Pulse Eurovision 2020 (Revealing...)

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Leo ✔ Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ fearlessarrow kimberly ry4n Future Captain groovetheory Az Paynter ¤ Matthea ¤ janinho woods sergejdordij Normi YotamTS @doinktheclown .indulgecountry yuh yuh tim aerodynamite

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Reserved.

[Leo ✔]

I'M MORE THAN READY!!

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

Yeees!!!

[Deleted]

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE

[yuh yuh]

Readyzzz!!!

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Meet your hosts for 2020!

Jim Barnes (born)



Born in 1989? Not really. Give it up for the first of your two presenters, Jim Barnes! Jim was born in 1999 and joined Pulse in 2014. Mostly known for hosting the Kelly Clarkson album rankdown series (& his display name on Pulse), this time he's moving to a different but not unknown territory, since he successfully hosted the Pulse Eurovision Top 10s rankdown back in 2017; the first rankdown presented through videos! Jim has reached multi-platinum status on Pulse & you can find him hanging out in any of the boards. Well, except the US Election discussion. Call it what you want.

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Leo Lewandowski (Leo ✔)



Born in 1993, Leo joined Pulse in 2016 and in 2017 he started to post a bunch of Pop Radio Updates. One of the top 20 posters with more posts, has experience hosting big rankdowns, such as the Katy Perry Rankdown, 2010 Year End and the Eurovision Rankdowns since 2017. He also started a new game in the forum called Pulsevision which has caught the attention of many people. One of the most prominent updaters of the Eurovision threads, he will co-host Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with Jim Barnes.

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SPOILER: Click to show

{Televoters}
Leo ✔ Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ fearlessarrow kimberly ry4n Future Captain groovetheory Az Paynter ¤ Matthea ¤ janinho woods sergejdordij Normi YotamTS @doinktheclown .indulgecountry yuh yuh tim aerodynamite

SPOILER: Click to show

{Leo's Tag list}
.indulgecountry YotamTS fearlessarrow ry4n born Normi janinho aerodynamite deepston Az Paynter Codex sergejdordij Harx Robert J YourFaveIsAFlop Sambalada rockmandattebayo yuh yuh EPG MaRK✓ Enigma. Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ purplefebruary 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 Enigma. @doinktheclown Future Captain The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷  

[Deleted]

Time for me to get last!

[born]

Get to know the participants! (1)



ALBANIA: Arilena Ara - Fall From The Sky

Born in Shköder, Arilena Ara (21) has been singing since the age of 5 and, as a kid, participated in many festivals and song competitions, eventually winning X Factor Albania at the age of 14.



In 2014, Arilena released her first successful single Aeroplan, and 2 years later, she participated at the Kenga Magjike festival with the song Nentori where she won the Best Ballad Award. The song went on to become a hit, even beyond Albania, accumulating well more than 100 million streams online.



Arilena is the winner of several international awards and has performed hundreds of live shows in the last few years. Most recently, Arilena was one of the coaches in The Voice Of Albania.

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ARMENIA: Athena Manoukian - Chains On You

Athena Manoukian is a 25-year-old Armenian-Greek singer. Her first experience in the music industry was in 2007 when she won first prize at an international talent contest. A year later, she participated in the Greek national selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008.


In 2011, Athena, alongside DJ Kas, released her first single Party Like A Freak, which garnered over 1 million views on YouTube. Following its success, she was nominated twice at the Greek Video Music Awards. Other hits followed, like I Surrender, Na Les Pos M'agapas, and especially XO, which was a hit in both Greece and Armenia.



Later she took a shot at The X Factor UK and, as a songwriter, collaborated on the song Palia Mou Agapi, performed by Eurovision winner Helena Paparizou. In February 2020, Athena won Depi Evratesil, Armenia's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, with her song Chains On You.

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AUSTRALIA: Montaigne - Don't Break Me

The voice of a new generation in Australia, at only 24, Sydney-based artist and activist Montaigne (born Jess Cerro) has become an important name in the indie music scene. The past few years have seen her recognized for her work: her original songs voted on to Triple J Radio's Hottest 100, an ARIA award for Best Breakthrough Artist and a nomination for Best Female Artist in 2016.



Montaigne's debut album, Glorious Heights, produced by Tony Buchen, hit the charts at #4 and her second album COMPLEX was released in 2019 to rave reviews. Singles such as Ready gained extensive commercial radio play and propelled her even further as a household name. As Craig Mathieson of the Sydney Morning Herald put it, "Montaigne creates music that has a thrilling waywardness, baroque pomp and storm-the-stage energy".



Montaigne has just completed her third national tour, where she played some of Australia's biggest summer festivals like Splendour in the Grass, Lost Paradise, Woodford Folk Festival, Groovin the Moo, Party in the Paddock, Field Day and WOMADelaide. Having opened for international acts like Cindy Lauper and Blondie, the young performer continues to garner praise for her stunning live presence. "Her performance will go down as one of the best concerts of the year, without a doubt," wrote The Music of her most recent Sydney show.



The challenging and inspiring lyrics of Don't Break Me are reminiscent of the philosopher who inspired her moniker. With melodies to get lost in and the most energetic of live performances, Montaigne represents the next generation of artists who march to the beat of their own drum.

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AUSTRIA: Vincent Bueno - Alive

Vincent Bueno was born in Vienna on 10 December 1985, where he grew up attending school. Music was always important to him; he started making his own at the young age of 6 and, accompanied by his father, who is himself a musician, began performing as a child.



In 2003, Vincent decided to turn his passion into a profession and began his training at the Vienna Conservatory in Musical Entertainment Theater - Musical, which he completed in 2007. Vincent became widely known through the ORF show Musical! The Show, in which he emerged the winner. In 2009, Vincent also participated in the TV show Dancing Stars. With his studio, SUITCASE MEDIA, he now produces his own music, including his entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, Alive.

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AZERBAIJAN: Efendi - Cleopatra

28-year-old Efendi has competed in popular musical programs, such as Yeni Ulduz, Böyük Səhnə (3rd place) and The Voice of Azerbaijan (3rd place). In 2017, she also took part and finished in 3rd place in the Silk Way Star, an international singing competition aired in Kazakhstan. In 2019, she successfully represented Azerbaijan at the Voice of Nur-Sultan, again in Kazakhstan.





After 4 attempts to become Azerbaijan's representative at the Eurovision Song Contest, the 5th attempt was victorious. Efendi was chosen by an international jury, which included music producers, composers, television industry professionals and journalists, to represent the country with the song Cleopatra. Aside from music, Efendi loves painting, Pilates and dancing.

- Jim Barnes

[Az Paynter]

I realize why Jim Barnes has the surname he does but all I can think of is Jimmy Barnes (aka. the screaming cowboy). :kii:

[born]

^ I mean no one said we’re not the same person.

[Leo ✔]

Who's excited!? I'm excited!!

[Future Captain]

Can't wait!

[born]

Get to know the participants! (2)



BELARUS: VAL - Da Vidna

VAL is a Belarusian duo consisting of music producer Vlad Pashkevich and singer-songwriter Valerie Gribusova.



Valerie Gribusova participated in The Voice Ukraine and won a vocal competition at the Slavic Bazaar festival. Vlad Pashkevich produced Belarus’ Eurovision 2017 entry Story Of My Life by Naviband and has collaborated with various global brands.



Experimenting with genres such as house, R&B, pop, hip-hop, and many other, VAL have been pushing the boundaries of their music and live performances since 2016. With influences of vogue and fashion, the duo consistently surprises fans with extravagant looks. Valerie and Vlad first met in 2015, with the little help of their friends. Their first single, Who Are You, was entirely written and produced by the duo. In May 2017, VAL released their first EP In My Room, which consisted of 5 tracks, mixing house with R&B, along with other electronic musical influences. It helped the duo begin their live performances, along with session drummer and keyboardist. Since then, VAL performed as an opening act for Cream Soda, Zivert, Beissoul & Einius and other famous artists.



Near the end of 2019, the duo decided to put themselves forward for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 and, together with lyricist Mikita Naidzenau, wrote Da Vidna. The single was released in January, and one month later an acoustic version was released along with the music video, shot in one take. On 28 February, the song won the National Selection contest in Belarus and became the Belarusian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.

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BELGIUM: Hooverphonic - Release Me

For the past 25 years, Belgian band Hooverphonic has blurred the lines between symphonic soundscapes and highly infectious pop tunes. Never one to place all of his eggs in one basket, frontman Alex Callier has always strived to deliver quality songs, sung by the best singers in the business.



Since 2018, the golden pipes of Luka Cruysberghs - winner of The Voice of Flanders of that same year and coached by Alex during the contest - have elevated Callier's compositions to aural perfection. All the while, guitarist Raymond Geerts has been the steady foundation of the band, providing his trademark grooves, licks and riffs.



The band's work has been put to good use in television series, commercials and movies around the globe, and songs like Mad About You, Vinegar & Salt, Eden, 2Wicky, Badaboum, and Romantic have become cornerstones of Belgium's musical heritage.



This year, Hooverphonic celebrates the 20th anniversary of their landmark album The Magnificent Tree. Their Eurovision 2020 entry, Release Me, was written by Alex Callier. It is a universal song about saying goodbye, elegiac acceptance and coming to terms with finality. The result is a sweeping, majestic ballad that only Hooverphonic seems to be able to craft time and time again. They're looking for stars and – rest assured – they will find them.

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BULGARIA: Victoria - Tears Getting Sober

VICTORIA's distinctive voice and style position her as one of the most promising new artists in Bulgaria. Her Eurovision 2020 entry 'Tears Getting Sober', written by Victoria and Symhonix International and produced by Ligna Studios, tells a story about overcoming your fears and pain and moving forward.



The young singer-songwriter and her team are working on VICTORIA's first EP, expected to be released in autumn 2020. VICTORIA loves animals and has 4 rescue dogs, 2 rabbits and a parrot. In 2020, she will be one of the official European ambassadors of Earth Hour.

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CROATIA: Damir Kedžo - Divlji Vjetre

Damir Kedžo is a 32-year-old pop singer and one of the most recognizable faces within the Croatian music scene. Kedžo was born in Omišalj, on the island of Krk, and began his music career by participating in a music show 16 years ago. For the last few years, Kedžo's songs have been among the most-played in Croatia, and his singles are award-winning hits.



He has also tried his hand at acting and won the Croatian Actor Award for his role in the famous musical, Crna Kuća. He captivated the audience with the song Sve u meni se budi, which won the title of the most-played song in Croatia. Ever since that time his songs have been one hit after another. His song Srce mi umire za njom won the Zagreb Festival, and Vidi se izdaleka and Poljubi me sad captured the air and the hearts of his audience.



He was the most listened-to male singer in 2019 in Croatia, for which he received the Best Male Performer Award according to official statistics. He was nominated for a Porin Award for Best Male Vocal Performance, the most important professional award in the country. Damir Kedžo has successfully performed abroad, winning the Grand Prix of the Slavyansk Bazaar Festival in Vitebsk, Belarus, and winning the New Wave Festival in Sochi, Russia.

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CYPRUS: Sandro - Running

Sandro, the stage name of Alessandro H. Ruetten, was born on 2 August 1996 in Germany, where he currently resides. Sandro is of German, American and Greek roots and fluent in German, English and Greek.



Sandro's calling for music was founded at the tender age of 4 when he started to sing and play the drums. Influenced by his musically-inclined family, Sandro began to play the guitar when he was 8, and at 19, the piano was added to his list of skills. A multi-instrumentalist, Sandro is characterized by a distinct and colourful voice and by his natural ability to connect with the audience and convey the emotions of the songs he performs. His favourite music styles are op, Rock, R&B, Soul, Hip Hop/Trap, Alternative, Funk and Blues.



Sandro founded his first band when he was 15 years old, and it was at this time that he started to write and produce his own songs, predominantly of the rock and pop genres. In 2018, Sandro’s cousin filed an application on his behalf for The Voice of Germany. Strengthened by all that he gained from The Voice, Sandro went on to represent the United States at the 2019 New Wave Festival in Russia. This December, Sandro was internally selected by the CyBC to represent Cyprus at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest.



His philosophy is that music must be authentic, truthful and reach peoples’ hearts. This feeling is, of course, reflected in Running. The song tells a dark story that showcases the struggle against adversities and the storms that we have to weather in life. Having experienced depression himself, Sandro’s performance underlines the tunnel of darkness that we must keep on running through in times of difficulty, but also of the strength needed to stand tall through it.

- Jimmy Barnes

[born]

Get to know the participants! (3)




CZECH REPUBLIC: Benny Cristo - Kemama

Benny Cristo, born Ben Cristovao, was born in the Czech city called Plzeň. He is a singer, lyric writer, sportsman and actor. Ben's mother is from the Czech Republic and his father from the Southern Africa country of Angola.



Ben is one of the most significant mainstream artists on the Czech scene, singing in both Czech and English. His music career began in 2009 when he appeared on a Czech singing contest on television. Before that, Benny was a sportsman on a professional level; known for both tennis and snowboarding. The experience gained from his participation in the singing contest show motivated him to focus more on his music career.
 Benny has released 5 solo albums thus far, and most tracks were in collaboration with Canadian music producers The Glowsticks, led by Osama Verse-Atile.



His Eurovision entry is Kemama, translated to 'okay mama'. The lyrics are about his childhood, during which he faced much adversity. The Glowsticks produce the song, and Tomáš Kasal directed the video.



Benny has been a vegan for many years and also an animal rights advocate. He actively participates in various events and projects supporting this. For many years, Benny has also been BrazilianJiu-Jitsuu fighter on a professional level.

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DENMARK: Ben & Tan - YES

Benjamin Tsimalona Rosenbom and Tanne Amanda Balcells are the multicultural Danish pop duo, Ben & Tan. Ben was born in 2002 in Berlin to his German mother and Malagasy father. Tan was born in Barcelona to her Danish mother and Spanish father.



Ben & Tan both live in Denmark and met each other during X Factor Denmark in 2019 as co-competitors. During the season, they often found themselves jamming to Ed Sheeran songs backstage; it was meant to be that they later would join forces as a charismatic duo.



Ben & Tan will participate with the upbeat and happy song YES: what could be more positive than saying yes? YES has some notable songwriters behind it, including prolific Swedish composer and former Melodifestivalen act, Jimmy Jansson. Also included is Linnea Deb, who co-wrote Sweden's Eurovision 2015 winning song Heroes and Emil Lei co-wrote and produced last year's Danish entry Love is Forever.



YES is a hopeful song encouraging everyone to say yes to life and love even in hard times. "Our dream is to have everyone at Eurovision shouting 'YES' back at us, and we are very much looking forward to spreading the message all over Europe," says Ben & Tan.

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ESTONIA: Uku Suviste - What Love Is

Uku Suviste is an Estonian singer, pianist, composer and music producer. He was born on 6 June 1982 in the Southern Estonian town of Võru, before moving to Tallinn.



Uku's father is a TV producer, and his mother is a classically trained singer. Still, instead of pursuing music, she devoted her energies to working for the Estonian General Staff, at the Estonian Defence Forces.



