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 31 Part 2
Check out the songs included in our part one roundup here.
LOBODA & PHARAOH – “Boom Boom”
“Every time I start working on a new track, I know what effect I want to achieve! Being different is my priority. Be unpredictable and unexpected.”, LOBODA said upon the release of her new single “Boom Boom”. And Ukraine’s Eurovision 2009 star has certainly done just that. “Boom Boom” moves away from the dance-pop music that brought LOBODA widespread acclaim and towards an almost Little Big style of quirky rave-pop – oh, and there’s a rap break courtesy of Russian artist Pharaoh to mix things up even more.
The accompanying music video comes with an 18+ age warning. Many of LOBODA’s music videos are big in production and this one is no exception, seemingly blending together influences from the likes of Little Big and MARUV. Opening with a quote from French feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir, we then see a group of middle-aged men judging a series of women who each have their own signature style. The power that emanates from these women eventually appears to be too much for the men, whose heads ultimately explode (literally!).
Dima Bilan – “Вторая жизнь”
Russia’s Dima Bilan is using his platform to spread awareness of environmental issues with his new song “Вторая жизнь” (“Second Life”). It’s an emotive ballad with orchestral accompaniment that builds to a powerful climax at the end. The Eurovision 2009 winner shared a long personal message on Instagram upon the song’s release:
“You probably understand how difficult it is to shout about ecology through the veil of our pressing problems. … But there is nothing more important than what we breathe, what we drink, eat. And how many people around us are alive and with a heartbeat, who will not be able to write to us on social networks asking for help ??! These are animals and the organic world. … The dolphin will not call the rescue service by dialling 112, the octopus will not ask for a new shell instead of a plastic glass and will not write a complaint on the social network. Guardianship, the bird will not hang a photo or post on Instagram calling for help to release it from a plastic bag … I just ask you to pay attention to your habits … How to bring at least the simplest habits back to normal – finding the nearest trash can – throwing out a wrapper, a cigarette butt or a plastic glass – that would already be a victory! … It all depends on the person – there can be no doubt!”
Bilal Hassani – “Dead Bae”
Call the police, our guy is killing it! Bilal Hassani has released the dance track “Dead Bae”, which celebrates Bilal’s murdering of a bad relationship. He says goodbye to his charmless Prince Charming and declares himself free of the troublesome boyfriend. It’s a song of empowerment, of walking away from an unsatisfying relationship and fearlessly going it alone — “Now it’s solo or nothing”. The song features Bilal rapping and singing and at times wouldn’t sound out of place on the RuPaul’s Drag Race runway. The perfect breakup anthem. (Robyn)
Donatas Montvydas – “Kai Nieko Kito Nelieka Man”
Retro is back, again. Synth-pop has become a dominant music genre over the last year or so, with numerous artists tapping into an 80s-inspired sound for their latest songs. And Lithuania’s Donny Montell is doing just that for his new single “Kai Nieko Kito Nelieka Man” (“When Nothing Else Remains For Me”). Once again going by his full name, Donatas Montvydas, the two-time Eurovision finalist serves a catchy slice of the genre that will instantly get people dancing along. Montvydas continues to serve retro 80s vibes in the music video, where he performs the song with a band while wearing an over-sized jacket and trousers.
Kenan Doğulu – “Rakkas”
Atilla Özdemiroğlu was an acclaimed Turkish composer, who also wrote Turkey’s Eurovision 1980 song “Pet’r Oil” performed by Ajda Pekkan. Özdemiroğlu sadly passed away in 2016, but now a group of Turkish stars are honouring the composer by covering some of his songs. This includes Turkey’s Eurovision 2007 star Kenan Doğulu, who has re-imagined the song “Rakkas” (“Dance”). The track was originally sung by Sezen Aksu in 1995 and featured a plethora of traditional instrumentation. Although Doğulu keeps elements of this traditional flair, he also adds a more contemporary dance beat to the track to truly get people up and moving. Speaking about the project on Instagram, the Eurovision alum noted:
“I am very happy to be involved in this beautiful and meaningful project in memory of my great master, precious musician, dear brother Atilla Özdemiroğlu. … Turn the volume up to the end and turn it into the dance floor wherever you are. Have a pleasant listening, have fun.”
