Summer is always the quiet period for Eurovision fans as we wait for national finals to start once again. Thankfully, the music will always continue and a number of past Eurovision artists are still producing new songs for us to enjoy.
Contrary to the commonly perpetuated myth about the song contest killing careers, we’re always thrilled to report that singers and performers associated with both Eurovision itself and the various national selections are thriving.
Here is a selection of just some of the songs and music videos released in the last week or so.
New music from Eurovision artists: 2020 | Week 25 Part 2
Check out out the songs included in part one here.
Eleni Foureira – “Temperatura”
Eurovision 2018 runner-up Eleni Foureira continues to bring the heat with her new single “Temperatura”. Despite the Spanish title, most of the song lyrics are in Greek, but the tune brings a sunny reggaetón flavour. The song was co-written by “Toy” writer Doron Medalie, with the Israeli hitmaker showing a different side to his talents. Fans of the pineapples in the “Fuego” video will be pleased by the appearance of fresh fruit in the “Temperatura” video — as well as some product placement snack bars. (Robyn)
Tom Leeb – “Si tu savais”
Tom Leeb was set to represent France at Eurovision 2020 with his song “Mon Alliée (The Best in Me)”. Since the cancellation of the contest, Tom’s been busy with creating new music. His new single “Si tu savais” (“If you knew”) is a very intimate one. The song is very minimalist – all Tom needs is his guitar and beautiful French lyrics. (Esma)
KEiiNO – “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
Norway’s Eurovision 2019 act KEiiNO have released their cover of the Whitney Houston classic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”. The track is an official anthem for Global Pride — an online Pride event to help take the place of the many Pride events cancelled due to coronavirus precautions. The song takes the Whitney classic and gives it the KEiiNO sound, complete with a joik solo from Fred. A music video for the song will later be released featuring KEiiNO fans dancing. (Robyn)
Alexandra Rotan – “We’re in This Together” (Official Song Women’s EHF EURO 2020)
Meanwhile, KEiiNO vocalist Alexandra Rotan has recorded “We’re in This Together”. It’s the official song for the European Women’s Handball Championship, due to take place in December, hosted jointly by Denmark and Norway. The song celebrates teamwork, with Alexandra asserting, “Nothing can stop us – we’re unbreakable”. (Robyn)
zalagasper – “origami”
Slovenia chose zalagasper to represent them at Eurovision 2019. The duo – formed of vocalist Zala Kralj and multi-instrumentalist Gašper Šantl – are continuing with their minimal indie-pop sound for their new song “origami”. Zala sings about opening her heart to her partner and letting them shape her: “origami / fold me like an origami / into your favourite object”. The footage for the lyric video comes from zalagasper’s time in Tel Aviv for Eurovision 2019. In the description, they explain that they made sure to take time away from the hustle and bustle of the contest:
“We went to Tel Aviv in 2019. The schedule was packed, and the days were long, but we found a way to make the evenings nice and relaxing. We went to the beach with people who are dear to us and we forgot about the world for a little while. Žiga Krajnc captured some of these moments, which you can now see in this lyric video for origami.”
Madame Monsieur (feat. Jok’air) – “Comment ça va”
Madame Monsieur – that’s Émilie Satt and Jean-Karl Lucas – will release their third studio album Tandem this Friday 26 June. Ahead of the LP’s release, France’s Eurovision 2018 duo have dropped the final pre-release single. Like all the songs included on Tandem, “Comment ça va” (“How are you”) sees the duo team up with a featured artist – this time with French rapper Jok’air. The accompanying music video sees Satt and Jok’air performing the song to each other in front of a number of beige-coloured walls.
