New Music Eurovision artists 23 July

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 30 Part 1

Sirusho – “Mher”

It’s just a few weeks since Sirusho graced us with her newest single “Vision”. But the Armenian popstar is already back with fresh content in the shape of a music video for “Mher”,  a track from her 2016 Armat album. The higly stylised clip blends animation with live action and sees the “Qéle, Qélé” hitmaker lead an army of ancient warriors. The song’s meaning is explained on her official website — “It presents that our new generation genetically inherited features like strength, fearless, persistence. “Mher” also shows the history and victories with the direct participation of women. Armenian woman was always the key figure when it comes to history. It is not a coincidence that all the victories of the world have the image of a WOMAN… Do not be fooled by her femininity, because while she is gentle she is not fragile”.

Eneda Tarifa – “Great Gig In The Sky”

Just over half a year on from her Kënga Magjike victory, Eneda Tarifa has released a stunning cover of Pink Floyd’s rock classic “Great Gig In The Sky”. The song is famed for being wordless. Instead, the vocals resemble an instrument. For her interpretation, Eneda literally makes it into a great gig in the sky by performing on a mountain top that towers high above the magnificent Albanian countryside.

Julie Bergan – “Commando”

Last week she gave us “Don’t You Wanna Play”, now we’ve got a music video for “Commando”. Julie Bergan — an alum of Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix 2013 — explains that the song is inspired by a nickname she got while vacationing in Zanzibar. “I felt like there was so much power in that word,” she says. “The song is about being strong and taking charge of a situation. Sometimes it’s easy to get into situations where people wanna play games with you, and this is the turning point where you take your power back. As a woman it’s very important to me not to be underestimated, so I always love it when a song makes me feel powerful”.

Eleftheria Eleftheriou & Katerina Stikoudi – “Oi Istories Mas”

Eleftheria Eleftheriou is as much a part of summer as the sea and sun. So, it’s only right that Greece’s Eurovision 2012 singer is back with her second single of the season — “Oi Istories Mas” with Katerina Stikoudi. The song, which translates as “Our Stories”, is a typical chilled-out Mediterranean bop. The beachside video sees the two ladies play the role of man-hungry frenemies, each going to great lengths in order to ensnare the man of the moment. This is preceded by a skit set in a TV studio, taken straight from the RuPaul’s Drag Race school of acting.

Trijntje Oosterhuis – “We Zullen Doorgaan”

Summer may have arrived, but the Covid-19 pandemic still rages on. Just over a month ago, the Netherland’s 2015 singer Trijntje Oosterhuis released a timely cover of “We Zullen Doorgaan” — a 1972 hit for the Dutch artist Ramses Shaffy. “THIS beautiful song once written by Ramses Shaffy”, says Trijntje on Instagram, “[is] now more current than ever! It describes so well what we are all going through and going through for so long. It encourages a positive contribution to sustaining in this 1.5 meter society and collective connection between all of us in the Netherlands, but of course also about connecting people all over the world”.

Johnny Manuel – “Say It”

Two years on from representing Bulgaria as part of Equinox, U.S. singer Johnny Manuel has established himself as a household name Down Under. And while the “Bones” crooner narrowly missed out on taking the The Voice crown, he still go to release what would have been his winner’s single — “Say It”. The soulful ballad serves as the lead track on a five-song EP, with the remainder of the record consisting of live covers performed during his stint on The Voice.

Monika Marija – “Pamelavau”

For the past three years, Monika Marija has established herself as an accomplished balladeer in Lithuania’s national selection. However, for “Pamelavau” — her first release since “If I Leave” — the former The Voice winner heads in a more uptempo direction. Translating as “I Lied”, Monika Marija calls this a “new start”.

Melani Garcia – “Grita Conmigo”

Her operatic stylings set her apart from the rest at Junior Eurovision 2019. But for her new single “Grita Conmigo” (Scream With Me) , Spain’s Melani Garcia is shedding her classical sound for all-out pop. However, just because she’s opting for pop, doesn’t mean that Melani is underutilising her spectacular voice. There’s still plenty of room for those high notes, with the final one being a particular standout.

Bastiaan feat. Wiktoria and Jens – “Someone Else”

Wiktoria is another artist who’s keeping her release rate high. Two weeks after “ME”, she pops up as a guest vocalist on “Someone Else” — a collaboration between Danish producer Bastiann, Norwegian singer Jens and herself. The Scandi-dance bop is Bastiaan’s first single. Wiktoria, of course, is a seasoned performer, having appeared in Sweden’s Melodifestivalen on three occasions — in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

Rui Andrade – “Ao Teu Lado”

Rui Andrade is a veteran of Portugal’s Festival da Canção and has provided backing vocals for many Eurovision acts (most recently Azerbaijan’s Aisel in 2018). In April he dropped the music video for “Ao Teu Lado”, a romantic ballad that translates to “By Your Side”. Upon the single’s original release, Rui described it as “a very special song for me, full of meaning”.

Isaiah Firebrace – “Know Me Better”

For “Know Me Better” Isaiah Firebrace reunites with D.N.A. — the same songwriting team that scripted his Eurovision 2017 entry “Don’t Come Easy”. This single was written during lockdown, albeit with Isaiah phoning in his contributions via his home equipment in Melbourne. In a video Q&A, Isaiah says that the song is not written about anyone in particular. However, the process did allow him to know himself better. “It’s taken on a special meaning for me myself. Because I think I know myself better after being in isolation and having some alone time with myself to set some new goals”, he says.

