Rumours have been circling for weeks but now Cypriot broadcaster CyBC has confirmed who will be their man in Rotterdam. The American-Greek German singer Sandro will represent Cyprus at Eurovision 2020.
Following an earlier teaser post, the broadcaster made the announcement today with a post on social media, which shows Sandro sitting at a piano deep in thought.
While Sandro has been confirmed as Cyprus’ act for Eurovision 2020, his song is yet to be released. The CyBC team will internally select the song and reveal it later in the season.
Last week, a Cypriot TV show claimed that three songs had been shortlisted for Sandro: “Mucho calor” (uptempo dance), “Can’t Look Away” (mid-tempo dance) and “Never Let You Down” (modern pop). However, the latest reports suggest that two of those songs have been replaced, leaving the three contenders as “My Getaway”, “Falling to Pieces” and “Never Let You Down”.
While Cyprus has previously sent dance-pop bangers to Eurovision, there is speculation that Sandro may go for a pop-rock style closer to that of Canadian singer Shawn Mendes.
Who is Cyprus’ Eurovision singer Sandro?
Born in Germany as Alessandro Rütten, Sandro has an American father and a Greek mother. He speaks German, English and Greek. Music has been part of his life from an early age, starting with playing the drums at age four, moving on to the guitar and writing his own songs from the age of 15.
In 2015, he auditioned for Supertalent — the German version of the Got Talent franchise. Sandro didn’t get far in the contest and later said he felt “the format did not fit”.
But he kept working on his music and later got his break with the 2018 season of The Voice of Germany.
Sandro impressed both the series coaches and the audience with his powerful audition of Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood”. He was eventually eliminated in the sing-offs round but left the contest as one of the more memorable acts.
Earlier this year Sandro represented the United States in New Wave 2019, the international contest for young singers. This was his debut using his new stage name Sandro Nicolas.
Sandro charmed the voting panel with his performances over the week. He finished in sixth place with 243 points — a higher rank than Azerbaijan’s Eurovision star Aisel who finished eighth.
Sandro is the fourth act to be confirmed for Eurovision 2020. He follows Hooverphonic (Belgium), Blas Cantó (Spain) and the recently announced VICTORIA (Bulgaria).
What do you think? Are you excited that Sandro has been selected? What sort of song should he take to Rotterdam? Tell us your thoughts below!
Alright, I’m just gonna say it… Countries should nominate singers from their country.
It all depends on the song, but for now this decision makes me want to vomit.
As a Cypriot myself, there are a few things I’d like to say. Following the success of Eleni in 2018, Cyprus wants to play safe and pick up artists with previous stage experience or already established careers. Sandro seems like a nice guy but it just feels a bit weird having him as a representative of Cyprus. I’m not ethnicist, I totally supported both Eleni and Tamta even though they weren’t Cypriots, but this just feels weird. If you want to bring a completely unknown artist to represent Cyprus, let it be something big, REALLY big. If our standards are… Read more »
With Blas and Sandro already confirmed, it seems that 2020 will be full of hot male singers, just like 2019. Eurovision is turning into GAY-vision, and I’m living for it!
isnt the point of an internal selection,to send a really great singer and song,peferably a successful established artist.
I dont understand an internal selection that sends a relitavely unknown singer,that could have come from a choice in a selection show.
Now its way to early without even knowing the song and I wish sandro well,but I doubt it will be eurovision in cyprus in 2021.
give it a year or two and eleni will be rolled out again,in an effort to do a dima bilan
It’s always a gamble whether they select an unknown singer or an established one internally. It paid off well with the Netherlands this year when they selected Duncan after 6 years of choosing known faces, including O’G3NE.
I think a male act for Cyprus next year is a good idea. He sounds well, he’s young, he’ll probably get votes from the girls…let’s just hope for a good song. Something witty and catchy. Hopefully not the typical ‘I love you girl, I miss you’.
teen girls have moved on from white mediocrity, they now seem to worship k-pop idols
Hmm. Aren’t teen girls more into Billie Eilish now?
Just watch his videos. He sounds so shaky when he moves so I don’t think She Got Me is the right direction for him. Pop rock or pop ballad sound more like it.
A Swedish song is coming~
I hope he goes greek-pop
I need his fuego on replay xD
A yeah yeah a yeah
You have to send an application before March 2020. The auditions take place in Moscow in April-May and 12-14 performers are selected from a large number of hopefuls. This year 400 performers were chosen for live auditions out of 2,000 applications. By the way, the country you are representing doesn’t matter in auditions. Theoretically, they can choose more than one performer from a given country and not choose any performers from others. What they are interested in – is 1) your voice (you should prepare two short pieces for auditions) 2) your stage presence, artistic skills 3) potential of becoming… Read more »
He could go Shawn Mendes or Luca Hanni. Won’t expect much originality though. Blas Canto and him could go similar, but Blas has different style so hope they don’t overshadow each other.
Third non-Cypriot artist with zero connections to Cyprus in a row. Hopefully they go local with the song but I won’t expect much.
Another passport to the final for Cyprus!
Sounds promising. Pop-rock is safe enough that it won’t offend anyone and it’s kind hard to dislike it
Let’s just hope it’s not written by Alex P..
