Lithuania: Rūta Loop speaks exclusively at Eurovision Fun!

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She is talented and she is one of the favorites to represent Lithuania at Eurovision 2022. Rūta Loop with Call Me from the Cold, hopes to be the winner of “Pabandom iš naujo! 2022” and then travel to Turin. Rūta Loop speaks exclusively at Eurovision Fun and we are very happy to host her!

Foto – @migletareilyte, Ruta Loop, Facebook Page

-Ruta, welcome to Eurovision Fun and thank you very much for this interview! How did you decide to participate in Pabandom is naujo?

This year I’m releasing an EP album, a mini version and we created some songs and one of them practically this one, Call Me from the Cold, we thought with the team, with the production that it might be a good sound and good song for the Eurovision Song Contest and I just made the song from the Lithuanian to the english version, but it’s talking about, completely diverse topics. 

-This is your third time in the national final. Which of your entries do you love the most?

So for me I would say that ”We Came from the sun”, was my first ever time on the Eurovision stage, ’cause probably when I got there the first time at first I thought that maybe I was trying to make a Eurovision song and it’s not even my style right now and with ”We Came from the sun”, I think this year I found my sound, how I want to be represented, I mean the song and everything, so that year in 2020 I was releasing my first album, ”Chapter” and ”We Came from the sun” was one of the songs from that album. And this year I have to be honest, it was a really spontaneous idea to perform and to participate in Eurovision but I really felt that this song has something really unique and special and it means so much to me as well ’cause I feel like my sound got really really near what I want to say and what I want to be like so when you find your voice, your sound I believe it’s so true and you want maybe to show it to Europe.

-What is the message you want to convey with Call me from the cold?

So in this one, I’m talking about the energy and I’m trying to be an energy at the perfomance between two people for the person who feels misunderstood, who feels sometimes lonely, sometimes afraid to speak out, to speak on what is on his mind, so I’m trying to be the energy who gets him to the light but the main thing is that he realizes that the light was always inside of him and he just has to remember how to light up again.

-What should we expect from you on the stage for the semi final? Would you make changes in your performance?

So I really believe that the semi final performance will be so so much better, actually I feel so much better after this one, we filmed it on Tuesday and I feel like this is gonna be really really close to what we even tried to do the first time so, you never know till you know, and till the stage, and then you see everything, so the team was really great and tried to do everything they can, for myself I feel that I did it better from the emotional aspect, the message and my voice and the whole perfomance.

-Do you have any favorite from this year’s Pabandom is naujo? Do you fell threatened by someone?

You know Lithuania, we are not a big country so we know each other. I don’t know, I don’t feel threatened by someone, because I’m really focused on my perfomance and I feel like this is the key on how to be really successful and make it the best you can for your perfomance but I can say that I really like Monika Liu, it sounds really like lithuanian tradition. But I don’t feel threatened. Every year you don’t know what song Lithuania will send to the contest. I feel like my song has something special and I believe in it.

– Which is your favorite Lithuanian entry from Eurovision?

In 2015, I was going to Vienna to Austria with Monika Linkytė & Vaidas Baumila, to perform as a backing vocalist, so that day I really was focused on getting on the stage as leader singer and creat songs and when Ι feel ready I’m trying to go to Eurovision. This performance makes me feel nostalgic. So I would say Monika Linkytė & Vaidas Baumila with the song ”This Time”.

-Have you ever visited Greece?

I actually never have been in Greece but I hope I will come soon and I will visit this beautiful country.

-Ruta thank you very much! Good luck to you and Call me from the cold.

Best wishes for everyrone and thanks for the interview.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding the Lithuanian participation in Eurovision 2022!

Interview was taken by Apostolos Bogiannos

Israel: These are the eight songs of the national selection process, for Eurovision 2022!

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The X Factor Israel started on October 30, where the artist and the song that will represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, will be selected.

A while ago, the eight songs that the four finalists of The XFactor Israel will have to perform, were played for the first time on Kan Gimmel. One of these eight songs will be the song that finally Israel will compete with, at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.

