March 28, 2024

🇮🇪 Road to Malmö: Ireland

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Ireland. Bambie Thug Bambie Ray Robinson, known artistically as Bambie Thug, is an innovative Irish singer born in 1994. Breaking into the music scene, Robinson released their debut EP, “Cathexis,” on 12 October 2023, prefaced by singles “Careless” and “Last Summer (I Know What You Did).” Their music, deeply inspired by musical theatre, serves as a protective yet expressive medium, especially through tough mental health phases. Robinson’s unique sound, described as “ouija-pop” or “hyperpunk avant electro-pop,” reflects their critique of drug addiction’s glamorization in the industry and their ambition to model positive behavior. On 11 January 2024, they were chosen to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest with “Doomsday Blue,” winning both jury and public favor in Eurosong 2024. Living in East London and hailing from a diverse family background, Robinson identifies as non-binary and actively contributes to LGBTQ+ visibility in music. Their journey also includes overcoming personal battles with drug addiction, underpinning their advocacy for health and representation. Eurosong In the past, the Irish national selection was called The Irish National Song Contest. However, already for years it’s named Eurosong. The show is part of the famous Late, Late Show, hosted by Patrick Kietty. Six songs competed in the contest. And although the international jury chose boyband Next In Line for the contest, the national jury ánd the televoters chose for Bambie Thug; this was very much to the joy of the Eurofans visiting platform X. They cheered that ‘The Witch has won!’. Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1965 was the first year ever that Ireland contributed to the Eurovision Song Contest. “Doomsday blue” will be the 57th entry. Together with Sweden, Ireland holds the record of no less than seven victories. It all started with Dana in 1970, followed by the Johnny Logan double in 1980 and 1987; a third Logan-victory followed in 1992 with a song, sung by Linda Martin. And from that moment on it seemed like being Irish was one of the preconditions to win the contest, with Niamh Kavanagh in 1993, Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan in 1994 and Eimear Quinn in 1996. Note that the Norwegian group Secret Garden, winners of 1995, had an Irish violinist: Fionualla Sherry. The last couple of years, Ireland was not so succesful, with the last four entries missing the final. Who knows, Bambie Thug will change that. The Bookmakers Ireland is currently 16th in the odds to win the contest. Although the odds for the semifinal are not published yet, Ireland is the 5th highest scoring song from the 1st semifinal. It is safe to say that the bookies predict a place in the final. The song And this is the song:

🇱🇹 Road to Malmö: Lithuania

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Lithuania. Silvester Belt Silvestras Beltė, known as Silvester Belt, is a distinguished Lithuanian singer-songwriter born on 26 November 1997 in Kaunas. Educated at the University of Westminster, London, with a degree in Commercial Music Performance, Beltė swiftly returned to Lithuania post-graduation to delve into the electronic/pop music scene. His breakthrough came in 2017 as the victor of Lithuania’s reality show Aš – superhitas, leading to his move to Vilnius and the release of his debut single “Noise.” Beltė’s talents also extended behind the scenes in 2 Barai, a Lithuanian reality show. Despite an early exit in X Faktorius’ sixth season, his competitive spirit never waned. On 17 february 2024, Beltė was announced as Lithuania’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with his song “Luktelk,” showcasing his ascension in the music industry. Eurovizija.lt For the first time, the name of the Lithuanian national selection was Eurovizija.lt. However, the format did not really change. 5 semifinals with 8 songs each were held. Two songs in every semifinal went through to the final. We saw some familiar names in the national selection: Andrius Pojavis (ESC 2013), Vilija (ESC 2014) and The Roop (ESC 2020 and 2021). However, only The Roop reached the final. Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest The first time Lithuania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest was in 1994. After gaining no points at all, the country quit, to return in 1999. This year marks their 24th participation. So far, Lithuania never reached the top-5. In 2006, LT United reached a 6th place with the song “We are the winners”. In later years Donny Montel (9th in 2016) and The Roop (8th in 2021) reached the top-10. Will Silvester Belt break the record and reach the top-5? Bookmakers Currently, Lithuania is on the 12th spot to win the contest. Although the betting odds for semifinal one don’t seem to be ready yet, we can safely say that Lithuania will reach their top-10 and go on to the final. That means, according to the bookmakers. The song And this is the song: