2023

Remo Forrer

© EBU/Chloe Hashemi About Quick Facts NameRemo Forrer Born2001 Nationality🇨🇭 Swiss National SelectionInternal selection 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongWatergun (2023) Biography Remo Forrer lives in Hemberg, Switzerland. He has been involved with music since childhood; he began flute lessons before devoting himself to playing the accordion. He then began playing the piano and singing. He taught himself to play the piano and learned it purely by ear. He did an apprenticeship as a retail specialist in a sports shop. In 2020 he won the third season of The Voice of Switzerland with his coach Noah Veraguth. On April 17, 2020 he released his winning single Home, which was written by Veraguth. In July 2022 he appeared on the RTL television show Zeig uns deine Stimme!, in which he was introduced as a real estate agent. On February 20, 2023, it was announced that he would represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. His song, “Watergun”, was presented on 7 March. He reached the final with the song and became 20th. Entries Watergun Country🇨🇭 Switzerland Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsArgyle SinghAshley HicklinMikolaj Tribulec MusicArgyle SinghAshley HicklinMikolaj Tribulec DancersEllinea SiambalisKenny LantzLovisa BengtssonMarco Wihlborg Results Semi Points: 97Position: 7Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: 92Position: 20Running order: 3 https://youtu.be/l4NDErv49mk

Käärijä

© EBU/Chloe Hashemi About Quick Facts NameJere Pöyhönen Born21 October 1993 Nationality🇫🇮 Finnish National SelectionUuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongCha-cha-cha (2023) Biography Käärijä (real name Jere Pöyhönen, born October 21, 1993 in Helsinki) is a Finnish rap artist who records for Monsp Records. Käärijä has spent most of his youth in Ruskeasanta, Vantaa. He played hockey for a long time and played the drums. The enthusiasm for making his own music started in 2014. In the beginning, Käärijä’s themes revolved very strongly around gambling, and the same theme is partly present in today’s productions as well. His stage name comes from a joke among friends and refers to winning money, or “rolling” in gambling. Käärijä published music on his own until the end of 2017, when Monsp Records released his first double single “Koppi tules” / “Nou roblem”. The A-side of the single was well received, and Käärijä signed an extension contract with Monsp Records. From the beginning, Aleksi Nurmi has been responsible for the production of Käärijä, who has also produced, for example, the music of Töölö Ketterä, Sonny and Adi L Hasla. In 2023, Käärijä won UMK, the Finnish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. At the contest itself, he was one of the favourites for the victory. The televoting audience voted him to the first place. In the overall result Käärijä became 2nd. Entries Cha-Cha-Cha Country🇫🇮 Finland Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsJere PöyhönenJohannes NaukkarinenAleksi NurmiJukka Sorsa MusicJere PöyhönenJohannes NaukkarinenAleksi NurmiJukka Sorsa BackingsAija Puurtinen DancersMatti MyllyahoKatri MäkinenEtel RöhrJesse Wijnans Results Semi Points: 177Position: 1Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 526Position: 2Running order: 13 https://youtu.be/l6rS8Dv5g-8

