Greek broadcaster ERT has confirmed the five finalists in contention to represent Greece at the 66th Eurovision Song Contest. The ERT Evaluation Committee whittled down its shortlist from 40 artist submissions to land on the five that will progress to the next stage of the internal selection process.
The shortlisted acts are:
• Ilias Kozas
• Amanda Tenfjord
• good job nicky
• Joanna Drigo
• Lou is
The artists will meet with the ERT committee from next week to expand on their proposals before a final decision is made. So let’s learn a little more about the finalists…
Ilias Kozas
Ilias Kozas is vying to represent Greece at Eurovision for a second time. Koza Mostra’s frontman secured sixth place at the contest in 2013 with ska-rebetiko number Alcohol is Free. The 37-year-old from Thessaloniki has stated that his proposed songs for 2022 bear no resemblance to his previous Eurovision composition.
His band won the Greek national final in 2013, but can Ilias win over the ERT panel of experts this year?
Amanda Tenfjord
Half-Norwegian, half-Greek 24-year-old Amanda Georgiadis Tenfjord writes pop music “that makes you feel alive,” according to her official website. The Line of Best Fit labelled her “a blossoming new talent” in 2018 after new Nordic music festival by:Larm presented her with the Forbildeprisen (“Role Model Award” – previous recipients include Aurora). Wonderland described her as “carving out irresistible pop melodies.”
Could Amanda’s ambient Scandi-pop and experience on the gig circuit be the combination Greece is seeking?
good job nicky
Nikolas Varthakouris a.k.a good job nicky is a 25-year-old “pop star in the making” from the Aegean island of Paros. His debut single, January 8th, went viral on YouTube within 24hrs of release last October. Europavox describes this emerging artist’s sound as “genre-blurring anthems that smoothly bridge the gap between melodic pop and dynamic urban/R&B.
Will good job nicky’s unique style earn him the coveted spot to represent his country at Eurovision 2022?
Joanna Drigo
Ioanna Drigopoulou – stage name Joanna Drigo – is an Athenian pop-rock singer. She made her debut with 2008 album Kapies Ores Gennioude Ta Onira (Some Hours Dreams Are Born), with a sound that draws comparisons to PJ Harvey. Her Spotify profile describes her as “one of the most interesting English and Greek-speaking artists in Greece.” Most recently, Joanna has joined new, Athens-based alternative music label Spring Tr3e to produce her latest single, Foolish Game.
Are Joanna’s mellow vocals and guitar-led alt pop her ticket to Eurovision 2022?
Lou is
Athenian Louisa Sofianopoulou performs under the moniker Lou is, and names Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Radiohead and Lady Gaga among her influences. Lou released her moody, blues-tinged debut, Dragons (in my head), in 2016. She is currently promoting her comeback single, In The Rain.
Could the ERT panel be persuaded by Lou’s artistic vision?
Greece’s Eurovision Journey
In 1974, Greece made its Eurovision Song Contest debut with Krasi, Thalassa Ke T’agori Mou (Κρασί, θάλασσα και τ’αγόρι μου), which placed 11th. Since then, they have participated on 41 occasions (39 of which made the Grand Final), and have won once in 2005.
Greece’s most recent Eurovision participation saw the country represented by Stefania (who had been due to represent them in 2020) with the song Last Dance. Greece qualified for the Grand Final, where they placed 10th after receiving 170 points from the jury and televoters.
What do you think of ERT’s shortlist? Which of these artists would you like to see represent Greece in Turin next year? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to follow ‘THAT Eurovision Site’ over at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News Source: ERT
Photo Source: ERT
