🇲🇪 Montenegro: NeonoeN withdraws

Withdrawal

One week after winning Montesong 2024, the band NeonoeN decided to leave the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.

A video showed part of their song “Clickbait” being performed at the Festival Kulture Zabjelo in 2023.

The Eurovision rules say that songs must be new and original. Any song performed or released before 1 September 2024 cannot be in the contest. That is the reason EBU was investigating. No decision has been made yet, until now: not from EBU but from NeonoeN itself.

statement

Montenegrin broadcaster RTCG made a statement: 

Dear,

In the best public interest, with the desire to end the uncertainty and once again contribute to the music that we are here for, we inform you that we are voluntarily withdrawing from participating in Eurovision. RTCG, in accordance with the regulations, will choose another representative, and we will be the first to wish him luck and provide full support.

The victory at Montesong brought us publicity whose type and scope we did not choose, nor could we control. We would like to point out, and the facts confirm this, that performing the working version of the song live neither jeopardized the process of the Montesong festival itself, nor could it have influenced its final outcome and our placement. The fact is that there have been many similar examples and that the EBU has always decided that these songs can participate (one even won at Eurovision), because they did not have a competitive advantage over the others, which is clear to everyone.

However, we simply do not want to be part of any stories outside of music, nor to promote our author’s work in this way.

Eurovision has never been a goal in itself for us. Expanding the field of our musical activity – it certainly is!

The Montesong Festival organized by the Association of Entertainers brought 16 new songs and that is its greatest value.

We would like to thank the management of RTCG for their good will and intention to give us space for other options. We believe that they will understand our decision to give up on Eurovision and we also thank them for that.

Special and immense gratitude for the support of fellow musicians, lovers of good music, friends, acquaintances, journalists and the general public from Montenegro and abroad, which gave us strength in the last days. Our families, together with us, have experienced all the splendor and despair of this process and now it is time to repay them and dedicate ourselves to them in the right way.

CLICKBAIT continues to live as a musical single, but we are also afraid of it as a contemporary social phenomenon.

Once again, thank you all. Now let’s all support Montenegro at Eurovision!

 

 