You can listen to all the eight songs below:
  • Inbal Bibi – ZAZA
  • Inbal Bibi – Marionette
  • Michael Ben David – Don’t
  • Michael Ben David –I.M 
  • Eli Huli – Blinded Dreamers
  • Eli Huli – Nostalgia
  • Sapir Saban – Breaking My Own Walls
  • Sapir Saban – Head Up

The finalists

On January 27, four finalists were selected, on the second semi final of XFactor Israel, the selection process of Israel for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest!

The four finalists of  The XFactor Israel are:

  1. Inbal Bibi
  2. Eli Huli
  3. Michael Ben David
  4. Sapir Saban

The selection Process

Out of the 130 songs that were submitted, the above eight songs were selected and will be assigned to the four finalists in the hopes of becoming the Israeli representative of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.

The final of the competition will take place on the 5th of February with the above four finalists. Each of the four will be assigned with two of the above new songs, which they will have to perform. There will also be a semi-final round, to select one of the two songs for each artist on February 3rd.

The song that will be selected will be the one with which each participant will claim the representation of Israel for Eurovision 2022. Four songs and four artists will compete in the X Factor Grand Final. Then, the audience and the jury will jointly choose the artist and the song who will represent the country in Turin.

We remind you that the popular talent show will be presented by Liron Weizman. According to domestic media, X Factor Israel judges will include Netta Barzilai, Aviv Geffen, Margalit Tzan’ani, Ran Danker and Miri Mesika.

Israel was represented by Eden Alene in Eurovision 2021 with the song Set Me Free, finishing 17th in the grand final on May 22nd.

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun, for all the latest developments regarding Israel’s entry for Eurovision 2022!

Spain: Chanel is representing the country in Eurovision 2022!

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The grand final of Benidorm Fest, the national final of Spain, has just been completed, with the country choosing Chanel as the festival’s winner and therefore their representative at Eurovision 2022 in Turin.

A total of eight finalists, who qualified from two semifinals, competed in the grand final, claiming the ticket to Turin.

The finalists

The eight candidates of the night were:

  1. Rayden – Calle de la llorería
  2. Tanxugueiras – Terra
  3. Varry Brava – Raffaella
  4. Chanel – SloMo
  5. Rigoberta Bandini – Ay mamá
  6. Xeinn – Eco
  7. Gonzalo Hermida – Quién lo diría
  8. Blanca Paloma – Secreto de agua

The voting

50% of the result in all three shows (two semifinals and a final) was determined by the jury, while the other 50% by the audience. The jury was divided into Spanish and international, while the 50% of the audience was divided into the televoting and a sample of the Spanish population selected on the basis of statistics and demographics (demoscopic jury). This is used in both the Sanremo Festival (Italy) and Melodifestivalen (Sweden).

The Benidorm Fest jury, which determined 50% of the vote, consisted of the following:

National jury:

  • Natalia Calderón – Vocal coach
  • Miryam Benedited – Director and Choreographer
  • Estefanía García – Singer, mezzo-soprano of the RTVE choir

International jury:

  • Marvin Dietmann – Director of several Eurovision entries
  • Felix Bergsson – Head of the Icelandic Eurovision delegation

Results

The detailed results of the grand final of Benidorm 2022 were as follows:

JURY (50%)

  1. Chanel – 51 points
  2. Rigoberta Bandini – 46 points
  3. Blanca Paloma – 39
  4. Rayden – 37 points
  5. Tanxuqeiras – 30 points
  6. Xeinn – 30 points
  7. Varry Brava – 25 points
  8. Gonzalo Hermida – 12 points

DEMOSCOPIC JURY (25%)

  1. Tanxugueiras – 30 points
  2. Chanel – 25 points
  3. Rigoberta Bandini – 20 points
  4. Gonzalo Hermida – 18 points
  5. Rayden – 15 points
  6. Varry Brava – 12 points
  7. Blanca Paloma – 10 points
  8. Xeinn – 5 points

TELEVOTE (25%)

  1. Tanxugueiras – 30 points
  2. Rigoberta Bendini – 25 points
  3. Chanel – 20 points
  4. Varry Brava – 18 points
  5. Rayden – 15 points
  6. Blanca Paloma – 12 points
  7. Xeinn – 10 points
  8. Gonzalo Hermida – 5 points

— OVERALL

  1. Chanel – 96 points
  2. Rigoberta Bandini – 91 points
  3. Tanxugueiras – 90 points
  4. Rayden – 67 points
  5. Blanca Paloma – 61 points
  6. Varry Brava – 60 points
  7. Xeinn – 45 points
  8. Gonzalo Hermida – 40 points

You can watch Chanel’s performance below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn8qwSn78D0

Do you agree with Spain’s choice of representative for Turin? Tell us in the comments!