After graduating from university as a Computer Systems Administrator, he studied Singing and Contemporary Writing & Production at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts, USA, making the Dean's List every semester. In 2011, he became a patron of UNICEF Estonia, and in 2012, he produced a song in collaboration with the Estonian Ministry of Defence & Defence Forces called Võitmatu (Invincible), dedicated to all the Estonian soldiers who had served in Afghanistan.



Uku has been involved in many other festivals, singing competitions, television shows and productions - most notably the 2010 New Wave Festival, where he placed third, and a stint playing Danny in the Estonian production of Grease! In his spare time, Uku is a big fan of playing tennis, going to the gym and running. He has previously been named by Kroonika magazine as 'Estonia's Sexiest Man'. He has a fondness for football and cars and speaks three languages; Estonian, English and Russian.



His song, What Love Is, was composed by Uku Suviste himself, with lyrics by Stockholm-based US songwriter Sharon Vaughn. It was recorded and produced in Greece. The song is a dramatic ode to feelings that come with falling in love and was inspired by musical theatre.

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FINLAND: Aksel - Looking Back

Aksel and his beautiful voice first came to the attention of the country when he took part in The Voice of Finland in 2017 and was subsequently featured in the award-winning local megahit Jättiläinen (Giant), by the Finnish artist Pyhimys.



22-year-old Aksel Kankaanranta is determined to show that being shy shouldn’t prevent you from performing in front of an audience. "People ask me why I want to appear in front of an audience of a million even though I’m shy. Why should that be a problem?" In his free time, Aksel listens to vinyl records and spends time with his dog Topi – to whom he also sings.



Aksel’s entry, Looking Back, is a song about world-weariness, love and the feeling of inadequacy. "We set all kinds of milestones for our lives. Are they actually of any value, and does achieving them really make us happy? I want to make people understand that they should seize the day," Aksel says, describing the song.



Looking Back is the result of a collaboration between Joonas Angeria and Whitney Phillips, as well as brothers Connor, Toby and Riley McDonough, who are behind the American pop-rock band, Before You Exit. Angeria, from Finland, has composed music for Finnish and international stars like Alma, Vesala, Julie Bergan and Isac Elliot. Whitney Phillips has written songs for Christina Aguilera and Zara Larsson, among other artists.



The Finnish public and an international jury chose Aksel in the final of UMK on 7 March 2020.

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FRANCE: Tom Leeb - Mon Alliée (The Best In Me)

Singer, actor and comedian Tom Leeb is a man of many talents. In 2019, he released his album 'Recollection' under the label Roy Music. A version of Tom's single, 'Are We Too Late', has clocked over 25 million views on YouTube.



Tom's music inspirations are other male singer-songwriters, such as Ben Howard, Matt Corby Bon Iver and John Mayer. He has also played as the supporting act for international stars such as Sting and Tom Jones.



Tom spent 5 years in New York, studying theatre, cinema and singing. He has since performed in a theatrical adaption of Mrs. Doubtfire and acted in French TV shows and movies alongside established stars such as Jean Reno. He also performs as part of a comedy duo with fellow comedian Kevin Levy. As Kevin & Tom, the pair have a popular YouTube channel which includes skits and songs.

- Jim Barnes

[Leo ✔]

Get to know the participants! (4)



GEORGIA: Tornike Kipiani - Take Me As I Am

Tornike Kipiani was born 11 December 1987 in Tbilisi, Georgia. He is a 32-year-old musician, the father of 3 children and a professional architect. When he founded his own band at age 19, he didn't even consider becoming a vocalist. While Tornike and his bandmates looked for an additional member to fill that vacant spot, he took that spot. The rest is history.

In 2014, Tornike won the first season of X Factor Georgia, where his mentor was the future Georgian-Greek Cyprus Eurovision star, Tamta. In 2017, Tornike tried to represent Georgia at Eurovision with the industrial techno song, You Are My Sunshine. In 2019, he returned to Georgian Idol and was selected to represent Georgia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 after winning the show. Tornike will enter with the song Take Me As I Am.

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GERMANY: Ben Dolic - Violent Thing

Singing affects our bodies and our souls. A voice that we find appealing may stop the time or drive us forward; it may give us goosebumps and flood us with endorphins. Ben Dolic has such a voice. It is at once crystal clear, warm, euphoric and semi-androgynous. It is a voice unlike any other in today's pop music.

A Berliner-by-choice who grew up in Slovenia and has lived in Switzerland for years, Ben is an ideal representative of modern and cosmopolitan Germany on the Eurovision stage. Born on May 4, 1997, in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, he began to pursue his dream of music at the age of 12.

With a performance of Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror, he applied for Slovenia's Got Talent and made it to the semi-final round. He spent his youth making music, for instance as a member of rap/pop group D Base who took part in the Slovenian Eurovision national selection show EMA in 2016. At 18, Ben moved to Switzerland with his family, where he first learned the German language – and continued to advance his career. In 2017 he released his first solo single.

Then, in 2018, Ben made the most important decision in his still-growing but promising career: he applied for The Voice of Germany. Ben made it to the Blind Auditions, where he immediately enchanted both jurors and audience with his voice – one that calls to mind musical icons like Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Eventually, Ben reached second place in the finals and performed around Germany and Austria as part of the Voice of Germany Tour.

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GREECE: Stefania - SUPERG!RL

17-year-old Stefania Liberakakis, also known simply as Stefania, is a Greek-Dutch singer, actress and YouTuber. Stefania was born and raised in the Netherlands and, at a very young age, realized her love for music.

Shortly after Stefania turned 10, she convinced her parents to apply, on her behalf, for the acclaimed TV show The Voice Kids, where she made it through the audition stage. After The Voice Kids, she became a member of the established children Choir, Kinderen voor Kinderen. In 2016 she was chosen by an internal committee to represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Junior Contest in Valletta as part of the girl-band, Kisses. The group performed the song Kisses and Dancin, managing to secure 8th place.

In 2018, Stefania released her first solo single, Stupid Reasons, which reached the top spot in the Kids Top 20. In 2019, she released 3 new singles: Wonder, I Am Sorry and Turn Around. That same year, Stefania broke into the Greek market at the MAD VMA Awards where she performed a cover of the song Con Calma. Since 2018, the multi-talented artist has taken part in 3 Dutch movies and acts as the lead in the well-known teenage series, Brugklas.

In February 2020, it was confirmed by the Greek public broadcaster ERT that Stefania was internally selected to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song SUPERG!RL.

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ICELAND: Daði og Gagnamagnið - Think About Things
 

Music and family are the most important things in the world to Daði Freyr. It’s what drives him forward, what inspires him, and what keeps him rooted in Iceland and the close-knit communities he has always adored.

An artist who obsesses over the intricate craft of the pop song, Daði is a student of Eurovision. Working with the group Gagnamagnið – which translates as ‘data plan’ - their song Think About Things radiates with all the joy and unity the competition can provide, while also offering something deeply authentic and new.

It all started in his small Berlin studio: Part of the Icelandic diaspora, Daði takes a part of the island with him wherever he goes. Think About Things was directly inspired by becoming a father and by changes in life; things that brought him closer to those around him. His wife, Árný Fjóla Ásmundsdóttir, is on the keys, and his 2 sisters provide backing vocals. Daði even borrowed a vintage microphone from his father – a noted sound engineer – to help get the perfect sound. ‘Think About Things’ is an irresistibly joyous song that not only connects Europe; it also links three generations of his own family. Think About Things is impeccably pieced together, from the layered breakdown to the tongue in cheek wind machine section. The song is designed to be seen by the world, all part of his complex masterplan, coupled with the stunning live performances and the viral video.

Daði worked with Icelandic director Guðný Rós Þórhallsdóttir and cinematographer Birta Rán Björgvinsdóttir to bring his dream to life. The family-based performance clip self-consciously plays within Eurovision rules – instruments cannot be plugged in onstage – while offering something jubilant and gently triumphant. Humble focused on the music, Daði Freyr ends the song as he begins – surrounded by his family, reaching out to Europe.