Vesna

© EBU/Chloe Hashemi About Quick Facts Members Patricie FuxováBára ŠůstkováOlesya OchepovskáMarkéta VedralováTereza ČepkováTanita Yankovová Founded2016 Nationality🇨🇿 Czech National SelectionESCZ 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongMy sister’s crown (2023) Biography Vesna is an alternative music band with strong folklore features. It consists of singer, composer and lyricist Patricie Fuxová, violinist and vocalist Bára Šůstková, keyboardist Olesya Ochepovská, drummer Markéta Vedralová and bassist Tereza Čepková. The band was founded in 2016 by Patricia Fuxová. She got the idea to found an all-female group that would celebrate femininity and Slavism while studying at the conservatory. Together with her, Vesna was formed in the beginning by violinist Bára Šůstková, flutist Andrea Šulcová and Tanita Yankovová, whom she met at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory in Prague. The first song released was “Morana” in 2017, named after the goddess of winter and death, which they recorded in collaboration with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra; other singles were “Mokoš”, “Vesna” and “Živa”, named after the goddesses of autumn, spring and summer. In 2018, Šulcová and Yankovová left the group, who were replaced by pianist Olesya Ochepovská and drummer Markéta Vedralová. In November, they released their debut album “Pátá Bohyně” with 13 songs. With this album, the group was nominated in the Discovery of the Year category in the Anděl 2018 music award. 2019–⁠2022In June 2019, the group released the song “Bílá laň” in collaboration with Věra Martinová. In July the song “Bečva”, named after the river of the same name in collaboration with singer Zuzana Smatanova. On November 18, they released the song “Don’t Forget”; in the fall of 2019, the group organized its first club tour in the Czech Republic and Slovakia called #MyaVy. During the covid-19 pandemic, the group worked on a new album called “Anima”. It was released in October 2020, containing 11 songs; on the record, the band focused on animal archetypes, the symbolism of the night sky, the female body, self-perception or balancing the male-female worlds. The group was chosen as one of the five participants in the final selection, from which emerged the performer who will represent Czechia at Eurovision in 2023. The group entered the competition with the song “My Sister’s Crown” and clearly won the national final; domestic and foreign fans and spectators decided it in a vote. In Liverpool, they represented Czechia and reached the final. They earned a 10th place in the final. Entries My Sister’s Crown Country🇨🇿 Czechia Year2023 LanguageEnglishUkrainianCzechBulgarian Lyrics Patricie Kaňok FuxováTanita YankovaKateryna Vatchenko MusicPatricie Kaňok FuxováTanita YankovaKateryna Vatchenko Backings– Results Semi Points: 110Position: 4Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: 129Position: 10Running order: 14 https://youtu.be/ag8qxpvTTy0

Alessandra

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameAlessandra Watle Mele Born05 September 2002 Nationality🇳🇴 Norwegian National SelectionMelodi Grand Prix 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongQueen Of The Kings (2023) Biography Mele grew up in the town of Cisano sul Neva in Savona, Italy, She has an Italian father, while her mother is Norwegian with roots in Stathelle in Bamble. After high school in 2021, she moved to Norway to be closer to her Norwegian family and at the same time focus on a music career. Already as a child she started singing and dancing, and she participated in her first singing competition at the age of six. She has studied piano and took singing lessons with a singing teacher in Italy. In Norway, she began studying at the music school LIMPI in Lillehammer in autumn 2022. In 2022, she participated in The Voice Norge on TV 2 Direkte and reached the live rounds. The following year, she was selected as one of the participants in Melodi Grand Prix 2023 with the song “Queen of Kings”. The song was written at a songwriting camp in autumn 2022. The song is about daring to be yourself fully, and is based on Mele’s own life and experiences as bisexual. She won Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 2023, and thus represented Norway in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. She reached the final and ended up in 5th place there. Entries Queen Of The Kings Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsHenning OlerudStanley FerdinandezAlessandra MeleLinda Dale MusicHenning OlerudStanley FerdinandezAlessandra MeleLinda Dale BackingsHege Nesset DancersReno AndersenOla SamuelsenChristiane BergersenRebekka Norvik Results Semi Points: 102Position: 6Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 268Position: 5Running order: 20 https://youtu.be/PUHSM_vTqTI

Piqued Jacks will sing for San Marino!

Piqued Jacks will sing for San Marino. After a very long evening the band has been chosen to sing the San Marinese entry “Like an animal” in the Eurovision Song Contest. Piqued Jacks will perform in the second half of the second semifinal. Here are the full results: Piqued Jacks, “Like an animal” Le Deva, “Fiori su marte” XGiove, “Fucco e benzina Mayu, “C’e qualcosa in me che non funziona” Eiffel 65, “Movie star” Edoardo Brogi, “Due punti sull’equatore” Ellynora, “Mama told me” Tothem, “Sacro e profano” EEF, “Something for you” Vina Rose, “Oblivious” The other songs were: Alfie Arcuri, “Collide” Deborah Iurato, “Out of space” Deshedus, “Non basterà” Iole, “Sui tetto del mondo” Kida, “Stessa pelle” Lorenzo Licitra, “Never give up” Mate, “Prisma” NeVruz, “L’Alieno” Ronela Hajati, “Salvaje” Roy Paci, “Tromba” Thomas, “23:23”

