Eurovision in Malmö is now just over a month away. In the lead-up to the start of rehearsals, we will get to know a bit more about this year’s artists, their discography, and their Eurovision 2024 journey so far. Next up, we will preview Azerbaijan’s 2024 representatives FAHREE and Ilkin Dovlatov.
FAHREE and Ilkin Dovlatov’s Eurovision Journey So Far…
Back in March FAHREE and Ilkin Dovlatov were selected to represent Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. later on that month the duo released the song Özünlə Apar. Late last month it was determined that FAHREE and Ilkin Dovlatov will perform twelfth in the first Eurovision Semi-Final in Malmö on May 7th.
What do we think of “Özünlə Apar“
The team at That Eurovision Site have reacted to Azerbaijan’s entry for Malmö. Tim gave his thoughts on “Özünlə Apar”, which you can check out below, you can also check out our written review here:
Who are FAHREE and Ilkin Dovlatov?
FAHREE, who is the stage name for singer Fakhri Ismayilov, is fairly new to the music industry. In 2022 FAHREE released his debut single “Dance”. While FAHREE has a masters and Bachelors in Law, the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic made him realise he wanted to focus on music. FAHREE has released two other singles outside his debut and Eurovision song, they are entitled “Apardı uzaqlara” and “Yollar”.
Ilkin Dovlatov has also only been in the Azerbaijani music industry a short time. In 2023, Ilkin took part in The Voice Azerbaijan. Ilkin finished the competition as the runner-up. As well as The Voice, Ilkin has also taken part in the Azəri Star competition. Alongside his Eurovision song, Ilkin has released two further tracks “Ters” and “Geceler”.
FAHREE and Ilkin Dovlatov’s Eurovision 2024 song “Özünlə apar” was written by FAHREE himself alongside Edgar Ravin, Hasan Haydar, Mason Salikh and Mila Miles. Hasan and Edgar also prouduced the song.
Azerbaijan’s Eurovision Journey
Azerbaijan is a powerhouse in Eurovision, first debuting in 2008 with the song “Day After Day” by Elnur & Samir, finishing 8th. The country has since gone on to achieve five top-5 performances, including one win in 2011. Azerbaijan has a near perfect qualification record, only failing to make the final in 2018 and 2023.
For 2023, Azerbaijan was represented by twins TuralTuranX with their song “Tell Me More”. Perfoming in the first semi-final, the duo failed to qualify for the final for the second time, receiving only 4 points from the televote.
What do think about “Özünlə Apar”? Are you excited for Azerbaijan’s participation at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2024!
News Source: FAHREE, Ilkin Dovlatov/ That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Adil Yusifov
Rory Gannon