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Israel: Eden Golan in her first interview before the Second Semi-Final!

Just before the beginning of the second Semi-Final of today, Israel’s representative Eden Golan gave us an exclusive interview, as she only interviewd in Israeli media.

Eden is very happy and ready for her performance today, after two amazing rehearsals. Of course, she waits Greek people to vote for her and support her!

Watch in the following video the interview of Eden:

Israel will perform in place 14 today in the Second Semi-Final with the song “Hurricane”, having great chances of qualifying.

We wanna thank KAN, Eden’s manager and our colleagues from Euromix for the interview.

Will you think Israel can qualify in the Grand Final?

Stay tuned in Eurovisionfun for all the upcoming news of the contest.!

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Βesa: “Τhe revamp of my song will be in English!” | Exclusive Interview

This year’s Albanian representative Besa Kokëdhima spoke exclusively to Eurovisionfun about her preparations for this year’s contest, the new version of the song and her upcoming visit to Greece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rEDP1lSoDQ&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title

In her exclusive interview with Paschalis and Apostolis, Besa revealed that very soon she will be attending the first official Eurovision pre-party in Athens and is looking forward to meeting the Greek fans as she often visits both Athens and Thessaloniki as well as Halkidiki .

The revamp of her entry

“I wanted to work with people from different cultures for the new version of my song. So to better convey the message of the song we decided to have it all in English. The song has evolved and I want everyone to understand the message! I know it’s a risk to change the language but what could go wrong?”

Then she revealed to us that she has not officially started the preparations for her staging, but this time she is focusing on the creation of the video clip of the participation which will be officially released in the next period.

“Our time is very limited but we work day and night for the best result”

From this year’s entries, she singled out those of Denmark, France and Italy, while as her favorite entries from the Eurovision contest she mentioned those of Loreen and Elena Paparizou from 2005.

Finally, together with Besa we played our brand new game and of course she shared her wishes for the Eurovisionfun audience. Watch the full interview below:

We have nothing but to warmly thank this year’s representative of Albania and wish her success on the Malmo stage!

Lisa Ajax: “I want the audience to feel, if they’re in that situation right now, that they’re not alone and that it gets better!” | Exclusive Interview

Andreas Papayiannakis and EurovisionFun is accredited by SVT to follow the Melodifestivalen tour for a third year in-a-row. In Malmö we got the chance to meet a few people involved in this year’s Melodifestivalen.

Among those was five-time contestant Lisa Ajax at the press conference of the second noon rehearsal earlier today, in Malmö Arena on an short interview.

Lisa is a veteran at Melodifestivalen, it’s her fifth time. She told us more about how it feels to be back.

“It feels very good. It’s always so fun to be here and for every year that I’m here it gets more… I don’t know, I know what’s gonna happen and I feel more ready when I get here.”

Everyone can relate to Lisa’s song, everyone has been there, has been lied to, betrayed, cheated on. What does she say about the song?

“I really feel the lyrics and I’ve been there but I’m not there now, thank God. My life is pretty much perfect, I would say. I love that about music, that you can always go back into a feeling and you can look back at it and feel like, oh my God, I’m so thankful that I’m not there right now. And then I want the audience to feel, if it’s someone that’s in that situation right now, that they’re not alone and that it gets better. Because I’ve been there, so I can really relate to the lyrics.”

How did this collaboration start with Sebastian Atas, Victor Crone, David Lindgren Zacharias and Victor Sjöström and Lisa ended up performing the song at this year’s contest?

“I think it was two years ago, a long time ago, and then I was in the studio with David Lindgren-Zacharias, that has written the song and then there were more people involved as well, but I was in the studio with him and I tried a different song and then he just said that I have another song that I want you to hear. And then he played “Awful Liar”. and I loved it from the very first time I heard it. And I knew that I was like, okay, I need to have this song. And then, two years later, we are here. So it was a little process to get the song and to get everything to work.”

Lisa confessed that they would submit it last year, but they were a bit late. We don’t know what would happen, should Lisa have submitted the song in 2023. What does Lisa expect with this year’s participation? He clarifies:

“I really hope that I get to go to the finals, of course, but you never know. I don’t know what the audience will think. And I can just affect what I do and I will just do my best on the stage and deliver emotions and that the audience really feel what I’m singing. And that’s all I can do. But I really hope that it gets me to the finals, of course.”

