Eurovision: They’re back!

In 2020, we’ve seen a lot of postponing, cancelling, and closing of many cultural events. The Eurovision Song Contest was no exception, and for the first time since its creation, it didn’t happen in 2020. However, now it’s 2021 and this time the show is really happening in Rotterdam. And trust me, it’s worth looking forward to. 39 countries are participating in this edition, with a few dramatic events leading to the disqualification of Belarus to attend the contest, due to its controversial, pro-Lukashenko song.

That is not ruining the party, though. And we already have an idea of the fan favourites. In this article, we’ll look at seven of the 39 entries, plus the Portuguese entry by the band The Black Mamba. The contest is happening from the 18th to the 22nd of May, so mark it in your calendars – you won’t want to miss it!

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Some artists who were meant to participate in the 2020 edition are participating in 2021. Such is the case of Destiny, who came back with a banger that could be a contender for the song contest. “Je Me Casse” is the song representing Malta this year, with a powerful message from a powerful voice. Destiny is only 18 years old, but no one would tell with the way she sings. The upbeat song and the catchy drop make this song possibly one of my favourites.

[link] https://youtu.be/PQKiHr5qEfA

Another return is of Gjon’s Tears, with “Tous l’universe”, following the style he had last year with “Répondez-moi”. His voice is borderline angelic and captures the feelings of the song perfectly. Unlike the previous song, this one is sang in French and has it is pretty dramatic. I see a couple similarities to “Arcade” by Duncan Laurence, but it is certainly within the style of the artist.

[link] https://youtu.be/bpM6o6UiBIw

Probably the surprise of the year was San Marino, where the artist Senhit has collaborated with Flo Rida to make “Adrenalina”, a catchy song that makes you start nodding along almost immediately. Some call it the “better version” of 2018’s “Fuego”, Cyprus’s entry – but I disagree. It’s pretty much its own thing, and I wouldn’t be that shocked if we saw San Marino take the win this year. The question is, where in San Marino would Eurovision even happen if they won?

[link] https://youtu.be/eRAN7AzEKak

One thing I’m happy about is the appearance of a couple of rock songs in the contest. “Zitti e buoni” by Måneskin won Sanremo (the Italian national finals to decide what song is representing Italy in Eurovision) and I’m absolutely obsessed with it. The band is really talented and the song really shows some confidence. I’ll admit it; this song won’t please everyone. (my mother has not enjoyed it, for example...), but I certainly do, and it just shows how amazing Italy’s entries have been in the past few years. They really deserve to take Eurovision to their country in 2022.

[link] https://youtu.be/QN1odfjtMoo

France is also not joking, with “Voilá” being their entry. Barbara’s beautiful voice and theatrical movements complement what is possibly one of my favourites this year. France usually doesn’t send great songs to the contest, in my opinion, but this year they are coming with what could be a potential winner. See it for yourselves.

[link] https://youtu.be/-9t_SwPN31s

However, there are some songs that are heavily underrated and are worth mentioning. While this is not the kind of song you’d expect at Eurovision, I think that with a good staging, Vasil’s “Here I Stand” would be a dark horse this year. If you like Disney songs, Lion King style...well, this song is for you. I’m surprised with how different some returning artists’ songs are, and North Macedonia’s entry is definitely one of them.

[link] https://youtu.be/nd4YfjVWrro

Ukraine’s entry is also from a returning artist. Go_A are bringing back folktronica to the contest with “Shum”, or шум. The revamp of the song grew on me a lot, and I think it’s a fantastic addition to the Eurovision Song Contest. While I don’t know Ukrainian, I don’t need to know the lyrics to vibe to this song. It feels like a good sequel to last year’s “Solovey”, with some traditional sounds fused with a more modern EDM, and I love it.

[link] https://youtu.be/U7-dxzp6Jvs

There’s a lot more to show, but for the sake of keeping the article brief, I’ll advise you to explore the rest yourself, and maybe leave in the comments your favourite entry. But before that, it is worth mentioning Portugal’s entry, winner of this year’s Festival da Canção, “Love Is On My Side”. The song will be the first song sent by Portugal fully sent in English to Eurovision, and some consider it to be quite shocking. Perhaps I might be biased, but I am quite fond of this song. While it will probably not win Eurovision, it’s a simple, mostly calm, and fun song to listen to – and it doesn’t sound like the kind of song I’ll get tired of anytime soon. Actually, maybe that’s the best word to describe this song – it’s simply timeless.

[link] https://youtu.be/2hAlp3Khsnk

I’m really looking forward to this contest. I watch Eurovision since 2018, and it has always been a way to expand my tastes and get to know some other artists. I’ll end the article with something you may have seen already – a cover of the song that won Eurovision for Portugal in 2017, “Amar Pelos Dois”, by a Korean singer. As a Portuguese student and citizen, it fills me with proud that our language is sang by people around the world, and this is no exception.

[link] https://youtu.be/C3ZuXYnR7vs

By Francisco Silva Year 11