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Selection of Eurovision Songs

Eurovision is here again! Last week I did a post called Countdown to Eurovision! which you can read here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2018/05/countdown-to-eurovision.html


As mentioned in that one, this week I'm doing a more in depth post.

The 63rd Eurovision Song Contest  Grand Final will be held tomorrow, Saturday 12th May in Lisbon, Portugal,  due to Portugal's win last year with Salvador Sobral's Amar Pelos Dois. It was the first time Portugal won. :)

The UK's entry is SuRie with Storm. This wasn't my favourite song in the Eurovision You Decide competition, but of course I hope she does well! You can watch the music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K--kIdOpbJM

Now here is a selection of Eurovision songs from the previous year's contest and this year's. :)


2017


Origo- Joci  Pápai (Hungary)

In 2017's post Current Faves and Past Contestants I shared my favourite acts from last year. One of them which I didn't see till the Final (I chose to only watch one Semi-Final so I wouldn't have seen all the acts before the night, since I find it more exciting that way), was Hungary's entry, Origo by Joci Pápai.That was one of my faves on the night.

Joci is a singer, voice actor and rapper with Romani heritage. His dad was part of a gypsy orchestra and he started playing the guitar aged 4. He took part in the Hungarian TV series Megasztar in 2005 and went on release an album called Vigaszdíj in 2010 and several singles, including Ne nézz így rám, Mikor a test örexik and Senki Mas (the last two both with Hungarian rapper Majka).

He wrote Origo himself and released it as a digital download in early 2017, before he was chosen to take part in Eurovison, the first gypsy to represent Hungary.  Origo is a mix of electronic music, Hungarian and gypsy styles. I especially liked the dance performance by Alexandra "Mulan" Virág. Hungary came 8th.



For more on Joci check out these links:

His Eurovision page: https://eurovision.tv/participant/joci-papai

Official FB page: https://www.facebook.com/papaijociofficial

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/papaijoci/

post about Joci's song  Özönvíz last summer: http://esctoday.com/148674/hungary-start-week-joci-papais-song-ozonviz/



 Beautiful Mess- Kristian Kostov (Bulgaria)

I also enjoyed Bulgaria's entry last year. Beautiful Mess is a nice, emotional ballad.

Kristian Kostov is a Bulgarian Russian singer, he has a Kazakh mum and Bulgarian dad and is from Moscow, Russia. He was part of the Russian kids' group Neposedy and later went solo. He has competed on TV singing contest New Wave (for Bulgaria) , Golos (The Voice Kids) and The X Factor Bulgaria. He released his debut single Ne si za men in October 2016.

Beautiful Mess was released as a single in March 2017 and Krisitan then came second  in the Grand Final. He was only 17 at the time of competing; I think one of the youngest contestants  that year. At the beginning of 2018 he released English single The One and his latest single is Burning Bridges.





For more on Kristian visit these links:

Official FB fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/Kristian.Kostov.OfficialFanPage/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristianKostov_

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristian_kostov_official



2018


Fuego- Eleni Foureira (Cyprus)

In my Countdown to Eurovision! post I featured Cyprus' entry, Fuego ("Fire" in Spanish) by Eleni Foureira. I voted for her in the 1st Semi Final on Tuesday, and she got through, so other people must have also liked the song! Here is her live performance from the first Semi-Final:



Jessica Mauboy- We Got Love (Australia)

While I didn't watch the 2nd Semi-Final live, I've had a look at Jessica Mauboy's entry since I'm a fan of her music. She entered for Australia and got through to the Final on Saturday. Australia has entered Eurovision since 2015 and a year prior to that, Jessica performed in the interval at the second Semi-Final.

She is one of Australia's most popular singers. Her mum is Indigenous Australian (Kuku Yalanji) and her dad is Indonesian, and she is from Darwin, Northern Territory. After winning a singing competition aged 14, she signed record deal with Sony Music Australia and released a country version of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cindi Lauper. But it wasn't until she took part in the 4th series of  TV reality competition Australian Idol in 2006, that her career really took off. She came 2nd and signed another deal with Sony Music Australia, since the previous contract had expired.

Jessica released her debut  live album The Journey in February 2007 and debut single Running Back featuring American rapper Flo Rida in September 2008. In November 2008 she brought out her first studio album Been Waiting and has released two more albums since then- Get 'Em Girls (2010) and Beautiful (2013). 

To date she has had 35 singles, including  Running Back, Burn (one of her best selling singles to date),  Let Me Be Me, Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up), Beautiful, This Ain't Love, Fallin' and We Got Love. Although not a single, one of my favourite Jessica songs is I'll Be There, from Beautiful.

In addition to singing, she is an actress, having starred in Aboriginal musical Bran Nue Dae (2009),  the movie version of  play The Sapphires (2012) and TV show The Secret Daughter. She also guest starred in an episode of popular Australian soap Home and Away in 2016. (I used to watch it but have always been more of a Neighbours fan!). :)

We Got Love was released as a single in March. I think I heard it on Spotify recently.



Fan of Australia in Eurovision? Check out these posts:

I loved Dami Im's Sound of Silence in 2016, which you can find here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/05/current-eurovision-acts-nostalgia.html

And I also liked last year's entry, Don't Come Easy by Isaiah: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/eurovision-faves-and-past-contestant.html



That's How You Write A Song- Alexander Rybak (Norway)

I also had a look at Alexander's entry. He won Eurovision for Norway in 2009 (can't believe that was 9 years ago!!) with the song Fairytale, and is entering again this year with That's How You Write A Song. He got through in the 2nd Semi-Final yesterday.

 I don't like this song as much as Fairytale but I think it will grow on me, and I like the violin parts. it will be interesting to see how he does in 2018's contest. :)



For more Alexander visit these links:

His 2018 Eurovision page: https://eurovision.tv/participant/alexander-rybak-2018

My 2015 update on Alexander and 2005 winner Helena Paparizou: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2015/05/eurovision-update.html

My 2017 update: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/eurovision-faves-and-past-contestant.html


Hope you enjoyed the post! Who is your Eurovision favourite/s?


Want more Eurovision? Check out these posts:

Eurovision round-up (up to 2016): https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/eurovision-round-up.html

2017's 2nd post: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2017/05/eurovision-faves-and-past-contestant.html



The Grand Final will be shown tomorrow night (Sat 12th May) at 8pm GMT/9pm CEST. It's showing on BBC One in the UK. 


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