Finland: Listen to the fourth song of UMK 2023!

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The finnish broadcaster YLE has released the fourth song competing in UMK 2023, the finnish national final for Eurovision 2023.

The song is titled “Something To Lose” by Lxandra and you can listen to it below:

The official Eurovision site presents Lxandra as follows:

With her magnificent voice, Lxandra (aka Alexandra Lehti) is a magical interpreter and internationally successful artist, who won the prestigious Music Moves Europe Talent Award in 2019. Lxandra, who released her debut album Careful What I Dream Of in 2021, strives for timelessness with her music.

Lxandra’s creativity and passion for storytelling took root in her childhood home at Suomenlinna. When she was 19, Lxandra moved to Berlin to work with top music industry players, gaining quite a global following as an artist since her first singles. Filled with a strong narrative style and sensitivity, Lxandra’s music has also been heard in American films and television series.

Lxandra believes that it is crucial for an artist to evoke an emotional response in people with their music.

‘I want to create universal music that is personal at the same time. Dark, but still full of colour. I strive for emotionality and connection,’ explains Lxandra.

The idea to enter her ballad Something to Lose to UMK came from the jet lag she had after a trip to Los Angeles in April 2022.

‘There had been talk of entering UMK for quite some time, but it wasn’t until just that moment that I realised this song could be the right one,’ Laxandra says.

The UMK jury had the following to say about Lxandra and her song: 

“For years Lxandra has been one of Finland’s most promising export talents, making a career for herself out in the world. Now, she brings her exquisite ballad Something To Lose to UMK. The song is all at once tender and personal, dramatic and epic. Lxandra is a top-notch live performer, who has touched audiences in Finland and abroad, even bringing them to tears. The song will definitely rise to new heights when performed live. Lxandra is also known as a versatile audio-visual artist, so we are very interested to see what kind of world she will build around the song.”

We remind you that the competing artists/songs of UMK 2023 are being revealed in different dates in the following order:

  • Thu, 12 January Keira – No Business On The Dancefloor
  • Fri, 13 January Benjamin – Hoida mut
  • Mon, 16 January Robin Packalen – Girls Like You
  • Tue, 17 January Lxandra – Something To Lose
  • Wed, 18 January Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha
  • Thu, 19 January KUUMAA – Ylivoimainen
  • Fri, 20 January Portion Boys – Samaa taivasta katsotaan

The UMK grand final will take place on Saturday, 25 February, 20:00 CET and will be broadcast on Yle TV1, Yle Areena and Yle radio channels.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding UMK and the finnish representative for Eurovision 2023!

Estonia: These are the Wildcard Finalists of Eesti Laul!

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After the Second Semi-Final of Eesti Laul 2023, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR announced that two additional artists will advance to the Grand Final of Eesti Laul 2023 as Wildcards.

From Saturday evening until this afternoon, the Estonian audience was able to vote among the ten songs that did not make it to the Final, giving two artists one last chance.

The ten nominees were:

  1. Ellip – “Pretty Girl“
  2. Kaw – “Valik“
  3. Merlyn – “Unicorn Vibes“
  4. Mia – “Üks samm korraga“
  5. Neon Letters and Maiko – “Tokimeki“
  6. Linalakk and Bonzo – “Aeg“
  7. Elysa – “Bad Philosophy“
  8. Robin Juhkental – “Kurbuse matused“
  9. Wiiralt – “Salalik“
  10. Carlos Ukareda – “Whiskey Won’t Forget“

Through ERR’s Ringvaade broadcast, it was announced that the two artists who won this voting rounds and will also advance to the Final of Eesti Laul 2023 are:

  1. Mia – “Üks samm korraga“
  2. Elysa – “Bad Philosophy“

Therefore the Final lineup of Eesti Laul 2023 is as follows:

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the developments regarding the Estonian participation in Eurovision 2023.

Source: ERR

Czech Republic: ESCZ 2023 finalists announced!

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The public broadcaster for the Czech Republic has recently announced the five finalists for their national final ESCZ 2023.

The national final will take place live on 30 January and voting will open during the show via the Eurovision app and close on Monday 6 February.  We will know the name of the winner shortly afterwards.

The names of the five finalists are:

  • Maella
  • Markéta Irglová
  • Pam Rabbit
  • RODAN
  • Vesna

Another feature of the Czech national final is the voting composition.  It will be 100% up to the public to find out who will represent Czech Republic at Eurovision.  According to the rules in place the public vote will be split 70% from the international public and 30% from the Czech public. This is the first time in 15 years that the Czech Republic will use a live show to determine the artist that will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The international audience will be able to watch ESCZ 2023 via live streaming on the official Eurovision Song Contest channel.  On the other hand the public in Czechia can watch the final via the iVysílání streaming platform of TV station ČT .

The production team consists of big names in the Czech entertainment industry, led by Head Of Production Cyril Hirsch, with Michal Utíkal, Lucie Kapounová and Viktor Průša . The direction will be led by Vít Bělohradský and Matyáš Vorda.

Kryštof Šámal, Head of Delegation for the Czech Republic, said:

’The level of the songs and artists; and also, the essence of ESCZ to share the talent and diversity in our music scene made it not very had but impossible to select 3 finalists therefore we are happy to reveal the 5 finalists that will compete to represent us in Liverpool.’

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for more updates about Czechia  in Eurovision 2023.

Source: Eurovision.tv

Norway: Listen to the songs of the second semi-final of Melodi Grand Prix 2023!

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Norway’s public television, NRK, is once again organizing the national final Melodi Grand Prix for the selection of its Eurovision entry in Liverpool this May. A few minutes ago, the songs of the artists of the second semi-final were released!

There will be nine finalists this year. The 21 total artists were divided into three semi-finals of seven with the top three from each semi-final receiving the ticket to the grand final of MGP 2023!

Timetable

  • Saturday, 14 January: First Semi-Final (Song Announcement on Monday, 9 January)
  • Saturday, 21 January: Second Semi-Final (Song Announcement on Monday, 16 January)
  • Saturday, 28 January: Third Semi-Final (Song Announcement on Monday, 23 January)
  • Saturday, 4 February: Grand Final

You can check out the results of the first semi-final here.

The participants of the second semi-final

The second set of three tickets for the MGP grand final will be claimed by:

Sandra Lyng – “Drøm d bort”

JONE – “Ekko Inni Meg”

Swing’it – “Prohibition”

Ella – “Waist”

Alejandro Fuentes – “Fuego”

Bjørn Olav Edvardsen – “Turn Off My Heart”

Elsie Bay – “Love You in a Dream”

We remind you that this year’s Melodi Gran Prix is quite different from the previous ones, as there are no duels or second chance round. In each semi-final, only the Norwegian television audience is able to vote, while in the final, for the first time since 2019, there will also be an international jury that will determine 50% of the result.

The songs are published every Monday before the semi-final in which they are competing. Melodi Grand Prix 2023 is taking place at the Spectrum in Trondheim and is hosted by Arian Engebø and Stian Thorbjørnsen.

What do you think of the second set of MGP 2023 songs? Do you think the winner might be amongst them? Tell us in the comments!

Finland: Listen to the third song of UMK 2023!

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The finnish broadcaster YLE has released the third song competing in UMK 2023, the finnish national final for Eurovision 2023.

The song is titled “Girls Like You” by Robin Packalen and you can listen to it below:

The official Eurovision site presents Robin as follows:

One of Finland’s most popular pop artists, the beloved Robin Packalen has long wanted to enter UMK. Now, the time has finally come. Robin, who got his start as a child star, is ready to conquer Europe with his energy and authenticity.

Robin Packalen’s first single was released in 2012, when he was just 13. It was an immediate hit, and Robin became a superstar. According to Packalen, the good thing about performing at a young age is that you aren’t afraid of anything and you have plenty of energy. The flipside is the fact that you have to grow up very fast.

In recent years, Packalen has been releasing songs in English. When making music, he relies on his instincts. Outside his music career, the extroverted Packalen enjoys extreme sports and socialising as much as he can.

Now was the right time for him to enter UMK. Many people have been wanting to see Robin in the contest and, even though he had been considering it for years, he feels that he is only just now ready for it.

‘And, this song is so good that the whole world should hear it,’ says Robin.

The UMK jury had the following to say about Robin:

“It’s so good to have one of Finland’s most successful pop stars of all time competing in the Contest for New Music UMK! Girls Like You is precisely the kind of music Robin Packalen wants to make: groovy, catchy and feelgood pop performed in English, which suits UMK to a T. Even though the song has clear Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake influences, Robin makes his own mark with his familiar vocal style. Written in Los Angeles, the song is like a sunny day squeezed into a three-minute audio file.”

