Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

After chaotic 2024 edition AVROTROS have once again selected internally and the chosen one is Claude. And for once it's a name I know already and I have all the resons the get a bit excited! Claude Kiambe is 21-year-old singer-.songwriter of Congolese origin. he came to the Netherlands when he was nine and fled Congo with his mother and siblings and first settled in an asylum center. His music career started with The Voice Kids in 2019 where he was eliminated in the battles stage. The year after he won Are you next? talent show and secured a record deal. Two years later he hit the #1 spot in the charts with Ladada (Mon dernier mot) and received several award nominations and winning Best Newcomer and Artist of the year awards among others.  He has released five singles todate, after Ladada Layla (#8), Vas-y (ga maar) (#5), ècoutez moi (#14) and Parler français. His Eurovision 2025 entry will be released in due time. It's apparently bilingual. Enjoy his songs below:

Ok, the slogan is still United by Music but the Swiss like also the Unity shapes love one as they reveal the visual identity, stage and more on December 16, 2024 for the Eurovision song contest 2025 in Basel.  Truth me said there's nothing to get exited for as it seems rather seen and unoriginal to say the least, continuing where Liverpool and Malmö left just tuning down the colors a bit. Despite the cute back story of Swiss way of listening _ ears that become heart that becomes unity or something. And yes, once again it's back to kinda dark and gloomy... The stage looks rather familiar. too, and no wonder as it is once again by Florian Wieder. At least it has the Alps in it. This is his eight, or ninth if count the recycling 2020 to 2021,  Eurovision stage since 2011. (+ 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024) A couple of days ago the number of participants was also confirmed: 38. Montenegro returns along with everybody from last year.  The hosts will be announced in J...

She's the blue 'n white voice of Finland and has been singing already 63 years but all that comes to an end on August 16, 2025 - the night before she turns 80. The Helsinki Olympic stadium will see and hear her belt out her hits from the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's and finally 2020's in a concert tile The Last Night, that will be her one and only performance in 2025. Her career has been long and unlike most everyone she doesn't have had particularly lows but highs and even higher periods of stardom and hit potential. One of the highest heights she's living right now as the new young generations have found and adopted her as well. She has also never really had a break, except in late 1980's/early 1990's after the sudden death of her husband. She returned in 1992 with Anna mulle tähtitaivas, her biggest selling album and the title song she says is her favorite of them all.  Her debut single Poiken kuvat released in 1...

The 63rd Festivali i Këngës will be held between December 19 to 22. Two semi-finals will be held before Nostalgia night on 21 the grand final being staged on 22.  A total of 85 submissions arrived to RTSH and a special committee chose these 30 for the festival line up, one of them becoming then the Eurovision song contest 2025 entry for Albania in Basel, Switzerland next May. Among them fan favorite Elvana Gjata and last year's winner Mal Retkoceri who didn't though get the ticket to Malmö as the Eurovision entry was chosen by televote and it was Besa instead. But that's apparently past now and there will be only one winner again. One third of the artists have participated before. Click below for the sing titles for lyric videos. And of course there's my first time hearing ranking :-) Is it me or if this maybe the best FiK ever? Semi-final 1 - December 19: Orgesa Zaimi - I parë Erma Mici - Mbaje Luna Çausholli - Qiell apo ferr Ronaldo Mesuli - N'zemër Mihallaq Andre...

Adam Pavlovčin (29) aka Adonxs has been internally chosen by ČT for the Eurovision song contest 2025 in Basel. At first glance he might look like a hybrid of Duncan Laurence and Nemo but this basso profondo voiced Slovak is a classically trained singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actor, Superstar 2021 winner, androgynous, five time Slovak street dance champion, LGTBQ+ activist. Phew, that's a lot! His musical career started already in high school where he formed genre-bending band PACE. They moved to London and were joined by Greek drummer and guitarist from Monaco. They released Baroque pop EP and a couple of singles (Hunt me down, Fallen) and did performed in London, festivals and Prides until 2021 when Codi-19 shut things down and he moved to Prague and started a solo career. He won the joint Slovak-Czech idols Superstar 2021 stirring controversy with his gender nonconforming outfits and got a nomination for the Best New artist despite having released nothing yet. His first singl...

