Denmark - Reiley - Breaking my heart

digital single image

14 - 6 pts in semi 2

Reiley's Breaking My Heart is the winner of 2023 Danish Melodi Grand Prix and will represent Denmark in Liverpool.

Reiley wrote the song himself with Sivert Hjeltnes Hagtvet, Hilda Stenmalm and Bård Mathias Bonsaksen.

Breaking My Heart was released as a digital single on January 19.

A slightly altered version with a new intro added was released on March 6 and it replaced the original one on streaming services.

And he's a tiktok phenomenon so a (godawful) sped up version had to be released (on April 10).

The acoustic version was released on April 28

Life Of Reiley

Reiley (Rani Petersen) is the first ever artist from the Faroe Islands to participate in Eurovision. He is kid from the Tik Tok generation, his popularity (10.7 million followers) attracted the attention of Atlantic records who signed him and a handful of single releases followed.

Many of his followers are from Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

Even though he was born, like, just yesterday*, he had some controversy already. He was accused and campaigned against for being an industry planted fake lying about his age to please the tiktok crowd.

*Various wiki's had different ages for the guy but now it appears to be agreed on 1997, although several sites still have 2002.

When he performed in South Korea he had allegedly already performed his Eurovision entry before the date allowed according to Eurovision rules.

Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen

Versions:

Breaking My Heart - new single version

- digital release 6-3

Breaking My Heart - original single version

- digital release 19-1

Breaking My Heart - Acoustic

- digital 28-4

Breaking My Heart - karaoke

- On the official karaoke album (digital)

Breaking My Heart - sped up version

- digital 10-4

Charts:

Denmark top 40 (DK Tracklisten): 31, -

Links and sources: 

Reiley Website, FB, Insta, linktree

DMGP 2023 at ESC History

Melodi Grand Prix at DR TV

Thanks to Marek.

Remember Emmelie de Forest, Fyr og Flamme and Rasmussen

Georgia - Iru - Echo

12 - 33 pts in semi 2

Iru (Irina) Khechanovi (ირუ ხეჩანოვი) will represent Georgia in Eurovision 2023. She won her ticket to Liverpool by winning The Voice Georgia. The Eurovision song was selected internally.

She's not a stranger to winning as Iru was a member of the group Candy who won the 2011 Junior Eurovision with Candy Music. Little kids grow up.
She has released a new single იდეა (Idea) in January 2023.

The Eurovision song, Echo, was revealed on March 16. Here's the video

Echo is written by 

Giorgi Kukhianidze (who wrote several Georgian Junior Eurovision songs), 

Beni Kadagidze (wrote last year's Junior song with Kukhianidze) and 

Iru Khechanovi

The digital single was released March 17, but it was temporary removed from all digital sources a few days later. It came back on on March 24 and nothing appears to have changed. 

On Spotify, Apple (and other services ???) you can find her music under the name IRU except for Echo which appears under Iru.

A remix by Nikusha Shxiani was released as a digital single on 24-4 (although it appeared earlier on Youtube, see comments)

Versions:

Echo - original

- digital 16-3

Echo - remix (by N. Shkhiani)

- digital 24-4

Another remix by Temo Datuashvili is now on Youtube 

Echo - karaoke

- On the official karaoke album (digital) This has a piano following the vocal line.

Echo - Instrumental (= 2nd karaoke, without the piano)

- Youtube, 26-5

Links and sources:
Iru Khechanovi FB, Insta

Armenia - Brunette - Future Lover

14 - 122 pts / 6 - 99 pts in semi 2

digital single image

Brunette is the singer for Armenia. Her song Future Lover was revealed on March 15. Here is the video.

The song is sung in English with a small part in Armenian at the end.

Future Lover was released on March 20 through the digital shops and streamers. (see comments, thanks Ben)

An alternate version with Kami Friends was released on April 14 or 17.

There is an issue with the lyrics, a part of them are an exact copy of an older quote (2013?) published on tumblr and other social media. (here).

Another part is largely derived from a 2016 quote (here on Pinterest) with the near café's as neat café's.

And there's more. 

It's not unusual to have quotes in a Eurovision song but I guess in this case it would justify some songwriting credits.

Let's wait and see what happens, probably nothing.

Brunette (real name Elen Yeremyan,  Էլեն Երեմյան) has been releasing several singles since 2014. Bac Kapuyt Achqerd (in Armenian) is the latest.

Versions:
Future Lover - single version
- digital 15-3
Future Lover - karaoke
- On the official karaoke album (digital)
Future Lover (Առաջին Ստուդիա) - with Kami Friends
- digital 14-4*
Spotify says 14-4 but I’m pretty sure it appeared later.
 

Links and sources:
Brunette Insta
Remember Rosa Linn? She's still in the charts you know.

Iceland - Diljá - Power

single release image

11 - 44 pts in semi 2

The Icelandic Söngvakeppnin final om March 4 was won by Diljá with her song Power.

Diljá Pétursdóttir wrote the song herself with Pálmi Ragnar Ásgeirsson.

We know Pálmi Ragnar Ásgeirsson as one of the writers of the 2015 Icelandic entry.

In the Söngvakeppnin semi final all songs were performed in Icelandic and the Icelandic version of Power is titled Lifandi Inni Í Mér (Alive inside me).

In the Icelandic final the songs were performed in the language the artists have chosen to represent the country in Eurovision, in Diljá's case English.

Power was also released as a digital single track on March 4.

An acoustic version was released on April 7. A week later there was a remix by Ásgeir Orri Ásgeirsson.

On April 21 the palmi.remix was released.

See versions below for the full list.

Diljá is not the only Diljá in Icelandic music. In case you wondered, the one with the pink hair is not our Diljá. 

All songs from the Söngvakeppnin selection are released on the digital album Söngvakeppnin 2023. 10 songs in Icelandic and 9 also in English.

palmi.remix

Versions:

Power - English

- digital single 4-3

Lifandi Inni Í Mér - Icelandic

- both on the digital Söngvakeppnin 2023 album. (28-1)

Power - Acoustic

- digital 7-4

Power - asgeirorri remix

- digital 14-4

Power - palmi.remix

- digital 21-4

Power - karaoke

- On the official karaoke album (digital)

Acoustic image

Links and sources:

Diljá Insta, FB, She also sings with Midnight Librarian

Söngvakeppni 2023 at ESC History
RÚV Söngvakeppnin pages

Some interesting Icelandic posts at Eurocovers

Daði Freyr and his Gagnamagnið ended 4th while sitting in their hotel room and had the biggest Eurovision hit in the year with no Eurovision, now there's two Eurovision firsts we don't want to see again. An Hatari also happened.

Netherlands - Mia Nicolaï and Dion Cooper - Burning Daylight

13 - 7 pts in semi 1

vinyl single sleeve

Mia Nicolaï and Dion Cooper represented the Netherlands in Liverpool.

The song, Burning Daylight,
was revealed and released as a digital single on March 1. It is written by Mia, Dion, Jordan Garfield, LUKAZ and 2019 Eurovision winner Duncan Laurence.

Here's the video

digital release

A vinyl single was released on May 12. It's here (NL only) or here (NL, BE, DE only)

It has the instrumental on the b-side.

(Universal 0602455518316)

A remix is on the official Eurovision Youtube (here), said to be released later.

Dutch Female/Male duo's have done well in the past, so let's have a list (below)

Mia Nicolaï is also one of the songwriters of When Love's Real by Corina Ivanov, a song in this year's Moldovan final.

picture from AVROTROS

Rotterdam, Rotterdam, so good we had it twice.