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IRELAND: Lesley Roy - Story Of My Life

Lesley Roy is a singer-songwriter from Balbriggan Co. Dublin, Ireland. She splits her time between her home in the East Village of New York City and her native Ireland. Lesley released her debut album, 'Unbeautiful', while in New York in 2008 on Jive/Sony Records, produced by Max Martin.

As a songwriter, Lesley's career has been prolific, lending her talents to numbers performed by artists including Adam Lambert, Miss Montreal, Medina, Jana Kramer, Marlee Scott and Deorro. Ireland's entry, Story of My Life, was penned and co-produced by Lesley Roy alongside some of her favourite co-writers in Nashville: Robert Marvin, Catt Gravitt and Tom Shapiro." We wanted something uptempo and triumphant, which centres around overcoming your difficulties in life and getting back up again," Lesley says.

Writing her album with Max Martin in Sweden and performing at Coachella with Deorro have been Lesley's major career highlights to date. She credits early Motown, Fleetwood Mac and Sheryl Crow among her early musical influences, and more recently, she has been inspired by acts including Robyn, Kacey Musgrave and Christine and the Queens. Lesley said that working with theatre-makers and club creators ThisIsPopBaby on this year's Irish entry "changes the game as far as Ireland and the European song competition goes - ThisIsPopBaby are injecting a fresh, fun vision that encapsulates a modern Ireland."

- Leo Lewandowski

[born]

Get to know the participants! (5)



ISRAEL: Eden Alene - Feker Libi

With both parents hailing from Ethiopia, 20-year-old Eden Alene was born in Jerusalem. After studying ballet for 11 years through her young life, Eden started taking vocal training lessons and soon after decided to pursue a career in music.

While living in Jerusalem as a teenager, Eden was in a choir of local young adults who would come together from all backgrounds and religions to show the potential of music to bring people together.

Growing up, Eden was particularly taken with soul and pop artists such as Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Brown. She takes inspiration from many different styles and genres of music, including Arabic folk music, Gospel and Opera as well.

In 2018, Eden won X Factor Israel and, 2 years later, The Next Star, Israel's national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest. Today, Eden serves in the military as a singer in a band and splits her time between performances in the army, in Israel and abroad.

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ITALY: Diodato - Fai Rumore

Diodato made his musical debut in 2013 with the song 'E Forse Sono Pazzo' on Le Narcisse Records/Goodfellas. The following year, he took part in the 64th Sanremo Festival in the Newcomer category with the song 'Babilonia', where he came in second place.

Diodato signed with Carosello Records in 2016 and, in January 2017, he released the album Cosa Siamo Diventati, followed by a tour. That same year, he participated in #EveryChildisMyChild - Live for Syria, a project in Vulci organized Italian artists to support the construction of a school in Syria.

The single Cretino Che Sei marked a stylistic turning point in Diodato's career. In December 2017 he won the Critic's Choice at the 68th Sanremo Festival with Roy Paci and the song Adesso. He was again back on the Ariston stage as a guest of Ghemon in 2019 performing Rose Viola with the Calibro 35. He then inaugurated a new phase of his musical career with the songs Il Mercante, Non Ti Amo Più and Che Vita Meravigliosa, which became the soundtrack to Ferzan Ozpetek's new movie La Dea Fortuna.

Diodato won the 70th Sanremo Festival with the song Fai Rumore, a song that has now topped the Italian charts. On Monday 24 February, the Mayor and the Council of Taranto conferred the Civic Merit award to Diodato for paying homage to his city with his Eurovision entry.

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LATVIA: Samanta Tīna - Still Breathing

Samanta Tīna has competed in the Latvian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest no less than 6 times, finishing second twice – in 2012 and more notably in 2013 with the fan-beloved song, I Need a Hero. Not one to give up, Samanta has also twice attempted to represent her second home, Lithuania, in 2015 and 2017.

A strong competitor in singing competitions, Samanta won a local TV show that allowed her to attend a music school in London in 2010. In 2012, she was runner up in Slavianski Bazaar in Belarus, and in 2014, she finished in the top 8 of the Lithuanian series of The Voice. Most recently, in 2016, Samanta was among participants of the international contest of popular music New Wave.

Each time the singer has brought different songs to her competitions, but the one thing to remain consistent is her powerful vocal range. Samanta describes her voice as a god-given talent that needs to be heard on the big stage. Anyone lucky enough to witness her live performances would find it impossible to disagree.

Still Breathing offers a strong message of female empowerment and is an ode to women who are held to unrealistically high standards. They’re meant to be beautiful at all times, while also being perfect mothers and devoted wives – all the while working to chase their dreams. It’s about the relentlessness of the expectation to do it all and the ability still breathe despite the endless struggle. The song was co-produced by Samanta and seasoned Latvian musician, Arnis Račinskis. The lyrics were written by Eurovision 2015 finalist Aminata Savadogo, who represented Latvia with Love Injected.

Samanta wants to show Europe and the world that Latvia is not a small country to be underestimated. Her love of Eurovision runs deep: in 2019, the singer wrote her graduating paper based on an analysis of the national selections for the Eurovision Song Contest in Latvia and Lithuania.

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LITHUANIA: The Roop - On Fire

The Roop is a group made of 3 guys from Lithuania, a country sitting at Europe's geographical centre. Their musical style is described as a mix of rock, pop-rock, soft-rock, dance-rock, indie and pop.

Although their debut single Be Mine was only released in 2014, the artists each have long histories in other music projects. The Roop shows are a mix of energy and feel. Listeners never remain indifferent and bravely get immersed in the musical storytelling of the band. Live shows are characterized as lively, honest and having a strong relationship with the audience. The Roop appeared in all of the largest Lithuania's music festival, such as Granatos Live, Karklė, Galapagai, as well as across the world.

The band's third and latest record – an EP entitled Yes, I Do – was released in May 2018, named after a song the group wrote for the Lithuanian national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest. That year, their performance stood out, and they won the Lithuanian public's heart. The Roop's music has since been played in different countries all around the globe: in Lithuania, Belgium, Germany, France, Australia, Columbia, Romania, Serbia, Brazil, Portugal and the United States.

After their successful appearance in the 2018 Lithuanian national selection, The Roop was frequently asked about participating again. According to the band, those questions strengthened their decision to return to the competition. Two years after Yes, I Do, The Roop have introduced their brand-new Eurovision song, On Fire. "This year's song is about something I carried within and observed around myself. It's about writing yourself off too quickly. We are underestimating ourselves too often," said band leader Vaidotas Valiukevičius - Naive. According to the group, the name of the song On Fire means being in the state of excitement, feeling passionate, engaged and full of energy.

While talking to one music producer, Vaidotas learned that rather often people in their early twenties come to producers but declare feeling too old to achieve something. The singer believes that the youth cult is too big and inadequate. "People in their thirties already feel untimely aged and hopeless. I believe this is not normal. I faced such thoughts myself, but I strived to change my approach to things, put more energy into my activities than I did when I was 20. With this song, I wish to send my listeners confidence and good vibes. We are all capable of being who we want when we want, and age is not important." The vibrant music video for On Fire was produced by director Indrė Juškutė and cinematographer Adomas Jablonskis.

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MALTA: Destiny - All Of My Love

Destiny is 17-years-old and currently lives on the tiny island of Malta. From a tender age, she participated in several singing competitions, where she succeeded triumphantly and was frequently referred to as a child prodigy.

