Returning Artists Archives - Eurovision Universe

🇮🇸 Road to Malmö: Iceland

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Iceland. Hera Björk Hera Björk Þórhallsdóttir, an Icelandic powerhouse vocalist born on March 29, 1972. With a career kickstarting in childhood, Hera was already a familiar face in commercials and had recorded songs before turning twelve. Her musical journey gained momentum when she clinched a victory in a singing competition at sixteen. Hera’s debut in 1999 showcased her versatile talent, which spans across various albums that include traditional Icelandic tunes and international hits. Noteworthy albums from her early years include “Litla Hryllingsbúðin,” “Ilmur af Jólum / The Scent of Christmas,” and “Disneylögin.” Hera’s knack for collaboration and her solo ventures underscored her growing artistic maturity, evident in her prolific period from 2003 to 2009 with albums like “Í faðmi þínum” and “Við gefum von.” Her 2010 Eurovision entry, “Je ne sais quoi,” catapulted her to European fame, while her victory at the 2013 Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile with “Because You Can” solidified her international acclaim. Hera continued to engage her fans with releases such as “Ilmur af jólum 2” and made a notable return to Söngvakeppnin in 2019, securing fourth place with “Moving on.” Beyond her international exploits, Hera Björk remains a stalwart in Iceland’s music scene, admired for her dynamic range and ability to traverse genres effortlessly. In 2024, Hera Björk was chosen to represent Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest for a second time with the song “Scared of Heights”. Söngvakeppnin Söngvakeppnin is the Icelandic national final ever since Iceland first took part in the Eurovision Song Contest, back in 1986. The past few years, it contains two semifinals with 5 songs each. Two songs from each semifinal, ánd a wildcard, go through to the final. The favourite to win the contest this year was Palestinian Bashar Murad, who lives in East Jerusalem. Murad and Björk were the two contestants reaching the superfinal. Hera Björk won. However, there was some controversy as the voting app RÚV Stjörnur experienced a glitch during the superfinal. Icelandic broadcaster RÚV recognized this but stated that Björk’s victory was beyond doubt. Bashar Murad Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest In 1986, Iceland debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest, reaching the 16th place with Icy and their “Gledibankinn”. “Scared of Heights” will be the 36th Icelandic entry. Iceland never won the contest yet. However, there was a 2nd place for the island twice: in 1999 with Selma and het “All out of luck”, ten years later with Yohanna’s “Is it true?”. The Bookmakers Currently, the bookmakers give a 20th place for Hera Björk. That means, she would reach the final just like she did when she first participated in 2010. The Song This is the song:

🇲🇩 It’s Natalia Barbu for Moldova!

It’s Natalia Barbu for Moldova. won the national selection Etapa Națională. Out of 11 songs, “In the middle” was chosen to represent Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the favourite of the jury. Televoters selected Valeria Pasha, but the vote of the jury counted more. The song is written by Khris Richards and Natalia herself and composed by Natalia. She will perform in the 2nd half of the 1st semifinal. Here are the full results: Natalia Barbu, “In the middle”, 22 pts. Valeria Pasha, “Anti-princess”, 22 pts. Iulia Teleucă, “Runaway”, 16 pts. Cătălina Solomac, “Fever”, 14 pts. Viola Julea, “Light up!”, 9 pts. Reghina Alexandrina, “Contrasens”, 9 pts. Nicoleta Sava, “Bravo”, 8 pts. OL, “No time, no space”, 7 pts. Sasha Letty, “DNA”, 6 pts. Y-Limit, “Revolution”, 2 pts. Victor Gulick, “Fever”, 1 pts.

🇳🇴 Norway chose the last three finalists

The field of finalists in Norway is known. and KEiiNO will go to the final next week, where Norway will select its participant. Vidar Villa sings “Mer” Mistra sings “Waltz of Death” Thomas Jensen sings “Take me to heaven” Annprincess sings “Save me” Miia sings “Green lights” KEiiNO sings “Damdiggida”

