ESC Insight Weekly Playlist
We may not know what Eurovision 2021 is going to look like, exactly, but with each passing week we get a better idea of how it could sound. Here’s our pick from this year’s national selections and internally selected artists…
‘Dark Side’ by Blind Channel (Finland)
Finland have a few viable options in this year’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu national selection, including last year’s selection Aksel Kankaanranta, and Nordic dance icon Pandora – but it’s this heavy metal outing that really stands out from the crowd. Like a barnstorming cross between Lordi and The Rasmus, this is the sound of Finland proudly playing to their strengths.
‘Feel the Love‘ by Daði Freyr X ÁSDÍS (Iceland)
After the massive success of Daði Frey’s 2020 entry Think About Things, his comeback effort is likely to be one of the most anticipated releases of the season. This isn’t it, but it’s a delightfully slinky disco groove featuring fellow Icelander ÁSDÍS, which proves that his knack for an irresistible pop hook is reassuringly undiminished.
‘Where’d you wanna go?‘ by Gebrasy (Lithuania)
It’s hard not to feel a little sorry for any members of this year’s Lithuanian lineup that aren’t The Roop – barring any major upsets, it looks likely to be the most nailed-on national final victory of the year. Singer-songwriter Gebrasy made a strong impression on Saturday’s show and won the heat by a comfortable margin. In another year, this would be a major contender. As it stands, he’s definitely marked himself out as one to watch for future Contests.
‘Hero’ by Raylee (Norway)
Having scored one of the biggest streaming hits of last year’s Melodi Grand Prix with Wild, some eyebrows were raised when producers didn’t place Raylee among the automatic qualifiers for this year’s competition. However, this may well play to her advantage – the dynamic Flashback-inspired performance she gave on Saturday night saw her storm past the competition, and may have given her the kind of momentum to threaten KeiiNO in the finals.
‘ШУМ‘ by GO_A (Ukraine)
One of the most distinctive returning acts from 2020, Ukraine’s GO_A made a big impression last year with haunting folk banger Solovey. This new single promises equally distinctive prospects for 2021. Stick with this one – the build is really quite something.
Now, was there anybody else?
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