Last month Roko Blazevic won Dora — Croatia’s national selection for Eurovision 2019 — with the song “The Dream”. One solid reality? That the song won both the jury vote and the televote.
Written by Eurovision star Jacques Houdek and with lyrics by Charlie Mason (who penned “Rise Like a Phoenix”), “The Dream” is performed in both English and Croatian. However, Roko recently revealed the Croatian version of the song called “Heroj” (Hero).
Last Saturday Roko sang “Heroj” live on the show Zvijezde Pjevaju, the Croatian version of the singing reality show, Just the Two of Us. Again, we see Roko fully in white but this time without his highly discussed angel wings seen at the Dora performance. He sings brilliantly showing heaps of vocal composure for his age.
There’s more in his bag. Roko also recently performed a stripped-down version of “Heroj” for the popular Croatian radio station Narodni Radio. In this performance we see Roko singing whilst playing the song on a keyboard. Without the usual instrumentation, his voice really does flourish.
That’s not all! “The Dream” has also gone straight to number one after being released on the Croatian music chart, HR Top 40. A few of the other songs from Dora — including “Tower of Babylon” by Lorena Bucan and “Brutalero” by Luka Nizetic which came second and third respectively — have charted too. The songs are certainly making an impact on the Croatian music scene.
What do you think? Do you think the Croatian version of “The Dream” should represent Croatia at Eurovision 2019? Let us know in the comment section down below!
I hope that the representative of Croatia will have an angel wing of 25 m long just for you to have something to talk about. ? #sorrynotsorry
Why are they so late with the official video?
They do it deliberately as the song will allegedly be thoroughly revamped, so a final version may be expected by the beginning of April 2019. Let’s hope for the best as Roko is an awesome singer who doesn’t deserve a mediocre song. I hope Jacques is aware of it and will not run a risk to face another flop.
Good luck, Croatia!
we have winner this year…
Roko is the best singer,and song is so….emotionally 🙂
Attention to all those malicious haters of Croatia’s entry:
The song has been revamped and is about to be released, and I assure you you’ll be taken aback how stunning this song now sounds, with Roko as the ESC favourite No. 1 now – I’m absolutely sure about it!!! Well done, Jacques & and the team! Well done Roko! I’ve been so delighted to hear this!!! Oh, boy, this is going to be the most convincing ESC victory ever!
Hype over Russia put Croatia into spotlight!
He should sing it in Croatian as it sounds much more powerful, even though with both versions, Roko’s voice is completely stunning and I think it will be recognised on Eurosong. Fingers crossed, he is born to shine.
Amazingly good… Croatia will rock this year… All the best to Roko… He is amazing singer. Definitely No. 1
Ohhh, Roko’s song rocks, needless to say that a Croatian entry (Rock me, baby) won the ESC for former Yugoslavia 30 years ago and made Croatia’s capital of Zagreb a host in 1990. Insiemeeeee, unite, unite Europe! Call me crazy, but I can see “the winner” written all over Roko and his song, confident that the song revamp will be effective and appealing… I didn’t like how the song sounds in this “blue show” – the unplugged Narodni radio version is much more appealing and all I would add to Roko’s playing the piano would be a cello… something similar… Read more »
Ohhh, Roko’s song rocks, needless to say that a Croatian entry (Rock me, baby) won the ESC for former Yugoslavia 30 years ago and made Croatia’s capital of Zagreb a host in 1990. Insiemeeeee, unite, unite Europe! Call me crazy, but I can see “the winner” written all over Roko and his song, confident that the song revamp will be effective and appealing…
Ammmm he should defiantly sing in Croatian! So much better! And yes NO WINGS please!
Yes!! He should sing it in Croatian!! And without those ridiculous wings….
They announced a revamp….it will be out together with music video…they will revamp an instrumental, and I hope they will keep it in Croatian only
Didn’t hear nothing about?? Where do you got from?
Some strange feeling is telling me this will go to the final. Something between Jacques Houdek’s fanbase rigging it or the Croatian broadcaster investing in some interesting LED.
