Last year in Turin they became a fan favourite with their EDM-banger “Halo”. Now, Austria is going down a new path. For the first time ever, two women will represent the nation at the contest. Teya & Salena will sing for Austria at Eurovision 2023.
On Tuesday 31 January, broadcaster ORF officially presented Teya & Salena as the Austrian act for Eurovision in Liverpool. The two girls first met at the Austrian talentshow Starmania 21.
Teya & Salena will represent Austria with a self-composed song which they wrote in a Czech songwriting camp. Their song will be revealed on 8 March.
Austria Eurovision 2023: Who are Teya & Salena?
Salena hails from Styria. She first bid to represent Austria in 2018 with “Behind the Waterfall”, but lost out to Cesár Sampson who represented the nation in Lisbon. Teya, who lives in Vienna, tried to represent Austria and later Serbia in 2020. Her song “Sudnji Dan” came 10th at Beovizija 2020.
The two girls have been rumoured to sing in Liverpool for a few days now. Eberhard Forcher, ORF’s very Eurovision scout, teased a “very feminine act” for Liverpool:
“…we have a […] contribution at the start, which also sounds DIFFERENT. In his way. We have never been in THAT form. So everything is going to be very, very exciting IRL. And I can already tell you one thing here: our act for Liverpool will be female this time. And how! …”
Teya expressed her excitement at her selection. She said: “Already as a child, I wanted to go to the Eurovision Song Contest because it embodied the idea that even big dreams can come true, no matter who you are and where you come from. I can hardly wait to get on that stage! Only then the seven-year-old me will believe that all this is real.”
Salena said: “My biggest childhood dream is just becoming true. Back then I watched Conchita on stage and told my parents that this is exactly what I want – an enormous stage and people who feel the same way about music as I do. From there on, I worked even harder on myself and my singing. For me, the ESC stands for diversity and is a place for people with visions and dreams like the ones us two have. The moment we both stand on the stage, sing the first lines and realise that an audience of millions is watching is probably the moment I am most looking forward to – it’s when the dream becomes reality.”
Austria’s Eurovision 2023 entry released on 8 March
Whilst fans expected a drag queen or even a girlband, it’s actually a female duo with an up-tempo song. The entry will be revealed on International Woman’s Day, 8 March. But what at first sounds like a female empowerment song from Austria, is said to be something else.
ORF’s program director, Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, who was part of the selection commitee, explained: “[the song is a] happy dialogue between two friends which doesn’t fit in any musical box but still is enjoyable and catchy”.
Austrian fans helped choose the track and judged a reduced number of submissions before deciding on Teya & Salena as the most viable option.
Rumour has it Teya & Salena will sing “Edgar (Allan Poe)” in Liverpool. A leaked low quality audio snippet suggests the pair will sing an EDM-come-comedy concoction.
What do you think about Teya & Salena? Which kind of song do you want see on stage representing Austria this year? Let us know in the comments below.
Watched and listened to Salena several times live. She can sing, she knows to deliver. Even in weired circumstances. Glad, she is one part of the duo. Can’t wait March 8th, when their entry will B released. Been told, it will b a…. let’s keep it secret;-)
I listened to the song and it really is a crazy song consisting of many different parts. you actually cant describe it. but it will be a fan favourite for sure, not a top 10 material in my eyes though. the leaked snippet does not give the right impression. and no…. it is not a song about edgar allen poe.
How can you actually believe they were pulling of that poe song? Just listen to sudnji dan by Teya and you will see, that she is actually a great singer and serves quality music instead of trash – Salena might be too. They are such beautiful ladies.
They chose to reveal their date on March 8, which is international women’s day, so you think their song would be something about female empowerment something but if it’s about Edgar Allen Poe, then it doesn’t seem like a strategic release date, maybe just coincidental.
I think it refers to the act consisting of two women, but not to the song.
WHY? If this POE song is tue, then the failure is 100%
Who did pick this thing, reallyy??
Semi final 1 will be amazing and…Semi Final 2 will be so awful
Being messy isn’t the same as failing. There’s been some iconic messes at ESC, which are cherished to date
felicia lu was right there, austria
They are apparently the first female duo to represent Austria, not that really makes much of a difference
I just when through the whole article and it sounds like the most random (as in weird) entry we’ll ever get to hear at ESC
* went, autocorrect went crazy today
If the twitter leak is true, I dunno why tf Austrian Fans would’ve decided to pick that song.Here to hoping its not the song.
I just read the article and wondered the same, it’s just so… weird .-.
i sincerely hope that leak on twitter isnt true
So twitter seems to have leaked a bit of it and unfortunately it is quite dreadful. It’s about Edgar Allan Poe.
POE…POE…POE…POE…POE…POE…I was gonna marry him….
Then I contacted those spell caster scammers on FB and they bought him back to me……
I heard the snippet for the song and it’s sure a troll attempt, there’s no way it’s Austria’s song, I refuse to believe this.
Where do you it?
someone posted a link to the snippet in the comments here
It is though. It’s all over their PR.
All I think of is Sisters…
But I do wish them well, as I do with every country!
An EDM-come-comedy concoction which they wrote in a Czech songwriting camp? Brace yourselves…
Teya had amazing song for Serbian selection 2020 called SUDNJI DAN under name Thea Devy..
Congrats, Teya and Salena! Is there any chance they’ll sing in German? That would be a welcome novelty. In any case, I’m glad for them. I know that Teya (Thea) was so close twice before. Good for her.
They already confirmed that the song will be in english
not singing in english would actually help them out
If the leaked snippet on Twitter is real… let’s just say we have at least 36 other songs to enjoy.
Is it bad?
Link?
It’s at the end of the article but there you go: https://twitter.com/crystalballesc/status/1618260855581478915?s=46&t=6OQneyniV1p4zYD6gvQHug “Enjoy”
Thanks for the link, but this surely isn’t their real entry, right? It doesn’t fit with the ”really feminine” description given. But this song, whatever it is, from this snippet, indeed sounds really bad.
Given that both singers changed their Instagram named to “whothehellis(insert singer’s name)” + Edgar Allan Poe’s shirts… we’re heading for a car crash.
If they’re not trolling us, this will be *a choice*.Perhaps ”an iconic” mess on stage like some of the 2000s dance entries?
I don’t have high expectations for this entry but who knows what it will be like on stage? I could see that kind of iconic mess staging working really well though
Sadly, it is. It is Austria’s real entry.
I’m dying.
Is it actually?!?!? OMFG LMAO!
Are 50000% sure?
I just checked it out and thought “khè berga”
Sisters 2.0?
I don’t know what their song will actually be, but they do know Edgar Allan Poe is an American writer, right? I hope they’re not mistaking him as an English writer.
But there is some relevance of him to Liverpool as he was name checked in the final real line of I Am The Walrus by The Beatles. We already have Slovenia having an alternative band called Joker out.
Selena at home:
Salena
poe poe poe poe edgar allan poe
also the crystal ball said “better keep an eye out for…” SALENA
I really hoped Crystal Ball would be wrong with this being Austria’s song.
If the rumours are true, than, 2 years after this neighbourly duo had songs called Amen, they’ll both have a reference to I Am The Walrus, my fave Beatles song (in the case of Slovenia, having an act called Joker!Out to do with “don’t you think the joker laughs at you”. Edgar Allen Poe is namechecked a few lines later)
POE POE POE POE POE EDGAR ALLEN EDGAR ALLEN POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE POE