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Rehearsals, day 1: an overview

Today was the day of the still sun. The latest update is that the water may well be replaced by virtual water on the LED screens. The sun can then rotate again. Today was also the day of the first nine rehearsals. And yes, that included bookmaker favorite Ukraine. We will go through all the performances with you. ALBANIA: What immediately stands out is Ronela’s hair: it’s pink. Furthermore, she is in black with a silver shining bra. She is surrounded by four bare-chested dancers. No fireworks for Albania, but smoke. LATVIA: In multicolored suits, the Latvian group Citi Zēni performs the cheerful “Eat your salad” accompanied by graphics with lots of fruit. The text has been slightly modified. The group still eats veggies, but no longer mention pussy. It is, after all, a family program. LITHUANIA: The jazzy ‘Sentimentai’ is performed by Monika Liu against a purple background. She herself wears a dress covered with silver. At the end of the song, the now infamous waterfall comes into view. Whether that remains the case remains to be seen. SWITZERLAND: After Lithuania, there is another act that is all alone on stage: the Swiss Marius Bear performs in black, with only a spotlight aimed at him. The folks at eurovision.tv were eager to say that Marius is very strong vocally. SLOVENIA: A huge disco ball on stage with the group LPS from Slovenia. The drummer seems to be hiding behind that. The men from Slovenia wear classic sixties tailoring during their performance. UKRAINE: Partly due to the circumstances, Ukraine is the top favorite for the final victory. Kalush Orchestra performs in traditional outfits combined with something indefinable, which most resembles the brushes from a car wash. The graphics are special and use, among other things, the Ukrainian colors blue and yellow. BULGARIA: The guys from Intelligent Music Project are, it seems, in their usual clothes. But they sure rock! Bulgaria is the country that readily uses the pyrotechnics at the end of their performance. NETHERLANDS: The Dutch S10 wears a black suit; she has a bare belly that makes her navel suddenly play a leading role in the act. Lots of smoke and dramatic light, that’s how everyone who has seen something of it describes the act. In any case, it is considered appropriate for the song. MOLDOVA: It is Zdob si Zdub that concludes today’s nine. This is the group’s third time participating. They’ve gone full neon on the lighting and the graphics, AND there are even a couple of little dance routines in the chorus. But there is no striking act, as before with a grandmother and with pointed hats. Maybe the happy Moldovan song doesn’t need that either.

Rehearsals have started today (UPDATE)

Rehearsals for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest have started today. For the first time in the history of the song festival, these rehearsals are not accessible to the press. However, on a daily basis we will keep you informed about what is happening in Turin. In addition, we have reporter Kal on location, who will provide regular updates on Instagram and TikTok. We can report the first news we have right away: According to the newspaper La Stampa, there would be technical problems with the control of the kinetic sun that is present on the stage. These problems would not be solvable. That means the kinetic sun will move less than intended. UPDATE: It seems that water that got over the cables on the stage is the problem. The kinetic sun no longer rotates at all. To be continued…

Malik Harris: the setting is going to be intimate

Malik Harris is the guy who is going to represent Germany this year. The 24-year old son of the US ex-showmaster Ricky Harris grew up in Issing near Vilgertshofen near Landsberg am Lech. His paternal grandfather was an opera singer, his maternal grandmother was a pianist, and his father played numerous musical instruments. His first singles “Say the Name” (2018) and “Welcome to the Rumble” (2019) became hits in the airplay charts and on streaming platforms such as Spotify. Malik Harris was the first German artist to be seen on a Times Square billboard in New York City for a week when his single “When We’ve Arrived” was released in October 2020. Our reporter Kal managed to elicit statements from Malik about the staging. “The setting is going to be intimate, very close, very raw”. Why? Watch the video and you’ll know it!

Emma Muscat: Many people can relate to “I am what I am”

Emma Muscat will perform for Malta in the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2016 she released her first single “Alone” on her YouTube channel and later in 2017 she released her second single “Without You”. In 2018 she released her first EP. A year later, her first official single was released, “Avec moi”, featuring singer Biondo. In 2020 followed the hit “Sangria”, a duet with the Italian rapper Astol. Our reporter Kal spoke to Emma; of course he asked her why she traded in the winning song from the Maltese final. Many people can relate to “I am what I am,” she explains, making more comparisons between the two songs in the meantime. Which of the two does she like best? That’s what she tells in this video… or not?

Sam Ryder: we wrote the song in about 10 minutes

The UK is back! Sam Ryder is the favorite of many people. Although he started as a session musician in 2009, his real breakthrough came thanks to Corona: during the first lockdown he started posting songs on TikTok. He quickly became the most watched singer on the platform. Our reporter Kal Engels talks to him about his childhood, about the song (I wrote it in about ten minutes) and about his and others’ expectations for the UK. So watch!

LPS: We didn’t expect to win!

LPS betekent Last Pizza Slice. Het is de band die dit jaar Slovenië vertegenwoordigt op het Eurovisie Songfestival. De band zal in de eerste halve finale optreden. LPS was een schoolband, opgericht in 2018. De doorbraak kwam voor de leden Filip, Gašper, Mark, Zala en Žiga pas heel recent: ze namen deel aan EMA Freš, de voorselectie voor de Sloveense nationale finale, uitsluitend met jong aanstormend talent. Onze reporter Kal sprak daarover met ze. “We didn’t expect it. Every time we went through, we thought: this is it.”, aldus de leden van de band. Die vertelden hoe ze aan de naam Last Pizza Slice gekomen waren, maar ook hoe ze in de muziek terecht gekomen zijn. Alle reden dus om snel te kijken!

S10: Party with your own identity!

S10 is the participant from the Netherlands. She will be featured in the first semifinal. S10 is actually called Stien Den Hollander. She made her first EPs in 2017 (Antipsychotica) and 2018 (Lithium). The titles say it all: she wrote lyrics about her own mental illness. The lyrics are therefore very personal. In the meantime she made two albums and scored a big hit, the song “Adem je in”. S10 is the first candidate for the Eurovision Song Contest since 2010 to sing in Dutch. Our reporter Kal spoke to her. She told her about the lyrics of the song, gave her fans some advice (Party with your own identity! Who are you, what kind of clothes do I wanna wear, how do I wanna smell, you have to make a party in your own head!). But she has a lot more to say. Take a quick look at the video!

Ochman: I’ll get a tan in Turin

In the 2nd semifinal we will see and hear Ochman. He will represent Poland with “River”. His full name is Krystian Ochman, but he only uses his last name in Turin. Ochman was born in Melrose, Massachusetts. His parents were of Polish descent. After graduating from high school, Ochman moved to Katowice in Poland. Two years ago he won The Voice of Poland. His first single “Światłocienie” became an instant hit. Our reporter Kal spoke to him. The conversation was mainly about the preparties, what he will be doing in Turin (I’ll get a tan and if I get the change I want to see a football match of Juventus). In addition, Kal tries to elicit something from him about the staging. If he succeeds? See for yourself…

The Rasmus: we are different from all the others

“Being an artist is not like a regular job. It’s really like you put your heart in it. It’s a little bit like living at the risk all the time,” says Lauri Ylönen, lead singer of The Rasmus. And you probably know that band. Because they are probably the most famous candidates in Turin. They have been around since 1994, but it took almost ten years before they had their international breakthrough. Their first and biggest international hit was “In the shadows” from their also successful album “Dead letters”. Our reporter Kal spoke to the foursome. They tell him that they are different from all the others and want to show that on stage. They also tell you what “Jezebel” is about and that the riff of the song has been on the shelf for a while. Kal also pays special attention to Emilia Suhonen: she is new to the band. Oh yes, and they also talked about… well, see for yourself.

No Israel in Eurovision 2022?

Due to the strike of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the GSS (the Israeli security service) cannot handle the Israeli delegation to the Eurovision Song Contest and at the moment the Israeli delegation will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin. That is literally what the Israeli broadcaster Kan announced via Twitter this morning. Israel would be represented by Michael Ben David with the song “I.M.”. It is not clear whether he will actually travel to Turin. There is no official statement from the EBU. To be continued. Update: According to the broadcaster Israel will participate but possibly with a live-on-tape performance. The previously posted tweet was published in hopes of putting pressure on the ministry. Nothing is confirmed yet by the EBU, we will keep you posted.