New music this week: 21 songs from Helena Paparizou, Amir, Dima Bilan and more

Although September sees the start of a new Eurovision season, it will still be some time before we hear any national final and Eurovision songs. 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 38

Dima Bilan – “Dreams”

Dima Bilan’s dreams became a reality when he won Eurovision 2008, and now the Russian singer is encouraging people to go after their own “Dreams” with his new single. It’s a catchy pop-dance song that utilises some nice electronic instrumentation. The lyrics are bilingual, with the verses in Russian and chorus in English. Bilan sings: “You must make dreams / Dreams come true / Because you’re a dreamer / Dreams come true / And just believe – dreams come true”.

Tina Karol – Найти своих

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of her music career, Tina Karol has released her seventh studio album, Найти своих (Find Your Own). There are eleven tracks on the album interspersed between six spoken interludes. It includes her recent collaborations with Dan Balan and Snoop Dogg. However, Ukraine’s Eurovision 2006 star is not one to do things by halves. To coincide with the album’s release, Karol also dropped a short film that includes a trilogy of songs from the LP – “Найти своих”, “Лодочка” (“Boat”) and “Небо” (“Sky”). Centred around the theme of ‘What is happiness?’, the Ukrainian star plays the role of a woman who people entrust their deepest secrets to. “Finding one’s own is happiness, losing is a test. But finding ‘your own’ is possible only when you stop looking”, writes Karol.

Cleo – SuperNOVA

Since competing at Eurovision 2014, Cleo has continued to rise through the ranks of the Polish music industry. And now, the star has gone SuperNOVA with the release of her third studio album. The LP contains 12 tracks, including previous singles “Łowcy gwiazd”, “EVA”, “Film”,  “Alfabet Świateł” and “Znikam”. Weaving through contemporary pop, hip-hop and dance, SuperNOVA showcases the edgier and slightly darker side to Cleo’s discography.

Helena Paparizou – “Se Xeno Soma”

Helena Paparizou is teasing the release of her new album Αποχρώσεις (Shades) “soon”, but in the meantime the Greek star has dropped the LP’s latest single. “Se Xeno Soma” (“In a Stranger’s Body”) is a ballad that utilises a mixture of traditional Greek instrumentation right from the offset. Paparizou’s vocals flow over the top of this, as the Eurovision 2005 champion sings about the difficulty she’s having in expressing her love for another person: “In a stranger’s body the love doesn’t fit, my love / How do you want my body to get used to another’s arms”. The music video for the song will be released tomorrow, 21 September.

Sevak – “Беги”

Armenia’s Sevak returns to powerful, emotional balladry for his latest song. “Беги” (“Run”) showcases the Eurovision 2018 star’s vocal strength as it weaves through musical peaks and troughs. Sevak is accompanied solely by a piano during the more tender moments, while extra string instrumentation is added in for the chorus. The music video keeps things simple, with Sevak singing into a hanging microphone.

Amir – “Ma lumière”

Eurovision 2016 alum Amir has released the new song “Ma lumière” (“My light”). A light piano ballad, the French star sings to his one-year-old son, Mikhaël: “It’s already time to turn off the light / But I can’t take my eyes off you … Since early on I’ve been here, stammering / You surely understood nothing / But nothing will ever turn off my light”. Amir’s dedication to his son is portrayed in the music video, with the French singer running through fields, forests and towns to be with Mikhaël. The song will appear on Amir’s new album Ressources, set for release on 16 October.

Brendan Murray – “500 Days”

“I’ve kept this song hidden away for a good while now and I can’t express how excited I am to finally release it”, Brendan Murray commented ahead of the release of his new single, “500 Days”. And now, fans of the Irish singer can join in this excitement. Opening with the Eurovision 2017 alum accompanied by an acoustic guitar, “500 Days” builds nicely into a solid pop ballad. This crescendo in sound allows Murray to take the listener on a journey while also showcasing his vocal ability. Lyrically, the Irish star sings about a 500-day relationship that came crashing to an end after Murray’s loved one cheated on him with another man: “500 days I thought we were in love / I gave you my all, but it wasn’t enough / One night away, you couldn’t spend it alone / 500 days, but you broke it in one”.