Lithuania: Results of the first semifinal of Pabandom iš naujo

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The first semifinal of  Pabandom iš naujo 2022 took place today, which saw the first 9 semifinalists compete for the right to represent Lithuania at Eurovision 2022. 

 

In each semifinal 4 songs will qualify for the final. The 4 finalists were determined by 50% jury voting and 50% public voting.

 

The presenters of tonights show were Giedrius Masalskis, Ieva Stasiulevičiūtė and Richardas Jonaitis.

The running order for tonights show was:

• Queen of Roses – “Washing Machine”

• Elonas Pokanevič – “Someday”

• Emilijana – “Illuminate”

• Joseph June – “Deadly”

• Erica Jennings – “Back to Myself”

• Justė Kraujelytė – “How to Get My Life Back”

• Gebrasy – “Into Your Arms”

• Gintarė Korsakaitė – “Fantasy Eyes”

• Lolita Zero – “Not Your Mother”

 

The jurors who make up 50% of the result. These were revealed during the show are:

• Ramūnas Zilnys
• Giedrė Kilčiauskienė
• Ieva Narkutė
• Gerūta Griniūtė
• Vaidotas Valiukevičius (represented Lithuania in Eurovision 2020 & 2021 as part of The Roop )

 

The 4 finalists from tonights show are:

1st – Justė Kraujelytė – “How to Get My Life Back” (22 points) 

2nd – Lolita Zero – “Not Your Mother” (20 points)

3rd – Gebrasy – “Into Your Arms” (18 points)

4th – Queen of Roses – “Washing Machine” (11 points)

 

Justė Kraujelytė with the song “How to Get My Life Back” was the winner of the first semifinal, placing 1st with the jury and 2nd with the televote.

 

Jury Result:

Televote Result:

Overall result:

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding Lithuania’s participation in Eurovision 2022!

Norway: Results of MGP 2022 Third Semi-Final!!

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The third semi-final of  Melodi Grand Prix 2022 was broadcast tonight at 19:50 CET. Four artists competed thisn time too for the one ticket that leads directly to the Grand Final of 19th of February 2022. We also had the chance to enjoy the performance of the pre-qualified entry  “Someone” by NorthKid. Subwoolfer was originally slated to perform in this semi-final as a pre-qualified entry, before testing positive for COVID-19.

The hosts of the show were Kåre Magnus Bergh, Annika Momrak, Mikkel Niva.

The four artist competed in the third semi-final tonight were:

Those aforementioned candidates have been divided into two duels, the winners of these will compete for the ticket to the final. The duels are:

  1. Mari Bølla – Your Loss  VS Oda Gondrosen – Hammer of Thor
  2. Sturla – Skår i hjerte VS Vilde – Titans

The betting odds before the show looked as follows:

The winner of the first duel (Mari Bølla – Your Loss  VS Oda Gondrosen – Hammer of Thor ) was:

Oda Gondrosen – Hammer of Thor

 

The winner of the second duel (Sturla – Skår i hjerte VS Vilde – Titans) was:

Vilde – Titans

Later on the show we had the chance to listen live to the automatic finalist NorthKid and their entry “Someone”.

Oda Gondrosen and Vilde once again performed their entries in this final duel.

Oda Gondrosen – Hammer of Thor VS Vilde – Titans

After this battle the second qualifier of MGP 2022 was Oda Gondrosen with the song “Hammer of Thor

The next semi-final is going to take place on 5th of February at 19:50 CET! You can watch MGP 2022 by clicking here.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun, for all the news regarding the Norway’s participation at Eurovision Song Contest 2022!

 

Moldova: Zdob și Zdub to represent the country in Turin!

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The Moldovan public broadcaster, TRM, officially has chosen its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022!

