It’s been 11 years since Tamara Todevska took to the stage in Belgrade with Vrcak and Adrian. Now, the stage is hers alone. She’s looking to finally take North Macedonia back to the grand final, with her song “Proud”.
“Proud” — Tamara Todevska
Tamara Todevska chose to delay the release of “Proud” to today to coincide with International Women’s Day. The song celebrates women all over and their strength, as does the video.
That strength comes through shining in Tamara’s vocals. The song builds with some beautiful piano and string instrumentation. Tamara’s vocals get ever more powerful and they could be a real “wow” moment on stage, y’all.
The video sees a diverse cast of women, initially looking timid. But as the song goes on, their pride comes through. By the end, many are shouting or singing along, showing how “proud” they are. We’re loving the message and we can see why Tamara chose to hold off the release to mark IWD.
Tamara Todevska at Eurovision
Tamara Todevska finished 10th in her semi-final in 2008. She missed out on the grand final due to a rule in the 2008 contest which stated that the tenth qualifier would be determined by a jury.
The jury opted to send former Eurovision winner Charlotte Perrelli through with “Hero“, taking Tamara Todevska’s place in the grand final. This would be the start of the country’s eleven year drought, during which they have only qualified for the final once.
That wasn’t Tamara’s only appearance on the Eurovision stage. In 2014, Tamara was a backing vocalist on Tijana’s entry “To the Sky“. Tijana — Tamara’s older sister — finished 13th in the semi-final, also failing to qualify for the grand final. Tamara has plenty of Eurovision experience up her belt but has never made it to the grand final — something she will be hoping to change in 2019.
What do you think of “Proud”? Are you proud of North Macedonia at Eurovision this year? Let us know in the comments below!
I am proud, they made beautiful song. I would like to see them in top 3 this year.
This song has a lot of emotion and it feels very genuine. Of the two female empowerment songs, I much prefer North Macedonia’s than Germany’s. This will easily be in my personal top ten maybe even my top five.
after two years of glow up this is… not as good as past efforts
Beautiful music, good words.
The last two years I loved the songs and the music videos of Dance Alone and Lost and Found, but this year… this is just a cringe. This year is so disappointing for me aside from few songs. Im sure, if Dance Alone or Lost and Found was send this year it would’ve gotten great placing. If you get better placing this year it would be only because most of the songs are very weak, not because this is better.
these 2 songs got the place they got because they weren’t that good live.
This has better live potential, counting Tamara’s 2008 performance and how Macedonia bombed their bops with awful staging + how ‘Doma’ worked out.
I’ll honestly tell you my thoughts when I heard this: they prefered a ballad this time because it’s easier to stage it. A dance song is more difficult to stage. However, the last couple of years, they improved and they sent some really good entries. And this year they once again brought us something beautiful. Now I understand why the song was realised on March 8th.
I really love it, is a beautiful modern ballad but with ethnic vibes. This is original and so unique; listening to it you understand where it came from.
Compared to the Dutch one, I think that North Macedonia has a personal background which is a good point
And North Macedonia makes it again to my Top 10. Third year on a row. Just please, Macedonian TV, do not stuff up the damn staging this time.
I love this song. It’s a ballad, yes, but not a dated ballad. The lyrics is powerful & empowering, the song is solid. I hope they’ll qualify this year if they don’t mess up the stage again. Def. will vote for them tho!
I will vote for North-Macedonia´s entry. Hope, Tamara will deliver live on stage. One Austrian vote more for this solid, empowering ballade
I thought it is about coming out, as the title is Proud
but nah yeah it is fine:)
I mean, it’s Macedonia after all, the people would tear someone apart if they made a song about coming out 😀
Well, even if Tijana isn’t a queer woman she can tottaly pass as one… 😉
Absolutely horrible.
I think it’s very powerful and dramatic, I love the vocals
I just really wish we could start singing about empowermenting both men and women but fine, I guess…
Let’s see whether she qualifies :3
Are you serious?
