The Eurovision 2023 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 bringing 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 the songs and music videos released recently by Eurovision stars.

New music from Eurovision artists: 2023 | Week 12

LOBODA – Made in U

LOBODA, the star who represented Ukraine at Eurovision 2009, raises her voice to express her love for life and to honour her country with her new album, Made in U (where U stands for Ukraine). The album contains an intro and 13 songs, all in Ukrainian and all meant to spread the beauty of Ukrainian language and culture by sending a message of solidarity for her country and its people. As LOBODA confessed in an official post, this album represents “her dialogue with fate, an attempt to realize her true life task, rethinking herself through pain and despair, through the thirst for light through darkness”.  It is dedicated to the Ukrainian people who, until their last breath, choose their right to life, freedom, honour and dignity. LOBODA concludes with the message: “without love and respect for our roots, none of us can have wings.”

THE ROOP – “Pavasaris”

The lovely Lithuanian trio who proudly represented their country at Eurovision 2021 have released a song perfect for spring, a song that will certainly bloom in your hearts. The English title is “Spring”. According to the band, the song is about the awakening of nature and everyone’s inner self. About moving forward and openness. It’s the first track from THE ROOP where you can hear Vaidotas rapping. The music video is filled with blooming flowers and it takes us back to a greenhouse. The charisma of the members is absolutely incredible. When it comes to the lyrics, a part of them are represented by the “Spring Joys” section of K. Donelaitis’s poem “The Seasons”. The band wanted to incorporate classical Lithuanian literature and to transpose it into modern music.

Tamara Todevska – “Nijagara”

North Macedonia was very proud of Tamara when she represented her country in 2019. Her new song has a very powerful message and a dynamic sound. She dedicates her song to everyone who ever felt vulnerable, encouraging her listeners to continue the fight because there’s always a solution in the end. The songs speaks about feeling like you are trapped in a cage, in a labyrinth. But even if it might be difficult to be seen, there’s always a way out. The “Niagara” mentioned in the title refers to the tears that people cry in difficult times, but also to the abundance of good and bad moments present in one’s life. 

Dami Im – “Collide”

The South Korean-born Australian singer who blew the stage away with her performance of “Sound of Silence” in 2016 now brings us a very personal ballad. As descried by Dami on her Instagram account: “Collide is about braving through (and crying through) the wildly changing seasons of life”. The music video is so simple yet delightful: We can see Dami walking on a beach wearing a hanbok (traditional Korean dress). The song speaks about a love that’s born unexpectedly, by a simple collide: “Ran into each other/  Into a song / Into a problem/ That bled into love.” The main message of the song is to leave all your problems behind, to dance in the rain and to love like there’s no tomorrow. 

Michael Schulte & R3HAB – “Waterfall”

Hope you are all ready for a dance-pop song that comes from Michael Schulte (Germany, 2018) in collaboration with the Dutch-Moroccan DJ R3HAB. The song is about fighting with the “waves of your life”. Michael discusses being scared but still going on ’cause sometimes the best things you can do are “to let go and (…) to lose control”. Thus, it invites you to leave all your worries behind and to simply enjoy life. The song speaks about the moving nature of things and how every problem gets a solution in time: “But the darkest night won’t always be that dark/ Tears are gonna fall, tears are gonna dry”. The most important motto of the song remains: ” I know the only way to get along/ Is goin’ with the flow ’cause life’s like a waterfall.” 

Mikolas Josef – “Boys Don’t Cry”

The “Boys Don’t Cry” preconception might not be new, but Mikolas Josef (Czech Republic, 2018) is combatting this toxic masculinity. In his new song, which has plenty of retro vibes, Mikolas says very clear that boys do cry from time to time. The lyrics debate the idea that boys are considered to be bulletproof to any emotion; but the reality is not actually like this, as boys have feelings too and they can get hurt as well: “So if you’re gonna say I’m bulletproof then/ Come and break my heart/ You think I’m cold but I might fall apart/ You always said that boys don’t cry so I’m not crying learned to hide the tears inside me.”  He goes even deeper by underlining how boys cannot express their feelings as this might be considered a sign of weakness: “I gotta make it up to you/ Sometimes I want flowers too /You tell me to man up when/ I finally speak my mind so now I never even I try.” The music video, which looks very cinematographic, shows once again that Mikolas is a great dancer as well.  

