Armenia presented their song today. Only a few days ago, Armenian TV announced that the French/Armenian duo Ladaniva represents the country in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Now we know the song: “Jako”. The song is sung in Armenian; lyrics and music are from the duo itself, but the song is co-composed by Audrey Leclercq. Armenia will perform in the first half of the 2nd semifinal; this is the song:
Today, there is some interesting news from the Head of Delegation meeting. This meeting took place today, and some decisions are made about the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest: Iceland It was a big questionmark whether Iceland was going to take part or not. Icelandic broadcaster RUV stated that they, together with the artist, would make a decision. Icelandic artists expressed serious concern about their country taking part in a contest with Israel being there.The decision now made is that Iceland will take part. Big releave for singer Hera Björk, who now will for sure represent her country. Marcus & Martinus Always, the place for the host country gets drawn at the HoD meeting. So this time, it was decided where Sweden would perform in the final. And the result is: they will open it! In 1984, Sweden opened the show too and won. Is it an omen? Big Five For the very first time, the artists from the Big Five countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom – and host nation Sweden will each perform their entries in full live during the Semi-Finals. In other years, a part of the rehearsals was shown, but never the entire performance. Longer ago, even that didn’t happen and only a part of the video was shown. The voting A new feature for Malmö 2024 includes extending the timeframe for voting during the Grand Final. Voting will start just before the first song is performed on Saturday, 11 May. This allows viewers to vote for the songs in real-time as they are being performed, a departure from the traditional method where voting commenced after all the entries were showcased. This approach was the standard since the introduction of public voting in 1997, with the exceptions of 2010 and 2011 when voting opened at the show’s start. Moreover, fans from countries not competing (Rest of The World) will be given almost 24 hours to vote for their preferred songs before the start of each live show. For these international fans, online voting will be available right after the conclusion of the second dress rehearsal for each Semi-Final and the Grand Final, continuing until the commencement of the live broadcasts.
“Firefighter” is the title of the Georgian entry. Nutsa Buzaladze was already chosen some time ago to represent Georgia in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Her song is written and composed by Ada Skidka and Darko Dimitrov. Dimitrov pens the Georgian entry for the first time. However, he has written the North Macedonian entry on 6 occasions, the Serbian one 3 times and also 1 Montenegrin Eurovision Song. His biggest success was “Proud”, sung by Tamara Todevska; the song became 7th overall and the jury winner of 2019. This is how “Firefighter” sounds:
Tonight, the Israeli song “Hurricane” has been presented. Singer Eden Golan was chosen already a few months ago. Her entry was controversial: the lyrics of the song, originally titled “October rain”, where rejected by the EBU. Another text was also rejected; after that Israeli broadcaster changed the lyrics of “October rain”, now titled “Hurricane”. It became the Israeli song. The song is written and composed by Avi Ohion, Keren Peles and Stav Beger.
© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameIolanda Costa Born04 November 1994 Nationality🇵🇹 Portuguese National SelectionFestival RTP Da Canção 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongGrito (2024) Biography Iolanda Costa, known simply as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter. Iolanda Costa was born in São Pedro, Figueira da Foz, on November 4, 1994. In her childhood, she moved to Pombal, where she discovered her passion for music. Her parents supported her interest, enrolling her in music studies first at Tecnimúsica, a local school, and later at the Conservatory. By the age of 14, in December 2008, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the contest Uma Canção para Ti, aired on TVI, but was eliminated in the 2nd gala. At 17, she again sought television exposure by participating in the 5th edition of Ídolos in 2012 on SIC, but did not advance to the live gala phase. After completing high school, Iolanda moved to Lisbon to pursue higher education and graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP. During this period, she sought to break into the music scene through performances in bars and national talent contests. Her journey continued when she moved to London to study songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute at the University of Sussex. In 2014, she competed in the Blind Auditions of the second season of The Voice Portugal on RTP1, performing “Who You Are” by Jessie J, yet none of the four mentors turned their chairs for her. Iolanda’s first significant contribution to music came in 2022 as a co-author and co-composer of the song “Mar No Fim,” performed by Blacci at the Festival da Canção. The following year, in 2023, she released her first EP titled “Cura,” which was inspired by her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Iolanda achieved a notable milestone by being selected to compete in the RTP Festival da Canção with her song “Grito.” She won the contest on March 9, 2024, and was thus chosen to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest. Iolanda reached the Grand Final and got a 10th place there. Entries Grito Country🇵🇹 Portugal Year2024 LanguagePortuguese LyricsIolanda Costa MusicIolanda CostaAlberto Hérnandez DancersGonçalo CarrapiçoInês GonferMélissa CarodosoRenato GarciaTelmo Teite Results Semi Points: 58Position: 8Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 152Position: 10Running order: 18 https://youtu.be/OZn4-H6JvKU?si=OykbBlOVGYiKga_y
National final season is over! Iolanda has won in Portugal. She sings the song “Grito”, written by Iolanda herself. She also composed the song along with Luar. Iolanda was the clear choice of the jury, while the televoters applied for João Borsch, who became 2nd. Portugal will perform in the second half of the first semifinal. These are the full results: Iolanda, “Grito”, 22 pts. João Borsch, “….pelas costuras”, 18 pts. Leo Middea, “Doce mistério”, 18 pts. Silk Nobre, “Change”, 12 pts. Rita Rocha, “Pontos finais”, 11 pts. Buba Espinho, “O farol”, 10 pts. Noble, “Memory”, 7 pts. Rita Onofre, “Criatura”, 5 pts. Perpétua, “Bem longe daqui”, 4 pts. Nena, “Teorias da conspiração”, 4 pts. No Maka ft. Ana Maria, “Aceitar”, 3 pts. Cristina Clara, “Primavera”, 2 pts.
