Serbia Konstrakta In corpore sano Eurovision 2022 Rehearsal
Photo: EBU / NATHAN REINDS

Serbia’s Konstrakta washed her hands clean at Eurovision 2022, taking the country all the way to a fifth-place finish. That included a fourth-place result in the public vote, behind only Ukraine, Moldova and Spain.

Now the Serbian broadcaster RTS has put out the call for entries for Pesma za Evroviziju 2023 — its national selection for Eurovision. Aspiring artists have until 15 November to submit. 

The rules remain the same as last year. You can read them in full on the RTS Eurovision web site.

In short, a committee of music editors from RTS will select artists for the national selection “based solely on their artistic quality.”

“If no composition meets the required musical quality, RTS has the right to independently choose the composition.”

“If due to epidemic measures and recommendations that are in force, by the decision of the competent authorities of the Republic of Serbia, the Crisis Staff, the City Staff for Emergency Situations, etc., it is not possible to hold this festival, RTS will independently choose a composition that will represent the Republic of Serbia and RTS on the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.”

Last year’s competition included several heavy hitters, including Eurovision 2013 alum Sara Jo and vocal powerhouse Zorja. But in the end the relatively unknown talent Konstrakta swished past all of them with “In Corpore Sano” – or “In A Healthy Body” in Latin.

While at first glance the repeated hand-washing, towel whipping and references to Meghan Markle seemed  bizarre to some, the quirky song was layered with meaning and offered a critique of the country’s health system and our obsession with prioritising physical health over mental health.

It’s not yet known who will enter the 2023 national final. But during our recent trip to the Music Week Belgrade festival, we had our ears to the ground — and it kept whispering KLON.

The group consists of Nemanja Antonic and twin brothers Stanko and Stanje Budimkic. You may remember the brothers from Hurricane’s Eurovision 2020 music video for “Hasta la vista,” in which the ladies said goodbye to them with some killer dance moves.

Our friends in Serbia tell us that they view KLON as a male Hurricane, promising sick beats, fierce moves and strong looks. Whether they decide to apply remains to be seen.

Who do you want to see enter Serbia’s upcoming Eurovision selection? Let us know down below!

28 Comments
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John
John
1 year ago

Honestly, after amazing Konstrakta, whoever goes I will be left underwhelmed…

Zanoni
Zanoni
1 year ago
Reply to  John

Utterly fluky and singular and glorious. I’m not holding my breath on any ESC entry approximating that, ever.

perox
perox
1 year ago

I know it’s highly unlikely, but mayyyyybe there is a slim chance that Jelena Karleuša can participate in PZE? She is so iconic, she has a great voice and she is very famous on the whole balkan region. I adore In Corpore Sano but it’s highly unlike that something this original will be able to be sent again back-to-back. So a great quality ethnic bop I think would be an amazing choice for Serbia this year and arguably there is no better person in the country that can deliver an iconic and full of class performance singing an ethnic bop… Read more »

Milan
Milan
1 year ago
Reply to  perox

You obviously haven’t seen her “iconic” video, available at: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x48xvx

perox
perox
1 year ago
Reply to  Milan

I’m afraid to press that link

Milan
Milan
1 year ago
Reply to  perox

No, she actually attempts to sing there.

zheng
zheng
1 year ago

I’m ready for one of most rigged national selection

sam
sam
1 year ago
Reply to  zheng

if it was rigged then boring zorja or even worse aca lukas would have won and brought serbia yet another 20th place and below finish. the serbian people overwhelmingly voted for konstrakta and she DELIVERED

Zheng
Zheng
1 year ago
Reply to  sam

Last year actually not rigged, but every other year was rigged. When Hurricane won, winner was chosen many months before national final

sam
sam
1 year ago
Reply to  Zheng

sure, whatever. it’s not like hurricane is the biggest girl group in the balkans or anything… not to mention that no song in beovizija 2020 came even close to being as good as hasta la vista. stop complaining and making up rumors, its a bad look

Midnight Gold
Midnight Gold
1 year ago
Reply to  sam

There was Naiva…

DonutLover
DonutLover
1 year ago
Reply to  zheng

You are clearly not aware of PZE…

Hrvatska
Hrvatska
1 year ago

I would like Serbia to give a good song in Serbian again, but the saddest thing is that the reputation of this country is the worst not only in the region but also in Europe, and you know Eurovision is a chance to repair the country’s image

Meh
Meh
1 year ago
Reply to  Hrvatska

Sadly for Croatia, not even Eurovision helps to improve country’s image which is downgraded in recent years after short increase in the nineties.

Thallo
Thallo
1 year ago
Reply to  Meh

Croatia has a great image throughout Europe?

aga
aga
1 year ago
Reply to  Thallo

The truth is nobody really cares about Croatia or Serbia (or any other small country) in Europe so this “reputation” discussion is just useless anyway.

Milan
Milan
1 year ago
Reply to  aga

True.

Polegend Godnova
1 year ago

their 2022 selection was exquisite, may next year’s be on the same godly level

Nobody Important
Nobody Important
1 year ago

It’s gonna be hard to top Konstrakta but I’m exited to see what Serbia gives us! PZE’22 was really like strong so I have high expectations!

Im so fab
Im so fab
1 year ago

Happy New Eurovision Year to all eurofans!

voix
voix
1 year ago

i wanna see KLON taking part. The fandom will go crazy for them i just see it coming

apollinischesprinzip
apollinischesprinzip
1 year ago
Reply to  voix

they are the definition of cringe and the only fans that will be excited for them are 30+-year-old gays..

Thallo
Thallo
1 year ago

I couldn’t have said it better myself. There’s nothing exceptional about them at all, except for the fact they’re good-looking.

I can already picture the millennial gays thirsting over them for the entire Eurovision season and hyping up their sub-par song.

Midnight Gold
Midnight Gold
1 year ago
Reply to  voix

Konstrakta to KLON would be one of the biggest downgrades in history, they will never do it.

Khwenk
Khwenk
1 year ago

More entries like Kostrakta and less like Hurricane.

NickC
NickC
1 year ago
Reply to  Khwenk

Amen!!!

vamoss
vamoss
1 year ago

One of my favorite eurovision success stories is Konstrakta. The fact that a country like Serbia was supporting so much such an artistic and out of the box entry while people around Europe got the message while not singing in english is remarkable. We need more entries like in corpore sano. Well done Serbia, thats what eurovision is about.

Potaxio
Potaxio
1 year ago
Reply to  vamoss

It was such a joy to have Konstrakta at ESC!