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 32
Amaia – “Cosas interesantes para decir” / “La victoria”
After having a quiet summer, Amaia of Spain has re-emerged with two new singles. Fans of Spain’s Eurovision 2018 star have heard the two tracks “Cosas interesantes para decir” (Interesting things to say) and “La victoria” (The victory) before — Amaia has played both live before. But now the singer has taken to the studio and recorded the songs in live in-studio performances. A treat for fans of Amaia’s flawless vocals. (Robyn)
David Bisbal – “Amor Amé” (Summer mix)
David Bisbal is arguably the most successful Eurovision backing singer of all time. The Spanish megastar provided support to Rósa Lopez in the 2001 contest, a consolation prize of sorts after he finished second in the first-ever series of Operación Triunfo. Since then he’s had oodles of number one albums and singles, and won multiple Latin Grammies. To celebrate the season, he’s released a summer mix of “Amor Amé” — taken from his En Tus Planes album. On Instagram, he revealed that the music video was the first job he did after lockdown restrictions were eased.
Aurela Gaçe – “Lento Lento”
She brought rock to the Eurovision stage in 2011. But reggaeton is the order of the day on Aurela Gace’s new single “Lento Lento”. The Albanian star writes: “This project, all colours, comes especially like this, at a time when the desire to smile is stronger than the situation we are experiencing! “Lento Lento” is one of the songs from the new album that I have been working on for months to bring to you”.
Max Barskih – “Silence”
He’s the Ukrainian national final runner-up from 2012 who went on to become a megastar throughout Russia and its neighbouring countries. But “Silence” sees Max Barskih look west, as it’s his first English-language track in about half a decade. “I created it for summer yacht parties, music festivals and outdoor dance floors. You will not find it on my upcoming album “1990”, but it will definitely prolong your summer”, writes Max.
Connect-R (feat. Randi) – “De Vorba Cu Mine”
Fans of the Romanian rapper Connect-R have been spoiled for choice lately. Last month he released the edgy trap number “Am Sosul Ala”, and now he’s moving in a different direction with “De Vorba Cu Mine”. The Eurovision 2006 star — who performed with Natalia Gordienko for his Eurovision appearance — has this time teamed up with Romanian R&B singer Randi. The result is a laid-back track, with a chilled-out vibe that shows a different side of the versatile MC. (Robyn)
Jelena Tomašević – “Diraj mi usne”
Jelena Tomašević’s “Oro” is often recalled as one of the most iconic home entries of modern Eurovision. For her latest effort — “Diraj mi usne” (Touch My Lips) — Serbia’s Eurovision 2008 star gives us something a little more exotic. While still steeped in the Balkan tradition, there’s a distinct Mediterranean flair to it all.
Harel Skaat and Ania Bukstein – “כל היום”
Harel Skaat wowed with the emotional ballad “Milim” at Eurovision 2010. Now, the Israeli singer has teamed up with Ania Bukstein on the mid-tempo pop track “כל היום” (All Day). “Take it with great love from us, have fun, dance, sing, and do whatever makes you feel good in your heart”, Skaat wrote on Instagram upon the song’s release. The accompanying music video is shot at nighttime, and sees the two Israeli stars enjoying each other’s company. (Jonathan)
Monika Linkytė – “Šilkas”
We have Eurovision to thank for Monika Linkytė’s new single “Šilkas”… kind of. Basically, both Monika and the song’s producer Leon Somov were on the Pabandom iš naujo! expert jury. This meeting encouraged them to get into the studio and work together again for the first time in several years. On the inspiration behind the song, Monika tells LRT that: “one evening on the bookshelf, Alessandro Baricco’s book Silk caught my eye. The word got stuck in my head, so I sat down at the piano and started writing about silk. It reminded me of the warm and courageous love of the two people”. In the same interview, she also details the challenges of filming the music video — in order to float on her back for so long she had to get extra swimming lessons. And on top of that she had to battle with cold temperatures during the nighttime shoot.
AISEL – “Bu Bir Sondur”
Her Eurovision 2018 effort may have been all-out pop, but, as we all know, Azerbaijan’s AISEL is an accomplished singer-songwriter with a penchant for jazz. “Bu Bir Sondur” (This Is The End), while not jazz, is a soulful affair with plenty of emotion. The “X My Heart” songstress wrote both the music and lyrics herself.
Kate Miller-Heidke – “Deluded”
On 30 October, Kate Miller-Heidke is set to release her first pop album in six years — Child In Reverse. This week, we got to hear the second single from the record — “Deluded”, a song described as “an instant pop crush of effortless, gently compulsive groove”. The track is co-written by Australia’s 2019 singer herself, along with Evan Klar and Hailey Collier. Speaking on Klar’s production, Kate says: “What I love about Evan’s style is his freshness, a feeling of spontaneity… Musically the whole album came together really smoothly. I think that comes across when you listen to it.”
The Starlings – “Die Happy”
The Starlings are a Belgian music duo comprised of Kato Callebaut and Eurovision 2010 alum Tom Dice. The duo recently released their debut album Don’t Look Back, which features all their songs to date, including new single “Die Happy”. This latest single is a mid-tempo indie song with a recurring whistle interlude in the post-chorus. The accompanying music video sees Callebaut and Dice dancing together on the beach. The Eurovision star joked on Instagram that he “held back otherwise the contrast was too great”. (Jonathan)
Didirri – “The Critic”
Didirri placed fourth at Eurovision – Australia Decides with “Raw Stuff”. And the long-haired singer continues to keep it real with “The Critic”. “[It] is about that person who over analyzes every action and reaction in a relationship. Although they may be striving for a better connection by criticizing their every move, they are actually taking themselves out of the moments that matter. No longer present, they have ‘killed the scene'”, explains Didirri. “It may seem like the most intelligent move to analyze your every action but make sure you don’t overcorrect and start to see things beyond what is actually going on. You aren’t a wolf, you’re just a dog and you may not be seeing things for what they clearly are. Love needs to be free of criticism to flourish. You aren’t the expert in your relationship; you are half of the team and half of the problem”.
