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 42
Ani Lorak – “Он“
Ani Lorak has announced that her new album will drop in a few weeks time. Ahead of this, the latest pre-release single is “Он” (“He”). Despite her upbeat entry for Eurovision 2008, ballads are very much now the Ukrainian singer’s staple and “Он” is another passionate offering. This one comes with a dark, electronic touch to the underlying production, which adds a sense of drama. Ani sings about a man who she would do absolutely anything for: “He is my crime / I’ll give everything for him / In front of him on the edge / On my knees / For him every breath / He was more than God”.
Lordi – “Borderline”
Only one month to go until Lordi release their Lordiversity set of seven new albums. The latest teaser comes in form of “Borderline” and it shows that even monsters can’t escape from the 80s pop trend. But naturally, Finland’s Eurovision 2006 champions give the trend a bit of edge by adding their hard rock style into the mix. Lyrically, the group sing of a woman who’s on the cusp of turning into a knife-wielding maniac: “Led astray by a knife / Her troubles and her past entwined / Run away from her life / Her devils aren’t that far behind / Now it’s do or die / Fall or fly, diversify / Borderline / Right on the edge of sane and crazy”. The music video is set at a horror ride in an amusement park, but the female protagonist witnesses more gore than she was expecting.
Edurne – “Boomerang”
Seven months after giving birth to her daughter Yanay, Edurne is back in the musical world and has released the new single “Boomerang”. Spain’s Eurovision 2015 star brings us a pleasant Latin-pop song – nothing we haven’t heard before, but there’s nothing particularly wrong with it either. In the lyrics, Edurne compares the love she’s receiving from someone to a boomerang. That is, the love arrives at one time for it to only disappear and return to its starting point later on: “Your mouth looks a lot like / A boomerang / That comes, comes and goes / And today it seems that she is going to make me fall in love / And tomorrow play to forget me”. The music video features Edurne enjoying some time at a rooftop bar and in the swimming pool.
Cleo & Maryla Rodowicz – “Dalej” and “Neony”
Cleo has teamed up with acclaimed Polish singer Maryla Rodowicz for a couple of new songs. Maryla has had a long established career since the 1960s and is someone who Cleo looked up to when she was younger. The two songs they’ve recorded are “Dalej” (“Next”) and “Neony” (“Neon”). The below music video is a mash-up of both of them, but you can listen to “Dalej” in full on streaming platforms now. Each of the songs brings in a slight 70s/80s vibe and they’re aimed as a tribute to Maryla’s musical style. In the video’s description, Cleo comments further on the opportunity to record with Maryla:
“When I was 6-7 years old, I played concerts, imitating Maryla Rodowicz. I stood on the couch, which was my stage and sang her repertoire for my parents. Recording together songs with Maryla proves that everything is possible – dreams met!”
Il Volo – “The Ecstasy of Gold”
If you’ve only ever heard one Western film score, chances are it was “The Ecstasy of Gold” from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The iconic whistle was composed by Ennio Morricone. Il Volo are honouring the Italian composer with their upcoming album, and the trio have dropped their rendition of the song as the latest pre-release single. After a long intro, the Eurovision 2015 bronze medallists join in with their operatic vocals. Not many performers could bring a level that’s up to par with the iconic instrumentation, but Il Volo add to the majesty of the underlying instruments.
Benjamin Ingrosso – “Sarah”
Earlier this year, Benjamin Ingrosso released the two-part album En gång i tiden. Now the Swedish star has combined them together for a new deluxe version of the LP. This deluxe version includes the new song “Sarah”. It’s a cover of the single first released in 1988 by Mauro Scocco, who Benjamin has noted as one of his idols. The Eurovision 2018 star updates the production but still keeps a touch of the 80s feel in there. Lyrically, Benjamin asks a woman named Sarah to come out and spend the night with him: “Oh Sarah, come out tonight / I wait in the corner at the 7-Eleven / Sarah, you’re more than I understand / Take on the jacket, then we go out and go” (a night at the 7-Eleven – who said romance was dead!?).