Miki Nuñez – “Eterno verano” (Revamp) / “Un estiu que no s’acaba”
Revamping is a regular part of Eurovision, but there’s no reason it can’t be used on other occasions. Miki Nuñez has released a revamped version of “Eterno verano” (“Eternal summer”). The original album version included various guest vocalists, but on the revamp it’s just Miki and a guest rapper. The Barcelona-born singer has also released a Catalan-language version of the song, “Un estiu que no s’acaba” (“A summer that never ends”). It ensures that the good vibes and party flavour of the song will always have an audience this summer. (Robyn)
Sara Jo – “Neko te ima”
Following on from Nevena’s recent cover of a past Serbian hit, fellow Moje 3 member Sara Jo is next up to be involved with the Zvezde Pevaju Zvezde (Stars Cover The Stars) programme run by Radio S. Sara is putting her talents to “Neko te ima” (“Someone has you”), originally performed by rock band Van Gogh in 1991. Removing the electric-guitar filled production of the original, Sara brings the song more in line with her contemporary pop sound. The cover comes with a moody black and white music video featuring the Eurovision 2013 alum.
Amaia – “Nuevo verano”
Spain’s Eurovision 2018 star has released a cute video for her cute song “Nuevo verano” (“New summer”). The video is animated, created by the cartoonist Néstor F. The video includes aliens and space exploration and — let’s be honest — is a little reminiscent of the space themes used by Amaia’s former singing partner Alfred Garcia. But where Alfred went for earnestness, Amaia has gone for fun. The song and its video are a delight. (Robyn)
Alicja – “Gdzieś”
Poland’s Alicja is putting the cancellation of Eurovision 2020 behind her and pushing forward with her music career with the release of her new single “Gdzieś” (“Somewhere”). A percussion-driven offering, Alicja mentions in the music video’s description that the song “is a piece for everyone, because each of us is looking for their own place and this place can be a metaphor for love, friendship, family and, of course, happiness, broadly understood, because we are all looking for joy and hope”. In the video we see the Polish singer and six other women looking for their place in the big city.
Roxen – “How To Break A Heart”
Roxen has been one of the most active Eurovision 2020 stars when it comes to releasing new music. “How To Break A Heart” is the Romanian singer’s fourth new single since March. While many of those tracks were upbeat, this latest track takes things down to a mid-tempo pop beat. In the lyrics, Roxen warns her partner that they’re pushing her to breaking point and they may soon regret it: “Slowdown / Don’t you push it too far / You don’t know what I’m all about / Wait up / When I love it hits hard / There’s no going back / This is how to break a heart”. The accompanying music video takes the theme of breaking a heart and relates it to the aftermath of a car crash.
Michael Schulte – “For A Second”
Michael Schulte’s Eurovision 2018 entry was all about emotion. But, the German star has proven in the years since then that he can also deliver some more uptempo songs, like his new single “For A Second”. It’s still within the realms of Schulte’s indie-pop musical style, but there’s a foot-tapping drum beat underlining the song that gives it great drive. Lyrically, the Eurovision alum sings about the effect that his partner’s love has on him: “Hold me just a little bit longer / I don’t want the night to be over / Oh, I feel it’s heaven / Ooh, just for a second”.
Ilinca and Cleopatra Stratan – “Vara asta (pe Tik Tok)”
Romania’s Eurovision 2017 star Ilinca is getting in the summer spirit with the new song “Vara asta (pe Tik Tok)” (“This summer (on Tik Tok)”). She’s joined by Moldovan singer Cleopatra Stratan on this summery R’n’B single. The duo sing about making the most of the summer: “This summer I’m doing everything I can think of … If we dance on Tik Tok / I’ll give you my number / And I promise I’ll be back”. The music video is colourful and sees Ilinca and Stratan playing around with various summer-themed props.
Hugues Aufray – “Dan Tucker”
Hugues Aufray represented Luxembourg at Eurovision all the way back in 1964. At 90 years of age, the French singer-songwriter is still enjoying life and producing new music for his fans. Aufray recently released his new album Autoportrait with new single “Dan Tucker”. An upbeat track , “Dan Tucker” nicely mixes elements of soft-rock, folk and jazz. The accompanying music video sees the Eurovision star playing with his band, drawing and exploring a farmer’s field.
Ester (feat. Paolo Meneguzzi) – “Nel mare danza”
“Nel mare dance” (“In the sea dance”) is an Italian song inspired by the 2019 Japanese animated film Ride your wave. As the winner of the Anime Vocal Contest of Lucca Comics & Games 2019, Italian singer Ester was given the opportunity to record the song alongside Switzerland’s Eurovision 2008 star Paolo Meneguzzi. Ester opens the song before Meneguzzi provides vocals for the second verse and final chorus.
