New music this week: Songs from TEYA, Céline Dion, Kalush Orchestra and more

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 15

TEYA & TRUU – “Making Grown Men Cry”

In between being possessed by the ghost of Edgar Allen Poe, TEYA has another hobby – “Making Grown Men Cry”. Austria’s Eurovision 2023 star has collaborated with music producer TRUU for the new single, which develops into a slightly dark alternative-pop song. Lyrically, TEYA calls out misogyny and how some men can throw a tantrum when women don’t do exactly what they want: “You’re 44 and you’re throwing a fit / How manipulative is that s*** / Making grown men cry / But tell me how irrationally emotional am I […] My body and respect isn’t something you can by”.

Salvdor Sobral feat. Jorge Drexler – “al llegar”

There’ll be plenty of new music from Salvador Sobral this year. Portugal’s Eurovision 2017 winner is building up to the release of a brand new album in September. The first cut from the LP is “al llegar” (“upon arrival”). Salvador has teamed up with Uruguayan musician (and doctor) Jorge Drexler for the song. The pair keep things soft and relaxing as they sing about how our purpose and intention always change as soon as we achieve our latest task: “All purposes change shape upon arrival / In the curves of the road / We lost the last return / Two souls seeking to reach another place”.

Hadise – “Feryat”

Music can often emerge from pain, and this is sadly the case for Hadise’s latest single. A year ago, Turkey’s Eurovision 2009 star married businessman Mehmet Dinçerler; however, five months later the pair had already separated. “Feryat” (“Scream”) is filled with the emotions Hadise bottled up during that time – the scream for help she wished she could give: “Is it very difficult or impossible? / You are with me, unscrupulous / One cannot be without love / No happiness, no cry without rebellion”. Hadise discussed the song’s meaning further on Instagram:

“Until this song, mine was a silent cry, which the hearer does not understand, the one who understands does not hear… How many times have I believed, how many times have I been wrong… I wanted to die, I wanted him to die. I wanted to rip my heart out. Tired of hitting the shore every time, I wanted to scream and scream. The first time I listened to this song, I wanted this song to be the loud wail of me and everyone who had silent screams.”

Céline Dion – “Love Again”

Switzerland’s Eurovision 1988 champion, Céline Dion, is returning to the big screen for the new movie Love Again – an English-language remake of the 2016 German film SMS für Dich, based on a novel by Sofie Cramer. Naturally, you couldn’t have the Canadian icon in a film without having her sing, thus Céline provides the title track of the movie. It’s a gentle ballad in which the Eurovision alumna reminds someone that dark times don’t last forever: “And you don’t have to find the answers just keep trying / The sun will rise again, storms subside again / This is not the end / And you will love again”.

BLANCO – Innamorato

Having now calmed down from his Sanremo rampage, BLANCO has dropped the new album Innamorato (In Love). There are 12 songs on the LP, including the earlier single “L’Isola Delle Rose”, many of which mix driving beats with emotional passion that translates beyond the Italian language. The vast majority are solo tracks, but there is one duet – “Un Briciolo Di Allegria”, which BLANCO performs with Mina. We also have a black and white music video to go along with this collaboration.

Little Big – “Pendejo”

After denouncing Russia’s war and moving to Los Angeles, Little Big are now just a duo of Ilya Prusikin and Sonya Tayurskaya. Ahead of their upcoming USA tour, the Eurovision 2020 entrants have dropped the new single “Pendejo” (“Stupid”). The theme is inspired by TikTok and all the weird yet wonderful videos that get posted every day: “Wake up in the middle of the night just to check the phone / Counting all my likes like it’s money / I’m a ticking bomb / Dancing to the camera, that face, looking dumb / Crazy and I know it, but it’s so damn fun”. Little Big explain that they would encourage people to act stupid and let loose, because life shouldn’t be taken too seriously:

“And we want to endow our lives and listeners with fun so that a person does not live in some morality. In our opinion, it is moralizers who arrange wars and so on. They (moralizers) are trying to endow human life with some super ideas of what needs to be done for us to be great. No, there is nothing like that. We are people, and we want to live this life the way we want, and we want to live this life with fun. And this song is about that. That we can be ‘Pendejho’ and there’s nothing wrong with that. People can be dumb and act stupid – nothing is wrong with that. There is no meaning in life –  we have fun and wish everyone the same.”

Kalush Orchestra, bbno$ & DITVAK – “Ushme Uturbe”

“Every time I’m in a room I make a hit like boom / Crash, bang, boom”. Canadian and Ukrainian rap meet in the new collaboration between bbno$ and Eurovision 2022 champions Kalush Orchestra. Ukrainian music producer DITVAK skilfully brings everything together. Within the first few seconds, “Ushme Uturbe” quickly becomes a catchy track with a flute melody that gets stuck in the listener’s mind. The music video was filmed in Austin, Texas.

Nina Zilli – “Innamorata (F____U!)”

Love is in the air, as is the sound of wedding bells. For the music video of her new single, Nina Zilli stages a fake wedding with her current partner Danti. Dressed all in white, Italy’s Eurovision 2012 representative also showcases her baby bump. This all goes in tandem with a ‘60s-inspired pop song with plenty of “shoop shoop” backing vocals. “Innamorata (F___U!)” (“In love”) sees Nina singing about a relationship someone has fallen into without fully feeling it: “In love without knowing why / You were wrong but you don’t want to admit that / She’s not for you, you don’t need it / She has blue eyes like in a dream / Wake me up, it’s already noon”. Maybe we’ll eventually hear real life wedding bells for Nina and Danti.

Kejsi Tola – Luminous

Kejsi Tola isn’t just glowing, she’s Luminous. Albania’s Eurovision 2009 act has dropped a new five-track EP. Kejsi went to songwriting camps in Rome, Paris and Barcelona to create the five pop tracks. The Spanish city in particular seems to have left an impression on her (see track #3). Meanwhile, Kejsi travelled to Milan in order to film the music video for opening single “What You Want”.

Julia Mestre feat. MARO – “Sonhos & Ilusões”

After MARO finally completed her album last week, you might have thought this would be the first week in 11 that the Portuguese star doesn’t appear in the new music roundup. But you’d think wrong. The Eurovision 2022 star now features on the song “Sonhos & Ilusões” (“Dreams & Illusions”). It’s the closing track on Julia Mestre’s new album, ARREPIADA. It rounds the LP off on a calm note with the two singers delivering soft melodies that steadily flow along for the track’s four minutes and 25 seconds.

Ruth Lorenzo – La Reina

Ruth Lorenzo went old school when recording her new EP, La Reina (The Queen). Spain’s Eurovision 2014 star used analogue equipment from the 60s and 70s to give the songs a classic feel. The three tracks, including previous single “Libre”, are full of guitars and let the queen deliver a gritty rock sound.

Ochman – “8ball” (120k)

Whilst change may not always feel good, evolution is a necessary part of everyone’s life. Ochman comes to term with this through his new single “8ball”. Poland’s Eurovision 2022 star tries to keep pushing forward so that he doesn’t get left behind: “Get a taste how we feel inside / Movin’ enough / Never enough / Lemme outrun / Ima get stuck”. The accompanying music video showcases Ochman going through an internal battle as a light and dark side confront each other.

Jill Johnson & Frida Hyvönen

We’re onto episode six of Jills Veranda season five. In this latest one, Sweden’s Eurovision 1998 star brought Frida Hyvönen out to Nashville. In between exploring the city, the pair of course made time to cover some classic country songs. Jill and Frida performed “Goin’ Gone” (originally by Kathy Mattea) and “Ode To Billy Joe” (first sung by Bobbie Gentry).

Roxen – “Cenusa”

“You think you know everything / Don’t knock on my door anymore / I will keep flying further and further / To make fire from the ash”. Roxen is leaving a bad person behind and rising higher on her own. Romania’s Eurovision 2021 act serves up a mid-tempo offering through “Cenusa” (“Ash”), with piano and drum beats driving things forward. Roxen says she was a big fan of the song from the very start:

“I fell irrevocably in love with this song from the moment I heard it for the first time. ‘Cenușa’ is full of melancholy, but also full of optimism. The song is about rebirth, reconciliation with the past and about becoming you again with true, with the help of his own powers.”

Andre – “Ter Voghormea”

To celebrate Easter, Armenia’s Eurovision 2006 alum, Andre, released “Ter Voghormea” (“Lord Have Mercy”). It’s a dramatic hymn with orchestral accompaniment and choral backing. Andre uses the song to call for peace and an end to war. The accompanying music video uses shadow-like imagery to depict the destruction and pain that war can bring.

Rene Froger & Donnie – “Dat Kan Je Niet Koppen”

Following their 2021 hit “Bon Gepakt”, Dutch singers Rene Froger and Donnie are collaborating once again. Rene, who participated at Eurovision 2009 as part of De Toppers, brings a classic Dutch sound to proceedings, whilst Donnie adds a hip-hop interlude in the bridge with some rap. “Dat Kan Je Niet Koppen” (“You Can’t Buy That”) sees Rene and Donnie discussing the things that money just can’t give you: “Just like love, even if you are single / You can’t buy that in the store”

We Are Domi – We Are Domi

It’s been a jam-packed year for We Are Domi since they took to the stage for the Czech Republic at Eurovision 2022. They’re now topping things off with the release of their self-titled debut EP. It contains six tracks, including their Eurovision entry “Lights Off” as well as recent singles “Paradise”, “Alive” and “FU”. The final two brand new songs are “Say The Word” and “Golden”, which continue the band’s electropop stylings.

SuRie – “Treading Water”

SuRie’s latest single is “Treading Water”. The UK’s Eurovision 2018 star sings about the frustration of procrastination: “Show me the way, I want to make the most of this / I’ve got so much more to give / Enough of wasted time / I’ve been crawling, dragging heals and treading water in a pool that is mine”. These lyrics are wrapped up in an indie-pop sound with mixture of piano and electronic beats.

Mike Tramp – Song Of White Lion

After appearing at Eurovision 1978 as part of the band Mabel, Mike Tramp went on to become the lead vocalist of glam metal band White Lion. Now, 40 years after the group first formed, Mike has returned to the songs that shaped his life. In Songs Of White Lion, the Danish singer reinterprets 12 of the band’s classic hits as solo numbers. This includes previous singles “Cry For Freedom” and “Little Fighter”.

Elena Gheorghe – “Sufletul”

With every song, Elena Gheorghe shares a little bit more of her “Sufletul” (“Soul”) with us. Sung in Aromanian, her latest song is a folk-inspired track with an accordion post-chorus melody. In the lyrics, Romania’s Eurovision 2009 star sings about gifting herself to a special person: “I give you my soul, I give you my soul / I don’t have the strength to say ‘No’ to you”.

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.