Finally she sends a message to her Swedish and international fans that have been following her, but also the new ones that will know her this year for the first time:

“I really hope that you are watching and that you love the song just as much as I do. And yes, see you on Saturday.”

You can watch our exclusive interview with Lisa Ajax at the video down below:

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun and don’t miss out on anything regarding this year’s Melodifestivalen!

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Elisa Lindström: “Maybe I can meet fans and sing the song along with them! I’m longing to meet you!” | Exclusive Interview

Andreas Papayiannakis and EurovisionFun is accredited by SVT to follow the Melodifestivalen tour for a third year in-a-row. In Malmö we got the chance to meet a few people involved in this year’s Melodifestivalen. Among those was Elisa Lindström who had us over at Quality View Hotel, the appointed artist hotel in Malmö next to Malmö Arena on an extensive interview.

Εveryone who’s following Melodifestivalen knows who that wonderful lady is, Elisa Lindström. We got the chance to see her perform on stage, yesterday morning. Her song is like a Schlager-bomb, the Schlager-bomb we all need! But what was the thinking behind the song, when Elisa co-wrote this?

“So, Henrik Sethsson, Henric Axelsson, Thomas G:son and Erik Bernholm have written it. And I was just in the finishing of writing it. When I got the song to me, it was almost done. So, it was a super nice experience to listen to the song for the first time. And I was, okay, yeah, the demo, I need to try this. And I just thought, it’s something special here. And then I went up to Stockholm to Henrik and recorded it. Then we did some changes in the end and it felt like it was written to me.”

They did not write the song at a songwriting camp, they did it privately. As she says, the genre is totally Henrik Sethsson and Thomas G:son, it’s their soul. Henrik Sethsson and herself talked about it earlier that it all came from their heart.

“We love this kind of music. And it’s so nice to show it for people. And yeah, we want everybody to dance and sing.”

To my eyes, Elisa is literally doing what Sweden knows to do best. It’s the Schlager song, with that kind of pop diva on stage. So much glitter and glow. Elisa adds on that:

“Yeah, we wanted to create a number that was exactly as we feel for the song. That it’s the glitter and this uplifting feeling. And I think Jennie Widegren and Lotta Furebäck has really worked that out so well. We had a mood board that we sent to them. And some words that were important. We want a modern Schlager party. And we want glitter and feminine energy. And then they came back with an idea.”

The Eurovision fan base, on Twitter mainly, they’ve gone nuts with Elisa’s song. How did she react when I mentioned that?

“Oh, I’m so happy. You know, it’s crazy. I’ve just been in this little bubble. And I’ve lived with the song. And now it’s like, people they’re going to listen to it. And maybe I can meet the fans and sing this song along with them. And I get goosebumps because that’s what I live for. I’m longing to meet you. And when you’re a bit drunk, you can like… And just scream out. The message is just throw yourself out in love, to be brave and just sing it and dance and be free..”

Her last time at Melodifestivalen was in 2021, so this is her third time. How does she feel she has evolved as an artist? She explains:

“Oh, I think a lot because I’ve worked so much on stage and I’ve worked with so many talented people that has inspired me and helped me grow. And also, I’m 10 years older from when I first did Melodifestivalen here in Malmö and I have the opportunity now again. I also have a little daughter, so she has also taught me so much about myself. So I think I’m much more calm and secure about who I am and what I want to give to people. And I’m a bit touched when I talk about that because she has really shown me that what’s important and that I just want to bring joy through music.”

She wants people to focus on the fact that the song is up-tempo. That it has a lot of energy and it suits her energy very well and she can totally be herself and just throw herself out there.

“So I want them to feel the love and the joy and the power that I feel and that the song has and that power that music has also. Just that the people can feel the joy and the love is what is important in the world and that also maybe this can be a break from all the troubles that we live in. So this can be like a magical little bubble that we can rest in and just be happy and fill up with energy.”

She wants to touch the soul of the viewers to help give themselves that break to also just be happy.