In 2015, Destiny was selected to represent Malta in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria where she ended up winning with a record of 185 points. She was invited as a guest at the Eurovision Grand Final in 2016. As she grew older, her soulful voice developed even further making her the powerhouse she is today. She has been compared to legends such as Aretha Franklin who happens to be one of Destiny’s music idols.

Her most recent international success included singing in front of music mogul Simon Cowell when she auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent. Destiny secured her spot at the live shows out of thousands of applicants and gave viewers a taste of the magic behind her voice. At home, she recently participated in the X Factor Malta Season 2. Mentored by Ira Losco, she reached the finals and was crowned the winner. Her performances were shared numerous times on X Factor Global. Being signed to a record company and artist management, she is now one step closer to having her dream come true.

Destiny keeps striving to better herself and is very focused on her music. Her journey is a testament that she is destined for great things.

- Jim Barnes

[Leo ✔]

Get to know the participants! (6)



MOLDOVA: Natalia Gordienko - Prison

Natalia Gordienko was born on 11 December 1987 in Chisinau. She has been performing on the big stage since the age of 15.

While still being a student at the Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts, Natalia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Athens in 2006. The same year she won Slavianski Bazaar and became the most famous singer in the country. In 2007, she received the Grand Prix at the New Wave competition in Jurmala. She then represented her country at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles where she won the gold medal in the Voice Category. In addition, Natalia was awarded the title Honored Artist of the Republic of Moldova.

Natalia has experienced 2 large solo concerts on the largest concert venue in Moldova and is now actively touring around the world. She is also the host of the highest-rated TV show in Moldova and is a DJ. During the Moldovan national selection in February 2020, both the jury and the viewers unanimously chose Natalia Gordienko as representative of Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song Prison.

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NORTH MACEDONIA: Vasil - YOU

From a child pop star to a member and soloist of the Chicago Children’s Choir to over 50 Opera roles and recitals at eminent music Festival across the world and collaborations with some of the world’s most prolific artists, Vasil’s motto in life is simple – wherever words fail – Vasil sings.

Vasil Garvanliev started his musical journey at age 7, performing at some of the most popular Macedonian children’s festivals. At age 12, together with his family, he moved to the United States where he continued his career as a soloist at the Chicago Children’s Choir. Educated at some of the world’s most prestigious music schools, including Academia Liricia Italiana in Milan, the University of Toronto Opera School and the Royal Conservatory of Music Glenn Gould in Toronto, Vasil has performed at some of the world’s most respected festivals. Since his return to North Macedonia in 2018, Vasil has released several successful pop songs and has held solo concerts.

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NORWAY: Ulrikke - Attention

Ulrikke Brandstorp (24) is a well-known artist and performer from big television shows in Norway and, more recently, in one of the leading roles in the Sound of Music in Oslo. She made it to the Gold Finale in Norway's national selection Melodi Grand Prix MGP in 2017 with the song 'Places'.

In 2020, Ulrikke was one of the pre-qualified artists for the national selection, and quickly after Attention was released, it became a favourite to represent Norway.

Ulrikke comes from a close-knit family and grew up in the small city of Sarpsborg. As a young girl, she adopted her Grandfather's life motto, "waking hours are working hours". After winning the public vote at Melodi Grand Prix, Ulrikke is busy touring Europe, promoting her song and meeting fans.

Attention is a song that asks why we change ourselves to please others when it comes to love. The song is based on Ulrikke's personal experiences, written together with Christian Ingebrigtsen from the world-famous pop group A1 and Eurovision legend, Kjetil Mørland.

"We wrote the song during a few sessions, and then spent a lot of time on the production. It was important for me that the song sounded organic and raw, so we used live string players in the studio, instead of computer-generated strings. We wanted the song to take the listeners on a journey, both lyrically and musically. I feel we managed that with the bridge, which is probably my favourite part of the song", says Ulrikke.

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POLAND: Alicja - Empires

17-year-old Alicja Szemplińska was born and raised in Ciechanów, near Warsaw. She won The Voice of Poland 2019 and was loved by the audience for her voice and unique performances of songs we all know and love. "R&B and Soul have always been by my side. I grew up with this music and always enjoyed it the most."

Alicja, like every teenager, has big dreams. She also dares to fulfil them. At the age of 14, after winning a TV music program, Alicja met with Michael Jackson's vocal trainer, Seth Riggs, who helped her develop her voice. In her spare time, Alicja fills her notebook with verses and rhymes with the hopes that they will see the light of the world very soon. She collaborated with Neve from the UK on her first single Almost We, which resulted in millions of views online.

Alicja sees Empires as an important song in terms of how we treat planet Earth and life itself. "We are a threat to the planet. The song tells about the mechanism of destruction and difficult issues in our present world. People tend to build empires, and they become blind to what is important. They become obsessed, and it provides them to distraction. But there is hope because we rise and fall; it is the circle of life, but the question remains, why? Do we have to repeat the same scenario all the time? We build and destroy...maybe we should learn."

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PORTUGAL: Elisa - Medo De Sentir

Elisa was born in 1999 on the island of Madeira and started singing at the early age of 7. From her childhood, she remembers her father playing records from the great classics like The Beatles, Ray Charles, Queen, ABBA and The Eagles, among others.

From an early age, she took a particular interest in music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Elisa has participated in several regional festivals and, at the age of 13, joined some musical projects and started to perform around the island. Her love for jazz music appeared at 17 years old, leading her to study jazz at the Conservatório da Madeira.

In 2018, she moved to Lisbon to continue her studies and, there, began to compose her own songs. Today, she is studying at the Music Academy of Lisbon, and she has joined the Great Dane Studios. Meanwhile, she was invited by Marta Carvalho to be the singer of her song Medo de Sentir (Fear of Feeling) for Festival da Canção 2020. In February 2020, Elisa signed a record deal with Warner Music Portugal and anticipates the release of her original songs soon.

- Leo Lewandowski

[born]

Get to know the participants! (7)




ROMANIA: ROXEN - Alcohol You

Roxen was born in Cluj, a small but cosmopolitan city in Romania, and has been singing since she was 7 years old. She won several musical contests at an early age and knew from the very beginning that music was her life and savior.

In her childhood, Roxen was fascinated by the artistic fields: writing and publishing books, singing at school festivals, acting and filming theatre plays. She has always felt like she belonged on stage. For her, every single musical experience is a journey towards another dimension. Roxen’s musical aura is like a spell that creates a whole new world.

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RUSSIA: Little Big - Uno

Punk-pop-rave group Little Big was formed on 1 April, 2013. The collective consists of 4 members – Ilia Prusikin (frontman), Sonya Tayurskaya (frontwoman), Anton Lissov (MC) and Sergey Makarov (DJ).

The band's debut album, With Russia From Love, was released in 2014. The group now has more than 20 music videos in its arsenal and, in 2019, their YouTube channel reached 1 billion views.

Little Big are prizewinners of lots of international award shows, like the Berlin Music Awards, Global Film Festival Awards, Het Gala van de Gouden K's and others. The band dropped their second album, Antipositive, in 2018 with Skibidi as the first single. In one day, the music video got more than 23 millions of views and now has more than 360 million. The dance from the video became the most viral meme in Russia: the #SkibidiChallenge has been supported by many famous TV stars, popular artists and influencers. In the summer of 2019, the band released the new single, I'm OK, which went viral in TikTok.

In March, Channel One (RU) announced that Little Big would represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with Uno. The musicians came up with the idea for the song in February during a vacation with the whole crew. After they returned to Saint-Petersburg, they finished the work on the track.

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SAN MARINO: Senhit - Freaky!

Born in Bologna, Italy, to Eritrean parents, Senhit is a singer that combines her African roots with Italian style and European electro-pop attitude. Senhit has worked with the most prominent names in the Italian music scene, such as Gaetano Curreri and Maurizio D'Aniello and international producers like Busbee, Steve Daly & Jon Keep, Jamie Hartman and Brian Higgins.



