Rafal The Ride Poland Eurovision 2021

Rafał Brzozowski will represent Poland at Eurovision 2021 with the song “The Ride”.

Alicja Szemplińska was originally due to sing “Empires” at Eurovision 2020. However, the contest was of course cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But unlike several other countries, Poland decided not to stick with Alicja for 2021. Enter Rafał Brzozowski. He was internally selected by Poland’s national broadcaster TVP.

And now we’ve compiled 10 facts about the Polish entrant. Let’s ride!

Poland at Eurovision 2021: Facts about Rafał

1. He’s played music since childhood

Rafał Brzozowski is 39-years-old. He was born on 8 June 1981 in Warsaw. He grew up in Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki near the beautiful Modlin Fortress, just outside of the capital. The eldest of the family, he has two younger brothers: Paweł and Adam. The latter is 17 years younger. Rafał started taking piano lessons as a child. He performed at a garrison club and at weddings in his teens. While studying at music school, he learned to play the guitar on his own.

2. He started out as a P.E. teacher

Rafał is not just an award-winning singer and TV presenter. He is a physical education teacher by trade and graduated from Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw (Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego Józefa Piłsudskiego w Warszawie). The university is named after early 20th century Polish statesman Józef Piłsudski.

3. He’s a wrestling champ

WWE eat your heart out! Rafał won a bronze medal at the Polish Academic Championships in wrestling in 2006. He took part in the matches of the Polish Artists Representation. Unfortunately, his sports career ended due to a spine injury.

4. His music career started on Szansa na Sukces

Rafał’s music career first began to take off in 2002 when he participated in the television program Szansa na Sukces (Chance for Success), in which he won a distinction. Previously, he performed with Marcin Kiljan in the K.Martin band. He became a member of the rock band Emigranci in 2003. He was also a member of the pop-rock group De Mono. However, he didn’t become a household name until after he appeared on season one of Poland’s The Voice in 2011.

5. His debut album went platinum

Rafał is signed with Universal Music Poland and his debut album Tak Blisko was released in 2012. It reached number 12 in the Polish charts and went platinum. His initial success doesn’t end there. His first single, also called “Tak Blisko”, has a whopping 21 million views on YouTube. He’s gone on to release four albums, his second Moj Czas hit number 30 in the charts and received a gold certificate. Rafał’s latest LP Moje serce to jest muzyk, czyli polskie standardy was released in 2016.

6. He tried out for Eurovision before

This year is not the first time Rafał has attempted to perform at Eurovision. In 2017, Rafał entered the Polish National Final, Krajowe Eliminacje with the song “Sky Over Europe”. He took second place after scoring 16 points (including 8 from the jurors and 8 from the viewers), losing to Kasia Moś. In 2019, he was part of the Polish jury at Eurovision.

7. He’s danced with the stars

Rafał also has moves on the dancefloor! In 2014, he took part in the 14th season of the TV entertainment program Taniec z Gwiazdami, Poland’s Dancing with the Stars. The singer danced with professional dancer and presenter Izabela Janachowska finishing in seventh place. He got knocked out after his cha-cha-cha, achieved the lowest score of the week.

8. He’s a TV star

Rafał Brzozowski has hosted a host of TV shows! From 2017 to 2019, he presented the game show Koło Fortuny (Wheel of Fortune). He’s also helmed many musical TV shows including TVP2’s New Year’s Eve concert in Zakopane in 2017 and the opening of the 55th National Festival of Polish Song in Opole in 2018. He became the host of Jaka to melodia? (What is this Melody) in 2019.

9. He hosted Junior Eurovision

Rafał has Junior Eurovision hosting pedigree too. Most recently, of course, Rafał co-hosted the 2020 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. However, he also hosted Poland’s national final for the 2017 contest.

10. His music video was shot in a neon museum

Rafał’s “The Ride” music video was shot in the Neon Museum, located in Warsaw. The institution documents and protects Polish light advertisements created after World War II. It is the first in Poland and one of the only museums dedicated to neon signs in the world.

What do you think of Rafał? Do you think he is going to do well at Eurovision this year? Let us know in the comments below.

Read more Eurovision 2021 artist facts here

19 Comments
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Luk
Luk
2 years ago

Good luck Rafal

Pastora Soler
Pastora Soler
2 years ago

11. He is best friend of the polish government

Beatrice
Beatrice
2 years ago

o I see a paid advertisement, I do not recall Micha? Szpak having such an advertisement on your pages, even if he was deliberately omitted

#pioneer
#pioneer
2 years ago
Reply to  Beatrice

As much as Rafa? is not my favourite Polish singer and never was on my wishlist for ESC (I wish him well tho), I see Wiwibloggs has been doing this series of articles on each participant (iirc Destiny from Malta had her “10 facts” article just before him)…So what, they shouldn’t have done an article on him???
But about Szpak I kinda agree with you…

No.
No.
2 years ago

11. He is one of the most cringeworthy person in polish “public” television and fans have been joking for years about how terrible it would be, if TVP sent him.

Mariah
Mariah
2 years ago
Reply to  No.

You’re Polish, right?

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
2 years ago

I was so close! I thought his video was shot in a neon sign showroom or something. A museum is even cooler!

Kal
Kal
2 years ago

I don’t recall another entry/entrant being hated on so much by people from his/her own country (especially when foreigners seem to quite like the song). It’s kinda sad.

Tom
Tom
2 years ago
Reply to  Kal

It’s typical. But in my view he will qualify he
Is song is catchy and if he gets the performance right this will go through.

JWJWJW
JWJWJW
2 years ago
Reply to  Kal

It often happens with Russian entries (Manizha, for example)

PolUK
PolUK
2 years ago

Hi song is absolutely dreadful. He won’t qualify for finals and as a matter of a fact he is a face of a very unpopular national broadcasting station that is shady and disliked in the country for spewing hate and forcing religious and political views on people. Bit like FoxNews just polish style. 0 ponts hopefully. Big, fat 0

American Boy
American Boy
2 years ago

It’s sad that Polish people dislike him and the dislikes on his YouTube music video shows this. Luckily, foreigners likes him more.

MrBrightside
MrBrightside
2 years ago
Reply to  American Boy

I think Polish people dislike TVP more. :p

Pastora Soler
Pastora Soler
2 years ago
Reply to  American Boy

People dislike him for some reason. Think about that.

600
600
2 years ago

the song is very good, his voice not gonna sound good live… meh..

raylee
raylee
2 years ago

I have no negative opinions about him or his song but this year the representer should have been Alicja. Rafal could wait. Anyway , good luck to Rafal and soooo waiting for Alicja for future!

Mariah
Mariah
2 years ago

Rafal’s song is sooo underrated, I do hope that he’ll qualify for the final.

#pioneer
#pioneer
2 years ago
Reply to  Mariah

I’m Polish and I also would like to see him qualify for the final, even if he’s not my fave Polish singer I wish him well in ESC 😀

Whoareyou?
Whoareyou?
2 years ago

He is so hot, especially in these bare chested pics