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 45
Blind Channel – “We Are No Saints”
Oh, when the saints go marching in. However, Blind Channel are proclaiming that they’re most definitely not saintly in nature. With “We Are Not Saints”, the Finnish band bring a post-hardcore track that goes full-force in the chorus: “People are evil, you hide it or not / Seats in cathedrals are trending like drugs / Your idols betray you / Your heroes will fail you / ‘Cause we are no saints / We are no saints, no”. The accompanying music video goes along with the religious themes and shows a group of people going through some form of ritual until they rise up against the leaders.
Ani Lorak – Я жива
After releasing her first album in 1996, Ani Lorak’s music career is very much still alive 25 years later. The Ukrainian singer has now released her latest LP Я жива (I am alive). There’s a total of 12 songs on the album, including pre-release singles “Страдаем и любим”, “Наполовину”, “Раздетая”, “Бачила” and “Он“. Ani takes the minor and melodic feel of these songs and infuses it throughout the rest of the album. Although the Eurovision 2008 star has leaned towards releasing ballads in recent years, those looking for something a bit more danceable shouldn’t rule out listening to the album as there’s actually a good number of tracks with a dark dance-pop production behind them. This makes the album a great overall offering, providing listeners with moments to both get in their feelings but also dance things off.
Francesco Gabbani – “Spazio Tempo”
Francesco Gabbani dressed up as an astronaut during his participation at Festival di Sanremo 2020. And now the Italian singer is shooting for the stars once again with his new single “Spazio Tempo” (“Space Time”). The track acts as the theme song for the new Italian TV series Un Professore. A mid-tempo, percussion-driven ballad, Eurovision 2017 alum Francesco sings “It’s just madness / A leap in the wind / An hour in space / A point in time / It’s a day that goes away / An appointment / A perpetual beat / That lasts a moment”.
Jessica Mauboy – “Glow”
“This song is so special to me, it’s my confidence song”. Jessica Mauboy is feeling self-assured and shining bright with her new single “Glow”. The Australian singer gets groovy with a mid-tempo disco-inspired offering with an accompanying music video that shows just how much the Eurovision 2018 alum truly glows. The lyrics are about Jessica stepping away from someone who is diminishing her shine and realising she needs space to grow in order to fully radiate her light: “Can you just let me glow / I wanna do this alone / Let me be the one that I / Need to be to grow”.
Dima Bilan – 13 друзей Билана
It was 13 years ago that Dima Bilan lifted the Eurovision trophy. And over the course of the year, the Russian singer has been celebrating his time in the music industry. This has now culminated in the new album 13 друзей Билана (13 friends of Bilan). It features new interpretations of 13 songs from Dima’s discography by 13 fellow artists, a handful of which the Eurovision winner collaborates with. Many of these new versions were performed at the 2021 New Wave festival, which also acted as a special celebratory concert. A number of other past Eurovision stars have recorded songs for the album, including Ani Lorak, Philipp Kirkorov and LOBODA. And of course one of the song’s featured on the LP had to be Dima’s Eurovision 2008 winning song “Believe”, which he performs alongside Azeri star JONY.
Amir – Ressources (Nouvelle Edition)
In October 2020, Amir released his album Ressources. Just over a year later and we’ve now got a new edition of it to enjoy. This version features an extra eight songs, including his collaboration with Sia, “1+1”, and recent single “Rétine”. The remaining six new songs continue the Eurovision 2016 star’s French-pop sound, providing a mix of catchy, upbeat tracks as well as acoustic-guitar-driven ballads.
Sertab Erener – “Who’s Gonna End”
Over the past two weeks, world leaders have been meeting for COP26 (26th United Nations Climate Change Conference) with the aim of creating a deal that will mitigate climate change as a result of human-induced global warming. Now Sertab Erener has posed a question to these leaders by asking “Who’s gonna end the climate crisis? / Who’s gonna care for life in oceans? / We gotta grow in justice and peace!”. Turkey’s Eurovision 2003 champion knows that we all have to stand up and encourage action on climate change. Therefore, she’s followed in the footsteps of Paradise Oskar by releasing an eco-themed song to spread to the word.
Luca Hänni, Sunlike Brothers & KALUMA – “You Broke Me First”
Luca Hänni has put his spin on Tate McRae’s hit song “You Broke Me First”. Not covering the song alone, Switzerland’s Eurovision 2019 star has teamed up with music producers Sunlike Brothers and KALUMA. They’ve delivered a more upbeat version of the song and added in an underlying dance beat.
