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.
Pinguini Tattici Nucleari – “Romantico Ma Muori”
The tactical nuclear penguins of Sanremo make their round-up debut with “Romantico Ma Muori” (Romantic But Die). It’s another cute little indie-poprock/pop-punk track by Pinguini Tattici Nucleari (yes I will say that excellent band name as much as I can) that has, like most of the band’s output, stormed the Italian charts. The song is about romance refusing to die, and although it isn’t dedicated to a drummer like their Sanremo entry was, they still manage name check one (the much superior Keith Moon in this case).
Paola & Chiara feat. Bigmama – “Il Linguaggio Del Corpo”
It’s a big collab as Bigmama appears on “Il Linguaggio Del Corpo” (Body Language), the new song by Paola & Chiara. This ode to self-acceptance and expressing yourself is a fascinating blend of different musical influences as Bigmama’s rap meets Paola & Chiara’s dancier sound, with a smattering of rocky guitar riffs throughout holding it all together.
Ornella Vanoni – “Ti voglio (con Elodie e Ditonellapiaga)”
For those who want to get groovy instead, listen to this! “Ti voglio” (I want you) is an update to Ornella’s 1977 track of the same name as the legendary singer has Elodie and Ditonellapiaga join her. The disco sound of the track is a bit slicker yet relaxed on this new version, while all three singers sound absolutely amazing together. Giordana Colombo (Tancredi, Colapesce, Fabrizio Moro) took on production duties.
Melinda Borglowe – “Varenda vissen krans” (EP)
Mello-alum Melina Borglowe returns to the round-up as her previous appearance “En tår för varje tår” finds a home on new EP “Varenda vissen krans” (Every withered wreath). 6 tracks with various levels of sparseness in production create a musical journey. Personal highlight is “Förgätmigej” (Forget-me-not), which includes some brass instruments and in general has some of the densest and lushest productions we are likely to ever see from the talented Swedish singer-songwriter.
Lonely Spring – “It Is What It Is Till It Is What It Isn’t” (LP)
The Warped Tour might be very, very, very dead and buried, but pop punk never dies and Lonely Spring are here to prove it. “It Is What It Is Till It Is What It Isn’t” is an album clocking in at thirteen songs, ranging from previous releases such as “Sad Weather Kids“, “Future Ex“, ULFL entry “Misfit”, and the honestly amazing Brotherhood of Man cover “Save Your Kisses for Me,” but also plenty of new music to dig your teeth into. The opening title track has a certain Fall Out Boy energy for me, “Crashing” leans more towards the British band from the pop punk sphere, “Halfway to Hollywood” is a sweet track that sees Lonely Spring show off their softer side… I think you get the picture, there is a lot of different music on here to enjoy!
Rasmus Thall – “EKKO (Kjærlighetssorg)”, “En framtid ute av mine hender (Fortvilelse)”
Leaving his clogs behind for his new music is Rasmus Thall, who presents two songs that are nothing like his MGP entry “Tresko”. “EKKO (Kjærlighetssorg)” (ECHO [Heartbreak]) at least still is an electronic track, but this time sounds much more like Rasmus is wandering around a deserted city street. The true standout is however “En framtid ute av mine hender (Fortvilelse)” (A future out of my hands [Despair]). This song is a stunning piece of singer-songwriter magic that at least musically finds some contentment in a difficult situation, leading to a heartbreaking sound that manages to also feel anthemic, almost uplifting despite everything. Definitely recommend checking out this track!
Kari Bremnes – “Ennu her” (EP)
Following the adorable ode to cats “Litt av et liv”, Kari Bremnes now presents her new EP “Ennu her” (Still here). From the gentle synths of last month’s release to the more cinematic sound of “I korte liv og lange år” (In short lives and long years) or gentle piano closer “Denne sangen” (This song), this is a lovely relaxed EP, and with that the EP of the month!
Mathilde SPZ – “Unforgettable”
Although she has quickly become a round-up regular, “Unforgettable” only marks the second time Mathilde SPZ makes a solo appearance. This bop is another addition to the artist’s quickly growing EDM-and-beyond danceable discography. This song sees Mathilde SPZ share production duties with Ola Frøyen (Subwoolfer, Elsie Bay, Hagle).
KRYLATA – “під каштаном”
Join Krylata “під каштаном” (Under the chestnut tree) for this cute little song about dancing with your love under a, you guessed it, chestnut tree. The song is the first of a batch of promised new music by KRYLATA with songwriter Vlad Destin.
KRUTЬ, Bahroma – “Воїну”
“Воїну” (Warrior) is a new song by KRUTЬ together with Roman Bakharev, the singer of Ukrainian rock band Bahroma. The song, dedicated to everyone fighting to defend Ukraine, is a gorgeous and haunting acoustic guitar ballad.
