Let’s cut straight to the chase: “Ugly Cry” is among the songs that VICTORIA may sing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. Writing on Twitter, Bulgaria’s queen of dark pop confirmed what fans have been wondering.

“It’s time to answer the burning questions – yes, UGLY CRY will be one of my potential Eurovision 2021 songs and will be part of Bulgaria’s internal selection for Rotterdam.”

The song combines a hard-hitting beat with tense strings, creating a haunting and experimental atmosphere. At times it’s very dark: “My heart burns quietly so no one hears the hurt, like a silence louder than a screaming crowd.”

This internal turmoil contrasts sharply with the beautiful image of a self-possessed woman with confidence and a crown, and that’s deliberate. VICTORIA speaks of the mismatch many people feel between their public and private personas. More specifically, her team say it’s “inspired by the difference in the way she was treated before and after Eurovision success.” VICTORIA remains the same person, even if the world suddenly holds her in higher esteem. As she says, outside accolades shouldn’t determine someone’s worth: “My message with ‘UGLY CRY’ is simple: everyone deserves respect.”

Victoria could sing “UGLY CRY” at Eurovision 2021 for Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Eurovision team has indirectly suggested that it will release a series of potential Eurovision songs to assess public reaction.

Twitter user Eneko issued that theory on Twitter, writing, “I suspect that, after having written a bunch of songs at [her Eurovision songwriting camp], the Bulgarian delegation might have considered releasing the best ones and then choosing among the ones which received better reactions/critics.”

The BNT Eurovision account then responded with the words “well done” and a clapping emoji.

The music video for VICTORIA’s latest release is absolutely stunning. It has a Game of Thrones vibe that showcases her commitment to the total package. The song is strong, but the visuals take it to another level. From disturbing, faceless mummies — likely representing one’s personal demons or toxic online trolls — to VICTORIA wearing a crown in the snow, there’s a lot to unpack here.

Bulgaria’s Eurovision 2021 team have elaborated on all of it in a press release.

“Co-written by VICTORIA and production duo Billen Ted, the song was created during a Eurovision songwriting session in London and was supported with production by the Swedish-Bulgarian Martin Masarov.”

“The track will be one of her potential Eurovision 2021 songs. The official Bulgarian entry will be presented in March and in case ‘UGLY CRY’ is chosen, a 3-minute Eurovision version will be released.”

VICTORIA said: “I am proud of the team behind the ‘UGLY CRY’ music video because we managed together to turn this project into reality, although it was filmed during a pandemic and with many restrictions. I am excited that iCard continue to support my Eurovision journey and we have many surprises in 2021 for all of you!”

“The ‘UGLY CRY’ music video concept was created by VICTORIA and the director of the video Victoria Karakoleva. The ambitious production was filmed in the modern UFO Film studios near Sofia, with Director of Photography – Rosen Savkov. The project was produced by Ligna Studios and Four Elementz, who previously produced VICTORIA’s music videos for ‘Tears Getting Sober’ and ‘alright’, and MatchPoint Productions.”

What do you think of “Ugly Cry”? Do you think this could be a strong contender at Eurovision? Let VICTORIA and her team know what you’re thinking below. Remember: They are releasing songs to get honest opinions.

62 Comments
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Veta
Veta
3 years ago

I don’t manage to get if the lyrics are sarcastic and meant to send the opposite message or they are literal. If it’s the first, then I really like the message and relate to it, if the latter, then I disagree with it.
Eitherway, I like it better than Tears Getting Sober, and especially appreciate the fact that it is already inspired by Victoria’s own personal experience and not someone else’s, which was the main thing that drew me away from Bulgaria’s last year song.

Héctor
Héctor
3 years ago

It’s not a bad song, in fact it is very Billie Eilish. Not my cup of tea but would get massive hype if sung by Billie.

I expect this year’s entries to be release at a later date than usual (yeah, even later) due to the fear of the contest being cancelled again, so they don’t lose another potential entry like last year.

mark dowd
mark dowd
3 years ago

not a winner and weaker than TGS which was a good top five bet but too lacking in impact to challenge for victory.

Sven
Sven
3 years ago

I wouldn’t mind Bulgaria to win next year, but hope my queen Victoria has a bit stronger song for her victory, this one is very good but not great enough to win imho

btw Go-A said their ESC song will be in Ukrainian and they will represent it very soon

Jay
Jay
3 years ago

Not a winner

ANDREW BROWN
ANDREW BROWN
3 years ago

Very Billie Eilish. If this was presented to Radio 1 under B.E. name blind straight to their A Playlist

Aline Van Rollegem
Aline Van Rollegem
3 years ago

I don’t like it …

Alo
Alo
3 years ago

Probably it’s not the song, but it’s a good way to keep some hype around Victoria.

Tommy
Tommy
3 years ago

Nah…boring, nothing special. Her 2020 songs was sooo much better.

Kosey
Kosey
3 years ago

I am not massively blown away by this but it definitely has potential. I could see some good visual opportunities as the video draws out. The song has a more repetitive feel than TGS which moves it closer to the tone of Belgium’s Release Me from last year. But Victoria has a youthful energy which makes it feel more fresh. The mood has got to be exactly right for this to work on the stage. The character she is playing doesn’t seem to be such a nice person – she needs to come across as having a dark side –… Read more »

poe-tay-toe-chips
poe-tay-toe-chips
3 years ago

I don’t think this is going to be the song. It just doesn’t seem likely that the one she’d go with would be shown this early or that she’d pick her very first one she makes public.

I am convinced that she has more songs better than this that she is for now holding out on releasing.

Ricky
Ricky
3 years ago

This song is amazing! The budget for the music video, the production, the vocals! I cant believe some people find this song bland or too dark… like this is American Music level quality, this could win eurovision but some of yall aint ready for that conversation! AMAZING JOB VICTORIA!

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
3 years ago
Reply to  Ricky

“American music level quality”?
Probably explains why I don’t like it that much.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago

This is a nice surprise. Congratulations for putting this together during difficult restrictions as well.
Song-wise, I love the two-quavers-per-note falling phrase in the melody, and the creepy harmonic minor key. It’s amazing how much you can do with such little content, musically. The vocal is stunning though; Victoria is certainly at her best time to win, if ever it was going to happen..

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago

To everyone saying it’s a Billie Eilish copy – it’s a similar style, sure. But a similar style doesn’t mean plagiarism. It’s obviously inspired, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s still a dynamic and interesting song in its own right, but I’d say Tears Getting Sober is better in my opinion. But if this went to Eurovision, it would kind of be the first of its genre, and that could possibly make some waves.

Last edited 3 years ago by Ashton
Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

And, immediately downvoted. What a surprise.

sally
sally
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

I’m not too surprised since she is 90% copy paste 😀

Last edited 3 years ago by sally
Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  sally

Ok, Sally. Let’s see you make a well-produced song without drawing any influences from any music ever, since that would be copy paste. When you’re done, make sure to send me the link. Remember, something completely original with absolutely no influences. 🙂

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
3 years ago

It’s fine but there’s just nothing special about it. I wasn’t the biggest fan of TGS last year (it was in my top ten but I didn’t consider it anywhere near a potential winner) yet it definitely had something to it. It felt “bigger” than what you would usually hear on the radio. This is just a song you’d hear anywhere in 2020. The production value alone would make it a likely qualifier but I don’t think it would do much in the final.

MALTESER
MALTESER
3 years ago

Am I the only one getting MAJOR Ariana Grande 7 Rings kinda vibes?

Finnish
Finnish
3 years ago

Aksel didn’t send a song to UMK 2021 afterall, and he said it was a well made decision by Yle not to give him a freepass to the final as he did not want special treatment!

Source *interview with Aksel* (in finnish):

https://www.voice.fi/musiikki/a-199873

Eurovision fan
Eurovision fan
3 years ago

It would be nice if they were releasing song by song and then pick the one fans like the most

Louka
Louka
3 years ago

First of all, we should thanks Bulgaria for sharing with us their internal process and so keep a link in such a long period until May 2021. No matter my music style predilection, I will always appreciate to listen to new compositions in the perspective of a Eurovision adventure. This initiative really stands out compared to other broadcasters which prefer to keep everything secret until the very last minute so well done Bulgaria. So here is my point of view to “make my contribution” to your selection process lol : Ugly cry has a strong signature, dark, deep, it shows… Read more »

NickC
NickC
3 years ago

It is pretty good. But Sabrina has a point, as usual.