Kállay Saunders – “drug”

Hungary’s Kállay Saunders continues his series of moody R’n’B songs with the new release “drug”. There is a slightly different feel to this latest song compared to the Eurovision 2014 alum’s other recent offerings though, with the song building to an almost indie-rock sound in the final chorus. In the lyrics, Saunders sings about a woman who fell for him more than she originally intended to: “She said she’d never fall in love / But she took me like a drug / Now she looking like an addict / She said she never had it”.

ELDAR – “Catch If You Fall”

Eurovision 2011 champion ELDAR is ready to protect his loved one from any harm in his new single. “Catch If You Fall” is a mid-tempo pop ballad that mixes modern production with a post-chorus guitar riff. The Azeri singer lets his lover know that he’ll always be there for them: “I won’t let you fall down / Can’t make you face cold hard ground…again / I’ll catch if you fall, I’m there for you”. This theme is somewhat translated to the music video. It appears that ELDAR’s lover has gotten herself involved in some shady dealings with another man. Thus, the Eurovision alum seemingly decides to burn down this man’s property so that his loved one doesn’t have to deal with him anymore.

Eden Alene and Shlomi Shabat – “מה אתה עובר”

Six years ago, Israeli citizen Avera Mengistu crossed the border from Israel to Gaza. After being detained, he has been missing since then. Mengistu is of Ethiopian descent, thus it’s a story that has resonated with Eurovision 2020 and 2021 star Eden Alene, who is herself Ethiopian-Israeli. To mark the six years since Mengistu’s disappearance, Alene teamed up with fellow Israeli singer Shlomi Shabat for the song “מה אתה עובר” (“What are you going through”). The duet sees the two singers wondering what Mengistu is going through and encourages him to stay strong. Upon the song’s release, Alene commented: “Avra Mengistu you are in my heart and I pray it will not turn from six years to seven”.

Polina Gagarina – “На расстоянии”

Polina Gagarina has consistently proved that she’s not just a traditional balladeer. Instead, Russia’s Eurovision 2015 star lays her vocals over electronic Russian-pop beats for her latest single, “На расстоянии” (“With distance”). That doesn’t stop Gagarina from showing off her vocal strength though, with the Russian star still hitting some stellar notes. Speaking about the song, the Eurovision silver medallist noted: “So many different feelings came together in this song. Longing, and memories, and doubts, and joy, but the most important thing is hope. For tomorrow, for life, for love. She keeps us afloat. Listen to yourself and be sure to believe in yourself!”.

Aram Mp3 (feat. 3.33) – “Kochari”

Despite serving a dub-step-tinged ballad at Eurovision 2014, most of Aram Mp3’s songs since then have been quirky, upbeat and the sort that get the listener in the mood for dancing. For his latest song, the Armenian singer is focusing entirely on the theme of dance, but taking inspiration from the traditional Armenian Kochari folk dance. “Our grandfathers and our dances / They lay the foundation for living / The thread of the solid moment of the past / There are your genes in that dance”, sings Aram Mp3. The track includes traditional instrumentation alongside a featured verse from rapper 3.33. There’s an example of Kochari dancing in the accompanying music video, which was filmed at a historical church.

Lior Narkis – “אהבה זה דמעות”

To celebrate Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Israel’s Lior Narkis has released the new song “אהבה זה דמעות” (“Love is tears”). The Eurovision 2003 star notes that it’s “a song that has my soul in it”. An emotional ballad, Narkis has been inspired to use more traditional instrumentation for this latest single: “The corona made me go back to creating and connecting to melodies with touches of yesteryear … I hope this song will enter your soul as well”. Lyrically, the Israeli star sings about the disconnect that’s growing between him and his loved one: “My darling understand that at night I wait for you / I already wrote on all the walls, Love is tears / What is happening to you?”.

Zlata Ognevich – Богиня

After releasing a series of new singles over the past year, Zlata Ognevich has now grouped them all together to form her new album Богиня (Goddess). It’s a short LP that features seven songs – including “Богиня”, “Ти обіцяв”, “Беги” and “Гола Правда”. Two previously unreleased tracks and an acoustic version of “Беги” round off proceedings. This latest album shows off the Eurovision 2013 bronze medallist’s versatility as it weaves through light pop, R’n’B and emotional ballads.

O.TORVALD – “Айтишник”

September 12 marked The Day of the Programmer, a day that celebrates those working in the programming industry. Ukraine’s Eurovision 2017 band O.TORVALD decided to honour the day with the release of their new song “Айтишник” (“IT guy”). Sonically, it’s another guitar-filled rock offering; but, the lyrics are a bit quirky and deal with the stereotypes that people often relate to IT programmers. O.TORVALD noted that they have a number of friends who work as programmers, and wanted to celebrate them:

“There are a lot of guys related to this profession among our friends. Cool, cheerful, workaholics, not at all in line with the stereotypes about them, which are so strongly imposed on us by the media and social networks. At this difficult time, when even the intellectual industry is trying to bend and control, we want to congratulate all adequate people who work and live their business on a professional holiday with a humorous song about stereotypes, so conveniently placed in the empty heads of envious people. You are real rock stars. Happy holiday!”

Pasha Parfeni and Nicoleta Nuca – “Lasă-Mă”

Moldova’s Pasha Parfeni may be best known to Eurovision fans for his upbeat folk-pop songs. However, the Eurovision 2012 alum is switching things up for his latest single “Lasă-Mă” (“Let me be”). It’s a mid-tempo contemporary-pop track that also features vocals from fellow Moldovan artist Nicoleta Nuca. Parfeni and Nuca are never seen together in the same shot during the accompanying music video – perhaps due to their repeated requests of “let me be” in the lyrics or as a result of social distancing, or both.

Yulia Savicheva – “Больше не терять”

Yulia Savicheva is opening up with her latest single, “Больше не терять” (“No more to lose”). “I rarely talk about moments from my personal life, but now I want to share our story”, says Russia’s Eurovision 2004 representative. Taken from her recent album CLV, the catchy Russian-pop song is about the highs and lows that Savicheva and her husband have been through during their time together: “As in any relationship, my husband and I have gone through many difficult situations for 17 years. We did not hear and did not understand, we moved away from each other. But love is a wonderful feeling that attracts once and for all”. In the music video, we see the Russian star and her lover being pulled towards each other by a powerful, and rather windy, force.

Shiri Maimon – “Ba’Shana Ha’Ba’a”

It’s safe to say that 2020 hasn’t been the greatest year in general. However, Israel’s Shiri Maimon is spreading a message of hope and looking ahead to 2021 with her latest single “Ba’Shana Ha’Ba’a” (“Next Year”). “Even in the midst of all this evil, it is worth trying to seek the good”, notes the Eurovision 2005 star, “We are going through a lesson that will be remembered for generations.
And what it takes to open next year properly is hope”. A simple piano-driven ballad, Maimon sings about people sitting together on the porch and children playing with each other, amongst other hopeful images of 2021 – the accompanying music video has English subtitles.

Lisa Ajax – “Jag vill ha dig”

Lisa Ajax continues to build up her Swedish-language discography with her latest single, “Jag vill ha dig” (“I want you”). It’s a catchy light-pop song that sees the Swedish singer’s vocals flow effortlessly over the strumming instrumentation. As the title suggests, the three-time Melodifestivalen contestant sings about the desire she has for another person: “Damn how I want you / Just need you to get to know me / Take me home, babe / Because I crave your body”.

Gabrielius Vagelis – 25

Lithuania’s Gabrielius Vagelis has started a new chapter of his music career with the release of his new EP, 25. The Pabandom iš naujo! 2020 competitor delivers a predominantly synth-pop sound over the course of the five songs, but he makes sure to give each track it’s own flavour. There’s a mixture of languages on the EP, with three sung in Lithuanian while the other two are performed in English.

Arisa – “Ricominciare Ancora”

Sanremo 2014 champion Arisa recently released the music video for her latest single “Ricominciare Ancora” (“Start Over Again”). It portrays people of various backgrounds and all ages, putting them in focus. This aims to tie into the lyrics of the breezy Italian-pop song, which see Arisa proclaiming that everyone has their own important story, regardless of where you came from: “You will remember this moment / We have never been so alive / And we will be the miracle / That nobody expected”.

Click on the links below to read our individual articles on other new songs released this week by past Eurovision artists:

Dami Im – “Paper Dragon”

The Mamas – “Touch The Sky”

Bilal – “Tom” (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.

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