Dominik Dudek – “Follow You”
We now move to Poland, where Dominik Dudek has released the very sweet “Follow You”. This singer-songwriter love track threads the needle between multiple decades to create a thoroughly current ode to the person who is his “forever home”. Writing and production are all by Dominik, with the only assistance being Rafał Smoleń (Sara James’ “Somebody”, Tribbs, Sokół) taking care of mixing and mastering.
Marlena & Paula Mattheus – “no te deseo lo peor :)”
The duo Marlena are gearing up towards their new album “Entre Cuatro Paredes y Una verdad” (Between Four Walls and One truth), which is releasing late this October. “no te deseo lo peor :)” (i don’t wish you the worst :)) sees Marlena collab with Paula Mattheus, who previously already had a songwriting credit on the duo’s “Fecha de Curiosidad”. “no te deseo lo peor :)” is a cute song about not wishing your ex the worst, even if you don’t exactly wish them the best at the moment either. A really fun song that sees Marlena go in a bit more of a indie-pop direction in my opinion!
Valentin Uzun – “NUNTA VESELA”
O melodie pentru Europa 2016 and Finala națională 2020 contestant Valentin Uzun makes it to the round-up with the absolute wedding banger “NUNTA VESELA” (HAPPY WEDDING). I am barely exaggerating when I say that I am struggling to type this while listening to this song because it just makes me want to dance. Really, really, really fun.
ANNABELLE – “romantic suicide”
It’s an alum of the best edition of a NF ever held with emotional rock track “romantic suicide”. ANNABELLE sings her heart out in this song about heartbreak produced by Tom Oehler (“The Code”, “Who the Hell Is Edgar?”, “Watergun”). After having released a couple of pop songs in recent times, this marks an excellent return by ANNABELLE to something more resembling a rock sound, even if it still is very different from something like her ESCZ entry.
Leander Kills – “Síkba rejtett üveggömb”
It feels like a lifetime ago, but Hungary competed in Eurovision as recently as 2019. National final A Dal, which still has a big Eurofan fanbase now that it is just its own thing, was graced that year by Leander Kills, who narrowly missed out of qualifying from the heats. “Síkba rejtett üveggömb” (“A glass sphere hidden in a plane”, if my translation site is to be believed) is a track which has a calm beginning but really lets loose during the chorus, leading to excellent contrast between the restrained and at times almost groovy verses against the loud, screaming chorus. “Síkba rejtett üveggömb” will be part of upcoming album “Ébredés” (Awakening), which will be out in a few weeks.
YSEULT – “MENTAL” (LP)
While a big deal in France and beyond, YSEULT is best known in the Eurovision fandom for being one of the judges in France’s 2022 national final *deep breath* “Eurovision France, c’est vous qui décidez !”. The singer and model now has released her new LP “MENTAL”, which follows shortly after high profile performances such as singing at the Olympics closing ceremony. The album is a true voyage of genres, with the title track including influences ranging from alt-pop to noise punk and experimental alone. The faux 80s new wave and R&B of closer “Tuning”, the raving “B*TCH YOU COULD NEVER”, hip hop with industrial beats of “GASOLINA” and so, so much more that warrants mentioning but I just don’t have the space for. Whatever kind of music you like, I can guarantee there is something here for you. Highly recommend!
Bente & Roxeanne Hazes – “Wie is zij”
Dutch JESC NF Junior Songfestival juror Roxeanne Hazes (better known for other work) teams up with Bente to create indie bliss with “Wie is zij” (Who is she). The song will be part of Bente’s upcoming second album “drift”. A lovely track that fits right in with the themes of the album, which Bente has described as our nostalgia for childhood.
Gülälek Gulmyradowa – “Dj temp ber,”, “Hoş gal mähriban öýüm”, “Oglan gyzlar”
We wrap up this round-up with someone who has exactly 0 connection to Eurovision, but is probably better known by the fandom than pretty much any of the national final artists I wrote about at length above. Gülälek Gulmyradowa became a sensation among Eurovision fans following a performance of her song “Ýeke” (Yes), which has been widely described as “Turkmen Fuego”. The artist treated us to three very different releases this month.
First up was “Dj temp ber” (DJ, set the tempo) which will have you raving even if you’re just by yourself as Gülälek takes us through beats and samples to create an absolute banger of a party. If you need to calm down a bit after that, don’t worry, she’s got you covered. “Hoş gal mähriban öýüm” (Welcome home my love) is a piano-rock-EDM ballad, or something like that. You tell me. Anyway, it is a really cool piece featuring the amazing voices of Gulmyradowa and the song’s composer Gülälek Hezretgulyýewa. Finally, Gülälek Gulmyradowa also released what I must assume is Turkmen folktronica with “Oglan gyzlar” (Boys and girls), on which singing, rapping, hard beats, and flute melodies all work together to create yet another banger.
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 Bambie Thug, Kalush, and YAKTAK to Joker Out, Guy Sebastian, KEiiNO, 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.
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: VICTORIA, Marija Šerifović, Damiano David, Nebulossa. Collage by That Eurovision Site.
Giwrgos Oiko