“And I don’t know, it’s a competition and you know, there’s so many great songs. But for me, it’s the most important thing that I reach people and I feel that I’m doing it already. So that’s my goal. And also my goal is to come out there and sing live with you.”

She is also sending a message to all her Swedish and international fans out there:

“The song that I’m going to sing is about to be brave enough to stand in love. And yeah, I hope you will feel that and feel my love to you and to the music.”

You can watch our exclusive interview with Elisa Lindström at the video down below:

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun and don’t miss out on anything regarding this year’s Melodifestivalen!

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Agnese Rakovska: “It would be a lie if I didn’t want to return to Εurovision!” | Interview

Agnese Rakovska represented Latvia in 2017, as part of the band Triana Park and the song “Line”. This year the successful singer decided to return to the national final of the country Supernova and spoke about everything to Apostolis and Eurovisionfun!

How about the staging of Supernova 2024?

“The color blue will dominate, as for me it represents hope and peace! For now I’m thinking of being alone on stage without unnecessary things!”

In her music education program, she organizes music camps for songwriting. That’s where the idea for her participation song was born and she revealed to us that although she didn’t intend to perform the song herself at the beginning, she didn’t manage to find the right person and so she returns to the Supernova stage!

Her experience at Eurovision 2017!

“It’s a crazy trip! That’s why Loreen came back. It would be a lie if I didn’t want to return to this scene. It’s something you conquer because only the best appear on that stage.”

From this year’s participations of Supernova, she has heard only three songs and among them is “Hollow” by Dons, whom he characterized as a very charismatic voice of the country.

“Bet and predictions don’t matter! In 2017 nobody expected Salvador Sobral to win and yet he went on stage alone, sang and won!”

Βelow you can listen to “AI” from Agnese:

We want to wish her best of luck and a huge thank you for this exclusive interview!

 

 

Smash into Pieces: “If people love what we are doing, we think we can win!” | Exclusive Interview

Andreas Papayiannakis and EurovisionFun is accredited by SVT to follow the Melodifestivalen tour for a third year in-a-row. In Malmö we got the chance to meet a few people involved in this year’s Melodifestivalen. Among those was the group of Smash into Pieces who had us over at Quality View Hotel, the appointed artist hotel in Malmö next to Malmö Arena on an extensive interview.

Benjamin, Pierre and Chris were there but The Apocalypse DJ was missing, so the guys made fun of that by saying that I was Apoc!

“It’s always on a mission. So you never really know where is but I think it’s somewhere in Arcadia. Has the same body shape as you so really maybe it’s you, I think that’s the secret!”

Smash into Pieces have been doing so much, doing tours and even on the dates of Eurovision they’re supposed to be in Canada and the US. In case they win, what are they gonna do? How are they gonna handle it?

“Oh It’s gonna be it’s too big to handle. I mean we have we don’t really go there in our thoughts. And we also thought about just having a laptop in Canada to just live stream our performance straight from Eurovision. (Chris) My girlfriend would love that!”

Chris is gonna have his second kid this summer. So I got the chance to ask who is this song for. Then they said:

“For everyone actually, I mean everyone have this inner superhero hero calling on them. So it’s like follow your dreams and listen to your heart, listen to inner voice. It’s this mentality of Smash into Pieces that anything standing between us and our dreams is smashing to pieces.”

They wrote the song after last year’s entry. They let us in on more info for the song:

“They gave me a call after my session and he was like I really need you this this night. Like it’s gonna be a late session tonight. So I Just went to the next studio and the song came about. We worked with Linnea, Joy, Jimmy… He emailed us We were in Finland on tour and he needed like I need some a high note from Chris Adam for the song. At the end and we just recorded it on our laptop and he put it in and we sent it like a demo to Melodifestivalen. So it was nice.”

A couple of hours after our interview they were supposed to have their first rehearsal on stage. So what should we all expect?

“You should expect more than this last year. I mean this gonna be a cinematic show. You’re gonna follow Apoc on his journey We are part of this in this world and it’s gonna be, yeah, really visual.”

Smash into Pieces are already a very successful band. Why did they choose Melodifestivalen as a platform to showcase their music?