We remind you that the competing artists/songs of UMK 2023 are being revealed in different dates in the following order:

  • Thu, 12 January Keira – No Business On The Dancefloor
  • Fri, 13 January Benjamin – Hoida mut
  • Mon, 16 January Robin Packalen – Girls Like You
  • Tue, 17 January Lxandra – Something To Lose
  • Wed, 18 January Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha
  • Thu, 19 January KUUMAA – Ylivoimainen
  • Fri, 20 January Portion Boys – Samaa taivasta katsotaan

The UMK grand final will take place on Saturday, 25 February, 20:00 CET and will be broadcast on Yle TV1, Yle Areena and Yle radio channels.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding UMK and the finnish representative for Eurovision 2023!

Italy: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy guest at Sanremo 2023!

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According to information by Italian journalist Bruno Vespa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his desire to appear via video link at the Final of the Sanremo Festival, live from Kyiv.

https://twitter.com/sanremo_en/status/1614657643729256448

The response of Amadeus, host and artistic director of the Sanremo Festival was, according to Vespa, the following:

“Dear president, we are waiting for you at the final night of Sanremo.”

We remind you that the Festival of Sanremo 2023 will take place from 7 to 11 February 2023, therefore Zelenskyy is expected to make his appearance on Saturday, 11 February.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Sanremo 2023!

Italy: The Black Eyed Peas guests at Sanremo 2023!

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The official Festival di Sanremo facebook page has just announced that the Black Eyed Peas will be guests of this year’s 73rd edition of Sanremo!

On the second night of the Festival, which is on Wednesday, 8 February, the group that has won 6 Grammy awards will appear on stage with the energy that has always distinguished them and make the Ariston theater audience and those at home dance to their greatest hits!

Their latest album “Elevation”, released last November by Epic/Sony Music, contains the million-streamed hit “Simply The Best” with Anitta and El Alfa and is currently in the Top 10 of Italian radio. Also, the track “Don’t You Worry” with Shakira and David Guetta has over 200 million streams and reached the Top 3 of Radio Airplay, the Top 10 of European Radio Airplay and Shazam’s Global Chart.

We remind you that the Festival of Sanremo 2023 will take place from 7 to 11 February. You can check out the participants here.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Sanremo 2023!

Moldova: Sunstroke Project submitted a song for the country’s National Final!

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About a month ago, TVM, the public broadcaster of Moldova confirmed that the submission of entries for Eurovision 2023 has begun. As it seems, Moldova is going to return to a national final selection in order to choose their represnetative for this year’s contest. Read more

Belgium: The Starlings are dissatisfied with the result of Eurosong 2023!

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The Starlings (Tom Dice, Kato Callebaut) in last night’s show of the Belgian national final Eurosong 2023, very narrowly took the second place in the standings with only one point separating them from the winner Gustaph. The result was formed like so because, regardless of the fact that they were the audience’s favourites, the jury didn’t vote for “Rollercoaster” enough. Detailed results and information about the performances can be read in our Eurosong 2023 article.

More specifically, Tom Dice seemed particularly unhappy with the jury’s voting and said the following in an Instagram post, not leaving Alexander Rybak‘s remark about the similarity of “Rollercoaster” to a well-known Ed Sheeran song unchallenged:

“Thank you so much for voting us up so massively! 1 out of 4 people voted for “Rollercoaster” yesterday, which is insane.

(Part of) the 15-member jury had a different opinion. So we are very disappointed. There was barely any talk about our performance, voices and music.

It felt like a lack of respect for the work that went into this.
We are asking ourselves a lot of questions.
Whether we will get an honest answer from those people, I doubt it.
It doesn’t feel right.

If it depends on you, “Rollercoaster” will be on every music channel and streaming playlist in Flanders starting today, and that’s a nice consolation. You guys are the sweetest people and we prefer to have them close to us.”

At the end he will not forget to congratulate Gustaph on his victory with a beautiful message:

“@stefgustaph you deserve this and I love you! You are a great man and after 2 times being under or behind the stage it may now be FULL in the spotlight. I will traditionally support and be proud of you in “me and my guitar” suit. You worked hard!”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tom Dice (@tomdiceofficial)

Gustaph got the ticket to represent Belgium in Liverpool for Eurovision 2023 with his song “Because of You”, receiving 121 points from the jury and 157 from the audience.

https://youtu.be/uYWhh-E_VPo

Source: Songfestival.be

Belgium: With Gustaph and “Because of You” at Eurovision 2023!

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Belgium’s national final Eurosong 2023 has just ended, having chosen Gustaph with his song “Because of You” as the big winner that will take the ticket to Liverpool in May for Eurovision 2023.

The show took place at Palais 12 in Brussels with Peter Van de Veire as the host and Duncan Laurence as the guest act.

The participants

In the national final, seven artists presented their proposals for Eurovision 2023 in the following order:

  1. Hunter Falls –  Ooh La La 
  2. Cherine – Ça m’ennuie pas 
  3. The Starlings – Rollercoaster
  4. Ameerah – The Carnival 
  5. Gustaph – Because Of You
  6. Gala Aliaj Dragot – T’lnquiete
  7. Loredana De Amicis – You Lift Me Up 

The jury is made up of 15 members, including Alexander Rybak (Norway 2009 and 2018), Laura Tessoro (Belgium 2015), Jeremie Makiese (Belgium 2022) and Nikkie Turtorials (Eurovision 2021 Presenter).

The competitive part

1. Hunter Falls –  Ooh La La 

First on stage is Hunter Falls dressed in black with two dancers synchronized with the rear LEDs which are in orange, yellow and red tones. Pretty good vocally in a decent performance.

https://youtu.be/w_j6bH8BO7Y

2. Cherine –Ça m’ennuie pas 

Definitely one of the favourites of the night as her song is number one on Spotify Belgium. Cherine is on stage in a pink dress and two dancers, one dressed as an octopus and one as a flower. The stage look is quite childish and reminiscent of Junior Eurovision but she is quite good vocally. Will her childish approach cost her a ticket to Liverpool?

https://youtu.be/Zy5zx79QUPc

3. The Starlings – Rollercoaster

Next up was the duo of the night in a dark black and white performance. A minimal show with some effects, a little subdued of course. The Starlings are decent vocalists. The juries pointed out their similarity to Ed Sheeran’s song.

https://youtu.be/E3rng9rC6Ks

4. Ameerah – The Carnival 

It’s Ameerah’s turn with her carnival! Dressed in red with five dancers and costumes that refer to the title of the song without being “costumes”. She is quite good vocally and comfortable on stage with the show ending with confetti and her extending to the catwalk part of the stage. A pretty well worked out performance.

https://youtu.be/uQWMGgoJkYg

5. Gustaph – Because Of You

Gustaph comes on stage in a hat and a kimono type of clothing in shades of purple and pink. With him are two women on vocals who, with their support, make the song live sound almost identical to the studio version. Simple and unpretentious appearance.

https://youtu.be/J90sSoNKTHA

6. Gala Aliaj Dragot – T’lnquiete 

Next up is the winner of the Junior version of the country. Gala in white with 5 dancers behind her in a modern choreography that doesn’t distract from her and the piece. Excellent vocals from the 17 year old singer in a highly atmospheric performance that is sure to get the judges and audience excited.

https://youtu.be/Zm_yfMR2Jbo

7. Loredana De Amicis – You Lift Me Up 

Loredana closes the curtain in a very “Eurovision” performance. She wears a black jumpsuit with rhinestones and has two male dancers. At the finale a large robot appears in the centre with various lights. The look and the singing are reminiscent of the contest of earlier times unfortunately, despite the fact that she is quite good vocally.

https://youtu.be/Rp-4eAlMVxs

The results

The winner was decided by the vote of the 15 jurors and the television audience, which has one free vote via the channel’s website and one payphone vote. The jury distributed 780 points among the seven candidates and the 780 votes from the public were divided by percentages accordingly. That is, if one of the candidates receives 10% of the public votes, he or she will receive 78 points.

The jury voted:

  1. Gala 146
  2. Cherine 145
  3. Gustaph 121
  4. Ameerah 107
  5. The Starlings 94
  6. Hunter Falls 84
  7. Loredana  83

The audience voted:

  1. The Starlings 183
  2. Gustaph 157
  3. Cherine 123
  4. Gala 146
  5. Loredana  84
  6. Ameerah 64
  7. Hunter Falls 44

Therefore, the final result is as follows:

  1. Gustaph 278
  2. The Starlings 277
  3. Gala 146
  4. Cherine 145
  5. Ameerah 153
  6. Loredana  167
  7. Hunter Falls 128

Gustaph and “Beacause of You” will wave the Belgian flag in Liverpool and will attempt to claim victory in the upcoming competition. Listen to the entry below:

https://youtu.be/J90sSoNKTHA

Will Belgium manage to get back into the top ten after 6 years? Make your prediction in the comments!