Need New Music? – Try the abandoned cast of eSC 2020

It’s probably safe to say that Eurovision 2021 was a year with many a familiar face competing, with many of the artists who got selected in 2020 getting their moment in the 2021 contest instead. However, for various reasons, not all the cast of Eurovision 2020 competed in 2021. So what songs might they have sent and can we listen to them to help pass off-season? Of course! This article is just a ‘handy-dandy’ compellation of their recent releases and my thoughts! These artists may not have gotten to Eurovision but they are still our ESC alumni who are producing great tracks for fans to enjoy!

Albania – Arilena Ara

After winning Festivali i Këngës (FiK) 58 (the music festival used to pick the Albanian Eurovision song) in 2020, with her song Shaj, Arilena was set to head to Eurovision. She even got as far in her preparations as to revamp the song to an English version Fall From the Sky. However, with the cancellation of Eurovision 2020, it was announced that every country would be required to submit a new song. With the long-running festival set to have another edition before the contest, Albanian broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) decided the winning song of the next FiK would be used as their Eurovision entry in 2021. Arilena did not compete in this edition of the contest. This doesn’t mean that she has shied away from the music scene at all though. In December she collaborated with fellow FiK alumni Alban Skenderaj (he came second in 2011) on the song A i sheh (Do You See Them). It’s quite a catchy mid-tempo number with a very calming yet dancey vibe to it.

Armenia – Athena Manoukian

Athena Manoukian also was set to go to Eurovision 2020 as a result of winning her country’s selection contest, in this case Depi Evratesil 2020. Her song Chains On You was also revamped for the contest before its cancellation. However unlike Arilena, Athena’s Eurovision 2021 hopes were not squashed by a future edition of the selection contest occurring but rather from the Armenian broadcaster Public Television of Armenia (AMPTV) withdrawing from the contest following political tensions in the region. Who knows maybe she will get the chance to represent Armenia in 2022 should they return to the contest? In the meantime Athena has released a song I at least think You Should Know because it is good! The song succeeds in both packing a punch but also conveying deeply emotional vocals. The YouTube url is also linked below – as YouTube won’t allow me to embed this particular video to the ESC Essence site,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCnSfEctaKw

Belarus – VAL

Unfortunately continuing the theme of politics, VAL who were supposed to represent Belarus in 2020 after winning their national selection with their song Da Vidna, were not selected by Belarussian broadcaster Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC) and instead were replaced with an internally selected song, filled with political propaganda. The EBU were forced to take action and ended up disqualifying Belarus from Eurovision 2020. We probably also won’t see Belarus at Eurovision 2021 as due to concerns over press freedoms – the EBU have suspended BTRC’s EBU membership.

The EBU has been closely monitoring the suppression of media freedom in Belarus and have consistently called on BTRC, as a Member of the EBU, to uphold our core values of freedom of expression, independence and accountability. 

EBU HQ (Claire Rainford – Manager of Communications)

This doesn’t mean VAL haven’t been blessing us with good music though! Recently the band teamed up with Belarus’ 2017 representatives NAVIBAND to release their latest single, ВОЛЬНЫЯ СНЫ (Free Dreams). This song is beautifully atmospheric and the Belarussian language really shines in it! That is without even mentioning the brilliant harmonies between the singers.

Croatia – Damir Kedžo

Damir Kedžo won the Croatian festival Dora with his song Divlji Vjetre and with that had the ticket to ESC 2020. Just like Albania, Damir found his place at Eurovision in jeopardy as Dora was confirmed by Croatian broadcaster Hrvatska Radiotelevizija (HRT) to be the selection process once again for their song in 2021. Damir did not try to defend his Dora win. He has however released the song U Nama (In Us), which is another emotional ballad, sung in Croatian. Its quite a calm song, though the chorus is dramatic and adds an emotional dynamism to the track.

Cyprus – Sandro

Despite being internally selected in 2020 with his song Running, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) decided they would instead be sending Elena Tsagrinou and her song El Diablo to ESC 2021. As for what Sandro has gotten up to since? Well it seems largely to be behind closed doors at the minute. I couldn’t find a Spotify release from him or any presence on the Panik Records YouTube account, since he released the acoustic version of Running. But why not have a listen to that if you haven’t already?

Denmark – Ben & Tan

Ben & Tan were another selected act for ESC 2020, after their song Yes won the Danish selection (Dansk) Melodi Grand Prix (DMGP). Like the experiences of many other contestants, it was quickly apparent that show was set to continue again in 2021, meaning they would have to fight for their place at Eurovision. The duo did put together a song for this competition but the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) did not select their song to take part. Ben & Tan did however commercially release the song and I’ve got to say I’m not disappointed in my ESC 2020 winners!

