All the participants • First Semi-Final • Second Semi-Final • Grand Final

🇲🇹 Malta • 🇦🇱 Albania • 🇬🇷 Greece • 🇨🇭 Switzerland • 🇨🇿 Czechia • 🇦🇹 Austria • 🇩🇰 Denmark • 🇦🇲 Armenia • 🇱🇻 Latvia • 🇸🇲 San Marino • 🇬🇪 Georgia • 🇧🇪 Belgium • 🇪🇪 Estonia • 🇮🇱 Israel • 🇳🇴 Norway • 🇳🇱 The Netherlands 

🇲🇹 Malta: Sarah Bonnici – “Loop” (Kevin Lee / Joy Deb / Leire Gotxi Angel / Linnea Deb / Michael Joe Cini / Sarah Bonnici / Sebastian Pritchard-James – John Emil Johansson / Kevin Lee / Joy Deb / Leire Gotxi Angel / Linnea Deb / Matthew James Borg / Michael Joe Cini / Sarah Bonnici / Sebastian Pritchard-James)

Growing up in a highly musical family, Sarah’s passion for the arts was discovered at a very young age. In 2009, Sarah made her debut in the Malta Junior Eurosong, finishing third overall. The following year, she joined the Maltese delegation as a backup singer and dancer at Junior Eurovision in Belarus. Throughout the years, Sarah has headlined major festivals and events and has been invited to perform on international stages all across Europe. Sarah co-wrote “Loop” with Eurovision Song Contest 2015 winning writers Linnea Deb and Joy Deb, together with Leire Gotxi Angel, Sebastian Pritchard-James, Kevin-Lee and Michael Joe Cini.

• Selected entrant: Sarah Bonnici (born 30 May 1998; age 25; Gozo, Malta) is a Maltese singer. She is set to represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Loop”.

Early and personal life. Bonnici was born on the island of Gozo. She is the daughter of Marcel Bonnici, CEO of Mercury Towers and Ħamrun Spartans. She has a master’s degree in accounting.

Career. Bonnici was mentored by Miriam Christine from a young age. In 2009, she competed in Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest, the national selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009, with “The Mambo Song”, finishing in third place. The following year, she won the 4th edition of L-Għanja Tal-Maltin Song Festival, placing first in her age group with a song written by Miriam Christine and winning Best Voice within the same contest. In 2010, she participated in Malta Junior Eurovision Song Contest placing 7th with the song “Kitty Kitty Cat”. This appearance gave her the opportunity to join Malta’s representative Nicole Azzopardi, as a dancer, at the 2010 Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

Throughout her teenage years she participated in several international song competitions outside her native Malta, including the Trixie Festival in Bulgaria, the Carpathians Star Festival in Romania, and the Star to Born Festival Hungary. Bonnici placed first in her category at the Ti Amo Festival in Romania and also won the Original Song Category with the song “Vivrà ancora”. She won the “New Talent” section of the Festival Kanzunetta Indipendenza in 2012, and the main category of the festival in 2018. Shortly after, she participated in the first edition of X Factor Malta.

Bonnici participated in Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with “Heaven” written by Aidan, placing 12th in the final. On 18 October 2023, she was announced among the participants of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Loop”, later being drawn to perform in the first show of the semi-final stage on 27 October. At the end of the round, in late November, it was announced that she was among the qualifiers for the final on 3 February 2024. There, she won the jury voting and came first overall with 102 points, being selected to represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Discography.

Singles.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album or EP
		MLT
“Bandwagon”	2015	—	Non-album singles
“Breathe Your Love”	2017	—
“Il-Pinna“	2018	—
“Heaven”	2022	—
“Never Ever”	2023	—
“Loop”	2024	5
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

• Selected song: “Loop” is a song by Maltese singer Sarah Bonnici. Self-described as a positive love song, it was written by Bonnici alongside seven other songwriters. It was officially self-released on 14 March 2024, and is set to represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö.

Background and composition. “Loop” was written by Sarah Bonnici alongside Sebastian Pritchard-James, John-Emil Johannson, Kevin Lee, Leire Gotxi Angel and Michael Joe Cini. The official revamped version also credited Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, John Emil Johansson and Matthew James Borg. In interviews with ESC Bubble’s Ervin Juhász, Bonnici stated that the song was written solely to enter the contest. Bonnici later stated in another interview that the song was a “[positive] love song” about a person that was romantically interested in her. After an initial stage of teasing, Bonnici and her partner ended up in a happy “loop”.

The song was announced as a participating entry in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 18 October 2023. It was first premiered during the first semi final on 27 October, which took place on the Maltese evening show XOW. A music video was filmed and premiered as part of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest on 1 February 2024. The official release of “Loop” took place on 14 March 2024, which featured a new version of the song and a music video which premiered on the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel. The video featured newly-shot footage as well as parts of the previously-filmed music video.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Malta’s public broadcaster PBS organised a two-stage, 36 entry contest to select its entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The competition consisted of four semi-finals with nine entries each, of which 12 would qualify to the final. The semi-finals took place on October 27, November 3, November 10 and November 17, with qualifiers announced on November 24 on the evening show XOW, while the final took place on 3 February 2024 following a six-day special. Televoting was available in the semi-finals, however, the exact system or scores were not revealed. In the final, the winner was determined by a jury vote and a televote, with a 7:2 ratio favouring the juries.

Sarah Bonnici was announced as a participant on 18 October 2023. The song was drawn to perform second in the first semi final, and was announced to have qualified on 24 November. In the final, Bonnici performed in sixth and won the competition with 102 points. She placed first in the jury vote and second in the televote.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Malta was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

Charts.

Chart performance for “Loop”

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Malta (BMAT PRS)	5

Release history.

Release history and formats for “Loop”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label	.
Various	14 March 2024	Digital download, streaming	Independent

Lyrics of Loop (English)

🇦🇱 Albania: BESA (Besa Kokëdhima) – “TiTAN” (Zemrën n’dorë, Heart in hand) (Gia Koka – Alias Lj / BESA / Gia Koka / Kledi Bahiti)

Besa Kokëdhima was born in Fier, Albania to mathematician parents, who encouraged her to develop her artistry from a very early age. This is reflected in her creativity, as BESA’s music is a unique blend of different genres ranging from pop to electronic, R&B to ballads, and everything in between. Domestically, she’s known for her catchy hooks and exuberant performances that are always full of surprises, suspense and emotion. She has a strong, passionate fanbase, who admire her as much for her singing as they do for her activism on animal rights, social causes and equality. 

• Selected entrant: Besa Kokëdhima (born 29 May 1986; age 37; Fier, Albania), also known mononymously as Besa, is an Albanian singer. In 2013, she won the 15th edition of Kënga Magjike. She is set to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Titan”.

Life and career. Kokëdhima was born on 29 May 1986 into an Albanian family in the city of Fier her father is a very wealthy businessman, politician Koco Kokedhima worth around 35 million, then part of the People’s Socialist Republic, present Albania. At the age of 15, she emigrated to the United Kingdom to pursue higher education. In 2003, Besa released her debut song “Më Beso”, which was written by producer Florian Mumajesi, and featured the then newly formed Albanian group Produkt 28. The song was awarded “Mikorofoni I Artë” in 2003. Besa released her debut album which was titled “Besa”, in 2006. The album was written in collaboration with well-known Albanian music industry personalities, including as Dorian Gjoni, Flori Mumajesi, Genti Lako, Andy DJ, and Stine.

Besa has participated in a number of music contests including “Notafest” where she was awarded first prize for the R&B single “Lëshoje Hapin.” In 2009, Besa participated in the Selecţia Naţională in Romania for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the English-language song “Nothin’ Gonna Change”, and reached the semi-finals. In 2010, Besa competed in Top Fest, and won Best Female Singer with her single “Kalorësi i Natës.” Since 2010, Besa has released a number of singles and, including the single “Fishekzjarre”, in 2012, the single “Burning” in 2013, and “Zemrën Dot Nuk ta Lexoj” in 2014. These singles were commercially successful and well received.

Besa has published two albums titled Besa për Festat and Ti Je Festa Ime. The tracks were accompanied by music videos featuring Besa and the National Orchestra. The album also featured a Christmas Version of the song “Tatuazh ne Zemer.” The album Ti Je Festa Ime received positive reviews, and one article called the album “one of the most well-received projects of the year”. She also won Kënga Magjike in 2013. Besa was a judge on the Albanian television show The Voice of Albania since 2017, and was voted as Albania’s favorite judge later in the series by Top Channel polls. Besa made her debut in France with her French ballad “En Equilibre” in June 2022. The debut single got positive feedback. “En Equilibre” is the first of her upcoming debut album in the French Music Industry. In 2023, she was selected to compete in the Festivali i Këngës 62 with the song “Zemrën n’dorë”, where she won the public vote and was selected to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. At the contest, the song will be performed in an English version, titled “Titan”.

Discography.

Albums.

• Besa (2006)
• Evolution (2011)
• Besa për festat (2013)
• Ti je festa ime (2014)

Singles.

As lead artist.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album
		ALB
“Më beso“ (with Produkt 28)	2003	—	Besa
“Zonja dhe Zotërinj“	2005
“Lëshoje hapin“	2006
“Tani të dua“			Non-album singles
“Unik“	2007
“Pa yllin tënd“
“Engjëjt vrasin njëlloj“	2008
“Ajër“
“Nothin’ Gonna Change”	2009
“Kalorës i natës“	2010
“Nuk jam ajo“ (featuring Jehona Sopi)
“E bukura dhe bisha“
“Botën do ndryshoja“	2011
“Always On My Mind”	2012
“Fishekzjarre“
“Folie“	2013
“Tatuazh në zemër“
“Zemrën dot nuk ta lexoj“ (featuring 2po2)	2014
“Mbretëreshë“
“Zejemër“ (featuring Majk)
“Arabia (Faj)” (featuring Gmd Babydave)
“Amelia” (featuring Mattyas)	2015
“14”
“All In”
“Kameleon” (featuring Ansi)	2016	—
“123” (featuring Flori Mumajesi)		8
“Hangover”		—
“Kokëfortë“	2017	—
“Mos m’le me ra“ (featuring Elinel)		—
“Amor”	2018	—
“La La La”	2019	—
“Histori“		—
“C’est la vie“ (featuring BledBeats)	2020	1
“Don“ (featuring Illeoon)		—
“Margjelo” (with Garrido)	2021	—
“En equilibre“	2022	—
“Si kalama“ (with Lyrical Son)		—
“Zemrën n’dorë“	2023	—
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

• Selected song: “Titan” (stylised as “TiTAN”) is a song by Albanian singer and songwriter Besa Kokëdhima. Self-described as a ballad “with a lot of contrast”, it was composed by Kokëdhima, Kledi Bahiti and Fabrice Grandjean, with lyrics by Gia Koka. It is set to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, following the selection of the song’s Albanian-language version “Zemrën n’dorë” (Heart in hand) at the 62nd edition of the music competition Festivali i Këngës.

Background and composition. After a previous bid to enter the Eurovision Song Contest for Romania in 2009, Kokëdhima was announced as one of the contestants selected to compete in the Albanian pre-selection Festivali i Këngës in 2023.^[1] According to the competition’s rules, the lyrics of the participating entries had to be in the Albanian language. Kokëdhima took part with the song “Zemrën n’dorë” written by Rozana Radi and Petrit Sefaj, and composed by Kokëdhima and Kledi Bahiti.

In an interview with Eurovision fan site Wiwibloggs, Kokëdhima stated that the song to her was a ballad “with a lot of contrast”, further stating that the song “was a genuine emotion. We wrote the song with so much love and we just wanted to express a lot of contrast within a ballad because when you say a ballad, I don’t think it’s exactly one could imagine… it just goes through waves of tough emotion… like a stormy journey”.

On 2 January 2024, Kokëdhima announced that the song would be going through a revamp in order for it to comply with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest. The English-language revamp “Titan”, with lyrics by Gia Koka, was released on 11 March 2024.

Eurovision Song Contest. 

Festivali i Këngës 62. Albania’s broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) officially announced their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 30 August 2023, using its longtime method for choosing the participant, Festivali i Këngës. The edition was the 62nd iteration of the national final. The 31-entry competition was organized into two semi-finals that culminated into one grand final. For this edition of Festivali i Këngës, to select the country’s representative, all 31 entries, no matter if they had qualified or not into the grand final, were eligible for representing the country via a televote. The overall winner of the contest did not represent the country unless they had also won the televote as well.

“Zemrën n’dorë” was officially announced to compete in Festivali i Këngës 62 on 17 October 2023. The song competed in the first semi-final on 19 December despite the song having been announced to have an automatic berth in the grand final. In the grand final on 22 December 2023 where all 31 entries were eligible for victory, the song did not win the overall contest, with the victory awarded to Mal Retkoceri, but resulted as the televote winner, gaining the right to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Albania was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

To promote the song, Kokëdhima is set to participate in Eurovision pre-parties across Europe.

Release history

Release history and formats for “Zemrën n’dorë”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	19 December 2023	Digital download, streaming	Self-released

Lyrics of TiTAN (English)

🇬🇷 Greece: Marina Satti (Μαρίνα Σάττι) – “ZARI” (Ζάρι) (VMarina Satti / OGE / Solmeister / VLOSPA – Gino The Ghost / Jordan Palmer / Jay Stolar / Kay Be / Marina Satti / Nick Kodonas / OGE)

The acclaimed singer-songwriter, Marina Satti, will represent her nation on what is the 50th anniversary of Greece’s first Eurovision Song Contest participation. Over her career, the star has developed a unique sound that combines the different musical traditions she grew up with, such as Greek, Arabic and Balkan. Having represented Greece in the EBU’s Euroradio Jazz Orchestra with works by Peter Herbolzheimer; singing at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington with the World Jazz Nonet; and participating in the a cappella vocal group The Singing Tribe in collaboration with Bobby McFerrin, it’s safe to say that Marina is an artist who defies categorisation. In May 2022, Satti released her first full-length album YENNA, while in 2023 she experimented by delivering the short documentary FLABOURO, as well as TUCUTUM, a song-commentary on Balkan trap, which went viral that summer.

• Selected entrant: Marina Satti (Μαρίνα Σάττι; مارينا ساتي; born 26 December 1986; age 37; Athens, Greece) is a Greek singer, songwriter, actress and music producer. Her music combines traditional Greek, Arab, and Balkan sounds with urban elements, rhythm, and production. She is set to represent Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Zari“.

Early life and studies. Satti was born in Athens to a Sudanese Arab father and a Greek mother from Heraklion, Crete. Her parents met at the Faculty of Medicine in Athens where they studied. She was raised in Heraklion, and as a child, she used to go to Sudan during the summers. She has a brother who lives in England and a half-sister from her father’s subsequent marriage to another woman, whereby he had returned to Sudan and later moved to Egypt; Satti and her sister first met when her sister was 8 years old, as she had not seen her father for 13 years.

Satti grew up influenced by Björk and Moderat and the Berlin electronic scene. She began classical piano training at an early age and classical vocal training in high school. She enrolled at the National Technical University of Athens to study architecture without graduating.

In 2008, after studying with the baritone Panos Dimas, Satti earned a first degree in lyrical monody with honors and a first prize. One year later, she earned a second degree in advanced classical studies, while also studying jazz at the Nakas Conservatory. In 2010, she completed two semesters in jazz composition and also in contemporary writing and production at the Berklee College of Music through a scholarship. Among her teachers at Berklee were Jamie Haddad and Danilo Pérez.

Career. Satti formed part of the EBU’s European Jazz Orchestra. She also performed as a singer of the World Jazz Nonet at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington. In 2011 she performed along with Bobby McFerrin and the a cappella vocal group The Singing Tribe at Berklee Performance Center. In 2016, Satti founded Fonés (“Voices”), a female cappella group performing traditional polyphonic songs. They have performed at venues such as the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Athens Concert Hall, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.

In 2016, Satti released her single “Koupes” (“Cups”), which reached more than 27 million views on YouTube, and was included in Ravin & Bob Sinclar’s Buddha Bar 20 Years Anniversary album. In 2017, her next single, “Mantissa” (“Seeress”), charted in the European Union’s Official Top 100 and Bulgaria’s Top 40. Global Citizen named it “song of the summer.” Joanna Kakissis, an Athens-based correspondent for NPR, described it as “the summer hit that fills a generation with hope”.

In 2017, Satti curated a series of cultural events that led to the formation of the choir Chόres (a portmanteau of the Greek words for “countries” and “choruses”), consisting of 150 women aged 13–55. In 2020, Chόres presented traditional songs in archeological locations.

In June 2018, Satti and Fonés presented YALLA!, a repertoire of world music and pop compositions, as well as renditions of Eastern Mediterranean traditional music, which was first performed at the Melina Merkouri Theater and then toured abroad to France, England, Switzerland, as well as to Tampere, Finland, for the 2019 World Music Expo. In May 2022, she released her debut album YENNA (“BIRTH”) to great commercial and critical reception. The release of the album was followed by a European tour that lasted over 4 months.

On 24 October 2023, she was announced as the Greek representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Her entry, titled “Zari,” was released on 7 March 2024.

Theatre. Satti has worked as an actress and a music score composer with the National Theatre of Greece, the Greek National Opera, the Athens Festival, and others.

Discography.

Studio albums. 

List of studio albums, with selected details

Title	Details
Yenna	Released: 27 May 2022 Label: Walnut Entertainment Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles.

As lead artist.

Single	Year	Peak chart positions	Certifications	Album or EP
		GRE
“Ygro fili“	2008	—	—	Kyriakodromio
“Mia fora“	2012	—		Non-album singles
“Ena kalokairi“		—
“Argosvineis moni“ (featuring Tareq)	2013	—
“Under the Stars”	2015	—		To Paidi
“Koúpes“	2016	—		Non-album singles
“Nifada“	2017	—
“Mantissa“		43	IFPI GRE: Gold
“Pali“	2021	18	—	Yenna
“Ponos krifos“		—
“Yiati pouli m’ (Den kelaidis)“	2022	—
“Zeimbekiko II“ (with Dionysis Savvopoulos, Mikros Kleftis, and Sotiria Bellou)	2023	—		Non-album singles
“Tucutum“		6	IFPI GRE: Gold
“Zari“	2024	1	IFPI GRE: Platinum
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist.

Single	Year	Album or EP
“To mikro magazi tou tromou“ (Antigoni Psychrami featuring Artemis Zannou and Marina Satti)	2007	To magazaki tou tromou
“Ola allazoun magika“ (Antigoni Psychrami featuring Artemis Zannou, Marina Satti, and Hristos Valavanidis)
“Galazia rapsodia“ (Philippos Peristeris featuring Marina Satti)	2008	Epyllia
“Ordinary People” (Jorge Perez featuring Martin Nessi, Daniel Garcia, and Marina Satti)	2011	From the Boiler Room
“Your Star” (Tareq featuring Marina Satti)	2013	Fish
“Thelo na se xeperaso“ (Phoebus Delivorias featuring Marina Satti and Fones)	2018	I taratsa tou fivou
“Edo (Tropical Remix)” (Monsieur Minimal featuring Marina Satti)		Non-album singles
“Chichovite konye (Remix)” (Boombastiko featuring Marina Satti)	2021
“Neraida methismeni (Hromata)“ (Eleonora Zouganeli featuring Marina Satti)		Parto allios
“To aroma“ (Onirama featuring Marina Satti)		Anthologio gia mikrous ke megalous

Other charted songs.

Single	Year	Peak chart positions	Certifications	Album or EP
		GRE
“Spirto ke venzini“	2022	10	IFPI GRE: Platinum	Yenna

• Selected song: “ZARI” (Ζάρι; Dice; stylised in all caps) is a song by Greek singer Marina Satti, co-written by Satti with eight other songwriters and released on 7 March 2024 by Golden Records. It is set to represent Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Satti describes it as a song that aims to tell the “real characteristics” of young Greek people and their culture. It peaked at number one in Greece and has been certified platinum by the IFPI Greece.

Background and composition. “Zari” was written by Gino Borri, Jay Lewitt Stolar, Jordan Richard Palmer, Konstantin Plamenov Beshkov, Manolis Solidakis, Marina Satti, Nick Kodonas, Oge, and Vlospa.In press statements given out by Satti, she expressed desires of wanting to mix old and new cultures and traditions of Greece. She also has stated that the song focuses on the theme of luck. In statements given to Greek media, she stated a desire to break stereotypes about Greek culture. The song was released on 7 March 2024 by Golden Records.

Music video. Along with the song’s release, an accompanying music video was released on the same day. It was filmed in various landmarks around Greece, including the Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Omonoia, Mount Lycabettus, Rafina and the Athens International Airport.

Eurovision Song Contest. 

Internal selection. Greece’s broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), officially announced their intention to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 15 September 2023. A month later on 24 October, ERT announced on television show Studio 4 that they had internally selected Marina Satti to represent the country. The songwriting process started the following day, with the song being reported as “Zari” on 13 February 2024.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Greece was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

Release history.

Release history and formats for “Zari”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	7 March 2024	Digital download streaming	Golden Records

Charts.

Chart performance for “Zari”

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Greece Digital Singles Chart (Local) (IFPI)	1

Certifications.

Certifications for “Zari“

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)	Platinum	2,000,000†
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Lyrics of ZARI (Greek Ι English)

Ta-ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta-ta
May no pain come to us
I fall and roll like a dice
I pretend to forget your name
And everything changes around me suddenly
Where will the wind take us?
I fall and roll like a dice
I pretend to forget your scent
And everything is changing around me
Yee-yee-yee-yee-yee-yee
Yee-yee-yee-yee-yee-yee

Eh, I’m gonna do it my way, in your mind I’ll be in and out
Why did you not even give me your hand to hold on to?
I once had a secret heartache for you
I let it all out
Come on, put your hands up, I pretend it wasn’t a lie
Throw one last time
And lеt it bring us whatever it wants next
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
And lеt it bring us whatever it wants next
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
To bring us whatever it wants
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
Let it bring us whatever it wants next
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
To bring us whatever it wants

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
And lеt it bring us whatever it wants next
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
To bring us whatever it wants
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
Let it bring us whatever it wants next
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
To bring us whatever it wants

Even if I live alone, I always wait for you
I tremble like a flame, like a lighted match
When dusk comes, the plague eats me
I’m dying alone if you’re elsewhere

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
And let it bring us whatever it wants next
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
To bring us whatever it wants
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
Let it bring us whatever it wants next
Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
To bring us whatever it wants

🇨🇭 Switzerland: Nemo – “The Code” (Benjamin Alasu / Lasse Midtsian Nymann / Linda Dale / Nemo Mettler – Benjamin Alasu / Lasse Midtsian Nymann / Linda Dale / Nemo Mettler)

Born in 1999 in Biel, a small bilingual town in Switzerland, Nemo has been playing the violin, piano and drums since they were a small child. In 2016, Nemo became famous overnight through an appearance at SRF Virus (#Cypher), which went viral on social media. Afterwards they released two EPs – through which 7 songs made it directly onto the official Swiss Singles Chart. 2020 marked the beginning of a period of change for Nemo, when they started writing and producing for other artists, and also started releasing songs in English. In their music, Nemo deals with themes such as gender identity, mental health and finding one‘s place in this world. 

• Selected entrant: Nemo Mettler (born 3 August 1999; age 24; Biel/Bienne, Switzerland), known mononymously as Nemo, is a Swiss rapper, singer and musician who plays the violin, the piano and the drums. Nemo is set to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “The Code”.

Career. Nemo’s 2015 EP Clownfisch reached number 95 in the Swiss charts. In 2017, Nemo released a single “Du”, which reached number 4 in Switzerland. On the second season of The Masked Singer Switzerland in 2021/2022, Nemo was unmasked as a panda and finished in fifth place.

On 29 February 2024, Nemo was announced as the Swiss representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “The Code”, and is scheduled to perform in the second semi-final of the contest, on May 9.

Personal life. In November 2023, Mettler came out as non-binary in an article in the SonntagsZeitung. In this article, Mettler also stated that they preferred to be referred to by their given name instead of pronouns in German, while also using the gender-neutral they/them in English.

Discography.

Extended plays.

List of EPs, with selected details

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		SWI
Clownfisch	Released: 13 June 2015 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download, streaming	95
Momänt-Kids	Released: 21 October 2017 Label: Bakara Music Formats: Digital download, streaming	—
Fundbüro	Released: 17 November 2017 Label: Bakara Music Formats: Digital download, streaming	—
Whatever Feels Right	Released: 9 September 2022 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download, streaming	—
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles.

As lead artist.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album or EP
		SWI
“Himalaya”	2016	27	Momänt-Kids
“Style” (with Marc Amacher)	2017	—	Non-album single
“Du“		4	Fundbüro
“Usserirdisch“		64
“Crush uf di“	2018	77	Non-album singles
“5i uf de Uhr“	2019	31
“365”		—
“Girl us mire City“		—
“Dance With Me”	2020	—
“Video Games”		—
“Hailey” (with Chelan)	2021	—	Orange & Blue
“Certified Pop Queen”		—	Non-album singles
“Chleiderchäschtli“ (with KT Gorique [fr])		—
“Lonely Af”	2022	—	Whatever Feels Right
“Own Sh¡t”		—
“F*ck Love” (with Anthony de la Torre)		—
“Be like You”		—
“This Body”	2023	—	Non-album singles
“Falling Again”	2024	—
“The Code”		22
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist.

Title	Year	Album or EP
“Sheriff” (Visu featuring Nemo)	2016	Sex & Röschti
“Singer” (Dodo [de] featuring Nemo)	2017	Pfingstweid
“Legend” (Stress featuring Nemo)	2019	Sincèrement

Other charted songs.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album or EP
		SWI
“Ke bock“	2017	31	Momänt-Kids
“Kunstwärch“		90	Fundbüro

Awards and achievements.

Award	Year	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
Energy Star Night	2017	Energy Music Award	Themself	Won
Prix Walo		Best Newcomer		Won
Swiss Music Awards		Best Talent		Won
	2018	Best Male Solo Act		Won
		Best Breaking Act		Won
		Best Live Act		Won
		Best Hit	“Du“	Won

• Selected song: “The Code” is a song by Swiss singer Nemo, released on 29 February 2024 by Better Now Records. Described by Nemo as a song that details their experience coming to terms with their non-binary identity, it was written by Nemo and three other songwriters. It is set to represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition. “The Code” was written by Benjamin Alasu, Lasse Midtsian Nymann, Linda Dale, and Nemo Mettler. In press statements, Nemo stated that the song details their realization of their non-binary identity, stating that realizing they are non-binary has given them “freedom” and that by entering the Eurovision Song Contest, they can “stand up for the entire LGBTQIA+ community”. According to Nemo, when accepting that they didn’t “feel like a man or a woman… I had to break a few codes”.

Initial rumours of Nemo being picked to represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 were reported on 25 February 2024 when Swiss news outlet Blick put out reports that they had been selected. Three days later, the song title was rumoured to be titled “The Code”. On 29 February, Nemo was officially announced to be Switzerland’s representative for the contest.

Eurovision Song Contest. 

Internal selection. Switzerland’s broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR), announced their intent to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 7 July 2023, utilizing an internal selection to select their representative and song. Submissions for the Swiss bid occurred in two rounds: an initial jury round which was used to shortlist five candidates for another jury round. On 29 February, Nemo was officially announced to have won the rights to represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Switzerland was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

They were later drawn to perform fourth in the semi-final, after Greece’s Marina Satti and before Czechia’s Aiko.

Charts.

Chart performance for “The Code”

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	22

Release history.

Release history and formats for “The Code”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	29 February 2024	Digital download, streaming	Better Now

Lyrics of The Code (English)

🇨🇿 Czechia: Aiko – “Pedestal” (Alena Shirmanova-Kostebelova – Alena Shirmanova-Kostebelova / Steven Ansell)

Aiko, currently based in Brighton, is a visionary artist who delves into profound themes such as love, solitude and self-understanding, using her music as a medium for introspection and connection. Her sophomore album, Fortune’s Child, is a testament to her growth as an artist and the depth of her musical prowess. Breaking barriers and making history, Aiko proudly stands as the first Czech artist to grace the iconic screens of Times Square. Moreover, she has earned the distinction of being the first Czech female artist to contribute to the global Spotify Equal Campaign, emphasising her commitment to inclusivity and equality within the music industry.

• Selected entrant: Alena Shirmanova-Kostebelova (Алёна Ширманова-Костебелова; born 26 December 1999; age 24; Moscow, Russia), known by her stage name Aiko, is a Czech singer and songwriter based in Brighton, England. She is set to represent Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Pedestal”.

Early life. Alena Shirmanova-Kostebelova was born in Moscow, Russia. Shortly after, she moved with her family to Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, where she was raised.

Career. In 2015, Shirmanova participated in season 4 of the reality talent show Česko Slovenská SuperStar.^[1] She then moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a musical career, first settling in London and later in Brighton. Under the stage name Aiko, she released her debut self-titled album in 2018, followed by Expiration Date in 2020, when she released her first single “Hunt”.

She was the first Czech artist to feature on the Times Square screens and the first Czech female to take part in the Spotify Equal Campaign. She performed at the Rock for People, ESNS, Metronome Prague, The Great Escape, Grape, Nouvelle Prague, Sziget and Waves Vienna festivals, as well as following Alice Merton, Black Honey, Lauren Ruth Ward and Tamino in some of their tours as a supporting artist. Some of her songs were included in the TV shows Teen Mom and Love Island.

Aiko released her third album Fortune’s Child on 13 October 2023. On 28 November 2023, she was announced as one of the contestants of the Czech national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, competing with the song “Pedestal”. On 13 December, it was revealed that she had won the selection.

Discography.

Albums.

Title	Album details
Aiko	Released: 25 August 2018 Formats: Streaming, digital download
Expiration Date	Released: 17 July 2020 Formats: Streaming, digital download
Fortune’s Child	Released: 13 October 2023 Formats: Streaming, digital download

Singles.

As lead artist.

Single	Year	Album / EP
“Hunt”	2020	Expiration Date
“Power”	2021	Fortune’s Child
“Daughter of the Sun”
“Gemini”
“Alter Ego”	2022	Non-album singles
“I Want to Be Perfect”
“Restless” (with Boy Jr.)		Fortune’s Child
“Instincts”	2023	Non-album single
“Lucky Streak”		Fortune’s Child
“Pedestal”
“White Flag”	2024	Non-album single

As featured artist.

Single	Year	Album / EP
“Why Don’t You” (Ivo Blahunek featuring Aiko)	2023	Non-album singles
“The Internet” (Noisy Pots featuring Aiko)
“Come Closer” (Tonya Graves [cs] and Blanka Maderová featuring Teza and Aiko)

• Selected song: “Pedestal” is a song by Czech singer Aiko, self-released on 22 September 2023 as the lead single of Aiko’s third studio album, Fortune’s Child. Self-described as a “self-love, post-breakup anthem”, it was written by Aiko and Steven Ansell. The song is set to represent Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, to be held in Malmö.

Background and composition. “Pedestal” is composed by Aiko and Steven Ansell. In interviews, Aiko has self-described the song as a “self-love, post-breakup anthem” meant to release her anger after breaking up in a relationship with an unnamed partner. After breaking up with her partner, she had a “moment of realization” where she realized that she had not taken care of herself first. The song advocates for putting one’s own self and their health as their top priority, using a “pedestal” as a metaphor for the message. The song was recorded throughout January 2023. In press statements, she has also claimed that the song also “talks about negative emotions and situations” one experiences at the end of a toxic relationship.

Aiko was officially announced to participate in ESCZ 2024 on 28 November 2023. After winning the contest, a member of the Czech delegation, Ahmad Halloun, implied the song would be revamped specifically for its performance at the Eurovision Song Contest; this was confirmed by Aiko in early March, revealing that the new version would be released on 21 March. The revamped version features a lyrical change to comply with the contest’s regulations prohibiting vulgar language.

Music video and promotion. Before the album’s official release, an accompanying music video for “Pedestal” was released on 22 September 2023.

To further promote the song, Aiko is scheduled to perform the song at various Eurovision pre-parties. She is scheduled to appear at the Eurovision in Concert event on 13 April 2024 and the Nordic Eurovision Party on 14 April.

Eurovision Song Contest. 

ESCZ 2024. Czech Republic’s broadcaster Česká televize (ČT) organized a seven-entry competition, ESCZ 2024 with a singular grand final to select its entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.^[14] The edition was the sixth iteration of the national final. The winning song in the final was selected after all entries were shown in the grand final on 4 December, with voting opened until 11 December, with the winner being determined by a weighted combination of an international and a Czech public vote. 

Aiko was announced to compete in ESCZ 2024 on 28 November 2023, with her song for the contest being revealed during the grand final.^[6] After voting was closed, on 13 December, the song was announced as the winner of the contest. Despite having a lack of votes of the Czech vote, the song earned an extreme majority of the international vote, earning more than 10,000 votes than the second-place finisher. As a result of winning, the song won the right to represent the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Czechia was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

Release history.

Release history and formats for “Pedestal”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	22 September 2023	Digital download, streaming	Self-released

Lyrics of Pedestal (English)

🇦🇹 Austria: Kaleen – “We will rave” (Anderz Wrethov / Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt / Julie Aagaard / Thomas Stengaard – Anderz Wrethov / Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt / Julie Aagaard / Thomas Stengaard)

Performing has been part of Kaleen’s life from an early age; as soon as she could walk, she started dancing at home in the living room when music shows were on TV. The little raver won her first national dance championship at the age of 7 – the first of more than 100 national and European championships, and 5 world championships. In 2021 Kaleen was the creative director for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for Spain and Bulgaria, as well as the creative director for Spain and stage director for the entire production in 2022. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, she supported Austria, Armenia, Germany, and Georgia with their stage performances… but now it’s Kaleen’s turn in the spotlight!

• Selected entrant: Marie-Sophie Kreissl (born 12 November 1994; age 29; Wels, Austria), also known professionally as Kaleen, is an Austrian singer, dancer and choreographer. She is scheduled to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “We Will Rave”.

Early life. Kaleen was raised in Ried im Traunkreis in Upper Austria. She is the granddaughter of Hanneliese Kreißl-Wurth, a composer, lyricist and producer in the hit and folk music genres. She took ballet lessons for the first time at the age of two. At the age of seven, she won her first Austrian championship title.

Career. Kaleen cites Dua Lipa, Little Mix, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé and Zara Larsson as her musical influences.

In 2014, she took part in the German version of the dance competition Got to Dance and reached the final together with her dance partner. Since 2020, she has been working as a choreographer and director for ORF, including for the show Starmania. In 2021, she founded her own record label, Wifi Records. Her first album, Stripping Feelings, was released in September 2023.

Since 2018, she has also been involved with the Eurovision Song Contest and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in various positions: as a stand-in singer for the rehearsals; as a dancer and choreographer for the interval acts in the 2018 contest; as a creative director for Spain and Bulgaria in the 2021 junior contest; as creative director for Spain and overall stage director in the 2022 contest; and she helped creating the stage performances for Austria, Armenia, Germany, and Georgia in the 2023 contest.

On 16 January 2024, it was announced that Kaleen had been internally selected as Austria’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, to be held in Malmö, Sweden. The song, titled “We Will Rave”, was described as dance-pop and inspired by techno. It was released on 1 March 2024.

Discography.

Studio albums.

List of studio albums, with selected details

Title	Details
Stripping Feelings	Released: 22 September 2023 Label: Wifi Records Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album or EP
		AUT
“Too Good to Not”	2021	—	Non-album singles
“Don’t Wanna Leave You Now”		—
“Games”	2022	—
“Put You Down”		—
“What It Feels Like”	2023	—	Stripping Feelings
“Stripping Feelings”		—
“Taking Chances”		—
“We Will Rave”	2024	55	Non-album single
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

• Selected song: “We Will Rave” is a song by Austrian singer Kaleen, released on 1 March 2024 by Warner Music Central Europe. Self-described as a “techno-inspired pop track”, it was written by Anderz Wrethov, Jimmy Thörnfeldt, Julie Aagaard, and Thomas Stengaard. The song is set to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition. “We Will Rave” was written and composed by Anderz Wrethov, Jimmy Thörnfeldt, Julie Aagaard, and Thomas Stengaard. Marie-Sophie Kreissl, who uses the stage persona Kaleen as a way to unleash her extroverted personality on stage, described the song as a “techno-inspired pop track” before the song’s release. Upon the song’s release, Kreissl stated that the image of a rave party in the song was used to promote a place where “outsiders and wounded souls go to heal and dissolve their problems through music”.

Kreissl was officially announced as Austria’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 16 January 2024 on Ö3-Wecker, a radio show on Hitradio Ö3. On 23 February, Kreissl published a 30-second snippet of the song to promote it. The demo of the song was leaked several weeks before the song’s official release; Kreissl claims that the final version was changed to conform better with Eurovision. The song was officially released on 1 March.

Eurovision Song Contest. 

Internal selection. Austria’s broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), officially announced their intentions to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 14 June 2023, deciding their representative via an internal selection. A shortlist of 14 artists were judged by a jury and Eurovision fan clubs. Although an announcement was expected in December, this was delayed by a month. On 16 January 2024, Kreissl was announced as Austria’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Austria was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

Kreissl was later drawn to perform sixth in the semi-final, ahead of the Czech Republic’s Aiko and behind Denmark’s Saba.

Charts.

Weekly chart performance for “We Will Rave”

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)	55

Release history.

Release history and formats for “We Will Rave”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	1 March 2024	Digital download, streaming	Warner Music Central Europe

Lyrics of We Will Rave (English)

🇩🇰 Denmark: SABA – “SAND” (Jonas Thander / Melanie Wehbe / Pil Jeppesen – Jonas Thander / Melanie Wehbe / Pil Jeppesen)

SABA is proud to be the first brown, queer woman to sing for Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest. At home she is a strong role model for minorities and the LGBTQ+ community and is open about her own struggles with mental vulnerability and being bipolar, making her an inspiring symbol of hope and perseverance, which she hopes many can relate to. For several years, SABA worked as a model and photographer, but it was in 2023 that she seized the opportunity to focus on music, by taking over the lead role in the musical HAIR from her twin sister, Andrea. She wants to play an important role in making Malmö 2024 an inclusive celebration where she can represent many different people, and Denmark, in her own unique way.

• Selected entrant: Anna Saba Lykke Oehlenschlæger (born 11 August 1997; age 26; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), known simply as Saba (stylised in all caps), is a Danish singer, musical theatre actress and model. She is set to represent Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Sand”.

Early life. Anna Saba (born Saba) Lykke Oehlenschlæger and her twin sister Andrea (born Sara) Lykke Oehlenschlæger were born on 11 August 1997 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They were adopted at eight months old and were raised in Ringkøbing, Denmark. During her youth, Oehlenschlæger played football at DBU Jutland.

Career. After dropping out of high school, Oehlenschlæger and her sister moved to Copenhagen, starting off as a model and entrepreneur in teeth whitening products, while her sister pursued a singing and musical acting career. On 23 February 2023, Oehlenschlæger replaced her pregnant sister in the role of Dionne for the premiere of the musical Hair at the Østre Gasværk Teater, making her debut as a non-stunt stage actress.

On 25 January 2024, Saba was announced as one of the participants of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2024, the Danish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, with the song “Sand”. She went on to win the final on 17 February 2024, earning the right to represent Denmark in the upcoming contest. On 29 March 2024, several entrants, including Saba, released a joint statement calling for “an immediate and lasting ceasefire” in Gaza, as well as “the safe return of all hostages”.

Personal life. In 2018, Oehlenschlæger was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder and was hospitalised several times until 2020, as she explained in the 2020 DR documentary Min sindssyge tvilling (‘My insane twin’). She also practiced self-harm during her teenage years. She is an ambassador for the Danish Depression Association.

Oehlenschlæger was in a same-sex relationship with Lærke-Maria Schmidt from 2020 until latest 2023. At the Danish Melodi Grand Prix 2024, she revealed she had been in a relationship with “Aviaja Larsen” for 6 months.

Discography.

Singles.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album or EP
		DEN
“Sand”	2024	36	Non-album single

• Selected song: “Sand” is a song by Danish singer and actress Saba, released on 25 January 2024 by Warner Music Denmark. Self-described as a song about the feeling of losing control, it was written by Jonas Thander, Melanie Wehbe, and Pil Kalinka Nygaard Jeppesen. The song is set to represent Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition. “Sand” was written and composed by Jonas Thander, Melanie Wehbe, and Pil Kalinka Nygaard Jeppesen. In interviews, Saba stated the song is a way of means of expressing the feeling of losing control, using the metaphor of sand slipping and falling through one’s hands as a metaphor for the song.

According to Saba, she entered Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2024 with the song after seeing Swedish artist Loreen win the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. She was officially announced as a participant in the contest on 25 January 2024.

Promotion. After her victory in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2024, Saba announced her intent to participate in Eurovision pre-parties; she announced plans to perform at the London Eurovision Party on 7 April 2024.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2024. Denmark’s broadcaster DR organized an eight-entry competition, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2024, to select its entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The contest consisted of a singular grand final with the winner being selected over two round of voting; in the first round, three entries out of the eight would advance to a superfinal. In the superfinal, the winner was chosen by a 50/50 combination of televote and juries.

Saba was officially announced as a participant on 25 January 2024. The song was drawn to perform first in the contest, and qualified for the superfinal. When the results were announced for the superfinal, the song was announced to have won the competition, earning a combined total of 37 points, three more than Basim’s “Johnny”, the runner-up. As a result, the song won rights to represent Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Denmark was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

Charts.

Chart performance for “Sand”

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Denmark (Tracklisten)	36

Release history.

Release history and formats for “Sand”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	25 January 2024	Digital download	Warner Music Denmark

Lyrics of SAND (English)

🇦🇲 Armenia: LADANIVA (Լադանիվա) – “Jako” (Ժակո) (Louis Thomas / Zhaklin Baghdasaryan – Audrey Leclercq / Louis Thomas / Zhaklin Baghdasaryan)

LADANIVA is made up of Armenian vocalist Jaklin Baghdasaryan and French multi-instrumentalist Louis Thomas. From traditional Balkan melodies to the rhythms of maloya, jazz and reggae, the duo’s songs have been said to transcend borders, blending traditional Armenian tunes with inspirations drawn from their extensive travels across Latin America, Africa and Réunion Island. Founded in 2019, Ladaniva initially gained viral acclaim with their hit song Vay Aman (2020), which showcased their fresh style and innovative approach to world music. The group released their eponymous debut album under the French label PIAS in 2023.

• Selected entrant: Ladaniva (Լադանիվա, stylized in all caps, named in reference to the off-road SUV Lada Niva) is a French-Armenian world music group originally from Lille. The duo, founded in 2019, consists of Armenian singer Jaklin Baghdasaryan (Ժակլին Բաղդասարյան) and French multi-instrumentalist Louis Thomas (Լուի Թոմաս). Their musical style is inspired by music from around the world, particularly traditional Balkan music, maloya and Armenian folklore. They are set to represent Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Jako” (Ժակո).

History. Ladaniva was formed in 2019 in Lille as a result of the collaboration between singer Jaklin Baghdasaryan and multi-instrumentalist Louis Thomas. Baghdasaryan, born in 1997 in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia, grew up in Minsk, Belarus, before emigrating to France with her mother in 2014. She has been singing since her early childhood and, based in Tourcoing, enrolled at the Conservatoire de Lille. Thomas, born in 1987 in Lille and an accomplished jazz musician from a family of musicians, also attended the conservatory. One evening in 2018, they met by chance during a jam session in a music bar in Vieux-Lille, l’Intervalle.

In March and April 2020, while many countries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic were in lockdown, Ladaniva published two videos, “Vay Aman” and “Zepyuri Nman”, which met with great success, particularly with the Armenian community. Then comes their video “Kef Chilini”, which reached 18 million views in a few months. In 2023, Ladaniva released their first album, which is self-titled, produced and distributed by PIAS.

On 9 March 2024, Ladaniva were officially announced as the Armenian representatives for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. On 13 March, “Jako” was revealed as their entry for the contest.

Musical style. Ladaniva’s repertoire is inspired on the one hand by traditional songs from Armenia, Russia and the Balkans, and on the other hand by music from Latin America, Africa and Reunion Island.

Accolades. Ladaniva was awarded a Music Moves Europe Award via the Public Choice Award in 2022.

Discography.

Studio albums.

Title	Details
Ladaniva	Released: 29 September 2023 Label: Jiguli / PIAS Recordings Formats: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays.

Title	Details
Ladaniva	Released: 13 June 2020 Label: Jiguli / PIAS Recordings Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles.

As lead artist.

Title	Year	Album or EP
“Kef chilini“	2020	Non-album singles
“Oror“
“Pourquoi t’as fait ça?“	2021
“Shakar“	2023	Ladaniva
“Wayo waya“
“Je voulais“
“Je t’aime tellement“
“Jako“

As featured artist.

Title	Year	Album or EP
“Malika” (Voyou featuring Ladaniva)	2021	Chroniques terrestres, Vol. 1

• Selected song: “Jako” (Ժակո) is a song by French-Armenian world music duo Ladaniva. The song was originally released on 29 September 2023 on the duo’s debut self-titled album as a track. It is set to represent Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition. “Jako” was written by the duo together with Audrey Leclercq, and produced by Jasper Maekelberg. The title of the song was derived from Jaklin Baghdasaryan’s nickname. The song was described as Baghdasaryan’s assertion of her “right to think freely and to be whoever she wants to be.” She criticises society for imposing artificial limitations and norms, saying that these causes girls to lose sight of who they really are since they are often told how to act. She explains: “They used to call me ‘Jako’ when I was little. Growing up I have always been told that girls should behave, be humble, dress normally, not talk too much, not do crazy things.”

The song is further described as a message to herself and to “all the little Jakos in the world” to follow their true calling and stay true to their authentic selves, as she did through her art. The song is also described as an invitation to “get up and dance,” no matter what people say. David Tserunyan, Armenia’s head of delegation, further explains, “[the] song touches upon a very important matter, but in a cheerful and playful manner. We hope to inspire people all over the world to embrace their inner Jakos and join this empowering dance of freedom!”

Eurovision Song Contest 2024. 

Internal selection. The Armenian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was internally selected by AMPTV. In January 2024, the duo was reported as the selected act by local and international media. On 9 March 2024, the broadcaster officially confirmed the duo as the Armenian entrant for the 2024 contest, with the entry, “Jako“, revealed on 13 March.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. All nations with the exceptions of the host country and the “Big Five” (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final will progress to the final. On 30 January 2024, an allocation draw was held to determine which of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show, each country will perform in; the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot.^[7] Armenia was scheduled to perform on the first half of the second semi-final.

Release history.

Release dates and formats for “Jako”

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label	Type
Various	29 September 2023	Digital download, streaming	Jiguli, PIAS Recordings	Single

Lyrics of Jako (Armenian Ι English)

🇱🇻 Latvia: Dons – “Hollow” (Dobji) (Artūrs Šingirejs / Liam Geddes / Kate Northrop – Artūrs Šingirejs / Liam Geddes / Kate Northrop)

Dons is a renowned Latvian pop/rock icon and one of the nation’s most-awarded artists of the last decade. The soulful power-ballad “Hollow” was composed with Irish songwriter and producer Liam Geddes and American songwriter Kate Northrop, and was initially released in Latvian. The singer draws profound inspiration from compelling, soul-stirring melodies, and during the song’s creation, all collaborators shared a unanimous sense that they had crafted something truly magical. Today, after decades of success and sold-out arena and stadium shows, Dons still finds his happiest moments as an artist standing in front of an audience, sharing the magic of music.

• Selected entrant: Artūrs Šingirejs (born 10 April 1984; age 39; Brocēni, Latvia), better known as Dons, is a Latvian singer and songwriter. He is one of the most popular singers in Latvia, having won the Latvian Music Recording Awards’ Top Radio Hit award eight times for most played song. He is set to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with “Hollow”.

He has released eight solo albums and has won numerous awards including Latvijas Radio’s Muzikālās Banka ( ’Musical Bank’) Song of the Year five times. At the Latvian Music Recording Awards, he has won Best Pop Album twice from five nominations for Varanasi (2014) and Tūrists (2020). He has won Best Rock Album once from two nominations with Lelle (2008) and has been nominated once for Best Pop-Rock Album with Signāls (2013). In 2024, he won the Supernova song competition with his English-language single “Hollow” to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest. Previously, he attempted to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest twice with the songs “My Religion is Freedom” (2010) and “Pēdējā Vēstule” (2014), finishing in second both times in the Latvian national finals.

Born in Saldus, Latvia, Dons began his career in the Latvian reality show Talantu Fabrika (‘Talent Factory’) in 2003. He released a duet album, Viens Otram (2004), with fellow contestant Lily (real name Linda Kalniņa, m. 2009; div. 2013). His first solo album Lights On (2006) was mostly in English. He found success releasing his next seven albums in the Latvian language: Lelle (2008), Signāls (2013), Varanasi (2014), Sibīrija (2015), Tepat (2016), Namiņš. Kaste. Vārdi (2018), and Tūrists (2020). In 2021, he signed with Universal Music and will release his first album Laiks on the label in August 2024.

Early life. Artūrs Šingirejs was born on 10 April 1984 in Brocēni, Saldus district,^[3] Latvia to a Belarusian father and a Latvian mother, who performed professionally as a soloist in the Liepāja group Santa, led by Zigmars Liepiņš. He has one brother and three sisters, one of whom was the first to encourage him to perform on stage at the age of four. His mother taught him English from the age of 6 and he credits Freddie Mercury as one of his first musical idols. He studied piano at the Saldus Music School. He had his first solo performance at age 16 and stated, “My first performance was at school, and I realized that I wanted to do this – there is something here that binds me”. He later studied culinary arts before returning to music as a profession. He learned to play the guitar and sing through self-study.

Career. 

2003–2007: Early work. Dons gained popularity in 2003 by participating in the Latvian reality show Talantu Fabrika (‘Talent Factory’). During the show, he met and dated fellow contestant Lily (real name Linda Kalniņa). He joined Radio SWH Rock as a DJ host after winning the reality show, which he says was much more stressful than performing on stage. Dons and Lily released an English language duet album in 2004, Viens Otram (‘To Each Other’). The album became a best seller in Latvia and they earned a nomination for Top Radio Hit with “Just For You” at the 2003 Latvian Music Recording Awards. In 2004, his song “Ja es būtu vējš” (‘If I Were The Wind’) was nominated for Top Radio Hit at the Latvian Music Recording Awards. After the success of the duet album, Dons focused on a solo career, releasing his first solo album (mostly in English) Lights On in 2006. The album was nominated for best Rock album and his single, “Lights Out” was nominated for best Rock song at the 2006 Latvian Music Recording Awards.

Afterwards, he moved between London and Los Angeles with Lily, saying in interviews at the time that she was his muse and source of inspiration; they married in 2009. While living abroad, he adopted and subsequently abandoned several stage names; first he used Art Green and later went by Art Singer while in the United States. Dons later commented on his numerous names, “Call me whatever you want. I have a lot of names. The name Art Singer I use in England is an abbreviated name. Art Green was the predecessor of Art Singer, but I somehow didn’t feel that name… In Latvia I’m known more as Dons, which I chose myself. That nickname came in and dragged me along and I get along with it well”. While in Los Angeles, he received four offers to be the lead singer in various rock bands.

In 2007, he performed in Zigmars Liepiņš’ popular musical theatre Adata with the song “Ja Tu Man Esi” (“lit. ’If I Have You'”). The song was nominated for Top Radio Hit at the Latvian Music Recording Awards that year.

2008–2014: Return to Latvia, Eurovision attempts. In 2008, Dons released his second solo album, Lelle (‘Doll’), which was his first Latvian language album. The album was the first of many where he collaborated with lyricist Ingus Bērziņš. It won the Best Rock Album in the Latvian Music Recording Awards that year.The success of the album proved his audience preferred his music performed in Latvian over his English language music. He represented Latvia at the New Wave 2008, where he got 4th place.

In 2009, Dons participated in the television series 1000 Jūdzes Indijā (‘1000 miles in India’) presented by Latvijas Televīzija with fellow travelers radio DJ Egon Reiter, comedian Jānis Skutelis, Edgars Zaķis and rapper Gustavo. After the series ended, he stayed in India for a month longer as a creative means of self-searching and meditation, which later reflected in his music. Still living abroad, he briefly returned to Latvia for a month to compete in the 2010 Latvian Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in second with his song “My Religion Is Freedom”.

Other than sharing the songs he wrote, Dons has remained private about his activities while living abroad. In 2012, Dons returned again to Latvia, for a longer period to revive his career with a new album with songs written while in London. Writing the album’s music, he worked with song lyricist Ingus Bērziņš to produce his third solo album, Signāls. He won Best Radio Hit at the 2012 and 2013 Latvian Music Recording Awards for his single “Signāls”, which also won song of the year at Latvijas Radio’s 2012 Muzikālās Banka (‘Musical Bank’). The album was nominated for Best Pop and Rock Album at the 2013 Latvian Music Recording Awards and his video for “Darling, Darling” was nominated for Best Video.

Outside of producing and touring his album that year, he worked as a voice actor and reality show judge. He voiced and sang as the character of Olaf in the Latvian adaptation of Disney’s Frozen (2013). He returned to his origins on the Latvian reality show Jaunā Talantu Fabrikā (‘New Talent Factory’) as a judge, where he tutored winner Aminata Savadogo and later helped produce her songs.

During this period, his marriage to Lily dissolved and officially ended in 2013. His divorce became the inspiration for his first single “Pēdējā Vēstule” (‘Last Letter’) off his next studio album, Varanasi (2014). He considers the album a continuation of his previous album Signāls, stating, “On a sensory level, the album Varanasi is full of relationships, everyday life and cognition. Musically from choir and strings to electronics and rock. I’m happy for the producers’ courage not to be afraid to experiment with innovative things”

“The song is very biographical, Ingus Bērziņš has once again written lyrics about my life. Varanasi, mentioned in the song, is the oldest city in India, a shrine, a mecca. I believe we each have our own Varanasi. Another finds it in church, another at work, another on TV, in agriculture or poetry. It is not even a place, it is a state of the soul. Every person at some point in their lives gets on this train and leaves for Varanasi, gets out of their comfort zone, makes drastic decisions and then starts learning how to read life”, Dons on “Pēdējā Vēstule” ( ’Last Letter’) off the album Varanasi (2014).

In 2014, he participated in Dziesma (‘Song’) with “Pēdējā Vēstule” in an attempt to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest”. While the song in Latvian is dedicated to his ex-wife, he stated if he had won, he would have sung a version he wrote himself in English and re-dedicate that version to his father who died in 2007. However, he finished in second place behind Aarzemnieki, losing by 97 votes, much to the surprise of many. Despite the loss at the Dziema 2014, the song won Song of the Year at both the 2013 Muzikālās Banka (Musical Bank) and the Latvian Music Recording Awards.^[18] Due to his popularity, his tour for the album had to be extended, including going from one show at Palladium Riga to six sold out nights. The album reached gold status in Latvia in less than two months after being released. He had major success at the 2014 Latvian Music Recording Awards, with Varanasi winning Pop Album of the Year and winning Song of the Year with his single “Tev Piedzims Bērns” (‘Child Born to You’) and Top Radio Hit with “Pāriet Bailes” (‘Fear Goes Away’), which also won Song of the Year at the 2014 Muzikālās Banka (‘Musical Bank’) awards.

Inspired by the success of Varanasi, Dons embarked on a 25,000-kilometre (16,000 mi) journey via the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok, Siberia, and later flying to Delhi, India, and traveling by train to Varanasi in 2014. About his motivation, Dons said, “Although in the song (‘Pēdējā Vēstule’), Varanasi is a metaphor for peace of mind, which we can also find in the beet fields, on the stage, at the wheel of a car – wherever there is a place. I know that in any case, getting to this city will be emotional”.^[38] Traveling alone, he brought only the necessities and his guitar in a creative search for materials for his next album.

2015–2020: Rise in popularity. With his material from his Trans-Siberian Railway journey, Dons released his fifth solo album Sibīrija (‘Siberia’) in 2015 with lyrics again by Ignus Bērziņš. The first single “Medus Pods” (‘Honey Pot’) was written while stationed near Lake Baikal during his Siberian trip. Dons noted about his ongoing songwriting relationship with the lyricist Bērziņš: “My songs are about myself, my pain and my joys, my dreams and my disappointments, otherwise I can’t write. This is exactly the case with ‘Medus Pods’. After music and our conversations, Ingus can read the state of my soul very well…” His next two singles from Sibīrija were “Pašā Ielas Galā” (‘At the Very End of the Street’) and “Dieviņš” (‘God’). “Medus Pods” (‘Honey Pot’) was nominated for Best Song and Best Video at the 2014 Latvian Music Recording Awards. Sibīrija was nominated for Best Album, “Pašā Ielas Galā” (‘At the Very End of the Street’) won Best Video and “Dieviņš” ( ’God’) won Top Radio Hit and was nominated for Alfa’s Song of the Year at the 2015 Latvian Music Recording Awards.

In 2015, he was a judge in the first season of the Latvian television show Supernova, used to select songs to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest. He reprised the same role at the Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017.

Dons released his sixth solo album Tepat (‘Here’) in October 2016 which was the first album where he wrote the lyrics along with the music. The album was stylistically different than his previous albums, featuring a simpler instrumentation but “emotionally richer”. The tour featured two nights at Latvia’s Arēna Rīga, making Dons one of the few domestic groups capable of bringing in a crowd large enough for that arena. The single “Tepat” (‘Here’) was nominated for Alfa’s Song of the Year and Top Radio Hits at the 2017 Latvian Music Recording Awards.

In 2017, he performed with the Riga Dome Choir School on the song “Zelta Kamanas” (‘Golden Sleigh’).

In February 2018, Dons released his seventh solo album, Namiņš. Kaste. Vārdi (‘Cottage. Box. Names’). He featured a variety of lyricists including himself, Ingus Bērziņš, Arnis Račinskis, Ģirts Rozentāls and Kaspars Ansons. The album featured some songs that were originally written in 2010 while in London. The fourth single from the album was “Salauzta Sirds” (‘A Broken Heart’), which was a collaboration with Ozols. That single won Top Radio Hit and Best Song at the 2019 Latvian Music Recording awards and the album was nominated for Best Pop Album.

In 2018, he played the lead role in the 30th anniversary production of the rock opera, Lāčplēsis, based on the Latvian national epic of the same name. Some people doubted his abilities to perform in the lead role, however, Igo who performed as lead in the original production noted after hearing his performance, “Dons has a very wide range of voices, he timbres his tone very masterfully. I have never had any doubts about him, because purely technically he is capable of very, very much. Probably even more than people know and can imagine. Therefore, I had no doubts and no question as to whether he could cope with this task.”

In 2020, he participated in a number of collaborations. He worked with 20 Latvian musicians to create the charity anthem, “Es zinu, Tu esi” to raise money for domestic violence victims. He released another song “Mans Eņģelis” (‘My Angel’) for the charity Angels over Latvia, which raised money to benefit children in need of medical care. He co-wrote Aminata Savadogo’s song “Nejauc man prātu” (‘Do not confuse me’). In response to the Latvian government lack of support for the cultural sector during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia, Dons and other leading Latvian musicians expressed their criticism with a video composition called “Klusums” (‘Silence’).

On 24 November 2020, Dons released his eighth solo album, Tūrists (‘Tourists’), which featured 10 songs from a total of 27 he had written. The lead single “Es Nāktu Mājās” (‘I Would Come Home’) became popular, winning Song of the Year at the 2019 Muzikālās Banka (‘Musical Bank’) and tying him for most ever with Prāta Vētra (Brainstorm). At the 2020 Latvian Music Recording Awards, it was nominated for Best Song and Song of the Year and won Best Video. His single “Tūrists” (‘Tourists’) was nominated for most valuable song during the 2020 Muzikālās Banka (‘Musical Bank’). The album won Best Pop Album at the 2021 Latvian Music Recording Awards.

2021–present: Universal Music signing, Supernova win. In March 2021, Dons participated in an open letter to the government that was signed by leading Latvian musicians, artists, writers and other creatives. In it, they criticized the government’s ongoing lack of support for copyright and compensation laws for their works when it came to data carriers. A few days later, he released the single “Piedošana” (‘Forgiveness’), teaming up with Intars Busulis and Prāta Vētra (Brainstorm) to perform it. Dons summarized the song as, “Forgiveness is an art we learn all our lives. Sometimes it seems like we’ve learned it, but new challenges come and we have to start all over again”. On 18 April 2021, he performed as a guest singer on Balss Maskā (‘Voice in a Mask’) as the Evening Star, singing “The Best” by Bonnie Tyler.

In August 2021, Dons announced he had signed with Universal Music. His first single with the new label was released on 16 September 2021 titled “Tas rakstīts debesīs (Piena ceļš)” (‘It’s Written in the Heavens (Milky Way)’). The song was cowritten with DJ Rudd (Rūdolfs Budze) and Aminata Savadogo about an admiration “of space, of infinity, of stars, about possibilities and probabilities”. It was nominated for three 2022 Latvian Music Recording Awards for Top Radio Hit, song of the year and ELVI song of the year and along with “Piedošana” (‘Forgiveness’), his collaboration with Prata Vetra and Intars Busulis, made the final 15 for most valuable song of the 2021 Muzikālā Banka (‘Musical Bank’). “Tas rakstīts debesīs (Piena ceļš)” (‘It’s Written in the Heavens (Milky Way)’) finished in third place and “Piedošana” (‘Forgiveness’) finished in seventh place during the 2021 Muzikālā Banka ( ’Musical Bank’) finals.

In February 2022, Dons released a new single, “Tavs pieskāriens” (‘Your touch’). He also announced a summer concert at the ruins of the Sigulda Castle. In May 2022, Dons collaborated with Latvian rapper rolands če on his next single, “Brīnišķīga diena” (lit. ’Wonderful Day’). At the 2022 Muzikālā Banka (‘Musical Bank’) finals, “Tavs pieskāriens” (‘Your touch’) finished in 7th place. At the 2023 Latvian Music Recording Awards known as the Zelta Mikrofons (‘Golden Microphones’), his single “Tavs pieskāriens” (‘Your touch’) was nominated for song of the year, video of the year, top radio hit and people’s choice for (ELVI) song of the year. His duet “Brīnišķīga diena” (‘Wonderful Day’) with rolands če was also nominated for top radio hit. “Tavs pieskāriens” (‘Your touch’) won song of the year and Top Radio Hit.

In anticipation of his next album, Dons released the single, “Divatā” (‘In Two’) in May 2023. The lyrics are by Latvian poet Marts Pujāts, who says, “There have always been forces of attraction and repulsion in relationships. The song ‘Divatā’ holds the hope that attraction will prevail, and two loving people will eventually be able to find their way to each other”. The single was nominated for ELVI Song of the Year and won Top Radio Hit at the 2024 Latvian Music Recording Awards. On 17 and 18 July 2023, Dons performed as Quasimodo in Zigmars Liepiņš’ operatic melodrama Parīzes Dievmātes katedrāle (‘Notre-Dame de Paris’) as part of the Jūrmala Festival. In September 2023, Dons released his next single “Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts” (‘Kingdom of Broken Spears’), inspired by the “times when you feel crushed and bent under the weight, the belief that time will heal and allow you to get back up can be the only thing that gives you strength”. The single won Most Valuable Song at the 2023 Muzikālās Banka (‘Musical Bank’) awards and its music video was nominated for Best Video at the 2024 Latvian Music Recording Awards. He also announced a stadium concert at Daugava Stadium taking place in August 2024 to promote his next album, Laiks (‘Time’).

In October 2023, Dons joined the Latvian music competition show Paaudžu duelis (‘Duel of Generations’) as the leader of the younger 2000s team. Contestants answered trivia questions and performed songs from the different music eras, with losers being sent home via fan votes.

In January 2024, Dons released “Hollow”, his first English-language single since 2013, with which he was selected to compete in Supernova 2024, Latvia’s national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. “Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts” (‘Kingdom of Broken Spears’) is the Latvian version of “Hollow”, which was written first. According to Dons, the songs are different from each other; Hollow is based on the relevant issue today of not following the crowds and staying true to oneself with Dons elaborating: “By the time we finished ‘Hollow’, we all felt inside that we had created something that made time stand still”. Dons advanced to the final of Supernova, where he convincingly won with 33,000 more audience votes than the runner-ups and placed first with the jury. In order to focus on his Eurovision preparations, Dons announced he was postponing the release of his next album, Laiks (‘Time’) from April to August 2024.

“The thing with the lyrics is that – you see, I mean one thing at other times, but the listener tells me that in him the lyrics have awakened something else. That’s also why I never again blurt out any meanings about lyrics. Everyone finds something of themselves in these lyrics. When, for example, we play the songs “Pāriet bailes” or “Dieviņš” or “Pēdējā vēstule” at concerts, and when you see a person singing along with tears in their eyes or with joy on their face, then you realize that the song is no longer mine. Then it is comparable to the pride of parents – when they are proud of their child, who has grown into a good person.”, Dons in June 2023.

Music style. Dons is known for playing only a few large shows for each tour, as he prefers that “each song has its own story, including my own. And the story is an experience. Maybe that’s why I don’t perform so often”. He has performed in Latvia’s largest arenas including the Palladium Riga, Arena Riga and the Daugava National Stadium. He lives in “two cycles – concerts or album recording” and when he is recording an album, he cannot perform live and vice versa.

Lyrics, song meanings. Dons is a long-time collaborator with lyricist Ingus Bērziņš, who he considers one of the best poets in Latvia. Bērziņš’ lyrics are sometimes criticized as making little sense: Normunds Vucāns of ParMuziku (an online magazine produced by Latvian Music Producers Association) writes, “Unfortunately, these thoughts are hidden behind such unsuccessful and illogical lyrics that the idea is absolutely not understood, and the question arises as to whether the author himself understands what he has created.“ However, Dons says he knows the meaning of all the lyrics, appreciating that Bērziņš is adventurous with his writings. In his later albums, Don began to write his own words instead of relying on Bērziņš, saying, “Recently, however, our cooperation has been less frequent, because I have started writing lyrics myself. In the past, maybe I didn’t have anything to say or I couldn’t say it, but now I have something to say. But now and then I send him my texts to read”. Dons has worked with other lyricists though and has no issues singing others’ lyrics as long as they fit his melodies.

Due to the popularity of some of his songs, he stated how he had to distance the personal origins of those songs from the listeners so that the music can “belong” to them, saying: “I have a song (“Kolekcionārs” ‘Collectors’, lyrics by Ingus Bērziņš based on John Fowles’ The Collector) on the album Lelle with a message written about tragic events. I remember once telling the true story at a concert and there was a terrible silence in the audience. Of course, later the audience came back to life, but in this little moment of silence, I saw that the audience is in tears, because the story of the song is really heavy. After this incident, I decided – no, with my private stories about songs, at least in concerts, it is better to slow down. So I say that everyone has the right to their own version and I have no right to interfere in this interpretation… Other times it’s cool to leave listeners with a subtext to the lyrics. And response, the listeners unravel exactly what I had in the song! Other times you will find out something like you had never looked at this song. Even an example with the same song “Kolekcionārs” ‘Collectors’ – it can be like a ballad of love. It can too! I didn’t see it that way, I saw a very gloomy scene, but people see something like that there. Not bad! I’m interested in new interpretations”.

Musical performances. Dons says about his music that the “thought is always the same – a story about emotions and feelings, a story about love and experience”. He says in his performances that his emotions are real, not an act; having taking no acting classes, he said, “I have to let it all in to get my emotions out”. An example of his acting skills is his performance in Zigmars Liepiņš’ popular musical theatre Adata where he performed in 33 of 70 performances and by the 20th performance, he would be in tears after the final song. A fellow actor in the musical advised him he was playing with “fire and blades” by deeply feeling the character he was portraying. He said he has turned down opportunities “because I’m afraid that I’ll lose myself or burn out.” For his music video of “Hollow”, journalists had noted his acting skills but Dons said, “When they tear my clothes and skin, it all happens for real. I heard that foreign journalists and reviewers commented on that acting – but it really hurt me, I’m not an actor. If I’m in pain, it looks like it”.

Personal life. When asked if there’s a difference between his stage personality and his private self, Dons said, “Not at all, Dons is maybe louder than Artūrs. Artūrs is quieter and calmer. I’d say they’re twin brothers. Artūrs is lazier than Dons, that’s the only difference. When there’s work to be done, Dons will always drive Artūrs to work”. Dons is avid about fitness, exercise and being an yoga practitioner. He is a fan of the National Basketball Association. He often travels around the world, having lived in London and the United States. He owns the Engure Café with Kaspars Roga, who is the drummer of Prāta Vētra (Brainstorm).

Dons was married to Lily (real name Linda Kalniņa), whom he met while as a contestant on the Latvian reality show Talantu Fabrikā (‘Talent Factory’). The two were married from 2009 until 2013. He is currently in a relationship with Madara Mālmane.

Discography.

Studio albums.

List of studio albums, with selected details

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		LAT
Viens otram (with Lily)	Released: 2004 Label: Platforma Records Formats: Physical	*
Lights On	Released: 15 August 2006 Label: Platforma Records Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming
Lelle	Released: 19 June 2008 Label: Platforma Records Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming
Signāls	Released: 20 May 2013 Label: Platforma Records Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming
Varanasi	Released: 13 February 2014 Label: DonsMusic Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming
Sibīrija	Released: 18 February 2015 Label: DonsMusic Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming
Tepat	Released: 14 October 2016 Label: DonsMusic Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming
Namiņš. Kaste. Vārdi	Released: 14 February 2018 Label: DonsMusic Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	13
Tūrists	Released: 24 November 2020 Label: DonsMusic Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	—
Laiks	Scheduled release: August 2024 Label: Universal Music Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	—
“—” denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. “*” denotes that the chart did not exist at that time.

Singles.

Charted singles.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions			Album or EP
		LAT	LAT Air.	LAT Dom. Air.
“Salauzta sirds“ (featuring Ozols)	2018	2	—	—	Namiņš. Kaste. Vārdi
“Ludzu vel neaizej“	2019	18	—	—	Non-album single
“Divatā“	2023	—	7	1	Laiks
“Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts“		15	15	1
“Hollow”	2024	7	—[A]	—[B]
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other singles.