© EBU/Alma Bengtsson About Quick Facts MembersZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis Thomas Founded2019 Nationality🇫🇷 French National SelectionInternal Selection 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongJako (2024) Biography Ladaniva is a French world music band from Lille. Zhaklin Baghdasaryan was born in 1997 in Eghegnazor, Armenia. She grew up in Minsk, Belarus, before immigrating to France with her mother in 2014. Zhaklin has been singing since her early childhood and, after moving to Tourcoing, France, she enrolled at the Lille Conservatory. Louis Thomas, born in 1987 in Lille, France, comes from a family of musicians and is an accomplished jazz musician. Like Zhaklin, he attended the Lille Conservatory. In 2018, Jaklin and Louis met by chance during a jam session at l’Intervalle, a music bar in Old Lille. In 2019, they founded the world music band Ladaniva in Lille, France. The band draws its musical inspiration from around the world, particularly from the traditional music of the Balkans, Maloya, and Armenian folklore. The name “Ladaniva” is derived from a very rustic Russian 4×4, the Lada Niva. During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns in March and April 2020, Ladaniva released two videos, “Vay Aman” and “Zepyuri Nman,” which gained significant popularity, especially within the Armenian community. Following this success, their video clip “Kef Chilini” quickly amassed 18 million views. In 2023, Ladaniva released their debut album, which is self-titled and was produced and distributed by [PIAS]. On March 9, 2024, it was announced that Ladaniva would represent Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Their song was called “Jako”. Ladaniva reached the final with the song and did pretty well there, ending up in 8th place. Entries Jako Country🇦🇲 Armenia Year2024 LanguageArmenian LyricsZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis Thomas MusicZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis ThomasAudrey Leclercq BackingsLouis DesseigneNinon ThomasPierre KastlerRomain Desreumeaux Results Semi Points: 137Position: 3Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: 183Position: 8Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/hAYXDoZzAyE?si=A7AjUUP2kdJCSgRI
photo credits: PhotoAnnaR, Wikimedia Commons Marcus and Martinus sing for Sweden. They have won Melodifestivalen tonight with the song “Unforgettable”. The song is written and composed by Jimmy ‘Joker’ Thornfeldt, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, with Marcus and Martinus themselves. Both televoters and expert jury chose the song with a landslide. Here’s the full result: Marcus & Martinus, “Unforgettable”, 177 pts. Medina, “Que sera”, 104 pts. Smash Into Pieces, “Heroes are calling”, 90 pts. Cazzi Opeia, “Give my heart a break”, 87 pts. Liamoo, “Dragon”, 83 pts. Danny Saucedo, “Happy that you found me”, 74 pts. Maria Sur, “When I’m gone”, 72 pts. Annika Wickihalder, “Light”, 63 pts. Jacqline, “Effortless”, 61 pts. Jay Smith, “Back to my roots”, 46 pts. Lisa Ajax, “Awful liar”, 37 pts. Dotter, “It’s not easy to write a love song”, 34 pts.
The duo Ladaniva will represent Armenia in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. That is what Armenian television announced tonight. Ladaniva consists of Jaklin Baghdasaryan, an Armenian vocalist, and Louis Thomas, a French multi-instrumentalist. Together, they create a unique fusion of Armenian folk music with diverse international influences. Their song for the Eurovision Song Contest is set to be unveiled shortly. Their music seamlessly integrates elements ranging from Balkan folk melodies to the rhythms of maloya, jazz, and reggae, illustrating a transcultural journey that merges traditional Armenian melodies with the duo’s rich experiences gathered from travels in Latin America, Africa, and Reunion Island. Ladaniva’s sound mirrors their mixed heritage and their deep fascination with exploring the music and cultures of the world. Armenia will perform in the 1st half of the 2nd semifinal. Note that “Shakar” is NOT their Eurovision song.