Yea, what’s the problem?
I don’t even get the downvotes I got, like, are we supposed to empower women only?
In a world where men have had full rights since the beginning of time, a world ”ruled” by men, men barely experience discrimination based on their gender, you’re hating on a feminist song because it’s about women being equal as men? I am a man myself and a feminist one and mentioning men in a song like this is totally unnecessary. Cry me a river.
Who the hell said I hate this song? I adore it!
I don’t care men used to rule this world, I want people to talk about equality
Praising women is not equality, sorry to tell ya…
It’s a great song, I’m listening to it a lot, it’s almost in my top 10 but I wish people were singing about empowerment for all genders
Alright. Make sure to vote for it if you adore it! 😉
Just try not talking about stuff you clearly know nothing about.
Yea, I know enough and I’m the one aiming for equality out of us two, not you, so…
Wrong, but lets agree to disagree. Goodbye
u said nothing wrong Roy.. the team is obviously counting on SJW.. if you say smth remotely critical they will tore you apart.. we r yet to see how everything plays out
May I ask what does SJW mean?
Social Justice Warrior
When its NorthMacedonia, Australia, Sweden. Then people ARE extra extra extra critical. And when its Greece and Cyprus with shallow basic pop songs hears 1000 times before. Then yeyyyyyyyy. Dont get it.
Lol no, Australia and Sweden are the most overrated countries, people are not extra critical for them at all.
No they are not. Cyprus have send to similar songs now 2 years in a row. Australia like last year. NO and We in Sweden will probably send gospel. is that similar. NO? so your are wrong
Yes. Greece has sent the same sound for like a decade, no one cares
This year Serbia sends another ballad, then it’s beautiful.
But when Sweden sends pop song ,thent’s oh another pop song. Or a copy of Austria last year.
Some countries always gets criticized. Where as others can do nothing wrong. But try to defend Sweden or Australia you will get flak for that.
I agree
Haha, Sweden is the most overrated country in ESC xD
Nearly no one is critical when it comes to Sweden. If, say, San Marino would send Lundvik, then everyone would be like “it’s so dated, so generic, my ears are hurting!”, but when it’s Sweden, then it’s “wow, so awesome!”
What a surprise Eurovision fans crying over a ballad. It’s beautiful and empowering, and no it’s not being sexist or feminist it’s about female empowerment. A much classier take on Netta (I like Netta too don’t get me wrong but let’s be honest). If the staging is beautiful then this can qualify.
Everyone on this site KNOW that fans only like songs like repeat from Cyprus and when its NorthMacedonia everyone is extra critical. 2 known facts. I love this song 🙂
Great video! Great message. I do think this could split the LGBT vote. That will, now, be between France and Macedonia.
As a Macedonian I think is not bad but it will struggle to qualify as always.
I really hope not:) I will vote for it 🙂
Too safe. Nope.
I like it!
That’s….it? It’s kind of underwhelming, like a lot of songs this year. Last year was overwhelming because everyone wanted to stand out, this year is the opposite because there’s a few good songs and a lot of underwhelming ones.
She is so good but I want this in Macedonian. The lyrics are so boring. The song itself is good enough for a qualification.
It’s interesting how Albania is the only non-English song in sf2, while all the other ones are in sf1.
Good! Slaying to the final.
Actually in Semi Final 1 in 2017 the only non-English song ended up winning that year.
It’s a very basic song, but she’s singing with a lot of heart, and it’s message is vague enough to have broad appeal, and it’s very basic and cliche-ridden lyrics may actually work in it’s favour. This has the potential to be impactful on the Eurovision stage.
It’s message is a bit vague and unsubstantial, but such a broad call for female empowerment is not sexist, it’s incredibly needed.
If you wanna play the PC card you gotta play it right .What happened to women of color in the video?The song itself is really unispiring
is that your opinion? so Israel have to have an asian and black host to , to make you happy ? haha stupid opinion. Who cares who is in the video. Its the message thats is important
Go find them in North Macedonia…
Aside of my stub comment, I’m enjoying this and the musical direction, although still confused on either to take it as an empowerment ballad for women in general or specifically to address women abuse, as its direction goes to the ’emotionally tragic’ spectrum. We all know how Macedonia went about staging, but I feel different about this one since they staged ‘Doma’ and there’s a hope in me that we’ll see at least a good staging for NorMac this year. Fingers crossed!
One more thing about its tragic mood is probably that it was written with Balkan ballad in mind. The probably wanted to westernize the sound of it, so we end up getting a piano ballad.
I liked Tamara in Belgrade – still think they were robbed of the final that year – and I LOVED Brod što tone. So I really had high hopes for the “debut” of North Macedonia. Well, what can I say? The song’s well structured, she delivers it confidently and by releasing it on Womens’ day, she goes for the package with message. But still, I feel quite underwhelmed. Pity – I would have wished somehow for more authenticity and creativity…
What a delightful surprise from North Macedonia!!!
I love this so much! Her voice, instrumental, the message of the song… amazing!
North Macedonia showed us today that we can have a song about empowerment of women without chicken noises and insults to men. Well done!
Mixed feelings here. I love Tamara and I really want to like this. But instinctually, this song doesn’t work for me. I find it difficult to connect the feeling of empowerment and pride with a musical “lament”. She’s so proud of strong girls and women of the world that she is crying – yes, I get it theatrically. I just don’t get it musically. This feels like too much acting/theatre and not enough music/songwriting. It is as if I wrote music about someone amazing who died, and then some lyricist decided to put different words to my music that changed… Read more »
Bit of a sexist song. Can see this getting a donut
I really miss Kaliopi – Dona
Another boring boring song….. Expected more
Good singer and the song builds nicely and I like the orchestral build up. But feministic message is a bit outdated which will hurt it’s appeal. Good luck though macedonia
Not my cup of tea, expected more Macedonia, although I guess you e sort of given up after the past few years having good songs and failing to qualify
I can see how salty the comment section is. It’s a great song anyways.
Salty?
The dislike ratio, I mean. Either I can believe it was a honest dislike about the song’s confusing direction or just Greek people.
Don’t worry, Bean, you’re fine.
Awful song, what were you thinking macedonia
Very feministic and goes against equality. Usually like macedonias song and was waiting for this one, but bit of a disaster that will and deserves to be left in the semis.
I’m positevely surprised! :O
It has a good, loud and clear message. I can see a lot of women relating to the lyrics, especially mothers concerned about empowering their daughters. I just think it misses an opportunity: when Tamara sings “go and break the rules”, the background music gets more powerful, the women in the video change their expressions, her vocals get louder, but the whole thing still sounds like a lament, when it was the time to “do a Conchita”, get fierce and go for the gold. Besides that, a solid classical power ballad.
ACTUALLY SHE MAKE IT TO THE FINAL !!!! in 2004 as a backing vocalist !!
Pass.
Macedonia always give us good songs, but I heard this aso many times before, not bad, but not my favorite…
Saw the PSA against domestic violence from 2018, but where is the song?
do you mean their entry for JESC 2018 “Doma”
I expected sooooo much more
Now this is amazing. I had “undo” vibes combined with norway’s “hold on”. Really love it.
OMG, I love it! I can see this winning.
This would have been stunning in macedonian language. But for now it’s just another (boring ?) classic average ballad as we heard 1 million time.
The song is very emotional and her vocals are great. I don’t know if the fandom and the juries appreciate the effort , but this should qualify (unless they mess up the staging as usual)
I was actually just waiting to see if they would say “North Macedonia” or not, sooo let’s listen now.
It’s good but I feel like I’ve heard this song so many times before (at eurovision)