As it was revealed yesterday, TRM made a decision not to hold a national final linking it to the to the epidemiological situation in the country. The representative was chosen through live auditions! The professional jury and Moldovan state radio and television determined Moldovan entry.

The candidates to represent the country in Italy were:

 

  • Annet Smirnova – Toxic Eyes
  • Denis Midone – Run Away
  • Dianna Rotaru – My Time Is Now
  • Katy Rain – Lele
  • Naminal – Stop Tonight
  • Ricky Ardezianu – Cherche la femme
  • Sasha Bognibov – (I Just Had) Sex with Your Ex
  • The Tramps – Sky Blues
  • Trio Eva – Get a Kiss
  • Y-Limit – Nothing More
  • Tudor Bumbac – Iartă-mă că te iubesc
  • Carolina Gorun & Danieli Shvets – Take Me Anywhere
  • Emilia Vlas – Yama
  • Lemonique – Boys
  • Marcela Scripcaru – Starlight
  • Maxim Zavidia – Ready
  • Mihaela Andrei – Libre
  • Zdob și Zdub & Fratii Advahov – Trenulețul
  • Lanjeron – Magic Carpet
  • Pelageya Stefoglo – I’m the Only One
  • Ana Cernicova – Silent Battlefield
  • Angel Kiss – The Sunshine in Me
  • Diana Elmas – Spirit High
  • Ferum – Love Is
  • Sendrei – Beginners’ Luck
  • Valeria Barbas – My Tree
  • Viola Julea – Before (Twin Flame)
  • Viorela Moraru – Tell Me That You Love Me

It was collectively decided that Zdob și Zdub & Fratii Advahov would wave the Moldovan flag in Turin this year with their song “Trenulețul“.

 

Who’s Zdob și Zdub?

Zdob și Zdub is a Moldovan folk punk band, based in Chișinău. The band represented Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 21 May 2005, finishing 6th. They  also represented Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, on 14 May 2011 finishing 12th. “Zdob și Zdub” (“Hit the Drum”) musical band was put together in 1994 in Moldova. Before that, the singer Roman Iagupov, the bass-player Mihai Gincu and the drummer Anatol Pugach had together attended a school in a small town from the suburbs of Chisinau, called Straseni. They found the missing musicians during their studies at the Sports College in Chisinau. The line-up of the band was constantly changing: sometimes the band had two singers, sometimes – two guitarists. As a result, one guitarist became a singer, the clarinettist – a drummer, and the drummer – a bass-player.

Here you can watch their ESC 2005 performance:

Here you can watch their ESC 2011 performance:

Moldova will perform in the first half of the first semi-final!

Follow us in order not to miss exclusive information about your country!

 

Norway: The Spotify streams of the third semifinal

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Tonight is the third semifinal of MGP 2022, Norway’s national final for the selection of the song that will represent the country in Eurovision 2022.

Four songs will compete once again. The competition will have the form of duels, the winners of which will compete against each other for a ticket to the grand final.

The four songs are available on Spotify and are ranked by streams as follows:

  1. Vilde – Titans 113817
  2. Oda Gondrosen – Hammer of Thor  74061
  3. Mari Bølla – Your Loss 72731
  4. Sturla – Skår i hjerte  59104

Among all MGP 2022 songs, Elsie Bay‘s Death Of Us and Subwoolfer‘s Give That Wolf A Banana have a major lead.

The previous two weeks the streams failed to correctly predict the winners of the semifinals. Will that change tonight?

You can watch the third semifinal of MGP 2022 at 20:55 through the official website of NRK, by clicking here.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments related to Norway’s participation in Eurovision 2022!

photo: JULIA MARIE NAGLESTAD / NRK

Spain: The Spotify streams for the Benidorm Fest final

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The day of the grand final of Benidorm Fest has finally arrived! After Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Albania (and possibly Moldova), Spain will give us the fourth song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.

Eight songs are going to compete tonight, most of which seem to have a lead.

According to the Spotify, five of the eight songs are in the top 200 of the daily chart. These are:

The televoting may have a 25% effect on the spanish song festival, but it could still affect the final result. Ay mamá has a very big lead both in the streams but also in youtube views and will probably be first in the televoting tonight. But Terra could overturn this, if it manages to move the Galicians to massively vote for it. Also, SloMo, the song that was the surprise of the first semifinal, is constantly gaining ground. Nothing has been clarified yet!