Tonight's the night for Sanremo giovani semi-final where the 12 become six for the final. ( Read more here ). The songs have been out in the platforms awhile now and the most streams so far has Settembre (1.865.600), followed by Alex Wyse, Tancredi, Mazzariello and Mew - all between 340.000 and 444.000. Then we have a significant drop to Angelica Bove's 85.000. Let's see how they correspond to the final verdict.  UPDATE 18.12.: The final duels: MEW Vs. Vale LP & Lil Jolie                                             Alex Wyse Vs. Selmi                                                Angelica Bove Vs. Settembre From AreaSanremo:              Maria Tomba Vs. Etra             Oh what? They w...

No surprise here, runner up Nina Žižić, Eurovision veteran from 2013, replaces Neonoen who withdraw ( read more here ) a few days after their Montesong win. Nna was the jury winnner before Neonoen, but placed only 4th in televote, thus finishing second, with her Dobrodošli. 

  Another dose of #Finpop 2024. We have this time Ilon, already familiar from this #Finpop series with newbie Leeni and a fan favorite for #UMK2025 Tuuli with UMK veteran Robin Packalen with yet another hit single. Enjoy! ILON - UNISSASI LEENI - TYÖN ALLA ROBIN PACKALEN - TÄYDELLINEN EX TUULI - EKAA KERTAA

The past three years the most streamed song on Spotify in Finland has been an UMK entry but not anymore in 2024. Newcomers Mirella, Hugo and Ani took over but Kuumaa was still the second most listened act in general, Sexmane 5th. Their both latest albums made also the list of most listened albums: Pisara meressä (1.) and Hyvikset ja pahikset (6.) The most listened artist was however Turisti , followed by Kuumaa, Mirella, Gettomasa , Sexmane , Ibe , Costi , Taylor Swift, Isac Elliot and Lauri Haav .  1. Mirella - Timanttei 2. Ege Zulu & BEHM - Tunnista tuntiin 3. Mirella & Lauri Haav - Luotathan 4. Mirella - Uuteen eiliseen 5. AHTI & Hugo - Väärään aikaan 6. Kuumaa - Satama 7. Hugo & Costi - Taulut 8. Robin Packalen & Tupe - Häitä pidelly 9. Ani - Jos puhutaan totta 10. Mirella - Sua sattuu In 2021 Blind Channel's Dark side topped the list. Måneskin gave extra Eurovision flavour to the list placing three songs in the Top-10: I wanna be your slave (2.), Euroviis...

Carlo Conti has revealed he listened 280 Big songs, meaning 250 songs didn't make the cut even if a total of 30 songs instead of 24 were chosen. As for the Newcomers 336 songs were submitted for AreaSanremo and 564 for Sanremo Giovani, that's a total of 1.180 songs.  But now as the names are out the betting has also started and in various betting sites the odds seem to be the same for the Top-4 as Elodie, Giorgia, Achille Lauro and Olly in different order, followed by Noemi, Irama and Francesco Gabbani. I personally would love to see Giorgia finally at Eurovision - even if apparently she'd be more likely to say "No, grazie"- or Elodie.  Some authors of the songs have been revealed. Mahmood and Blanco are behind Noemi's song, and Blanco is also a coauthor for Irama and Giorgia.  Tiziano Ferro has written for Massimo Ranieri.  Giorgia comes from a very successful year as X Factor presenter. She has released 11 studio albums and is considered one of the best voca...

Apparently Carlo Conti couldn't decide so the 24 Big artists have become 30! Among them previous winners and Eurovision veterans Francesco Gabbani (2017), Massimo Ranieri (1988) and also Francesca Michielin (2016) and Achille Lauro (San Marino 2022). Other previous winners are Simone Cristicchi (2007) and Giorgia (1995), and among Newcomers Rocco Hunt (2014) and Clara (2024). Eurovision fan favorites Elodie, Coma_Cose, Irama and The Kolors are also back. If Massimo Ranieri (73) is back for the seventh time also another real veteran returns (finally): Marcella Bella (72). This will be her 10th Sanremo.  From last year we have again Clara, Rose Villain, The Kolors and Irama. For the first time ever we have in competition i Sanremo Brunori Sas, Emis Killa, Sarah Toscano (latest Amici winner), Dj and producer Shablo with rappers Gué and Tormento, Joan Thiele, Luco Corsi and Tony Effe. The hot gossip is both Tony Effe and Fedez are in, as Fedez recently divorced Chiara Ferragni, Sanremo...