About Quick Facts NameJon Lilygreen Born04 August 1987 Nationality🇬🇧 British National SelectionEurovision 2010: Epilogi tis kypriakis symmetochis In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongLife Looks Better In Spring (& The Islanders) Biography Jon Lilygreen is a Welsh singer and songwriter. Jon Lilygreen originates from Bettws, in the port city of Newport, where he still lives today and completed his education at Coleg Gwent in singing, guitar, and composition. During his training, he wrote his own songs, which were published in 2009 on the school’s own Coleg Gwent Green Album. Subsequently, Lilygreen performed numerous gigs in his hometown, including the Summer Sessions (2009) hosted by the Riverfront Theatre. He is signed to the independent label Long Life Records. In early February 2010, Lilygreen, together with the band The Islanders, won the Cypriot national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. Their song “Life Looks Better in Spring” was written and composed by Cypriots Nasos Lambrianides and Melis Konstantinou. They reached the final with the song. In 2011, Jon teamed up with Jon Maguire and formed the duo Lilygreen & Maguire. Maguire was involved in music production and had been part of the pop punk band The Story So Far. Additionally, they played together in the band Editions. Their partnership was formed after they met at an open mic night at Kama Lounge in Newport, where Lilygreen was performing cover songs. During the 2012-2014 period, the duo supported Olly Murs and Westlife on their UK tours and embarked on an open-air busking tour across Wales, covering cities like Bangor, Wrexham, and Cardiff. In October 2012, they supported Scouting For Girls on tour. They announced a new single, “Dear Photograph,” for 2013, inspired by the blog of the same name, with plans to collaborate with Taylor Jones of DearPhotograph.com for the music video. Their debut studio album, “Have a Good Time All the Time,” was scheduled for release in November 2013, featuring a mix of new songs, previous singles, and B-Sides. The duo revealed their decision to part ways in January 2014, citing the challenges of the previous year. However, by June 2014, they announced a reunion and soon after released a new single, “Counting Cars.” Meanwhile, Lilygreen frequently teamed up with Scruffman (Pete Morgan, aka Bongo Peet) and Sian King for performances. In 2017, Lilygreen took part in the X-Factor UK, where he sang, among others, “Life looks better in spring”. After the X-Factor he released an album and single, both titled “Pictures of you”. In July 2019, a new EP called “Bottlekids” was released.In September 2019 Lilygreen started performing with a new band, The Brotherhood Wedding & Party Band. In October 2020, Jon teamed up with Bmotion to feature in the song “Alive”. Entries Life Looks Better In Spring (& The Islanders) Country🇨🇾 Cyprus Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsNasos Lambrianides MusicNasos LambrianidesMelis Konstantinou Backings– Results Semi Points: 67Position: 10Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 27Position: 21Running order: 5 https://youtu.be/ZGNtoR2hom4?si=5VylwyPTL_AGqBKL
Armenia presented their song today. Only a few days ago, Armenian TV announced that the French/Armenian duo Ladaniva represents the country in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Now we know the song: “Jako”. The song is sung in Armenian; lyrics and music are from the duo itself, but the song is co-composed by Audrey Leclercq. Armenia will perform in the first half of the 2nd semifinal; this is the song:
Today, there is some interesting news from the Head of Delegation meeting. This meeting took place today, and some decisions are made about the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest: Iceland It was a big questionmark whether Iceland was going to take part or not. Icelandic broadcaster RUV stated that they, together with the artist, would make a decision. Icelandic artists expressed serious concern about their country taking part in a contest with Israel being there.The decision now made is that Iceland will take part. Big releave for singer Hera Björk, who now will for sure represent her country. Marcus & Martinus Always, the place for the host country gets drawn at the HoD meeting. So this time, it was decided where Sweden would perform in the final. And the result is: they will open it! In 1984, Sweden opened the show too and won. Is it an omen? Big Five For the very first time, the artists from the Big Five countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom – and host nation Sweden will each perform their entries in full live during the Semi-Finals. In other years, a part of the rehearsals was shown, but never the entire performance. Longer ago, even that didn’t happen and only a part of the video was shown. The voting A new feature for Malmö 2024 includes extending the timeframe for voting during the Grand Final. Voting will start just before the first song is performed on Saturday, 11 May. This allows viewers to vote for the songs in real-time as they are being performed, a departure from the traditional method where voting commenced after all the entries were showcased. This approach was the standard since the introduction of public voting in 1997, with the exceptions of 2010 and 2011 when voting opened at the show’s start. Moreover, fans from countries not competing (Rest of The World) will be given almost 24 hours to vote for their preferred songs before the start of each live show. For these international fans, online voting will be available right after the conclusion of the second dress rehearsal for each Semi-Final and the Grand Final, continuing until the commencement of the live broadcasts.
“Firefighter” is the title of the Georgian entry. Nutsa Buzaladze was already chosen some time ago to represent Georgia in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Her song is written and composed by Ada Skidka and Darko Dimitrov. Dimitrov pens the Georgian entry for the first time. However, he has written the North Macedonian entry on 6 occasions, the Serbian one 3 times and also 1 Montenegrin Eurovision Song. His biggest success was “Proud”, sung by Tamara Todevska; the song became 7th overall and the jury winner of 2019. This is how “Firefighter” sounds:
Tonight, the Israeli song “Hurricane” has been presented. Singer Eden Golan was chosen already a few months ago. Her entry was controversial: the lyrics of the song, originally titled “October rain”, where rejected by the EBU. Another text was also rejected; after that Israeli broadcaster changed the lyrics of “October rain”, now titled “Hurricane”. It became the Israeli song. The song is written and composed by Avi Ohion, Keren Peles and Stav Beger.
© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameIolanda Costa Born04 November 1994 Nationality🇵🇹 Portuguese National SelectionFestival RTP Da Canção 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongGrito (2024) Biography Iolanda Costa, known simply as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter. Iolanda Costa was born in São Pedro, Figueira da Foz, on November 4, 1994. In her childhood, she moved to Pombal, where she discovered her passion for music. Her parents supported her interest, enrolling her in music studies first at Tecnimúsica, a local school, and later at the Conservatory. By the age of 14, in December 2008, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the contest Uma Canção para Ti, aired on TVI, but was eliminated in the 2nd gala. At 17, she again sought television exposure by participating in the 5th edition of Ídolos in 2012 on SIC, but did not advance to the live gala phase. After completing high school, Iolanda moved to Lisbon to pursue higher education and graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP. During this period, she sought to break into the music scene through performances in bars and national talent contests. Her journey continued when she moved to London to study songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute at the University of Sussex. In 2014, she competed in the Blind Auditions of the second season of The Voice Portugal on RTP1, performing “Who You Are” by Jessie J, yet none of the four mentors turned their chairs for her. Iolanda’s first significant contribution to music came in 2022 as a co-author and co-composer of the song “Mar No Fim,” performed by Blacci at the Festival da Canção. The following year, in 2023, she released her first EP titled “Cura,” which was inspired by her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Iolanda achieved a notable milestone by being selected to compete in the RTP Festival da Canção with her song “Grito.” She won the contest on March 9, 2024, and was thus chosen to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest. Iolanda reached the Grand Final and got a 10th place there. Entries Grito Country🇵🇹 Portugal Year2024 LanguagePortuguese LyricsIolanda Costa MusicIolanda CostaAlberto Hérnandez DancersGonçalo CarrapiçoInês GonferMélissa CarodosoRenato GarciaTelmo Teite Results Semi Points: 58Position: 8Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 152Position: 10Running order: 18 https://youtu.be/OZn4-H6JvKU?si=OykbBlOVGYiKga_y
National final season is over! Iolanda has won in Portugal. She sings the song “Grito”, written by Iolanda herself. She also composed the song along with Luar. Iolanda was the clear choice of the jury, while the televoters applied for João Borsch, who became 2nd. Portugal will perform in the second half of the first semifinal. These are the full results: Iolanda, “Grito”, 22 pts. João Borsch, “….pelas costuras”, 18 pts. Leo Middea, “Doce mistério”, 18 pts. Silk Nobre, “Change”, 12 pts. Rita Rocha, “Pontos finais”, 11 pts. Buba Espinho, “O farol”, 10 pts. Noble, “Memory”, 7 pts. Rita Onofre, “Criatura”, 5 pts. Perpétua, “Bem longe daqui”, 4 pts. Nena, “Teorias da conspiração”, 4 pts. No Maka ft. Ana Maria, “Aceitar”, 3 pts. Cristina Clara, “Primavera”, 2 pts.
© EBU/Alma Bengtsson About Quick Facts MembersZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis Thomas Founded2019 Nationality🇫🇷 French National SelectionInternal Selection 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongJako (2024) Biography Ladaniva is a French world music band from Lille. Zhaklin Baghdasaryan was born in 1997 in Eghegnazor, Armenia. She grew up in Minsk, Belarus, before immigrating to France with her mother in 2014. Zhaklin has been singing since her early childhood and, after moving to Tourcoing, France, she enrolled at the Lille Conservatory. Louis Thomas, born in 1987 in Lille, France, comes from a family of musicians and is an accomplished jazz musician. Like Zhaklin, he attended the Lille Conservatory. In 2018, Jaklin and Louis met by chance during a jam session at l’Intervalle, a music bar in Old Lille. In 2019, they founded the world music band Ladaniva in Lille, France. The band draws its musical inspiration from around the world, particularly from the traditional music of the Balkans, Maloya, and Armenian folklore. The name “Ladaniva” is derived from a very rustic Russian 4×4, the Lada Niva. During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns in March and April 2020, Ladaniva released two videos, “Vay Aman” and “Zepyuri Nman,” which gained significant popularity, especially within the Armenian community. Following this success, their video clip “Kef Chilini” quickly amassed 18 million views. In 2023, Ladaniva released their debut album, which is self-titled and was produced and distributed by [PIAS]. On March 9, 2024, it was announced that Ladaniva would represent Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Their song was called “Jako”. Ladaniva reached the final with the song and did pretty well there, ending up in 8th place. Entries Jako Country🇦🇲 Armenia Year2024 LanguageArmenian LyricsZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis Thomas MusicZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis ThomasAudrey Leclercq BackingsLouis DesseigneNinon ThomasPierre KastlerRomain Desreumeaux Results Semi Points: 137Position: 3Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: 183Position: 8Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/hAYXDoZzAyE?si=A7AjUUP2kdJCSgRI
photo credits: PhotoAnnaR, Wikimedia Commons Marcus and Martinus sing for Sweden. They have won Melodifestivalen tonight with the song “Unforgettable”. The song is written and composed by Jimmy ‘Joker’ Thornfeldt, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, with Marcus and Martinus themselves. Both televoters and expert jury chose the song with a landslide. Here’s the full result: Marcus & Martinus, “Unforgettable”, 177 pts. Medina, “Que sera”, 104 pts. Smash Into Pieces, “Heroes are calling”, 90 pts. Cazzi Opeia, “Give my heart a break”, 87 pts. Liamoo, “Dragon”, 83 pts. Danny Saucedo, “Happy that you found me”, 74 pts. Maria Sur, “When I’m gone”, 72 pts. Annika Wickihalder, “Light”, 63 pts. Jacqline, “Effortless”, 61 pts. Jay Smith, “Back to my roots”, 46 pts. Lisa Ajax, “Awful liar”, 37 pts. Dotter, “It’s not easy to write a love song”, 34 pts.
The duo Ladaniva will represent Armenia in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. That is what Armenian television announced tonight. Ladaniva consists of Jaklin Baghdasaryan, an Armenian vocalist, and Louis Thomas, a French multi-instrumentalist. Together, they create a unique fusion of Armenian folk music with diverse international influences. Their song for the Eurovision Song Contest is set to be unveiled shortly. Their music seamlessly integrates elements ranging from Balkan folk melodies to the rhythms of maloya, jazz, and reggae, illustrating a transcultural journey that merges traditional Armenian melodies with the duo’s rich experiences gathered from travels in Latin America, Africa, and Reunion Island. Ladaniva’s sound mirrors their mixed heritage and their deep fascination with exploring the music and cultures of the world. Armenia will perform in the 1st half of the 2nd semifinal. Note that “Shakar” is NOT their Eurovision song.
About Quick Facts NameJon Lilygreen Born04 August 1987 Nationality🇬🇧 British National SelectionEurovision 2010: Epilogi tis kypriakis symmetochis In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongLife Looks Better In Spring (& The Islanders) Biography Jon Lilygreen is a Welsh singer and songwriter. Jon Lilygreen originates from Bettws, in the port city of Newport, where he still lives today and completed his education at Coleg Gwent in singing, guitar, and composition. During his training, he wrote his own songs, which were published in 2009 on the school’s own Coleg Gwent Green Album. Subsequently, Lilygreen performed numerous gigs in his hometown, including the Summer Sessions (2009) hosted by the Riverfront Theatre. He is signed to the independent label Long Life Records. In early February 2010, Lilygreen, together with the band The Islanders, won the Cypriot national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. Their song “Life Looks Better in Spring” was written and composed by Cypriots Nasos Lambrianides and Melis Konstantinou. They reached the final with the song. In 2011, Jon teamed up with Jon Maguire and formed the duo Lilygreen & Maguire. Maguire was involved in music production and had been part of the pop punk band The Story So Far. Additionally, they played together in the band Editions. Their partnership was formed after they met at an open mic night at Kama Lounge in Newport, where Lilygreen was performing cover songs. During the 2012-2014 period, the duo supported Olly Murs and Westlife on their UK tours and embarked on an open-air busking tour across Wales, covering cities like Bangor, Wrexham, and Cardiff. In October 2012, they supported Scouting For Girls on tour. They announced a new single, “Dear Photograph,” for 2013, inspired by the blog of the same name, with plans to collaborate with Taylor Jones of DearPhotograph.com for the music video. Their debut studio album, “Have a Good Time All the Time,” was scheduled for release in November 2013, featuring a mix of new songs, previous singles, and B-Sides. The duo revealed their decision to part ways in January 2014, citing the challenges of the previous year. However, by June 2014, they announced a reunion and soon after released a new single, “Counting Cars.” Meanwhile, Lilygreen frequently teamed up with Scruffman (Pete Morgan, aka Bongo Peet) and Sian King for performances. In 2017, Lilygreen took part in the X-Factor UK, where he sang, among others, “Life looks better in spring”. After the X-Factor he released an album and single, both titled “Pictures of you”. In July 2019, a new EP called “Bottlekids” was released.In September 2019 Lilygreen started performing with a new band, The Brotherhood Wedding & Party Band. In October 2020, Jon teamed up with Bmotion to feature in the song “Alive”. Entries Life Looks Better In Spring (& The Islanders) Country🇨🇾 Cyprus Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsNasos Lambrianides MusicNasos LambrianidesMelis Konstantinou Backings– Results Semi Points: 67Position: 10Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 27Position: 21Running order: 5 https://youtu.be/ZGNtoR2hom4?si=5VylwyPTL_AGqBKL
Armenia presented their song today. Only a few days ago, Armenian TV announced that the French/Armenian duo Ladaniva represents the country in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Now we know the song: “Jako”. The song is sung in Armenian; lyrics and music are from the duo itself, but the song is co-composed by Audrey Leclercq. Armenia will perform in the first half of the 2nd semifinal; this is the song:
Today, there is some interesting news from the Head of Delegation meeting. This meeting took place today, and some decisions are made about the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest: Iceland It was a big questionmark whether Iceland was going to take part or not. Icelandic broadcaster RUV stated that they, together with the artist, would make a decision. Icelandic artists expressed serious concern about their country taking part in a contest with Israel being there.The decision now made is that Iceland will take part. Big releave for singer Hera Björk, who now will for sure represent her country. Marcus & Martinus Always, the place for the host country gets drawn at the HoD meeting. So this time, it was decided where Sweden would perform in the final. And the result is: they will open it! In 1984, Sweden opened the show too and won. Is it an omen? Big Five For the very first time, the artists from the Big Five countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom – and host nation Sweden will each perform their entries in full live during the Semi-Finals. In other years, a part of the rehearsals was shown, but never the entire performance. Longer ago, even that didn’t happen and only a part of the video was shown. The voting A new feature for Malmö 2024 includes extending the timeframe for voting during the Grand Final. Voting will start just before the first song is performed on Saturday, 11 May. This allows viewers to vote for the songs in real-time as they are being performed, a departure from the traditional method where voting commenced after all the entries were showcased. This approach was the standard since the introduction of public voting in 1997, with the exceptions of 2010 and 2011 when voting opened at the show’s start. Moreover, fans from countries not competing (Rest of The World) will be given almost 24 hours to vote for their preferred songs before the start of each live show. For these international fans, online voting will be available right after the conclusion of the second dress rehearsal for each Semi-Final and the Grand Final, continuing until the commencement of the live broadcasts.
“Firefighter” is the title of the Georgian entry. Nutsa Buzaladze was already chosen some time ago to represent Georgia in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Her song is written and composed by Ada Skidka and Darko Dimitrov. Dimitrov pens the Georgian entry for the first time. However, he has written the North Macedonian entry on 6 occasions, the Serbian one 3 times and also 1 Montenegrin Eurovision Song. His biggest success was “Proud”, sung by Tamara Todevska; the song became 7th overall and the jury winner of 2019. This is how “Firefighter” sounds:
Tonight, the Israeli song “Hurricane” has been presented. Singer Eden Golan was chosen already a few months ago. Her entry was controversial: the lyrics of the song, originally titled “October rain”, where rejected by the EBU. Another text was also rejected; after that Israeli broadcaster changed the lyrics of “October rain”, now titled “Hurricane”. It became the Israeli song. The song is written and composed by Avi Ohion, Keren Peles and Stav Beger.
© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameIolanda Costa Born04 November 1994 Nationality🇵🇹 Portuguese National SelectionFestival RTP Da Canção 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongGrito (2024) Biography Iolanda Costa, known simply as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter. Iolanda Costa was born in São Pedro, Figueira da Foz, on November 4, 1994. In her childhood, she moved to Pombal, where she discovered her passion for music. Her parents supported her interest, enrolling her in music studies first at Tecnimúsica, a local school, and later at the Conservatory. By the age of 14, in December 2008, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the contest Uma Canção para Ti, aired on TVI, but was eliminated in the 2nd gala. At 17, she again sought television exposure by participating in the 5th edition of Ídolos in 2012 on SIC, but did not advance to the live gala phase. After completing high school, Iolanda moved to Lisbon to pursue higher education and graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP. During this period, she sought to break into the music scene through performances in bars and national talent contests. Her journey continued when she moved to London to study songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute at the University of Sussex. In 2014, she competed in the Blind Auditions of the second season of The Voice Portugal on RTP1, performing “Who You Are” by Jessie J, yet none of the four mentors turned their chairs for her. Iolanda’s first significant contribution to music came in 2022 as a co-author and co-composer of the song “Mar No Fim,” performed by Blacci at the Festival da Canção. The following year, in 2023, she released her first EP titled “Cura,” which was inspired by her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Iolanda achieved a notable milestone by being selected to compete in the RTP Festival da Canção with her song “Grito.” She won the contest on March 9, 2024, and was thus chosen to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest. Iolanda reached the Grand Final and got a 10th place there. Entries Grito Country🇵🇹 Portugal Year2024 LanguagePortuguese LyricsIolanda Costa MusicIolanda CostaAlberto Hérnandez DancersGonçalo CarrapiçoInês GonferMélissa CarodosoRenato GarciaTelmo Teite Results Semi Points: 58Position: 8Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 152Position: 10Running order: 18 https://youtu.be/OZn4-H6JvKU?si=OykbBlOVGYiKga_y
National final season is over! Iolanda has won in Portugal. She sings the song “Grito”, written by Iolanda herself. She also composed the song along with Luar. Iolanda was the clear choice of the jury, while the televoters applied for João Borsch, who became 2nd. Portugal will perform in the second half of the first semifinal. These are the full results: Iolanda, “Grito”, 22 pts. João Borsch, “….pelas costuras”, 18 pts. Leo Middea, “Doce mistério”, 18 pts. Silk Nobre, “Change”, 12 pts. Rita Rocha, “Pontos finais”, 11 pts. Buba Espinho, “O farol”, 10 pts. Noble, “Memory”, 7 pts. Rita Onofre, “Criatura”, 5 pts. Perpétua, “Bem longe daqui”, 4 pts. Nena, “Teorias da conspiração”, 4 pts. No Maka ft. Ana Maria, “Aceitar”, 3 pts. Cristina Clara, “Primavera”, 2 pts.
© EBU/Alma Bengtsson About Quick Facts MembersZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis Thomas Founded2019 Nationality🇫🇷 French National SelectionInternal Selection 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongJako (2024) Biography Ladaniva is a French world music band from Lille. Zhaklin Baghdasaryan was born in 1997 in Eghegnazor, Armenia. She grew up in Minsk, Belarus, before immigrating to France with her mother in 2014. Zhaklin has been singing since her early childhood and, after moving to Tourcoing, France, she enrolled at the Lille Conservatory. Louis Thomas, born in 1987 in Lille, France, comes from a family of musicians and is an accomplished jazz musician. Like Zhaklin, he attended the Lille Conservatory. In 2018, Jaklin and Louis met by chance during a jam session at l’Intervalle, a music bar in Old Lille. In 2019, they founded the world music band Ladaniva in Lille, France. The band draws its musical inspiration from around the world, particularly from the traditional music of the Balkans, Maloya, and Armenian folklore. The name “Ladaniva” is derived from a very rustic Russian 4×4, the Lada Niva. During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns in March and April 2020, Ladaniva released two videos, “Vay Aman” and “Zepyuri Nman,” which gained significant popularity, especially within the Armenian community. Following this success, their video clip “Kef Chilini” quickly amassed 18 million views. In 2023, Ladaniva released their debut album, which is self-titled and was produced and distributed by [PIAS]. On March 9, 2024, it was announced that Ladaniva would represent Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Their song was called “Jako”. Ladaniva reached the final with the song and did pretty well there, ending up in 8th place. Entries Jako Country🇦🇲 Armenia Year2024 LanguageArmenian LyricsZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis Thomas MusicZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis ThomasAudrey Leclercq BackingsLouis DesseigneNinon ThomasPierre KastlerRomain Desreumeaux Results Semi Points: 137Position: 3Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: 183Position: 8Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/hAYXDoZzAyE?si=A7AjUUP2kdJCSgRI
photo credits: PhotoAnnaR, Wikimedia Commons Marcus and Martinus sing for Sweden. They have won Melodifestivalen tonight with the song “Unforgettable”. The song is written and composed by Jimmy ‘Joker’ Thornfeldt, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, with Marcus and Martinus themselves. Both televoters and expert jury chose the song with a landslide. Here’s the full result: Marcus & Martinus, “Unforgettable”, 177 pts. Medina, “Que sera”, 104 pts. Smash Into Pieces, “Heroes are calling”, 90 pts. Cazzi Opeia, “Give my heart a break”, 87 pts. Liamoo, “Dragon”, 83 pts. Danny Saucedo, “Happy that you found me”, 74 pts. Maria Sur, “When I’m gone”, 72 pts. Annika Wickihalder, “Light”, 63 pts. Jacqline, “Effortless”, 61 pts. Jay Smith, “Back to my roots”, 46 pts. Lisa Ajax, “Awful liar”, 37 pts. Dotter, “It’s not easy to write a love song”, 34 pts.