Benidorm Fest 2022 is held at the Palacio de Deportes L’Illa in Alicante and is presented by Alaska, Inés Hernand and Máximo Huerta.

You can watch the grand final of the Spanish music festival at 22:15 CET by clicking HERE.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding the Spanish participation in Eurovision 2022!

Spain: Grand final of Benidorm Fest 2022 tonight!

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Third and final night of Benidorm Fest tonight, as the Grand Final that will determine Spain’s representative in Eurovision 2022 has finally arrived.

Format

The system of Benidorm Fest 2022 consists of two semifinals, in which 7 songs take part respectively. Four artists from each semifinal advance to the Benidorm Grand Final.

The big winner and representative of Spain in Eurovision 2022 will be selected 50% by two juries and 50% by the Spanish viewers. Both juries are composed of professionals in the field, with one consisting only of natives and the other being an international one.

The Benidorm Fest jury members are the following:

National jury:

Natalia Calderón – Vocal coach
Miryam Benedited – Director and Choreographer
Estefanía García – Singer, mezzo-soprano of the RTVE choir

International jury:

Marvin Dietmann – Director of serveral entries in the Eurovision Song Contest
Felix Bergsson – Head of the Icelandic Eurovision delegation

The other 50% of the voting will come 25% from the televote and from 25% from a sample of the Spanish population selected on the basis of statistics and demographics (demoscopic jury). This is used in both the Sanremo Festival (Italy) and Melodifestivalen (Sweden).

Grand Final

Eight artists qualified to the Grand Final from the two semi-finals of January 26th and 27th.

One of them will have the honour of representing Spain in Turin this May.

The artists competing tonight are the following, in order of appearance:

  1. Rayden – Calle de la llorería
  2. Tanxugueiras – Terra
  3. Varry Brava – Raffaella
  4. Chanel – SloMo
  5. Rigoberta Bandini – Ay mamá
  6. Xeinn – Eco
  7. Gonzalo Hermida – Quién lo diría
  8. Blanca Paloma – Secreto de agua

We remind you that the winner of the first semi-final was Chanel, who is performing 4th tonight, while the winner of the second semi-final was Rigoberta Bandini, who is performing 5th.

Benidorm Fest 2022 is held at Palacio de Deportes L’Illa in Alicante and is presented by Alaska, Inés Hernand and Máximo Huerta.

You can watch the Grand Final of the Spanish music festival at 22:05 CET by clicking HERE.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Spain’s participation in Eurovision 2022!

Norway: Third semi-final of MGP 2022 tonight!

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The selection process for the Norwegian participation in the 66th Eurovision Song Contest continues tonight. Melodi Grand Prix 2022 will keep us company for another Saturday, with another artist getting a ticket for the grand final in February 19th.

Format

Melodi Grand Prix 2022 consists of six shows: four semifinals, a second chance round and the grand final, which will determine the representative of the Scandinavian country in the 66th Eurovision Song Contest. Four artists compete in each semifinal, with only one of them advancing to the final.

Those eliminated from the semifinals (four from each) will take part in the second chance round. Four of those, who will be chosen by the televote, will compete for the fifth ticket that leads to the grand final of MGP 2022.

So, after five shows we will reach the night of the grand final, in which a total of ten artists will participate: the four winners of the semifinals, the winner of the second chance round and the five direct finalists.

The finalists

Five artists have qualified directly for the grand final of MGP 2022:

In the first semi-final, the ticket for the grand final was won by Frode with the song Black Flowers.

In the second semi-final, the ticket for the grand final was won by Farida with the song Dangerous.

Third semi-final

The four artist that will be competing in the third semi-final tonight are:

NRK has decided not to proceed – yet – with the announcement of the two duels that will determine the two ticket winners for the grand final of the Melodi Grand Prix 2022.

Direct finalist Northkid will be making a guest appearance, performing their song Someone.

Presenters of the evening will be Kåre Magnus Bergh, Annika Momrak and Mikkel Niva.

You can watch the third semifinal of MGP 2022 at 19:55 CET on the official website of norwegian public television, by clicking here.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Norway’s participation in Eurovision 2022!