Guy Bonnet passed away

Yesterday, 8 January 2024, Guy Bonnet sadly passed away. Bonnet participated in the Eurovision Song Contest three times: in 1968 as a composer, in 1970 and 1983 as a singer. Born on 8 August 1945, in Avignon, France, Bonnet’s passion for music manifested early in his life. He pursued his love for music with zeal, studying at the Conservatoire in Avignon and later at the Conservatoire in Marseille. Bonnet’s career took a significant turn when he represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest. His first appearance was in 1968 as a composer for Isabelle Aubret’s entry, “La Source.” However, it was his own performance in 1970 with the song “Marie-Blanche” that truly marked his arrival on the international music scene. He graced the Eurovision stage again in 1983 with “Vivre,” showcasing his versatile musical talent. Beyond Eurovision, Bonnet was known for his profound contributions to French chanson, a genre he enriched with his poetic lyrics and melodic compositions. His works often reflected his deep connection to his Provençal roots, blending traditional sounds with contemporary influences. Throughout his career, Bonnet collaborated with numerous artists like Mireille Mathieu, Sylvie Vartan, Franck Fernandel and the Massilia Sound System. He was not just a performer but an educator, passionately involved in fostering musical talent in younger generations. 1968: La Source, sung by Isabelle Aubret 1970: Marie-Blanche 1983: Vivre

Ovi

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameOvidiu Cernăuțeanu Born23 August 1974 Nationality🇷🇴 Romanian🇳🇴 Norwegian National SelectionSelecția Națională 2014Selecția Națională 2010Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 2009Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 2006 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen2010 Oslo SongMiracle (2014, & Paula Seling)Playing With Fire (2010, & Paula Seling) Biography Ovidiu Cernăuțeanu, known professionally as Ovi Jacobsen or simply Ovi, is a Romanian-Norwegian singer-songwriter, producer, and musician. He was born on August 23, 1974, in Botoșani, Romania. Ovi began his music career in Romania, releasing several solo albums and singles. In the mid-2000s, he decided to relocate to Norway. This move led to a new chapter in his career, opening up international opportunities for him. In 2006, Ovi took part in the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. However, his song “The better side of me” got stuck in the 2nd chance round. In a new attempt in 2009 he did reach the final with his song “Seven seconds”. Ovi teamed up with Paula Seling again, and with Adrian Enache, to release the album “Duelul Pianelor” in 2017. A year later, her new solo album “Steaua Răsare” was released. In 2010, Ovi first came to prominence in the Eurovision scene when he represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest, partnering with fellow Romanian artist Paula Seling. The duo performed the song “Playing with Fire”, which proved to be a great success, finishing third in the contest – one of the highest placements for Norway in recent years. This performance also marked the first of several collaborations with Seling. In 2014, Ovi once again teamed up with Paula Seling to represent Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest. Their song, “Miracle”, managed to make it to the finals and ultimately placed 12th. Apart from his performances in Eurovision, Ovi is also known for his songwriting and production work. He has penned songs for various artists and contributed to several musical projects in both Romania and Norway. In 2019 for example, he wrote a song for Olivier Kaye. This song, “Right now”, was submitted to the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest and reached an 8th place in the final in Romania. In 2021, Ovi and others started a cross-country project playing live music. The band is called Popfolklorica. Also, he teamed up again with Paula Seling in January 2022 for the song “See You Again”. In March 2023, a new single came out for Ovi: “Două geci îmbrățișate”. In 2024 he went to Norway for a songwriting camp. He will also be part of ‘Eurovision on Tour’, performances of artists from the Eurovision Song Contest. Entries Miracle (& Paula Seling) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun MusicAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun BackingsJulie LindellLine KrogholmMads StormMarcus Only Results Semi Points: 125Position: 2Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 72Position: 12Running order: 6 https://youtu.be/cAMpVodhiS4 Playing With Fire (& Paula Seling) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsOvidiu Cernăuţeanu MusicOvidiu Cernăuţeanu BackingsAlexandra CraescuOana Puscatu Results Semi Points: 104Position: 4Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 162Position: 3Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/J9EtMZXeQZw