AISEL – “Sevirem”
After representing Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2018, AISEL continues her music career with the new single “Sevirem” (“I love you”). It’s a ballad that utilises a number of traditional Azeri instruments; the last 1:15 minutes of the track is solely instrumental. Lyrically, AISEL sings about a “strange love” that she continues returning to despite knowing it’s not good for her: “I’m going back again / Why do I still love you – I love you”.
villemdrillem x Elina Born – “niiea”
In 2015, Elina Born represented Estonia at Eurovision alongside Stig Rästa. Now, she’s teamed up with another Estonian artist, villemdrillem, for the new song “niiea”. Born sings vocals for the chorus while villemdrillem provides a series of rap verses – all underlined by a catchy electronic-percussion beat. The pair sing about how there will always be difficulties getting through the week. But, the weight gets lifted when you’re eventually able to spend time with someone you love: “One look, time stands still / and we do not see the end … Because when we’re together / then I have good, I have good-a, good-a”. In the music video, we see the two Estonian stars driving around as the sun begins to set behind the skyline.
Claudia Faniello – “Say”
She represented Malta at Eurovision 2017 with “Breathlessly”. Now, after a period of “musical hibernation” Claudia Faniello is giving us “Say”. As described in the official press release, it’s “a highly emotional call for healthy dialogue in all kinds of human relationships”. The release continues: “For those unimpressed with the anticlimactic first half of 2020, Say is surely a high-quality anthem we can feast on all throughout the summer months”. (Padraig)
Sirusho – “Vision”
Sirusho took Armenia to the top four of Eurovision for the first time when she participated in 2008. The star’s new single is “Vision”, which sees Sirusho returning to the English language. It’s a slow burner, but the persistent drum beat running underneath the 4:23 minutes adds a soft-rock edge to the song. The Armenian star sings about the energy she feels around her lover and the urge to be together with them: “I would stay forever in your arms where I should be / And the vision of you touching me / It’s haunting me / There is nothing I want more”.
Sertab Erener – Ben Yaşarım
Eurovision 2003 champion Sertab Erener has had a continued successful career since lifting the trophy. Last week, the Turkish star released her eleventh studio album, titled Ben Yaşarım (I Live). It’s her first full album release since 2016. The LP contains 14 songs for fans to enjoy, including recent single “Bu Dünya”.
Bugo (feat. Ermal Meta) – “Mi Manca”
Ermal Meta was one half of Italy’s Eurovision 2018 act. Recently, the star collaborated with another fellow Italian artist, featuring on “Mi Manca” (“I Miss”) by Bugo. Those who watched Sanremo 2020 will remember Bugo for walking off the stage during the middle of his performance on the fourth evening of the festival. A guitar-driven soft-rock track, Meta provides the vocals for the second verse and chorus of the song. The lyrics see the artists reminiscing about times gone by: “And I miss the road, we two on bicycles / I miss myself, I miss you”.
Dima Bilan and Zemlyane – “Трава У Дома”
Eurovision 2008 winner Dima Bilan was only one (and a half) years old when Russian music group Zemlyane released their song “Трава У Дома” (“Grass by the Home”) in 1983. Telling a story about astronauts that are longing for their homes on Earth, and specifically the grass near them, the song became the official anthem for Russian astronauts. Now though, Bilan and Zemlyane have rerecorded the song together as a collaboration. The production has been updated, but still retains a retro 80s vibe thanks to the inclusion of plenty of synths.
Jurijus – “Apie ją”
Jurijus was chosen to represent Lithuania at Eurovision 2019, ultimately just missing out on a place in the grand final. He’s now released his new song “Apie ją” (“About her”). Underlined by a repetitive drum beat that gets under the listener’s skin, the Lithuanian star shows off the upper register of his vocal range in the chorus and bridge. Lyrically, Jurijus sings about his ex-partner and his failed attempts to move on from them: “Maybe in time I will meet a love that will burn like you / The night will be bright, remembering what you gave me”.
Highway – “Svjetlija strana ulice”
Montenegro sent the band Highway to represent them at Eurovision 2016. The trio’s latest song is “Svjetlija strana ulice” (“The brighter side of the street”). This new song is softer than their Eurovision entry “The Real Thing”, but still has an indie-rock edge to it. The accompanying music video centres around a clips of a woman (and her fish). Interspersed between this are shots with a retro camcorder filter where this character reminisces about a certain time in the past.
Lara Fabian – Papillion(s)
While many focus on Céline Dion’s participation at Eurovision 1988, the contest that year also featured another star who would go on to achieve renowned success. Canadian-Belgian singer Lara Fabian represented Luxembourg, finishing fourth. She’s since sold over 20 million records worldwide. Fabian recently released Papillion(s), the deluxe version of her latest album. This re-release features three extra songs – two in French and one in English.