Title	Year	Album or EP
“Just For You.	2003	Viens otram (with Lily)
“Viss jau ir bijis“
“Dzeltens klavesīns“	2004
“Ja es būtu vējš“
“Once In My Lifetime”
“Soul Inqisition”
“Aizver dienu“	2005	Non-album single
“Good Morning My Love“		Zingo hiti 2005
“Just For You“	2006	Lights On
“Lights Out”
“Mr. Greene”
“When Love Turns To Pain”
“American Lovebite”
“Vēl nav tik vēls“		Latviešu Rokmūzikas Izlase
“Tukšums“	2007	Lelle
“Kolekcionārs“
“Ja Tu man esi“
“Leila“	2008
“Mans eņģelis“	2009	Non-album single
“My Religion is Freedom”	2010
“Signāls“	2012	Signāls
“Māsa upe“	2013
“Darling, Darling” (English version of Māsa upe)
“Par Zilo Kleitu“
“Pēdējā vēstule“	2014	Varanasi
“Atblide“
“Tev piedzims bērns“
“Pāriet Bailes“
“Medus Pods“	2015	Sibīrija
“Pašā Ielas Galā“
“Dieviņš“
“Vilks“
“Pastnieks“	2016	Tepat
“Tepat“
“Tev pieder rīts“	2017
“Zelta kamanas“		Non-album single
“Pa ceļam“		Namiņš. Kaste. Vārdi
“Varenliels“
“Namiņš“	2018
“Es nāktu mājās“	2019	Tūrists
“Ilgoties man nesanāk“	2020
“Tūrists“
“Mans enģelis“		Non-album singles
“Piedošana“ (with Prāta Vētra and Intars Busulis)	2021
“Tas rakstīts debesīs (Piena ceļš)“
“Tavs pieskāriens“	2022
“Brīnišķīga diena“ (with Rolands Če

Filmography.

Concert tour videos.

Year	Title (information)
2014	Koncertieraksts Dons Varanasi DVD release: May 29, 2014 Nominated for Best Concert Video at the 2014 Latvian Music Recording Awards
2017	Dons. Tepat. Koncerts arēnā Rīga DVD release: July 6, 2017 Won Best Concert Video at the 2018 Latvian Music Recording Awards

Film/television.

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2003	Talantu Fabrika (lit. ’Talent Factory’)	Reality Show Contestant	Participant
2009	1000 jūdzes Indijā (lit. ’1000 miles in India’)	Participate/host
2013	Frozen (Latvian adaptation)	Olaf	Voice actor
2013	Jaunā Talantu Fabrika (lit. ’New Talent Factory’)	Judge
2015	Supernova	Judge for Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015
2017	Supernova	Judge for Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017
2023	Paaudžu duelis (‘Duel of Generations’)	Team leader
2023	Gudrs, vēl gudrāks (‘Smart, Even Smarter’)	Celebrity contestant

Theater.

Year	Title	Role	Venue
2007	Adata	Singer	Latvian National Theatre
2018	Lāčplēsis	Lead role (Lāčplēsis)	Arēna Rīga

Awards. The Annual Latvian Music Recording Awards (equivalent to the Grammy awards) presents the Zelta Mikrofons (‘Golden Microphones’) awards to the best music recordings of all genres from the previous year, which are evaluated by a professional jury. In 2016, due to the decision of Latvian Music Producers Association members, the title of the award was changed to the year in which the relevant ceremony is held therefore no awards were listed using this year. The Top Radio Hits award is given to the song that has received most annual airplay and reflects the most popular song that year: Dons has won this award a total of eight times from 18 nominations. He has won Best Pop Album twice from five nominations for Varanasi (2014) and Tūrists (‘Tourists’, 2020). He has won Best Rock Album once from two nominations with Lelle (2008) and has been nominated once for Best Pop-Rock Album.

Latvijas Radio presents the annual Muzikālās Banka (‘Musical Bank’) award to the most valuable pop and rock song, which is selected based on audience votes and evaluation by a professional jury. Dons has won this award a total of five times.

Year	Nominated work	Category	Award	Result	Notes	Ref.
2003	“Just For You”	Top Radio Hit	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Nominated	duet as Dons & Lily
2004	“Ja es būtu vējš” (‘If I Were The Wind’)	Top Radio Hit	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Nominated
2006	Lights On	Best Rock Album	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Nominated
	“Lights Out”	Best Rock Song		Nominated
2007	“Tukšums” (‘Emptiness’)	Best Rock Song	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Nominated
	“Ja Tu Man Esi” (‘If You Are Me’)	Top Radio Hit		Nominated
2008	Lelle	Best Rock Album	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Won
2012	“Signāls”	Top Radio Hit	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Won
		Song of the Year	Muzikālās Banka (lit. ’Musical Bank’)	Won
2013	Signāls	Best Pop-Rock Album	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Nominated
	“Darling, Darling”	Video of the Year		Nominated
	“Signāls”	Top Radio Hit		Won
	“Māsa upe” (‘Sister River’)			Nominated
	“Pēdējā Vēstule” (‘Last Letter’)	Best Song		Won
		Alfa’s Song of the Year		Won
		Song of the Year	Muzikālās Banka (lit. ’Musical Bank’)	Won
2014	Varanasi	Best Pop Album	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Won
		Best Concert Video		Nominated
	“Medus Pods” (‘Honey Pot’)	Best Video		Nominated
	“Tev Piedzims Bērns” (‘Child Born to You’)			Nominated
		Song of the Year		Won
	“Medus Pods” (‘Honey Pot’)			Nominated
	“Pāriet Bailes” (‘Fear Goes Away’)	Top Radio Hit		Won
		Alfa’s Song of the Year		Nominated
		Song of the Year	Muzikālās Banka (lit. ’Musical Bank’)	Won
2015	Sibīrija	Best Pop Album	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Nominated
	“Dieviņš” (‘God’)	Alfa’s Song of the Year		Nominated
		Top Radio Hit		Won
	“Pašā Ielas Galā” (‘At the Very End of the Street’)			Nominated
		Best Video		Won
	“Pašā Ielas Galā” (‘At the Very End of the Street’)	Best Song		Nominated
	“Dieviņš” (‘God’)			Nominated
2017	“Tepat” (‘Here’)	Alfa’s Song of the Year	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Nominated
		Top Radio Hit		Nominated
	“Pastnieks” (‘Postman’)			Nominated
	Tepat (‘Here’)	Best Pop Album		Nominated
	Tepat (‘Here’)	Best Album Art		Won
2018	“Pa ceļam” (‘Along the Way’)	Top Radio Hit	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Won
		Alfa’s Song of the Year		Nominated
		Best Song		Nominated
	Tepat (‘Here’)	Best Concert Video		Won
2019	“Salauzta Sirds” (‘A Broken Heart’) (featuring Ozols)	Top Radio Hit	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Won
		Song of the Year		Nominated
		Best Song		Won
	Namiņš. Kaste. Vārdi (‘Cottage. Box. Names’)	Best Pop Album		Nominated
	“Es Nāktu Mājās” (‘I Would Come Home’)	Song of the Year	Muzikālās Banka (lit. ’Musical Bank’)	Won
2020	“Es Nāktu Mājās” (‘I Would Come Home’)	Best Video	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Won
		Song of the Year		Nominated
		Best Song		Nominated
	“Tūrists” (‘Tourists’)	Song of the Year	Muzikālās Banka (lit. ’Musical Bank’)	Nominated
2021	Tūrists (‘Tourists’)	Best Pop Album	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Won
	“Tūrists” (‘Tourists’)	Elektrum Song of the Year		Nominated
	“Ilgoties man nesanāk” (‘I Can’t Wait’)	Top Radio Hit		Nominated
	“Tas rakstīts debesīs (Piena ceļš)” (‘It’s Written in the Heavens (Milky Way)’)	Song of the Year	Muzikālās Banka (lit. ’Musical Bank’)	Nominated
	“Piedošana” (‘Forgiveness’)			Nominated	Collaboration with Intars Busulis and Prāta Vētra
2022	“Tas rakstīts debesīs (Piena ceļš)” (‘It’s Written in the Heavens (Milky Way)’)	Song of the Year	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Nominated
		ELVI Song of the Year		Nominated
		Top Radio Hit		Nominated
	“Tavs pieskāriens” (‘Your touch’)	Song of the Year	Muzikālās Banka (lit. ’Musical Bank’)	Nominated
2023	“Tavs pieskāriens” (‘Your touch’)	Song of the Year	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Won
		ELVI Song of the Year		Nominated
		Best Video		Nominated
		Top Radio Hit		Won
	“Brīnišķīga diena” (‘Wonderful Day’)	Top Radio Hit		Nominated	Collaboration with rolands če
	“Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts” (‘Kingdom of Broken Spears’)	Song of the Year	Muzikālās Banka (lit. ’Musical Bank’)	Won
2024	“Divatā” (‘In Two’)	ELVI Song of the Year	Latvian Music Recording Awards	Nominated
		Top Radio Hit		Won
	“Lauzto šķēpu karaļvalsts” (‘Kingdom of Broken Spears’)	Best Video		Nominated

• Selected song: “Hollow” is a song by Latvian singer-songwriter Dons. Self-described as a song that speaks about how one’s inner insecurities can hold someone down, the song was written by Artūrs Šingirejs, Kate Northrop, and Liam Geddes. The song was released on 2 January 2024 by Universal. It is set to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, which will be held in Malmö, Sweden.

Background and composition. “Hollow” was written and composed by Artūrs Šingirejs, Kate Northrop, and Liam Geddes. In interviews with Wiwibloggs’ William Lee Adams, Šingirejs says that the song explores how one’s “insecurities can hold us hostage”, with others trying to dictate on how a person should live. Šingirejs compares the culmination of pressures as “a big ball of weight” on someone, with the only situation on removing said weight is finding hope.

The song was released on 2 January 2024, with the song being speculated to enter Supernova 2024, the Latvian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The song was officially announced as an entrant seven days later.

Eurovision Song Contest. 

Supernova 2024. Latvia’s broadcaster Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) organized a 15-entry competition, Supernova 2024, to select its entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The contest was the ninth edition of the national final. The contest was split into two rounds: all 15 songs competed in the semi-final where the top 10 songs advanced into a grand final. In the final, the winner was selected by a 50/50 vote of juries and televoting.

The song was officially announced as an entrant for the competition on 9 January 2024. It was drawn to perform 11th in the semi-final on 3 February, where it qualified to the grand final. At the end of the final on 10 February, the song was announced to have won both the televote and the jury vote, winning the competition. As a result of winning the competition, the song won rights to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Latvia was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Charts.

Chart performance for “Hollow”

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Latvia (LAIPA)	7
Latvia Domestic Streaming (LAIPA)	1

Release history.

Release history and formats for “Hollow”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	2 January 2024	Digital download, streaming	Universal Music Oy

Lyrics of Hollow (English)

🇸🇲 San Marino: MEGARA – “11:11” (Roberto La Lueta Ruíz / Sara Jiménez Moral – Isra Dante Ramos Solomando / Roberto La Lueta Ruíz / Sara Jiménez Moral) 

More than a band, MEGARA is a concept! Rock, pop, metal, electronic – whatever! These guys play with all kinds of musical genres, forgetting about prejudices and labels. The band embraces inclusivity, and within their act there is space for spikes, headbanging and fire, but also for dancers, unicorns and candy. There’s room for everybody! They released their very first EP Muérase Qué Puede in 2015, and one year later they put out their debut album Siete. Since then, three more albums have followed, with Truco o Trato being the most recent one in late 2022. After competing in Spain’s Eurovision pre-selection Benidorm Fest 2023 and finishing in 4th place, the band has one year on achieved its dream of taking to the Eurovision Song Contest stage, this time representing San Marino.

• Selected entrant: Megara is a Spanish rock band formed in Madrid in 2015, currently consisting of Kenzy Loevett, Vitti Crocutta, Tio Rober Bueno, and Raphaela Tache. They are set to represent San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “11:11”.

History. Megara was formed in Madrid in 2015 by guitarist Rober and vocalist Kenzy. That same year, the band released their debut EP Muérase quien pueda. In 2016, they released Siete, their first studio album. After the publication of their second studio album Aquí estamos todos locos in 2018, the band began rising in popularity, making their debut appearances at Download Festival and Resurrection Fest in 2019.

Benidorm Fest (2023). In 2023, the band participated in Benidorm Fest 2023, the Spanish preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song “Arcadia”. They finished fourth in the first semi-final on 31 January 2023, qualifying for the final, where they finished in fourth overall. That same year, they announced that they would be the supporting act on the Spanish leg of Babymetal’s World Tour.

Eurovision Song Contest (2024). In 2024, the band participated in the Sammarinese preselection Una Voce per San Marino 2024 with the song “11:11”. The song was originally intended to compete in Benidorm Fest 2024, but was not selected by broadcaster RTVE.^[7] To comply with Sammarinese selection regulations, verses in the Italian language were added. They competed in the second semi-final, and, after qualifying to the second chance round on 23 February 2024, advanced to the final. They were declared the winners of the competition by a five-member professional jury, and are thus set to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Musical style. The band have coined their musical style as “fucksia rock”, a combination of electronic, dance and rock genres. The band stated that they coined the term out of disdain of being put into one genre, with Rober Bueno stating in an interview, “we didn’t see ourselves pigeonholed into any [genres]… encompasses several styles. We like pop or rock and we express our tastes in our songs. And it has a mix of all that”. In another interview, the band described their music as “the perfect mix between the sinister and cotton candy”.

Discography.

Studio albums.

Title	Details
Siete	Released: 23 May 2016 Label: On Fire Records / JBC Music Formats: Digital download, streaming
Aquí todos estamos locos	Released: 15 January 2018 Label: On Fire Records / JBC Music Formats: Digital download, streaming
Truco o trato	Released: 28 October 2022 Label: On Fire Records / JBC Music Formats: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays.

Title	Details
Muérase quien pueda	Released: 1 July 2015 Label: On Fire Records / JBC Music Formats: Digital download, streaming
Truco o trato (Capítulo I)	Released: 1 March 2021 Label: On Fire Records / JBC Music Formats: Digital download, streaming
Pink Side	Released: 29 March 2021 Label: On Fire Records / JBC Music Formats: Digital download, streaming
Truco o trato (Capítulo II)	Released: 13 May 2022 Label: On Fire Records / JBC Music Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles.

As lead artist.

Title	Year	Album or EP
“Truco o trato“	2020	Truco o trato
“Ni contigo ni sin ti“	2021
“Náufrago“		Mester de Juglaría
“Medusa”	2022	Truco o trato
“Estanque de tormentas“
“Hocus Pocus”
“Arcadia“
“11:11”	2024	Non-album single

As featured artist.

Title	Year	Album or EP
“Geometría universal“ (Arcano Boreal featuring Megara)	2022	Atlas

• Selected song: “11:11” is a song by Spanish alternative rock band Megara. It was written and produced by Issa Dante Ramos Solomando, Roberto la Lueta Ruiz, and Sara Jiménez Moral. The song was released on 15 February 2024 by Indica Entertainment. “11:11” is set to be the Sammarinese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, to be held in Malmö, Sweden.

Background and composition. “11:11” was produced by Issa Dante Ramos Solomando, and written and composed by Roberto la Lueta Ruiz and Sara Jiménez Moral. In a press release, the band stated that the song was written over the course of a “few days” with the intent of doing something that the band had never musically composed before. The song’s title itself relates to an “angel number” tied to “spiritual awakening, self-awareness, and personal growth”. In analyses by ESC Kompakt and Wiwibloggs, it is described as a rock song that has “hints” of flamenco guitar. The song itself is inspired by the band’s experiences, telling its detractors in a “fuck off message”, particularly by including the phrase “me la pela” (transl. I don’t give a fuck), that despite trying to break their hearts, they will still be loved by others.

The band previously made bids to enter the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 and 2023 to represent Spain; both were unsuccessful. According to the band, the band initially entered Benidorm Fest 2024 but weren’t chosen. In a last-ditch attempt, the band decided to enter Una Voce per San Marino 2024 for a chance to win a bid for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Music video and promotion. An accompanying music video for the song was released on 21 February 2024, with the video being directed by Javier Bragada. The video features the group in an office space perform in front of two executives, with the band eventually tying and gagging the executives.

To further promote the song, the band announced their intentions to participate in various Eurovision pre-parties, including the Nordic Eurovision Party 2024, the London Eurovision Party 2024, the Barcelona Eurovision Party 2024, and Pre-Party ES 2024.

Eurovision Song Contest. 

Una voce per San Marino 2024. San Marino’s broadcaster San Marino RTV (SMRTV) organized a 129-entry competition, Una voce per San Marino2024, to select its entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The competition consisted of four 30 or 31-song semi-finals for foreign artists, a separate semi-final for Sanmarinese artists, and another separate semi-final composed entirely of AI-generated songs. In each of the six semi-finals, one entry qualified directly to the grand final. In the four foreign entry semi-finals, four songs advanced to a second chance round. In the second chance round, four songs directly advanced to a 17-song grand final, where a further eight entries that qualified automatically to the grand final were added. In the final, the winner was chosen solely by juries.

Megara were officially announced as participants in the competition on 30 January 2024. They were drawn to perform 23rd in the second foreign entry semi-final, and qualified to the second chance round. They were able to qualify to the grand final from the second chance round, and were later drawn to perform 17th in the grand final. When the results were announced at the end of the competition, the song was announced to have won, therefore giving the song the rights to represent San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, San Marino was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Megara was later drawn to perform tenth in the semi-final, ahead of Latvia’s Dons and behind Georgia’s Nutsa Buzaladze.

Release history.

Release history and formats for “11:11”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	15 February 2024	Digital download, streaming	Indica Entertainment

Lyrics of 11:11 (Spanish / English Ι English)

🇬🇪 Georgia: Nutsa Buzladze (ნუცა ბუზალაძე) – “Firefighter” (Ada Satka / Darko Dimitrov – Ada Satka / Darko Dimitrov)

This international songstress from Tbilisi has participated in (and won) many different song contests over her career. Achievements include a top 12 finish at American Idol in 2023, where she performed a duet with Kylie Minogue on her classic track “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”. In 2019, Nutsa released her debut album under the name Nutsa22, covering not only Georgian songs but also compositions in English. But it was Gelodebi that became her breakout hit, leading her to tour the country with a live band. Nutsa describes herself as a self-motivated, active, energetic girl who is a real hard worker and at times even something of a workaholic, though always ensuring that she loves whatever she is doing.

• Selected entrant: Nutsa Buzaladze (ნუცა ბუზალაძე; born 28 January 1997; age 27; Tbilisi, Georgia), sometimes known mononymously as Nutsa, is a Georgian singer and songwriter. She is set to represent Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Firefighter”.

Early and personal life. Buzaladze was born in Tbilisi but grew up in Turkey. Since the age of 5, she performed as part of a children’s group, and was later the lead vocalist and guitarist of another ensemble. She began taking piano lessons at the age of 8.

Buzaladze has lived in Los Angeles, where she gained musical experience, and Dubai, which is her permanent residence as of 2024.

Career. Buzaladze began her solo career in 2011, when she competed in Georgia’s Got Talent. In 2014, she garnered international attention as she represented Georgia in the New Wave Music Festival held in Jūrmala, Latvia, which she won. During the following years, she competed in The Voice of Turkey, Two Stars Georgia and the Georgian versions of Your Face Sounds Familiar and Dancing with the Stars. She has collaborated with Turkish singer Hadise, who also acted as her coach in The Voice of Turkey.

In 2017, Buzaladze released the song “White Horses Run”, with which she placed second in the Georgian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. In 2019, Buzaladze released her debut album Nutsa22, containing covers of Georgian songs and original English-language compositions; this was followed by her breakthrough hit “Gelodebi“. Shortly after, she released a successful single in Russia.

In 2020 and 2021, she took part in All Together Now Russia. She performed at the Expo 2020 in Dubai, as well as at the Dubai National Theatre and the Dubai Opera. She competed in the “International Artists” category in the Albanian song competition Kënga Magjike 2021, where she came second. She participated in the 21st season of American Idol in 2023, credited mononymously as Nutsa, finishing in the top 12.

On 12 January 2024, she was announced as the Georgian representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden. Her song was later revealed to be titled “Firefighter” was released on 11 March 2024.

Discography. 

Extended plays.

Title	Details
Nutsa22	Released: 1 May 2019 Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles]

Title	Year	Album or EP
“White Horses Run”	2017	Nutsa22
“Nu mousmen“	2019	Non-album singles
“Ertad gvinda“
“Gelodebi“
“Guls rom ukvarde“
“Tetri ghame“	2020
“Gatendes“	2021
“Net“
“We Are One”
“Sul es aris“
“You Broke My Heart”
“Let U Go”	2022
“Alive”	2023
“L.O.V.E”
“Firefighter”	2024

• Selected song: “Firefighter” is a song by Georgian singer Nutsa Buzaladze, released on 11 March 2024 by Stop Talking. Written by Ada Skitka and Darko Dimitrov, it is set to represent Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background. “Firefighter” was written by Ada Skitka and Darko Dimitrov. On March 6, the song’s title, “Firefighter”, was announced, with the song officially releasing five days later. Along with the song’s release, an accompanying music video directed by Zaza Orashvili was released.

Eurovision Song Contest. 

Internal selection. Georgia’s broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), confirmed its intentions to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 15 September 2023. Buzaladze was later announced as the country’s representative on 12 January 2024, with the songwriting process starting the next day. By mid-February, songwriter Darko Dimitrov was announced to have joined for what would be the song that Buzaladze would sing at the contest.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Georgia was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Release history.

Release history and format for “Firefighter”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	11 March 2024	Digital download streaming	Stop Talking Music Group

Lyrics of Firefighter (English)

🇧🇪 Belgium: Mustii (Thomas Michel Mustin) – “Before the Party’s Over” (Arianna D’Amato / Charlotte Anne Clark / Mustii / Pierre Dumoulin / Nina Sampermans – Ben Leclercq / Mustii / Pierre Dumoulin)

With two successful albums under his belt, this flamboyant performer is no stranger to Belgian audiences. Thomas Mustin is an author, composer, singer and actor, known for a plethora of roles in theatre, television and Netflix productions, including popular Belgian series La Trêve and feature films including Grave, Un Petit Boulot and L’Echange des Princesses. In 2017, he landed a lead role alongside Mathilde Seigner in the French TV film Je Voulais Juste Rentrer Chez Moi, in which he played the infamous Patrick Dils, before playing Hamlet in 2019 under the direction of Emmanuel Dekoninck. This year is set to be his busiest yet as not only will he represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden, but he’ll also return as a permanent judge on Drag Race Belgique (Season 2) and star in Michiel Blanchart’s next film La nuit se traîne alongside Romain Duris.

• Selected entrant: Thomas Michel Mustin (born 21 November 1990; age 33; Brussels, Belgium), better known by his stage name Mustii, is a Belgian actor, singer and songwriter. As part of his career he has released two albums 21st Century Boy and It’s Happening Now, which have both peaked inside the top ten of the Belgian Albums Charts. He is also known for being a judge on Drag Race Belgique.

Mustin is set to represent Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden, with the song “Before the Party’s Over”.

Career. Mustin finished his studies in the theater at the Institut des Arts de Diffusion (Louvain-la-Neuve) in 2012 and began to shoot for a French television series named À tort ou à raison, directed by Alain Brunard. He also performed on stage as Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, directed by Yves Beaunesne. The play notably opened the new Théâtre de Liège.

He then embarked on the staging of the play Débris by Dennis Kelly, performed in November and December 2014 at the Riches-Claires in Brussels.

In early 2015, he took part in the revival of the show L’Auberge du Cheval-Blanc, directed by Dominique Serron at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi and the Royal Opera of Wallonia. He then starred in two films and a television series. In the first film, he played alongside Romain Duris and Gustave Kervern in the French film, Odd Job (2016), directed by Pascal Chaumeil. In the second film, he starred alongside Fabrizio Rongione in Les Survivors, directed by Luc Jabon. In the television series, The Break (directed by Matthieu Donck), he plays the role of Kevin. The series was a great success in Belgium.

In 2014, Mustin signed a contract with Kid Noize’s label, Black Gizah Record. His first single, “The Golden Age”, was quickly broadcast on many Belgian radio stations in Flanders and Wallonia.

In December 2016, he was nominated six times at the D6bels Music Awards in the following categories: Male Solo Artist, Concert, Pure FM Artist/Group, Revelation, Music Video, and Songwriter. He leaves with the trophy for Revelation of the Year. On February 2, 2019, he received the Magritte Award for Most Promising Actor for the film The Royal Exchange. In September 2019, he was nominated at the Prix de la critique in the following category Male Revelation (Espoir masculin).

On 30 August 2023, it was announced that he will be representing Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden. His entry, titled “Before the Party’s Over”, was released on 20 February 2024.

Discography.

Mustii discography
Studio albums	2
EPs	1
Singles	8

Studio albums.

List of studio album(s), with selected chart positions and details

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		BEL (Wa)
21st Century Boy	Released: 19 October 2018 Label: Warner Music Belgium Formats: Digital download, streaming	5
It’s Happening Now	Released: 21 January 2022 Label: Warner Music Belgium Formats: Digital download, streaming	4

Extended plays.

List of extended play(s), with selected details

Title	EP details
The Golden Age	Released: 2015 Label: Black Gizah Records Formats: Digital download, streaming
The Darkest Night	Released: 12 February 2016 Label: Black Gizah Records Formats: Digital download, streaming
Shame – Remixes	Released: 30 December 2022 Label: Warner Music Benelux Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles.

As lead artist.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Album
		BEL (Wa)	BEL (Fl)
“The Golden Age”	2014	—[A]	—[B]	The Golden Age
“Feed Me”	2015	—[C]	—	The Darkest Night
“21st Century Boy”	2018	9	—	21st Century Boy
“What a Day”		24	—[D]
“Blind”		11	—
“Time Is Up” (with Brut)	2020	—[E]	—	Non-album single
“Skyline”	2022	17	—	It’s Happening Now
“Before the Party’s Over”	2024	19	10	Non-album single
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist.

Title	Year	Album
“See You Again” (Evernest featuring Mustii)	2016	Static
“What About Ecosystem?” (Mumiy Troll featuring Mustii)	2021	Ecosystem

Notes.

• Selected song: “Before the Party’s Over” is a song by Belgian singer and actor Mustii. The song was released on 20 February 2024 by PIAS Recordings, and is set to represent Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, in Malmö, Sweden.

Background and composition. “Before the Party’s Over” was composed by Pierre Dumoulin, Benoit Leclercq, and Thomas Mustin, and written by Mustin, Nina Sampermans, Arianna D’amato, Alloysius Lloyd, and Charlotte Clark. In interviews, Mustin stated a desire to maintain an evolution of his musical style with the song, trying to change his style to become “pop with a dark edge”. He also stated desires of displaying his true nature and a sense of flamboyance within the song. The song also features a chorus made from recordings of fan submissions that opened in January 2024.

Mustin was announced as Belgium’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 30 August 2023, with a projected release date of his song for the contest being slated for sometime in February. The day before the song premiered, Mustin announced the official song title. The song officially premiered on 20 February on the radio programme Le 8/9 on VivaCité; however, it was leaked two days earlier on Belgian radio station Tipik, which played the song in its entirety by accident.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Internal selection. Belgium’s broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest on even-numbered years, Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française (RTBF), announced its intent to participate in the 2024 contest on 16 August 2023. 14 days later, Mustin was announced as the country’s representative for the contest, with the song scheduled to come out sometime in February 2024. The song officially premiered on 20 February.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Belgium was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Charts.

Chart performance for “Before the Party’s Over”

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)	19

Release history.

Release history and formats for “Before the Party’s Over”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	20 February 2024	Digital download, streaming	PIAS

Lyrics of Before the Party’s Over (English)

🇪🇪 Estonia: 5MIINUST & Puuluup – “(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” (We (sure) know nothing about (these) drugs) (5MIINUST / Marko Veisson / Ramo Teder – 5MIINUST / Kim Wennerström / Marko Veisson / Ramo Teder)

The pairing of 5MIINUST x Puuluup is a wildly eclectic collaboration. The former has been a dominating force in pop music in Estonia over the last 6 years and the latter is an award-winning internationally active zombie-folk (if you were to ask them) duo. Regardless of the perceived differences between genres, the extremes of both acts’ music blend together seamlessly. 5MIINUST regard themselves as bringing the firepower to the collaboration, with plenty of bass. Puuluup, meanwhile, contribute some extremely rare wooden lyra (Talharpa) melodies with which to offer to the world a totally fresh soundscape. 

• Selected entrant: 

.5miinust (stylized in all caps; pronounced viis miinust, Estonian for ‘five minuses’) is an Estonian hip hop group formed in Võsu in 2015. The members of the group are Kristjan Jakobson (pseudonym “Estoni Kohver”^[a] or simply “Kohver”), Mihkel Tamm (“Päevakoer”),^[b] Karl Kivastik (“Põhja-Korea”^[c] or simply “Korea”), and Priit Tomson (“Lancelot”). They were originally joined by a fifth member, Pavel Botšarov (“Venelane”),^[d] who left the group in 2023, starting a solo career under the pseudonym Gameboy Tetris.

5miinust are set to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 alongside Puuluup with “(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi“.

Founded in Võsu in Lääne-Viru County, 5miinust rose to prominence in 2018, the year in which both studio albums “Aasta plaat” and “Rämmar”, released in 2016 and 2017 respectively through Legendaarne Records, charted in the top twenty of the best-selling albums chart nationally, making them two of the 18 most successful albums in 2018. The following year they recorded the single “Aluspükse” with Nublu, which spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the Eesti Tipp-40, becoming the 3rd best-selling song in Estonia for 2019.^[9] Also in the same year they were signed to the Baltic branch of Universal Music Group, a label through which they released the following singles, “Paaristõuked”, “Peo lõpp” and “Loodus ja hobused”, all three number one in the Eesti Tipp-40.

As part of the Estonian Music Awards, the Estonian music industry’s main awards, they have won in the Artist of the Year category on two occasions, as well as receiving two additional nominations.

In November 2023, 5miinust and Puuluup were announced as one of the semi-finalists of Eesti Laul 2024, the Estonian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, with the song “(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi”. They qualified for the final during the first round of the semi-final. They ultimately won the final and will represent Estonia at the contest.

Discography.

Studio albums.

List of studio albums, with selected details

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		EST
Korralik Saavutus – Aasta Plaat	Released: 10 August 2016 Label: Legendaarne Records Formats: Digital download, streaming	16
Rämmar	Released: 1 May 2017 Label: Legendaarne Records Formats: Digital download, streaming	12

Collaborative albums.

List of albums, with selected details

Title	Details
Kannatused ehk külakiigel pole stopperit (with Puuluup)	Released: 26 April 2024 Label: Universal Music Oy Formats: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays.

List of EPs, with selected details

Title	Details
Niid for Spiid	Released: 23 April 2018 Label: Legendaarne Records Formats: Digital download, streaming
Kõik on süüdi	Released: 30 November 2021 Label: Universal Music Oy Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles.

As lead artist.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album or EP
		EST
“Erootika pood“	2017	2	Non-album singles
“Võlg“ (featuring Tigran and 372)	2018	14
“Jõul“ (featuring Sass Henno)		6
“Aitäh“ (featuring Sass Henno)		4
“Tsirkus“ (with Nublu and Pluuto [et])	2019	1
“Lendan“ (featuring Orelipoiss)		—
“Tasuta“		15
“Aluspükse“ (with Nublu)		1
“Paaristõuked“ (with Villemdrillem [et])		1
“Peo lõpp“	2020	1
“Loodus ja hobused“ (featuring Hendrik Sal-Saller)		1
“Gloria”	2021	*
“Buffalo”
“Koptereid“			Kõik on süüdi
“Vamos“	2022		Non-album singles
“Kõrvetab“ (with Nublu and Nexus)	2023
“Kallab“ (with Nublu and Elina Born)
“(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi“ (with Puuluup)			Kannatused ehk külakiigel pole stopperit
“—” denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. “*” denotes that the chart did not exist at that time.

As featured artist.

Title	Year	Album or EP
“Nii või naa (Neljas öö Remix)” (Jüri Pootsmann featuring 5miinust and Sass Henno)	2016	Non-album single
“Viskit 2018“ (Öökülm featuring 5miinust, Genka, Napoleon, and Contra)	2018	Viskit

Other charted songs.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album or EP
		EST
“Fuuria“ (featuring Genka, Jalgpalluri Tütar, and Kuera)	2016	12	Korralik Saavutus – Aasta Plaat
“K2lifaat“ (featuring Genka, Cool D, Vana Yoss, and Beebilõust)		15
“Kuum“		13
“Karussell“	2017	4	Rämmar
“Naabrid“		6
“Deliirium“		20
“Skittles”		30
“Pohmakas“	2018	22	Niid for Spiid
“Anna vett“		20
“Trenažöör“ (featuring Sass Henno and Jozels)		1
“Keti lõpp“ (featuring Reket)		8

Footnotes.

• Selected song: “(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” ( We (sure) know nothing about (these) drugs) is a collaborative song by Estonian hip hop group 5miinust and Estonian folk duo Puuluup, released on 8 December 2023 by Universal Music Oy. Self-described as a song that was inspired by a comment that a band member made about drugs during a car trip, it was written by members of both groups. The song is set to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Background and composition. “(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” was composed by the members of Puuluup: Marko Veisson and Ramo Teder, and was written by the members of 5miinust: Estoni Kohver, Päevakoer, Põhja-Korea, and Lancelot, along with Kim Wennerström. According to Veisson and Korea, the song was inspired by a journey that the two took. While on the journey, Veisson reportedly told Korea that he did not “know anything about [Korea’s] drugs”. In an analysis by poet Joonas Veelmaa, Veelmaa claims that the song is trying to “disprove some kind of myth”, reinforcing that the person listening to the song is not a drug addict.

In another analysis by Wiwibloggs’ Lucy Percy, they claimed that in the song’s beginning, the duo is raided in a police drug sting. According to Percy, they deny that they are drug addicts because the duo isn’t wealthy, and thus can’t buy drugs; albeit, they drink IPAs and wear sunglasses to hide their pupils. Percy later wrote that the mention of the duo being poor “hints at how wealth can impact the way police perceive people… because they’re poor, they need to defend themselves and deny everything. Or it could just be a glorious piece of intelligent humour.”

The two groups were officially announced to compete in Eesti Laul 2024 on 6 November 2023. The song, along with an accompanying music video, officially premiered on Eesti Rahvusringhääling’s digital app on 8 December. The song was later performed live for the first time on 23 December. After the song’s victory in Eesti Laul 2024, Kohver stated plans to change the lyrics of the song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Eesti Laul 2024. Estonia’s broadcaster Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR) organized a 20-entry competition, Eesti Laul 2024, the sixteenth iteration of the national final. It consisted of a semi-final held on 20 January 2024, which separated into two rounds and later culminated into a grand final to select its entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The semi-final featured 15 entries, and in the first round, the top three, selected by a 50/50 vote of televote and juries, earned a berth in the grand final with five other automatic grand final entrants. In the second round, the remaining 12 songs competed for two spots that was selected by televoting. The winner of the ten-song final was selected similarly; a 50/50 vote of televote and juries selected the top three to move into a superfinal, and a televote determined the overall winner of the contest. 