Fabrizio Moro – “Tutta la voglia di vivere”

Everyone remembers Fabrizio from when he represented Italy at Eurovision 2018, together with Ermal Meta. His new song is a sensitive ballad that speaks about fighting against difficult times: “You wake up before your fears/ That sooner or later someone will heal”. Fabrizio’s powerful voice comes as an encouragement to hold on when you only feel emptiness inside, as one day things will change for better. The music video presents a love that blossoms in difficult circumstances (more precisely in a prison) and how sometimes we put our own feelings behind in order to prioritise our loved ones. 

Lior Narkis – 4 EVER

Lior Narkis (Israel, 2003) has released a new EP that contains four songs, all of them in Hebrew. From party anthems to a deep ballad, this EP has it all. The ballad, ״בתוך הגוף שלך״ (Inside Your Body) is dedicated to his wife, as no matter the challenges that they have to face, at the end of the day their love only gets stronger and stronger and wins. 

Diodato – “Così speciale”

The Italian artist who was supposed to represent Italy at Eurovision in 2020, when the concert was cancelled because of the pandemic, brings to the light his new album, Così speciale. The album contains ten songs, among which are are previously released singles “Così speciale” and “Se mi vuoi”. The album reflects Diodato’s personality shaped in time. Each song has its own colour and a life of its own, speaking about topics such as love, life and sorrow.

Demy – “Floga”

The Greek goddess, Demy, who proudly represented her country back in 2017, brings us an authentic ballad. The English title of the song is “Flame” and, as you might have expected, we have a beautiful love ballad where love is compared to a flame that melts the lovers: “Next to you I melted as if I were wax/ You know I would die for a kiss from you.” 

MARO – “something bout tomorrow”

By now you are probably already used to a new song from MARO (Portugal, 2022) every week. This week’s song is once again very warm and with cozy acoustic vibes. The music video gives us a peak in the studio where MARO recorded the song. “something bout tomorrow” is an ode to the future, to a tomorrow in which we all believe and lay all our hopes in: “There’s nothing like tomorrow/ The day we always choose to start again/ There’s something bout tomorrow/ That makes it all okay”. The song comes as a hope for the future, a hope for better, an encouragement that tomorrow is a brand new day when everything could be OK again.  In a funny note, MARO dedicated this song to “the procrastinator that lives in all of us”.

Hooverphonic – “Don’t Think”

Here’s the latest taster of what’s coming on the new upcoming Hooverphonic album. Belgium’s Eurovision 2021 group goes experimental and reinvent themselves once again, bringing an authentic sound that proves they never lose their groove. “Don’t Think” has strong retro influences from the 90s, from the old school hip-hop and trip-hop. The hidden story behind this song was revealed on the band’s Instagram: It’s related to the Italian composer Luca Chiaravalli, who asked his 84-year-old father, Ernesto, to test a microphone. Chiaravalli created an instrumental with the funny flow that resulted and Alex Callier turned it into a song. The song once again showcases Geike’s rapping skills. While the song has a positive message of living in the moment, the lyrics are also witty and humorous: “There’s nothing between lunch and dinner/ Don’t think about the past/ (…) Don’t think about the future ’cause you’ll drown in a lake of stress/ So live in the now and you’ll find out you are really blessed (…) So don’t think, no stress.”

Madame Monsieur – Emmêler nos solitudes

Madame Monsieur (France, 2018) have released the new album Emmêler nos solitudes (Tangle Our Solitudes). The album contains 11 songs, all of them in French. “Tour Eiffel”, “Des Nouvelles de Tania” and “Les autres on verra” were previously released as singles. On this album you can find heart-breaking ballads but also sweet and joyful love songs. As different as the songs are, they still create a perfect harmony and equilibrium. The physical version of the album comes together with an 80-page booklet that tells the story of each song and describes the whole journey Émilie  and Jean-Karl had while creating this album. Various themes and subjects are present in the 11 songs: the roots we carry with ourselves; the stories and doubts collected from the hearts of girls of all ages; pain coming from the past; celebrating life; strong messages to support Ukraine; the inner child that we often have to heal; and the symbol of love and France, The Eiffel Tour. 

