Ten years ago they won Eurovision. This year they won the Wiwi Jury. And now Germany has reached the end of its long search for the perfect act and song for Eurovision 2021. But what’s their secret combination? And could it include an artist we all already know?
In February, after Ben Dolic was revealed as Germany‘s hopeful at Eurovision 2020, many were left wondering who he was. Since he hadn’t had the biggest career, German media were concerned about his chances in Rotterdam. Internationally, his song “Violent Thing” became a huge fan favorite. Unfortunately we’ll never know what his act could have achieved since Eurovision got cancelled.
But there’s no time for getting bitter, since the next competition is definitely taking place in May 2021. That’s why broadcasters ARD and NDR quickly started the search for a new song. Now, more details have been revealed…and it’s time to hold on to your seat.
German website eurovision.de published an interview with the Head of Delegation Alexandra Wolfslast, which she gave to radio channel NDR Blue. And guess what? Alexandra announced that Germany has found its act for Eurovision 2021! You can listen to the whole interview here.
But that’s not all. We already knew that once again the broadcasters asked their two expert panels to choose the right act for Eurovision. Countless artists and about 300 songs were submitted to the broadcaster. After they checked the applications, the Eurovision-expert jury whittled down the entries. This jury consists of 100 fans who are said to have a similar taste to the typical Eurovision viewer. After several rounds, an international jury got involved, too.
How did Germany select its act for 2021?
HoD Alexandra Wolfslast revealed that the acts then got paired with songs, which had already been whittled down. An important note is that no singer has been forced to sing one specific song. Many artists already had the song they wish to compete with, others got paired with songs they then made their own.
It has also been announced that even with strict travel regulations, some songwriting camps took place over the summer, for example in Malmo, Sweden. There, the acts continued working on their songs with experienced songwriters and producers.
The team continued to narrow down song and act combinations (from 100 to 50 to 20), ultimately resulting in 20 “acts”. Note: There’s a possibility that some singers were in the running with more than one song.
Alexandra notes that for the first time ever, the last round involved the video production of a performance. Every act needed to show what they would do on stage in Rotterdam. These final clips were again screened by the juries and the winning combination of artist and song got selected. This final step has been introduced so the jury can take into account who has the best creative stage ideas and the most charisma. These are aspects that many fans missed among past German Eurovision acts.
Who took part in the selection?
Everything takes place behind closed doors. Alexandra does think it’s sad that she can’t reveal more about the process, but it’s also extremely important. That way, more popular and established artists will take part in the selection in the future. She also explained that many well-known acts love the way of keeping it secret, since — at least for the public — there’s no loser in the end. There’s only one winner and no one will know who did NOT make it. A big advantage to an open national final.
The German HoD also revealed that there were many familiar faces and well-known musicians in the competition this year. “You will be very happy with the selected act,” she added. Does this mean it’s a singer we already know?
No official release date or the exact format of an announcement-show have been confirmed.
What do you think? Will a popular, established act sing for Germany at Eurovision 2021? Will it be a singer who has already graced the Eurovision stage in the past? Let us know in the comments below.
Max Mutzke, gogo!! I love “Back to the Moon”!
After not being Ben Dolic in 2021, we think…. Aly Ryan? Lena? Glasperlenspiel?
Then they’ll say: it’s Michael Schulte again OMG ;-((
Its probably someone who’s already known internationally and is originally from Germany.
Sisters and “Sister” was a wildcard entrant for that particular year. Both members of the group were already in the mix with their own set of songs during the whole process if I recall before those were rejected but got paired together with a Laurell Barker-penned song fresh from its own selection process down south in Switzerland.
Otherwise, most of the other finalist entries in that national selection had inputs from their singers.
Tokio Hotel? 😀
“You will be very happy with the selected act”
Nena, but this time 100 Balloons??
More realistically, I wonder if it might be Tokio Hotel? They’ve just announced a new tour in Autumn 2021 for a new album, which will have its first single released in January. A Eurovision performance in May would sit nicely in the middle of all this…
Otherwise, I like the idea of Rammstein. Why not. Or a Kraftwerk reunion, might get 12 points from Ukraine.