Versions:

Burning Daylight - single version 

- digital 1-3, 7" inch vinyl

Burning Daylight - remix

- to be released?, video here

Burning Daylight - karaoke (= instrumental)

- On the official karaoke album (digital) and 7" inch vinyl

Charts

Netherlands top 100: 61, 62, 64, 68, 69, 66, 58, 67, 65, 42, 42, 83

Netherlands top 40: 28, 22, 21, 21, 23, 25, 28, 32, 32, 32, 40, -

Links and sources:
Mia Nicolaï FB, Linktree for other socials
Dion Cooper Website, FB, Insta, linktree

AVROTROS Eurovision pages

The History of the Dutch Female/Male duo's

1971 Saskia & Serge - Tijd (6th)

1972 Sandra & Andres - Als het om de liefde gaat (4th)

1974 Mouth & MacNeal - I see a star (3rd)

1996 Maxine & Franklin Brown - De eerste keer (7th)

2014 The Common Linnets - Calm after the storm (2nd)

2023 Mia Nicolaï and Dion Cooper - Burning Daylight (no final, 13th in semi)

back of vinyl single

Moldova - Pasha Parfeni - Soarele Și Luna

18 - 96 pts / 5 - 109 pts in semi 1

digital single image

The Moldovan Finala Națională ESC 2023 saw some familiar faces and one of them, Pasha Parfeny, took the trophy. He has grown out his hair but he's the one that made us dance to his trumpet in Lăutar in 2012.

This time his song is Soarele Și Luna (The sun and the moon) written by Pasha himself (real name Pavel Parfeni) with 

Andrei Vulpe and 

Iuliana Parfeni. (Pasha is Iuliana's husband since 2017)

Sometimes his name is spelled Parfeny but it's actually Parfeni. I think.

Remix stuff

At Pasha's website is a link (top right) where you can download a few files that will help you make your own remix.

- Backing vocals acapella

- Lead acapella

- Main Caval = just the flute

Now go and add some beats and things.

We all know Lăutar from the Baku Eurovision which ended 11th in the final. All about that and his National Final tunes here at the Baku Collection.

He also wrote Aliona Moon's O Mie for Malmö 2013 which also ended 11th.

In the meantime he had time to grow a manbun.

Sunstroke & Aliona Moon, coincidence? They were #2 and #3 in this year's Moldovan selection Finala Națională ESC.

Parfeni spent some time in the Sunstroke Project but left before their first Eurovision entry in 2010.

Parfeni tried a few times in the Moldovan selection both as artist and as songwriter, here’s a list. 
2007 - Steaua Mea (as Pavel Parfeny) didn’t get to the final
2009 - No Crime - Sunstroke Project (as songwriter and member) 3^rd place
2010 - You Should Like (as Pasha) 3^rd place
2011 - Dorule 3^rd place 
2012 - Lăutar 11^th in the Baku Eurovision final (Aliona Moon was a backing vocalist)
2013 - as songwriter and on-stage pianist: O Mie by Aliona Moon - 11^th in the Eurovision final. In the national final it was performed in English as A Million but in Malmö it was sung in Romanian.
2015 - as songwriter: Maricica by DoReDos, 6^th place in Moldovan NF
2020 - My Wine 2^nd place in Moldovan NF

Important trivia: Pasha is one of four returning artists this year. He met one before, way back in Baku 2012.

Versions:
Soarele Și Luna - single version
- digital 19-2
Soarele Și Luna - karaoke
- on the official karaoke album

Charts
Finland top 50 (IFPI): 40

Bun free 2012

Links and sources:
Pasha Parfeny: Website, FB, Insta

Finala Națională ESC Moldova 2023 at ESC History.

Eurovision.md has all 30 songs in the competition
Remember Zdob si Zdub?, I do. 

The other returning Eurovision artists in this years selection were Aliona Moon and Sunstroke Project (2010, 2017) 

Dutch 2023 singer Mia Nicolaï also wrote a song (with Mike Connaris) that reached the Moldovan final this year and ended 7th. When Love's Real by Corina Ivanov.

Austria - Teya & Salena - Who The Hell Is Edgar?

15 - 120 pts / 2 - 137 pts in semi 2

Teya & Salena are chosen to sing for Austria in the 2023 contest.

Teya and Salena met at the Starmania 21 talent show and have been friends ever since. That's nice.

The song is titled Who The Hell Is Edgar? and was revealed and released on March 8. The titular Edgar refers to the mystery writer and poet Edgar Allen Poe, or at least his ghost.