Finland – Aksel

Finland’s Aksel also chose to try and fight for his spot again in 2021, submitting his song Hurt to Finland’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) selection when broadcaster Yleisradio Rundradion (Yle) announced that it would be used to pick the successor to his song Looking Back at Eurovision. He put up a great fight but only managed to come in 5th overall, losing out to rock band Blind Channel. Despite not winning though Hurt is definitely a track you should listen to – especially if you never watched UMK this year.

France – Tom Leeb

Tom Leeb and his song The Best In Me was internally selected by France Télévisions to be their Eurovision entry in 2020. Of course, the contest was cancelled and for various reasons Tom found himself unable to participate in the next edition. France put on a selection show (C’est Vous Qui Décidez) to pick their 2021 entry, which resulted in Barbara Pravi getting their ESC ticket. Tom has continued releasing music though and his latest release You Got Something has got something of a folksy feel to it. It’s very chill and stripped down, sounding very different to his proposed Eurovision song and in my opinion – more authentic to him.

Germany – Ben Dolic

Another internally selected ‘Big 5’ artist Ben Dolic was supposed to represent Germany in ESC 2020 with his song Violent Thing. However, broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) decided to pick a new artist with a new song rather than internally picking Ben. As a result Ben decided to submit his new song Stuck in my Mind to the Free European Song Contest instead, where he represented the other country he has strong links to Slovenia. He only came 14th in a field of 16 but I personally think the song is much better than that. You can read more about Free ESC here.

Italy – Diodato

Eurovision itself was based on the long running song festival San Remo, which of course went ahead in 2021 as planned. However, unfortunately for Diodato who’s song Fai Rumore won the contest (and the right to go to Eurovision 2020) the year prior – it was announced that the contest would once again be used to pick the artist for Eurovision 2021. Diodato did not compete again in San Remo this year. He has however been busy making more music and was behind the song L’uomo Dietro Il Campione, which was used in the film Il Divin Codino. We may well see him next year though (who knows) as San Remo 2021 winner’s Måneskin and their song Zitti E Buoni, only went and won ESC itself! So who knows, maybe we will see Diodato involved somehow in the hosting of 2021? I think it would be a nice touch.

Norway – Ulrikke

Ulrikke, winner of Norsk Melodi Grand Prix (NMGP) 2020 with her song Attention, was set to represent Norway at ESC 2020. However, (and yup you guessed it) Norwegian broadcaster Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK) decided to go ahead with NMGP again to pick their 2021 entry. Ulrikke chose not to compete again to try and defend her title. She has since released Ja, Vi Elsker Dette Landet (Yes, We Love This County) and it is a really pretty ballad in the Norwegian language. Well worth a listen, for sure.

Poland – Alicja Szemplińska

Alicja won Telewizja Polska’s (TVP) Szansa Na Sukces national selection show with her song Empires and was set to represent Poland in ESC 2020. However when 2021 came along TVP internally selected a different singer, RAFAŁ and his song The Ride. Alicja has meanwhile been busy working with Disney! Disney have been doing a celebration of their princesses and as a part of this celebration they got Alicja to release the song Każda z nas (Each of Us) – which takes inspiration from the many female characters in Disney’s back catalogue and inspire girls to be real world heroines.

Portugal – Elisa

Winner of Festival da Canção 2020, Elisa was set to represent Portugal with her song Medo de sentir. However, broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portuga (RTP) decided to use the winner of the song festival again in 2021 as their Eurovision entry and Elisa did not compete. Her latest song Na Ilha (On the Island) has some light tropical vibes and a real nostalgic quality to it, which I simply adore.

Russia – Little Big

Little Big were internally selected to represent Russia in ESC 2020 with their song Uno. However for the 2021 contest, broadcaster Channel One decided to have a national selection, НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ ОТБОР to pick their 2021 entry. Little Big were at first rumoured to be participating with their song Sex Machine but this ultimately never happened. Manizha would go onto win the show and represented Russia with her song Russian Woman at Eurovision. Little Big’s latest release We Are Little Big [Warning: strobe lighting in the music video] is very different to what we heard from the band with Uno, instead having a rock heavy sound.

Sweden – The Mamas

The final country on this list, Sweden’s broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT) unsurprisingly decided to stick with its highly viewed national selection show Melodifestivalen. Following a win as John Lundvik’s backing vocalists in 2019 and on their own in 2020 with the song Move, the Mamas set out on the daunting task of winning Melodifestivalen for a third time in a row. In the end their song In The Middle came third which whilst not enough for them to take it to Eurovision, is a phenomenal run of showings in the contest.

Happy listening! There is plenty of good music to go around here and I’m sure you will have a good time supporting our Eurovision legends on the next legs of their journeys.

Do you have a favourite of these songs? Who would you most like to see at Eurovision in the future from the 2020 cast? We are always open to a good Eurovision conversation at ESC Essence, so #OpenUp and lets talk about Eurovision together!