I didn’t realize until after I posted mine that you also commented on the possibility of Tokio Hotel. I never was a fan of the band but they definitely shaped the musical tastes of the people I know who are back in the late noughties. hehe
I really hope it’s Aly Ryan finally! That would make my eurovision
“We are taking our preparations for ESC 2021 very seriously”
“You will be very happy with the selected act”
None of this suggests Aly Ryan 😛
I simply hope it is not Erwin Kintop. He used to bully other boys who were gay when he was in school in Germany.
Nico Santos
Lena for the 3rd time?
Here is the most unexpected but a really cool one that comes to my mind : voXXclub!
omg Rammstein
surefire way to win the contest 😀
i don’t know what Till’s thoughts are about ESC, i do think Viszlat Nyar, Hatrid Mun Sigra would be his cup of tea though
I agree with Una. That’s what they said about sisters. I am not trying to throw shade, but the German delegation has a very distorted vision of the ESC reality.
LOTTE maybe? quite a nice new talented singer i find
bit modern sound, and it could bring german language back in very current music
Imagine if it’s Sandro under his real name Alessandro Rutten….probably not but watching the reactions to it will be fun
A song that is in German would be very cool.It’s been so long since they’ve sent anything with any German in it.
If they really wanted to make me happy, they would pick the Moka Efti Orchestra with Severija. Kinda like Patricia Kaas, but more Weimar…and would have to be live, so…not happening.
Couldn’t they pull a favor from Stefan Raab and get someone from FreeESC or Bundesvision? Plenty of good acts to choose from there!
Also I’m mad old-school and still learning about German music so a little part of me is like “…’Lemon Tree’ is great, why not send Fools Garden?” But that’d be a little like suggesting Australia send Savage Garden. A great suggestion in the mid-90s, perhaps…
but you aren’t wrong there – they’ve had a couple of nice songs and, as far as i know, they used to be somewhat popular in eastern europe.
another band from that era i could imagine to do well at the contest would be fury in the slaughterhouse. they really know their act and the singer has an amazing voice.
I’ve recently been getting into Bundesvision and there are some genuinely great songs in there. I wonder why they don’t bring it back and use it as a national selection.
I think it will be Nico Santos
i don’t think it’s going to be anyone popular. not even by german standards. hence the secretiveness. it’s rather going to be someone virtually unknown and that’s why they want to take all the time in the world to polish the act so it won’t backfire for them. if it was someone as big as, say, herbert grönemeyer, they could simply announce it already and no other applicant would bat an eye – no matter how good or bad the song is. so if that lady says, we’d be happy about the act, i assume she means it rather in… Read more »
I think it is obviously Lena or Vanessa Mai. Take that how you’d like it.
I’d be glad if it was any of these:
Mark Forster
Glasperlenspiel
Helene Fischer (12pts from Russia go to…Germany! xd yeah, I can imagine that xd)
Michael Patrick Kelly (I know he’s Irish but he’s been living for years in Germany and he’s quite popular there so why not?) 😀
If KEIINO pulled off a televote victory then Helene could, and she’d likely be the biggest name competing and could get jury points from Eastern Europe. She’d be an inspired choice. Schlager done well still has a place in ESC
Aly Ryan or Lena are the only ones who make sense.
Maybe that Barbara Fischer lady
Barbara? you mean Helena, right? 😀
It could be Mike Singer. Somehow he managed to be part of the German jury already and I guess many young people like him. I would, however, not like him to represent my country…
I would love if Lilly Among Clouds tried again and took it this time! I’m very excited for the german act no matter who it is though!
Well, I do know a German singer who would make me immensely happy if he show up on the Eurovision stage one day, as I am a massive fan of his since 2008.
Who?
Tom Beck, apart from his musical career, he’s also an actor. I actually met him when he starred on a show I used to watch, Alarm fur Cobra 11, and then I became a fan of his musical career. He was also the winner of the Masked Singer in Germany
Well my favorite choice would be LEA but I know that ain’t happening. I have no idea who it could be. I guess somebody who just missed out on the win in their NF in the past.
It is Ivy Quainoo (winner of The Voice of Germany Season 1) and you know her from 2018 national selection from Germany (UNSER LIED FÜR LISSABON).
i mean i love ivy and her music but why do you assume that haha?
well, we will see in January if I was right with that …..
If true, it’s a good news, but do you have *any* source to back up that claim?