Loulou Lamotte (The Mamas) – “Don’t Kill The Groove”
It’s time for the final Mama to release their solo song from the trio’s upcoming EP. Last, but certainly not least, is Loulou Lamotte. She’s making sure we “Don’t Kill The Groove” – and it’s certainly hard not to groove along to this song. Sweden’s Eurovision 2020 entrant brings us a fun and funky track that gets the listener dancing from the start. Loulou sings to someone who she wants to get close with on the dancefloor: “Can you dig it? / When I move across the dancefloor / If you do, baby get with it / Don’t hold back, just make a move / Lose your tie, kick off your shoes / You betta not kill the groove”.
Connect-R & Shift – “Plec Departe”
Connect-R has recently spent some time travelling across Turkey as part of the TV show Asia Express. The programme sees pairs of celebrities and the general public trying to travel along a certain route with just a backpack of supplies. Connect-R, who represented Moldova at Eurovision 2006, was partnered with fellow Romanian artist Shift. The pair decided to release a song to coincide with their appearance on Asia Express. Titled “Plec Departe” (“I’m Going Away”), it’s a casual song with a warm vibe owing to the ukulele accompaniment. The music video includes clips of Connect-R and Shift’s Asia Express adventure, which they watch on a TV.
Luca Hänni – “Just You and Me”
Switzerland’s Luca Hänni is mixing English and German for his new single. He sings to a special person who he promises to always be there for: “When the world is almost crushing you, you know I’m here / You and me, just you and me / And together we run to our place, somewhere far away from here”. A mid-tempo pop song, the Eurovision 2019 star delivers an emotional performance; but, there’s still enough of a beat in the chorus for Luca to also showcase his dancing skills in the music video.
Aram Mp3 – “Khamozem”
Aram Mp3 has released the new single “Khamozem” (“I will convince”). Starting as a soft piano ballad, it gradually builds with added string and percussion accompaniment until it reaches a powerful climax in the final chorus. In the music video we see time stop for everyone except a couple, who proceed to dance under the streetlights. Armenia’s Eurovision 2014 star then appears towards the end, playing the piano in the rain.
Brainstorm – Gads bez Kalendāra
Latvian band Brainstorm have this week unveiled their new concert film Gads bez Kalendāra (Year without Calendar). It’s essentially a visual album, with the group delivering performances of several new songs, including recent singles “Feels”, “Karuseļi” and “Моя Луна”. Tickets for the film are available through Brainstorm’s website.
Ahead of the premiere, the Eurovision 2000 band released one final teaser on YouTube and shared the performance for “Tur, kur Dieva kamanas slīd” (“Where God’s sleigh glides”), which they perform alongside folk band Tautumeitas. You can also listen to another of the songs, “Aiz sienas”, on streaming platforms.
Artsvik – “Снова во сне”
“Yes, it tears my soul apart / Your betrayal and lies / You broke all the rules / Although he promised that you would not leave”. Artsvik is dealing with the aftermath of a relationship. And she’s dealing with it by …. taking a ride on the subway. The music video for “Снова во сне” (“In a dream again”) features Armenia’s Eurovision 2017 star heading out at night while strutting along to the catchy, dark pop beat of the song.
Julia Samoylova – “Шторм”
Although Julia Samoylova’s new song is underlined by an electronic dance beat, the Russian singer wants you to know that it is not a light-hearted offering. Instead, Julia tries to tap into a darker mindset. The Eurovision 2018 participant sings about the times when life reaches a cliff edge and you have to head into the “Шторм” (“Storm”) to persevere: “I will go out into the storm / Otherwise I will perish / Without even trying to jump / From the pedestal of expectations […] Don’t be scared / It’s scary to be a stranger to yourself”. In the description of the music video, Julia goes into more detail about the song:
“When you plunge into a retro beat flavoured with overloaded guitars, at first it seems that the song is carrying you along the sunny water surface. And suddenly you realise that you are in a small boat, in the middle of a raging ocean … perhaps this is the beauty of paradoxes? Sobering lyrics. Hard, truthful lyrics, wrapped in a gentle, soft blanket of pads and overdrive rolls, like a tight swaddle, immobilizing you like a restless baby. This is interwoven with the theme of the inexorable element of life, which makes no distinction between good and bad, but simply pushes to the brink of change. If you are not ready to leave your comfort zone and step forward, to meet something new, then it is better not to listen to this song … you will not like it.”