“We are a visual band and for us it’s like, as long as we were about to do our thing in this show, I think it’s the best showcase you can have in Sweden. So for us it was like an experiment, of course. But when we did it, we felt like this went the right way, we did what Smash always do on this stage. For us that’s what it is. It’s a great stage to be on and we love big stages and love big LED screens. Almost like we can combine our music videos with our live band experience and yeah it’s a great forum for us.”

They’re gonna have something bigger this year, they promise a lot more than what we saw back in 2023. They are gonna play with everything they got on stage. Are they back for the win?

“Yeah sure. I mean I don’t go there in my thoughts but I mean we if people love what we are doing I think we can win.”

You can watch our exclusive interview with Smash into Pieces at the video down below:

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun and don’t miss out on anything regarding this year’s Melodifestivalen!

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Adam Woods: “We called the lyrics note of the song ‘the winning song’!” | Exclusive Interview

Andreas Papayiannakis and EurovisionFun is accredited by SVT to follow the Melodifestivalen tour for a third year in-a-row. Before visiting the city of Malmö, for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Semi-Final allocation draw, Andreas spent a week in Stockholm.

There he got the chance to meet a few people involved in this year’s Melodifestivalen. Among those was Adam Woods who had us over at LoudKult HQ in Stockholm on an extensive interview.

So, we’ve seen Adam last year with Arc North and Jon Henrik Fjällgren, and now he’s coming back solo. Adam feels amazing to be back and he goes on:

“Already, last year, I was thinking about it, I had done this thing, and it felt amazing, and I gave it my all, but ultimately, I was there, I was singing for Jon Henrik, and I was doing a performance which was ultimately not mine. But now I get the chance to be me, and to show who I am, and to show a song that I’ve made, and a performance that I’ve made. So, I’m super excited.”

On the song he literally amazed us by saying that they called the lyrics note of the song “the winning song”! He explains more about this:

“I wrote the song with a dear friend of mine, William Segerdahl, Calle Hellberg, who’s my A&R, actually, at this publishing. So, they jumped in a session with me and Jonna Hall who is also an old friend. I think we called the lyrics note “the winning song“! And it wasn’t because we had already written it. It was literally beforehand. But we just went into the studio, and we just had this vibe, this feeling that, okay, this is really going to be something special. We didn’t know why. I knew I had a story to tell. And William had brought up some chords. And I was like, yes, this is perfect. This is going to work.”

Is he aiming for the win this year? He responds:

“I want to make a mark. I want people to feel something truly special. I want everyone to feel what I felt when I wrote the song. And everything that I’ve done up to this point has been with the idea in mind that I’m going to make something truly special. And with that in mind, to win the contest as well.”

Danny Saucedo‘s songwriters are idols of Adam. He said he is very curious about what Danny‘s song is gonna sound like and he thinks it’s really good. He feels very honoured that SVT chose him to open the whole tour, as he will perform first in the first heat of the tour:

“It’s crazy. I honestly thought that Samira Victor was gonna open, just because they have that fan base and people know who they are. I’m like, nobody knows who I am, why should I open? But I’m super, I’m really just so honored. Because like you said, it’s a star-studded year, it’s full of huge names, and to be able to be the opening firing shot of that is so cool.”

About the staging, initially he didn’t wanna say much but then he let us into more details about it:

“I mentioned to you, I think last time we spoke, that I wanted it to feel immersive, and to make it feel truly immersive I have to be part of that environment, and I have to be part of the performance. I will say that it’s not about props, so I won’t be having any dancers, and the stage is going to be very simple because I want people to feel like this is just me, it’s just the song, and it’s raw, and it’s naked, even though it’s this big bombastic EDM banger, it’s still that close to your heart, you know?”

His big aim is an international career. So by winning the contest he hopes to be seen and loved around the world too:

“I’ve also been planning a lot about what comes next, because I think I’m only going to do this once and I want to make it amazing. And then I want to push it forward and be able to launch an international career. So, this is a stage one, in a long line.” 

