Following their win at Beovizija in 2020, the women of Hurricane have become some of the biggest stars in Serbia. Besides burnishing their own image, Sanja Vučić, Ivana Nikolić and Ksenija Knežević have helped turn up the dial on Serbia at Eurovision and with it the national selection contest.
Now Serbian broadcaster RTS has opened registration for their national selection process for Eurovision 2022. The submission period closes on December 1.
In the official rules and submission packet, they don’t refer to the show as Beovizija, but rather as “the festival”, suggesting they may well re-brand it. We’re using Beovizija here as shorthand for the national selection show.
National selection details
The broadcaster says that performers must be citizens of Serbia and that songs have to be sung in languages used in Serbia. Authors should enclose a finished recording of the composition master with backing track, a mix without backing vocals and a mix with backing vocals. They also want to hear the interpretation of the performer who will perform the composition at the competition (so not a demo featuring someone else). RTS can suggest certain changes and additions to the composition.
Given the ongoing uncertainty brought about by the pandemic, the broadcaster reserves the right to cancel the festival and choose its act independently. The rules state:
“In case of epidemiological measures and recommendations made by the authorities of the Republic of Serbia….[that] make it impossible to hold the Festival, RTS will independently choose a composition that will represent the Republic of Serbia and RTS at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest.”
Music editors from the broadcaster will decide which songs will advance to the national final “guided exclusively by the artistic quality of those compositions.”
Applications for the competition must be submitted by December 1, 2021 via the RTS portal.
Hurricane continue to ride wave of popularity
Hurricane placed 15th in the grand final of Eurovision 2021. That’s the country’s best finish since 2015, when Bojana Stamenov placed tenth with her song “Beauty Never Lies.”
Earlier this month the fierce trio had our barometers bursting yet again as they blew through Music Week Belgrade with the force of several storms.
As you can see in our playlist below, the audience knew pretty much every lyric of every song — demonstrating their ongoing popularity at home.
Send someone from Zvezde Granda pls.
Turbofolk best folk
i dont get why hurricane was so overrated with the esc fandom lol
Serbia produces the best diva’s and Balkan bangers – so I hope they stick to what they’re good at. It could potentially be a winning formula!
Also, I hope RTS resolves their feud with Jelena Karleusa and finally select her.
I don’t think that ever gonna happen. She wants an apology (which she absolutely deserves) and I just don’t see RTS doing that. I highly doubt such leadership shift is ever gonna happen. Does anyone know if she’s still banned? I’d say she is but I stopped watching TV years ago.
Since I am from Serbia and follow the situation closely on our music scene I can say she is not entirely banned but RTS wants the entire lead in the representing thing and since Karleusa was always controversial and indipendent I doupt she will ever get an invite or even more apply to the selection.
Interesting fact,she did participate in Beovizija but way back in 2004 so yeah…
Karleusa is not “banned” per say. She just wants full independence to do literally whatever she wants without RTS breathing down her neck. Which is never going to happen cause RTS won’t allow her. I think the success of Hurricane made RTS loosen up some rules and made some bigger names in Serbia consider doing Beovizija. But we won’t know until we see it.
Success is a reach.
Success in their home country and the region.
In effect, that little caveat about canceling the festival and choosing independently is what the Czech Republic was suggesting as well. Not that it’s bound to happen, but they’d rather do that than navigate through COVID regulations