Dilara Kazimova – “Olmaram”
Dilara Kazimova is turning up the heat and starting a fire in the land of fire. The Azeri songstress has released “Olmaram” (“I can’t”), a pop track with a seductive undertone running through it. Dilara sings to a man she doesn’t feel a connection with anymore: “I can’t be anymore / I will not be the same again / I’m not yours again / I’m not crazy about you”. In the music video, the Eurovision 2014 star teases this man by going to a car wash with half-naked workers. Our multi-tasking queen then takes him on in a game of chess whilst simultaneously having a bath.
Ruth Lorenzo, Ricky Merino – “Carnaval”
Ruth Lorenzo has some enticing disco grooves on her new single “Carnaval”. It’s in collaboration with Spanish entertainer Ricky Merino, who previously collaborated with Ruth’s Copenhagen bestie, Conchita Wurst. The duo bring a chill but danceable electro-pop track. The music video captures the night time thrills of carnival, when revellers get to wear a different type of mask from the usual. (Robyn)
Barei, Blas Cantó, Soraya and more – “Más Besos”
Eurovision 2016 alum Barei has brought together a legion of Spanish singers for the new song “Más Besos” (“More Kisses”). This includes fellow Eurovision stars Blas Cantó (2021) and Soraya (2009), as well as Eurovision 2002 backing vocalist Chenoa and national final stars Lorena Gomez (2010) and Agoney (OT 2017). In the lyrics, the group sing out against homophobia and hope for a more tolerant society – Barei wrote the song in the aftermath of the homophobic murder of Samuel Luiz. In the music video’s description, Barei explains further:
“This theme stems from the deepest love and respect for all those who feel persecuted, harassed, judged and even attacked for being and / or loving in a way different from the one established or belonging to or coming from a specific place.”
Kate Miller-Heidke – “I Am My Own Panther Now”
Pink Panther who? It’s all about the KMH Panther! Kate Miller-Heidke stars in the new Australian television comedy series Preppers. As part of the show, the Eurovision 2019 singer get the opportunity to dress up as a panther and perform the new song “I Am My Own Panther Now” (watch a clip here). Kate has also released the song as an official single. It’s a song about self-love, but with a cheeky story in the lyrics: “Trapped in a cage / Where children would poke me with sticks / Seething with rage / Forced to do tricks for a bunch of d*cks / I bit one off and ran away / I am my own panther now”. Grounded in synths throughout, it also finishes with an operatic climax.
Isaiah Firebrace – “More Than Me”
“This song is all about losing someone you care about and I feel like we’ve all been there so I hope this can be relatable to you and also give you some healing like it did for me.” Before Isaiah Firebrace competes at Eurovision – Australia Decides 2022, the singer is hoping his new single will provide some comfort to people. The Eurovision 2017 star delivers a heartfelt ballad that starts out solely with piano accompaniment and then slowly builds with added instrumentation. Lyrically, Isaiah isn’t ready to move on from the ex-lover that left him: “I’ve been trying to leave / But I’m still in love / I gave you all of me / But it wasn’t enough / And so I hope that he gives you everything you need / But I know he won’t love you / more than me”.
Aminata – “Uz neatklātām zvaigznēm”
Aminata is celebrating selfless people who help others with her new song “Uz neatklātām zvaigznēm” (“To the undiscovered stars”). The song has been created in collaboration with Latvijas Lepnums (Latvia’s Pride), an annual award show that honours everyday people in Latvia who put others before themselves. The accompanying music video features some of the past recipients of the awards – Gita Bināne (recipient of the 2015 Good Works Award), Imants Robežnieks (recipient of the 2015 Heartbeat Award) and Tomas Jaunzems (recipient of the 2018 Courage and Self-Denial Award). Meanwhile, Eurovision 2015 star Aminata walks along the beach as she sings the ballad.
Hooverphonic – “Lift Me Up – Single Edit”
“Lift Me Up” is one of the songs from Hooverphonic’s most recent album Hidden Stories. Now, the Belgium’s Eurovision 2021 group have released it as a single with a new edit. The changes are rather subtle and, overall, the single flows in a very similar fashion to the album version. However, the production has been bulked up a bit – perhaps most notable in the very first few notes, which provide a bolder start to the song. Vocalist Geike Arnaert sings about how her loved one lifts her up when she’s feeling down in the dirt: “Gravity is pullin’ hard / You make me long for more / But won’t you take me higher / And just lift me off the floor?”.