The duo Ladaniva will represent Armenia in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. That is what Armenian television announced tonight. Ladaniva consists of Jaklin Baghdasaryan, an Armenian vocalist, and Louis Thomas, a French multi-instrumentalist. Together, they create a unique fusion of Armenian folk music with diverse international influences. Their song for the Eurovision Song Contest is set to be unveiled shortly. Their music seamlessly integrates elements ranging from Balkan folk melodies to the rhythms of maloya, jazz, and reggae, illustrating a transcultural journey that merges traditional Armenian melodies with the duo’s rich experiences gathered from travels in Latin America, Africa, and Reunion Island. Ladaniva’s sound mirrors their mixed heritage and their deep fascination with exploring the music and cultures of the world. Armenia will perform in the 1st half of the 2nd semifinal. Note that “Shakar” is NOT their Eurovision song.
About Quick Facts NameJon Lilygreen Born04 August 1987 Nationality🇬🇧 British National SelectionEurovision 2010: Epilogi tis kypriakis symmetochis In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongLife Looks Better In Spring (& The Islanders) Biography Jon Lilygreen is a Welsh singer and songwriter. Jon Lilygreen originates from Bettws, in the port city of Newport, where he still lives today and completed his education at Coleg Gwent in singing, guitar, and composition. During his training, he wrote his own songs, which were published in 2009 on the school’s own Coleg Gwent Green Album. Subsequently, Lilygreen performed numerous gigs in his hometown, including the Summer Sessions (2009) hosted by the Riverfront Theatre. He is signed to the independent label Long Life Records. In early February 2010, Lilygreen, together with the band The Islanders, won the Cypriot national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. Their song “Life Looks Better in Spring” was written and composed by Cypriots Nasos Lambrianides and Melis Konstantinou. They reached the final with the song. In 2011, Jon teamed up with Jon Maguire and formed the duo Lilygreen & Maguire. Maguire was involved in music production and had been part of the pop punk band The Story So Far. Additionally, they played together in the band Editions. Their partnership was formed after they met at an open mic night at Kama Lounge in Newport, where Lilygreen was performing cover songs. During the 2012-2014 period, the duo supported Olly Murs and Westlife on their UK tours and embarked on an open-air busking tour across Wales, covering cities like Bangor, Wrexham, and Cardiff. In October 2012, they supported Scouting For Girls on tour. They announced a new single, “Dear Photograph,” for 2013, inspired by the blog of the same name, with plans to collaborate with Taylor Jones of DearPhotograph.com for the music video. Their debut studio album, “Have a Good Time All the Time,” was scheduled for release in November 2013, featuring a mix of new songs, previous singles, and B-Sides. The duo revealed their decision to part ways in January 2014, citing the challenges of the previous year. However, by June 2014, they announced a reunion and soon after released a new single, “Counting Cars.” Meanwhile, Lilygreen frequently teamed up with Scruffman (Pete Morgan, aka Bongo Peet) and Sian King for performances. In 2017, Lilygreen took part in the X-Factor UK, where he sang, among others, “Life looks better in spring”. After the X-Factor he released an album and single, both titled “Pictures of you”. In July 2019, a new EP called “Bottlekids” was released.In September 2019 Lilygreen started performing with a new band, The Brotherhood Wedding & Party Band. In October 2020, Jon teamed up with Bmotion to feature in the song “Alive”. Entries Life Looks Better In Spring (& The Islanders) Country🇨🇾 Cyprus Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsNasos Lambrianides MusicNasos LambrianidesMelis Konstantinou Backings– Results Semi Points: 67Position: 10Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 27Position: 21Running order: 5 https://youtu.be/ZGNtoR2hom4?si=5VylwyPTL_AGqBKL
Armenia presented their song today. Only a few days ago, Armenian TV announced that the French/Armenian duo Ladaniva represents the country in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Now we know the song: “Jako”. The song is sung in Armenian; lyrics and music are from the duo itself, but the song is co-composed by Audrey Leclercq. Armenia will perform in the first half of the 2nd semifinal; this is the song:
Today, there is some interesting news from the Head of Delegation meeting. This meeting took place today, and some decisions are made about the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest: Iceland It was a big questionmark whether Iceland was going to take part or not. Icelandic broadcaster RUV stated that they, together with the artist, would make a decision. Icelandic artists expressed serious concern about their country taking part in a contest with Israel being there.The decision now made is that Iceland will take part. Big releave for singer Hera Björk, who now will for sure represent her country. Marcus & Martinus Always,
“Firefighter” is the title of the Georgian entry. Nutsa Buzaladze was already chosen some time ago to represent Georgia in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Her song is written and composed by Ada Skidka and Darko Dimitrov. Dimitrov pens the Georgian entry for the first time. However, he has written the North Macedonian entry on 6 occasions, the Serbian one 3 times and also 1 Montenegrin Eurovision Song. His biggest success was “Proud”, sung by Tamara Todevska; the song became 7th overall and the jury winner of 2019. This is how “Firefighter” sounds:
Tonight, the Israeli song “Hurricane” has been presented. Singer Eden Golan was chosen already a few months ago. Her entry was controversial: the lyrics of the song, originally titled “October rain”, where rejected by the EBU. Another text was also rejected; after that Israeli broadcaster changed the lyrics of “October rain”, now titled “Hurricane”. It became the Israeli song. The song is written and composed by Avi Ohion, Keren Peles and Stav Beger.
© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameIolanda Costa Born04 November 1994 Nationality🇵🇹 Portuguese National SelectionFestival RTP Da Canção 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongGrito (2024) Biography Iolanda Costa, known simply as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter. Iolanda Costa was born in São Pedro, Figueira da Foz, on November 4, 1994. In her childhood, she moved to Pombal, where she discovered her passion for music. Her parents supported her interest, enrolling her in music studies first at Tecnimúsica, a local school, and later at the Conservatory. By the age of 14, in December 2008, Iolanda participated in the first edition
National final season is over! Iolanda has won in Portugal. She sings the song “Grito”, written by Iolanda herself. She also composed the song along with Luar. Iolanda was the clear choice of the jury, while the televoters applied for João Borsch, who became 2nd. Portugal will perform in the second half of the first semifinal. These are the full results: Iolanda, “Grito”, 22 pts. João Borsch, “….pelas costuras”, 18 pts. Leo Middea, “Doce mistério”, 18 pts. Silk Nobre, “Change”, 12 pts. Rita Rocha, “Pontos finais”, 11 pts. Buba Espinho, “O farol”, 10 pts. Noble, “Memory”, 7 pts. Rita Onofre, “Criatura”,
© EBU/Alma Bengtsson About Quick Facts MembersZhaklin BaghdasaryanLouis Thomas Founded2019 Nationality🇫🇷 French National SelectionInternal Selection 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongJako (2024) Biography Ladaniva is a French world music band from Lille. Zhaklin Baghdasaryan was born in 1997 in Eghegnazor, Armenia. She grew up in Minsk, Belarus, before immigrating to France with her mother in 2014. Zhaklin has been singing since her early childhood and, after moving to Tourcoing, France, she enrolled at the Lille Conservatory. Louis Thomas, born in 1987 in Lille, France, comes from a family of musicians and is an accomplished jazz musician. Like Zhaklin, he attended the Lille
photo credits: PhotoAnnaR, Wikimedia Commons Marcus and Martinus sing for Sweden. They have won Melodifestivalen tonight with the song “Unforgettable”. The song is written and composed by Jimmy ‘Joker’ Thornfeldt, Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, with Marcus and Martinus themselves. Both televoters and expert jury chose the song with a landslide. Here’s the full result: Marcus & Martinus, “Unforgettable”, 177 pts. Medina, “Que sera”, 104 pts. Smash Into Pieces, “Heroes are calling”, 90 pts. Cazzi Opeia, “Give my heart a break”, 87 pts. Liamoo, “Dragon”, 83 pts. Danny Saucedo, “Happy that you found me”, 74 pts. Maria Sur, “When I’m gone”, 72
The duo Ladaniva will represent Armenia in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. That is what Armenian television announced tonight. Ladaniva consists of Jaklin Baghdasaryan, an Armenian vocalist, and Louis Thomas, a French multi-instrumentalist. Together, they create a unique fusion of Armenian folk music with diverse international influences. Their song for the Eurovision Song Contest is set to be unveiled shortly. Their music seamlessly integrates elements ranging from Balkan folk melodies to the rhythms of maloya, jazz, and reggae, illustrating a transcultural journey that merges traditional Armenian melodies with the duo’s rich experiences gathered from travels in Latin America, Africa, and Reunion
About Quick Facts NameJon Lilygreen Born04 August 1987 Nationality🇬🇧 British National SelectionEurovision 2010: Epilogi tis kypriakis symmetochis In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongLife Looks Better In Spring (& The Islanders) Biography Jon Lilygreen is a Welsh singer and songwriter. Jon Lilygreen originates from Bettws, in the port city of Newport, where he still lives today and completed his education at Coleg Gwent in singing, guitar, and composition. During his training, he wrote his own songs, which were published in 2009 on the school’s own Coleg Gwent Green Album. Subsequently, Lilygreen performed numerous gigs in his hometown, including the Summer Sessions (2009) hosted by