Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Ukraine's national final for Eurovision song contest 2026, Vidbir, has had its final and was won by Ukraine is the only country that has managed to qualify every time they have participated plus they have won three times and been runner up twice in the past 20 participation. War or no war Ukraine is one of the Eurovision power houses no doubt. In 2026 the selection followed already familiar path: Out of submitted 451 entries  15 were announced and invited for an audition where from nine made it directly to the final. The rest were put on an online vote and the winner Khayat was added to the final. Other familiar names made the cut as like last year's runner up Molodi, and two Eurovision veterans: Jerry Heil (3rd in ESC 2024 with Alyona Alyona) and Monokate (5th with Go_A in ESC 2021). Ad Olena Usenko, a member of The Elliens (6th in JESC 2021). Read more here   My favorite in the end was Laud with Jerry Heil even if her song doesn't quite fit into Eurovision stage I sup...

Sometimes the Eurovision stars don't quite follow up their momentum with releases of new singles and/or albums but this year the Top-4 has been already productive with the exception of the winner Nemo who still goes around singing The Code. The runner up Baby Lasagna from Croatia  third placed Jerry Heil and Alyona Alyona from Ukraine as well as French superstar Slimane all are out with a follow up single already. BABY LASAGNA - AND I JERRY HEIL - VIRGIN MARIA ALYONA ALYONA - Тато SLIMANE - RÉSISTER (WHAT ABOUT PEACE?)

Ukraine organized once again Vidbir, the national selection for Eurovision song contest. This time it was broadcast from Kiev's National museum of  history of Ukraine WW II instead of underground metro station bunker. The show was hosted Eurovision veterans hosts Timur Miroshnychenko and Julia Sanina.  Out of 389 submission 20 were selected for auditions and eventually ten chosen out of them. The 11th entry, Anka,  was voted by people, as were the three judges as well. Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil won the final with outstanding numbers, nearly 7 times more votes than the second most voted act. Alyona Alyona or Aliona Olehiva Savranenko (Альо́на Олегівна Савране́нко) (32) is Ukrainina rapper and songwriter. She's been described by Ukrainian media The Sensation of rap and The new rap star, while New York Times included her among 15 European Pop star that matter right now comparing her to Azelia Banks. She has released four albums and an EP, over 20 solo singles and severa...

Ukraine has had its two semi-finals and this Saturday is the grand final of Vidbir 2020 with six qualified songs. So far the selecting process has been without major scandals and hick ups - let's hope it continues that way! I don't know if the new rules exclusing anyone with anything to do with Russia but this is the poorest Ukrainian national selection for years. Krutь and Jerry Heil are nonsense, Go-A reaches out for my Slavic Carelian heritage deep in my soul but not really moving me enough. Axel offers a standard cliché. Khayat falls flat down on his face live (should he win he will lose it against The Roop 10-0) and Tvorchi is just useless. Whoever wins in Ukraine won't be anywhere near my top favorites, that's for sure already now. I hope it's Go-A though.  Krutь - 99  ** Jerry Heil - Vegan * Go-A - Solovey *** David Axelrod - Horizon ** Khayat - Call For Love ** Tvorchi - Bonfire * Had Cloudless qualified for the final...