Although we’re officially into the Eurovision 2022 season, it will still be some time before we hear any national final and Eurovision songs. Thankfully, the music will always continue and a number of past Eurovision artists are still producing new songs for us to enjoy.

Contrary to the commonly perpetuated myth about the song contest killing careers, we’re always thrilled to report that singers and performers associated with both Eurovision itself and the various national selections are thriving.

Here is our latest weekly roundup with a selection of just some of the songs and music videos released recently by Eurovision stars.

New music from Eurovision artists: 2021 | Week 38

Sarit Hadad – “אהבה כמו שלנו”

Music has always allowed artists to share their emotions with listeners. And Eurovision 2002 singer Sarit Hadad decided it was the best way to open up about some of her own personal feelings and come out as lesbian. The Israeli star’s new song is “אהבה כמו שלנו” (“Love like  ours”). A slowly building ballad, Sarit sings about the connection between herself and her loved one: “Love like ours / Lets the heart really feel / To love at every moment / To desire eternity without fear”. Sarit introduces us to her partner at the end of the video, where we see the Eurovision alum watching the sunset alongside Tamar Yahalomy, who also co-wrote the song. In a post on Instagram, Sarit commented about the song and her choice to come out:

“A new song, written and performed from the blood of my heart. The new clip shows love from my perspective on the world and myself. Today when my daughters are growing up fast with curious eyes, I’m happy to show them the ability to be what they just want to be. And teach them that freedom, time and choice are above all. Thank you for my family and the place where my career and family merged – this is a whole moment for me.”

Lordi – “Abracadaver”

Lordi are getting ready to release seven new albums all at once in November. The Lordiversity set will feature the Finnish band adding their monster style to a variety of genres. The latest tease comes in the form of new single “Abracadaver”. While Lordi have always been a rock band, “Abracadaver” sees the Eurovision 2006 champions going even heavier and trying out some thrash metal. The lyrics are all about a person being caught off guard by the grim reaper coming to take them away: “Life receding / Just like that / Disappearing / Abracadaver”.

Ani Lorak – “Бачила”

After representing her home country of Ukraine at Eurovision 2008, Ani Lorak’s career eventually led her to set up base in Russia. However, Lorak is harking back to her birth country by singing the new single “Бачила” (“She saw”) in her native Ukrainian language. The music video also features national symbols of Ukraine. Lorak notes that she wrote the lyrics of the song “from the depths of her heart”, and they see the star trying to say goodbye to something but unable to escape from the love she feels: “I saw the burning soul / And my heart was broken at night / Or maybe you me, at least for a moment / As the first time you kiss a madman”.

It would be easy to say the lyrics are about a former lover. However, with all the little nods to Ukraine, there could be something more to it. Lorak’s continued career in Russia was controversial to those back in Ukraine following the annexation of Crimea. After somewhat saying goodbye to parts of her life in Ukraine, perhaps this is the singer’s way of noting the love for her home country will always remain. But Ani would have to confirm any specific detail on that.

Dima Bilan & Mari Kraimbrery – “Ты не моя пара”

Dima Bilan’s new single sees the Eurovision 2008 champion collaborating with Ukrainian singer Mari Kraimbrery. The pair bring us “Ты не моя пара” (“You’re not my mate”). It’s effectively a fight told through a mid-tempo Russian-pop song, as the two singers agree its time to change their relationship status back to single: “My head hurts so much and not from the virus / Minus on minus, I can’t take it anymore / It’s like you’re in English, and I’m in Yiddish / And google translation will not help, well, you see”.

Samra & TOPIC42 (feat. Arash) – “Ich bin weg (Boro Boro)”

In September 2004, Iranian-Swedish singer Arash released his debut single “Boro Boro”. The song went straight to the top of the Swedish singles chart and Arash’s career blossomed. Now 17 years later, Azerbaijan’s Eurovision 2009 star has released a rework of the song with music producer TOPIC42 and Samra – not the Azeri singer but rather the German rapper. Samra adds in plenty of new rap verses but the original Persian hook remains: “Go, go, my heart does not want you / I do not want to see you anymore”.

Il Volo – “Your Love”

Ennio Morricone was considered to be one of the most prolific film composers of all time, with more than 400 scores for cinema and television. Il Volo have decided to pay tribute to the Italian composer with their new album, set for release later this year. The first single from the LP dropped this week and it sees the Eurovision 2015 trio singing their rendition of “Your Love”, which comes from the 1968 film Once Upon a Time in the West. As always, Il Volo deliver rich vocals and emotion as they sing over orchestral accompaniment.