He neither adjusted the song for Melfest nor for a workout playlist or a festival thing, that’s why Adam says it’s not pure EDM:

“I adjusted for the song. And the song needed to feel intimate. And it needed my voice to be there the entire time. So again, it’s about the song. And it’s about making that. But the instrumentation, the synths, and the drums, they’re all very, very EDM. And please do look at every detail of it. There’s nothing there that doesn’t have to be there. So if you see it, then you can read stuff into it. And I’m really, really excited to hear what you guys think. And let me know, because I’m just a DM away.”

You can watch our exclusive interview with Adam Woods at the video down below:

 

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun and don’t miss out on anything regarding this year’s Melodifestivalen!

Follow us in all our social media, so that you’ll not miss anything regarding the your favourite national selection process:

 

 

 

Sara Siipola:” Singing will be the main point of my staging show” | Interview

Sara Siipola spoke exclusively to Eurovisionfun and Apostolis about her participation in UMK 2024 with the song “Paskana” and her dream to be on the Eurovision stage in Malmö, Sweden.

How did you make the decision to participate in UMK 2024?

“I thought it was the right time. In my career I already have experiences so far and I would love to one day be the biggest artist in Finland!”

 

After talking to us about the meaning of her song which is entirely in Finnish, she then revealed that the song was not written exclusively for Eurovision.

“‘When the deadline for submitting entries for UMK 2024 was closing, my team and I asked ourselves which song I could enter with and we remembered “Paskana” and immediately said: This is it!”

Which participation has stood out from this year’s UMK?

“I’ve seen all the video clips and all the entries are great! Whoever wins I will be very happy. I think my favorite entry is “Sexmane” from MANIA!”

Afterwards, she revealed to us that she feels pressure after the country’s great success in the competition last year, but her own song is something completely different and new.

What is he preparing for the stage appearance in the national final?

“I can’t say much but it will be something big but also simple! I want to give space to the message of the song and my performance!”

Watch Sara Siipola’s full interview below:

We want to thank Sara for this exclusive interview and wish her best of luck on the final of UMK 2024!

Farida: “This time I want to show the artist that I really am!” | Interview

Farida was invited to the Eurovisionfun YouTube channel and spoke exclusively to Apostolis about her participation in the Norwegian national final with the song “Heartache“.

This is her second attempt to represent the country in the competition after 2022 and the song “Dangerous“. She said about the return of Melodi Grand Prix:

“It was not in my mind to return to Melodi Grand Prix at first. However, I wanted to come back with something more pop and not a ballad! Then I didn’t show my dancing skills and this time I wanted to show something different”

From her experience in 2022, she revealed to us that although the stress was very intense, it was a unique experience and a great lesson for her career. This year, “Heartache” was not her only choice and after the competition the other song will be released.

About her stage appearance, Farida revealed to us:

“I won’t be alone on stage! I will have 4 male dancers with me and although the red color will be there it will not be the dominant one! There will be “fire”!!!”

As Eurovision artists she would like to collaborate with, she mentioned Maneskin (Italy 2021) and Barbara Pravi (France 2021), while at the end, after giving her message to all fans of the competition, she gave us a piece of the acapella’s participation .

Watch the full interview below:

Thanks to Farida for the exclusive interview and we wish her all the best in MGP 2024!

Kim Cesarion: “We’ve been having talks the years before, but it felt right this time.” | Exclusive Interview

As you had read in one of our past articles, the final list of Melodifestivalen participants was published on the 1st of December, at a press conference hosted by SVT at their headquarters in Stockholm.

Andreas Papayiannakis and EurovisionFun was at SVT/TV-huset, in Oxenstiernsgatan 34, Stockholm, accredited to cover the artist reveal event that the Swedish national broadcaster had been preparing for media over the last few months.

There we had the chance to meet several of the participants, among which was Kim Cesarion, who will participate on the 3rd Heat, on Saturday 17 February 2024, at Vida Arena, in VäxjöSweden.

Kim has already done his international breakthrough with the song “Undressed“, but why did he decide to participate at Melodifestivalen and why now? He responded:

“I would say why not? It is something that is very huge in Sweden and obviously all over Europe. We’ve been having talks the years before but it didn’t feel right for me at the time. But I follow my guts with a lot of things in my life and it felt right this time. So that is why now!”

