She’s the singer who last represented Moldova at 2006 and was due to make a 2020 comeback. Now it seems Natalie Gordienko will get her chance to return to Eurovision. Song contest news site Eurovision Fun is reporting that Natalia Gordienko has been internally selected to represent Moldova at Eurovision 2021 — and again she’ll be working with the so-called “Dream Team”.
The Greek-language blog Eurovision Fun has reported the news, saying the comeback has been confirmed to them by a source and from a broadcast on a “local radio station”.
Reportedly, Moldova’s broadcaster TRM has internally selected Natalia to represent her country at Eurovision 2021.
And she is said to be working with the so-called “Dream Team” again. Greek songwriter Dimitris Kontopoulos, Russian maestro Philipp Kirkorov and Greek staging director Fokas Evangelinos were behind Natalia’s 2020 entry “Prison” and are reportedly returning for her 2021 effort.
This suggests TRM won’t hold Moldova’s usual national final. Moldova may take inspiration from countries like Israel and Romania and hold a national final to select Natalia’s song for 2021.
However, it is important to note that at this stage, neither Natalia Gordienko, the Dream Team nor TRM have confirmed this news.
Natalia Gordienko’s journey back to Eurovision
Natalia previously represented Moldova at Eurovision 2006, performing the fun track “Loca” with Arsenium and Connect-R. The trio finished in 20th place in the grand final.
She returned to Moldova’s national final earlier this year with the dramatic song “Prison”. There she picked up the top score from both the jury and televote — and would have headed back to Eurovision this year, had the contest not been cancelled.
If Natalie Gordienko is confirmed for Rotterdam 2021, she won’t be the first Moldovan artist to return to Eurovision.
Zdob și Zdub and SunStroke Project have each represented Moldova twice, while Pasha Parfeny and Aliona Moon both performed in 2012 and 2013, each alternating as a backing performer for the other.
Eurovision 2021 confirmed acts so far
If Natalia Gordienko is confirmed for Eurovision 2021, she will be the 19th artist from 2020 confirmed to be returning to Rotterdam. Serbia’s 2020 act Hurricane is reported to have been asked back, but the group’s publicist has told wiwibloggs this won’t be confirmed until sometime in the autumn.
- Australia – Montaigne (confirmed 2 April)
- Austria – Vincent Bueno (confirmed 26 March)
- Azerbaijan – Efendi (confirmed 20 March)
- Belgium – Hooverphonic (confirmed 20 March)
- Bulgaria – Victoria (confirmed 21 March)
- Czech Republic – Benny Cristo (confirmed 14 May)
- Georgia – Tornike Kipiani (confirmed 21 March)
- Greece – Stefania (confirmed 18 March)
- Israel – Eden Alene (confirmed 22 March)
- Latvia – Samanta Tīna (confirmed 16 May)
- Malta – Destiny (confirmed 16 May)
- The Netherlands – Jeangu Macrooy (confirmed 18 March)
- Romania – Roxen (confirmed 31 March)
- San Marino – Senhit (confirmed 16 May)
- Slovenia -Ana Soklič (confirmed 16 May)
- Spain – Blas Cantó (confirmed 18 March)
- Switzerland – Gjon’s Tears (confirmed 20 March)
- Ukraine – Go_A (confirmed 18 March)
What do you think? Should Natalie Gordienko return to Rotterdam? What sort of song should she perform? Tell us your thoughts below!
Dream team?
*Imitate Anke’s voice*: yeah…
This team can be everything but a dream. Their songs are outdated and uninspiring. Nothing new. Only bad eurovision industrial songs…
I hope one day Moldova, Azerbaijan, Greece or whatever will stop searching help with this “DrEam tEaM”. Same for Thomas G:son. Their time is over.
That “dream team” has never actually been a dream team but in name, and artists should stop relying on them. The only thing they’re capable of producing are soulless, industrial pieces of plastic with “Eurovision” written all over it, because they think this is what people want to hear. It’s not even enjoyable and it really hurts the diversity of the contest.
