New music this week: Songs from MARO, Marius Bear, Conchita WURST and more

The Eurovision 2022 season is now in full swing and no doubt fans will have the songs from this year’s contest on repeat until we crown a winner in May. But that doesn’t mean we forget about the artists from past contests – they’re still brining us a lot of new music to enjoy.

Contrary to the commonly perpetuated myth about the song contest killing careers, we’re always thrilled to report that singers associated with Eurovision 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: 2022 | Week 12

Mariya Yaremchuk – “Дорога Воїна”

“No matter how much evil is done / Don’t forget: your dear warrior”. Mariya Yaremchuk has stepped out of retirement from music for a moment to release the new song “Дорога Воїна” (“Dear Warrior”). Ukraine’s Eurovision 2014 star spoke on social media about how the song discusses the bravery everyone in her country has shown throughout Ukraine’s history and during the ongoing war:

“Now more than ever it is felt that the country is also a living organism. And having such a difficult history, such a thorny path, Ukraine, instead of kneeling, always chose to follow the path of the Warrior. Our language, culture, traditions are like a living shield. And I have the luxury of writing and creating in Ukrainian today.”

Mariya has also shared the short song “Вона” (“She”).

MARO – “am i not enough for now?”

In amongst preparing for Eurovision 2022, MARO is also beginning to build up towards her new album. The first single is “am i not enough for now?”, which keeps the chilled vibe that fans will know from her Eurovision entry. The Portuguese singer question’s why the person she’s been with for only two weeks already wants to start seeing other people as well: “I don’t wanna hear it / When you wanna talk about being with other people / Like, what do you mean? / Am I not enough for now? We just wеnt official”.

Ivi Adamou – “Agoraki Mou”

Ivi Adamou is celebrating “Agoraki Mou” (“My baby boy”). Cyprus’s Eurovision 2012 representative notes how she wants to spend a lifetime by their side: “I know, baby, you love me / You do not spoil your girl / I need your hug / You are the other half of me after all”. Musically, this new track is a solid Greek-pop track with use of traditional instruments in the production to give it extra spice.

Kobi Marimi – “שתי דקות”

Despite being titled “שתי דקות” (“Two minutes”), Kobi Marimi’s new single actually extends to twice that length. It’s an emotional ballad in which the Eurovision 2019 act’s vocals get plenty of time to shine, with soft and bold moments. The emotion in the song sadly stems from a lot of pain that Kobi has been through, with the Israeli singer discussing the sorrow he feels every time night comes around: “Two minutes after midnight this time is familiar / All the fears come up and I am not allowed to breathe / At the end of every day my heart is broken and there is no room / Because the sky for me is just a sign that it’s time to sleep / How two minutes before midnight I was happy and how suddenly”. Kobi went into further detail about this on social media:

“The song was written following some personal crises I went through in the last year which I will tell you about later. I wrote about those dark moments of the end of each day, when we are alone with ourselves and thoughts and anxieties pop up. I wrote a bit about a broken heart and a bit about loneliness but also about great light and the fulfilment of dreams.”

Marius Bear – Boys Do Cry

Marius Bear is set to sing the delicate ballad “Boys Do Cry” at Eurovision 2022. But the Swiss singer’s musical style is much broader than a single song. Fans can get to know Marius’s music better thanks to his new album. There are 12 tracks on the LP and they incorporate a varied mix of rock & roll, indie, R&B and more.

Bermudu Divstūris & Auļi – “Līgava”

Bermudu Divstūris are known for their hip-hop and rap tracks. However, for the new song “Līgava” (“Bride”), Latvia’s Eurovision 2011 duo (where they performed as Musiqq) have decided to add in a more traditional folk flavour. For this, they’ve brought in the folk band Auļi and a men’s choir. Bermudu Divstūris explained son social media that the single is about caring for those who are dearest to you:

“Friends now, more than ever, appreciate what we have been given, and the song is also about the love and power it can provide and the desire to protect what is truly important and precious!”