Trong Hieu (feat. All Stars) – “Under The Same Sky”
Eurovision is all about bringing artists together from countries across Europe and Australia. Now, a number of past Eurovision stars have collaborated with German-Vietnamese singer Trong Hieu on the song “Under The Same Sky”. The track features JJ (Bulgaria 2018), Michela (Malta 2019), Vincent Bueno (Austria 2020, 2021), Alma (France 2017), Julia Samoylova (Russia 2018) and Patric Scott (Switzerland NF 2012, 2016). A charity single, all proceeds from the song over the next three years will be donated to UNICEF Vietnam.
Anton Hagman – “Så finner vi varann”
He’s the crooner that famously eliminated former Eurovision winner Loreen in the Andra Chansen stage of Sweden’s Melodifestivalen 2017. Now, one year after his last Melfest appearance, Anton has released “Så finner vi varann” (“How To Find Each Other”). It’s written by Anton himself, along with William Forsling and Petter Alfredsson. The official press release describes how Anton’s new material has grown naturally in pace with his development as an artist. (Padraig)
Paul Rey – “Mistakes”
He was the only newcomer to reach the final of Melodifestivalen 2020. And now Paul Rey has released “Mistakes”, the follow-up to the top ten hit “Talking In My Sleep”. The track is a co-write between Paul himself and the British scribes Nick Bradley and Lewis Gardiner. “I wanted to pay homage to the “ugly side” of a relationship”, says Paul in the official press release. “Dancing on roses can be filled with thorns and sometimes you make mistakes. But you can also learn from mistakes, learn to love those mistakes and not make mistakes with a person”. (Padraig)
Linnea Henriksson – “Det kommer en tid”
She was one of the three co-hosts at Melodifestivalen 2020. And after the contest wrapped up, Linnea Henriksson was supposed to go on a well-earned break. But of course, a certain global pandemic happened and put paid to her plans. Writing in the official press release for “Det kommer en tid” (“There Will Be A Time”), Linnea explains how she returned to music earlier than expected: “It wasn’t really meant to release music now, but when the whole world was suddenly forced to pause, the need to write came… [Music] became my comfort when the uncertainty and turmoil became too great and the sound of it reminded me of grandma, school closure and that lively hopefulness the first day of a summer vacation. It gave me a calm and I hope the listener will feel it too. It’s a song about the time we are in, but also a loving reminder of the time to come. A time worth waiting for. A time worth keeping in”. (Padraig)
Click on the links below to read our individual articles on other new songs released this week by past Eurovision and national final artists:
- Vincent Bueno – “Walk on Water”
- Dotter – “Backfire” music video
Which of these new songs is your favourite? Have we missed out on any? Do you have any artists you want to shout out to? Let us know in the comments.
Read more new music reviews here
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Temperatura is remake of last year’s Omer Adam song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMnbT-o_zQ4
Senhit has just released a song called Breathe
Also Lake Malawi and Klára Vytisková released the song Gold.
Claudia Faniello should represent Malta again with a song similar to ‘SAY’ it’s soooo catchy! Love it
I really wish she represents Malta again
Aisel was soo wasted with X My Heart. I really hope that she will return someday with an ethnic song like “Sevirem”.
“Deme mene neyleyim” is also very good.
She has potential and deserved much better than X My Heart.
ikr, her other songs have so much flavour and yet x my heart was as stale as a nineteen-week-old piece of bread
You guys missed out on Robin Bengtsson. He released a really good song on Friday.
Wow so much great music released, my favourites are: Eleni Foureira – a bop and also love the MV – watch it everyday Zalagasper – they can’t release a bad song, this is so relaxing, it’s excellent for mornings u should try it 😉 Tom Leeb – also a great song, he should sent something like this to ESC… I also enjoy Mdame Monsieur’s song. And also if Montenegro return to the contest I’d send Highway again something like this song could actually do good, and also Montenegro doesn’t have much artists to choose from (maybe Senidah if she won’t… Read more »