Now That’s What I Call… The Extended Eurovision Universe
As Eurovision fans (and some who aren’t) know, Eurovision neither starts nor ends with the main contest. From National Final season introducing the world to new and exciting artists, to former Junior Eurovision artists, to the big- and small-name songwriters and producers that work behind the scenes, people from all over the music industry make Eurovision the amazing thing that it is. Here is some of the best new music by Eurovision-adjacent acts.
STASYA – “Даруй тепло”
We start this final section of the round-up in Ukraine, where STASYA gives us her new single “Даруй тепло” (Give me warmth). As the title implies, this song is all about approaching life and others with warmth and kindness. Stasya’s self-penned lyrics are accompanied by music by Ivan Klymenko (“Teresa & Maria”, “Dai Boh”, Kola), and Oleksandr Pryshlyak (Stasya’s Vidbir entry “Rika”, Kola, Verloka).
TESLENKO – “Симоненко. З любов’ю” (EP)
Offering up moody drama in the form of ballads with beats and some other elements is TESLENKO on his EP “Симоненко. З любов’ю” (Simonenko. With love). 6 songs, from haunting opener “На цвинтарі розстріляних ілюзій” (In the cemetery of shot illusions) to previously released “Ображайся” or the rock and folk inspired closer “Ти знаєш, що ти — людина” (You know you are human), there are some amazing cuts on this collection. EP of the month!
Anne Fagermo – “Chasing Dreams”
Over in Norway, Anne Fagermo is “Chasing Dreams” as she releases new music. This lovely singer-songwriter take on a country rock-esque sound about the endless potential you feel when you are young and all you look forward to is escaping your small town. This track marks the second time in a row that Anne Fagermo works with producer Jan Birger Akerhaugen (Ni Liv, Akerhaugen, Hedgehog).
Hamang feat. Mathilde SPZ – “Across The Sky”
Mathilde SPZ returns with another banger, this time in a collab with Norwegian DJ Hamang. The banging beat manages to just have that tiny sense of etherealness to really compliment that feeling of the singer and you flying together “Across The Sky”.
Lxandra – “Build A World”
UMK’s Lxandra released the ballad “Build A World”, on which she sings about wanting to build a world for her and her lover. Leah Mason (own music, but also UPSAHL, Arctic Lake, Minke) and producer Viv Parker (own music, Gimme Kills, ROZES) joined Lxandra in the writing booth for this beautiful number.
Mick Pedaja – “Softer (For Noel)”
“Seis” by Mick Pedaja is still a very loved NF song in the fandom even almost a full decade after we first heard it. “Softer (For Noel)” is a, well, softer and more acoustic affair than that, and in English to boot! As you might have surmised from the title and video, the track is dedicated to Mick’s son. Sergio Llopis, who is best known for his scores for Spanish films and tv, produced the track.
Tainá – “Âmbar”
FdC 2021 alum Tainá teams up with producer Marcelo Camelo (Los Hermanos, Maria Rita, Banda do Mar) for her new single “Âmbar” (Amber). A glittery, gentle production accompanies lyrics about love and nature. “Âmbar” will be part of Tainá’s upcoming album, which is scheduled to release in September.
Andrés Suárez – “Remanso para morrer (con Tanxugueiras )”
Tanxugueiras return to the round-up with something that feels like a throwback for them: a gentle and beautiful acoustic track. “Remanso para morrer” (Haven to die in) is a gorgeous, gentle track that is part of the latest album by singer-songwriter and fellow Galician Andrés Suárez: “Sesiones Moraima 2”.
Justė Kraujelytė – “Pasiilgau savęs”
Looking for some more fun? Justė Kraujelytė with her new track “Pasiilgau savęs” (I miss myself). This song can easily be described with one word: groovy. The song was written together with Dovydas Mindaugas Buidovas (frequent Justė collaborator, but also Petunija and Konstantinas Lilas).
Joseph June – “Šilumos”
Joseph June keeps it groovy but slows things down a bit on “Šilumos” (Heat). The song is about longing for the summer heat, and longing to share that with that special someone. A great little bop to put on in the summer evenings!
Martynas Kavaliauskas – “Karaliai”
Martynas Kavaliauskas leans so heavily into the late 80s new wave sound that he almost reinvents the early 90s on his new track “Karaliai” (Kings). His frequent writing partner Rusnė Kavaliauskienė returns for the lyrics, while Rolandas Venckys (Vaidas Baumila, Justė Kraujelytė, Paulina Paukštaitytė), Mary Mo (Competed in Eurovizija.lt 2024 with “Done”), and Daniel Hagström (Sexmane, Ahti, Robin Packalen) assist on the production side of things.
The Skinner Brothers – “CROOKED VULTURE ft JyellowL & Holocene”
JyellowL moves from the Late Late Show to the round-up by featuring on “Crooked Vulture” by The Skinner Brothers. This track is very much a perfect example of a fully independent band making music: melding of genres, engaging emotional honesty, and just the feeling that everyone involved had a good time making it. All-in-all a track with a great vibe!
MEROL – “Koude Kermis”
MEROL (who almost was selected for NL in 2023 and is interested in competing in 2025) is at a “Koude Kermis” (Cold Fair) on this song that continues the new sound of her upcoming sophomore album “Naar De Haaien & Weer Terug”. An energetic, relatively high-pitched yet still thumping beat powers the song while MEROL lyrically keeps the listener and herself on the ground. The track is about becoming an adult and feeling everything you always thought and dreamt slowly fall away. Koen Van De Wardt (S10, Klangstof, Maan) joins MEROL in writing and producing the track. Freez (his own music, plus Typhoon, Bente) also helped write the song.
Listen to all the songs above and more
We’ve made a handy Spotify playlist of the songs in this article and all other new music from Eurovision artists this month, including remixes and other special releases. So get ready for everything from Jamala, Sertab, and Miki Núñez to The Busker, Alessandra, Manizha and many more. The playlist gets updated every month, so don’t forget to follow it to always stay up to date. Did we miss anything? Then send Angus a message over on your social media of choice. Oh, and be warned: the good new music this month was good, but the bad was truly remarkably bad. Most of the bad didn’t make it to the article and is stuck in the playlist, so I’ll let your imagination decide what songs lost out due to quality control.
What was your favourite new music this month? And whose music are you looking forward to next month? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky for all the latest Eurovision news and more!
News Source: That Eurovision Site / Various
Photo Credit: Jamala, Sanja Vučić , Sertab Erener, Miki Núñez. Collage by That Eurovision Site.
Giwrgos Oiko