“(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi” was announced to compete in the contest on 6 November 2023. The song was later drawn to perform first in the semi-final. The song qualified in the first round, and was later drawn to perform ninth in the final that took place on 17 February. In the grand final, they were able to advance to the superfinal and later won the superfinal with 26,422 votes, over double more than the second-place finisher. As a result, the song won the rights to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

In March 2024, it was announced that, in accordance with Eurovision regulations prohibiting any reference to trademarks, mention of Lay’s chips would be removed from a verse of the song ahead of the contest.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Estonia was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

The duo were later drawn to perform 13th in the semi-final, after Belgium’s Mustii and before Israel’s Eden Golan.

Release history.

Release history and formats for “(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	8 December 2023	Digital download streaming	Universal Music Oy

Lyrics of (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi (Estonian Ι English)

🇮🇱 Israel: Eden Golan (עדן גולן; Эден Голан) – “Hurricane” (הוריקן) (Avi Ohayon / Keren Peles – Avi Ohayon / Keren Peles / Stav Beger)

Eden’s talents span singing, songwriting, composing, musical production and dancing. Starting at the age of 9 years old, she garnered recognition by participating in competitions and winning numerous awards. The young singer was the lead vocalist in a girl group for two years, captivating audiences on various stages, festivals and TV shows, before joining label and publishing house Session42 at the age of 18. Eden’s musical style encompasses pop, soul and R&B, drawing inspiration from influential artists such as Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Jessie J, RAYE, Whitney Houston and Justin Timberlake. 

• Selected entrant: Eden Golan (עדן גולן; Эден Голан; born 5 October 2003; age 20; Kfar Saba, Israel) is a Russian-Israeli singer. She began her career by taking part in the Russian selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, and afterwards in the Russian television competition The Voice Kids. She is set to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Hurricane”.

Early life. Golan was born in Kfar Saba, Israel. When she was six years old, she and her parents moved to Moscow for permanent residence due to her father’s work, where she spent 12 years. Both her parents were born in the Soviet Union to families of Jewish heritage. Golan’s mother is also of Ukrainian descent. Her grandfather, Yuri, graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University and worked for the newspaper Soviet Youth. Golan has a younger brother, Sean. According to Golan, she had mixed feelings about her time living in Russia, and that while she started her music career there, she was also uncomfortable due to frequent manifestations of antisemitism. Golan and her parents moved back to Israel in 2022; the immediate cause of the move was the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but according to Golan, her family would have done so regardless.

Career. In 2015, Golan took part in the Russian selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015. She finished fifth in the final, scoring 22 points, eight fewer than the eventual winner Mikhail Smirnov. In 2016, she performed at the competition New Wave in Crimea,^{[nb 1]} including performing her song “Howl at the Moon” in a duet with Nyusha. In 2018, Golan was a finalist in the fifth season of the show The Voice Kids, representing Pelageya’s team. She collaborated with Yinon Yahel. After her return to Israel, in 2022, Golan participated in the season 2 finale of Ro’im et Hakol and was eliminated in the first round.

In preparation for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation decided to return to selecting the country’s representative for the competition through cooperation with the Keshet 12 channel and the talent show Rising Star. Golan won all stages of the show, performing Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” and Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” for the final. She ultimately won both the jury and public vote, becoming the Israeli representative for the contest. Her competing entry for the contest, selected at a later stage, is titled “Hurricane”.

Discography.

Singles.

• “Schastye” (2015)
• “Ghost Town” (2022)
• “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” (2022)
• “Taxi” (2023)
• “Dopamine” (2023)
• “Hurricane” (2024)

Notes

• Selected song:  “Hurricane” is a song by Israeli-Russian singer Eden Golan, written by Avi Ohayon, Keren Peles, and Stav Beger, and released on 10 March 2024 through Session 42. Inspired by an Israeli perspective of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and its emotional aftermath on Israelis according to Golan and its songwriters, it is set to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

The song drew heavy scrutiny for its original title “October Rain”, which along with the lyrics was viewed as a political message alluding to the Israel–Hamas war in support of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). As a result, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organization that manages the Eurovision Song Contest, requested a rewrite of the song in late February 2024. After multiple submissions and rewrites, a final revised version, titled “Hurricane”, was approved by the EBU on 7 March. The song in both variations, along with Golan herself, has faced numerous calls for its exclusion from the contest.

Background and composition. “Hurricane” is written by Avi Ohayon, Keren Peles, and Stav Beger. According to Eran Swissa of Israel Hayom, the song details the story of a “young woman emerging from a personal crisis”. In an interview with The Times of Israel, Golan stated that despite knowing that competing in the Eurovision Song Contest would “not [be] simple”, she nevertheless wanted to represent Israel “because of [the song’s] meaning… we can bring everything we’re feeling, and everything the country is going through, in those three minutes. To speak through the song to the world.” Hannah Brown, in an analysis for The Jerusalem Post, wrote that the song was “about loss and redemption”. Ohayon later stated in interviews that “we knew we were going to write about the [Israeli] situation… We tried to do it in a way as subtle as we can, with a subtext”.

It is reported to be a rewrite of an earlier variation of the song that was titled “October Rain”, in response to it being rejected by the European Broadcasting Union to enter the Eurovision Song Contest. Brown later stated that “Hurricane”, while keeping the same messages as “October Rain”, used “more poetic, less specific terms”. Shayna Weiss, an Israeli pop culture scholar, stated that the lyrics “can mean a lot of different things. That’s probably how [the song was] allowed. But it’s obvious what they mean when it’s Israel’s entry to Eurovision.” In another analysis by Kveller’s Lior Zaltzman, they stated their belief that the lyrics could be interpreted to reference world views on Israel and the advocacy for the return of Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity. Zaltzman later added that the image of a hurricane “does very much seem to describe the Israeli state of mind post-October 7”.

Hours before its official release, the song was leaked in its entirety by a pro-Palestinian supporter on Twitter who proclaimed “Israel is committing genocide”, later stating they leaked it to support people who wanted to pirate the song. It was officially released on 10 March 2024 in a special broadcast on Israeli channel Kan 11.

Music video and promotion. Along with the song’s release, an accompanying music video was released on the same day. Brown of The Jerusalem Post stated that she thought the music video, which featured dancers in a field, “clearly reference[d]” the Re’im music festival massacre. In another analysis from a Ynet report by Shira Danino, the clothing was interpreted by Danino to display hidden messages relating to the 7 October attack. Golan’s clothing, which had a hole in it, was claimed to resemble a gunshot; a collar tie worn in another costume was claimed to represent a yellow ribbon, a symbol for advocation for the release of captives held by Hamas. In addition, the dancers, who wore white clothes in the beginning of the video and later switched to black clothes at the end, symbolised “white celebrations on the kibbutz lawns” and mourning, respectively.

To promote the song, Golan accepted an invitation to meet Israeli president Isaac Herzog for a publicity appearance in April 2024.^[15] Golan has not made any official statement on her participation in Eurovision pre-parties despite being invited to them. Her public relations manager, Yoav Tzafir, stated on 31 March, “We will consider this strategy. It is not certain that we will travel. Sometimes it is better to leave the performance to the stage.” Golan has, however, has made appearances in OGAE Israel fan events within Israel to promote the song.

Reception. 

Critical response. The song in both variations has received negative reviews from local Israeli media. Noa Limone, writer for Israeli newspaper Haaretz, wrote a heavily negative review of the song’s original variation. Limone derided the song for a lack of “any significant statement”, stating that “even AI has more soul than this gibberish… it would have been better to send a song like ‘Harbu Darbu’, because at least it has something to say. Something warlike, vengeful, some say racist, but at least clear.” Dudi Fatimer of The Jerusalem Post also wrote a negative review on the revised “Hurricane”, stating that the song was “boring” and was “more suitable for Army Radio’s playlist than [Eurovision]”, adding their opinion that Golan should have put in more Hebrew lyrics and that “I was hoping for a song that would touch me, make me feel proud as an Israeli… this song is really not going in that direction.”

Einar Schiff, writer for Ynet, wrote an opinion piece in response to Kan changing their song to meet Eurovision requirements, heavily criticizing Kan. In it, Schiff stated that “If folding were a sport, [Kan] would get a perfect score”. Schiff criticized Kan for still participating in the contest, stating that “artistic freedom” had been traded for “unavoidable political and diplomatic pressures during wartime [and] pressure from [Isaac Herzog]”. He further accused Kan of a failed attempt to artwash Israel’s participation amidst the war, writing, “the illusion that we can be a small country at war that has inflicted tens of thousands of casualties, including innocent men and women, and even children who are always innocent, and still behave as if it’s 1999, has exploded because they thought they could act with vigilance and not wisdom.”

“Hurricane” has received positive reviews from multiple Eurovision contestants. Hera Björk, the Icelandic representative in 2010 and 2024, stated with Israeli Eurovision fansite EuroMix that she “love[d] the song. It’s a strong song. It really is.” Former Cypriot representatives, including 2023 contestant Andrew Lambrou and 2024 contestant Silia Kapsis, have both stated support for the song. Shayna Weiss compared “Hurricane” to Jamala’s “1944”, a song about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars from Crimea in 1944 that won the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 for Ukraine. Weiss later added, “I think [Israel] tried the Ukraine route.”

Calls for exclusion. Both variations of the song have faced numerous calls for its exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, along with earlier calls for the exclusion of Golan herself and Israel since the beginning of the Israel–Hamas war. Multiple media outlets related to Eurovision, such as Eurovoix and ESC Xtra began to limit their coverage of Israeli participation in the contest. Numerous petitions, particularly from Nordic countries, had been created to call for Israel’s exclusion by February; one from Iceland managed to gain over 10,000 signatures. When “Hurricane” was leaked hours before its official release, Ynet recorded instances of Palestinian supporters calling for Israel’s exclusion, along with stage protests at Eurovision if the song was permitted to compete. Opposition to calls for exclusion have been made; also in February, around 400 celebrities and musicians signed a letter that supported Israel’s inclusion in the contest.

Eurovision Song Contest.

HaKokhav HaBa, songwriting process. Israel’s broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/Kan), utilized HaKokhav HaBa, a reality singing competition, to select their singer for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. At the end of the competition, Eden Golan emerged victorious on 7 February 2024, winning the right to represent Israel in the contest. The songwriting process for the broadcaster’s entry had started three weeks earlier, with the song being selected by an internal committee.

Controversies, delayed EBU approval and subsequent rewrites. Originally, the song was titled “October Rain” according to a 19 February report by Israel Hayom. Beger joined late into the songwriting process, and later entered into a dispute with Ohayon over royalties. Two days later, Ynet writer Ran Boker reported that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organization that runs the Eurovision Song Contest, rejected the entry based on grounds of political content. In response, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC/Kan) initially responded by stating that it would not change the lyrics or its content, putting the song’s entry into Eurovision in jeopardy. In a contrasting statement, the three songwriters later stated that while they didn’t oppose changing the lyrics, they received no specific instructions on what to change.^[4] Golan later put out a statement in response to criticism towards the song, stating that while she was “aware of what’s happening [and] underst[ood] the dialogue”, she also continued preparations to participate in the contest according to her acquaintances.

Subsequent leaks of the lyrics of “October Rain” by Israel Hayom and Ynet described the song as a ballad that built up to a climax, alluding to “the condition of Israeli civilians” in the 7 October attack along with the Re’im music festival massacre. After another song titled “Dance Forever” was rejected on 28 February, Kan, despite previous statements, opted to make changes to the lyrics of “October Rain” in order for the song to be eligible after Israeli president Isaac Herzog pressured Kan to make changes. The rewrite and recording of the song, now called “Hurricane”, was completed on 3 March. After another rewrite requested by the EBU, the final version of “Hurricane” was sent for approval on 5 March. “Hurricane” was approved two days later.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Israel was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the second half of the show after Israel requested to be in the second semi-final as 6 May, the rehearsal day for the first semi-final, is Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust remembrance day.

Golan was later drawn to perform 14th in the semi-final, after Estonia’s duo of 5miinust and Puuluup and before Norway’s Gåte.

Release history

Release history and format for “Hurricane”

Country	Date	Format(s)	Label
Various	10 March 2024	Digital download streaming	Session 42

Lyrics of Hurricane (English / Hebrew)

🇳🇴 Norway: Gåte – “Ulveham” (Wolf Pelt) (Erlend Skjetne / Gunnhild Sundli / Jon Even Schärer / Magnus Børmark – Gunnhild Sundli / Ronny Janssen / Sveinung Sundli)

Gåte had their breakthrough at the start of the 2000s and quickly went on to become something of a national treasure in Norway. Their unique combination of traditional Norwegian folk music and explosive rock lifted them out of the rehearsal basement and onto some of the world’s biggest stages. During this period, Gåte sold more than 100,000 albums, went straight to the top of the VG-lista chart and won the Spellemann Award 2002 for Best Newcomer. The critically acclaimed band took a 12-year break before making a long-awaited return in 2017. Since then, Gåte has delivered concerts and new music to some fantastic reception and widespread acclaim.

• Selected entrant: Gåte (Norwegian for ‘riddle’) is a band from Trøndelag, Norway playing Norwegian folk music bred with metal and electronica. Their style has been referred to as progressivefolk-rock. The band was put together by Sveinung Sundli (violin, keyboards) in 2000 and originally consisted of his younger sister Gunnhild Sundli (vocals), Gjermund Landrø (bass, backing vocals), Martin Langlie (drums) and Magnus Robot Børmark (guitar, keyboards). Langlie was replaced by Kenneth Kapstad in 2004.

The band won Melodi Grand Prix 2024 with the song “Ulveham” and will represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

History. The band released their first EP, Gåte EP in 2000, and rapidly gained popularity. A second EP, also self-titled, was released in 2002. Their first album, Jygri, released the same year, proved to be their commercial breakthrough both in Norway and abroad, particularly in Scandinavia and Germany. They also gained a lot of media attention, particularly the distinctive voice of Gunnhild Sundli caught the interest of music journalists, who immediately started to speculate on her departure in order to establish a solo career. After the release of another EP, Statt opp (Maggeduliadei) in 2003, and their second album, Iselilja in 2004, the band announced that they were taking a break. In their press release, issued September 6, one of the reasons cited was that Gunnhild wanted to devote time to other pursuits. Nevertheless, their record company Warner Music Norway issued a live album, titled Liva, in 2006 which had been recorded at the Rockefeller Music Hall the previous year, and with bonus material from their concert at the Roskilde Festival in 2003. Gåte made a comeback in 2017 with the EP Attersyn, followed by the album Svevn in 2018.

During the first part of their career they toured extensively and played almost every popular music festival in Norway, as well as the major international festival Roskilde Festival in Denmark. The band reunited for one concert in 2009, but then decided to follow this up with a mini-tour of Norway consisting of five concerts in 2010. The fifth concert was held at the roof of the Oslo Opera House, and the band stated that this would be their final farewell.In 2018, they started touring Norway again.

In August 2023, Gåte announced that Sveinung was temporarily leaving the band and would not participate in the upcoming tour.

The band took part in Melodi Grand Prix 2024, the Norwegian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, with the song “Ulveham”. They qualified from their semi-final on 20 January 2024 and ultimately won the final on 3 February 2024.

Song origins. Many of Gåte’s songs are rearranged versions of traditional Norwegian folk tunes, such as “Sjå Attende” (the title translates to “Look Back”), and “Knut Liten og Sylvelin” (“Little-Knut and Sylvelin”). Another main source of Gåte songs are poems by the Norwegian poet Astrid Krog Halse with added music by Sveinung Sundli, such as “Følgje” (“Company”) and “Stengd Dør” (“Closed Door”). Some of their songs were written in Nynorsk/Landsmål and performed in a broad Trøndersk dialect.

On “Svevn”, several songs have lyrics by veteran folk musician Knut Buen, who also wrote the lyrics to “Kjærleik” on “Iselilja”.

Members.

Gunnhild Sundli. Gunnhild (born 2 July 1985) is the band’s lead vocalist and joined the band in 1999. She was born and grew up in Orkdal, and currently resides in Trondheim. She began to sing when she was 9 years old, and has since been singing in both classical and jazz music. She studied singing at Heimdal Upper Secondary School.

Magnus Børmark. Børmark (born 21 November 1982) is from Trondheim. He learned to play guitar and piano from his older brother. He has played in popular rock bands, such as Torch, before joining Gåte in December 2000. He plays a Fender Telecaster, Robotcaster and Les Robot, the last two being made by Frank Stavem. He also plays guitar in the band 22.

Jon Even Schärer. Schärer (born 27 September 1990) is from Kvikne. He is the band drummer and collaborates with Norwegian artists as a lyricist to promote folk music. He is also an educational manager in a kindergarten and finished his bachelor’s thesis in kindergarten education.

Mats Paulsen. Paulsen (born 1 March 1983) is a bass player from Trondheim. Together with Børmark, they formed the Norwegian band 22. He also became a finalist in the Norwegian version of MasterChef in 2010.

John Stenersen. Stenersen is a musician and composer from Risør. He plays ancient Nordic instruments such as the nyckelharpa, moraharpa, and hurdy-gurdy.

Discography.

Albums.

List of studio albums, with selected details

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		NOR
Jygri	Released: 26 September 2002 Label: Warner Music Norway Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	1
Iselilja	Released: 18 October 2004 Label: Warner Music Norway AS Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	3
Liva	Released: 3 April 2006 Label: Warner Music Norway AS Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	15
Svevn	Released: 2 November 2018 Label: Drabant Music Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	11
Nord	Released: 3 December 202 Label: Indie Recordings Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	—
“—” denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Extended plays.

List of extended plays, with selected details

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		NOR
Gåte EP	Released: 2000 Label: Independent Formats: Physical	—
Gåte EP	Released: 2002 Label: Warner Music Norway Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	2
Statt opp (Maggeduliadei)	Released: 2003 Label: Warner Music Norway Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	4
Attersyn	Released: 3 November 2017 Label: Drabant Music Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	—
Til Nord	Released: 21 May 2021 Label: Indie Recordings Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	—
Vandrar	Released: 12 December 2023 Label: Indie Recordings Formats: Physical, digital download, streaming	—
“—” denotes an extended play that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles.