Senhit began her career playing leading roles in successful musicals throughout Europe: The Lion King in Germany, Hair in Switzerland, Fame and Il Grande Campione with Massimo Ranieri in Italy. In 2009, she performed the single No More in San Siro Stadium in Milan in front of 60.000 people for the charity event Amiche per l'Abruzzo. After opening the national tour of Zucchero, Francesco Renga and Stadio, Senhit took part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011 in Dusseldorf, representing the Republic of San Marino with the song Stand By.



Senhit recently acted as a jury member for the Italian TV show All Together Now. This year, Senhit will enter the Eurovision Song Contest, representing San Marino, with the song Freaky!; a song about the beauty of being out of the box, the freedom of living thoughtlessly, not caring about prejudices, breaking old rules and making up new ones. Freaky! was chosen by European fans in a digital battle between it and the song Obsessed.

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SERBIA: Hurricane - Hasta La Vista

Hurricane was formed in 2017 on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. Band members include Sanja Vučić, Ivana Nikolić and Ksenija Knežević. Over the past 2 years, the group has garnered international attention with songs that have been broadcasted by more than 100 radio stations around the world.

The trio has released 7 songs in English, and in 2019, they released their first single in the Serbian language titled Favorito. The song was very successful in the Serbian music scene, confirmed by the 30 million views on their official YouTube channel. Hurricane is currently in Los Angeles, working on 2 songs for the US market and an album for the Serbian market which is expected to be released in 2020.

Sanja Vučić was born on 8 August, 1993, in Kruševac, Serbia. She finished secondary music school in Kruševac in the Department of Solo Singing. She is currently in her final year of studies at the Faculty of Philology in Belgrade; Department of Oriental Languages, Literatures and Cultures. She also speaks Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, and holds 2 certificates from the British Council for English language proficiency. Sanja was a member of the church choir Knez Lazar, an ensemble performing Ethno music called Bele vile, and member of a reggae/jazz/ska/punk fusion band called ZAA. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, she represented Serbia with the song Goodbye, where she came 18th in the Grand Final.

Ivana Nikolić was born on 16 April, 1995, in Niš, Serbia. She studies at the Union University in Belgrade, Department of Business Economy, and at the Faculty of Economics in Niš. At the age of 14, she joined a dance school called Boom 018 in Niš, where she continued to dance for the next 6 years. During her dance education, she participated in national and European competitions where she won numerous awards, becoming a multiple-time dance champion.

Ksenija Knežević was born on 24 January, 1996, in Belgrade, Serbia. She finished Dr Vojislav Vučković Music School as part of the Piano Department. She is currently in her final year of studies at the Faculty of Media and Communications in Belgrade, Singidunum University, in the Department of Digital Marketing. She has participated in numerous festivals, such as Niški susreti, Čarolija and Beovizija. In 2015, she started singing as a backing vocalist at festivals and concerts. That year, she sang as a backing vocalist at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna as member of the Montenegrin team, then represented by her father, Nenad Knežević Knez.

Hurricane recorded the song Hasta La Vista for Beovizija 2020, the Serbian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with a modern, high-quality and eye-catching performance.

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SLOVENIA: Ana Soklič - Voda

Ana Soklič started her music career early; as a young person, she studied with Alenka Dernač Bunta, a solo opera teacher, the acclaimed Slovenian musician Darja Švajger (two-time Slovenian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest) and singing coach Nataša Nahtigal.

In 2018, Ana undertook further vocal training with Dileesa Archer (a professional in soul, gospel, R&B) in the United States. At 18, she set foot on her path as a songwriter as well.

Ana competed twice at EMA, the Slovenian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, and 3 times at the Slovenian Song Festival, where, in 2019, she won 2 jury awards for best interpretation and best song overall. She often performs her songs with symphony orchestras at festivals and on television. In 2014, Ana performed a sold-out solo concert at the Veneto Jazz Festival in Venice, which also hosted names like Keith Jarrett, Cassandra Wilson and Chick Corea. In 2017, she sang in Dubai, Naples and Monaco, and performed with a symphony orchestra at the Lignano Sabbiadoro amphitheatre.

She has performed with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and often sings with smaller ensembles, as well. These are her favourite concerts because she feels the connection with the audience is at its most genuine and intimate. She covers songs by the great names of jazz, soul and blues; music that has a story to tell, but also enjoys performing pop music and the way it allows for an engaged interpretation of the lyrics. As a songwriter, she wants to take people to unexpected places, since this is, as she says, “the true freedom of expression”. For Ana, music is a way of life.

- Jim Barnes

[Leo ✔]

Get to know the participants! (8)



SPAIN: Blas Cantó - Universo

Blas Cantó, born 26 October 1991, is one of the most influential musicians in the Hispanic pop music scene at the moment. He is a versatile artist, a perfectionist and a performer who thrives in front of a live audience.

Blas currently has a hit solo album, Complicated, released in 2018. It is described as an intimate album that shows the personality of the young artist, mixing different genres of music to bring his signature sound to life.

Additionally, Blas was part of one of the most influential pop boy-bands in Spanish history, Auryn, with whom he released four albums and sold more than 14,000 copies. Blas won an award for best Spanish Artist at the MTV European Music Awards and has toured internationally.

At only 4 years old, Blas started going to music school where he learned to play the piano and the trumpet, although his favourite instrument was always his voice. Since he was a teenager, he dreamed of participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2004, Blas was the runner up in Eurojunior, the Spanish selection show for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Years later, with Auryn, he tried for the first time to be selected to represent Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

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SWEDEN: The Mamas - Move

The Mamas got their breakthrough overnight when participating in Melodifestivalen 2019 as backing vocalists to the singer John Lundvik on his song 'Too Late For Love'.

The result was striking, not only for John, who won the competition but also for The Mamas, who made a fantastic debut and first impression. Together with John Lundvik, they represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv. Their performance reached the top 5 in the Grand Final.

In 2020, The Mamas won Melodifestivalen with the song Move, written by Melanie Wehbe, Patrik Jean and Herman Gardarfve. Today, The Mamas are officially a group of 3 super divas - Ash Haynes, Loulou Lamotte & Dinah Yonas Manna - with extraordinary talent. Their vocals are as magical as their stage presence. The Mamas are set to take Sweden and the Nordic countries by storm.

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SWITZERLAND: Gjon's Tears - Répondez-moi

It has been 10 years since Switzerland has chosen a French song for the Eurovision Song Contest. With the song 'Répondez-moi', written and performed by 21-year-old Gjon Muharremaj from Broc in the Canton of Fribourg, they will do just that.

Gjon has dedicated his heart and soul to music since he was a child. Moving his grandfather to tears with his rendition of Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling in Love as a 9-year-old was a formative experience for him. The artist's name came from this very experience: Gjon's Tears. "Whether it's joy, sadness or melancholy – I want to touch people with my music in every possible way."

Gjon's Tears wrote and composed Répondez-moi with songwriters Xavier Michel, Alizé Oswald and producer Jeroen Swinnen as part of a Swiss songwriter camp. It is an intense mystical song that gets under your skin. The song addresses the themes of origin and self-questioning: "Everyone asks themselves why exactly we are here, where do we come from and where are we going. These are key questions, particularly for people from a migrant background. My parents are from Albania and Kosovo. I grew up in Switzerland, and it's my home, these are questions that I think about a lot". Gjon's Tears is working through his personal story in the song.

Gjon concludes: "... I want to be proud of who I am, where I come from, and what I have achieved. I want to inspire people to follow their own path with Répondez-moi."