OohHoney
OohHoney
3 years ago

Love it, can’t wait to hear the rest

Hi lol
Hi lol
3 years ago

This sounds really similar to Roxen’s Beautiful Disaster but nevertheless it’s still pretty good

ESC8
ESC8
3 years ago

I think it’s a nice song but it definitely needs a revamp to work at Eurovision. I see potential in it, I think it can be transformed into something better than Tears Getting Sober but it’s a “work in progress” for me. As it stands now I’m not sure it can make an impact at ESC. I hope that we will get better songs, in the sense that they could do better at ESC, not that it’s a bad song, not at all. With an appropriate revamp it can do really well in Rotterdam (if that’s the one). I have… Read more »

ESC8
ESC8
3 years ago
Reply to  ESC8

*I want

Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago

So Bulgaria will try a “non-official online selection” to test fans’ reactions? Not a bad idea in theory, but since the fandom loves a drama, I wonder if it won’t backfire if there isn’t a clear popular winner. I really like “Ugly Cry”, but I believe it would be a tricky choice for Eurovision. Mariko basically said what I think, this one keeps the darkness, but misses the enchanting vibe of “Tears Getting Sober”. I could see the juries loving it, but I don’t see it as a televote pleaser. And yes, it would feed even more the comparisons to… Read more »

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  Sabrina

I’m actually really digging this song. I assume that Victoria will once again go for that dark English pop with modern vibes. Yes, that genre is popularized by a certain songstress, but she’s hardly the only one who invented it. I see that Victoria feels comfortable in it and her songs tend to have good lyrics too. If staged well, it could do very well. A dark and intimate staging, more expressive than Paenda’s, but more subtle than Ester Peony’s could do the trick. Maybe like an unlikely cross between Lazarev’s Scream and Athena’s Chains on You video. Thinking out… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Colin
Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Since she was announced as Bulgaria representative, I have a good feeling about her. And “Tears Getting Sober” was maybe my favorite song from 2020, though I’ve never stopped to actually review and rank the songs. So I keep trusting she’ll be there with a song I love. And don’t get me wrong, I really like this one, I just think she can find an entry that’s more competitive. It’s true that Billie hasn’t invented dark-moody-pop, but she’s a big household name right now, so Victoria needs to be careful to pick something that separates her from someone that I… Read more »

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago
Reply to  Sabrina

“Ugly Cry” wouldn’t be totally unprecedented for Eurovision, as we have had plenty edgy dark songs on the stage before (think Romania 2019 as an example). As for the internal selection, I think it’s great that they are being so transparent about the process; the more songs, the better. 🙂

Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

I’m all for dark songs, I think they add a necessary balance to all the glam and fun Eurovision became famous for. My concern is more about how competitive it would be, because many times people immediately take a dark concept as something too cold. Anyway, I’m very confident about Victoria. If they plan to release a bunch of songs under consideration, we can be sure they wouldn’t throw us the best right away, right? So I see it as a great start for the whole process.

Eneko
Eneko
3 years ago

Hi everyone!! I’m the Twitter user mentioned in the article (who previously suggested it might be an internal selection). You can follow me on my Twitter account @enekocacheiro_ for Eurovision-related content. Enjoy and stream Ugly Cry!! #Sofia2022

Last edited 3 years ago by Eneko
123
123
3 years ago

She should try “Your face sounds familiar”. She’d win probably.

xohxoh
xohxoh
3 years ago
Reply to  123

Oop. The shade.

hop
hop
3 years ago

Ahhh, even those background humms are like 1-1 copy cat of Billie Eilish. Yikes. Too bad for a talented girl to end up being like those random impersonators at country fairs

Tom
Tom
3 years ago

How to copy Billie Eilish:
Victoria’s Lesson 56

Linus
Linus
3 years ago
Reply to  Tom

So who did Bille Eilish copy? All educated people know that all artists borrow from others.

xohxoh
xohxoh
3 years ago

Something is missing in this song. Didn’t grab me.

