Eurovision in Liverpool is now less than a month away. In the run-up to rehearsals we will be getting to know a little more about this year’s artists, their discography and their Eurovision journey so far. The next act we will be previewing is Georgia’s Iru.
Iru’s Eurovision journey so far….
Iru began her journey to Eurovision 2023 when she first auditioned in The Voice Georgia. The national selection was used from early December and culminated on the 2nd of February, when Iru emerged victorious. As a result, she then began preparing to represent Georgia at Eurovision in Liverpool. Her Eurovision entry “Echo” was the last song to be released this year, premiering on March 16th.
Iru will perform eleventh in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. She will follow the performance of Slovenia’s Joker Out, as well as preceding Piqued Jacks from San Marino.
Iru also appeared during the pre-party circuit this year. She performed at the Barcelona Eurovision Party, Israel Calling in Tel Aviv and Pre-Party ES in Madrid.
Tim had the opportunity to chat with Iru behind the scenes at the Barcelona Eurovision Party!
What do we think of “Echo”
The team at That Eurovision Site has been doing their reviews for this year’s contest. Angus and Janek gave their thoughts on “Echo”, which you can see here.
Who is Iru?
Iru Khechanovi is a 20-year-old singer from Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. As a child, Iru was a regular at child singing competitions. This experience helped her to international fame as part of the band CANDY. The band was chosen to represent Georgia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2011. After some tightly fought voting, the band won the competition, finishing with 108 points – just 5 points ahead of second-placed Netherlands.
Following her win, Iru honed in on her singing abilities, continuing to take part in a variety of singing competitions including Georgian Idol in 2019. She went onto release her debut album, “No Jerk Around Me”, in 2021. As well as this, Iru also developed her song-writing skills. She was one of the co-writers of Mariam Bigvava’s entry to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 – “I Believe”. The song finished in third place.
Iru started her journey to Liverpool in her appearance in The Voice Georgia. Thanks to her victory, she will go onto represent her country in May. Her song for Liverpool – “Echo” – was written by Iru herself, as well as Giorgi Kukhianidze and Beni Kadagidze.
Georgia’s Eurovision journey
Georgia’s history in Eurovision has been mixed since they began competing in 2007, represented by Sopho Khalvashi with Visionary Dream. Their highest placements – both coming in 9th – were achieved in 2010 and 2011, with Sopho Niharadze performing Shine and Eldrine with One More Day. They have not qualified for the final since 2016, where they were represented by Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz with Midnight Gold. They were represented in 2022 with Circus Mircus, with their song “Lock Me In”. At the close of voting, however, Georgia finished last – 18th – in the semi-final.
What do you think of Echo? Can Iru bring Eurovision to Georgia for the first time? Let us know your thoughts! Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok as we prepare for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Vakhtang Alania
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