New music from Loreen, KEiiNO, Helena Paparizou and more

The Eurovision season is hotting up. Over recent months we’ve been falling in and out of love with scores of new national final and Eurovision entries. But that doesn’t mean we forget about the artists from past contests.

Contrary to the commonly perpetuated myth about the song contest killing careers, we’re always thrilled to report that singers and performers associated with both Eurovision itself and the various national selections are thriving.

Here is a selection of just some of the songs and music videos released in the last week or so.

New music from Eurovision artists: 2020 | Week 9

Loreen – “Fiction Feels Good”

Eurovision 2012 winner Loreen was officially inducted into the Melodifestivalen hall of fame at last nights show. During the interval, she performed the new song “Fiction Feels Good”. In the description of the live performance, the Swedish singer explains that the new single is a medley of the three songs she has competed with at Melfest – “My Heart Is Refusing Me”, “Euphoria” and “Statements” – mixed in a new way inspired by her berber roots.

LOBODA – “Новый Рим”

At Eurovision 2009, she was our anti-crisis girl. Now, LOBODA has dropped the music video for her new single “Новый Рим” (“New Rome”), which comes from her latest album Sold Out. As usual with the Ukrainian superstar, her music videos are a treat for the eyes. This one sees LOBODA falling to earth in a spaceship. After initially eating some passers by (she’s a tentacled octopus alien at this point, of course) and taking on human form, she precedes to dance along the roadside with a posse of cowboys. Just your everyday run of the mill stuff really…

KEiiNO feat. Charlotte Qamaniq – “Black Leather”

Norway’s KEiiNO have released a steady number of new singles since they won the televote at Eurovision 2019. Their latest song is “Black Leather”, with Alexandra Rotan, Tom Hugo and Fred Buljo joining forces with Inuk throat singer Charlotte Qamanic. The supergroup explain more about the song in the description of the official lyric video:

“Black Leather” is a pop tribute to the Berlin club-scene. Written on the night of a men-only party at Berghain; the song portrays a future where gender identification and expression are no longer a barrier to fulfil one’s heart’s desires. “Black Leather” is the first pop-banger that includes traditional singing from two indigenous cultures; Sami Joik and Inuk throat singing. The latter being performed by award-winning Canadian throat singer, Charlotte Qamanic.

zalagasper – “Box”

On valentines day, Slovenian duo zalagasper dropped their new album 4. Now, the Eurovision 2019 participants have released a music video for the single “Box”, which features on the album. The video sees Zala Kralj and Gašper Šantl dressed in vintage clothing and acting like a happily married couple in love. However, things aren’t quite all roses in their relationship, as Gašper eventually finds out thanks to a certain glass of milk.

Helena Paparizou and Sakis Rouvas – “Έτσι Είναι Η Φάση”

The 2000’s were the peak of Greece at Eurovision. Singers including Helena Paparizou and Sakis Rouvas took the country to the top of the scoreboard on numerous occasions – naturally, Paparizou won the contest in 2005. Now, these two Greek superstars have collaborated on the new single “Έτσι Είναι Η Φάση” (“This is the Phase”). A pop-rock ballad, the song features heavy guitar and drum instrumentation. The accompanying music video features a couple that are going through a challenging time in their relationship.

Francesca Michielin feat. Coma_Cose – “RISERVA NATURALE”

Francesca Michielin is currently feeding her fans well, with two new singles in two weeks. The latest of these is “RISERVA NATURALE” (“Natural Reserve”). On Instagram, Italy’s Eurovision 2016 artist explained why this song was important to her:

#RiservaNaturale is a very significant piece for me, it describes the feeling of disorientation that I experienced as soon as I arrived in Milan, that feeling like “a tree in a subway” having been born in a decidedly more bucolic dimension, but also courage and adaptation , connections, the fact that what you have inside your heart does not take away anyone, anywhere in the world. Collaborating with Coma_Cose for this piece was important because their “Inverno Ticinese” was the soundtrack of my first Milanese months, between autumn as an ideal to defend, sliced pizzas and freckles impervious to rain 💜.

The Fizz – “T.O.T.P”

Eurovision 1981 winner Bucks Fizz go by The Fizz nowadays, with three of the four original members still performing. The trio released their new single “T.O.T.P” earlier this week, which is a reference to classic BBC music show Top of the Pops. The music video is set up like the former TV show, with Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston performing in front of a TV studio audience.

Sebalter – “La Fine dell’Estate”

Sebalter whistled his way to our hearts at Eurovision 2014. Now the Swiss singer has released the new song “La Fine dell’Estate” (“The end of Summer”). Sadly, this latest track doesn’t include any whistling, but instead mixes guitar instrumentation with an electronic pre-chorus.

