Road to Basel: Poland
Road to Basel: Poland. As the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel approaches, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Today, we focus on Poland.
Justyna Steczkowska
Justyna Steczkowska is a renowned Polish singer, songwriter, and actress, born on August 2, 1972, in Rzeszów, Poland. She first gained international recognition in 1995 when she represented Poland at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Sama,” ultimately finishing in 18th place. Since then, Steczkowska has established herself as a versatile artist by exploring various genres, including pop, alternative, trip hop, and world music. Moreover, throughout a career spanning more than three decades, she has released numerous albums and has collaborated with many different artists. As a result, she has solidified her status as a prominent figure in the Polish music scene.
Gaja (What does AI say?)
Her Eurovision 2025 entry, “Gaja,” is a compelling composition that blends electronic pop elements together with ethereal melodies. Significantly, the song takes its name from Gaia, the personification of Earth in Greek mythology, and thus explores themes about humanity’s connection with nature as well as the importance of environmental awareness. Additionally, “Gaja” is performed in both Polish and English, opening memorably with the evocative line, “They call me Gaja,” which immediately sets the mystical tone of the song. As a result, the track has strongly resonated with audiences, rapidly becoming a viral sensation and accumulating over 10 million views on YouTube, along with more than 2 million streams on Spotify.
National Selection Process
Poland’s representative for Eurovision 2025 was chosen through the national selection event “Wielki Finał Polskich Kwalifikacji,” held on February 14, 2025, at the TVP Headquarters in Warsaw. The competition featured 11 entries, with the winner determined solely by public televote. Justyna Steczkowska’s “Gaja” emerged victorious, securing 39.32% of the votes and earning her the honor of representing Poland in Basel.
The results were:
- Justyna Steczkowska, “Gaja“
- Swada x Niczos, “Lusterka“
- Dominik Dudek, “Hold The Light“
- Chrust, “Tempo“
- Kuba Szmajkowski, “Pray“
- Teo, “Immortal“
- Janusz Radek, “In Cosmic Mist“
- Sonia Maselik, “Rumours“
- Tynsky, “Miracle“
- Marien, “Can’t Hide“
- Daria Marx, “Let It Burn“
Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Poland made its Eurovision debut in 1994 and achieved its best result that year, finishing second with Edyta Górniak‘s “To nie ja!” Since then, the country has participated numerous times, with varying degrees of success. They never made it to the top-5 again. Ich Troje was the most succesful group with “Keine Grenzen – Żadnych granic” in 2003. Notably, Justyna Steczkowska’s return to the Eurovision stage in 2025 marks a significant moment, as she becomes the Polish artist with the longest interval between two Eurovision appearances.
Edyta Gorniak
A Random Polish Entry
Reflecting on Poland’s Eurovision history, random.org chose the song that never entered the Eurovision stage: “Empire” by Alicja. In 2020 the contest was canceled due to COVID19. While other countries chose the same artist again the other year, Poland did not. Alicja did another attempt in the 2023 national final, but failed. Maybe we will see her back in another Eurovision final…
Betting Odds
As of now, Justyna Steczkowska’s “Gaja” has garnered a 24th place in the odds to win the contest. It looks like she will not win. However, in the end any surprise is possible.
We eagerly await the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel and look forward to witnessing Justyna Steczkowska’s performance on the grand stage.
