Aiko

Alena Shirmanova, known by her stage name Aiko, is a Czech singer-songwriter born on December 26, 1999, in Karlovy Vary. Currently residing in Brighton, England, she is poised to represent the Czech Republic at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Alena gained initial fame in the fourth season of the reality talent show “Česko Slovenská SuperStar.” Adopting the stage name Aiko, she released her first album, also named “Aiko,” in 2018. This was followed by “Expiration Date” in 2020, marking her debut single “Hunt.”

Aiko’s career includes several notable firsts: she was the first Czech artist to appear on the Times Square screen in New York and the first Czech woman to participate in the Spotify Equal Campaign. Her live performances include Rock for People, ESNS, Metronome Prague, The Great Escape, and Grape festivals. She has also toured as a supporting act for artists like Alice Merton and Tamino. Her music has been featured in popular TV shows like “Teen Mom” and “Love Island.”

On October 13, 2023, Aiko released her album “Fortune’s Child.” She was later announced as a contestant in the Czech national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on November 28, 2023. Competing with the song “Pedestal,” co-written with Steven Ansell, she emerged as the winner of the selection on December 13. With this song, she performed in the 2nd Semifinal on May 11, but unfortunately she didn’t make it to the final.