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🇨🇭 🇳🇱 🇨🇾 Three countries have their songs presented

Today, three countries have their song presented. Switzerland Rumour has it that Nemo is the artist representing Switzerland. However, we officially don’t know anything until 11.00 CET. You can watch the presentation of the song here. The Netherlands Joost Klein will present his song “Europapa”. He will do that in the Dutch tv-show “De Avondshow met Arjen Lubach”. The show will start at 16.45 and you can watch it here. Cyprus Silia Kapsis will present her song “Liar”. She will do that on Cypriot television at 17.00 CET and you can watch the presentation here. It is very likely that the EBU will place the Dutch and Cypriot songs right after the presentation on their YouTube Channel.

🇦🇱 🇮🇱 🇨🇭 Update on what happens in and around Europe

Albania has chosen, Israel continues and Switzerland teases. That is what happens in Europe on the field of Eurovision. Albania Albania has chosen. Not Mal Retkonceri, who won Festivali i Këngës goes to Eurovision. The favourite of the televote, Besa Kokëdhima, will do so. It is not known whether her song “Zemrën n’dorë” will be in Eurovision in the way it was presented last week. We will keep you updated. Note that you can find her biography, and all the others of the chosen artists so far, can be found on our website. Israel Israel continues to have auditions. Still, when a candidate gets 70% of the votes (50% of the audience, 50% of an expert jury) they are through to the next round. 17 december Noah Aharon, 94%Zohar Zacharov, 81%Or Giny, 55%Libi Natfali, 82% 18 december Mika Kertis, 87%Israel Levi, 70%Frida Uziel, 57%Eitan Jomo, 90%Romi Netz, 78% Note that Frida Uziel also took part in 2019. She was rejected, but saved by the hosts. This time, a saviour by the hosts is not possible. Frida didn’t make it to the next round 20 december Or Cohen, 83%Gal Kafri, 86%Shoval Mualem, 62%Tahel Perry, 79%Tamar Ben-Zvi, 77% Switzerland Swiss TV announced that they will not be represented by a man with a ballad. Still, everything is possible. A man, with an uptempo song? A woman, with a ballad? Or a woman, but uptempo? Or a group? We don’t know yet, but thanks for the teaser Switzerland!

Composer Wouter Hardy: not nervous tonight

Tonight the Dutchman Wouter Hardy, as composer of the Estonian entry Bridges, will participate for the 3rd time; and for the 3rd time for another country. Kofax Wouter co-wrote “Arcade” for Duncan Laurence. He was also responsible for “Tout l’univers”, the song Gjon’s Tears brought to Switzerland. But what else do we know him from? “I’ve played in bands, I’ve always been a pianist and a keyboardist. I’ve toured all over Europe, I’ve done Glastonbury. I opened for Robbie Williams. All of this was with Kofax, where I was band leader and keyboard player. And I have always played trumpet in orchestras and big bands. That’s where the classical influences come from,” explains Hardy. Arcade Back to the Eurovision Song Contest we come to “Arcade”. The composer says about this: “To win is absurd. Participation was already such that I thought: should we do this with Arcade? It had been there for quite a while. Then we were asked by Ilse Delange and yes, then you’re going to do it anyway. I thought: how can that work with such a song there? My association with the Eurovision Song Contest was circus and lots of dancing and fireworks. I think that’s exactly why it won; because it was so special. And I am very proud of that to this day, that it is something that I fully supported. Then I participated with Switzerland, which I also fully supported, and now again with Estonia. If not, I’m not going to do it.” Intimidated We can’t ignore it: on May 5th, an interview appeared in a Dutch newspaper in which Hardy explains how things went behind the scenes with Arcade at the time. Negotiations about rights didn’t go well. Hardy felt intimidated by Ilse Delange. When the votes came in, Hardy was not in the greenroom. “I do hope that it will result in people being more willing to speak out about such things. I hope that helped. I have lost my story and that is a relief.” Gjon’s Tears And then, two years later, cqme the adventure with Gjon’s Tears in Switzerland. “Gjon was supposed to participate in the Eurovision song contest in 2020. That was canceled, due to COVID19. So he had to have a new song, a new entry. Then he looked at who he could still work with. He was a big fan of “Arcade”, also thought that that was his sound. His references also really appealed to me, who passed them on, like Sam Smith, Hozier, Woodkid. When I read that I thought: okay that could be an interesting one, so I went to Zurich. That’s actually how it went. We subimtted that entry with some other songs and then we won. And in Rotterdam, that was quite special for me. In our own country but with a Swiss flag, that was a bit crazy, but that was cool”. To the toilet It was a close call for Gjon’s Tears to win. “I thought: we’re just going to do it again dude. And then Gjon said: I think we will get less points in the televoting. And he was rogjt, but I did think after the jury vote: now we’re just going to do it again. It’s very funny because we were drinking quite a lot in the greenroom, it was super fun. Then we finished at the top of the jury and then I said to Gjon: don’t drink too much because you might have to start singing if you win. Then he started drinking a lot of water. He really needed to go to the toilet, but that was not allowed. And then every time that camera came, then Gjon would sit so wide and when that camera was gone again with his legs squeezed. In the end we finished third and I am very happy with that. We also won the Marcel Besançon Award for best composition that year. Duncan sang “Arcade” and “Stars”, which I also made. That evening three songs and an award, so that’s very nice.” Estonia And then Estonia came along: “It was the same as Gjon. Alika has always wanted to do the Eurovision song contest, that was her dream. Then they put together a Spotify list of songs she likes. It had “Arcade”, and “Tout l’univers”. Then her manager texted me: “we’re going to work with you.” We worked together for two days and the second day was Bridges, there was no doubt about that after that. They didn’t go into the studio with other people after that and then we participated with Eesti Laul, the national final in Estonia. How is Wouter Hardy doing tonight, is he nervous? “No,” he says firmly. “No. I haven’t listened to any other song either. I just want to be surprised tonight. I’ve only heard Loreen, you can’t miss her. And the Netherlands of course, there is no other way. But no other songs. I’m not really nervous, I don’t have to do anything anymore. That’s great, my work is done. I can just grab a drink and listen.” Not nervous Hardy has some nice things to look forward to anyway. A new album is coming under the name HRDY. “That will be an album with instrumental songs but also featuring vocalists. I released some songs from my album. Those are songs with synthesizers, pianos, strings and so now I’m going to make songs with singers for the first time.”