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THE NETHERLANDS: Jeangu Macrooy - Grow

The seeds to Jeangu's musical journey were first planted when he received a guitar from his parents for his 13th birthday. Together with his twin brother Xillan, he formed a musical duo. His artistic ambitions, however, proved bigger than the scene in his native Surinam and he moved to the Netherlands at the age of 20.

In the Netherlands, Jeangu enrolled in music college where he began collaborating with producer Perquisite. Jeangu's soulful debut album, High On You, was nominated for an Edison Pop Award and he has since performed at prominent festivals such as Lowlands, North Sea Jazz and Eurosonic Noorderslag. His second album, 2019's Horizon, is critically acclaimed by both press and public and preceded international headline tours and frequent appearances on national TV and radio.

In the autobiographical song Grow, Jeangu Macrooy opens his heart and mind to the world around him. His entry is his personal story about getting older and the quest to find himself. Jeangu believes there is no instruction manual for life. As he sings, "the more I learn, the less I know." By accepting that life consists of highs and lows, he believes that you make progress and get closer to who you are. "Emotions, good and bad, are a universal language. I hope the song makes people feel a little less lonely in their search for happiness. I think that openness and honesty about how we really feel will ultimately bring us closer. I believe in the power of music to bring people together. It's the reason I do what I do."

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UKRAINE: Go_A - Solovey

The band Go_A creates a modern reinterpretation of Ukrainian folklore, packaged in electronic sound. The name of the group consists of 'Go', as 'movement', and 'A', as in the ancient Greek letter 'alpha' which refers to going back to one's cultural roots.

The story of the band started in 2012 when the sound producer Taras Shevchenko met signer Kateryna Pavlenko. After recording several songs together, they realized that Ukrainian folklore and electronic music are a perfect match, combing energy and emotion into an engaging mix. Today, Go_A consists of the lead singer Kateryna Pavlenko and musicians Taras Shevchenko, Ihor Didenchuk and Ivan Hryhoriak.

Kateryna Pavlenko leads the ethnic component of the band: she has studied folklore most of her life. Kateryna can sing with the so-called 'white voice', an authentic folklore technique, and has a command of a significant vocal range. Today Kateryna is a veteran choir director while she writes songs for Go_A, including the Eurovision entry Solovey, and works on her solo project.

Taras Shevchenko is a keyboard and percussion player and the sound producer of Go_A. He works in various music styles and knows how to harmonize completely different things, such as Ukrainian sopilka and Brazilian drums, or the bandura, heavy guitar riffs and drum 'n bass.

Ihor Didenchuk is a folklorist and unique multi-instrumentalist whose rich musical arsenal includes traditional Ukrainian instruments as the sopilka, frilka, floyara, telynka, trembita and drymba. Ihor is also a member of a rap group.

Ivan Hryhoriak grew up in the Carpathians. He has been playing the guitar since he was 12. Ivan has been experimenting with musical styles and sounds, including acoustics (fingerstyle), prog metal (bass guitar), double bass in a folk orchestra, and electric guitar. Ivan also works as a vocal coach in a school.

In 2016, Go_A were the winners of the contest The Best Track In Ukraine. Their song Vesnianka was immediately placed in radio rotation and topped the dance chart for 6 weeks. Consequently, they were nominated for the title of KissFM Discovery of the Year. In 2019, the song entered Top 10 іTunes Dance chart in Slovakia as well.

The band is a regular participant of international music festivals and has presented their Ukrainian music in Israel, Poland and Belarus.

For the Eurovision Song Contest, Go_A prepared the song Solovey (Nightingale), which combines electronic music, Ukrainian folk instruments and ethnic vocals. The song is based on Kateryna's personal story about a strong girl who falls in love and realizes that she is no longer taken seriously. Her power helps her turn the tables and handle the situation with dignity. It is the first time in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest that Ukraine has submitted a song entirely in the Ukrainian language.

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UNITED KINGDOM: James Newman - My Last Breath

James Newman is a multi-platinum selling, Brit Award-winning and Grammy-nominated songwriter. The artist won a Brit for co-writing the British Single of the Year 'Waiting All Night', performed by Rudimental and Ella Eyre. It was James’ first UK Number 1 single in 2013.

It wasn’t long before he was able to co-write another UK Number 1, this time for Calvin Harris and his younger brother John Newman called Blame. The song topped the charts in several countries including the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Mexico. James has worked with many famous artists over the years, including Ed Sheeran who recorded the vocals on Lay It All On Me, a certified platinum single in the UK and US. Aside from UK success, James has also been Grammy-nominated twice, co-writing Coping from Toni Braxton’s album Sex & Cigarettes, and Let ‘Em Talk from Kesha’s album Rainbow.

James has always wanted to be an artist in his own right and is ready to launch his solo material. He has already been a featured vocalist on many successful songs; James' biggest hit came in 2018 when he collaborated with acclaimed Dutch DJ Armin Van Buuren on the hit song Therapy.

James recorded his Eurovision entry My Last Breath in Scotland while he was staying on a loch (lake) with fellow songwriters Ed Drewett, Iain James and Adam Argyle. He knew the song was ‘the one’ after first recording it; he loves the simplicity and feels like it gets you right away.

That concludes the participants list! Any thoughts?

- Leo Lewandowski

[born]

Complete participants list:
Arilena Ara - Fall From The Sky (Albania)
Athena Manukyan - Chains On You (Armenia)
Montaigne - Don’t Break Me (Australia)
Vincent Bueno - Alive (Austria)
Samira Efendi - Cleopatra (Azerbaijan)
VAL - Da Vidna (Belarus)
Hooverphonic - Release me (Belgium)
Victoria - Tears Getting Sober (Bulgaria)
Damir Kedzo - Divlji Vjetre (Croatia)
Sandro - Running (Cyprus)
Benny Cristo - Kemama (Czech Republic)
Ben & Tas - Yes (Denmark)
Uku Suviste - What Love Is (Estonia)
Aksel Kankaanranta - Looking Back (Finland)
Tom Leeb - The Best In Me (France)
Tornike Kipiani - Take Me As I Am (Georgia)
Ben Dolic - Violent Thing (Germany)
Stefania - Superg!rl (Greece)
Dadi Freyr & Gagnamagnid - Think About Things (Iceland)
Lesley Roy - Story Of My Life (Ireland)
Eden Alene - Feker Libi (Israel)
Diodado - Fai Rumore (Italy)
Samanta Tina - Still Breathing (Latvia)
The Roop - On Fire (Lithuania)
Destiny Chukunyere - All Of My Love (Malta)
Natalia Gordienko - Prison (Moldova)
Vasil - You (North Macedonia)
Ulrikke Brandstorp - Attention (Norway)
Alicja Szempliska - Empires (Poland)
Elisa - Medo de Sentir (Portugal)
Roxen - Alcohol You (Romania)
Little Big - UNO (Russia)
Senhit - Freaky! (San Marino)
Hurricane - Hasta La Vista (Serbia)
Ana Soklic - Voda (Slovenia)
Blas Cantó - Universo (Spain)
The Mamas - Move (Sweden)
Gjon’s Tears - Rιpondez-Moi (Switzerland)
Jeangu Macrooy - Grow (The Netherlands)
Go_A - Solovey (Ukraine)
James Newman - My Last Breath (United Kingdom)

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{Televoters}
Leo ✔ Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ fearlessarrow kimberly ry4n Future Captain groovetheory Az Paynter ¤ Matthea ¤ janinho woods sergejdordij Normi YotamTS @doinktheclown .indulgecountry yuh yuh tim aerodynamite

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{Leo's Tag list}
.indulgecountry YotamTS fearlessarrow ry4n born Normi janinho aerodynamite deepston Az Paynter Codex sergejdordij Harx Robert J YourFaveIsAFlop Sambalada rockmandattebayo yuh yuh EPG MaRK✓ Enigma. Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ purplefebruary 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 Enigma. @doinktheclown Future Captain The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷  

[born]

Pulse, start voting now!