  Another week, another set of #Finpop 2024. First latest pop sensation Hugo followed by seasoned pop diva Katri Ylander with the song she tried to get into #UMK2024 but didn't make the cut in the end, let's see if she has tried again for #UMK2025?! A name from that or Sex Mane has teamed up with Fabe and finally we have another UMK royalty Kuumaa's lead singer 's lil sister with a song they wrote together, could she be aiming to follow his footsteps?! Enjoy! HUGO - PAINAJAISET KATRI YLANDER - MOSAIIKKI FABI / SEXMANE  - TEHTIIN TÄÄ ELSA BROTHERUS - SE JOKA SUT MENETTÄÄ

UPDATE 4.12.2024: Neonoen have withdrawn and will not go to Eurovision after all. They released the following statement in social medias and RTCG will decide on the new participant in coming days, most probably the runner up Nina Žižić. "“In the best public interest, with the desire to end the uncertainty and once again contribute to the music that we are here for in the first place, we inform you that we are voluntarily withdrawing from participating in Eurovision. RTCG, in accordance with the regulations, will choose another representative, and we will be the first to wish him luck and provide him with full support. “Winning at Montesong brought us publicity whose type and extent we did not choose, nor could we control. We note, and the facts confirm this, that performing the working version of the song live neither jeopardized the Montesong festival process itself, nor could it have influenced its final outcome and our placement. The fact is that there were many similar example...

This week we have newbies Ellimei and Lasse Havu with Ollie that keeps delivering perfect pop songs for years already, wouldn't it be time to play the #UMK2025 card to finally make it to household name? and real veteran group Teleks that also keeps delivering radio pops one after another. Could they be the "oldies" of #UMK2025? Enjoy! ELLIMEI - KERRON SULLE KAIKEN LASSE HAVU - KANTAVAA MAATA OLLIE - SALAISUUS  TELEKS - ELÄMÄ JATKUU 

The ever so popular Vain elämää season 15 this fall had a lot of Eurovision connections as among the ones that gathered together to spend time and cover each other songs were both Hanna Pakarinen and Waldo of  Waldo's People with Eurovision wannabes Eini, Ilta and Marko Hietala of Nightwish fame. Ilta has been a real revelation who has made fantastic covers of everyone's songs. She's certainly one that I'd love to see back in UMK soon! Let's start with Ilta. She covered Waldo's People's Lose control making it a ballad in Finnish as Kiire . And what a heartfelt ballad it became! Not to be less Waldo covered Ilta's Kelle mä soitan . Ilta took also Hanna Pakarinen's Leave me alone and did the same treatment: heartfelt ballad in Finnish as Mee nyt vaan pois   and did it work? Oh yea! But Waldo wasn't yet done with Eurovision as he took also from Eini her UMK entry Draamaa and make it his own. As a bonus here's Waldo and Ilta belting out Hanna Pa...

  Another week, another set of possible #UMK2025 wannabes with their resent #finpop 2024 releases. First we have already established artists Elias Kaskinen and Nelli Matula who are in fact married! They are yet to release something together in duet but I would say these two songs are a kind of distant duet. Then we have Janna, from my eternal wish list for Eurovision, and finally a new name and face, Edvin. Enjoy!  ELIAS KASKINEN - MEIST EI TUU FRENDEI NELLI MATULA - SÄ VOITIT JO JANNA - SYLI EDVIN - UUDESTAAN 

Montenegro is making a welcome return to Eurovision song contest in 2025 in Basel, Switzerland after two years absence. To do so they have reinstalled Montesong contest to pick up the entry. A total of 32 valid submissions were received and they were announced on October 10, and published on November 10, 2024. The Montesong 2025 is set for November 27, 2024 becoming thus the very first national final of the season. Among the artists season's first Eurovision returnee aiming for another go: Nina Žižić of 2013 with Who See and fabulously original Igranka that sadly and undeservedly missed the final placing only 12th in the semi-final.  Below are the entries with my first time hearing generous ranking from * to ***** If in hurry here's a recap Anastasija Koprolčec - Kraj  **** Bend "9" - Stop War  * Boban Rajović - Suze Dolce Hera - Repeat  ** Đurđa - To Ljubav Je  ** Glumci Bend - San  ** Isak Šabanović - Ljeto, Ljeto, Ljeto  *** Kejt - Obala Raja ...