Darude, House Body & Oskr – “Outlaws”

Get ready for a party anthem! Finnish DJ Darude (Finland, 2019) has a new collaboration with House Body and Oskr, and for sure this will make you move. The music video has retro visuals and an addictive dance… Actually the music video even includes a dance tutorial so you can practice your moves. The main motto of the song is to live your life like there’s no tomorrow, about dancing the night away: “We might get lost, but we get lost together/ When the sun goes down we hope it stays down forever/ And if they will find us we’ll just keep on dancing.” What else can WE say about this song Darude? It’s crazy, it’s party!

Jill Johnson & Sara Parkman – “Wicked Game”

Jill Johnson (Sweden, 1998) joins hands with the Swedish folk musician Sara Parkman in her new country track, “Wicked Game”. The song appears in the fifth season of Jills Veranda Nashville, a documentary where Jill visits Nashville in Tennessee in order to explore their music and culture. The song is fresh, cozy and acoustic. First release by Chris Isaak, it speaks about the wicked nature of love: “What a wicked game you played/ To make me feel this way/ What a wicked thing to do/ To let me dream of you.”

Batista Cadillac feat. AMAYA – “Pust Me Do Besede”

Amaya represented Slovenia back in 2011, back then under the name Maja Keuc. Her new song with the Slovenian band Batista Cadillac will warm your soul. We have a perfect vocal harmony and a lovely song in Slovenian. “Pust Me Do Besede” (“Let Me Have My Say”) was Batista Cadillac’s first ever single and they’re now revisiting it for a new collaboration with Amaya. The music video is even filmed in the studio where Batista Cadillac started their music career. This new version forms a dialog between lovers, about the willing to say everything you feel: “Let me have my say/ Let me tell you about everything.”

Cizi Zēni (Latvia, 2022) have a new song about growing old, with its English title “Old Age”. The band discuss some serious difficulties of old people but try to bring a fun twist to the situation,. Meanwhile, the music video tries to show that, even if each age has its challenges, you can always have fun if you really want to — and it gives us a preview of how the members will look in about 40 years. The main idea of the song is “Nobody wants to get old” BUT “Time flies and I’m still the same.” You can find some funny lines such as “Believe it or not/ We too will be stereotypical retirees one day/ Not young and rich/ But old and rich (…) Ancients and antiques/ Museum exhibits/ Glasses on our noses/ Friends with the pharmacist”. They even have a reference about their Eurovision entry, “Eat Your Salad”, and note that “a song about a salad” will be rearranged as a ballad when they become old. 

Isaura – Invisível

Isaura (Portugal, 2018) is reborn in her new album. The English title of the album is “Invisible” and it contains 12 songs in Portuguese. Multiple songs from this album were released as singles before: “Leve”, “Viagem” and “Glória”. You will find a variety of retro vibes, acoustic songs and even Portuguese influences on her new album. Isaura recalls the year of 2020 when she was undergoing a difficult treatment while being in lockdown and she started to write down notes of how she feels. She states: “I thought that the album I made would have to be about these lines, but the truth is that they ended up only representing about 20% of the album. Invisível is about enjoying life and liking mundane things more and more. (…) Returning to normal life and being happy every day is the main theme of this record.”

ela. – “Zwischen den Welten”

ela. competed at Eurovision for Germany in 2014. Her new song is a powerful ballad called “Between the Worlds”. The song has a very special meaning for ela., as she considers it a speech. The song was composed in her living room together with the musician Sarah Connor and the collaboration illustrates their GIRLPOWER. The song is about overcoming the hardships in life, about being strong and getting up each time when life puts you down; because even in the darkest despair, one should know that better days are coming: “I never thought/ that I’ll find love and I’ll be really happy/ And that I’ll have real friends/ Who love me like family.”