Arvingarna – “Jag går runt i solen (Lassemans altan)”
Many bands fizzle out over time with the members going their separate ways after a while. However, 31 years after forming, Sweden’s Arvingarna are still releasing new hits. Their latest single is “Jag går runt i solen (Lassemans altan)” (“I walk around in the sun (Lasseman’s porch)”). It keeps the dansband style that the Eurovision 1993 stars are known for, but adds an overarching summer feel to proceedings for the time of year.
Michalis Rakintzis – “Ο Παλιός Μου Εαυτός”
Greece’s Michalis Rakintzis is communicating with his younger self in the new single “Ο Παλιός Μου Εαυτός” (“My Old Self”). The lyrics see the Eurovision 2002 alum being told by his past self to remember the dreams he once had and to go after them: “Sit down, he tells me … Listen to your heart / Remember your dreams / Do what you love / Get up and get your girl”. Sonically, it appears Rakintzis is still influenced by days gone by, with a dated electro-tropical beat underlying the song. In the music video we see the Greek singer being visited by his younger self, who for some reason has the face of a lion. Rakintzis then follows the advice he’s been given and goes after the woman he’s fallen for (who herself has a massive emoji face edited on top of her for the entire video).
Aitana and Morat – “Más de lo que aposté”
Despite finishing second in both Operación Triunfo 2017 and Spain’s 2018 Eurovision gala, Aitana arguably has the most successful career of her fellow contestants. And it’s looking like yet another hit single for Aitana with her latest release, “Más de lo que aposté”. She has again teamed up with the popular Colombian band Morat — they previously collaborated on “Presiento” in 2019. The video, which uses artistic green-screen techniques to overcome international social distancing issues, has already clocked up over four million views since being released on Thursday. (Robyn)
Danny Saucedo – “Ere bara jag”
Three-time Melodifestivalen contestant Danny Saucedo has dropped the new single “Ere bara jag” (“I’m just me”). It’s a slow pop ballad with minimal production that helps give the song an intimate feel. Lyrically, the Swedish star sings about wanting to use his time on Earth wisely while wondering if there is more out there: “I’m just me / Is there anyone out there who feels the same way? / That there is someone more / Something we do not see / If you feel the same way, reach out and let me hear from you”.
Gabi Tóth – “Veled akarok lenni”
A fan-favourite in Hungary’s A Dal 2017, Gabi Tóth has now released the new song “Veled akarok lenni” (“I want to be with you”). The track mixes modern production with a dominant violin melody. “When Jenő Bartalos, the author of the song and lyrics, sent this song, I immediately fell in love with it”, Tóth says on Instagram. The accompanying music video is all about nature, with the Hungarian singer exploring hills, forests and rivers.
Sheppard – “Lazy Love”
Australian group Sheppard are known for their fun, upbeat indie-pop songs. Yet, the Eurovision – Australia Decides 2018 contestants have decided to take a more laid-back approach for their new single “Lazy Love”. The song still has a catchy underlining beat, but as the title suggests, this track gives off more of a chilled vibe perfect for lazing around in the summer sun. The lyrics see front-man George singing about the half-hearted approach his loved one takes to their relationship, though he doesn’t seem to mind: “‘Cause it’s a lazy love / But it’s better than nothing / I’m just wasting love / But I’m still gonna jump in / ‘Cause I’m so messed up / That I’ll forgive her for anything / But it’s clear to see / She’s no good for me, yeah”.
Click on the links below to read our individual articles on other new songs released this week by past Eurovision artists:
- Tamta – “Yalla” (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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Shalisa also released a new song!
The bass player of AWS Soma Schiszler (Hungary 2018) has released an EP as part of the duo “Meristem” on Friday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWu5IuI9y98
That Loboda thing made me want to take a shower after watching it. I dont mind explicit content but this is pure trash. Those who don’t understand Russian may not fully get how awful it actually is.
Whatever. There is 0 thought put into it, it’s a provocation in the sake of provocation, and it shows. Like a fart trapped in a glittery plastic bag.
Alicja should return with something like this! Way more her than “Empires”. 🙂
Bilal is just phenomenal and a hard worker, two quality singles two amazing videoclips in just 2 weeks, just incredible! I love Loboda’s new track, I love ulrainian music in general #Khayat #Go-A #Kazka
“Make it rain champagne”! jesc 2020 and esc 2021 are coming quickly!
ROxen OMG!
She’s working very hard and she’s doing really great ?…..
I think that she’ll slay the Ahoy Arena and will amazing us all ??!!