Before taking to the stage at Amsterdam’s Eurovision in Concert, Aiko spoke with Angus for an interview. Aiko is representing Czechia at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Pedestal”.
Check out our interview with Aiko here!
In her interview with Angus, Aiko talked about the changes she made to “Pedestal”, the concept of the five stages of grief powering her pre-party performances, the sheer size of the AFAS Live where Eurovision in Concert is held, and more.
Who is Aiko?
Aiko is the stage name of Alena Shirmanova-Kostebelova, a Czech singer who grew up in Karlovy Vary. After participating in season 4 of Česko Slovenská SuperStar (the Czech-Slovak Idol) in 2015, Aiko moved to the UK and currently lives in Brighton. Under the name Aiko, she first released a self-tilted album in 2018. Her first single release was the track “Hunt”, which would feature on her sophomore album “Expiration Date” in 2020. “Fortune’s Child” is her third and latest album and features a number of previously released tracks and Aiko’s Eurovision entry “Pedestal”.
Since starting her music career, she has performed at festivals such as ESNS, Sziget, The Great Escape, and more. Aiko has also toured with the likes of Alice Merton and Black Honey. Aiko has the honour of being the first Czech artist to feature on Times Square screens, and fans of the shows “Teen Mom” and “Love Island” will also have heard her music.
“Pedestal” was written by Aiko together with the song’s producer Steven Ansell, who is a member of UK alt-rock duo Blood Red Shoes. The track is inspired by the break up with a partner, and Aiko’s realization that you should be your own top priority.
Czechia’s Eurovision journey
Czechia made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, with Kabát’s “Malá dama”. However, their debut entry finished last in a 28-song semi-final, scoring only 1 point. Afterwards, this kicked off three consecutive non-qualifications, with their best result coming in 2008, finishing in second-last place. Having withdrawn in 2009 due to poor results, Czechia returned to the Contest in 2015. In 2016, Czechia qualified for the first time with Gabriela Gunciková’s “I Stand”.
In 2023, Vesna represented Czechia with their song “My Sister’s Crown”. Performing in the first semi-final in Liverpool, the band qualified for the final – and finished in 10th place in a field of 26 with 129 points. Of these, 94 points came from the juries and 35 points came from the televote.
What do you think about “Pedestal”? Are you excited for Czechia’s participation at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads TikTok and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2024.
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: That Eurovision Site
That Eurovision Site 
Rory Gannon