Siw Malmkvist -“Samma flod”
Så mycket bättre – the Swedish television show where singers interpret each other’s songs – is back for its 2021 season. Appearing in this year’s edition is Siw Malmkvist, who represented her home country of Sweden at Eurovision 1960 but also sang for Germany at Eurovision 1969. During the premiere episode of the show, Siw sang “Smek mig mjukt i ansiktet” (“Caress me softly on the face”). The song was first released by Thomas Stenström under the title “Slå mig hårt i ansiktet” (“Hit me hard in the face”).
Siw was also supposed to appear in another episode, but unfortunately had to withdraw due to a cold. Nevertheless, the recording of her second song was still played for the other participants in the latest episode. The two-time Eurovision star sang “Samma flod” (“Same river”), which was originally performed by duo Gustaf & Viktor Noréns as “Higher Love”.
Casper Janebrink (Arvingarna) – “Som jag hade dig förut”
Siw isn’t the only Eurovision alum to have featured in Så mycket bättre 2021. Casper Janebrink performed during the second episode last week. Casper is one quarter of Sweden’s Eurovision 1993 boyband Arvingarna. He performed “Som jag hade dig förut” (“Like I had you before”), which was originally released by Melissa Horn (featuring Lars Winnerbäck).
The Mamas – Won’t Let The Sun Go Down
The Mamas are here with their new EP Won’t Let The Sun Go Down. Containing six songs, it includes pre-release songs “Sun Go Down”, “That’s Ok”, as well as the solo songs of Ash Haynes, Loulou Lamotte and Dinah Yonas Manna. This means there’s only one brand new song that fans haven’t heard yet – “Let You Go”. The closing song of the EP, it’s also the slowest and most emotional. In a post on Instagram, Sweden’s Eurovision 2020 entrants explain the message behind this final track:
“‘Let You Go’ is a song about relationships that have run their course but are hard to leave; when you’ve outgrown a situation, but might feel a fear of letting go of what’s safe and face the unknown. No matter how deep the bond and how long the struggle, whether romantic, platonic, familial or professional, sometimes you have to find the strength to cut your losses and leave behind that which doesn’t serve you in order to be healthy, evolve and live your best life.”
Elisa – No Meu Canto
Portugal’s Elisa has released her debut album. Titled No Meu Canto (In My Corner), it features ten songs including previous singles “Coração”, “Na Ilha” and “Este Meu Jeito”. The rest of the album has a similar mix of soft ballads and brighter tracks, though the short song “Normal” also brings in a more traditional Portuguese flavour.
In addition to the album, the Eurovision 2020 entrant has uploaded a music video for the LP’s single “Se Não Me Amas” (“If You Don’t Love Me”). The song is written by Luísa Sobral, composer of Salvador Sobral’s Eurovision 2017 winning song. The video follows a young couple whose relationship slowly falls apart.
Cascada, Timmy Trumpet and Harris & Ford – “Never Let Me Go”
Cascada have brought together an international group for the new single “Never Let Me Go”. The German dance music act have collaborated with Australian musician Timmy Trumpet and Austrian DJ duo Harris & Ford. Together, they bring us an Eurodance-EDM song that’s ready made for the clubs. In between all the full-on dance beats, Cascada’s vocalist, and Eurovision 2013 singer, Natalie Horler sings about wanting to stay close to a special person: “I’ll find a way to make you stay / ‘Cause I want to have you close / And I want to make you mine / Let you know what I feel inside / Fly away, far away, girl / But never let me go”.
GMBL (feat. zalagasper) – “Only for you”
Slovenia’s Eurovision 2019 duo zalagasper have added their artistry to the new song “Only for you”. Vocalist Zala Kralj sings softly over an acoustic guitar for the entire duration of the single. Singing in English, Zala discusses the way a certain individual is making her feel: “Been a while since I felt this way about someone / I’d really, really like to know you more / Oh, your eyes, they sing a song to me / And I would really, really like to go to it, go / Oh, and I will only for you”.
PAENDA – “Zero Gravity”
PAENDA is floating in ze-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ero gra-a-a-a-a-a-avity. Austria’s Eurovision 2019 star delivers an electro-pop track that stays grounded in the verses and then launches into orbit during the chorus. PAENDA sings to her partner about how they always seem to mess up the good thing they have going between them: “We’re so used to gravity / We’re not used to zero gravity / Rock bottom’s what we see instead of zero gravity”.
DJ Muscleboy (feat. Yohanna) – “BOOM”
Following their previous collaboration in July, Icelandic artists DJ Muscleboy and Yohanna have teamed up once again for another explosive EDM track. Eurovision 2009 star Yohanna adds her vocals to the verses, signing about the beat of her heart: “We were born to the beat of the night / It’s keeping us alive / We can feel it beating inside / Never going to die / I’ve got the rhythm in my heart beating like / Boom, boom, boom”. The song then goes “BOOM” with the usual dance instrumental break.