The song is written by Teodora Spirić (Teya), Selina-Maria Edbauer (Salena) , Ronald Janeček and Pele Loriano, so they'll have to split the 0.003 per stream cent 4-ways.

I think the lyrics are brilliant, best experienced when you watch the video.

Teodora Spirić participated in the Serbian selection in 2020 (as Thea Devy). She ended 10th in the final with Sudnji Dan, a song that she had also entered for consideration to be the Austrian entry, but in English as Judgement day. But, as you know, there was no Eurovision Song Contest anyway.

We know songwriter Pele Loriano from Switzerland 2010, Lithuania 2019 and Austria 2020 (from the contest that never happened).

Who The Hell is he anyway?

Edgar Allen Poe 1809-1949

If you want to know who the hell Edgar is, or rather was, he has a museum and they have a bio on their website here.

Spooky fact: The Edgar Allan Poe museum had to close down because of a power outage on the day that the Austrian entry was revealed. That can't be a coincidence.

It is also rumoured that Poe sometimes visits the museum in his afterlife and there are also claims that he continued writing after his death. Well, he has a facebook page, so that's probably true.

The Vienna Collection

Versions:

Who The Hell Is Edgar? - single version

- digital 8-3

Who The Hell Is Edgar? - karaoke

- On the official karaoke album (digital)

Charts:

Austria top 75: 4, 24, -

Sweden top 100 (Topplistan): 79, -

Ireland top 100 (IRMA): 67

Finland top 50 (IFPI): 20, 32

U.K. top 100 (OCC): 48

At the end of the 2014 Conchita page you can find a list of all Austrian entries'chart results (in Austria)

Links and sources:

Teya & Salena FB

Teya Insta Salena Insta 

ORF stories

Remember Conchita, Lum!x 'n' Pia and César Sampson.

Foto by Thomas Ramsdorfer supplied by ORF

Magical History Tour

1956 - 2020 Eurovision Collectors Guide (via FB)

Find out how you can get your own (inbetweenish) Eurovision Collectors Guide 1956-2020 via our Facebook page or download it here at ESC History. (Thanks Rick!)

The document features all Eurovision entries from 1956 to 2020 with points, places, versions, release details etc. 

Something updated and more userfriendly is under construction to be released after Liverpool.

We have a Facebook for the news bits, odd and ends. Find out more here.

On Spotify we have a playlist with the latest new versions, re-recordings and other discoveries of the tunes of Eurovision Past. Just search for Eurovision Collectors Guide Playlist and follow.

Eurocovers, the original website for Eurovision coverversions, Est. 2006.

And the other Collections (below) have all the details on releases, versions, charts, and other trivia you didn't know you needed. But you do!

Some of you may have some of these lying about

2009 Moscow
2010 Oslo
2011 Düsseldorf
2012 Baku
2013 Malmö
2014 Copenhagen
2015 Vienna
2016 Stockholm
2017 Kyiv
2018 Lisbon
2019 Tel Aviv
2020 Rotterdam (cancelled)
2021 Rotterdam 2.1

2022 Torino / Turin
 

Albania - Albina Kelmensi x Familja Kelmendi - Duje

22 - 76 pts / 9 - 83 pts in semi 2

Albina Kelmendi and her family won the televote in the 61st Festivali I Këngës (Fest 61) with the song Duje written by Enis Mullaj and Eriona Rushiti.

new version image

It was decided beforehand that the Televoting winner was to head to Liverpool and not the Jury / Overall winner. Multi FiK winner Elsa Lila won Fest 61 but got no ticket to Liverpool.

The live Fest 61 live version of the song was released as a digital track on December 29 (2022) (Spotify) along with separate releases of all Fest 61 songs in their live versions.

The original studio version wasn't released officially but can be found on Youtube.

A new version is recorded but the song remains in Albanian in Liverpool. And it will be a family affair. The new version video was revealed on March 10. The digital single was released on the same date.

The instrumental and first studio version (videoclip) can be found on the Youtube channel of the producer/songwriter Enis Mullaj.

