Story of his life: Vasil’s new single “PriKazna” delivers beauty during difficult times

“Hey, what the heck is happening to me?” The words that open “PriKanza”, the sensual new song from Vasil Garvanliev.

North Macedonia’s Eurovision 2020 singer may be living through a pandemic, but the isolation is only stoking his musical exploration.

This four-minute track — his follow-up to his ESC 2020 song “You” — carries a title that means “Story”. But in Macedonian it’s also a play on the word “punishment”. In these difficult times, it seems appropriate.

Filmed in and around the beautiful Lake Ohrid, the video has a summery feel. It shows Vasil in a variety of settings — from sun-lit dock to expansive forest. At times he’s shirtless, baring his musical soul, while other times he’s wrapped in a translucent trash bag and struggling to breathe. These are strange times. But in every moment Vasil strives not just to survive, but to thrive — even when confronted by what seems to be a dark vision of himself.

Fans of Mr Garvanliev will recognise the conceptual dancing and feel a hidden message lurking just beneath the surface. As he attempts to make sense of all the madness around us, he serves a delicious mix of contemporary pop and traditional sounds. Vasil, so often the bridge between the two, has made this space his own.

There is also one very large Easter egg in this music video. Let us tease it with this photo. You’ll need to scroll to the end of this post for confirmation of where you’ve seen it before.

VASIL wrote the song along with lyricist Tanja Brkovska. It was arranged by Davor Jordanovski, a Macedonian musician and producer living and working in Canada. Digital Box produced the video with Jelmaz Dervishi serving as creative director.

The single will feature on Vasil’s forthcoming album, which is expected to drop by the end of the year.

Now about the shirt pictured above. It’s seen floating in the lake at the end of the music video. Well the Eurovision sleuths among you will likely remember it from Vasil’s Eurovision 2020 music video, as it was worn by the bartender. Is the bartender serving drinks somewhere in those woods? And why isn’t he wearing the shirt now? You’ll have to sound off down below…

Are you loving Vasil’s new song? Do you love his modern take on traditional sounds? And are you dreaming of him at ESC 2021? Let us know down below!