New music this week: 19 songs from Little Big, Francesco Gabbani, The Mamas and more

Although we’re officially into the Eurovision 2022 season, it will still be some time before we hear any national final and Eurovision songs. Thankfully, the music will always continue and a number of past Eurovision artists are still producing new songs for us to enjoy.

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 our latest weekly roundup with a selection of just some of the songs and music videos released recently by Eurovision stars.

New music from Eurovision artists: 2021 | Week 35

Little Big & Oliver Tree (feat. Tommy Cash) – “Turn It Up”

After recently releasing a single alongside Eurovision 2018 winner Netta, Little Big are continuing their international collaborations with their latest song. This time the Russian group have teamed up with American singer Oliver Tree and Estonian rapper Tommy Cash for “Turn It Up”. As one would expect from Little Big, it’s a quirky rave-pop song. The addition of verses from Oliver Tree and Tommy Cash reduces the repetitiveness compared to some of the Eurovision 2020 group’s other singles. That being said, the chorus is still very much a one-liner hook: “Oh, I wanna make some noise / I wanna make some mo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ore”. Little Big’s Iliya and Sonya, along with Oliver and Tommy, get a good leg workout over the course of the music video, which sees them bobbing up and down as they go about their daily activities.

Jala Brat – “LMTD”

Another week and another set of singles from Jala Brat’s new album. On Monday, the Bosnian rapper released “LMTD”. Of the singles released so far, this is one of the more straight-up hip-hop offerings. Jala confesses his love for a particular person but wonders what they’re up to when they’re not spending a night with him: “Chérie, je t’aime / I’ll take off your makeup, I won’t ask why you’re here / When I push your head into the pillow with my music”. The rest of the lyrics make reference to Paris, the Louvre and Eurovision 1988 champion Céline Dion. This French theme continues in the music video, which features Eurovision 2016 star Jala in Paris himself (and you only have to wait seven seconds for a certain iconic tower to appear).

We got our next two singles later in the week. “MBM” arrived on Friday and “Pilula” dropped on Sunday.

Francesco Gabbani – “La Rete”

“People tell me I’m a fish out of water, I don’t fit” – Raylee may have compared herself to an aquatic animal, but Francesco Gabbani would rather we liken ourselves to the fisherperson that has control over our own destiny. As always, the Eurovision 2017 singer has some well-crafted lyrics to go along with his latest single. “La Rete” (“The Net”) sees Gabbani encouraging listeners not to go with the flow and get trapped in an endless cycle like a fish, but rather to take charge and control the net of life ourselves: “Every day in the net / we confess […] we fall in love […] and we get pissed […] who is the fisherman? / you are the fisherman”. The accompanying music video was filmed in the Dolomites. At the start, the Italian signer finds himself stuck in a net on the top of a mountain. Gabbani then makes the long journey all the way down to his rightful home in the sea.

Waylon – “Het Leven Is Te Kort”

When you think of Waylon’s music, you probably think of country-inspired songs in English. But, the two-time Eurovision star is switching things up both musically and lyrically for his latest single. “Het Leven Is Te Kort” (“Life Is Too Short”) sees Waylon switch to his native Dutch and also to a pop-influenced sound (including an ’80s touch to the production). In a long post on social media, Waylon explained what it was like to write a song in Dutch after using English for so long:

“It has been really exciting for me for a long time because I have no idea what to expect from it… Maybe you are not waiting for this at all, but it had to get out of my head. For years I’ve had the idea of ​​a [Dutch] record and partly because of all the changes in the world it felt good to do it now. At least I had the time and space for it. The process of making a record is now fairly familiar to me, but this was a completely new experience. Writing in my native language is a lot more difficult than I thought and it has changed my knowledge and use of the Dutch language quite a bit. I’ve become fascinated again by the beautiful, chic Dutch. Our language is so much richer than I thought.”

Aminata – “Acis sāļas”

Eurovision 2015 singer Aminata gives us the new single “Acis sāļas” (“Salted eyes”). The Latvian singer revealed that she originally wrote the song with English lyrics, with the intention of giving the song to someone else. However, after coming back to it later, Aminata decided to take the song for herself and gained new Latvian lyrics:

“For more than a year this song stood in the far corner of the computer, forgotten. One day I accidentally found it, listened and understood – this song perfectly describes my current feelings and resonates with my inner strings!”

