After the Eurovision fame: Dima Bilan

Dima Bilan won the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest for Russia.

Early life

Dima Bilan was born as Victor Belan on December 24, 1981. He was born in Ust-Dzheguta, in the Autonomous Soviet Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia. He took part in several music competitions. For example, he won the “Young Voices of the Caucasus” competition. His first performance on television was in 1995, also in a talent show. In 1998, when he was 16 years old, he went to Moscow to participate in the Chunga-Changa festival, where the chairman of the jury gave him a diploma. He chose ‘Dima Bilan’ as his stage name; Dmitriy was his grandfather’s name. So Dima is a tribute to him.

Breakthrough and first two albums

Once he lived in Moscow, Dima began to record his first songs. The video of his debut single “Osen” became a success. The video was shot in the Gulf of Finland. At the time, under the pseudonym Dima Belan, he was regularly seen on MTV Russia.
Although he studied to become an opera singer, he dreamed of a career as a pop singer. The dream came true when a classmate introduced him to producer Yuri Aizenshpis. His first real big success came in 2002, when he took fourth place in the New Wave festival. A new single and video, “Boom”, followed and in 2003 there was Dima Bilan’s debut album “Ya nochnoy huligan”. Television appearances followed, and his single “Na beregu neba” reached number 2 in the Russian charts. The album with the same name went gold in 2004. It became one of the best-selling albums of 2004 in Russia.

First steps in the field of Eurovision

After this success, producer Aizenshpis registered Bilan to participate in the national final of the Eurovision Song Contest. He sang in English: “Not that simple”. Although he was close, Dima Bilan didn’t win the ticket to the Eurovision song contest in Kiev. He did, however, have a hit with the song. The Russian version “”Ty dolzhna ryadom byt'” became one of the biggest hits of 2005. Several other hits followed. When Yuri Aizenshpis passed away in late 2005, producers lined up to take Dima under their wing, eventually Yana became Rudkovskaya his new producer. That caused another problem with his name, because it was officially owned by Aizenshpis’ company. When this conflict was resolved, Dima decided to officially register under the name Dima Bilan.

Eurovision 2006
In 2006, the Russian broadcaster wanted to be sure that Dima Bilan would represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest. They decided to single him out without a national final. His song “Never let you go” did very well: a second place was awarded to him. Never had a Russian candidate finished higher. He subsequently represented Russia at the MTV Europe Awards and won an Award as best-selling Russian singer at the World Music Awards.

Winning the Eurovision Song Contest

In 2007, Dima Bilan recorded an English-language album with the famous producers Jim Beanz and Ryan Tedder. Again, he won awards at the MTV Russia Award. In 2008 a new Russian album was released. He also took part in the national final for the Eurovision song contest again. During the contest in Belgrade he sang “Believe”. The song was co-written by Jim Beanz. Dima was accompanied by Hungarian violinist Edvin Barton and Olympic figure skating champion Evgeni Plushenko. Dima Bilan managed to win the Eurovision Song Contest.


No return to Eurovision

The album “Believe” soon followed. In 2010, Dima Bilan had a song ready to participate in the Eurovision song contest: “White nights”. However, he decided not to. Joining again two years later would be too soon, according to Bilan. In that year he did play the lead role in a short film. In 2011, he released another new Russian album. The return to the song contest came in 2012: in duet with Yulia Volkova (known from t.A.T.u.), “Back to her future”. Despite their favorite role, they did not win but had to make do with second place.

The Voice

After the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, Dima Bilan released four more studio albums. He was also a coach in several seasons of the Russian version of The Voice. He was in the chair in seasons 1 through 3, in seasons 5 and 6, and will soon be seen again in season 10. He also coached the first four seasons of The Voice Kids in Russia.

 

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Blast from the past: Latvia 2001

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 2001, when Arnis Mednis represented Latvia with the song “Too Much”. Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest Latvia debuted in 2000 and immediately impressed: Brainstorm‘s “My Star” finished third. Two years later, Marie N gave the country its only victory with “I Wanna”, which led to Riga hosting in 2003. Other standout results include Walters and Kazha‘s fifth place in 2005 and Aminata‘s “Love Injected”, sixth in 2015. Eurovision.tv After a difficult run of non‑qualifications, Latvia’s fortunes have improved recently. In 2024, Dons carried “Hollow” back to the Grand Final for the first time since 2016, placing 16th with 64 points after qualifying seventh in the semi‑final. In 2025, folk‑pop group Tautumeitas qualified second in their semi and finished 13th with 158 points, Latvia’s best result since 2015. The year before, Sudden Lights narrowly missed the final, ending 11th in their semi with “Aijā”. Together, these results suggest Latvia is building momentum and pairing distinctive entries and staging with stronger jury support and fan buzz. Marie N Eirodziesma 2001 In past years, the Latvian national final was called Eirodziesma. In 2001 it was held on 24 February in the LTV Studios in Riga. Ten songs competed: Linda Leen and Lauris Reiniks sang “I Wish I Knew“, 40 pts, 2nd Tumsa sang “It’s Not the End“, 36 pts, 4th Madara Celma and Kristaps Krievkalns sang “Staying Alive“, 10 pts, 9th Yana Kay sang “Falling Into You“, 25 pts, 7th Labvēlīgais tips sang “Koka klucis Konstantīns“, 33 pts, 6th Marija Naumova sang “Hey Boy, Follow Me“, 38 pts, 3rd Credo sang “Cita tautasdziesma“, 10 pts, 9th Gunārs Kalniņš sang “Diamonds and Pearls“, 20 pts, 8th Shake and Bake sang, “Spirit of Love“, 36 pts, 4th Arnis Mednis sang “Too Much“, 42 pts, 1st Marija Naumova is also known as Marie N. She won Eurovision in 2002. Lauris Reiniks participated in 2003 with the group F.L.Y. Arnis Mednis Arnis Mednis (born 18 October 1961, Riga) is a Latvian singer, pianist, composer and producer best known for representing Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 with his self‑penned “Too Much,” finishing 18th with 16 points. He trained at the Emīls Dārziņš Music School and the Latvian State Conservatory, foundations for a career that blends pop, jazz and funk. In the late 1980s Mednis co‑founded and fronted the jazz‑funk group Odis, among the first in Latvia to bring soul and funk to mainstream stages. With Odis he won the Liepājas Dzintars festival in 1990 and earned further honors at the Jūrmala and Sopot contests in 1993. Mednis first tried Eurovision via Eirodziesma 2000 (“Everyday in Circle,” 5th), then won Eirodziesma 2001 to reach Copenhagen. Alongside stage work he built a discography that includes Cooler (1999), Spaceman (2001), Pepija – Dziesmas teātra izrādei (2002) and Mana tautasdziesma (2019). He also helped Riga’s live scene by opening the City Jazz Club in the city center. A severe stroke in 2011 shifted his focus toward studio work and composition. In March 2024, Mednis rejoined Odis on keyboards during the Zelta Mikrofons awards; warmly received, he appeared onstage though he no longer sings. Today, Mednis remains a respected figure in Latvian pop and jazz, with a career spanning band leadership, solo releases and Eurovision. Too Much “Too Much” is an up‑tempo pop‑jazz entry with an upbeat stage presentation. Built on a jaunty groove with accordion and guitar accents, it pairs a swing‑tinged melody with playful lyrics about excess and regret. Mednis composed the music, while the lyrics were written by Gustavs Terzens and Arnis Mednis. On the night, Latvia placed 18th and earned 16 points. Though not a podium finish, the song is remembered for its brassy, cabaret‑flavoured staging and crisp live band feel, showcasing Latvia’s early‑2000s blend of pop and jazz.  

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Blast from the past
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Blast from the past: Latvia 2001

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 2001, when Arnis Mednis represented Latvia with the song “Too Much”. Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest Latvia debuted in 2000 and immediately impressed: Brainstorm‘s “My Star” finished third. Two years later, Marie N gave the country its only victory with “I Wanna”, which led to Riga hosting in 2003. Other standout results include Walters and Kazha‘s fifth place in 2005 and Aminata‘s “Love Injected”, sixth in 2015. Eurovision.tv After a difficult run of non‑qualifications, Latvia’s fortunes have improved recently. In 2024, Dons carried “Hollow” back to the Grand Final for the first time since 2016, placing 16th with 64 points after qualifying seventh in the semi‑final. In 2025, folk‑pop group Tautumeitas qualified second in their semi and finished 13th with 158 points, Latvia’s best result since 2015. The year before, Sudden Lights narrowly missed the final, ending 11th in their semi with “Aijā”. Together, these results suggest Latvia is building momentum and pairing distinctive entries and staging with stronger jury support and fan buzz. Marie N Eirodziesma 2001 In past years, the Latvian national final was called Eirodziesma. In 2001 it was held on 24 February in the LTV Studios in Riga. Ten songs competed: Linda Leen and Lauris Reiniks sang “I Wish I Knew“, 40 pts, 2nd Tumsa sang “It’s Not the End“, 36 pts, 4th Madara Celma and Kristaps Krievkalns sang “Staying Alive“, 10 pts, 9th Yana Kay sang “Falling Into You“, 25 pts, 7th Labvēlīgais tips sang “Koka klucis Konstantīns“, 33 pts, 6th Marija Naumova sang “Hey Boy, Follow Me“, 38 pts, 3rd Credo sang “Cita tautasdziesma“, 10 pts, 9th Gunārs Kalniņš sang “Diamonds and Pearls“, 20 pts, 8th Shake and Bake sang, “Spirit of Love“, 36 pts, 4th Arnis Mednis sang “Too Much“, 42 pts, 1st Marija Naumova is also known as Marie N. She won Eurovision in 2002. Lauris Reiniks participated in 2003 with the group F.L.Y. Arnis Mednis Arnis Mednis (born 18 October 1961, Riga) is a Latvian singer, pianist, composer and producer best known for representing Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 with his self‑penned “Too Much,” finishing 18th with 16 points. He trained at the Emīls Dārziņš Music School and the Latvian State Conservatory, foundations for a career that blends pop, jazz and funk. In the late 1980s Mednis co‑founded and fronted the jazz‑funk group Odis, among the first in Latvia to bring soul and funk to mainstream stages. With Odis he won the Liepājas Dzintars festival in 1990 and earned further honors at the Jūrmala and Sopot contests in 1993. Mednis first tried Eurovision via Eirodziesma 2000 (“Everyday in Circle,” 5th), then won Eirodziesma 2001 to reach Copenhagen. Alongside stage work he built a discography that includes Cooler (1999), Spaceman (2001), Pepija – Dziesmas teātra izrādei (2002) and Mana tautasdziesma (2019). He also helped Riga’s live scene by opening the City Jazz Club in the city center. A severe stroke in 2011 shifted his focus toward studio work and composition. In March 2024, Mednis rejoined Odis on keyboards during the Zelta Mikrofons awards; warmly received, he appeared onstage though he no longer sings. Today, Mednis remains a respected figure in Latvian pop and jazz, with a career spanning band leadership, solo releases and Eurovision. Too Much “Too Much” is an up‑tempo pop‑jazz entry with an upbeat stage presentation. Built on a jaunty groove with accordion and guitar accents, it pairs a swing‑tinged melody with playful lyrics about excess and regret. Mednis composed the music, while the lyrics were written by Gustavs Terzens and Arnis Mednis. On the night, Latvia placed 18th and earned 16 points. Though not a podium finish, the song is remembered for its brassy, cabaret‑flavoured staging and crisp live band feel, showcasing Latvia’s early‑2000s blend of pop and jazz.  

Read More »
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