Vincent Bueno gives wiwibloggs an exclusive interview about his Eurovision 2021 entry "Amen"

From 2020 to 2021, many returning artists who missed out on their Eurovision opportunity last year are ready to show the world what they’re made of. And for Austria’s Vincent Bueno, a chance to return is a chance to showcase true versatility. A stark contrast to last year’s entry “Alive”, his 2021 song “Amen” is a heartfelt power ballad that dives deep into the singer’s emotional psyche.

Vincent Bueno interview (Austria 2021)

“Amen” explores painful circumstances

“It’s actually a song that was more fitting to my emotional path than any dance stuff or uptempo song”, Vincent Bueno tells our Esma. “There were so many things happening that were really hurting me emotionally”, he continued. “So many things where I was like, why is this happening?”

“Amen” is a song that explores the painful circumstances that Vincent found himself surrounded by in 2020. Amidst the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vincent discovered that his 28-year-old cousin had been diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. Meanwhile, the November 2020 shooting in Vienna, which left five dead and many more injured, plunged Austria into a period of mourning. But from these tragedies, Vincent has channelled his emotions into creativity. “I felt like the song found me at the right time”, he said.

Indeed, the change of pace came as a shock to some Eurovision fans. But Vincent explained that the alternative direction of “Amen” was not intentional. “We were looking for a mix between a ballad and a dance song, I really wanted to combine that. “At the end of the day though, with all the drama that happened — and everything that didn’t happen — it was more of a humbling experience to accept what 2020 offered and all of the things that were taking place”, he explained. “To be quite frank, we didn’t want to make a song about corona — but [“Amen”] included everything.”

Despite the pain of “Amen”, Vincent is looking forward to showcase another side of himself to Eurovision fans. “Last year, I was able to showcase a little bit of my energy. And this time, my heart.”

Austria’s Vincent Bueno on “Amen”

Vincent Bueno loves Ana Soklič’s “Amen”

But of course, Vincent isn’t the only act singing “Amen” at Eurovision this year. Ana Soklič from Slovenia is also aiming for song contest glory with a track of the same name. Naturally, Esma quizzed Vincent about his competitor. “I really love her ‘Amen’. The composition, and her voice… wow”, he said. “It’s so hard to compare these two. Every single ‘Amen’ has its own kind of vibe that you can’t describe. I really appreciate hers and I appreciate the way she sings and how strong her voice is.”

Regardless of the name clash, Vincent will stand out on the Rotterdam stage. The “Amen” stage show will be directed by creative visionary Marvin Dietmann — who will also work with Bulgaria, Cyprus and Croatia this year. Vincent kept mostly tight-lipped about his staging plans, but he revealed that he’s aiming to recreate the intimate feeling of the “Amen” music video. “In the music video we are portraying this scenery where it moves on, even though it’s claustrophobic then you move on and it gets wider but you’re still in the same position and you still have hope. That same hope, we want to create on stage”, he shared. “It’s gonna be very minimalistic.” Vincent will also wear a custom outfit by fashion designer Michael Cinco — who of course has designed garments for Naomi Campbell, Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue.

Austria’s Eurovision 2021 preparations

As for Eurovision preparations? Vincent is keeping busy as he gears up for Rotterdam. “I’m constantly singing the song, I’m working on details already with the performance”, he said. “To sing the song is not the hard thing. On the stage, where your body’s so nervous and you have to calm down. Actually, it’s more mental training that I do a lot of.”

At Eurovision, Vincent Bueno will perform “Amen” starting fifth in the second semi-final. We wish him the best of luck — and we know that he’ll do Austria proud. Amen!

Do you connect with Vincent’s emotional journey? Can you relate to the lyrics of “Amen”? Let us know what you think in the comments below. 

Read more Eurovision 2021 interviews here

18 Comments
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Susi
Susi
2 years ago

He is not a homophobe. But you don‘t care. All you wanna do is spread hate about people you don‘t know. How disgusting.

Susi
Susi
2 years ago

Just like with Cesar Sampson who was overlooked by bookies and fans, Vincent will surprise in Rotterdam. The song is emotional and can showcase Vincent‘s great voice. If the video can be translated on stage, it will stand out among all those bangers. Qualification for sure and – depending on draw- even left hand side result in the final possible.

Damian Becker
Damian Becker
2 years ago

Or more accurate, was ignorant. You can call someone a homophobe if they are actively trying to persecute a person for not being straight, calling them slurs and such.

Unlike homophobes, people who are ignorant can always be educated so that their views don’t come from a place of ignorance and simply not having lived the experience of an LGBTQ+ person.

Last edited 2 years ago by Damian Becker
Kas
Kas
2 years ago

Honest entry

Guest15
Guest15
2 years ago

I don‘t like my country‘s entry this year, tbh. It WANTS to be that emotional power ballad with a deep meaning but, by trying sooo hard, fails completely. To me, it feels flat, formulaic, calculated and empty – no matter how hard they are trying to link it with emotionally charged background stories like in the interview above. And as for the quality of songwriting: Combining darker verses with a more uplifting chorus doesn‘t automatically generate another Nobody But You (the only time my own country was my winner) … So, all in all, I‘m not rooting for Austria to… Read more »

Henry
Henry
2 years ago

Most homophobes are secretly gay themselves…

Jonas
Jonas
2 years ago
Reply to  Henry

That’s not even close to being true.

Jonas
Jonas
2 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

Have you?

Jonas
Jonas
2 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

There are too many for it to be true. Every parent who had a problem with their child being gay, every school bully, every religious fanatic, every idiot politician, everybody against marriage equality, everybody against gay couples adopting, everybody who thinks pink doesn’t suit men…they’re not all gay. Society is homophobic. Homophobia is not the fault of gay people.

Jonas
Jonas
2 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

Most of the planet is homophobic, most of the planet is not gay.

Kas
Kas
2 years ago
Reply to  Henry

Wow. What a saying.

Another one reversed…. openly most gays are heterophobes…

what a word ending-phobia for every sickness and stupidity…together with -ism endings…racism, sexism, bullshtism…etc

Ian
Ian
2 years ago

I know Marvin Dietmann handles a lot of delegations this year but I can’t see him disappointing with his home country. If this is executed well, I could see a pathway to qualification, if juries rank it in their top 5. There are so many bops in this semi we could easily ‘lose’ one, so I think either Austria or Albania will get the final ticket.

Sot
Sot
2 years ago

I can already feel the downvotes raining down but let me just express what I see: I see the producers choosing specific artists and promoting them, hoping that they’ll get a better result at the contest. Some of the artists are really charismatic and I personally find them nice but all these promos just make me like them less… Some of those are: Vincent Bueno (like in this article) Anxhela Peristeri (like in the acoustic version) TIX (cute but don’t try to force us to learn his story) Tusse (well, it’s Sweden, so it’s not his fault) Again, it’s my… Read more »

Sot
Sot
2 years ago
Reply to  Sot

Oh right lol

James
James
2 years ago

The allocation of semis have already been decided last year. If they wanted, they could have appealed for the switch before the allocation draw took place.

Frisian esc
2 years ago

I’m saying it now: this will qualify.

Henry
Henry
2 years ago
Reply to  Frisian esc

Yep! It will! I’m pretty sure that the Live performance will elevate this song to a higher level.. Juries will love it.

IPA
IPA
2 years ago

I really like Austria’s entry this year – it seems almost overlooked by everyone. Great shame!