Paula Seling

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NamePaula Seling Born25 December 1978 Nationality🇷🇴 Romanian National SelectionSelecția Națională 2014Selecția Națională 2010Selecția Națională 2008Selecția Națională 2004Selecția Națională 2003Selecția Națională 1998 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen2010 Oslo SongMiracle (2014, with Ovi)Playing With Fire (2010, with Ovi) Biography Paula Seling (b. December 25, 1978, Baia Mare, Romania) is a well-known artist, performer, TV personality, composer and former radio show host. She graduated from High School in, and then from the Higher School of Journalism. She studied singing and piano. Paula is trilingual and speaks, writes and composes in French, English, and Romanian. In addition, she also performs well in Italian. She sang with Al Bano, Anita Doth (lead singer of 2 Unlimited), Tony Hawks and in the opening of concerts held in Romania by Joan Baez, Chick Corea, Michael Bolton, Beyonce. She collaborated with video producer Andreea Păduraru, obtaining an award for one of these collaborations (together with the director) in 2003 on MTV. Seling opened her own production house, Unicorn Records, together with her brother, Paul Seling, and her husband. Paula Seling has released over thirteen albums (including three Christmas albums) and more than twenty singles, including two top-ten hits in the Romanian Top 100, a minor European hit, which entered the charts in Finland and Norway, as well as the UK Singles Chart, and holds a good position on the global popularity chart by Starcount, which ranks artists from around the world. In 1998, Paula Seling took part in Selecția Națională, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, for the first time. The song “Te iubesc” reached a 4th place. In 2003 she reached one place higher with the song “Let’s go”. The song “Perfect” reached a 5th place in 2004, while, together with the band Provincialii, she reached a 3rd place again in 2008. In 2009, she released the music video for the single “Believe” from the album of the same name, which was launched a month earlier, specifically on June 10, at Silver Church. On March 6, 2010 she qualified for the 2010 Eurovision final in Oslo with the song “Playing With Fire together with Ovi.” They secured the third place in the Eurovision 2010 final in Oslo. In 2011, she accepted the invitation of Walt Disney Romania to lend her voice for the first time in an animated film, playing the role of Holley Shiftwell in the movie Cars 2 (the original voice belonging to Emily Mortimer). In 2012, she was chosen by Walt Disney to record the song “My Spirit Flies” (“I Can Really Fly”) for the Pixar Academy Award. In 2014, Paula and Ovi returned to Eurovision, this time with the song “Miracle”. A unique selling point in their act was Paula appearing as a hologram before the real Paula entered the stage. They reached the final again and secured the 12th place in it. In 2015, her new album “Povești De Iarnă” was released. A year later, Paula teamed up with Nicu Alifantis. Together they released the song “Weekend”. Shortly after that, her EP “De dragoste” came out. She also started teaching singing technics to young people in the Scoala de Muzika Paula Seling. Paula Seling teamed up with Ovi again, and with Adrian Enache, to release the album “Duelul Pianelor” in 2017. A year later, her new solo album “Steaua Răsare” was released. The duo teamed up again in January 2022 for the song “See You Again”. On June of the same year, her single “Soare Soare” came out, followed two months later by “Lasă doamne dor”. The song “Toata Lumea Are Un Dor” was released in September. Meanwhile, she worked on a project where she sang a song, “Neuitare”, based on the theme song of Schindlers List, in memory of the Romanian victims of the holocaust. In November 2022, Paula Seling released a new song and video, “Mandru cer senin”. For the folk songs “Ziua-i mare, Seara-i Sfântă” and “La Multi Ani de Sarbatori”, she teamed up with Ion Paladi. As a solo singer she released “Cel Mai Frumos Colind” and “S-a Nascut In Iesle”, all of these songs released in December 2022. In January 2023, Paula’s English song “My sweet and tender beast” was released, beside the English version of “Neuitare”, “I won’t light a candle”. In March “Tu nu vezi cerul” followed, and in the same month “Cer Si Mare Si Pamant”. Paula also played in a musical, “”vrăjitoarea Kera și cele 7 nestemate”. At the concert Potcoava de Aur she won a special award. In June 2023, Paula released a new single, “Noapte Calda”. The song was already written in 2000, but finally she made a video of it, recorded with The Angry Band. In October she released a new song, “Dor In Destin”. On 5 March 2024, Paula released a new single, “Inima Ce Inima Mi-a Dat”. Entries Miracle (& Ovi) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun MusicAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun BackingsJulie LindellLine KrogholmMads StormMarcus Only Results Semi Points: 125Position: 2Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 72Position: 12Running order: 6 https://youtu.be/cAMpVodhiS4 Playing With Fire (& Ovi) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsOvidiu Cernăuţeanu MusicOvidiu Cernăuţeanu BackingsAlexandra CraescuOana Puscatu Results Semi Points: 104Position: 4Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 162Position: 3Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/J9EtMZXeQZw

Road to Liverpool: Italy

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Italy. Marco Mengoni Marco Mengoni won the Festival di Sanremo 2023. He became the first choice to go to Eurovision, and accepted it. However, it took him some time to decide that this would be with “Due vite”, his Sanremo song. He wrote the song together with Davide Petrella and Davide Simonetta. Marco Mengoni won the X-Factor in 2009. His prize: participation in the Festival Di Sanremo 2010. He also scored his first hit “Dove si vola” with the X-Factor final song. In total, Marco released 7 studio albums and 4 live albums. In 2013 he won the Festival di Sanremo with the song “L’essenziale”. With this song, Marco went to the Eurovision Song Contest, were he got the 7th place. Mengoni reached the number 1 spot in the Italian charts several times: with “Dove si vola” and “L’essenziale”, but also “Guerriero” and “Ti ho voluto bene veramente“. Eurovision vs Sanremo Marco Mengoni was first choice for the Eurovision Song Contest because he won the Festival di Sanremo. He chose to do the job and represent his country. In Eurovision history, the contest and the Festival di Sanremo are closely connected. The idea for the Eurovision Song Contest came from Italian producers. They were enthousiast about Sanremo and wanted to implement it in Europe. The first years, until 1966, the winning song and singer automatically went to Eurovision. After that, sometimes the winner was the contestant, sometimes the winning song. And a few times, another participating song went to Eurovision. Only in the seventies and early eighthies, the festivals were not connected. Most of the times, the winner also had the right to refuse a trip to Eurovision. That happened in 1990. Winning band I Pooh decided to reject the Eurovision offer. Runner up Toto Cutugno accepted it an won the contest. Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest That brings us to Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest. Toto Cutugno was one of the three winners. In 1964, young Gigliola Cinquetti reached the first place with a landslide. Quite recently, in 2021, the band Måneskin did it. Other Italian Eurovision entries became classics. Who doesn’t remember “Piove“, “I treni di tozeur” or “Gente di mare“. The 1958 Eurovision entry “Nel blu dipinto di blu“, later named “Volare”, was probably the most selling Eurovision Song ever. Bookmakers The bookmakers currently predict an 11th place for Marco Mengoni. That is probably not what the Italians expect from “Due vite”. Italy does score very well in Eurovision most of the time, so let’s hope for a high score for Marco. The song And of course, you can listen to the song here. Enjoy “Due vite”!

Pasha Parfeny will return to the contest for Moldova

Pasha Parfeny won Etapa Națională, the Moldovan national final. He will therefore represent Moldova in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. The song is called “Soarele şi luna”and was written by Iuliana Parfeni and composed by Pasha himself and Andrei Vulpe. It is not the first time represents Moldova. did it before in and became. Moldova will sing in the second half of the first semifinal. Here are the full results: Pasha Parfeny, “Soarele şi luna”, 24 pts. Sunstroke Project, “Yummy mommy”, 18 pts. Aliona Moon, “Du-mă”, 17 pts. Surrorile Oroianu, “Bade, bădişor, bădiţă”, 15 pts. Donia, “Red zone”, 11 pts. OL, “Why you play it cool”, 7 pts. Corina Ivanov, “When love is real”, 7 pts. Cosmina, “Indestructible”, 7 pts. Victor Gulick, “Let’s dance”, 5 pts. Nördika, “Damn and down”, 5 pt. Here you’ll find the video of the live performance:

Monika Linkytė

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennet About Quick Facts NameMonika Linkytė Born03 June 1992 Nationality🇱🇹 Lithuania National SelectionPabandom iš naujo! 2023Eurovizijos dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2015Eurovizijos dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2014Eurovizijos dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2011Eurovizijos dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2010 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool2015 Vienna SongStay (2023)This time (2015, with Vaidas Baumila) Biography Monika Linkytė (born June 3, 1992) is a Lithuanian singer. After graduating from high school Monika entered Vilnius University. That is where, at the Faculty of Medicine, she completed three semesters of the public health bachelor’s program. Since 2014 studied law at the VU Faculty of Law in September, but in 2016 she chose to study music creation at the BIMM Institute in London. Although Monika wanted to be a dancer as a child, after encountering music in piano lessons, she wanted to pursue a career as a singer. From 2006 to 2008 she participated in various competitions where she achieved high places. in 2007 she participated in the national selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Monika also participated in the Eurovision selection in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015. in 2014 she represented Lithuania in the New Wave contest in Jūrmala with the song “Tonight”. She took the 4th place there. In the same year, the singer competed in the second season of Lietuvos balsas (The Voice of Lithuania) and took the second place. Together With Vaidas Baumila she represent Lithuania at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. There, the duet with the song “This Time” . The two made it to the finals, where they took 18th place. In September of the same year, Monika released her debut album “Walk With Me”, which was promoted by the recent Eurovision song and perhaps the artist’s most popular single “Po dangum”. Both the single and the album went platinum. in 2015 she was awarded at the M.A.M.A. awards ceremony. She won awards wfor Album of the Year (for “Walk with Me”), Song of the Year (for “Po dangum”) and Female Artist of the Year. At the 2016 M.A.M.A. awards, she was once again nominated for the artist of the year award. The song “Padovanojau” became Gold in the same year. On 30 August 2016, Monika released a new song called “Gal Tai Meilė?”. It was followed by “O tu” on 20 February 2018. On 28 March 2019, Monika released a song and video in English again: “All alone”. It took some time, but in June 2020 a new song was released, including the video “Visada šalia”. The song was accompanied by a mini documentary about the singer and song. In 2022, Monika released two songs: “Naktis” in April and “Degtukas” in June. In November of the same year she teamed up with Leon Somov for the song “Dūšia”. Monika Linkytė won the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, Pabandom iš naujo! with the song “Stay”. In the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool she reached the 11th place in the Grand Final. Entries Stay Country🇱🇹 Lithuania Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsChris NoahMonika Linkytė MusicChris NoahMonika Linkytė BackingsYvonne GarshNicola LambrianosDeborah ‘Ouraa’ OsiboduCharleen Afolabi Results Semi Points: 110Position: 4Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 127Position: 11Running order: 22 https://youtu.be/QsgouAEd34U This time (with Vaidas Baumila) Country🇱🇹 Lithuania Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsMonika Liubinaitė MusicVytautas Bikus BackingsRūta ŽibaitytėJustė KraujalytėDainotas VarnasJurijus Veklenko Results Semi Points: 67Position: 7Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 30Position: 18Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/xtB_slM63JA

Roxen

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameLarisa Roxana Giurgiu Born05 january 2000 Nationality🇷🇴 Romanian National SelectionRomanian national final 2020 In Eurovision2021 Rotterdam2020 Rotterdam (Cancelled) SongAmnesia (2021)Alcohol you (2020) Biography Roxen is a Romanian singer, born in Cluj. Already from the age of seven, she has participated in numerous musical competitions and festivals. She signed her first record contract in 2019. When Romanian producer Sickotoy released his record “You don’t love me”, Roxen was featured in this song. The song was a huge hit in the Romanian charts but also gained a lot of airplay on radio stations in other European countries and in the United States. Roxen’s first solo single “Ce-ți cântă dragostea” also hit the Romanian charts.In 2020, Roxen was supposed to represent Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest. Due to the cancellation of the contest, that didn’t happen. In June 2020, the singer was hired as the brand ambassador for a Romanian hair color product. Among others, she performed in a commercial which prominently featured the Romanian national final entry “Storm”. In July 2020, she released the single “How to Break a Heart”. In October of the same year, Roxen scored a second number-one single on the Airplay 100 with the song “Spune-mi”. Romanian television selected Roxen to participate in the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. For this occasion she came up with the song “Amnesia”. The song was released on 4 March. Unfortunately, Roxen did not manage to qualify for the final with the song. Roxen worked together with DMNDS and Strange Fruits Music on the song “Money Money”, wich became a hit in Russia in January 2022. It was followed by “Dincolo de Marte”, a collaboration with Randi, a chart succes in Romania. “UFO”, the song that was placed behind “Amnesia” to represent Romania at Eurovision, was also a top-ten hit in Poland. Entries Amnesia Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2021 LanguageEnglish LyricsAdelina StringaVictor Bourosu ComposersAdelina StringaVictor Bourosu BackingsVivienne Meda-SzentyobbiAndrei GrozaAndrei Iulian AngelescuAlex SandulescuRuxandra Anamaria Results Semi Points: 85Position: 12Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/5ZWcsj_6Log Alcohol you Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2021 LanguageEnglish LyricsIonuţ ArmaşBreyan Isaac ComposersIonut ArmasViky Red Backings– Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmqSU3v_Mtw