Blog Archives
Malta has Decided: it’s Gianluca Bezzina!
Well, it was a long night in Ta’ Qali, but after sixteen performances and a dramatic vote-tally, we have a winner! Taking top points with the jury and second place with the public vote, 23-year-old Qrendi native Gianluca Bezzina will represent the island nation with his sunny pop number “Tomorrow”. Read the rest of this entry
Iceland has chosen: Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson
Another Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins has come and gone, and some of Iceland’s most popular performers gave it their all tonight on the stage of the Harpa. After seven performances, followed by a two-song Superfinal, we have a winner. Representing Iceland in Malmö this May will be Eyþór Ingi Gunnlaugsson with “Ég á Lif (I Have Life)”, who just beat out Unnur Eggertsdóttir’s “Ég Syng!” for the win.
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Preview: Iceland’s Söngvakeppnin Final
Iceland, the only Nordic nation that is yet to win a Eurovision title, will select their representative on Saturday as the finals of Söngvakeppnin 2013 commence at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavík. After a pair of Semifinals held last weekend whittled the 12 competitors down (and shockingly eliminated previous ESC runner-up Yohanna as well as fan favorite Erna Hrönn), we’ll see the nation’s seven remaining hopefuls battle it out for the coveted ticket to Sweden. Read the rest of this entry
News from San Marino: The Return of Valentina Monetta
(Warning: the following post may cause slight nausea in some readers, heart palpitations in others, and general feelings of déjà vu in most. Please consult your doctor before reading. Or at least post a status on Facebook.)
Well, San Marino, we meet again. You think you could fool us by refusing to deny the various rumors spreading about the blogosphere about the return of Lys Assia. You thought you could confuse us by posting calendars in Chinese on your Facebook page and not stopping the significant number of tweets sent out to Eurovision fans by a pair of (now disappointed) singers from Hong Kong. But uh oh, uh oh oh, it appears that you had the last laugh in the end. Read the rest of this entry
A Winner in Denmark: Emmelie de Forest
Ten songs went to bat tonight in Herning, but, as is the custom, only one could win the ticket to Malmö. After being winnowed down to a three-song Superfinal, one song stood head-and-shoulders above the rest and join the pantheon of Eurovision 2013 performers.
Preview: Dansk Melodi Grand Prix
After a seemingly interminable dry spell, where Eurovision fans went literally weeks without a new song being chosen, we finally break through the ice for the first time this year with this Saturday’s Danish National Final. Unlike the other Nordics, Denmark’s Melodi Grand Prix is a one-night affair, with no heats, semifinals, or second-chance rounds to wade through. By the time the night is over, we’ll know who will take the baton from Soluna Samay and cross the Øresund/Öresund into Malmö this May. Read the rest of this entry
Welcoming back Armenia with Gor Sujyan
This year, despite the disheartening news that four nations would be withdrawing from Eurovision (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Portugal, Slovakia, and Turkey), the 2013 event welcomes Armenia back into the competitive fold. Skipping the show in Azerbaijan citing security reasons, nearly as soon as the curtain fell in Baku, the team from ARMTV confirmed their participation in Sweden. Of course, the rumors about who would carry the nation’s tricolor started swirling. The ever-present whispers of Armenian-American rockers System of a Down were quelled, and the gossip about the return of 2008 alumna Sirusho simply resulted in a lot of great publicity for her new single (which happens to be quite good)! Read the rest of this entry
“Nouvelle Star” Amandine Bourgeois for France
Continuing their trend of selecting an artist internally, broadcaster France 3 has delved into their Rolodex of reality television victors and pulled out a versatile, promising name: Amandine Bourgeois. The winner of Season Six of “Nouvelle Star”, the now-33-year-old singer impressed judges on the show with songs ranging from “Nothing Compares 2 U” to “Rehab” to “Bring Me To Life“. Now she’s impressed a panel of musical experts from France Télévisions, who have given her the ticket to Sweden. Read the rest of this entry
A Song for Roberto: “Love Kills” in Belgium
On Sunday, Belgian radio station VivaCité hosted a rare audio-only National Final to pick a song for Roberto Bellarosa, the young winner of The Voice Belgique. Three songs were in the running, with two in English and one in Roberto’s native French. Read the rest of this entry
The ESC Insider 