Albina's family are mom Albana, dad Bujar, sisters Vesa & Sidorela and brother Albin.

We know songwriter Eriona Rushiti from Ktheju Tokës, the 2019 Eurovision entry for Albania (produced by Enis Mullaj).

Versions

Fest 61 version release image

Duje - Eurovision version

- digital 10-3 (video)

Duje - Fest 61 live version

- digital release 29-12-2022

Duje - First studio / Radio remix version  

- Youtube video 2-4

Duje - Instrumental (with some vocal effects)

- Youtube 11-3, also on the official karaoke album (digital)

Links and sources

Albina Kelmendi FB, Insta

FiK 2023 details at ESC History

San Marino - Piqued Jacks - Like An Animal

piq from Piqued Jacks instagram

15 - 0 pts in semi 2

Like An Animal by Italian rock band Piqued Jacks is the song for San Marino. The song won the Una Voce per San Marino.
The song is written by the band themselves. On April 5 it was the last studio version of the 2023 Eurovision to be released

Here's the Una Voce clip.

Piqued Jacks are Andrea Lazzeretti (E-King), Francesco Bini (littleladle), Marco Sgaramella (Majic-o), Tommaso Oliveri (HolyHargot) (see comments).

The band formed in 2006 and have released four albums since 2015.

In 2019 they won the award for Rock at Sanremo Rock.

release image from Piqued Jacks Facebook

Versions:

The single version was recorded after the victory in Una Voce Per San Marino and is different from the version used there. A version with the original arrangement remains unreleased.

Like An Animal - single version

- digital 5-4

Like An Animal - karaoke

- On the official karaoke album (digital)

Links and sources:
Piqued Jacks Website, FB, Insta, Shop

Una Voce per San Marino at ESC History
Una Voce per San Marino: Website.

We love Achille Lauro,  Senhit, Valentina and Serhat.

Azerbaijan - TuralTuranX - Tell Me More

14 - 4 pts in semi 1

digital single release image

Tural and Turan Bağmanov are twins and go by the name TuralTuranX

pic from Instagram

, not to be confused with TuranTuralX.

They will represent Azerbaijan in Liverpool with  Tell Me More, written by the duo themselves with Nihad Aliyev and Tunar Taghiyev.

The video premieered on March 13 and here it is.

The digital single was released on March 14.

Versions:

Tell Me More

- digital 14-3

Tell Me More - karaoke

- On the official karaoke album (digital)

Links and sources:
TuralTuranX Insta, FB

Remember when Azerbaijan won with Ell'n'Nikki? 

Or the one with the horse?  Efendi! , Efendi!!

Twins in Eurovision

I saw a shout-out of Jedward to the Azerbaijani twins which made me think about the twins representing their (or another) country in Eurovision. 

Here's a list, did I miss any?

Alice & Helen Kessler (Germany 1959)

- The famous 50's and 60's dancing twins are still around.
Sophie & Magalie (Gilles-Giovannoni, Luxembourg 1980)

- Their Papa Pingouin is the second most sold Eurovision single in France.    Sadly both sisters are no longer with us.
Next Time (Martin and Stefan Filipovski, F.Y.R.O.Macedonia 2009)

- We may not have heard much from them since the jury wildcard for Finland denied them the final in 2009, but they're still active and touring Australia in April 2023.
TWiiNS (Daniela and Veronika Nízlová, Slovakia 2011)

- They recorded a single with Flo Rida way before Senhit did.

Jedward (John & Edward Grimes, Ireland 2011 & 2012)

- The ADHD brothers still record music but they also do bit of modelling.

  Lipstick remains their biggest international hit.
Tolmachevy Sisters (Anastasia & Maria Tolmacheva, Russia 2014)

Twin Twin (France 2014) did not feature any twins and only one of them actually had a Moustache.

TuralTuranX (Tural and Turan Bağmanov, Azerbaijan 2023)

2024 update

The Norwegian Gunnarsen Twins Marcus & Martinus sing for Sweden in Malmö