Tomás Adrião and Cláudia Pascoal – “Passo A Passo”

Portugal’s Eurovision 2018 alum released her album earlier this year. But for her latest effort, she’s teaming up with Tomás Adrião. The pair first met while competing on the 2017 season of The Voice Portugal, with Adrião winning the show outright. They’ve been friends ever since, and always intended to work together. And now their bond has born fruit in the shape of “Passo A Passo”. A slow and lazy track which immediately conjures up the warmth and brightness of the Iberian sun. Claudia explains that the collaboration represents “some friends who decided to make a song about savouring one step at a time because everything is done like this: in little pieces. Bits that make this life, better than existing”.

Carina Dahl and Linni Meister – “Rompa mi”

Melodi Grand Prix regular Carina Dahl and Linni Meister have come together to put a new twist on a Norwegian classic — “Rompa Mi” by the popular folk-rock band DDE. The pair performed it as part of a special episode of Allsang på Grensen dedicated to the group. Other artists participated in the programme with their own interpretations of more favourites.

Lanberry – “Plan Awaryjny”

“Only Human” was perhaps one of the most underrated songs of the 2017 Polish national final, alas it became a little lost in a crowded field. But in the years since, Lanberry has experienced her fair share of Eurovision glory — penning both of Poland’s JESC-winning songs. “Plan Awaryjny” (Emergency Plan) is the latest piece of pop perfection from the songstress. The quirky music video sees Lanberry pick up and subsequently fall in love with an alien. Alas, much to her dismay, she discovers that he’s really a regular human man in disguise. The video ends with her driving off disgustedly as the former alien chases her in just a towel.

Manu – “Forever Flow”

She’s the artist formerly known as ManuElla. But Slovenia’s Eurovision 2016 singer recently ditched the “Ella”, and now simply goes by Manu. She’s released a couple of singles under the new moniker with “Forever Flow” being the latest. “You and I will forever flow… This is a song to remind us that the flow within us must never stop. This whole album is my journey towards light and personal transformation – a manifestation of dreams”, writes the “Blue And Red” songstress.

Nano – “Melody”

“Melody” is the latest drum and bass track from two-time Melfest finalist Nano. In a behind-the-scenes video, the “Hold On” singer explains the meaning behind his new song: “It was a dark time in my life. I was a young boy locked up in a cell. But inside, something set me loose. And when I got back my freedom, she came with me. And everything from now ’till then, she keeps me company. So this is “Melody””.

Lidia Kopania – “W Pomiędzy”

The last Eurovision fans heard of Lidia Kopania — Poland’s 2009 representative — she was mulling over a possible return in the country’s 2018 selection. And while that didn’t come to pass two years ago, Lidia is making a comeback now with “W Pomiędzy” (In Between). Just like her entry in Moscow, this is a big ballad which provides ample opportunity for Lidia to show off her powerhouse vocals.

Regína Ósk – “Fædd til að dansa”

Regína Ósk’s last foray into the Eurovision world was the sincere “Aldrei of seint” in Söngvakeppnin 2015. However, her latest single “Fædd til að dansa” (Born To Dance) is much closer to her Euroband days from 2008. The track contains generous helpings of both schlager and disco with Regína saying: “Hopefully you can enjoy this, sing along and let the goddess out in all of you.”

Frantzis feat. Ana Yah- “This Dance”

Tom Frantzis was one of the favourites to win Belgium’s national final in 2016 with “I’m Not Lost”. And he’s released several more songs since finishing second behind Laura Tesoro, with the latest being “This Dance”, a collaboration with Ana Yah (another Eurosong 2016 alum, formerly performing under the name Astrid Destuyver). This is how Tom’s team describe the sparse number — “With electronic pop music saturating the charts “This Dance”, is a beautiful contrast that fuses a chilling duet with a pulsing future bass groove. The marriage between the mellow verses and a high-flown chorus makes the single a great contribution to today’s eclectic music landscape”.

Flor de Lis – “Acontecer”

It’s just over a decade since Flor de Lis charmed Europe with the delightful “Todas as ruas do amor” at Eurovision 2009. Now, after a pro-longed hiatus, the group is back making music — although they cheekily write on Instagram: “Return? We’ve always been here… 😉”. The folky “Acontecer” is the band’s second release since reuniting earlier in 2020. The title translates to “Happening”. Writing on Facebook, Flor de Lis describe it as “the warm sound of Africa” with “a video shot in the beautiful landscapes of Arrábida”.

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.

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Nice
Nice
3 years ago

What bout chingiz

Robert
Robert
3 years ago

Really like most of them.. Passo a Passo is amazing.. And the Regina Osk song, Someone Else and Know Me Better I really like too..thanks for this, off to iTunes 🙂

Pineaple
Pineaple
3 years ago

I love Don’t Come Easy. But part of me wishes Isaiah waited a few years before doing Eurovision. He’s finally found his sound and it’s amazing. He’s also a much stronger live vocalist. I’d love to see him return to Eurovision at some point.

Gianluca
Gianluca
3 years ago

Ana Yah is also a participant of the Belgian NF in 2016, she was known as Astrid back then

cats and dogs eurovision
cats and dogs eurovision
3 years ago

Why you didn’t mention Wiktoria with „ME“? It’s awesome.. and she’s even in the preview picture 🙂

#pioneer
#pioneer
3 years ago

But Lanberry participated in 2017…and she was 6th ex aequo with Martin Fitch (Poland 2010)…