Liverpool Live: something is happening at the betting odds

The day with the most rehearsals continue. Eight more countries rehearsed today, only 20 minutes each. That means we can inform you if there were major changes in the act. photo credits: EBU/Chloe Hashemi/Sarah Louise Bennett Switzerland Remo Forrer performs in his black jacket and black plastic pants again. It seems there are not many changes since the last performance: Remo with his four dancers, who at a moment wrap him in long ribbons. It is something that reminds us of Sertab (2003) and the late Toše Proeski (2004). Switzerland is currently number 13 in the betting odds, so the final doesn’t seem far away for Remo. Israel The Israeli act is one where a lot happens. She and her dancers are standing in front of a bunch of squares. The dancers bring their hands to their heads, to depict the horn of a unicorn. And of course there is a lot of fireworks in this performance. Israel is currently number 7 at the betting odds. Definitely an entry to look up to, Noa can do very well. Moldova There seem to be no changes in the Moldovan entry: Pasha Parfeni is, in his second Eurovision performance, still surrounded by two backing vocals with a horn, made out of their hair. Two guys accompany them playing the drums. Moldova is currently number 20 at the betting odds. But with a 6th place in the odds for the first semifinal it feels pretty safe for Pasha. Sweden And than there is the other returning participant from 2012, Loreen. Of course there are no changes in the performance, as everything was already there way before the rehearsals… as always in Sweden. All the eyes are at Sweden at this moment, as she leads at the bookmakers. But note that there is something going on: she has now 42% chance of winning, while the runner up has 23%. They are coming closer to eachother. Azerbaijan What we didn’t hear from the first rehearsals but what we know now: the performance of Azerbaijan on screen starts in black and white. Later it fades to colour. It seems to fit to the combination of sixties-like music and rap. However, Azerbaijan is at this moment number 32 at the betting odds. So far that doesn’t give the twins much hope for a place in the final. Czechia Finally a country were there have been some changes: Czechia. The Vesna ladies have altered their hairstyle. During the opening verse, there is some intricate hair choreography, and their braids have become notably longer and weightier than they were on Monday. At this moment Czechia is number 11 at the bookies. The Netherlands We don’t know if there are any changes in the performance of The Netherlands. The people of eurovision.tv say they got goosebumps of the intimate performance Mia and Dion gave. When they are singing the camera turns around them. That seems to work. The bookmakers seem to be more positive about The Netherlands than they were, with currently an 18th place. However, they are 11th at the specified list for the 1st semifinal. Finland The last one is Finland with the same energetic performance we saw Monday. Today a video went viral where Käärijä dances on the music of “Tattoo”, Loreen’s song. At the betting odds something is happening. Finland is coming closer and closer to the first place. Yesterday they had 18% winning chance, now it is already 24%. That might make Finland a serious contender for the victory. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

The rehearsals continue with the 2nd rehearsal of 15 countries. The countries now have only 20 minutes to rehearse. 11.30 – 11.50 Norway11.55 – 12.15 Malta12.20 – 12.40 Serbia12.45 – 13.05 Latvia13.10 – 13.30 Portugal13.35 – 13.55 Ireland15.00 – 15.20 Croatia15.25 – 15.45 Switzerland15.50 – 16.10 Israel16.15 – 16.35 Moldova16.40 – 17.00 Sweden17.05 – 17.25 Azerbaijan17.30 – 17.50 Czechia17.55 – 18.15 The Netherlands18.20 – 18.40 Finland