Nathan Trent – “Underwater”
After running on air at Eurovision 2017, Nathan Trent has since taken a dive and now finds himself “Underwater”. The Austrian singer focuses his new song on mental health and the need to seek help when feeling low, as Nathan says in the spoken word intro: “I don’t want to feel like this anymore. I need to change something. Can you help me?”. The indie-pop song has an emotional pull to it that Nathan hopes will resonate with other people going through similar issues. The Eurovision alum discussed this further in a long social media post:
“Writing this song helped me to understand a lot about how I handle things. And given the fact that it came to life so naturally, I want to dedicate ‘Underwater’ to everyone who feels alone and confused with their thoughts. Also I want to shine a light on the fact that communication is crucial. When you’re having bad thoughts, a bad day, doubts, anxiety or you’re all in all not feeling well, PLEASE, don’t ignore it, don’t play it down. Talk to friends and family, teachers, mentors or get professional help. You deserve to feel good, you deserve to be happy, don’t stay silent, share your thoughts and feelings with someone. You’ll feel so much better. I promise.“
Ryan Dolan – “Easy on Me”
It’s only been out for a week, but Adele’s “Easy On Me” has already taken over the charts, and quite frankly the world. Ryan Dolan is one of the many people who have been inspired by the song and he’s already released a cover of it. Ireland’s Eurovision 2013 star lets his voice take centre stage as he sings along to the piano melody and delivers the emotion of the song.
JJ – “Zabranena Lyubov”
JJ is chasing after a “Zabranena Lyubov” (“Forbidden love”). The former Equinox member has fallen head over heels for a special someone; however, he wonders if they’ll want to be with him: “I miss you / I wait every hour / To call / You love a part of me / Strange as it may seem to you”. In the music video, we see the Eurovision 2018 star getting married in a barn, though the marriage doesn’t even last beyond the reception dinner.
Anna Rossinelli – “Somebody Like You”
If there’s proof that the 80s will never die, then it’s in the fact that artists keep going back to the decade for musical influence. Anna Rossinelli are the latest act to dust off the shoulder pads and take inspiration from the era of big hair. Switzerland’s Eurovision 2011 group deliver a catchy synth-pop track for “Somebody Like You”. In the lyrics, lead vocalist Anna wants to find someone who can give her life a direction and purpose: “Now that it seems I’m on my own / I am looking for someone to let me know / What I was supposed to do / Somebody like you / Somebody like you, somebody like you / Somebody who loves me like you do”.
Amina – La lumière de mes choix
Eurovision 1991 runner-up Amina has released her new album La lumière de mes choix (The light of my choices). The LP features eleven songs, including recent singles “Face à nous” and “Tu joues si bien”. Much like with her Eurovision entry, the French-Tunisian singer blends the two halves of her ancestry together to deliver a mix of French and Arabic sounds.
Trijntje Oosterhuis, Jennie Lena & Shirma Rouse – “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”
Dutch singer Jennie Lena went viral following her audition for The Voice of Holland in 2015. At the time, she sang “Who’s Lovin You” by The Jackson Five. And now Jennie has released a full album focusing on one of the five Jacksons – Michael. For her cover of “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, Jennie has brought onboard Eurovision 2015 star Trijntje Oosterhuis as well as Eurovision 2013 backing singer Shirma Rouse. The trio keep the instrumentation simple with just an acoustic guitar and piano, which puts the focus on their voices and their strong harmonies.
Click on the links below to read our individual articles about other new songs released this week by past Eurovision stars:
ABBA – “Just A Notion”
Montaigne – “Now (In Space)”
Måneskin – “MAMMAMIA” (music video)
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.
Read more new music reviews here
Follow our new music playlist on Spotify
Cleo and Maryla are the best
I guess it’s worth mentioning that Sara Jo (former member of the group Moje tri that represented Serbia in 2013) also released a new song called “Divlja” (can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfLXBmMlMYc) – I think the song is quite cool and it is definitely kind of song she would perfectly deliver on the ESC stage….
Erika Vikman also did a song with Antti Tuisku (who hosted umk 2021). It’s called Huonoja ideoita.
Ani Lorak should stay away from these overdramatized ballads, I wish she would do more disco-pop, a real banger once in a while. The new song from Artsvik sounds cool!