Izza (feat. Zach Said) – “That Song”
Izza has a song stuck in her head. The German singer, who performed as Levina at Eurovision 2017, has collaborated with British artist Zach Said for “That Song”, a percussion-driven pop track. The pair use the idea of not being able to get a song out of your head as a metaphor for feeling like you yourself are doing things on repeat: “Stop with that song / Can’t get it out of my head / I know I’m going to hear it again / The lyrics never have to make sense / And it’s OK, I sing it anyway / Don’t want to feel like somebody on repeat”. Izza spoke more about the single on social media:
“This track is all about trying not to make the same mistakes over and over again, like a song stuck in your head. But it’s not always that easy right, because we’re all human and we don’t always live and learn haha! So don’t be too hard on yourself, I see you.”
Rykka – “Louder”
Rykka’s new single is “Louder”. Switzerland’s Eurovision 2016 representative delivers an alternative pop track with plenty of digital elements to the production. Rykka sings about the demons inside your head and that you have to learn to love them: “‘Cause the words on my face / Isn’t what’s in my brain / I keep them meditated / I keep my pulses straight […] I’m running wild in my mind / You’re going to know my name / If I scream that I’m on fire / Just a little bit, just a little bit louder”. In a post on Instagram, the Eurovision alum explained more about the inspiration behind song:
“When I wrote this song with Benji, it was a moment in my life when I was faced with a new role, which showed me a new side of my identity. At the time, I had a strict idea of who I wanted to be in this new role and what others expected of me, so I tried my best to fit into the mould, silencing things in me that I thought didn’t fit. When I came to see what I was doing, that I had built fake walls around myself… It took courage and a lot of self-love to allow myself to be more authentic, and everyday I’m trying to be gentle to myself. I’m ready.”
AMOS FLEUR – “LYAR”
S!ster Carlotta Truman has swapped one duo for another. Germany’s Eurovision 2019 singer has recently released music as part of AMOS FLEUR, which comprises Carlotta on vocals and Simon Leander as the producer. The sound that comes with this new duo is a complete 180° from her female-empowerment Eurovision entry. Instead, the duo deliver a dynamic pop-rock track with an electronic screamo bridge – they’ve certainly jumped onboard Blind Channel’s violent-pop revolution.
The Blessing Israel (with Gali Atari) – “The Blessing”
“An important project in which I took part with singers from Israel and abroad to fight anti-Semitism”, noted Gali Atari. The Eurovision 1979 winner (as part of Milk and Honey) has contributed to the song “The Blessing Israel”. The single has been coordinated by Passages – a non-profit organisation that takes Christian students on trips to Israel. Gali Atari performs alongside other singers from Israel, Nigeria, USA, Ethiopia and South Africa, with a mixture of English and Hebrew lyrics.
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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Where is song Mikko Leppilampi(host 2007) & Krista siegfrid, Valkea Joulu
Where is song: erika vIkman & antti tuisku, huonoja ideoita
its a banger
A lot of very nice songs this week. I really like The Blessing Israel.
Dilara showing us once again that she was underrated by miles in 2014! The winner was awful and that Aram Mp3 sure as hell was overrated!
I didn’t even know that Amir made a song with Sia… it’s huge!
Good bunch of songs for this sunday, ty.
There’s something so reassuring in Gabbani’s voice, the same way Zala has a natural relaxing effect on me. Could listen to them for hours.
Wow, so many good songs this week! First, of course, our shady lady, Queen Ani: I am so happy that she has some club bangers our her record. One of it, track Nr. 9, has made it into my playlist, I love it!
Also very good are the songs by Jessica Mauboy, Dilara, Isaiah and Hooverphonic. A great choice this week, thanks for it!
Still love Kate Miller-Heidke! And I like Paenda’s Zero Gravity too 😉
There are more songs from our loved ones I enjoy this time…
May I say, I think you should have shared the acapella choir version of Netta’s new song…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0WpoQrOF20
And to have some contrast, why not dancing to some Eurodance-EMD from Cascada !!!
I enjoy that the new season is coming up and say for now – read you at FIK60 😉
You did it again Francesco! What a gorgeous, life affirming song – go h-álainn. Grazie from Ireland.
Siw Malmkvist, the first ever Melodifestivalen winner. I love her.
Also Ilta from UMK2021 realeased the single Taivas maan päällä (Heaven on Earth)
And really liking a lot We are no saints