Liverpool live: about sparks, costumes and a lightbox

We’ve had the second half of today’s rehearsals. Here is what we saw and heard today. photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Corinne Cummings Ireland Spotlights are on Conor, the singer of Wild Youth. He has a rock gold catsuit with flares. There are stairs on stage. And there will be pyro technics. A lot of sparkles are visible by the end of the performance. Eurovision.tv is enthousiastic about the singalong capacities of the song. “Even on the first rehearsal, it’s easy to imagine the crowd in the Liverpool Arena singing along to this euphoric chorus.” Croatia As expected, the members of Let3 wear the costumes they also had in the national final. At eurovision.tv they speak about ‘high fashion hat/dress combo’s’. However, we do not reccomend you wearing this to a party. At the end of the song, they strip down to their underwear and they wave with huge missiles. On the LED-screen you see the faces of the band members. The missiles emit a shower of sparks over the Let3 members! Switzerland As in 2021 and 2022 it is Sacha Jean-Baptiste who is responsible for the Swiss staging. Where you would expect Remo Forrer alone on stage with a spotlight on it, nothing less is true. There are dancers with Remo on stage and he also dances himself. There’s also pyro technics: a short interlude of smoke and red fireworks raining down from the roof. Moldova For the second time, Pasha Parfeni enters the Eurovision stage. We saw him for the first time in 2012. He is surrounded by huge drums, a flutist and two backing singers with horned headdresses. A lot to see and a completely different act from what we saw 11 years ago. Sweden Loreen currently tops the bookmakers. She has the same act as in Melodifestivalen, herself sitting under the huge lightbox. The one from Melodifestivalen however was too heavy, so a lighter version can be seen in Liverpool. It is also lifted a little bit off the ground. The catsuit, the long nails and everything else is the same as in Melodifestivalen, including Loreen’s strong vocals.

Switzerland: Remo Forrer to sing “Watergun”

(Photo by Lukas Mäder/SRF) It was already revealed that Remo Forrer was going to represent Switzerland. Today, at 12:00 CET, the song was revealed. Remo is especially known as the winner of The Voice Of Switzerland 2020. On 20 February of this year, it was announced that he will represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest. Now we know that the song is titled “Watergun”. Switzerland will perform in the 2nd half of the 1st semifinal. Do you like the song? You can watch the video here.

Remo Forrer

© EBU/Chloe Hashemi About Quick Facts NameRemo Forrer Born2001 Nationality🇨🇭 Swiss National SelectionInternal selection 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongWatergun (2023) Biography Remo Forrer lives in Hemberg, Switzerland. He has been involved with music since childhood; he began flute lessons before devoting himself to playing the accordion. He then began playing the piano and singing. He taught himself to play the piano and learned it purely by ear. He did an apprenticeship as a retail specialist in a sports shop. In 2020 he won the third season of The Voice of Switzerland with his coach Noah Veraguth. On April 17, 2020 he released his winning single Home, which was written by Veraguth. In July 2022 he appeared on the RTL television show Zeig uns deine Stimme!, in which he was introduced as a real estate agent. On February 20, 2023, it was announced that he would represent Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. His song, “Watergun”, was presented on 7 March. He reached the final with the song and became 20th. Entries Watergun Country🇨🇭 Switzerland Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsArgyle SinghAshley HicklinMikolaj Tribulec MusicArgyle SinghAshley HicklinMikolaj Tribulec DancersEllinea SiambalisKenny LantzLovisa BengtssonMarco Wihlborg Results Semi Points: 97Position: 7Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: 92Position: 20Running order: 3 https://youtu.be/l4NDErv49mk

Remo Forrer sings for Switzerland 2023

(Photo by Lukas Mäder/SRF) Today it has been anounced that 21 year old singer Remo Forrer will represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. It’s the fifth year in a row a young man will represent the small country. Remo got selected internally by a small group of 120 people. 100 of those were regular television viewers, while the other 20 were music professionals. The vote of both groups each weighted 50% of the total outcome, making Remo Forrer the ultimate winner. The young singer is not unknown in his own country, as he won The Voice Of Switzerland in 2020. He later on took part in several other Television Shows. Remo is also known in Germany for taking part in Zeig Uns Deine Stimme 2022. Maybe it will him gather some points from his neighbouring country. After making a name for himself, he went on to release four singles. You can find his latest release “Out Loud” over here: His Eurovision entry will be released on the 7th of March, but Forrer stated that the song has “earworm potential”. With that Remo hopes he can win over the public, and qualify in the First Semi-Final on May 9th.

Happy birthday, Eurovision!

Happy birthday, Eurovision Song Contest. Today it is 66 years ago that the first Eurovision song contest was held. The Eurovision Song Contest was created after the coronation of the British Queen Elizabeth II was broadcast on French television. They wanted to use the equipment purchased for this for other events. A song contest, modeled after the Italian festival of Sanremo, was one of the ideas. The first song contest took place in Lugano, Switzerland. Ten countries wanted to participate, in the end there were seven. They each presented two songs. There was no voting as we know it now. The jury consisted of two members from each country. Remarkable: Luxembourg had no jury, two Swiss did the honors for that country. At the end of the evening, chairman Rolf Liebermann only announced that the song “Refrain” had won. That was one of Lys Assia‘s two Swiss entries. Little image has been preserved of the first Eurovision; only a part of the reprise, when Lys Assia had won. Wanna know more? Have a look at our 1956 page!