Related news

Uncategorized

Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and time for another weekly Eurovision update! The past week was one of the busiest yet on the road to Vienna. Nine countries revealed their entries for Eurovision 2026, adding fresh songs and artists to the line-up. Sweden launched a new preview show to hype up the contest, and two countries released revamped versions of their songs. Czechia also confirmed its representative. Meanwhile, the betting odds shifted as new favorites emerged. Here are this week’s top stories: New Eurovision Entries Confirmed 🇷🇴 Romania Alexandra Căpitănescu won Romania’s Selecția Națională 2026 with her power ballad “Choke Me,” earning her the ticket to Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. 🇮🇱 Israel Israel revealed its entry “Michelle,” which Noam Bettan will perform in Vienna. Noam secured his spot by winning HaKokhav Haba (The Next Star), and the upbeat track features lyrics in Hebrew, English, and French. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom The BBC internally selected electronic artist Look Mum No Computer (Sam Battle) to represent the UK. His song “Eins Zwei Drei” premiered this week, bringing an experimental electro-pop flair to Britain’s 2026 entry. 🇫🇷 France France Télévisions announced that 17-year-old singer Monroe will represent France with the song “Regarde !”. This theatrical pop track blends elements of opera and modern pop, delivering a universal love message. Its reveal also shot France up the betting rankings. 🇸🇲 San Marino San Marino is sending a familiar face. Senhit will represent the nation for a third time, this round featuring ’80s pop icon Boy George. They won Una Voce per San Marino and will perform the synth-pop song “Superstar” in the second semifinal. 🇸🇪 Sweden Melodifestivalen 2026 concluded with Felicia taking the crown. Her catchy pop song “My System” won the jury and public vote (161 points total). Felicia will fly the Swedish flag in Vienna, aiming to continue Sweden’s strong Eurovision track record. 🇵🇹 Portugal Folk group Bandidos do Cante triumphed at Festival da Canção 2026 with their song “Rosa.” Despite pre-contest rumors that some acts might decline the ticket, Bandidos do Cante confirmed they will proudly represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026. 🇵🇱 Poland Poland chose Alicja as its act for Vienna. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter will perform her emotive song “Pray,” which she co-wrote. Alicja was originally set to be Poland’s entrant in 2020, making this a long-awaited second chance on the Eurovision stage. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan completed its Eurovision 2026 line-up by internally selecting singer JIVA (Jamila Hashimova) and releasing her entry “Just Go.” It’s an emotional ballad about love and inner strength that adds intensity to this year’s contest. 🇸🇪 Sweden Launches Eurovisionklubben Preview Show Sweden’s broadcaster SVT has launched a new weekly TV program called Eurovisionklubben. This Eurovision preview show airs every Wednesday evening on SVT Play and serves as a “club” for fans to obsess over all things Eurovision. Hosts Torbjörn Averås Skorup and Tina Mehrafzoon invite experts and enthusiasts to chat about the latest news, entries, and predictions. Eurovisionklubben marks the first dedicated Eurovision preview series on SVT since 2016, ramping up the excitement in Sweden as the contest approaches. source: Instagram Melodifestivalen 🇲🇪 Montenegro Releases Revamped “Nova Zora” Montenegro released a revamped version of “Nova Zora,” its Eurovision entry performed by Tamara Živković. The final version of the song debuted on March 8 (International Women’s Day), a date Tamara deliberately chose for its significance. The revamp features enhanced production and a richer sound to better suit the big stage in May. Tamara notes that “Nova Zora” (“New Dawn”) carries an empowering message for women, making the song’s new arrangement even more impactful. Montenegro will present this updated power ballad live in the first semi-final on May 12. 🇺🇦 Ukraine Unveils Updated “Ridnym” Ukraine’s Eurovision entry “Ridnym” by LELÉKA has undergone a makeover. The Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne released an updated version of the song, now with an even stronger bandura presence – a traditional Ukrainian harp-like instrument. The new arrangement amplifies the folk elements of “Ridnym” to emphasize its cultural roots and emotional depth. LELÉKA, who won Vidbir 2026 to earn the ticket to Vienna, says the Eurovision version of “Ridnym” brings the song “closer to home.” Ukraine will showcase this refreshed track in the second semi-final on May 14. 🇨🇿 Czechia Selects Daniel Zizka Czechia has confirmed its representative for Eurovision 2026. ČT (Czech Television) announced that 23-year-old Daniel Zizka will carry the Czech flag in Vienna. Daniel is set to perform the song “Crossroads,” with the track due out on March 11. The artist reveal has generated buzz – Daniel Zizka has earned praise for his soulful voice and authentic style. The Czech delegation noted that when Daniel first performed “Crossroads” in the studio, the room fell silent. They hint that the entry will be a powerful one. source: eurovision.com 📷 Hana Kinzova/EBU Betting Odds Update With nearly all songs now revealed, the betting markets are shifting daily. As of March 10, Finland remains the odds-on favorite to win Eurovision 2026. This status is thanks to the buzz around Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen’s rock-violin track “Liekinheitin.” France has surged into second place after Monroe’s “Regarde !” came out late last week, overtaking Denmark. Denmark’s entry (Søren Torpegaard Lund’s Danish ballad) now sits in third. Rounding out the current top five are Greece (Akylas with “Ferto”) and Australia (pop star Delta Goodrem with “Eclipse”). Sweden and Israel are just outside that upper tier. With two months until showtime, fans are watching the odds closely. But anything can still change on the Eurovision stage. Agenda Date Country National Final Time Watch here: 11 March Czechia Song 00:00 YouTube   Switzerland Song 12:00 YouTube Eurovision   Georgia Song ? YouTube Nobody knows Armenia Song/Artist ? ?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Read More »
Uncategorized
Martijn

Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and time for another weekly Eurovision update! The past week was one of the busiest yet on the road to Vienna. Nine countries revealed their entries for Eurovision 2026, adding fresh songs and artists to the line-up. Sweden launched a new preview show to hype up the contest, and two countries released revamped versions of their songs. Czechia also confirmed its representative. Meanwhile, the betting odds shifted as new favorites emerged. Here are this week’s top stories: New Eurovision Entries Confirmed 🇷🇴 Romania Alexandra Căpitănescu won Romania’s Selecția Națională 2026 with her power ballad “Choke Me,” earning her the ticket to Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. 🇮🇱 Israel Israel revealed its entry “Michelle,” which Noam Bettan will perform in Vienna. Noam secured his spot by winning HaKokhav Haba (The Next Star), and the upbeat track features lyrics in Hebrew, English, and French. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom The BBC internally selected electronic artist Look Mum No Computer (Sam Battle) to represent the UK. His song “Eins Zwei Drei” premiered this week, bringing an experimental electro-pop flair to Britain’s 2026 entry. 🇫🇷 France France Télévisions announced that 17-year-old singer Monroe will represent France with the song “Regarde !”. This theatrical pop track blends elements of opera and modern pop, delivering a universal love message. Its reveal also shot France up the betting rankings. 🇸🇲 San Marino San Marino is sending a familiar face. Senhit will represent the nation for a third time, this round featuring ’80s pop icon Boy George. They won Una Voce per San Marino and will perform the synth-pop song “Superstar” in the second semifinal. 🇸🇪 Sweden Melodifestivalen 2026 concluded with Felicia taking the crown. Her catchy pop song “My System” won the jury and public vote (161 points total). Felicia will fly the Swedish flag in Vienna, aiming to continue Sweden’s strong Eurovision track record. 🇵🇹 Portugal Folk group Bandidos do Cante triumphed at Festival da Canção 2026 with their song “Rosa.” Despite pre-contest rumors that some acts might decline the ticket, Bandidos do Cante confirmed they will proudly represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026. 🇵🇱 Poland Poland chose Alicja as its act for Vienna. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter will perform her emotive song “Pray,” which she co-wrote. Alicja was originally set to be Poland’s entrant in 2020, making this a long-awaited second chance on the Eurovision stage. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan completed its Eurovision 2026 line-up by internally selecting singer JIVA (Jamila Hashimova) and releasing her entry “Just Go.” It’s an emotional ballad about love and inner strength that adds intensity to this year’s contest. 🇸🇪 Sweden Launches Eurovisionklubben Preview Show Sweden’s broadcaster SVT has launched a new weekly TV program called Eurovisionklubben. This Eurovision preview show airs every Wednesday evening on SVT Play and serves as a “club” for fans to obsess over all things Eurovision. Hosts Torbjörn Averås Skorup and Tina Mehrafzoon invite experts and enthusiasts to chat about the latest news, entries, and predictions. Eurovisionklubben marks the first dedicated Eurovision preview series on SVT since 2016, ramping up the excitement in Sweden as the contest approaches. source: Instagram Melodifestivalen 🇲🇪 Montenegro Releases Revamped “Nova Zora” Montenegro released a revamped version of “Nova Zora,” its Eurovision entry performed by Tamara Živković. The final version of the song debuted on March 8 (International Women’s Day), a date Tamara deliberately chose for its significance. The revamp features enhanced production and a richer sound to better suit the big stage in May. Tamara notes that “Nova Zora” (“New Dawn”) carries an empowering message for women, making the song’s new arrangement even more impactful. Montenegro will present this updated power ballad live in the first semi-final on May 12. 🇺🇦 Ukraine Unveils Updated “Ridnym” Ukraine’s Eurovision entry “Ridnym” by LELÉKA has undergone a makeover. The Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne released an updated version of the song, now with an even stronger bandura presence – a traditional Ukrainian harp-like instrument. The new arrangement amplifies the folk elements of “Ridnym” to emphasize its cultural roots and emotional depth. LELÉKA, who won Vidbir 2026 to earn the ticket to Vienna, says the Eurovision version of “Ridnym” brings the song “closer to home.” Ukraine will showcase this refreshed track in the second semi-final on May 14. 🇨🇿 Czechia Selects Daniel Zizka Czechia has confirmed its representative for Eurovision 2026. ČT (Czech Television) announced that 23-year-old Daniel Zizka will carry the Czech flag in Vienna. Daniel is set to perform the song “Crossroads,” with the track due out on March 11. The artist reveal has generated buzz – Daniel Zizka has earned praise for his soulful voice and authentic style. The Czech delegation noted that when Daniel first performed “Crossroads” in the studio, the room fell silent. They hint that the entry will be a powerful one. source: eurovision.com 📷 Hana Kinzova/EBU Betting Odds Update With nearly all songs now revealed, the betting markets are shifting daily. As of March 10, Finland remains the odds-on favorite to win Eurovision 2026. This status is thanks to the buzz around Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen’s rock-violin track “Liekinheitin.” France has surged into second place after Monroe’s “Regarde !” came out late last week, overtaking Denmark. Denmark’s entry (Søren Torpegaard Lund’s Danish ballad) now sits in third. Rounding out the current top five are Greece (Akylas with “Ferto”) and Australia (pop star Delta Goodrem with “Eclipse”). Sweden and Israel are just outside that upper tier. With two months until showtime, fans are watching the odds closely. But anything can still change on the Eurovision stage. Agenda Date Country National Final Time Watch here: 11 March Czechia Song 00:00 YouTube   Switzerland Song 12:00 YouTube Eurovision   Georgia Song ? YouTube Nobody knows Armenia Song/Artist ? ?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Read More »
Follow Us: