Every weekday, between now and the contest in May, the team from wiwibloggs will round up the latest titbits from the world of Eurovision 2021. We trawl through Instagram, Twitter and elsewhere so that y’all don’t have to. In today’s Daily Digest, Lesley Roy shares some of her staging plans, Samanta Tīna responds to homophobic haters and Stefania marks 50 days until Eurovision 2021. But first…
Eurovision news: 2 April
Daði og Gagnamagnið unmask their monster
Iceland’s Daði og Gagnamagnið released their “10 Years” music video on Monday. Inspired by old Japanese monster stories, the star of the piece was arguably the buck-toothed, horned, furry monster that squashed dwellings and threw about tractors for fun. Now the monster’s identity has been revealed as Árný Fjóla Ásmundsdóttir, Daði’s wife. The group shared behind-the-scenes footage Árný in full beastly attire on Instagram.
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Stefania marks 50 days until Eurovision and 50 years of Ahoy
Greece’s Eurovision 2021 singer Stefania has been busy in Rotterdam. On Friday, she changed the Eurovision countdown clock from 51 to 50 days. She has also been leading celebrations for the Ahoy Arena. Swipe across in the Instagram gallery to hear her singing happy birthday to the iconic venue. It turned 50 years old and they asked Stefania to help them celebrate. (William)
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Rafał invites Senhit to Poland
San Marino’s Valentina Monetta famously sang “If you wanna come to my house, Then click me with your mouse” at Eurovision 2012. But now the tables have turned, as San Marino has now become the invitee. Poland’s Rafał took to Instagram to invite Senhit over. “Hey Senhit – what do you think about singing together?”, he writes. “I hope you accept my invitation and we will create something special… or freaky! ;)”.
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Destiny has a day of interviews
Malta’s Destiny sat behind her laptop for most of the April Fool’s holiday. On Instagram, the “Je Me Casse” hitmaker writes: “Another day at the #office. Today I am spending most of the day doing interviews with @eurovision related portals! Am so so grateful to be able to connect with so many individuals, your love for Eurovision and us, the artists, really keeps me going.” You can watch her interview with wiwibloggs here. (Renske)
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Hurricane prep themselves for Eurovision
The Hurricane girls are preparing a storm for Rotterdam. In a small photo series on Instagram, the powerful trio can be seen in backstage pictures. While Ksenija and Ivana are rehearsing their killer vocals, Sanja shows a picture from the make-up booth using the contest’s official hair brand Morrocan Oil. (Renske)
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Samanta Tīna responds to homophobic haters
Through her Eurovision 2021 song “The Moon is Rising,” Samanta Tīna wants all women to know they are worthy and powerful. Despite her positive message, she has come under attack from some people at home for including a same-sex kiss in her music video. Well guess what: Our girl stands by her message of equality and love for everyone. You can watch our latest interview with the queen on the wiwibloggs YouTube channel. (William)
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Lesley Roy will be alone on stage
As Lesley revealed to wiwibloggs upon the release of “Maps”, Ireland’s Eurovision 2021 staging will be overseen by Fredrik ‘Benka’ Rydman — the man behind Sweden’s iconic Eurovision-winning staging in 2015. The singer has spent the past few days in Sweden, meeting with Benka and his team to finalise everything for May. Speaking to the Official Charts company, Lesley revealed a little bit more about what we can expect.“It will just be me on stage and what we’re trying to do, I’ve never seen on the Eurovision stage before”, she says.
She also shares how the collaboration came about: “I had been a fan of Mans’ performance from the get-go like millions of other people. I reached out to Benka and said ‘you probably get every country asking you every year, but would you check out the Irish entry, I wrote it in Stockholm a few weeks ago’. He got back to me straight away, he loved it and we worked on the idea literally the next day”.
Additional contributions from Renske and William
Are you excited by Lesley’s staging plans? What do you think of the Icelandic monster? Let us know in the comments.
Is it a good idea to say now that there will be something “never been done before”? It would be better just to do it, rather than raise expectations.
alright well i don’t wanna say this but i’m starting to want poland to qualify ….
yes yes yes i am so excited for lesley now. i hope she qualifies as she is one of my favourites this year!
Rafal is sooo CRINGE!
Alone on stage should be forbiden. Why the hosts spend millions to build big stages ? Better then going back to the 60s small scenes. Armenia 2019 2.0 say goodbye to the final.
Doris, what happened to you Girl? All your comments here at Wiwibloggs are negative , Judging and full of hate…what went wrong darling?
Being alone on stage can be a good thing, Salvador won alone on stage…
“Lesley Roy will be alone on stage”
I’m actually excited for this one. I wonder what her staging concept will be inspired from? “Frozen”? Lesley is just a real-life Elsa and I’m excited for a costume change towards the end of the song. Maybe they can have a snow on stage. “Maps” is just a real-life Disney OST, as I always say, and Lesley can be a dark horse and bring Ireland their eighth victory this year.
You don’t always have to have dancers with you to win Eurovision.
Conchita won Eurovision 2014, performing alone on stage.
Mans Zelmerlow won Eurovision 2015, performing alone on stage.
Jamala won Eurovision 2016, performing alone on stage.
Salvador Sobral won Eurovision 2017, performing alone on stage.
Duncan Laurence won Eurovision 2019, performing alone on stage.
Of course Lesley can do this.
Dancers are very boring !
my sister’s career has been invalidated
On Samanta Tina:
Her reaction is obviously problematic to anyone in the lgbtq community. Her pop feminism is obviously problematic and shallow. BUT I dont watch ESC expecting queer theory thesis. I expect fun and encouragement and that´s what Samanta Tina and other contenders give me. Maybe think about people living in a hostile and homophobic enviroment who need to relax for a bit before you talk about your own priviledged life.
How is someone still getting attacked for having a same-sex kiss in a music video?
…it’s 2021.
…it’s Eurovision.
If you’re aware of both of those things and still complaining about it? Seriously.
In a country that has the second highest homophpbia rate in Europe that is something that happens daily. People will complain about because LGBT+ because they think same sex couples are “a bad example for children” and “they are a threat to traditional families” so unfortunately it’s just something LGBT+ people have to deal with. I hope that changes in Latvia will come sooner than later but currently it’s really bad.
Ireland will do better than expected IF she sings well.
I’m looking forward to Lesley Roy’s show. I was expecting her to be on her own. Ireland have often ruined it in the past with dancers. Lesley is a good performer- exciting!
Uk to do well. Get behind the song Europe
Well, first UK has to get behind the song, which hasn’t done yet (the song is nowhere to be seen in national charts)
cuz it’s repetitive and dull
We really haven’t been told anything about the song this year on the news or in the media. It has had zero promotion. Normally we would be shown it on the BBC at some point and there would be a programme about it but nothing this year. Shame really.
Its just nice to see the UK care enough to put in some effort. They don’t do it often anymore, only about twice a decade.
It’s publicity though.
Doubt there has even been that much reaction to it.
It’s like her and her delegation are trying so hard to attach this song to some kind of social movement.
Tried feminism…didn’t work so now see if there’s an LGBT+ message in their somewhere, apart from the two girls kissing, which feels like it happens every year on Eurovision anyway…I do t see that there either.
Wonder what they’ll come up with next.
Latvia’s song feels fake, trying to do ass-licking to women and LGBT+ crowd. She shouldn’t have attached politics to the song.
How on earth do you find any political message in that song? I’m amazed.
It’s not politics, it’s life. Gay people and women should not be considered political just for existing.
Everything in life IS politics 😉
People, I’m Latvian and I can assure that it all is no fake. You cannot image the reaction of the Latvian society. Samanta Tina is receiving tons of negative comments about her, about her song, music video and LGBT theme in her video… people are really cruel. If you open any Latvian news about Samanta and read the comments, 95% of them are negative, sarcastic and truly evil. So, please, Darren, before you write such comment, try to think that you might not be right. In Latvia, the situation of LGBT community is really bad… It’s true that one of… Read more »
Ok…yes yes…we believe you, but you didn’t mention that on Latvia police eat alive ledbians znd burn alive gay people…
Destiny‘s Instagram picture has made it to online boards like ATRL and is serving as the perfect meme pic now. Thank you Destiny.
