / You want something like you’ve never had before”. However, there’s another side to this story, as while this person may want “more”, they do already have something going on with someone else: “We know that what we are doing is wrong / But only I can / I can give what he does not give / Gives you some fire, gives you some spice”. Indeed, at the end of the track we find out the Swedish singer doesn’t try to stop things as he too has a desire for something extra: “You want more / You take off your ring as if I do not see / I want more / So I say nothing and accompany”.
Nadav Guedj – “מה את אומרת”
He may have been dismissed from the Israeli army choir, but Nadav Guedj’s musical inspiration is still flowing. Eurovision 2016’s “Golden Boy” released his latest song “מה את אומרת” (“What do you say”) in August, and it’s a fun and funky track, perfect to get you in the groove. The song’s lyrics are all about dancing as well, with the Israeli singer wanting to dance across the world with that special someone: “Hey, tell me / What do you say / Let’s dance about the world… Looks like it feels great to you / Like a dream that has come and gone”. The song’s lyric video is bright and colourful, and features a cartoon astronaut demonstrating his dancing prowess across the solar system.
Aleksander Walmann – “Waiting for Your Love”
Aleksander Walmann may have had the help of fellow Norwegian JOWST for his Eurovision 2017 and MGP 2018 songs, but that doesn’t mean he can’t produce some catchy pop numbers all on his own. He proves this with his latest single “Waiting for Your Love”, a mid-tempo number with a synthesised-voice post chorus. The lyrics see the “Grab the Moment” singer talking about how he just can’t get enough of his loved one even though he knows they’re bad news for him: “When you kiss me like that / I’m addicted / No turning back / I admit it / I’m waiting for your love / Waiting, waiting for your love”.
Robin Stjernberg – “Love”, “I Don’t” and Under Water EP
Returning to Sweden and 2013 host entrant Robin Stjernberg has had a busy 2018. He started in February by releasing “Love”, which according to Robin is “the best song I’ve ever written”. The singer goes on to reveal in the description of the song’s lyric video that the track is a result of a promise made many years ago that he would write a song for his friend’s wedding. In August 2017 that day finally came and he performed the song live with a gospel choir at the wedding. The song only took him 20 minutes to write, but that doesn’t mean it has any less feeling and emotion thrown into it, as the star explains: “‘Love’ is powerful, organic, filled with love as well as a rawness”.
Later in the year Robin released “I Don’t” as the first single from his new EP Under Water. The lead single is a more upbeat affair, but still with a nice gospel backing that brings even more life to the track and gets you clapping along. The lyrics see the “You” singer moving on from a troublesome relationship and putting himself first for a change: “‘Cause you messed me up…So I left you here to do this on my own / You know I’ve had enough…Now I don’t care / Oh, I swear / I don’t, I don’t, I don’t care”.
However, by far the stand out track of the EP is the title song “Under Water”. With a tinge of sadness at the start, it progressively builds with a soaring chorus that banishes all the despair and brings in the light. The song really shows off Robin’s exceptional vocal talents as he comforts his friend through troubled times after they were the one to help him in the past: “When it gets hard to love yourself / Feel like you’re stuck under water / I’ll be the one swimming over…Open up and let me in…’Cause you were the one swimming over / When I was the one under water”.
DJ Bobo – “1000 Dreams” and Kaleidoluna LP
In 2007 he told us all that “Vampires Are Alive”, but with over 14 million records sold worldwide Swiss music producer DJ Bobo hasn’t let the existence of blood-sucking creatures scare him off from continuing to produce some dynamic dance anthems. The Eurovision alumni released his 14th studio album Kaleidoluna in September and the latest single from the LP is “1000 Dreams”.
As we would expect with the Swiss star, the song is an uplifting dance track that’ll get you on the dance floor and forgetting about all your troubles. The accompanying music video shows off various shots from his recent Mystorial European tour. And if the video is making you a bit jealous that you didn’t get to see the show for yourself, then fear not, he’ll be touring his Kaleidoluna album throughout 2019, so there’s still time for you to experience a bit of the Bobo magic for yourself!
What do you make of these new tracks? Are you loving the new music of Eurovision’s male stars? Sound off in the comments below!
Under water is amazing <3
Blanche has a new song out – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmHJYAsL0X4