Cesarion was one of the writers of his song titled “Take my breath away“. But what was the thinkling behind the song?

“Will you be back here? Then we will talk about it more *laughs*! I’m keeping the song and the performance a little bit closed so we will have more to talk about. It’s a song that I hope will connect with the fans of Eurovision and also with my supporters that I had since before. It’s kind of a blend of Melodifestivalen but also something that is Kim Cesarion, like the music I’ve been putting out over the last 10 years.”

We asked him what are his aspirations for his participation in 2024 and Kim admitted:

“Hopefully to be able to represent Sweden at Eurovision, that would be very amazing of course.”

An unexpected moment came, when Danny Saucedo suddenly crashed our interview, said he is his favourite and then they gave each other a heartwarming hug. Kim thinks that there isn’t any of his fellow contestants that he should keep an eye on and adds:

“Melodifestivalen is more about love, like a family, it is about having a good time, enjoying ourselves and make sure whoever is watching is enjoying too. I wouldn’t say I have someone particularly that I think I should keep an eye on but I will enjoy watching other performances and see what other songs I would have to compete against of course.”

Kim Cesarion is also Greek from his mum’s side. He explains then what his connection to Greece is, besides his love for Greek lamb, Greek and Cretan food:

“I’m Greek from my mother’s side, my mum is half Swedish half Greek and my father is from Guadeloupe. But on the Greek side we are from Creta and then a lot of people moved to Athens now. I was actually there last year I celebrated Christmas there. I was also the summer of the very same year. So I haven’t been there for a year now, but I am looking forward to the next time I am going back. Cause I need my Greek lamb. I need my Greek food. I need my Cretan food. So yeah I need to be back!”

Does Kim travel to Crete only or he has been to more places in Greece?

“I travel to both Crete and Athens, so hopefully my cousin will take me to more islands when I am there. He is in music too, in Athens, Greek artist, rap music, he has friends who have studios in the islands, so I hope I can make music in Greece too! I genuinely hope to meet the fans that I have in Greece already and hopefully I will be able to make many more new fans from Greece. And they will teach me some Greek too, because I don’t speak the language. So hopefully we will have that connection!”

Who is Kim Cesarion?

Kim Hugo Leonel Niko Cesarion is a 33-year-old Swedish singer-songwriter of Guadeloupean and Greek origin. Cesarion was born in Stockholm to a Guadeloupean father and a GreekCretan/Swedish mother. Cesarion is a classically trained musician. He studied at Lilla Akademien, a highly acclaimed music school in Stockholm, and plays several instruments including the violin, piano, double bass, and viola, as well as drums. He is signed with RCA, Sony Music and Columbia. It’s been a while since he last made music and he plans on coming back to the Swedish music industry by taking part in the contest. He made his big breakthrough in 2013 with the song “Undressed” which became a worldwide hit, with over 88 million streams on Spotify and success in the Nordic countries as well as Australia, New Zealand and the United States and we remember him with his duet with Molly HammarShow Me“.

You can watch our exclusive interview with Kim Cesarion in the video below:

Melodifestivalen 2024 is scheduled to take place between February 3rd to March 9th, and next year’s 30 competing songs were selected by SVT among 2624 songs.

The schedule for the six shows of the Melodifestivalen 2024 tour

  • Heat 1: Saturday 3 February 2024, Malmö Arena, Malmö
  • Heat 2: Saturday 10 February 2024, Scandinavium, Göteborg
  • Heat 3: Saturday 17 February 2024, Vida Arena, Växjö
  • Heat 4: Saturday 24 February 2024, Stiga Sports Arena, Eskiltuna
  • Heat 5: Saturday 2 March 2024, Löfbergs Arena, Karlstad
  • Final: Saturday 9 March 2024, Friends Arena, Stockholm – Solna

The winner of Melodifestivalen 2023 and hence the Swedish representative at Eurovision 2023 was Loreen with her song “Tattoo“. Loreen went on to become the first female artist in history to win the Eurovision Song Contest twice.


Photo: Daniel Stridh

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun, for all the latest developments regarding Melodifestivalen 2024 and the Swedish entry for Eurovision 2024!

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