Same semi as Macedonia and Austria. Doesn’t hurt.
get a life already
yeah I can see… visiting this site and sh**ting on everyone and everything on daily basis is a great life
Zagreb 2020!
Slovenia top1, greetings from Croatia, your song is the best so far
admit that you are from slovenia xD i’d accuse you of being italian but this is not an article about italia so…
i don’t believe you; if croatian users say you are from slovenia, i’m going to believe them unless you show us your passport 😛 but in all realness, according to them one can only like a song from their own country. it’s unfathomable to them there are people who like other songs too, or worse, they don’t like their country song, just like you. that’s treason, you hear me, treason! i believe i’m unbiased too, i’m serbian and i know that you don’t like our song too. i find it okay, but i’m glad that after last year’s mess (dear… Read more »
let me start with saying that i really don’t like ceca 😀 long story short, authors don’t want to apply/compete at the contest, they know rts (our public broadcaster) looks down at them so they don’t even bother. every year same group of people appears on it, both artists and authors (god knows how many times saska janx appeared on beovizija, people “know” her only because of it (only esc fans know her lets be honest)). our ex-yugoslavia people REALLY listen to our music. we share the same market, and serbian/bosnian/croatian/montenegrin artists collaborate all the time due to us speaking… Read more »
well you won’t get it because excluding him i don’t think anyone does that genre 😀 nowadays songs like Milan Stankovic – Trans, and Maya Berovi? feat. Buba Corelli – Pravo vreme are popular here. it’s interesting that they are done by Jala Brat, he was the rapper in bosnia and herzegovina last entry (well he and his writing/rapping partner do them together but i digress). beovizija was actaully an opportunity for us to hear other genres. and according to you we failed lol (i’m not calling you out, i’m just stating the obvious :)). i hope we’ll qualify to… Read more »
without that awful 5 year old lyrics and terrible wings , this version actually have A LOT more potential in esc.
The Croatian version is good! I hope they put it all in Croatian instead of the cheesy English lyrics.
The guy has great vocal abilities. Too bad the song is so meeeh.
looks like a vampire
The stripped down piano version in Croatian is actually pretty nice. Sometimes less is more.
We have asked Jacques to make revamp, but I am not sure he is going to do that. Jacques please throw down wings. Roko, sing croatian version. I prefere this version with piano.
Why even waste your time writing this article about Roko and his “song” when you could be flying out to Serbia and getting the first exclusive interview with ESC 2019 winner Nevena? She is going to win in May with her incredible song KRUNA. That’s a fact.
You are lucky if she gets out of semi final brate/sestre.
You do know you’re annoying?
Powerful and strong! Roko from Croatia will be strong contender and most probably one to have eye on!
Croatia version is lyrical and more sensual! Definitely ready for the finale!
Worst Croatian entry ever. Can someone please keep Jacques houdek away from eurovision???
this will be a big surprise this year! TOP 10 for sure!
Absolutely only in croatian, not english mixed!
Wow yeah, how dare someone have different taste than you?
Same can be said about you, you are literally attacking everyone who doesn’t like the song!
Nothing bad about Roko personally, he looks a nice lad, but he’s definitely not qualifying.
What it takes me to the nest thing, Would Croatia mind to try to find a winner before Goran Visnjic gets to old for host?
I think he will be in top 5 . And that would be great to Goran Visnjic be the host
The worse thing is that the majority says to sing in all croatian but they will stick to that bland english part. What’s the point
of not listening the eurofans and ruin a song and chances of qualification.
The strongest song this year.
So you have no taste in music? Frightening…
From 0.55 to 3.00, this song is highly unpleasant, just screaming over and over again. I don’t have any doubts about his vocal ability, but screaming during 2 minutes isn’t the right way to show it. Give us a break, Roko.
Croatian version is better…Roko represents Croatia not UK…
Cao! Just wanted to say that teo days ago i wrote a lengthy reply in serbian on nevena’s article but for some reason wiwibloggs decided it needs to be moderated and hasn’t done it yet. I’m not planning to write it again so if ever gets published than yay, and if not than boo, but what csn one do 🙂
Back to topic: he can sings in any language he wants i don’t like his shouty song and i doubt he will qualify.
That’s just your irrelevant opinion. I don’t see why anyone should care of your bad taste :/ Roko is one of best singers this year and he can qualify for sure.
And that’s your irrelevant opinion. This whole comment section is made of people giving their irrelevant opinions, that’s how it works. Welcome to the internet.
Well in this case my opinion is more relevant than yours because i as a foreigner should be voting for him, not you who elected him, and i certainly won’t do it. He is a great singer, nobody can deny it, but his song is unberable. Nice that croatian public loves him tho, that’s maybe more important because he will build his career there.
Just keep it in Croatian, it sounds so much better now. English lyrics were awful.
Roko sing whole after Croatia
Yes please, perform the Croatian version in Tel Aviv. The English lyrics are cringeworthy. Maybe they aren’t a whole lot better in Croatian, but as I can’t understand them, I remain blissfully oblivious. Oh, and leave the wings at home as well.
Stick to Croatian, somehow is makes it sound less cheesy.
Roko’s song is old-fashioned, which doesn’t mean automatically that it’s bad. There are quite a lot of average ESC-viewers who do like to hear such typical Eurovision stuff every year again. Do you remember Michal Szpak from Poland and his old-fashioned song? He was bashed by ESC-fans but ended as 3rd with televoting.
So You feel to be higher class viewer? 😀 I don’t like people doing and feeling higher than others so much. Against the Nature we all are at same spot, Nature and hers acts like tornados, tsunamies, volcans, lightnings and other things that can hurt us – Don’t care who we are! Low, average, or high class peoples, no one can be safe. 🙂 Next time think better before write things like You do at here with this Your one “opinion” that u lift urself higher to other people calling them as average viewers. Maybe for someone You’re also average.
You totally misunderstood my comment. I consider myself an average viewer too. I just meant that there’re viewers who appreciate this kind of songs which remind them of the old good times of Eurovision. Not everybody expects experiments from Eurosong, if something is different and innovative, that doesn’t mean necessarily that it’s better. Me personally prefer listening to “Heroj” than to “Telemóveis”.
Thank you for saying this! I feel exactly the same. Yeah, Roko’s song feels old-fashoned. But for me it reminds me of many great songs from ,,old” Eurovision. It’s a little nostalgic for me
According to Irish media outlet Buzz.ie Janet Devlin has been confirmed as Ireland’s Eurovision 2019 entry.
Not sure how I feel about this. I can just imagine it will be another Molly Sterling type acoustic. Beautiful and well performed but just not standing out enough.
Jacques Houdek ?? No thanks…
Don’t know if a lyric/language chance would help. Am glad that the Croatian public picked a song for them but it is very inaccessible to a foreign audience, without the usual traditional musical elements to make it at least interesting.
the song gets worse after every replay… no matter how great he sings this entry is DOOMED
Cant wait to see ur face when it does so well at esc 😉
y’all talkin bout his voice which is indeed fantastic but i feel like it’s not ‘perfect’ for this song. it needs an operatic singer and he’s….pop. jacques should’ve kept it, roko should’ve gotten sumthin better.
There are some improvements, but the shitty, cheesy, dated song with the writers having no idea about what an amazing voice the poor (because of the song) guy has, it’s still my least favourite and the only song on Spotify that I have blocked. Sorry Roko, you can do better than the shit you have been given to sing.
Dora 2019 album is also #1 selling album at the moment which is great and shows that people are interested and care about Eurovision…
That’s amazing! I’ve been listening to the album. Thanks for letting me know!
AMAZING!!!
Much better version, beautiful voice.
Keep it in Croatian and go with the piano version! Its not that shouty. Add some violines and go
What a voice… The song is awful, but he is the best male vocalist of the year.
Awful, in YOUR opinion. Who are you to speak for all of us?
Everyone here talks only in their own name, including you. is this your first time participating in Internet discussion? If yes then now you know.
I will love this song entry if they’ll let Jacques Houdek dance a ballet in Roko’s staging.