Iveta Mukuchyan – “Tur Patjar”

Armenia’s Iveta Mukuchyan is looking for a reason to stay in her new single “Tur Patjar” (“Give me a reason”). The Eurovision 2016 star has been treated badly by her partner and needs them to give her confidence that they’ll change: “Give me a reason to stay with you / Give me a reason to look back / Give me a reason not to tell you the end / Say a word so I can understand you / Give me a reason to love you”. Despite the sorrow in the lyrics, the song itself is dressed up in a catchy dance-pop beat. The music video features Iveta making her lover jealous by partying through the night and pushing up against a couple of other men.

MÉLOVIN  & SOWA – “Таємний знак”

In between his rehearsals for Tantsi z zirkamy 2021, MÉLOVIN has still found the time to release the new song “Таємний знак” (“Secret sign”). Ukraine’s Eurovision 2018 star sings with SOWA for this melancholic and almost eerie ballad. In the chorus, the pair sing: “Green eyes beckoned me through my thoughts / Even in dreams / Every story has / Have your own secret sign”.

Michael Schulte – “Here Goes Nothing”

Michael Schulte is jumping head first into love. The German star’s new single, “Here Goes Nothing”, sees him laying out all his cards and taking a chance by asking out the person he’s fallen for: “Something’s in the air tonight / Little bit of paradise / I’m just gonna roll the dice like / Here goes nothing”. Musically, the Eurovision 2018 star keeps things relatively upbeat with a solid pop track.

The Mamas – “That’s OK”

“You can fight the feel you feel / But The Mamas’ love is real” – Dinah, Ashley and Loulou are here once again to embrace listeners with a big old musical hug. Sweden’s Eurovision 2020 selected trio have dropped the new single “That’s OK”. It’s a feel-good disco-inspired pop track destined to put a smile on your face from start to finish. The Mamas say they’ll always be here for us, even during times when we need some privacy: “If you never wanna kick it with us / That’s OK / But if you wanna come and party with us / That’s OK”.

Jala Brat & Tory Lanez – “Adrenalina”

Guess who?! Jala Brat is back for the sixth week in a row as he finally gives us the 15th and final song of his new album Futura. The closing song on the LP is “Adrenalina”. Sadly, Senhit and Flo Rida are nowhere in sight. Instead, Jala teams up with Canadian rapper Tory Lanez for the song. In the chorus, Bosnia’s Eurovision 2016 star has his focus on a particular woman: “Adrenaline, crazy and young / She pretends to be nice, she’s guarded by a gang / Drive, speed, push Prada / Eyes of smoke, hearts of the devil”.

With the full album now out, Jala’s new songs are no longer a part of our Futura, but rather our pasada.

Trijntje Oosterhuis, Gregory Porter & Metropole Orkest – “Making Love”

Trijntje Oosterhuis’s new album appears to have been delayed, but we’ll forgive her as she’s at least given us the new single “Making Love”. And it’s not just the Dutch star’s voice we hear on the track, as Trijntje has brought in American singer Gregory Porter to accompany her. “Making Love” is a song first written for the 1982 film of the same name by Burt Bacharach (the Eurovision 2015 alum’s upcoming album will be full of covers of Bacharach’s songs). By turning it into a duet, Trijntje and Gregory’s version adds a new layer to the song as the story comes from two points of view.

Elhaida Dani – Zanin

You wait two years for a new Elhaida Dani song and then five come along at once. Albania’s Eurovision 2015 star has dropped the new EP Zanin. But not just content with an audio-only EP, this is a visual EP – each of the five songs comes with its own music video. There’s a combination of Balkan and Mediterranean influences running through the EP. Elhaida also delivers a mixture of slower and more danceable songs – check out “Kënga Jonë” if you’re after an emotional ballad, or hit play on “Jam Betu” for an ethno-pop offering.

Sevak & Yann Brutt – “Прости меня”

Sevak is a master of the moody male ballad. And he showcases this again through his new single “Прости меня” (“Forgive me”). That being said, there is extra depth here courtesy of a more rap-like section in the middle that Armenia’s Eurovision 2018 star delivers alongside collaborator Yann Brutt. Either side of this, Sevak and Yann repeat the chorus several times. The pair no longer want to pretend that a particular relationship has the warmth they need: “Forgive me but I’m not the same / Forgive me but I couldn’t / Your eyes are like eternal darkness / Frosty wounds forever”.

