Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

I'm not usually so keen on Eurovision returns - especially those who try and try again after being there already once - but this is one group I'd love to see giving it another try. The line up may have changed so many times that no one can keep track but Olga stays from the original Helsinki 2007 formation and the other girls today are Katya (2016-) and Tatiana (2017-). Despite changing line up almost every year they have kept their hits coming (12 top-10 hits in Russia, 5 #1's) along with three albums and chart success also abroad, especially Italy. They've got their cheeky side and sexy poses and fun catchy songs along with some ballads. Should Russia send them again they would certainly create quite a stir and with some ear worm like Mama Lover or Mi mi mi they could even better their third place with Song #1 . Check out also Malo tebya , Chocolate  and  СЛОМАНА

  Belarusian Ivan goes from Eurovision wolves to Aliens in his latest,  Чужая . A midtempo rock song with enough drama to keep you watching the video til the end...... Errr.... what was that? Russian Serebro  from Eurovision 2007 in Helsinki are unstoppable and have released  в космосе or In space, despite being in the middle of recruiting a new member. It's another pop tune in pure Serebro style. Love it. Sunstroke Project that took Moldova to the surprise podium at Eurovision 2017 is back with another saxxy hit, Sun gets down. Maybe they should have released this a month or two earlier to score late summer hit..... In rainy dark Finland this feels like a slap in the face instead...... Ola Salo , who sung for Sweden with The Ark in Helsinki 2007 has went solo ages ago and has released a new single, I call your name . I wonder if he's really calling for the safety word as he seems to be performing in a sexclub where all sort of things are going...

  French Patrick Fiori is back with a new album this year, and Oú je vis is the lead single of it. A song that grows and grows and gets stuck in your head. Another Fiori goodie. He should do Eurovision again! Sweden's Eurovision winner Loreen continues releasing singles off her coming album and 71 charger is out now. This is a far cry for euphoric feelings, but a lot more enjoyable than her other latest efforts, mainly thanks to its mysterious atmosphere. Slovenian Marayya are trying to go international with their latest Diamond Duck , an obvious reference to the orange man in the white house. Filled with emojis and stuff, the video is far more interesting than the song that sounds more like an idea of something that never became a proper song. But sometimes these things work and become hits. Released already awhile ago it seems this is not one of those, Shame. Russian Serebro has released a song about "the love between us" in the middle of yet anot...

    Sergey was in Turkey..... ... and met also Serebro Sebalter admired San Bernardino.....  ... while Zoe had a little bit Italy in Trieste  Bojana did take the world in in this magnificient sight Gabbamania continued in Florence    Jamala enjoyed holidays on water....  ... and Kaliopi in the mountains   Kristian did Varna  ... and Novi Band Jurmala  Omar showcases his paleness....   Pasha & wife enjoy honey moon in Barcelona, Rome and Naples.....  Paula prefers not to tan it seems.... and last but not least. Alexander was operated but no worries, he is back on track again  (check out the previous post for duck selfie hunting)

Eurovision winners, participants and wannabes have been busy releasing new songs and videos all over Europe and here are the latest from Måns Zelmerlöw who continues with the middle of the road pop tunes, Marija Serifovic who once again shows what a wonderful voice she has, Markus Riva turns into Russian market where Serebro reigns with a melancholy slow tempo one at the moment...... Enjoy!

Russian trio from Helsinki 2007 Eurovision may have changed line up and had its share of drama over the years but one thing remains: They release insanely catchy hits for summer. This year's offer is Chocolate . We move from cherry cake to chocolate cookie :-) Still remember Mi mi mi , Mama lover and Kiss ?

As every year the lists of nominees are filled with Eurovision stars only proving that Russia indeed does send their biggest guns to Eurovision. Serebro was once again nominated for the best group, Dima Bilan for the best song ( Не молчи ), as was Svetlana Loboda ( К чёрту любовь ), Polina Gagarina for the best video ( Я не буду ), with Alexey Vorobyov ( Сумасшедшая ), Sergey Lazarev ( Это все она ) and Dan Balan ( Плачь ). Dima Bilan and Sergey Lazarev once again battled against each other in the best male singer category and Sergey won the second year in a row. Eye on Egor Kreed who could be the next one with Eurovision glory.... Ani Lorak - these days a persona non grata at home in Ukraine - was nominated for the best female artist again with Polina Gagarina, but  Ёлка won this time around. Nyusha , also a very possible future Eurovision name was nomintaed for the best dance video, as was Egor Kreed . Emin was nominated for the best acting role in a movie....

The Russian trio of Song #1 fame from Helsinki 2007 Eurovision have released their summer hit for 2015: Kiss . It follows Mi mi mi and Mama lover to European charts, or at least Italian ones were they seem to have already a steady place....  And indeed they have a good thing going on, these songs are insanely catchy, even if Kiss is a bit more melancholy with a lovely lazy lounge atmosphere.....  but surely there will be remixes for every hour of the day.  Who would have thought this trio put together for Eurovision would be still here scoring hits eight years later - even if only one original member is left and there are already three ex-Serebros around... but that's only a minor detail. 

Another year has passed and I can't but thank you all who followed me, read me, and in some cases looked at the post photos only. That's the case - I suspect - with the most read post, Serebro 's naked photo must have something to do with it :-) Maybe that's the case also with the second most read one, as surprisingly it's the lyrics of Mikko Pohjola 's UMK 2014 runner up Sängyn reunalla that came along with its tastefully bare video. And yes, also the third one might be helped by the photo, Twin Twin wearing nothing but their socks.... Finally at number 4 we have someone fully dressed up, Valentina Monetta 's honest and bare confessions of her three Eurovision adventures as chatted in San Marino this summer at her house. At number five we have them again, Twin Twin . Naked again. I'm starting to worry about you readers.... or should I worry about my own editorial skills? Number six is quite a surprise, a Greek friend of Alkaios or Iakovos Gogua fr...