Colin
Colin
3 years ago

Also completely OT, but Nina Kraljic has officially confirmed that she applied for Dora 2021. My assumption is that it’s highly unlikely that the board would reject her song and if she’s in, she’s definitely one of the preliminary favorites on name alone. I mean, Dora isn’t exactly like what FiK is rumored to be (biggest name = win), but it certainly helps a lot.

123
123
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

She actually posted snippets of it to her instagram story (deleted it later) and the song sound ethnic, epic and shows of her vocal much better than Lighthouse did.

Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

I hope it’s true, because “Lighthouse” is a favorite of mine, I still listen to it from time to time.

Melissa J
Melissa J
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Lighthouse was one of my favorites in 2016. I really hope they bring her on for 2021!

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  Melissa J

To both Sabrina and Melissa: Lighthouse is my favorite Croatian song of this decade. It’s the only time I had Croatia in my personal top five. I am quite hyped as well.

Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

It’s my favorite Croatian entry ever!

Kris
Kris
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Best news from Croatia in a long time !!
Loved lighthouse , it was not one of my favourites in 2016 , it was the favorite song for me

But the staging was a disaster , hated the stage. If nina has a song of lighthouse’s calibre I sure hope the delegation would do justice to her presentation this time .

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Ahh, that’s awkward for me. I didn’t review her well in 2016. Then again, I do liked to be proved wrong and I wish her and the Dora competition all the best.

Nata
Nata
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Thank you for sharing! After falling in love with Lighthouse, I checked out her repetoire and I simply adore her! Very curious about her entry.

Veta
Veta
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

Old news, it’s been already almost 3 weeks since she has confirmed it, namely she did it in those splendid Instagram snippets back on the 6th of November. I was commenting about this under the article about the new Dora rules, the same day.
Or did I miss something and now she has confirmed it once again in some interview for the press? My apologies then… but how comes that I could miss it? I can’t find the interview anywhere….

Sniper K-Wolf
Sniper K-Wolf
3 years ago

One more english-language song, Victoria deserves better. Next…

Escvegi
Escvegi
3 years ago

Oh what a nice Billie Ei… wait I mean Victoria song ?

Mariko
Mariko
3 years ago

I absolutely love this! I’m just not sure if this would be the right song for Eurovision. 
I feel like songs that are ‘too’ dark (and artistic) never do that well. (Unless they are mostly deeply emotional.) Tears getting sober was dark too, but it had a ‘lovely’ edge that many people enjoyed, I think. This might already be ‘too much’ for some, I’m afraid. 
I looove her voice though.

Colin
Colin
3 years ago

Most artists when picking internally: First make a snippet of a demo.
Victoria: Makes an expensive video with a finished product. 🙂

The song is dark and moody. It really sets a cool tone. It doesn’t have a ”momentum climax”, but then again, many good songs don’t. With a proper dark staging and flawless vocals, this could be aiming for top ten.

I like it even more on the second listening. This is seriously good. 🙂

Last edited 3 years ago by Colin
Bruh
Bruh
3 years ago

Still going with this Billie Eilish on a budget, huh?

John
John
3 years ago

Not for Eurovision. Too low impact, sounds like 2020 Romanian song.

Freaky!
Freaky!
3 years ago

Idk the song is not bad but it’s just bland for me:(

Chris
Chris
3 years ago

Cool, so the songwriting factory of Boris and co will release a whoooole wave of cookie-cutter songs and pick the one that does best commercially, and send that? Yup, sounds as soulless as expected.

Last edited 3 years ago by Chris
REdOne
REdOne
3 years ago
Reply to  Chris

This was not written by Borislav Milanov. HE has no involvement in it!

Jeff USA
Jeff USA
3 years ago

Personally I prefer tears getting sober over good cry. I still like good cry but tears getting sober had a special dark, mystical, atmospheric sound that drew me in. I think Bulgaria would be fine with good cry but they should definitely explore as many quality options as they can!

Haute Galore
Haute Galore
3 years ago

I really want her to do well, but this song is just not it. Hope she comes up with something better.

Sandro
Sandro
3 years ago

Tears Getting Sober is on my top 5, but I slightly prefer Ugly Cry over TGS.