It seems not a national final this year has gone by without an artist withdrawal and replacement of some kind–and Croatia certainly will not be left out of the party. LSQ ft. Lara, who were supposed to compete with the song “Mama”, have withdrawn, and will be replaced by the band Swingers.
LSQ ft. Lara withdraws
At this time, we don’t yet know the reason for LSQ ft. Lara’s withdrawal from Dora 2025, Croatia’s national selection for Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. This artist replacement is unlike many others, as it does not seem to be for a rule violation.
Swingers are a Croatian band active since 1999. Their music is inspired by the American swing dance revival. They have released five albums, most recently 2023’s Zapleลกi Twist, and frequently collaborate with other Croatian artists, including 2012 Eurovision representative Nina Badriฤ. Originally a cover band, they have slowly increased the amount of original music that they release and perform. Their song for Dora 2025 is titled “FUL KUL”.
Croatia’s Eurovision journey
Croatia has been a part of the Eurovision family since 1961, as part of Yugoslavia. Ten Croatian artists represented Yugoslavia in the Contest โ the most famous of which being Riva, who gave Yugoslavia its only win in 1989. The 1990 Contest was held in Zagreb as a nod to their Croatian heritage.
Croatia debuted in the Contest as an independent nation in 1993 with the band Put and their song โDonโt Ever Cryโ. Since then, Croatia has gone on to score as high as 2nd place in 2024. For 2024, Croatia chose Baby Lasagna to represent the nation in Malmรถ with his song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”–himself a backup entry like Swingers! Performing in the first semi-final, Croatia won the semifinal and qualified for the Grand Final. In the Grand Final, Baby Lasagna finished in 2nd place, with a total of 547 points – 210 of which coming from juries, whilst another 337 came from the televote. This was the highest televoting score in the Grand Final of the 2024 contest.
Dora has taken place 25 times since its inception in 1992, and has selected the majority of Croatia’s Eurovision entries, except for a hiatus between 2011 and 2019. Since its return, the competition has usually consisted of a single final of around 14 to 18 songs, but the format changed in 2024 to include a semi-final stage for the expanded amount of 24 songs.
Will Swingers be able to fill the shoes of Baby Lasagna? Could they perform at Eurovision 2025? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow โThat Eurovision Siteโ onย Facebook,ย Instagram,ย Twitter,ย TikTok,ย Threadsย andย Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2025!
News Source: Eurosong.hr
Photo Credit: Croatia Records
Giwrgos Oiko