I’m very very excited to see the staging that Lesley has in mind. If this is memorable and stand out, she will go very far in Eurovision this year.
Ahhhh I’m too excited.
Glad it seems to be her project rather than RTÉ. They’d probably have a 6 piece pub band crowding the stage.
Agreed. I think they hit the sweet spot with Lesley. She’s not too successful to have turned down Eurovision but she’s experienced enough to take charge and own the performance and song. You’re right about RTE. They’d have had jigs and boudrans.
“Lesley Roy will be alone on stage” – OK, Ireland will stay in the semifinal, now we know for sure…
Were you expecting dancers ?? its not that kind of song
Ridiculous to think back up dancers secure qualification. Don’t be silly. Måns won with just him on stage, so did Jamala, so did Duncan. Loreen was solo for most of her performance until the last few seconds and she delivers one of the most iconic Eurovision winners ever.
Please don’t be silly.
Thanks
Måns was alone on ESC stage and guess what. He won. Jamala was alone on stage. She won. Salvador was alone on stage. He won. Duncan was alone on stage. He won.
You don’t need always a “fuego” moment with 4 dancers joining you to slay
Please explain your logic about why being alone onstage automatically means staying in the semi. This guy made the staging for Heroes and Eric’s staging at melodifestivalen this year. Was the heroes staging weak because he was alone? Just because she is alone onstage does not mean a bad staging, especially since you have no clue what they’re planning.
AllDid you even think this through? Blanche was alone, stood still, and just sang her heart out, and secured 4th. Not every song needs a whole folk band or hot dancers to make the staging look good. In 2019 the winner had just himself and the last place of Sf1 SF2 and the Final all had dancers, Hmm, sorry Monika, but you really didn’t think this through.
Depends. Some artists can be alone on stage and fill it and others might need something else. It depends on what kind of song you have as well.
5 of the last 9 winners (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019) were all alone on stage lol having a background dancer doesn’t mean anything unless it fits the song. You can just say you don’t enjoy the song and go
What a bonkers statement! Mans was also alone on stage……. that boy with the balloon was not real.
Literally 1st 2nd and 4th place in 2017 were all solo performers with no one on stage, Duncan, Conchita, Mans, Jamala were all on there own on stage. Your comment makes no sense.
Can’t believe someone still makes this kind of considerations basing on NOTHING…What does being alone on stage have to do with the chances of qualifying!?
Where did this comment come from, Monika? Negativity for the sake of it? Suspect you have another favourite in mind – which is fine. There’s no need to slam others to make your point!
Lesley will not be the only thing we see on stage – just the only live person. There will be projections or animations or something. Do you think she would have gone to the Swedish team behind Måns if she were just going stand center stage and sing?
Wow Stefania really gets big support from The Netherlands. I actually expected Duncan or Jeangu to change the countdown to 50 days for Eurovision.
She’s Dutch
I mean it’ll be more important when it bearing the end if the countdown, maybe then Duncan will change it :).
I’m excited to see what lesley will do that’s “never been done before” I really hope its something cool and gimmicky tbh. something like Sergey lazarev “you are the only one” staging, something that’s really cool and unforgettable because his songs have never been good at all but the staging has made him come 3rd twice. that’s not to say that lesley’s song is bad but I do think she’ll need unforgettable staging to do well
Oh, yes. So many artists this year need some GREAT staging.
Btw, why would you say that Sergey’s songs were not good at all?
I just thought they were very unoriginal and without the amazing staging they definitely would not have done so well
Sergey had some charisma and star quality that really helped him and do matter in Esc.
Staging is nothing without an artist and song to go along.
I agree that Sergey’s staging were the main force behind his success. The songs were nothing special on their own. Hoping for something similar to elevate Maps.
I think maps is a genuinely good song though.
I agree. I think Maps is a good song. It’s got some of the best lyrics this year- very clever use of language and imagery. I hope the imagery from the song is made more explicit on stage.