Blast from the past: Serbia 2017

We know a lot about Eurovision. We want to share our knowledge by highlighting former Eurovision songs in a blast from the past. Today: Serbia’s entry from 2017.

Selection

Serbian broadcaster RTS decided to ask its music editors to select a participant. On February 27th it became public that Tijana Bogićević was going to be the Serbian participant for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, Ukraine. She was going to sing a song written by the songwriters team Symphonix International. Borislav Milanov, Joacim Bo Persson, Johan Alkenäs and Lisa Ann-Mari Linder would take the challenge to write the song.

Tijana Bogićević

Tijana Bogićević was 35 years old when she was presented as the 2017 Serbian contestant. Her career started in 2001 when she sang as a backing vocal for Vlada Georgieva. In those days, she also sang in a band called Shanene. She did an earlier attempt to go to Eurovision, back in 2009. It was not a great success: her song “”Pazi šta radiš” did not get any votes in the semifinal of Beovizija, the Serbian national selection. Two years later, in 2011, she actually sang on the Eurovision stage: as a backing vocalist for Serbian representant Nina, who sang “Čaroban” to a place in the final. 

In too deep

The song Symphonix International wrote for Tijana was called “In too deep”. It was a song about someone who madly fell in love. “Won’t somebody save me tonight? Feels like I’ve been sentenced to life. I’m falling so deep, I’m in too deep, I’m falling so deep”, she sings. On March 11th, the song was debuted on YouTube. For promotion, Tijana went to the promo concerts in Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and Madrid.

Rehearsals in Kiev

The rehearsals in Kiev went well. Tijana sang well; however, there was a problem. According to many people, the song was okay, but it did not really stand out. It would therefore not be an easy match for Tijana to get into the final. Half of the journalists, present in the press centre, predicted a place for Serbia in the final. The other half did not expect Tijana to make it.

Results

The same thing happened when the real jury had to vote: the juries were divided. The expert jury gave Serbia an 11th place, the televoters wanted the song to be in the final with a 10th place. The televoting juries from North Macedonia and Switzerland even gave it their 12 points. It was not enough. In the overall result, Serbia became 11th and thus did not reach the final.

After Eurovision

This definitely did not end Tijana’s career. She released her debut album “Čudo” in 2018. It contained many of the songs she released before. The follow up of “In too deep” was the song “Dodirni me“. After that, she scored a hit song in duet with Damir Kedžo, the man who was supposed to represent Croatia in the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest. Their song, “Hram“, became a hit in Croatia in 2021.

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Sources: EBU official live blog / France Télévisions / Instagram @monroe.musique 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER, “Eins, Zwei, Drei” Running order: Grand Final position TBC | First rehearsal: 7 May, 16:10–16:35 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The British entry arrives at the Wiener Stadthalle with a supersized office that explodes into a synthesiser wonderland. As the song begins, rows of desks occupy the stage. Joining LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER for his shift are four co-workers.They are wearing computer monitors for heads. These co-workers embody precisely how the artist feels about the soul-crushing drudgery of office life. As the track kicks in, LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER breaks free and escapes. The office desks become a choreography centrepiece. Before long a stage makeover reveals his signature synthesisers and keyboard. The

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Eurovision 2026
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It’s set among lemon trees and lights, with fireworks depicted on the LED graphics.  Sal Da Vinci, born Salvatore Michael Sorrentino in 1969, is one of the most recognised voices of the Neapolitan pop scene, with a career spanning theatre, television and chart music. He secured his place in Vienna by winning the Festival di Sanremo 2026 with “Per Sempre Sì”, a victory that marked a full-circle moment in his long relationship with the festival. Italy’s second rehearsal takes place on Saturday, 9 May. Sources: EBU official live blog / RAI / Instagram @saldavinciofficial 🇩🇪 Germany — Sarah Engels, “Fire” Running order: Grand Final position TBC | First rehearsal: 7 May, 15:00–15:25 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The centrepiece of the staging is a cube-shaped prop that gives Engels her own elevated performance platform. According to the official Eurovision subreddit live blog, she opens the performance lying on top of it, delivering a piano-ballad version of “Fire” directly to the camera positioned above her. It is a moment of stillness and control. However, it does not last long. The track ignites, the banger takes over, and Sarah Engels is off. The outfit is gold, head to toe. A bodysuit with a corset section designed to resemble roaring flames, with sparkling rhinestones scattered across it like golden embers. Four dancers join her on stage, also dressed in gold. The Reddit live blog notes that some staging surprises have been kept under wraps at the delegation’s request. What it can confirm is that the performance closes with a pyrotechnic finale. Given the song is called “Fire”, it could hardly end any other way. Sarah Engels first rose to national recognition in 2011 through Deutschland Sucht Den Superstar. 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The central phrase, “look at me”, reaches beyond the song’s lyrical meaning and functions as a directive for the entire visual concept. The French delegation has deliberately withheld staging details ahead of rehearsals, reinforcing the idea that this performance will only fully reveal itself in the moment. Five performers join Monroe on stage. For her first ever live performance of “Regarde !”, she brought over a dozen dancers. Eurovision’s stage rules cap the total to six, Monroe included. Monroe Vata Rigby, born 19 November 2008, grew up between France and the United States, discovered her love of classical music singing in a church choir, and won the eleventh season of Prodiges on France Télévisions in early 2025. France Télévisions selected her internally on 6 March 2026. France’s second rehearsal takes place on Saturday, 9 May. 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