Eurovision 2021

After five semifinals and a 2nd chance contest, the time is there: Norway will select it’s Eurovision Entry. After tonight, we know who will represent Norway the year after Ulrikke was supposed to do so. The show will start at 19:55 CET and you can watch it here. There are twelve contestants: Attle Pettersen, “World on fire” Raylee, “Hero” Stavangerkameratene, “Who I am” KiiM, “My lonely voice” Blåsemafian feat. Hazel, “Let loose” Emmy, “Witch wood” TIX, “Fallen angel” Kaja Rode, “Feel again” Rein Alexander, “Eyes wide open” IMERIKA, “I can’t escape” KEiiNO, “Monument” Jorn, “Faith bloody faith” Raylee participated in Melodi Grand Prix in 2015 and 2020. Tommy Fredvang (Stavangerkameratene) took part in 2012. Rein Alexander was one of the 2020 finalists. KEiiNO represented Norway in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest with “Spirit in the sky” and won the televoting.

One of the few countries having a national final without semifinals is Finland. Seven entries will compete in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), The Finnish national final. The show starts at 20.00 CET and you can watch it here. The songs are: Teflon Brothers x Pandora, “I love you” Aksel, “Hurt” Laura, “Play” Danny, “Sinä päivänä kun kaikki rakastaa mua” Oskr, “Lie” Blind Channel, “Dark Side” Ilta, “Kelle mä soitan” Aksel won UMK last year and will attempt again this year. Laura might be familiar to you as well: this Estonian singer represented her country twice: in 2005 as a member of the group Suntribe, in 2017 in duet with Koit Toome. Danny is also a familiar name in Finnish Eurovision history. No less than 7 (!!) times before he attempted to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest, the first time being in 1966, the last time in 2004. The video contains his 1975 entry “Seikkailija”.      

Tonight, Portugal will also start it’s national selection, Festival da Canção. It starts at 22.00 CET, and you can watch it here. Five songs will be selected out of ten, and these are the titles: The Black Mamba, “Love is on my side” Valéria, “Na mais profunda saudade” Mema., “Clara como água” Nadine, “Cheguei aqui” Miguel Marôco, “Girassol” Fábia Maia, “Dia lindo” Irma, “Livros” Karetus & Romeu Biaros, “Saudade” Sara Afonso, “Contramão” IAN, “Mundo” All the artists are new to Festival da Canção.

Two days after the first one, Estonia will have it’s second semifinal. It will start at 18.30 CET and you can watch it here. The contestants are: Sissi, “Time” Gram-of-Fun, “Lost in a dance” Kadri Voorand, “Energy” Helen, “Nii kõrgele” REDEL, “Tartu” Rahel, “Sunday night” Uku Haasma, “Kaos” HELEZA, “6” Uku Suviste, “The lucky one” Alabama Watchdog, “Alabama watchdog” Jüri Pootsmann, “Magus melanhoolia” Suured Tüdrukud, “Heaven’s not for that tonight” Sissi took part in Eestilaul 2019. Her father, Dave Benton, won Eurovision in 2001 for Estonia. Kristel Aaslaid (Gram-of-Fun) participated in the 2016 national final. The two man of REDEL have taken part before as well: in 2013 they took part as members of the punkband Winny Puhh. Jüri Pootsmann represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016; Uku Suviste was supposed to do so in 2020.

Tonight, the popular Melodifestivalen will have it’s third semifnial! Different from other years is that all the semifinals and the final will be in one place, due to the corona virus. The contest starts at 20.00 CET and you can watch it here. The contestants are: Charlotte Perrelli, “Still young” Emil Assergård, “Om allting skiter sig” Klara Hammarström, “Beat of broken hearts” Mustasch, “Contagious” Elisa, “Den du är” Alvaro Estrella, “Baila baila” Tusse, “Voices” Elisa and Alvaro Estrella both took part in Melodifestivalen 2014. Charlotte Perrelli (aka Charlotte Nilsson) won the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest. In 2008 she represented Sweden again.

Photo: Empire Rights Managements Today, British broadcaster BBC finally revealed who is going to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest. And it will be James Newman! Newman was supposed to represent the country in last year’s contest with the song “My last breath”. ““I’m so excited and honoured to be getting a second chance at representing my country in the Eurovision Song Contest. I haven’t stopped making new music in lockdown and I can’t wait for everyone to hear the song I’m taking to Eurovision in 2021.”, James Newman stated on the BBC website. The title of this year’s song is not announced yet. However, BBC renewed the collaboration with BMG for the contest.

The results of the first Eestilaul semifinal, the Estonian national selection, are in. The titles, written in bold, will go to the final. Tanja, “Best night ever” Hans Nayna, “One by one” WIIRALT, “Tuuled” Kéa, “Hypnotized” Andrei Zevakin & Pluuto, “Wingman” Karl Killing, “Kiss me” Nika Marula, “Calm down” Egert Milder, “Free again” Tuuli Rand, “Üks öö” Koit Toome, “We could have been beautiful” Kristin Kalnapenk, “Find a way” Ivo Linna, Robert Linna & Supernova, “Ma olen siin”

Photo: NRK/Julia Maria Naglestad Jorn Lande has won a wildcard for the Norwegian preselection Melodi Grand Prix. Jorn was chosen out of all the participants from the Norwegian semifinals to complete the field of 12 final songs with the song “Faith bloody faith”. The final of Norsk Melodi Grand Prix will be held on Saturday, february 20.