The song comes with a visually striking music video, which puts Aminata’s braided hair centre stage.

O.Torvald – “Нету внутри”

O.Torvald have been performing “Нету внутри” (“No inside”) at concerts for a few months. Now Ukraine’s Eurovision 2017 band have finally released it as an official single. It’s a song of peaks and valleys. The verses are relatively laid back with a singular guitar and drum accompanying vocalist Yevhen Halych. Extra instruments are added for the chorus and then also the bridge, which features a heavy guitar melody.

The Mamas – “Sun Go Down”

The Mamas – that’s Ashley Haynes, Loulou Lamotte and Dinah Yonas Manna – are here once again to lift our spirits and put joy in our hearts. The Swedish trio have released “Sun Go Down”, a cheery and soulful pop song about keeping the light shining, even through difficult times: “Everything will be alright / Make it last for a lifetime / We won’t let the sun go down on us”. In a post on Instagram, the Eurovision 2020 selected group talk further about the meaning behind the song:

“Sun Go Down is a song about perseverance. Metaphorically, the the love we receive, the hugs, the kisses, the opportunities to prevail; that’s the Sun! This summer we got to actually meet people and have a vacation but honestly, vacation isn’t a destination, it’s a state of mind. Through everything we’ve gone through given the last year, every peak and every valley, there have been gleams of sunshine and we’ve accomplished things that no thing could ever take away from us. We will never let the Sun go down, not on us! This song is representation of that.”

Nathan Trent – “Growing Pains”

Austrian singer Nathan Trent is serving up the new single “Growing Pains”. It’s a mid-tempo indie pop song with a singer-songwriter feel to it. The Eurovision 2017 star questions why he keeps stumbling every time he tries to move forward: “Why is it so damn easy to fall? / I get up and then I f*** up again / And my heart is way to vulnerable / I just can’t explain, must be growing pains”. The accompanying music video is filmed at a swimming pool, with Trent contemplating his feelings both in and out of the water.

Hanna Pakarinen – “Sun aika tulee vielä”

It’s been five years since we last had an official new music release from Hanna Pakarinen. Thankfully the Finnish star is now back with “Sun aika tulee vielä”. However, gone is the moody and dark Eurovision 2007 home entrant. Instead, Hanna brings us an uplifting pop song that soars in the chorus – though it’s still driven by guitar and drum instrumentation.

Riskykidd & Moose – “Free My Guys”

Riskykidd has dropped “Free My Guys”. Greece’s Eurovision 2014 rapper collaborates with Moose for the new single. Following the intro, the pair deliver a constant string of rap lines.

Ann Sophie – “Quicksand”

If you follow Ann Sophie on Instagram, you’ll have noticed that the German singer has moved on from a period of favouring black and white photos, and has now brought the colour back in. A similar transition can be seen in her music. Her new single is “Quicksand”, which is much lighter and brighter than her other recent discography. It taps into the ’80s trend and utilises a selection of synths and drum machines. In the lyrics, the Eurovision 2015 star says she’s falling for her lover just like a person stuck in quicksand: “Your love is quicksand / And I’m drifting slowly / It’s alright / Baby, kiss me one more time”.

If you want more from Ann Sophie, she’s also recently teamed up with singer and composer Will Van Dyke for the single “Last Fall”.

AWS – “Emlékszem”

Earlier this year, Örs Siklósi, the frontman of Hungary’s Eurovision 2018 band AWS, sadly passed away. However, his memory, and also his voice, lives on. In 2019, the group were invited to write a song for the Road Movie project, which sees Hungarian singers and bands writing new songs about the places in the country that are closest to their hearts. AWS chose to focus on the Zsámbék Basin, a common location in the members’ childhood. Örs wrote and recorded “Emlékszem” (“I remember”), but the video’s filming was not able to take place until after the star’s death. As such, the music video acts as a tribute to Örs. It features projected videos of the Hungarian singer, whilst his family and friends also appear at the end.

Lior Narkis – “בודד בלילות”

“A new and very personal single for me”, said Lior Narkis upon the release of “בודד בלילות” (“Lonely at night”). Israel’s Eurovision 2003 singer discusses a story where a relationship began to crumble and he found himself alone again: “And I was lonely at night / And I’ve been looking for you for hours / And you know how many times, how many times / I was alone”. But, Narkis also notes that this experience also helped him realise where he could do better himself: “I know how many times, how many times / You were there alone / And I did not hold your hand”. Sonically, the single is a power ballad that brings in guitar accompaniment to drive the chorus.

Franka – “Ova noć”

Franka’s latest single is “Ova noć” (“This night”). It’s a song that was created in the spur of the moment, rather than being formulaically put together for a specific purpose. The result is a mid-tempo track with a techno-esque accompanying beat in the chorus. In a comment underneath the official music video, Croatia’s Eurovision 2018 star discussed the themes that inspired the song:

“During a break from filming in the studio, someone said it would be great to live all year on an island with palm trees, take a leisurely ride on the sea and enjoy the beach at sunset, when the sun sinks into the sea. We decided to turn that image into this song, created out of a pure artistic desire to make something that would fill the souls of us, a few creatives who found themselves in the studio at the time. A song created without big plans, I wanted to give you a moment that filled me and I hope it will win you over as well.”

Marito Marques (feat. Salvador Sobral & MARO) – “Amor ao Longe”

Eurovision 2017 champion Salvador Sobral features on “Amor ao Longe” (“Love from afar”), a new single from drummer and music producer Marito Marques. Salvador sings alongside MARO on the rich and atmospheric track. Marito’s musical accompaniment begins with a series of repeated piano notes before drums and strings are brought in to give extra depth to the song.

Fyr Og Flamme – “Hemmelighed”

After releasing their debut self-titled album, Fyr Og Flamme have now put together a music video for their latest single from the LP. “Hemmelighed” (“Secret”) opens the album and gives newbie listeners their first glimpse of the Danish duo’s ’80s-inspired pop sound with prominent use of synths and drum machines. Vocalist Jesper sings to someone he hopes to spend some alone time with: “Now tell me if you like me / You could stay here / Only tonight / No one will know you are here […] It will be our secret”. Meanwhile, the music video takes a slightly different route. The Eurovision 2021 alumni intercept a broadcast from Earth whilst flying through space and come down to to fight an evil general who has banned all fun.

Alexandra Rotan – “Viva La Vida”

Alexandra Rotan is currently competing in Stjernekamp 2021 – the Norwegian TV show where established singers perform songs in a specific musical genre each week. The first week of the show saw Alexandra take on a cover of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”, which she also released as a single. Opening up the show, the KEiiNO member and Eurovision 2019 alum stood alone for much of the performance with an LED microphone stand, but was joined by some dancers later on.

The most recent episode of the show was stadium rock week. For this theme, Alexandra performed Europe’s “The Final Countdown”.

Max Mutzke – “Dieselbe Sonne”

Max Mutzke is set to release his new album later this month. Ahead of this, Germany’s Eurovision 2004 singer has dropped the pre-release single “Dieselbe Sonne” (“Same Sun”). Lyrically, it’s a Love Love Peace Peace offering in which Max sings about how we all live under the same star: “It’s the same sun / The same glow for you and me, for you and me / It is the same sun to scare away the dark / The same light, umm, that breaks in our eyes”. Musically, however, the song is not as cheesy and actually incorporates a solid indie-rock sound.

JMA (feat. Uku Suviste, Sireli Salum, Ivo Linna & Kéa) – “Ükskord niikuinii”

The 20 August marks the Estonian Restoration of Independence. To mark the 30th anniversary of the occasion, a group of artists came together for “Ükskord niikuinii” (“One Day No Matter What”). It was written by Joel Markus Antson (JMA), who leads the piece with spoken word sections. Other singers feature in between, including Eurovision 2021 star Uku Suviste, Eurovision 1996 act Ivo Linna and Eesti Laul alumna Kéa. The lyrical content of the song is inspired by the words of Heinz Valk and discusses the Singing Revolution: “In the middle of a long night of slavery / Inside we knew / This is our life’s work / Get free, so we can”.

Click on the links below to read our individual articles about other new songs released in the last week by Eurovision stars:

ABBA – “Don’t Shut Me Down” and “I Still Have Faith In 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.

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