The time has come! Let's vote!

All you have to do is rank the 41 participants (#1 being your favorite, #41 being your least favorite) and send us the rankings in a joined PM (@/jimswift13 & @/jcs). The deadline is May 10th (even though I'm open to giving an extension if needed) and then there will be a new deadline for the grand final.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Participants}Aksel - Looking Back (Finland)
Alicja - Empires (Poland)
Ana Soklic - Voda (Slovenia)
Arilena Ara - Fall From The Sky (Albania)
Athena Manukyan - Chains On You (Armenia)
Ben & Tan - Yes (Denmark)
Ben Dolic - Violent Thing (Germany)
Benny Cristo - Kemama (Czech Republic)
Blas Cantσ - Universo (Spain)
Dadi Freyr & Gagnamagnid - Think About Things (Iceland)
Damir Kedzo - Divlji Vjetre (Croatia)
Destiny - All Of My Love (Malta)
Diodado - Fai Rumore (Italy)
Eden Alene - Feker Libi (Israel)
Efendi - Cleopatra (Azerbaijan)
Elisa - Medo de Sentir (Portugal)
Gjon’s Tears - Rιpondez-Moi (Switzerland)
Go_A - Solovey (Ukraine)
Hooverphonic - Release me (Belgium)
Hurricane - Hasta La Vista (Serbia)
James Newman - My Last Breath (United Kingdom)
Jeangu Macrooy - Grow (The Netherlands)
Lesley Roy - Story Of My Life (Ireland)
Little Big - UNO (Russia)
Montaigne - Don’t Break Me (Australia)
Natalia Gordienko - Prison (Moldova)
Roxen - Alcohol You (Romania)
Samanta Tina - Still Breathing (Latvia)
Sandro - Running (Cyprus)
Senhit - Freaky! (San Marino)
Stefania - Superg!rl (Greece)
The Mamas - Move (Sweden)
The Roop - On Fire (Lithuania)
Tom Leeb - The Best In Me (France)
Tornike Kipiani - Take Me As I Am (Georgia)
Uku Suviste - What Love Is (Estonia)
Ulrikke - Attention (Norway)
VAL - Da Vidna (Belarus)
Vasil - You (North Macedonia)
Victoria - Tears Getting Sober (Bulgaria)
Vincent Bueno - Alive (Austria)

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{Playlist}

Q: How will this work?
A: Basically, instead of asking you to submit your rankings multiple times, all you have to do is rank the list once. We will use your rankings to determine which songs qualify to the grand final and eventually, who wins the whole thing. Of course, you're allowed to edit your list after the semi finals. 

Q: Will you use the Eurovision point system?
A: Yes. For each semi final we're going to only count the songs in said semi final and use your top 10 to turn it into Eurovision points! For example, if your entire Top 5 is from the second semi final and your #6 is from the first semi final, then your #6 will get your 12 points for the first semi final.

Q: What's the point of listening and ranking all of the songs when I'm only voting for 10?
A: First of all, it's Eurovision. Eurovision time is never wasted time. In all seriousness though, you should listen to (& rank) the entire list so as to have your rankings set for all of the semi finals and the final. You never know which songs are making it through so eventually you will have to actually listen to all of the participants.

Q: Can I only rank the songs for one of the semi finals?
A: Well of course. But the entire list isn't that much harder to use. You get to rank 41 songs once and then you're set for the entire game. You don't have to do anything else! Isn't that more exciting than sending for only one semi final?

Q: What happens if I don't make the deadline?
A: As I said before, I'm open to giving an extension but even if you fail to submit, don't worry! You'll still be able to be involved in the grand final! Everyone is welcome to participate in the game as it is but even more so in the grand final. We've got you covered!


Any questions? If not, take it away!

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{Televoters}Leo ✔ Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ fearlessarrow kimberly ry4n Future Captain groovetheory Az Paynter ¤ Matthea ¤ janinho woods sergejdordij Normi YotamTS @doinktheclown .indulgecountry yuh yuh tim aerodynamite

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{Leo's Tag list}.indulgecountry YotamTS fearlessarrow ry4n born Normi janinho aerodynamite deepston Az Paynter Codex sergejdordij Harx Robert J YourFaveIsAFlop Sambalada rockmandattebayo yuh yuh EPG MaRK✓ Enigma. Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ purplefebruary 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 Enigma. @doinktheclown Future Captain The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷  

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

This is great! I will probably send tomorrow, only need to hear like 5-6 songs.

[Future Captain]

Yess. I'll probably get this done by tomorrow or even sooner since I already made a ranking a bit of a while ago and just need to give some songs a few more listen to solidify my top ~15

[born]

Two weeks left!!!

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{Televoters}
Leo ✔ Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ fearlessarrow kimberly ry4n Future Captain groovetheory Az Paynter ¤ Matthea ¤ janinho woods sergejdordij Normi YotamTS @doinktheclown .indulgecountry yuh yuh tim aerodynamite

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{Leo's Tag list}
.indulgecountry YotamTS fearlessarrow ry4n born Normi janinho aerodynamite deepston Az Paynter Codex sergejdordij Harx Robert J YourFaveIsAFlop Sambalada rockmandattebayo yuh yuh EPG MaRK✓ Enigma. Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ purplefebruary 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 Enigma. @doinktheclown Future Captain The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷  

[Leo ✔]

I do have my own list, waiting for y'all!!

[Leo ✔]

11 days left!!!

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{Televoters}
Leo ✔ Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ fearlessarrow kimberly ry4n Future Captain groovetheory Az Paynter ¤ Matthea ¤ janinho woods sergejdordij Normi YotamTS @doinktheclown .indulgecountry yuh yuh tim aerodynamite

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{Leo's Tag list}
.indulgecountry YotamTS fearlessarrow ry4n born Normi janinho aerodynamite deepston Az Paynter Codex sergejdordij Harx Robert J YourFaveIsAFlop Sambalada rockmandattebayo yuh yuh EPG MaRK✓ Enigma. Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ purplefebruary 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 Enigma. @doinktheclown Future Captain The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷  

[Leo ✔]

Official Recap!

[Leo ✔]

10 days left!!! And I still only have my own list :sip2:

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{Televoters}
Leo ✔ Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ fearlessarrow kimberly ry4n Future Captain groovetheory Az Paynter ¤ Matthea ¤ janinho woods sergejdordij Normi YotamTS @doinktheclown .indulgecountry yuh yuh tim aerodynamite

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{Leo's Tag list}
.indulgecountry YotamTS fearlessarrow ry4n born Normi janinho aerodynamite deepston Az Paynter Codex sergejdordij Harx Robert J YourFaveIsAFlop Sambalada rockmandattebayo yuh yuh EPG MaRK✓ Enigma. Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ purplefebruary 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 Enigma. @doinktheclown Future Captain The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷  

[born]

ONE WEEK LEFT!!! Don't you all want some kind of results during the Eurovision week?

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{Televoters}Leo ✔ Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ fearlessarrow kimberly ry4n Future Captain groovetheory Az Paynter ¤ Matthea ¤ janinho woods sergejdordij Normi YotamTS @doinktheclown .indulgecountry yuh yuh tim aerodynamite

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{Leo's Tag list}.indulgecountry YotamTS fearlessarrow ry4n born Normi janinho aerodynamite deepston Az Paynter Codex sergejdordij Harx Robert J YourFaveIsAFlop Sambalada rockmandattebayo yuh yuh EPG MaRK✓ Enigma. Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ purplefebruary 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 Enigma. @doinktheclown Future Captain The Brazilian Guy 🇧🇷