Dina Garipova and Lev Leshchenko – “В душе молодой!”
Dina Garipova — Russia’s Eurovision 2013 singer — teams up with the veteran crooner Lev Leshchenko for “В душе молодой!” or “Young At Heart”. On the collaboration, Garipova writes: “We have been waiting for this day for a long time! A million times they reworked the song to get a better sound …) and now it has finally been released! “Young At Heart” – it seems to me that this is the most unexpected song in the entire creative career of Lev Leshchenko, and thank you very much for the fact that he was not afraid to go on this experiment!”
Katrina (from Katrina and the Waves) – “I Want To Love Again”
Katrina’s new album Hearts, Loves and Babys is set for release later this month. Before then, the Eurovision 1997 champion has released the LP’s second single, “I Want to Love Again”. Another retro pop-rock song, the track’s strong electric-guitar intro sets the tone for the rest of the song. The American singer has previously stated that she wrote a song for the United Kingdom’s Eurovision 2020 internal selection process, and in a recent video on Instagram Katrina confirmed that “I Want To Love Again” was that song. (Jonathan)
Vincent Bueno – “Instant Dose”
After the cancellation of Eurovision 2020 earlier this year, Austria’s Vincent Bueno has made the most of his time by writing new songs. The star’s latest single is “Instant Dose”, an alt-pop track that follows on nicely from his selected Eurovision song “Alive”. Bueno notes that this song “talks about lockdown and the problem with social distancing when craving an instant dose of ‘something'”. (Jonathan)
Zdob și Zdub (feat. Masha Makarova) – “На Ивана Купалу”
Moldovan gypsy-punk music might be a niche genre, but Zdob și Zdub are showing that it can continue to captivate listeners. After appearing on the Eurovision stage in 2005 and 2011, the band have now released the new single “На Ивана Купалу”. It’s a re-work of the song “Sannziene”, which comes from their 2019 album Bestiarium and featured acclaimed Moldovan singer Irina Rimes. This new version features vocals from Masha Makarova, the lead woman of Russian rock band Masha and the Bears. “На Ивана Купалу” also contains new lyrics, which were inspired by this strange but calm summer of 2020 and the lack of concerts on the banks of the Dniester River as a result of COVID-19 precautions. (Jonathan)
The Fizz – “The World We Left Behind”
In 1981, Bucks Fizz won Eurovision for the UK with “Making Your Mind Up”. Decades on, three-quarters of the group are still going strong as The Fizz. Their new single takes a nostalgic look back at the past. The video shows the group — including failed Brexit Party political candidate Jay Aston — performing the song in the current day, cut with footage from the good old days, including clips from their Eurovision experience. (David)
Eric Papilaya – “Tag Am Strand”
Austria’s Eurovision 2007 star Eric Papilaya is making the most of the summer with his new song “Tag Am Strand” (Day At The Beach). It’s an upbeat pop affair and the music video features clips of people from all walks of life dancing and enjoying themselves – though surprisingly only a small number of these clips showcase people at the beach. (Jonathan)
LIAMOO – “Walk on Water”
Two-time Melodifestivalen contestant LIAMOO’s latest single is “Walk on Water”. It’s a solid mainstream pop song that contains inspirational lyrics about not giving up and pushing forward. The Swedish singer noted upon the tracks release that it’s “a song to keep up hope, to inspire and to remind you to be YOU”. Some of the proceeds from the song will be donated to Swedish charity Bris, which helps support children and young people in the country. (Jonathan)
Aron Hannes – “You”
Aron Hannes made his mark at Söngvakeppnin in 2017 and 2018, where he made the grand final and placed well in both years. Now the young Icelandic soul singer has the sophisticated pop-soul track “You”. The song is a cry for certainty in the face of a troubled relationship. There’s plenty of musical and lyrical drama, as Aaron howls, “Why can’t you just let go and tell me how you feel?” The Icelandic production is proof that there’s no shortage of talent for future editions of the national final. (Robyn)
Click on the links below to read our individual articles on other new songs released this week by past Eurovision artists:
- Senhit – “Everyway That I Can”
- Vasil – “PriKazna”
- Katrina – Hearts, Loves and Babys (preview)
- VAL – “Navechna”
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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I can’t help associate Buck’s Fizz with UKIP/Brexit, perhaps unfairly. lLike they’re part of that generation who loudly voted leave and bangs on a out the good old days. I remember they were supposed to play a (cancelled) Brexit concert some years back. And didn’t they recently do a song that attacked ‘snowflakes’?
Excuse my silly biases, don’t want to hijack the conversation. I’ll make time to listen to these. I do enjoy Diderri’s output especially
Dare I ask what song attacks snowflakes? Recent releases by the Fizz have been “Winning Ways”, “TOTP”, “From Here to Eternity” as well as the current release which was actually released on the 3rd July….so it should have been picked up by Wiwibloggs way back then and not now. As for the whole Brexit party thing, Jay was standing up for leaving the EU, not their other ways. And let’s be honest, can you say any of the political parties got that right?
You missed Hanna Ferms new song
“Diraj Mi Usne” shouldn’t work at all but absolutely does.Oh, and Aisel continues to be one of the best musical discoveries I’ve made through ESC. Literally love EVERYTHING she does.
it’s a damn shame that X My Heart is literally her worst song and she went to ESC with it. her other songs are phenomenal
Jelena Tomasevic’s song is love