Ben Dolic – “Kissing Her, Missing You”

Fans of Ben Dolic have had to wait ten months for a new song. But the wait is finally over with the release of “Kissing Her, Missing You”. Germany’s Eurovision 2020 entrant serves up a pop-rock song and Ben strums his guitar as part of the music video. The key lyrics are in the title. Ben has broken up with someone but he can’t seem to shake them from his mind despite moving on to other people: “Tell me I’m heartless / Or did you take that part of me / That loves someone new  / Kissing her, I’m missing you”.

Conchita WURST – “All I Wanna Do”

WURST is going electro for the new single “All I Wanna Do”. Austria’s Eurovision 2014 champion serves up a mid-tempo track that has an understated groove to it, so people can still sway along. Lyrically, WURST discusses the fact that people often prefer to shy away from problems rather than tackle them head on. Whilst a relationship might not be working out as well as hoped, people can tend to cling onto a hopeless future and just dance along: “All I wanna do is dancing tonight / All I want is you and me being for life / All I wanna do is dancing hold tight / All I want is you and me being alright”.

The music video is set to premiere on Thursday.

Samira Said – “Enty El Oula (Wahda Gdida)”

Morocco’s Samira Said is taking a lead role in the Wahda Gdida (New One) initiative, which aims to encourage women in Arab society by sharing inspiring stories from women in various fields. The Eurovision 1980 star’s single “Enty El Oula” (“You’re the first”) is the main song of the initiative’s second season.

Jala Brat, Buba Corelli & RAF Camora – “Criminal”

Jala Brat has got his big coat on and headed up to the mountains for the music video of his new single “Criminal”. Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Eurovision 2016 rapper is joined on the snowy tops by Buba Corelli and RAF Camora. The three deliver a spirited hip-hop offering, though the lyrics are not necessarily the most profound: “Mama, I’m a criminal, I’m a criminal, ye/ But I don’t want minimal, don’t want minimal / Big booty skinny girl, skinny girl, yeah / I liked her a lot, oh I liked her, yeah”.

Kenan Doğulu – “Yaramızda Kalsın”

Kenan Doğulu is honouring the memory of Onur Can Özcan, a Turkish singer who sadly passed away in 2018 at the young age of 20. The Eurovision 2007 alum has covered the song “Yaramızda Kalsın”. Onur Can Özcan version of the song was stripped down, singing along to his acoustic guitar. Kenan adds in more production to his rendition and transforms it into a fully-fledged studio track.

Benjmain Ingrosso & Silvana Imam – “Tänd alla ljus”

Benjmain Ingrosso’s passion for music and food collide through his TV show Benjamin’s. In between preparing some Italian delicacies for his guests, Sweden’s Eurovision 2018 star once again performed some between course musical interludes. This week Benjamin teamed up with rapper Silvana Imam for a rendition of the latter’s “Tänd alla ljus” (“Light all the candles”). Benjamin previously covered the song solo whilst appearing on Så mycket bättre, which itself became a hit. But now fans have a duet version from both artists to enjoy.

Connect-R – “Shhh…”

“Shhh is the most beneficial, therapeutic song I’ve ever written!” Connect-R is back once again with a new single. But whilst we might be most used to hearing full-on urban tracks from him, Modlova’s Eurovision 2006 rapper has decided to slow things down for “Shhh…”. Connect-R is also hoping to slow his life down a bit. In the lyrics, he discusses all the anxiety’s that everyday life can bring and he asks his partner to let him have a moment alone to himself: “Baby, please shhhh / I want to hear nothing / Calm down a bit / Please shhhh”.

Harel Skaat & Keren Peles – “סלחי לי”

In 2006, Harel Skaat released the song “ואת” (“And you”), which was composed by Keren Peles. The emotional piano ballad went on to be a big hit for Israel’s Eurovision 2010 act. Now the pair have reunited for a follow-up single 16 years later. Titled “סלחי לי” (“Forgive me”), it’s sung from the same person as the first. In “And you”, the protagonist was struggling with heart break; but for “Forgive me”, this person has now been able to come to terms with things: “Autumn is blowing and you are falling from my heart like a fall / A wind storms over my back and you walk away / To that shaky house / Swinging on us for many years / Forgive me”. “Forgive me” is not a solo track, though – Keren joins Harel for the end of the song.