Roksana and Sofi Marinova – “Edin zhivot”

Bulgaria’s Sofi Marinova just failed to qualify for the grand final of Eurovision 2012. But, that hasn’t stopped her from continuing her music career. She’s now teamed up with fellow Bulgarian singer Roksana on the new single “Edin zhivot” (“One life”). It’s a traditional ballad that gives both singers the chance to show off their vocal abilities.

Michel van der Aa feat. Kate Miller-Heidke – “Queen of the Night”

Composer Michel van der Aa and Eurovision 2019 star Kate Miller-Heidke have been collaborating on a number of tracks recently. The Dutch-Australian partnership continues with “Queen of the Night”. The song comes from van der Aa’s new album Time Falling. Miller-Heidke features on all of the songs and is also joined by the Netherlands Chamber Choir on a selection of them.

Michael Augustin feat. Omar Noir and Stella Mwangi – “Wax OnWax Off”

Stella Mwangi got Europe dancing at Eurovision 2011. Now, the Norwegian rapper features on Michael Augustin’s new song “Wax OnWax Off” alongside Omar Noir. Mwangi puts her vocals to the third verse of the track, showcasing her sophisticated rapping skills.

Freddie – “Fúj minket a szél”

In 2016, Freddie brought his gravelly vocals to the Eurovision stage in Stockholm. The Hungarian singer has now put his distinct voice to the new song “Fúj minket a szél” (“The wind is blowing us”). With a consistent drum beat running throughout, the track combines rock, jazz and pop. The accompanying music video features three men reminiscing about their former partners.

Miriam Christine – “Dil-Mara”

Miriam Christine represented Malta at Eurovision 1996, finishing tenth. Her latest single is “Dil-Mara”, which is the title track of her fourth studio album released late last year. It’s a piano-driven ballad in the Maltese language. The sparse accompaniment allows Miriam’s vocals to come to forefront and deliver the emotion of the song.

Renaida – “Dansant ångestattack”

It’s been a rollercoaster of a few months for Renaida after the Melodifestivalen 2018 star battled and survived a cancer diagnosis. Now, the Swedish singer is ready to get back up and dance with her new single “Dansant ångestattack” (“Dancing anxiety attack”). It’s an upbeat dance track in Swedish that fits Renaida’s musical style to a tee.

Max Barskih – “Небо льёт дождем”

Ukranian superstar Max Barskih is the one that got away. In 2012, he finished second in Ukraine’s national selection for Eurovision. Having released a number of chart-topping hits over recent years, he’s now at the top of many people’s Eurovision wish lists. This week, the singer released his new single “Небо льёт дождем” (“The sky is raining”). A passionate ballad with pop and R’n’B influences, the track fits in well with Barskih’s recent discography. The mood video released on Friday features the Ukrainian star singing the song in the rain.

Oscar Zia – “Liten”

Two-time Melodifestivalen finalist Oscar Zia has dropped a steady flow of new tracks over the past couple of years. His latest musical offering is the new single “Liten” (“Small”). It’s a mid-tempo pop ballad that builds nicely in the final chorus.

Sheppard – “Don’t Believe In Love”

Sheppard were a fan favourite in Eurovision: Australia Decides 2019. Now, the group have released their new single “Don’t Believe In Love”. The accompanying music video was shot in one take and sees lead vocalist George Sheppard searching for the girl he’s fallen in love with.

The Hardkiss – “Косатка”

Vidbir 2016 was a battle between The Hardkiss and eventual Eurovision 2016 winner Jamala. While the Ukrainian rock band may have not made it to the Eurovision stage, they’re still dropping a number of new songs for fans to enjoy. Their latest is “Косатка” (“Orca”). The music video very much follows the song title, with the group performing in blue lights and underneath a CGI killer whale.

yesyes – “save me now”

At A Dal 2018, yesyes were one of the fan favourites to win the contest, but ended up as the runer-up. Last month, they dropped their new song “save me now”. The music video was filmed in Transylvania and features lead vocalist Ádám Szabó wandering through the woods while trying to escape a group of people that are chasing him.

Natalia Lacunza & BRONQUIO – “algo duele más”

Natalia Lacunza finished third in Operación Triunfo Eurovision Gala 2019. Since then, the Spanish singer has been forging out her musical career. This week, Lacunza released the new song “algo duele más” (“something hurts more”) alongside BRONQUIO. An edgy track, the song mixes English and Spanish lyrics.