I think Cyprus will return into Top5 of The Grand Final o Eurovision 2020 because This Guy is so unbelievable charm on stage and his vocals are quite better than Foureira or Tamta ones. Well done Cyprus from Spain
Hovig vibes
He was a human after all …
Based on his body of work so far, it’s hard to know what expect. He’ll do something pop, that’s for sure, but maybe not following the steps of “Fuego” this time. I can see he doing something more like Chingiz’s song, for example.
I did like Truth!
Seems promising. Won’t make any judgment calls until we hear the song!
Omg, so much hate over one name. You haven’t even listened to the song yet and you started criticising! Calm down queens. If Cyprus chooses a female singer, you say they imitated Eleni and Tamta. If they choose a dance song, they imitated Fuego and Repay. They chose a man and now you say they imitated Switzerland, as if Switzerland was the only country that sent a male singer in Eurovision. You ask for something traditional or a ballad, Cyprus gave you both of these multiple times and no one voted for them! So as long as they do well… Read more »
we saw his the voice audition and it’s almost like he thought he was at your face sounds familiar from how hard he was tryin to imitate shawn mendes’ voice safhjsdajk
Do you remember how many artists we knew at that time last year?
I think Srbuk was confirmed on 30 November. Tamta was announced in December and Jonida was selected in December as well. So only Srbuk!
the fact that someone who was eliminated in the singoffs at the voice was the best they could get tho… i don’t think cyprus needs to get random ppl with no connection to the island. i understand eleni/tamta who were already estabilished stars but cypriots are gonna be like who tf is this guy. the fact that he auditioned with a yawn mendes song isn’t promising either…
Exactly- Eleni and Tamta were huge stars in Cyprus which made their selection more justified (especially Eleni, since ERT didn’t want to anger far right nationalists by picking someone of Albanian origin to represent them). Sandro isn’t even well known in Greece.
One thing though is that Cyprus have since 2017 selected a singer with an ethnic and or national connection to another competing country even aside from Greece- Armenia for Hovig, Albania for Eleni, Georgia for Tamta and Germany for Sandro.
and he isn´t even well known in germany…..
Wasn’t Tamta a reality show alumnae as well?
Tamta did Greek Idol and was a judge on X factor Georgia- but she’s far more well known than Sandro and had been on Wishlists for Greece and Georgia for much of the 2010s.
Well no better way to kickstart a likely career in the Greek and Cypriot music industry than being given a shot to represent a country in Eurovision.
Eleni did not want to sing in Greek when ERT decided to try something different: a singer to represent Greece singing in Greek. If she really wanted to represent Greece, she could have agreed.
You don’t win “the voice” just with a voice… Its more about show you know
I don’t know him or what he sings but i can already tell that it’s gonna be Arcade or She Got Me 2.0
I had same vibes from him BUT lets hear song and then we can judge 🙂
Your profile picture really looks like Polegend Godgarina’s, I always get very excited, when I see it, but then I realise it’s you….
What a mean, unnecessary thing to say.
screaming into an abyss rn
why do so many singers from different countries take part in the voice of Germany? What is so special on Germany and music industry
He was born in Germany and grew up there. Isn’t the Voice of Germany the most logical edition to take part in?
What are you talking about? I‘m genuinely asking – can you give any examples of what you mean? I don‘t know of any other particularly famous international participants at the Voice of Germany….
Natia todua
Natia was working in Germany.
Iveta mukuchyan
Iveta grew up in Germany.
It’s a shame that Cyprus seem to have stopped valuing their own performers.
I think I’m pregnant
Great, another act representing Cyprus that has (next to) nothing to do with Cyprus. Don’t get me wrong, he seems like a great choice and I’m sure he’ll bring a good song (the lineup for 2020 is fantastic so far) but it would be nice to see Cyprus send someone of the island for once.
Uhm hello Eurovision next male model 😮
There is absolutely no surprise ! Just like last year, the choice for Cyprus was already known two weeks ago. I wonder why they teased us today…
He’s interesting, and handsome (if I’m allowed to say). And a part of me would love something mixing Greek and English, Cyprus hasn’t got Greek for a while.
why arent you alllowed :)?
Downvoted for calling him handsome. Stop objectifying men please
He’s a very exciting choice and has a great voice. I’m glad that it seems that Cyprus will do something different from what they have done the last two years.
Does anyone know where Erasmus is from?
Rotterdam. Born there in 1466.
Me?
Yes. You.
Does anyone know, how I can choose a profile picture in here, btw?
From Slovenia, why? + I do not know how
Interesting, you seemed kinda like a Zimbabwe guy. I predict by analyzing comments, where their author is from.
what lol why ahhah?!
Sounds kinda complicated, but thank you
I was almost gonna ask Mr Vanilla Bean about it.
LET’S DO THISSSSSSS
When are you going to upload a video about him?
Has he ever been to Cyprus?
Lmao, the question is if Tamta or Eleni had done so as well.
No they hadn’t ’cause apparently if an artists has a career in Greece they are not allowed to come to Cyprus for a concert/tv appearance. It’s forbidden!
What drugs are you on, Eleni has been to Cyprus many times and done a ton of concerts going back as far as last decade.
Good luck to Cyprus.I don’t like the Shawn Mendes approach but ok lets wait and see.
a voice like shawn mendes and a song like seniorita. Do you think Cyprus would win then:)?
Maybe, but in my opinion, Senorita would be by far the worst winning song in the history of the contest.
And I really don’t like any of the two singers’ voices.
shawn mendes’ nasal and whiny voice is a literal nightmare