Tom Hugo – “Stuck In The Middle Of Nowhere”

Tom Hugo is stepping outside of KEiiNO for a moment to release some solo material. We’ll be getting an EP from him in June, but for now we’ve been gifted the first single “Stuck In The Middle Of Nowhere”. Norway’s Eurovision 2019 star delivers a warm pop track with 80’s synth accompaniment: “I got through the silence making noise / That’s why I keep on fighting / Waiting for someone to punch me out / I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere”. Tom wrote the song (and EP) during the pandemic and hopes to use it to highlight the stories of LGBTQ+ people and build acceptance. (Jonathan)

Ben Dolic – “headspace”

“And it’s so claustrophobic, alone with your head in the clouds / Just static on the slow lane / Wasting it day by day, I’m too high to look down / I need to clean my headspace”. Ben Dolic is opening up about his mental health through his latest single “headspace”. A mid-tempo indie-pop track, Germany’s Eurovision 2020 entrant discusses the struggle of dealing with a period of depression. Ben spoke more about this on social media:

“it’s quite scary releasing such a personal record, knowing that friends and family are going to hear about my mental health struggles through a song and not directly from me. i wrote headspace about a depressive episode and how hard it was to pull myself out of such a negative mindset when i was already so far gone. i really hope this song can help people feel less alone in their struggles, we’re all going through life together and trying to figure ourselves out.”

(Jonathan)

Jurijus – “Saulė pakyla”

The sun is rising on Jurijus’ new single. “Saulė pakyla” (“Sun rises”) is a feel-good track with plenty of synth backing. In the lyrics, Lithuania’s Eurovision 2019 representative discusses childhood memories. Jurijus wants to remember the good old times he had with special people: “I want to remind you of everything / I want to remind you of what is gone / Therefore, let’s stay close / Until the sun rises”. (Jonathan)

Circus Mircus – “Pin-Drop Mind”

Georgia’s Circus Mircus have shared the new Brit-pop track “Pin-Drop Mind”. They use this term to reference a state where they are only focused on one thing at a time. The Eurovision 2022 group want to leave some things behind them and concentrate on what’s in front of them now: “One day I might  / Learn how not to think about past / I know it’s all about / Pin-drop mind”. (Jonathan)

NICO & Theo Rose – “Ascultă-mă”

Last but not least, we have a song from NICO (Romania, 2008) in duet with fellow Romanian artist Theo Rose. A ballad for two powerful voices. The English title of the song is “Listen to me” and the lyrics represent a dialog between two women who love the same man. Both women know each other and the feelings between them are even more bitter-sweet.

NICO plays the role of the woman who was left behind. She wants to know the truth, as she is ready to let go of her past and to start brand-new: “Maybe it would be better if we could forgive/ And maybe he wanted something else from me/ Even if he has already chosen you now/ You have to know that I really loved him.” Theo plays the role of the woman who’s not fulfilled in love but not completely happy, as she feels the sorrow of the woman left behind: “Maybe it would be better if we could hope/ And maybe with me he will be something else/ Even if he has already chosen me now/ I know you really loved him.” 

Additional reporting from Jonathan Vautrey

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.

8 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Pat
Pat
11 months ago

Mikolas!!! This song is sooo good!

Amar pelos dois
Amar pelos dois
11 months ago

Springtime – Printemps – Primavera – Frühling – Lente… and now this word in Lithuanian !

Wonderful song from this gorgeous band. Thank you, guys !

Yankee
Yankee
11 months ago

Ruxandra has good taste in music. Most of these songs I added immediately to my playlist.

Abs
Abs
11 months ago

Who wore it best? Tamara Todevska or Wild Youth? I’m going with Tamara

usain1
usain1
11 months ago

The new track from Jurijus has made it immediately into my playlist! And I have to take a deeper look into the new album by Isaura. Sounds very interesting…

Devito
Devito
11 months ago

Back in the school, we were supposed to memorize a small part of spring from Donelaitis’ “The Seasons”. To be more specific, about 40 lines to memorize to get a 10. Ah, it’s so weird to listen to it in a song manner now! Sadly, the song itself is not their strongest attempt. It’s a nice song but nothing screams like ‘THIS IS GOING TO BE VIRAL!’ though.

Esc addict / Shut up and watch my ...
Esc addict / Shut up and watch my ...
11 months ago

Huge list this week!

Neila
Neila
11 months ago

The roop!!!