Well Natalia has a very special connection with a very powerful man in the country! Of course she would represent the country again! Especially after so many accusations about fraud in the national final! By the way I found it ridiculous that Kontopoulos and Evaggelinos making much better job when they are doing songs/performances for other countries and the last 2 times they work for their country didn’t really bad! Especially Kontopoulos!!! Mediocre result in 2009 with Sakis and destroyed literally Demy in 2017 with a really bad bad song! Yes I know she struggle vocally but the whole thing… Read more »
Dream Team more like Outdated Team, “Prison” as a song was outdated and lacking all the things you’d want a song to have
Hopefully Moldova has a bit better entry this time..
Dare to dream?
Very good news. I thought Moldova will do a National Selection next year, but with the “Dream team”, higher chances that her song will do much better next year at Eurovision and even better, qualifying to the grand finals.
the Dream Team make the best entries. that’s why i’m always very happy when i hear they’re working on another entry.
I am so thrilled for Natalia. She was in my top 5. I hope they can come up with something as broody and powerful as Prison next year. I have a feeling it would have been a great live show as well. Happy times!
Prison was a great song but she is the type of artist that can come back with something totally different.
And I think that returning artists that will manage to deliver something totally different are going to be highly benefited.
Say whatever you want about the “dream team”, but if that’s really the case, Moldova will turn to be one of the fairer countries of 2021, bringing back both the artists and the songwriters
Well, good luck to Natalia and The Dream Team. Despite so many negative comments, I liked several of their songs and I think they can make a song (plus the staging – which is often a key for new viewers) dramatic and impactful. Picking her as an internal choice feels more honest, since we all knew where this was going this year. However, if you put aside your feelings on Kirokov, you have to admit that Prison was indeed in top five quality songs of that selection.
Well being top 5 in that selection isn’t really hard is it? I didn’t mind it seeing winning, but I know Romania could be sending stars like Mark Stam, Carla’s Dream, Irina Rimes… All of which are way better than the Dream Team, which I think it was a dream, but only druing 2008-2012 but know it’s a nightmare imo.
”Well being top 5 in that selection isn’t really hard is it?” Touche! ”Romania could be sending stars like Mark Stam, Carla’s Dream, Irina Rimes… All of which are way better than the Dream Team.” – I am not familiar with these artists, so I couldn’t compare. But being stuck on the same team does suffocate variety of expression. ”but only druing 2008-2012 but know it’s a nightmare imo.” Hmm… I wouldn’t necessarily agree, as I liked a number of their new stuff, including Scream and Supergirl. However, I do see their style isn’t necessarily following new trends, to put… Read more »
Seriously check out Mark, Carla and Irina. ESPECIALLY Irina. Their songs are amazing, I would recommend Doar Noi by Mark Stam and My Favourite Man by Irina Rimes.
They are so good! Hope to see one of them representing Moldova, maybe if they see Romania doing well with Global Records, they will follow the suit! My fave song of Mark is Vina Mea!
Surely! I’ve heard Vina Mea as well and I loved it but Doar Noi is still my fav by him
I see that that kind of music can appeal to some people, but for me it usually ends up in my bottom, I mean if you’re going to be generic at least be modern u know haha 🙂 Hope Stefania sends something better, cause I love her, Supergirl wasn’t my thing though. And yeah check those names! I’m sure Moldovan would be more into Eurovision if they send them and not artists who have nothing in common with their industry…
I’ve heard rumours according to which, Carla’s Dreams are not interested in Eurovision. Sadly, we cannot do anything if an artist doesn’t want to go to the contest.
That is true, but still a collab with Global Records as Romania does would solve that
I am really happy for her. All 2020 artists deserve a second chance.