Olga Seryabkina & Simptom – “Преступление”

“It’s a crime to love you / If you want this heart, just steal / I’m losing you to find / I really need you, just dial”. Eurovision 2007 star Olga Seryabkina finds herself in the tricky position of loving someone that she shouldn’t in her new single “Преступление” (“The crime”). At two minutes in length, it’s a relatively short track. But the Russian singer still manages to include a verse from fellow artist Simptom. Sonically, “Преступление” brings together elements of hip hop with electronic influences.

Maraaya & Jan Plestenjak – “V Naju Še Verjamem”

Maraaya’s vocalist Marjetka has collaborated with fellow Slovenian singer Jan Plestenjak for the new song “V Naju Še Verjamem” (“I Still Believe In Us”). It’s an acoustic-guitar-driven ballad that picks up a bit in the chorus. Jan kicks things off before Eurovision 2015 alum Marjetka comes in with a verse and joins the chorus. Lyrically, the pair discuss how love can find its way back to relationships that have hit a rocky moment: “I still believe in us / I know, all the colours are in you / And I take you back / Because too much is in me”.

Rita Guerra (feat. João Paulo Rodrigues) – “Por Mim”

Rita Guerra’s new single is “Por Mim” (“For Me”). The Eurovision 2003 alum has collaborated with João Paulo Rodrigues for the emotional ballad. Starting off with piano chords, things gradually build with extra string instrumentation that’s added in as the song’s sentiment heightens. The two Portuguese singers declare they no longer feel the companionship of their partner and want to go their own way: “I don’t want to be here / I don’t want to be like this / I feel lonely with you close to me […] I don’t want to force more, I cannot / I try but I’m not able to / I want to be me, for me”.

Athena Manoukian – “OMG”

Greek-Armenian singer Athena Manoukian is adding an extra international touch to her music by singing her latest single in a mixture of English and German. The Eurovision 2020 entrant brings us “OMG”, which sees Athena singing about the pressure that is put on artists and the constant critiques from people online: “Oh my god, seriously, I’m not what you want me to be […] These voices behind my back want to see me failing”. A statement posted on Atehna’s Instagram account explains the message of the song further:

“‘OMG’ is an English/German song talking about the ‘Behind The Scenes’ life of an artist. Explains how people judge an artist by a 3 minute song when he/she has been through so many difficulties and sleepless nights. It inspires all the people to not stop chasing their dreams and emphasises that we’re all going to be through hard times in order to make it happen. We just must not give up. Being in the music industry is hard so Athena tries to give hope to all the artists in the world that started from zero as her with any connections or help. […] The title of the song ‘OMG’ describes a really common situation when we judge someone or we are surprised about something he/she did.”

Vanilla Ninja – “Incredible”

The “Incredible” Vanilla Ninja are just a couple of weeks away from releasing their comeback album Encore. Before this, the Estonian group (who represented Switzerland at Eurovision 2005) have dropped the latest pre-release single. Despite being a rock band, “Incredible” is one of the softer tracks of Vanilla Ninja’s upcoming LP and even features a bit of ukulele accompaniment. In the lyrics, the all-female group sing of a person that has their hearts all aflutter and how they hope they could be the one: “The way you smile is incredible / Just unforgettable / Love is compatible / With where our dreams will go”.

Kati Wolf & Csaba Vastag – “Táncolj még!”

It’s that time of year where people snuggle up on Saturday evenings and watch the various editions of Dancing with the Stars that are taking place in countries across Europe. The Hungarian version commenced this weekend. Although Eurovision 2011 star Kati Wolf is not taking part, she has recorded the theme song for this year’s season, “Táncolj még!” (“Dance more”). Alongside Csaba Vastag, Kati brings us an upbeat number that aims to get people up and moving about: “More than feeling / More than a step / You’re more than dancing / Dance more!”. The music video was filmed on a boat and it features the celebrities and professional dancers of Hungary’s Dancing with the Stars 2021.

 

Click on the links below to read our individual articles on other new songs released in the past week by Eurovision artists:

WURST – “Bodymorphia”

Which of these new songs is your favourite? Have we missed out on any? Do you have any artists you want to shout out to? Let us know in the comments.

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