After years of pie-in-the-sky dreaming, and one false-start national final for a competition that never quite materialised, Saturday finally marks the debut of the Eurovision Song Contest Asia.
As we all know by now, eleven nations will be taking the stage in Bangkok for what is sure to be an evening (or, if you’re in my time zone, a very early morning) of some great songs. Hopefully it will also be a production that is worthy of carrying the Eurovision name forward.
We here at ESC Insight have already taken a deep dive into what’s gone into making this show happen, and how the voting will work, but let’s take a look at the songs and artists themselves.
Vietnam: Tóc Tiên: ‘Em Tiên’
Opening the show on Saturday, and therefore making her the ‘Den vogels van Holland” of Eurovision Asia, Vietnam’s Tóc Tiên kicks the program off with a high-energy ode to, well, herself. An established star on the local scene, she released her first album in 2007 and has served as a judge on Masked Singer Vietnam and The Voice, among many other shows.
Broadcaster VTV chose Tóc Tiên internally to be their debut entrant for Bangkok, but held a five-song selection to pick her entry. That song, ‘Em Tiên’, can either be translated as “Miss Tiên” or “Fairy Maiden”, and introduces herself to the world as a magical being. She’s capable of bringing love and light to a world filled with darkness and hardship.
Rehearsal footage seems to suggest that Miss Tiên will also be giving us one of those emblematic Eurovision moments: a costume change. This intensely choreographed number combines Vietnamese musical motifs and global pop sounds, ending in a high-energy blast of club electronica.
Eurovision parallel: Imagine the self-confidence of Silvia Night’s ‘Congratulations’, with the warmth and joy of Ivi Adamou’s ‘La La Love’, and you might be getting close.
Cambodia: Monetrey – ‘I Let You Go’
Born in the suburbs of Paris and raised in Cambodia, Cambodia’s Monetrey Ek has been releasing music independently since 2019. From releasing songs onto Soundcloud to being signed by record label Soriya Entertainment, Monetrey has been performing in both English and Khmer.
More recently, he has been collaborating with artists in the steadily-growing Cambodian hip-hop scene. He took part in a seven-act National Final, Cambodia’s Finest Voice, to claim the ticket to Saturday’s show.
‘I Let You Go’ is a straightforward, classic ballad with lyrics in English, Khmer, and a bit of French, with Monetrey’s breaking heart on full display. While being placed second in the running order at Eurovision is traditionally seen as a “death slot”, Monetrey has the potential to buck that trend (and, frankly, in an eleven-song event, performing second may have less of a negative influence).
It should be stated, however, that having Cambodia in a show like this is remarkable, considering the absolute decimation of the nation’s artistic and cultural community during the years of the Khmer Rouge during the 1970s.
In the fifty years since the fall of the regime, we’ve gone from having musicians being executed for embracing international influences to performing soulful pop ballads in English shoulder to shoulder with other artists from all over Asia. I am, of course, simplifying a very complex period in Cambodia’s history.
Eurovision parallel: ‘One Thing I Should Have Done’, ‘Boys Do Cry’
Laos: Thinla – ‘Bae’
Thinlamphone Mahavong, known artistically as Thinla, was born in southwestern Laos, near the border with Cambodia, but moved to the capital Vientiane as a child. She started releasing music around 2015 and since then she’s been performing at festivals and contests in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States.
Much like Vietnam’s Tóc Tiên, Thinla was internally selected by broadcaster VTE9 to come to Bangkok. Her song was selected through the show Sieng Lao: The One, where three options were presented to the public.
For those of us looking for a pure slice of pop confectionery at this Contest, look no further than ‘Bae’. This is the kind of song you half-expect to hear wafting through the air at a beach resort. Somehow, you find yourself bopping along to it and singing the chorus hours later as you sip your half-melted mango daiquiri.
This entry isn’t deep, philosophical, or complicated. Thinla sings flirtatiously, directly to the listener, inviting them to join her for a bit of fun (or perhaps something more).
Eurovision parallel: ‘Solo’, ‘Aphrodisiac’, ‘Jalla’
Mongolia: Beck – ‘Chamguigeer (Without You)’
Every once in a while, a Eurovision contender’s biography slides across one’s metaphorical desk and you can’t help but be intruigued. San Marino’s Serhat, for example, was a trained dentist who had previously hosted Turkey’s version of Jeopardy.
Mongolia’s Beck (not to be confused with the American singer who brought us ‘Loser’ and ‘The New Pollution’), is a singer-songwriter, TV host, and occasional actor, which doesn’t seem too far out of left field.
However, he dipped his toes into Mongolian economic policy, stood in the 2016 parliamentary election, founded the Mongolian National Youth Association, served as Executive Director of Mongolia’s Fashion Channel, co-founded a modeling agency with his wife (a former Miss Mongolia), and serves as an advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister.
With so much on his plate, it’s no wonder that a minor speed bump hit his selection process. While Beck was internally selected by broadcaster CNBC (where, incedentally, he works as a presenter and producer), his song was to be selected through the show Mongolia’s Chosen One, with three songs in the running. However, soon after the program it was revealed that the original winning song, ‘Light’, had been released in 2018, and was promptly disqualified. Runner up entry ‘Chamguigeer (Without You)’ was then chosen to replace it.