Serebro, the girlband that was quickly put together to represant Russia in Eurovision 2007 in Helsinki with Song #1 has gone a long way. Over the seven years they have scored hits in regular basis, kept media interested with their fashion sense and sometimes lack of it (and cloathing). The 2013 ended for them the best possible way when Malo tebya was voted the Song of the year in the New Year's eve tv gala.... Earlier last year they also scored international hit Mama lover , that was released in Russia already back in 2011. Their other hits include Opium , Dyshi , Angel kiss , Skazhi ne molchi , Like Mary Warner , Ne vremya , Davay derzhat'sya za ruki , Sexy Ass , Gun , Malo tebya , Mi mi mi and УГАР .... The trio still includes two original members Elena Temnikova and Olga Seryabkina. Marina Lizorkina left the trio in 2009 and was replaced by Anastasia Korpova who left the band few months ago to start a solo career. The new memner is Darya Shashina.

This week we start with Tarja Turunen who has released Victim of ritual , that one could call a heavy bolero with operatic singing and rolling r's, off her recently released Colours in the dark album. Fabulously weird! Another Finn everyone knows is Tom of Finland . There's a movie in the making of his rather incredible and eventful life starring Olli Rahkonen as Tom himself, read more (and help to finance the project) here . In this clip Tom and his lover sing a beautiful Finnish classic Romanssi , romance. Did you know he was also a very talented pianist? Emmanuel Moire is one of the top favorites by the French fans to represent them in Copenhagen 2014 and this blogger loves the idea indeed! Beau malheur is one of his latest songs and it's great! And if you want more Tom-like Emmanuel it's enoug to google " Emmanuel Moire " and " naked " ;-p And to finish off it nicely, here's G Sisters with  Мало тебя , a Serebro cover of their Malo ...

Jūrmala in Latvia is the place to be if you are singer in ex-USSR countries and not only as the New Wave - the international contest of new pop voices is taking place again. Sixteen singers or groups have made it to the contest this year coming from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Germany, Armenia, Latvia, Cuba, Georgia and Vietnam. No Finnish or Italian singers made the cut this year. In the coming days the performers will do world-wide hits and local hits, while guest stars will perform as well. There will be also gala concerts, tennis, soccer.... a lot goijg on indeed. If the contestants are new and fresh the guest stars include a lot of familiar names: Valeria, Sergey Lazarev, Intars Busulis , Dima Bilan , Emin , Garou, Julio Iglesias , Il Divo, Natalia Podolskaya , Ani Lorak , Serebro , Lara Fabian , Timati, Verka Serduchka , Alsou , Alessandro Safina, Emma Shaplin.... and if that wasn't enough Toto Cutugno is one of the judges! You ...

Swiss Eurovision entrant Paolo Meneguzzi is returning with a new album this September and the first single has been just released, La vita cos'é he asks in a rather bad video.... The bits reminding of Jennifer Beals dancing in Flashdance are nice, but the rest... :-( Loreen is back, or back in time as she has finally released a video for My heart is refusing me , a song as old as her career.... Another stunning but very dark video, for my favorite Loreen track I guess. Great stuff! Hanna Pakarinen has released Olipa kerran elämä video, that is a very homely and very Finnish affair indeed.  Karaoke like. Russian Serebro from Helsinki 2007 Euovision is having another success in Italy and elsewhere with Mi mi mi . No comment. Other than it's annoyingly catchy.....

Remember Serebro from Helsinki 2007 with Song #1 ? They have scored hits in Russia ever since regularly and are now making it also abroad, especially in Italy with their Mama Lover , an English version of their old hit Mama ljuba . They will be also headlining the opening party of Rome's Gay Village opening tonight. 

In Jurmala, Latvia the annual New Wave contest is being held culminating with the final concert on Sunday. The idea is to present the new comers from all over the world but the superstars steal the show as usual. Likes of Dima Bilan , Sergey Lazarev , Ani Lorak , Serebro , Alsou and that crazy Jamala from Ukraine. The cast includes also many familiar names like Aisha and Instars Busulis, the Latvian entrants 2010 and 2009. This event is getting bigger every year and surely gives the artists a visibly in the ex-Sovjet Union area like only Eurovision can do otherwise. Anyways, the new comers include some familiar names as well: Koop Arponen , the Finnish Idols winner is there with Flute of shame trio, and Donny Montell for Latvia. The others are Yusary (Belarus), Erik (Armenia), NAOMI  (Russia), Roger Ricco (Brazil), Jenna Hof (Togo), Jayden Felder (USA), Bishkek (Kyrgyzsan), A-Lau (Kazakhstan), Twins (Ukraine), Kolya Serga (Ukraine), Monika Wisnioswka & Michal Bober (...

In five days it's the annual OGAE Song contest again happening in Spain, last year's winner. As usual there are many Eurovision stars involved: Russia sends Serebro , Israel Shiri Maymon , Greece Sakis Rouvas , Malta Miriam Christine and Austria Petra Frey . Geir Rönning represants his native Norway for a change and Poland Blue Cafe but with a new leading singer. Macedonia was ment to be represanted by late Tose Proieski, but was later disqualified as the song was released before the deadline . More information and videos of the songs here: http://www.ogaesongcontestspain2008.com/banderas.html