Portugal: first semifinal decision made

Portugal has finally made a decision. From 10 songs, seven will head to the final. Here are the final results: MoYah, “Too much sauce” Bolha, “Sonhos de liberdade” April Ivy, “Modo voo” Churky, “Encurzilhada” Cláudia Pascoal, “Nasci Maria” Sal, “Viver” Mimicat, “Ai coração” You Can’t Win, Charlie Brown, “Contraste mudo” Neon Soho, “Endless world” Esse Povo, “Sapatos de cimento”

Iceland: finalists known

Tonight’s two Icelandic finalists are known. The two songs will join last weeks finalists in next week’s Icelandic final. However, there was also a wildcard. And the wildcard goes to one of last weeks contestants, The Celebs with “Dómsdagsdans”. The finalists are in bold letters: Kristin Sesselja, “Óbyggðir” Langi Seli & Skuggarnir, “OK” Silja Rós & Kjalar, “Ég styð þína braut” Úlfar, “Betri maður” Sigga Ozk, “Gleyma þér og dansa”

San Marino selects a song

After a week of semifinals, it is the moment that San Marino selects a song. Out of 22 entries, the smallest country on the current Eurovision map will select one. The show starts at 21:00 CET and can be seen here. Below you will find the participants: 1 Alfie Arcuri Collide 2 Deborah Iurato Out of space 3 Deshedus Non basterà 4 Edoardo Brogi Due punti sull’equatore 5 EEF Something for you 6 Eiffel 65 Movie star 7 Ellynora Mama told me 8 Iole Sui tetto del mondo 9 Kida Stessa pelle 10 Le Deva Fiori su marte 11 Lorenzo Licitra Never give up 12 Mate Prisma 13 Mayu C’è qualcosa in me che non funziona 14 NeVruz L’alieno 15 Piqued Jacks Like an animal 16 Ronela Hajati Salvaje 17 Roy Paci Tromba 18 Simone De Biagi Catching memories 19 Thomas 23:23 20 Tothem Sacro e profano 21 Vina Rose Oblivious 22 XGiove Fuoco e benzina Alfie Arcuri became 5th in Australia You Decide in 2019.Deborah Iurato became 3rd in the Festival Di Sanremo 2016.Deshedus became 9th in Una Voce per San Marino 2022.Mate became 17th in Una Voce per San Marino 2022.Ronela Hajati took part in Festival i Këngës 2015 (11th) and 2022 (1st). She represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Sekret”.Roy Paci became 8th in Festival Di Sanremo 2018.Vina Rose became 7th in Una Voce per San Marino 2022.

Finland selects for Liverpool

Tonight Finland will decide which song will represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest. Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) is the name of the national selection. Just as the last few years, seven songs will compete in the contest. The show starts at 20:00. You can choose to watch it without commentary, or with English, Swedish, Ukrainian or Russian commentary. Below you will find the field of songs for tonight: 1 Robin Packalen Girls like you 2 Kuumaa Ylivomainen 3 Käärijä Cha cha cha 4 Keira No business on the dancefloor 5 Benjamin Hoida mut 6 Lxandra Something to lose 7 Portion Boys Sama taivasta katsotaan None of the artists took part in UMK before.

Portugal: Festival Da Canção starts

Portugal starts the national final tonight. The tradition is that there will be two semifinals and a final. Every semifinal contains 10 songs, and so does the final. That means that from tonight’s semifinal, two songs will go through two the final. The show will be broadcast on 22:00 CET and you can watch it here and here. These are the participating songs: MoYah sings “Too much sauce” Bolha sings “Sonhos de liberdade” April Ivy sings “Modo voo” Churky sings “Encurzilhada” Cláudia Pascoal sings “Nasci Maria” Sal sings “Viver” Mimicat sings “Ai coração” You Can’t Win, Charlie Brown sings “Contraste mudo” Neon Soho sings “Endless world” Esse Povo sings “Sapatos de cimento” Cláudia Pascoal won Festival Da Canção in 2018 and represented Portugal at the festival in Lisbon with the song “O jardim”.