On paper, it may seem that ‘Chamguigeer’ and Cambodia’s ‘I Let You Go’ may be similar: two solo male singers bemoaning broken hearts. However, where Monetrey’s song is delicate and pensive, Beck comes across as bombastic and dramatic. Will either strategy win back the objects of their affection?
Eurovision parallel: ‘Hollow’, ‘Mon Amour’, ‘Due Vite’
Bhutan: Nyendra – ‘Lhayi Semo’
Bhutan, the smallest nation at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest Asia (both in territory size and in population), has gained a soft spot in fans’ hearts even before the event was officially announced.
Back in 2025, broadcaster BBS started airing Druk Dra, ostensibly to select a representative for Eurovision Asia. The problem was that no international contest had actually been officially announced. After Voxovation got in touch once they became aware of the show’s existence – after four episodes had been aired – Druk Dra was pulled from the airwaves with no winner ever selected.
One year later, after ESCA had been officially launched, four finalists from Druk Dra and one semifinalist were given the chance to perform at a new National Final, Rhythm of Bhutan. With the event taking place in August, Nyendra’s ‘Lhayi semo’ was officially the first song to join the roster for Bangkok.
Thukden Nyendra, who comes from a small town in southwestern Bhutan, admits that he had never been on a train or airplane prior to his trip to Thailand for the international competition. He moved to the capital, Thimpu, in 2019, had been releasing songs independently since 2022, and has been singing in local bars and restaurants to hone his skills.
Nyendra’s song, ‘Lhayi semo’, translates from Dzongkha as “The Angel”, and sees him wondering if the woman he’s fallen in love with could actually be an angel, guiding him to joy whenever he sees her face.
This sensitive and earnest midtempo ballad highlights Nyendra’s vocal range, and incorporates Bhutanese culture in both the song’s instrumentation as well as in Nyendra’s outfit, the traditional gho robe.
Eurovision parallel: ‘Me and My Guitar’, ‘Life Looks Better in Spring’
Philippines: Carmelle – ‘Sobra-Sobra’
Coming from the southern tip of the island of Luzon, nineteen year old Carmelle Collado is one of this year’s youngest acts. However, she’s got the attitude and experience of artists twice her age.
Runner-up on the 2019 series of The Voice Kids, she came back stronger than ever and emerged as the champion of the show Tawag ng Tanghalan in 2025. Following her appearance on Pinoy Big Brother, she released her debut single in early 2026. She made it to her country’s national final, Philippine Selection Night, where she bested nine other competitors, bringing ‘Sobra-Sobra’ to Eurovision Asia.
‘Sobra-Sobra’, which means “Too Much” in Filipino, is a bilingual ode to embracing one’s own strength and power, especially acknowledging that she herself stands on the shoulders of other brilliant and badass Filipina women. If someone thinks that she’s too much, that simply means that they’re not enough for her!
Eurovision parallel: ‘Hvala Ne!’, ‘Je Me Casse’, ‘Serving’, ‘Unicorn’
Bangladesh: Beatmosphere – ‘Tumi ele’
One of the wonderful things about the Eurovision Song Contest, and other festivals like it, is that there’s no one single formula for success. The same contest that celebrates Finns dressed up as monsters performing metal will also lift up quiet Portuguese jazz or Icelandic electropop or Ukrainian ethno-fusion.
In that same vein, we welcome Bangladeshi acapella R’n’B to the fray with open arms.
Beatmosphere were formed in Dhaka back in 2009, but have only recently started recording singles, focusing rather on live performances. Normally a nine-member collective, Eurovision Song Contest Asia rules have forced the group to winnow down to six, so we must apologize and doff our caps to Anarchy, Dippox and RafTeknix.
We here at ESC Insight have referred to unfortunate surplus band members like them as “Sad Tonys”, in honor of the missing member of Romania’s Mandinka from 2012.
However, we do welcome Zardo, Glizmo, Bhasha, Sykoverse, BeatBaksho, and Invalid to the stage! They beat nine other acts on Voice of Bangladesh, the country’s national final, to bring ‘Tumi Ele’ (“You Came Into My Life”) to the international level.
Eurovision parallel: Let’s be real here: we’ve only had a few acapella acts make it to Eurovision, and it would be lazy to compare these guys to Witloof Bay or Cosmos. Think less ‘With Love Baby’ or ‘I Hear Your Heart’, and think more Boyz II Men.
Thailand: Mang and Daou – ‘Aroma’
With song number eight, we arrive at our host nation, Thailand.
Mang (Piyatida Lekklang) is a former member of the girl-group Bamm, going solo in 2024, and is an alumna of both The Voice Kids and The Voice. Her counterpart Daou (Pittaya Saechua) got his start as a member of the boy-band LAZ1. He began releasing solo material a year later, and has also been a popular actor in several Thai drama series. He’s even delved into voice work, providing the Thai dub of Scar in the most recent Lion King adaptation.