Single	Year	Peak chart positions	Album or EP
		NOR
“Sjå attende“	2004	10	Iselilja
“Iselilja“ (with The Blizzard)	2009	—	Non-album single
“Stolt solvår“	2017	—	Attersyn
“Rideboll og gullborg“		—
“Kom no disjka“	2018	—	Svevn
“Bannlyst“		—
“Tonen“		—
“Huldra“	2019	—	Non-album single
“Svarteboka“ (featuring Djerv [no])	2023	—	Vandrar
“Skarvane“		—
“Ulveham“	2024	—
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs.

Single	Year	Peak chart positions	Album or EP
		NOR
“Førnesbrunen (Radio Edit)”	2023	10	Vandrar

• Selected song: “Ulveham” (‘Wolf Pelt’) is a song by Norwegian folk rock and metal band Gåte. It was originally released 12 December 2023 on the EP Vandrar as a track. It was later shortened and re-published as a single upon its selection to participate in Melodi Grand Prix 2024. The song ultimately won the selection and will thus represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. It is Norway’s first Eurovision entry since 2006 to be sung in Norwegian.

The opening features a traditional kulokk, a herding call, sourced from an old recording featuring Marit Jensen Lillebuen. The story of the lyrics are based on an almost thousand-year-old Scandinavian medieval ballad.

Background and composition. Gåte made a modern interpretation of a Norwegian medieval ballad known as “Møya i ulveham” (“The Maid in Wolf Pelt”). The initial lyrical content draws from a mid-19th-century manuscript from Telemark, reflecting a distinctive variant of the Vest-Telemark dialect. Several stanzas were identical to those found in the original manuscript. In “Ulveham”, the stanzas were restructured and their language simplified, moving closer to the standardised High Norwegian or Nynorsk.

“Møya i ulveham” tells the story of a young maiden, who is transformed into a needle, a knife, and then a sword by her evil stepmother. However, the people continue to appreciate her throughout all of her transformations, angering her stepmother. Therefore, to punish her even further, the stepmother transforms her into a wolf. It ends with the stepmother, pregnant with a child, being pounced on by the wolf. To lift the curse, the wolf drinks her stepmother’s blood, which contains the blood of her unborn half-brother.

“Ulveham” opens with a traditional kulokk, a herding call traditionally used to summon livestock, sourced from an early 20th-century recording featuring folk singer Marit Jensen Lillebuen. The musical composition incorporates electronic beats and various instruments, such as nyckelharpa, electric guitars, and drums. It uses metal growling with lyrics as background vocalisation.

There is a prevalence of similar ballads in Danish and Swedish traditions. The Danish rendition, titled “Jomfruen i ulveham” (“The Virgin in Wolf Pelt”), and the Swedish versions, where a young man undergoes transformation into a wolf in “Den förtrollade riddaren” (“The Bewitched Knight”), underscore the cross-cultural resonance of this narrative.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Melodi Grand Prix 2024. “Ulveham” was selected to participate in Melodi Grand Prix 2024 and was the last performing entry in the event’s second semi-final on 20 January 2024. The song was one of three that progressed to the final in Trondheim Spektrum on 3 February. In the weeks leading up to the final, the song advanced with the betting odds, and became the favourite to win by the time of the final. It ultimately won the competition and earned the right to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Lyric changes. In Melodi Grand Prix and Eurovision Song Contest, the rules require that both text and melody must be original and not previously published. As “Ulveham” contains lyrics taken from an almost thousand-year-old ballad, this would violate the contest’s rules. In order to avoid problems with the song’s possible participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, the Norwegian broadcaster NRK checked with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises the event. After an assessment, the EBU concluded that Marit Jensen Lillebuen’s kulning recording could be accepted. To be on the safe side, NRK decided that the entire lyrics of “Ulveham” would be replaced with newly-written and original lyrics. MGP manager Stig Karlsen stated that “the song’s title and historical theme” would remain.

On 2 February 2024, a revised version of “Ulveham” was released, with reorganised and modified lyrics. It features other small excerpts from the same ballad, with altered wording to avoid resemblance. Three of the band members, Gunnhild Sundli, Magnus Børmark, and Jon Even Schärer, contributed to the writing of the new lyrics.

At Eurovision. According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the “Big Five” (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final will progress to the final. On 30 January 2024, an allocation draw was held to determine which of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show, each country will perform in; the EBU split up the competing countries into different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. Norway was scheduled for the second half of the second semi-final.

Release history.

Release dates and formats for “Ulveham”

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label	Type
Various	12 December 2023	Digital download, streaming	Indie Recordings	Track from EP
	5 January 2024			Single (original)
	2 February 2024			Single (rerelease)

See also.

• Vedergällningen (1999) – Song by Swedish folk rock group Garmarna based on the Swedish version “Den förtrollade riddaren” of the same medieval ballad.

Notes. 

Lyrics of Ulveham (Norwegian Ι English)

🇳🇱 The Netherlands: Joost Klein – “Europapa” (Joost Klein / Maradonnie / Tim ‘Gerrie’ Haars – Dylan van Dael / Paul Elstak / Tantu Beats / Thijmen Melissant)

Joost Klein is a musician, writer and artist from Leeuwarden, whose energetic style combines elements from mainstream pop with happy hardcore and pop punk. The artist has been praised for his poetic lyrics combined with catchy beats that capture the spirit of youth. In the Netherlands, Joost tours regularly with his band and has played festivals like Lowlands and Pinkpop. In November, he gave two sold-out concerts at Amsterdam’s 6,000-capacity AFAS Live. Recently, Joost won the prestigious Popprijs 2023, which is awarded annually in the Netherlands to the band or artist that has had the most impact in Dutch pop music that year. Last summer, Joost had a number one hit in Germany, Switzerland and Austria with Friesenjung. The song has had over 100 million streams worldwide and won Best Song in Germany’s 1LIVE Krone radio awards.

• Selected entrant: Joost Klein (born 10 November 1997; age 26; Leeuwarden, The Netherlands), known mononymously as Joost, is a Dutch musician, rapper, singer and former YouTuber. Mainly a hip hop artist, his songs and performances often include influences of electronic music, such as drum and bass, hardstyle and gabber. He has released eight studio albums, two of which reached the top ten of the Dutch Album Top 100. He has amassed four chart entries on the Dutch Top 40, and is best known for “Scandinavian Boy”, “Wachtmuziek” and “Friesenjung“.

He is set to represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song “Europapa”, which became his first song to top the Dutch Single Top 100.

Early life. Klein was born on 10 November 1997 in Leeuwarden, Friesland and grew up in the nearby village of Britsum. In 2008, he started a YouTube channel under the name EenhoornJoost (‘UnicornJoost’). He attended the Stedelijk Gymnasium in Leeuwarden, but did not complete the curriculum. At the age of twelve, he lost his father to cancer.^[4] A year later, in 2011, his mother died of a cardiac arrest.^[4] Following the death of his parents, Klein was looked after by his older brother and sister.

Career. While active as a YouTuber, Klein published videos ranging from sketches to mini-documentaries. In 2016, he released his debut extended play Dakloos (‘Homeless’), after which he began focusing on a career in music. “Bitches” was his first music video that would reach a million views on YouTube. He was briefly signed to TopNotch in 2017 and 2018, but eventually decided to set up his own record label, Albino Records.

On 20 October 2017, Klein released the mixtape Scandinavian Boy, followed by the singles “Meeuw” (‘Seagull’) and “Ome Robert” (‘Uncle Robert’) in 2018. On 3 August 2018, Klein released the studio album M van Marketing together with Dutch rapper Donnie. To promote the album, the duo organised a one-time concert titled Viraal in Carré in the Carré theatre in Amsterdam.

Klein wrote a small book of poems titled Albino, which was published on 14 November 2018. Klein has mentioned that he wrote the book because of his father, who had also written a book and encouraged him to do the same. To promote his studio album of the same title, Klein organised the Het gaat niet zo goed (‘It is not going too well’) concert tour in 2019, during which he visited venues such as Paard, De Oosterpoort, Doornroosje and Paradiso. He concluded the tour in Paradiso on 3 March 2019. The following summer, Klein performed at major Benelux festivals such as Pukkelpop, Pinkpop, Lowlands and Zwarte Cross.

On 15 November 2019, Klein released the album 1983, of which the title refers to the birth year of Klein’s older brother. Klein collaborated with music producers Mick Spek, Kauwboy and Tantu Beats on the album. On 24 April 2020, Klein released the album Joost Klein 7, which consists of seven songs, including a collaboration with Canadian rapper bbno$. On 7 August of the same year, he released the single “Ik wil je” (transl. ‘I want you’), a remix of the eponymous song by the Belgian band De Kreuners.

Klein released his eighth studio album on 13 September 2022, titled Fryslân after his home province Friesland. The album features the singles “Florida 2009”, “Wachtmuziek” and “Papa en mama“, and was fully produced by producer Tantu Beats. Various samples can be heard on the album, such as samples of the Dutch ska band Doe Maar and Crazy Frog. In “Florida 2009”, Klein reflects on the death of his parents. He premiered the song at the 2022 edition of Pinkpop.

In 2023, Klein scored his first hit in Germany with the single “Friesenjung“, a collaboration with German rapper Ski Aggu [de] and an adaptation of a song by East Frisian comedian Otto Waalkes. The song reached first place on the German Single Top 100.^[14] That same year, Klein expressed his interest in representing the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden. A petition was launched by the NPO 3FM radio programme VoorAan of PowNed in an attempt to realise this goal. On 11 December 2023, AVROTROS announced that Klein had been selected as the Dutch representative for the contest. His entry, titled “Europapa”, was released on 29 February 2024.

Discography.

Studio albums.

List of studio album(s), with selected chart positions and details

Title	Details	Peak chart positions		Certifications
		NLD	BEL (FL)
Dakloos	Released: 1 June 2016 Label: Made Formats: Digital download, streaming	—	—	—
Scandinavian Boy	Released: 20 October 2017 Label: Made Formats: Digital download, streaming	12	121	NVPI: Gold
M van Marketing (with Donnie)	Released: 3 August 2018 Label: Made Formats: Digital download, streaming	10	79	—
Albino	Released: 18 January 2019 Label: Albino Sports Formats: Digital download, streaming	5	43
1983	Released: 15 November 2019 Label: Albino Sports Formats: Digital download, streaming	18	25
Joost Klein 7	Released: 24 April 2020 Label: Albino Sports Formats: Digital download, streaming	—	14
Albino Sports, Vol. 1 (with Brunzyn)	Released: 1 April 2021 Label: Albino Sports Formats: Digital download, streaming	—	70
Fryslân	Released: 30 September 2022 Label: Albino Sports Formats: Digital download, streaming	4	5
“—” denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Extended plays.

Title	Details
Europapa: Greatest Hits	Released: 5 April 2024 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles.

Charted singles.

List of charting singles, with selected peak chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions							Album or EP
		NLD	AUT	BEL (FL)	GER	LTU	SWE	SWI
“Buurman“	2019	—	—	—[A]	—	—	—	—	1983
“Midlife Crisis”		—	—	—[B]	—	—	—	—	Non-album single
“Joost Klein 2”		—	—	—[C]	—	—	—	—	1983
“Mayo, No Fries!” (with bbno$)	2020	—	—	—[D]	—	—	—	—	Joost Klein 7
“Ham?”		—	—	—[E]	—	—	—	—
“Ik wil je“		—	—	—[F]	—	—	—	—	Non-album single
“Gewoon goed“ (with Brunzyn and Donnie)	2021	—	—	—[G]	—	—	—	—	Albino Sports, Vol. 1
“Friesenjung“ (with Ski Aggu and Otto Waalkes)	2023	18	1	—	1	65	100	7	denk mal drüber nach…
“Droom groot“		82	—	—	—	—	—	—	Non-album singles
“Europapa“	2024	1	—	1	—	40	—	—
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Album or EP
		NLD Tip	BEL (FL)
“Youtube Money” (Fijne Vrienden featuring Lexxxus The Don, Joost, Youngster The Don, Martin Verschoor, Jasper Staal)	2016	—	—	Non-album single
“Boner in de Club” (Veras featuring Mick Spek and Joost)	2017	—	—
“René Froger” (Donnie featuring Joost)		—	—
“Relevant” (Bassistent featuring Joost)		—	—
“Zwaailicht” (Abel featuring Joost)		—	—
“Vroom (Remix)” (Famke Louise featuring Donnie and Joost)		—	—
“Neymar” (Daniel Got Hits featuring Joost and Bassistent)	2018	—	—	America’s Fav Whiteboy
“Friesland“ (Rarri Jackson featuring Jiri11 and Joost)		—	—	Non-album single
“Snelle Planga (Remix)” (Donnie featuring Bizzey, Bokoesam, Lange Frans, Joost and Joel Beukers)		—	—
“Heritage” (Mick Spek featuring Joost)		—	—	Mick Spek
“Donkey Kong” (Teske featuring Joost)		—	—	Porselein
“Infected” (Steen, Steff, and EZG featuring Joost)		—	—	Infected
“Georgina Verbaan“ (Brunzyn featuring Joost)		—	—	3134
“Absurd” (Milli on GO featuring Joost)	2019	—	—	Non-album single
“Brunzyn en Jim“ (Brunzyn featuring Gotu Jim and Joost)		—	—	Brunzyn!
“Klaar!” (Brunzyn featuring Joost)		—	—
“They Don’t Know” (Jacin Trill featuring Joost)		—	—	Baby met een mening
“Meine Bolide 2003” (Yung Petsi featuring Ka$per Hits and Joost)	2021	—	—	Non-album singles
“Monster Energy” (Rarri Jackson featuring Joost)		—	—
“Go, Acid!” (Acid featuring Joost and Apson)		—	41
“Skin Care” (Rare Akuma featuring Joost)	2022	—	—	Dirtytwominus
“Jackass” (CMH featuring Joost)		—	—	Mudblood
“Fossiel” (FeestDJRuud featuring Yung Petsi, Donnie, Joost, and Ka$per Hits)		—	—	Non-album single
“Dis kak, maarit naai“ (Van Pletzen featuring Joost)	2023	—	—	Enter the Grootness
“Normalje Bass” (Russian Village Boys featuring Joost)		—	—	ViLLAGECATiON
“Heroïne“ (Parsa and Vieze Asbak featuring Joost)		—	—	Non-album single
“Snowboy Freestyle” (Chri$stophe featuring Joost)		—	—	High Off Life
“Wa dachte?” (Viccens featuring Joost and Kleine Crack)		—	—	Non-album single
“Buurman uit Berlijn“ (MCR-T featuring Joost)	2024	8	—
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other singles.

Title	Year	Album or EP
“511”	2015	Non-album single
“Feminist on da Block”	2017
“Jan Peter Balkenende”
“Meeuw“ (with Stefano Keizers)	2018	Albino
“Ome Robert”
“Parmezaan & Linkerbaan“ (with Donnie)		M van Marketing
“Chubby”		Non-album single
“Glaassie Water“
“Hallo Nederland“	2020
“Albino Sports Anthem” (with Brunzyn)	2021	Albino Sports, Vol. 1
“Fok de blok“		Non-album single
“Papa en Mama“		Fryslân
“Wachtmuziek“ (with StuBru)	2022
“Florida 2009”
“Rookpauze 2″ (with Vieze Asbak)		Non-album single
“Bier Freestyle”
“Bruder + Schwester” (with Gladde Paling)	2023

Other charted songs.

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Album or EP
		NLD	BEL (FL) Tip
“Scandinavian Boy”	2017	77	—	Scandinavian Boy
“Albino” (featuring Tice)	2019	—	30	Albino
“Bus gemist“ (featuring Mick Spek [nl] and Daan Koens)		—	—
“Fryslân Bop” (featuring Jack Parow)	2022	60	—	Fryslân
“—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards.

• 2023: Popprijs 2023
• 2023: 3FM Award in the Best artist category
• 2023: 1LIVE Krone in the Best song category with the song Friesenjung in collaboration with Ski Aggu and Otto Waalkes

• Selected song: “Europapa” (“Eurodaddy”) is a song by Dutch musician Joost Klein. Self-described as a “very Dutch” 1990s-style song, it was written by Klein along with six other songwriters. The song was released on 29 February 2024 and is set to represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. It peaked at number one on the singles charts of the Netherlands and Flanders.

Background and composition. “Europapa” was composed by Paul Elstak, Teun de Kruif (Tantu Beats), Thijmen Melissant and Dylan van Dael, with its lyrics written by Klein, Donny Ellerström (Maradonnie) and Tim Haars (as Gerrie from New Kids). In interviews, Klein stated that the song is an ode to Europe and a “letter” to his late father, who taught him that the world has no borders. Described by Trouw as “retro happy hardcore”, Klein said the song’s style draws inspiration from 2 Unlimited and Vengaboys, being a mix between the “typical Eurovision genre” and gabber.

The song premiered on 29 February 2024 on a special live broadcast of De Avondshow met Arjen Lubach at 16:45 CET, presented by Arjen Lubach.

Eurovision Song Contest.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, the Netherlands was drawn to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Music video.

Cover versions. After the song’s release, several cover versions were made in The Netherlands, for instance in Dutch Sign Language and on barrel organ.^[8] Parodies of the song were dedicated to similar sounding locations like railway station Europapark in Groningen and the Europaplein square in Leeuwarden^[9] or to other items, like the folk music style hoempapa.

Track listing.

Charts.

Chart performance for “Europapa”

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	1
Lithuania (AGATA)	40
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	1

Notes.

Lyrics of Europapa (Dutch Ι English)