Jill Johnson – “On Top Of Your Game”

Jill Johnson’s new single is “On Top Of Your Game”. Fans of the Swedish singer will recognise the track, as it’s the radio edit of the song from Jill’s 2021 album Dear Havana. The LP was dedicated to the Eurovision 1998 singer’s daughter, Havana. In this specific country song, Jill encourages Havana to return to her whenever she needs some assistance: “We all get wet when it rains / Under our umbrellas, our hearts beat all the same / Don’t take cover with a lover that’s in vain / Your 16 on top of your game / So cry on my shoulders, honey, when you get older”. The Swedish star discussed the message of the song further on Instagram:

“The song describes a young daughter, who one day wants to stand out and the next day be just like everyone else. A daughter who wants her freedom and lives life! Life should be fun and everything should catch up. It’s about how I let go and then pull her into my arms again. Let her paint her own colourful painting, but to reduce the frame when the world gets too big.”

Beth, Laura Andrés & Chica Sobresalto – “One of Us”

Eurovision 2003 star Beth is recording an album of covers alongside pianist Laura Andrés. The latest of these is “One of Us”, originally sung by Joan Osborne. Beth is joined on vocals by fellow Spanish singer Chica Sobresalto. And in addition to Laura’s piano melody, cellist Noemí Pasquina adds an extra layer of instrumentation.

Cartoon & Andromedik (feat. Jüri Pootsmann) – “Whatever”

Cartoon and Jüri Pootsmann’s collaboration “I Remember U” will always be a standout song from a Eurovision alum. So it’s with great pleasure that we can announce that they have joined forces once again. This time, Belgian DJ Andromedik is also along for the ride. They’ve all come together for the EDM track “Whatever”, which has a pulsing post-chorus drop. Jüri’s featured lyrics tell the story of someone who just wants to live life at their own pace: “I’m gonna make the timе move slower / We could do whatеver, yeah / Suns out, make the clouds move over / We could do whatever”.

Clouseau – Jonge Wolven

Over 30 years since they participated in Eurovision 1991, Clouseau are still going strong. The Belgian duo have now dropped the new album Jonge Wolven (Young Wolves). There are 12 tracks on the LP, including the recent single “Stil”. The majority of the album sits towards the mid-tempo soft-rock end of the spectrum; but there are a couple of slower tracks in the mix, while they save the most upbeat one for the very end.

PAENDA – “Your Song”

PAENDA returns with “Your Song”. Austria’s Eurovision 2019 star delivers a solid electropop offering, which builds to an anthemic conclusion thanks to the additional backing vocals. The lyrics of the song see PAENDA admitting something for the very first time: “I think it’s the first time that I sing this line in a song / But for you I don’t care, I’m gonna scream from the top of my lungs / How much I’m in love with you / And this is your song”.

Sinplus – “Wildflower”

Sinplus’s new single is “Wildflower”. It’s an alternative rock song about living life without limits and enjoying what’s out there: “Wild like a flower / We’ll dance till the end / Freedom is burning  / It’s all coming down”. Switzerland’s Eurovision 2012 duo commented further on social media:

“Wildflower is a hymn for the untamed souls, the independent thinkers who grow wild and⁠
free in a world plagued by conformity.”

Gali Atari – “אני רצה”

Gali Atari is running back to her loved ones for a familiar sense of ease: “I want to believe I’m not afraid, just sometimes the words are just words / And yet I return to you every evening to the same familiar familiar place”. Israel’s Eurovision 1979 champion has released “אני רצה” (“I run”), a percussion-driven mid-tempo track.

AISEL – “For a Peace”

“We hope that peace and prosperity will reign in the whole world!” AISEL is dreaming of a world where there’s harmony between people. Azerbaijan’s Eurovision 2018 singer recently released the song “For a Peace”. It’s a relatively steady ballad that almost sounds like a hymn. In the lyrics, AISEL  offers to comfort someone: “Have you ever tried to stay? / Have you ever seen better days? / How could you be far from me / Hover to me”.

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.