Of course you are not right with it
if by saying ‘you will be very happy’ she refers to Eurovision fans, then it will be Aly Ryan.
If the ‘you’ is targeted to the general German public, then it’s a well-known act in Germany.
Nico Santos is a big name and has been involved in ESC shows i think.
I think they did the right choice after reading the lengthy but substantial process and the fact that they asked the candidates to prepare their staging! BBC take some notes.
If the YOU is directly directed to Me, then it’s Tom Beck. 😛
And it’s supposed to be a joke, don’t at me with crap.
Nico Santos would be great!
Well Sandro was in Stockholm and met up with Anders Wrethov this December
I’m feeling confident that Germany will deliver a good product, I think many more famous artists are prepared to do it because of the limitations of having concerts. also I think we’re going to have great pre-qualified acts. Italy (I mean have u seen the line-up of Sanremo), Germany(just a hunch), France (“Voila”) and the Netherlands (Jeangu is a quality singer and I can’t really see him sending anything bad) will deliver for sure. Spain and UK not sure about them. Blas hasn’t released any new music so I kind of don’t know what to expect from him… About UK… Read more »
not true, eurovision is and should be open to established acts (Italy and Russia always send established artists) and to new comers.
That’s what RTE and Ireland said about their almighty boop last year.
Oh, ye of little knowledge of ESC fandom. 😉 There will be complains. No matter the song. Either it’s too generic or too odd and niche. Either it’s ”another boring ballad” or ”another Fuego clone”. Either ”we want new faces” or ”a seasoned performer would do it better”. There will never be okay for everyone. And that is OKAY. Even Luta e alegria has fans. Even Euphoria has those who hate it. No song is objectively the best or the worst for everyone equally. But if this one manages to be good for the majority, it’s another success for Germany.… Read more »
Well it´s not only pairing. Also Artists with own songs can take part in the system. It´s a mix.
Lena, is that you?
I think she could be a great choice .. both times she delivered great performances .. She is also a very successful artists in her own right
Yes, I think it’s Lena!
Lena said that she doesn’t want to do Eurovision anymore. She said that numerous times.
I don´t think it will be any of them.
Sandro???? He does live in Germany….
Why would be happy with him taking part?
Some people want him to come back with a better song so…..me.
Plus he was in Stockholm sometime back, if I’m not mistaken.
I’m not sure how happy I’ll be with their choice unless it’s Ben Dolic.
Didn’t Ben Dolic already confirm he’s not returning?
Yes, but I’m very annoyed that they didn’t choose him again. Violent Thing was my favorite song of 2020 and I think it was unjust/unfair to not internally select him, as he did originally express interest to go to ESC 2021, and I think the broadcasters should’ve kept their promises. Also, (at least) 17 downvotes? Wow.
He can’t deliver live
thank god they didn’t choose him again, with his too nasal immature voice, we need someone with a more mature voice
“You will be very happy with the selected act,”
Well, isn’t that presumptuous of you? Unless you’ve got Loreen or something (and even then), I doubt you’re going to make everyone happy. 😉
I hope is Ben Dolic. He deserves to comeback. All they said was that he won’t be internally selected, so maybe he won again?
Or maybe even it’s Luka Crysberghs (don’t know how you spell it), former member of Hooverphonic.
Actually Ben Dolic is not a part of internal selection for 2021 , he won’t represent Germany in 2021. They eliminated him and started to looking for new candidates.
Nope. Unfortunately it’s neither of them. Ben said he would NOT take part in the German selection and Luka is Belgian and won’t probably be eligible to represent Germany. In addition, she was probably still part of Hooverphonic when the German selection was at full speed. So, sad to break it to you, but there will be a completely new artist for 2021.
What connection does Luka have with germany?
People represent countries they aren’t from/have little connection to all the time.
Sahlene, Sandra Oxenryd, and Victor Crone are from Sweden, and they all represented Estonia. Esther Ofarim is from Israel, Céline Dion is from Canada, and Vanilla Ninja is from Estonia, and they all represented Switzerland. There are plenty more examples of this, so the real answer is it doesn’t matter. In the end, it’s all about the music.
I mean yeah that happens but it doesn’t seem logical for luka to represent germany all of a sudden. It usually happens via nf’s and songwriter connections or some slight ethnical/linguistical connection like a greek artist representing cyprus
Is it Aly Ryan??