The pair join forces on ‘Aroma’, telling the tale of a pair of lovers separated by death. The scent of flowers blooming at night brings the memory of their lost love flooding back. This highly polished entry could have easily been a scene from a romantic musical, and Mang and Daou have wonderful chemistry together.
Eurovision parallel: ‘In a Moment Like This’
Republic of Korea: Junhee – ‘Deep Dive’
When the concept of the Asian spinoff of the Eurovision Song Contest materialised, many people immediately thought that South Korea would have the event on lock. K-Pop has become as integral a part of the international cultural landscape as American, British, or Swedish exports, and it shows no sign of stopping any time soon.
South Korea (or, as they’re often branded, the Republic of Korea) are bringing a bona fide hitmaker to the party with Junhee Park, member of the popular band A.C.E. since 2017. Now a solo act performing on his own label, he’s taking a ‘Deep Dive’ into international competition.
Eight entries competed in Korea’s Next Wave, with Junhee clinching the title overall. ‘Deep Dive’ is a highly polished, intensely choreographed bit of dark and sexy pop, and is the only song in the competition entirely in English.
The song was co-written by Alexaundra Schneiderman, also known as AleXa, winner of the American Song Contest and a Melodifestivalen contestant this year.
Eurovision parallel: ‘Luktelk’, ‘Strobe Lights’
Nepal: Pratik Himal Rai – ‘Ananta Maya’
Hailing from the city of Shadanand in eastern Nepal, Pratik Himal Rai is a relative newcomer to the Nepali music scene. He competed on The Voice of Nepal last year, making it through to the Knockout Rounds.
Since then, he’s released a pair of singles, as well as an EP in September. His song ‘Ananta maya’, or “Eternal Love” in Nepali, is this year’s lone rock entry. This seems appropriate for an artist who lists Guns n’ Roses as one of his favourite acts.
Eleven songs were in the running for Nepal Decides, a national final that had to be postponed due to the major flooding in the country and neighbouring Tibet. But after the votes were counted, it was ‘Ananta Maya’ that got to carry Nepal’s uniquely-shaped flag to Bangkok.
Eurovision parallel: ‘Alter Ego’
Malaysia: Aina Abdul – ‘Bluest Sky’
From Nepal’s Pratik Himl Rai, who’s just starting out his career, we move on to the last performer in the running order: Malaysia’s Nurul Aina Abdul Ghani, better known as Aina Abdul.
Born in the city of Johor, just over the strait from Singapore, Aina was the runner-up on the TV competition show Mentor Legend in 2014. She has been a hitmaker on the Malaysian scene ever since. She was the winner of the 2020 series of Masked Singer Malaysia, performing as the Bunga Raya flower, and is a juror and mentor on the reality show Raise The Star Malaysia.
Despite only having released one studio album so far, she’s launched dozens of singles since 2015 and has solidified her status as a style icon with her bold, ambitious fashion that still allows her to embrace modesty. ‘Bluest Sky’ will definitely be one to watch.
Unlike every other nation at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest Asia, Malaysia opted for a different sort of selection, distinct from the formula that Voxovation shopped to all of the networks. Aina Abdul was the winner of the Anugerah Juara Lagu competition, which has been held annually since 1986 and she had previously won three times.
As the champion, she was offered the ticket to Bangkok and the freedom to write a new song for Bangkok. As she celebrated her win at AJL, she was dealing with a personal heartbreak: the sudden death of her beloved cat, Hiro.
Looking back at a video she had taken of him at her piano, she took a sequence of notes that he had pawed at the keyboard, took her pain, and turned it into ‘Bluest Sky’. This soaring, heartbreaking ballad could be applied to any breakup or lost love, but knowing it comes from something as tender and real as losing a pet makes it feel even more relatable and tangible.
Eurovision parallel: ‘Eclipse’, ‘Love Injected’, ‘Bridges’
So, for those of you keeping count, we’ve got:
Solo Male (5): Bhutan, Cambodia, Mongolia, Nepal, South Korea
Solo Female (4): Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam
Duets (1): Thailand
Groups (1): Bangladesh
Monolingual in a language other than English (6): Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam
Monolingual in English (1): South Korea
Multilingual (4): Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines
Full National Final (for artist and song) (7): Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand
Partial National Final (artist internally selected, song publicly chosen) (3): Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam
Other (artist decided through unrelated festival, song internally written) (1): Malaysia
We’re all coming into this event with the background of being lovers and fans of the original-flavoured ESC. However, it’s important to know that the nearly dozen songs being performed in Thailand (plus the over fifty other songs in the running at the National Final level) exist in their own cultural contexts that may completely fly over the heads of some European or American viewers.
A musical style that’s not played in your local media, a language you’re not familiar with, an outfit traditional to a region you’ve never been to, a lyrical reference that is common knowledge to someone who isn’t you…Eurovision prides itself on bringing artists and fans from all corners of the world together, and this newest member of the family is no different.
I’ve been using European Eurovision as a reference point to describe the eleven entries at Eurovision Asia, since they’re generally the references that we all know. Hopefully, if we get further editions of this new spinoff, references to Aina Abdul and Nyendra will become as commonplace to fans as mentions of Lys Assia and Loreen.