Other Highlights
There is way too much music released every month to cover in-depth, but here are some of the best and biggest new tracks from other Eurovision artists:
Käärijä – “People’s Champion” (LP)
It’s been a long time coming, with pre-release singles including Eurovision entry “Cha Cha Cha”, “Kot Kot“, “Sex = Money“, “Huhhahhei“, and “It’s Crazy, It’s Party“, but now Käärijä’s album is finally here. The new music on “People’s Champion” all follows what we now from the artist in different ways. From the more contemplative “Autiomaa” to the rockier opener “Ready To Go” or the raprock of the closing title track, there is a lot here to enjoy for Käärijä fans.
S10 – “Mijn Haren Ruiken Naar Vuur”
“Mijn Haren Ruiken Naar Vuur” (My Hair Smells Like Fire) is the latest song by Dutch artist S10. The song, which also serves as the title for her just announced next album, is another classic S10 track. A solid, danceable beat underpins lyrics about insecurities and self-doubt and the determination to grow beyond those. Besides releasing new music of her own, S10 also showed up on the recently released live album by Froukje. “Zonder Gezicht” and “Nooit Meer Spijt” are both bonus tracks to the “Live in Brussel” album. In typical chaotic fashion, the two S10 songs were actually recorded in Paradiso, Amsterdam. “Mijn Haren Ruiken Naar Vuur” is our Song Of The Month!
Puggy (feat. MARO) – “The Most”, Parcels – “Leaveyourlove (with MARO)”
MARO shows up on two tracks this month but I really only want to talk about one of them, so let’s get the other out of the way quickly. Puggy is a Belgian band, and their collab with MARO is a slow bit of indie-pop that comes alive when MARO takes control of the song towards the end.
The more exciting release is her collab with Parcels. The Australian band, who I personally would describe as psychedelic nu-disco, only recently released their latest single “Leaveyourlove” (theyalways write their song names like that, idk why either). Hot on the heels of that release, Parcels released an EP worth of different takes on the song. MARO transforms “Leaveyourlove” from its funky original to an acoustic guitar track that absolutely fits in with her solo discography. I recommend this song to fans of MARO, and I highly recommend Parcels regular stuff to everyone!
Sudden Lights – “eldorado”
Sudden Lights have a new song out, so of course they are going right into the round-up. “eldorado” is a much more chill and laidback addition to their discography, but all the more beautiful for it. Speaking to Latvia’s tvnet, the band say the song is about being in the middle of the everchanging state of nature, where it’s often the small things that make us feel and believe life is beautiful.
Justyna Steczkowska – “Witch Tarohoro” (LP)
While “Sama” is fondly remembered by much of the Eurovision fandom, I do somehow feel that its excellent singer Justyna Steczkowska often goes underlooked. Hopefully this month changes that, as her new album “Witch Tarohoro” is truly excellent. There is a mix of sounds and productions on this album, although I would personally describe it as “epic video game music”, reminiscent of PlayStation 2 era games such as Prince of Persia or “what if God of War was electronic instead of (faux) symphonic”. Album of the month!
Ilinca & Gadjo Dilo – “Balkan Mama”
This is less folk-rock and more sometimes folk, sometimes rock, and with a little dash of pop. The yodeling Ilinca sings on this song that goes hard in the chorus and is very inviting to dance to in the verses. Really, really, really fun!
Hanna Pakarinen – “Ensilumi tulee kuudelta”
Finland’s version of De Beste Zangers is called Vain elämää kausi, and Hanna Pakarinen has been taking part in the 15th edition of it. Her take on Hector’s “Ensilumi tulee kuudelta” (The first snow comes at six) is a very sweet little country-esque guitar track that is also a lovely showcase for her voice.
ZOË – “La Vie en Rosé” (LP)
The album is finally here! “La Vie en Rosé” is the new album by ZOË, who already previously showcased tracks of this release such as “Carmen” and “Paname“. The album is chockful of these French language, café-or-cinéma ready songs, and the fun title track is no exception either.
Beta Ey – “Wicked Game”
Apparently the sisters of Systur have started releasing gorgeous solo efforts now! Beta Ey covered the beautiful, amazing, haunting Chris Isaak classic “Wicked Game”, and of course did so flawlessly. She took the original soft rock track and, especially thanks to smart production work, made it even more haunting. Close to being the song of the month, a gorgeous (if perhaps overly slow at times) piece of music.
Trijntje Oosterhuis – “Count On Me”
In these cold winter months, Trijntje Oosterhuis wants to make clear you can “Count On Me”. Musically this feels like a throwback to that soul-adjacent pop era, especially the type made in the USA. The song is very pleasant on the ear and Trijntje sounds absolutely amazing on it. One of the writers of this song is Jett Rebel, who really is a massive name in the Dutch music scene. Trijntje and Jett shared songwriting duties with Han Kooreneef (Within Temptation, Rob De Nijs, Krezip).
Montaigne – “everybody else”
Having written about “everybody else”, let’s close off this section of the round-up with new music by Montaigne. “everybody else” firmly fits in the more videogamey corner of Montaigne’s discography, so obviously I have a great time listening to it. The song, as the singer has shared on Instagram, is about the difficult relationship with their mother. For those interested, Montaigne’s post is in-depth and revealing and very much worth taking the time to read.
Next page: Highlights from artists from across the Extended Eurovision Universe
Giwrgos Oiko