Why Kirkorov? Why him?
because he only brings top 10 results. ONLY.
with mostly meh songs. I’m sorry but Scream did not deserve top 10, let alone top 20. Sergey’s voice was the only thing good about it
Everyone is entitled to their opinion but scream was voted by both juries and the audience
Scream was highly underrated by eurofans, don’t know if it deserved 3rd place, but on the ESC stage,it was definitely better than Cyprus, Belarus, San Marino, Germany, UK, Spain or even Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, etc… no way it deserved to be out of the top 10.
hmmmm, the staging was cool but overdramatic. Sergey’s voice shone through though, I won’t take that away from him. it was only just out of my qualifiers (12th), and I ranked it 18th in the final.
Which countries would you have put over Russia? For me Scream was 5th in second semi final. I would understand 2 or 3 countries to place higher than Russia, but as much as the semi final was strong, all the semi finalists has big weknesses. For example, Armenia deserved to be a non qualifier, (it was my 6th before the show) since the performance lacked any charisma and felt empty, Romania… well it was just over the top… most of the other performances were really good, but not strong enough to qualify. Second semi final from last year was probably… Read more »
In the semi-final, I put 11 countries over Russia. They were, in order: Netherlands Azerbaijan Albania North Macedonia Sweden Switzerland Austria Romania Malta Armenia Norway Russia was 12th, and out of my final. But they qualified and I understood why. In the final, I put 17 countries over Russia. They were, in order: Netherlands North Macedonia Azerbaijan Slovenia Australia Albania Italy Greece Switzerland Sweden Cyprus Czech Republic Malta Iceland Norway Spain Serbia It was how I felt watching the semi and the final, and I ranked them accordingly. And it’s funny how you call Romania over the top when Russia… Read more »
I can see your point about Romania, but Russia had a stage performance that reflected the feeling and mood the song meant to trasmit (I don’t know if you get what I mean); Scream was a dramatic powerful ballad from the beginning. I understand why some people find it overdramatic, but it was well-executed and not over the top if you enjoy the genre. Romanian performance was just totally off from what should have been in my opinion, the song was good (again in my opinion) and yes, it had a dark mood, but the performance was way too creepy… Read more »
I see. But we both seem to agree on a lot of stuff which is cool haha (especially that Slovenia was completely robbed of a top 5 finish) 🙂
She had one of the best songs in 2020 that she destroyed with her performance.
Let’s hope she will perform an uptempo song this time.
She can’t sell something serious.
me and my friends still hated it tho, for me yeah it was smart, but sophisticated? not really..
Well, my dream of them working with Global Records as Romania didn’t come true (maybe it will one day). But for now they are going to stay to be one of my least favourite countries in Eurovision (the only entries I like in 2010′ are 2010 and 2016, but I love 2013, other are a big no):.. Wish Natalia good luck tho, she is gorgeous!
I’d like to clarify that I just know I won’t like the song, since the only song I liked for Kikorov was Russia 2016..
I really hope this will be true because I firmly believe that all 2020 artists should get the chance to return in 2021 and the last couple of days have been very disappointing with Sandro, Tom Leeb, and Damir Kedzo not being selected for 2021.
Loca, Boca, Choca…do you want it or not! I’m happy Natalia is returning.
HELL NO MOLDOVA
If true, can we put the lead vocals on playback please?
Even though I liked the song, I think “Prison” was going to be a tough sell as a qualifier. Am hoping that they give her something more in-keeping with Moldova’s successful entries rather than a by-the-numbers ballad.
Yes I agree. It was a very good song for the wrong artist. She needs an uptempo song.
Oh great, more Kirkorov. Couldn’t be happier. Just gonna go and cry now.
Just to clarify, I actually usually like Kirkorov’s songs with a few exceptions. Moldova 2020 was actually in my qualifiers, only barely. But I despise him as a person.
I’m the opposite: I disagree with him politically on some things, but he seems like a fine enough guy from what I’ve heard. On the other hand, I enjoy very few of his Eurovision entries, and “Prison” wasn’t an exception. I am glad she’s getting a second chance, though. And hey, another year with the Dream Team occupied with another country means another year Russia get to work with someone else!
Maybe so but whenever I see him I just feel so incredibly uncomfortable in my gut. And in interviews and articles he sounds like a complete douche.