With Eesti Laul 2025 just around the corner, Shiloh interviewed Janek, who will compete with his song “Frozen”.
Watch our interview with Janek here!
Shiloh and Janek discussed what his coworkers think of his Eurovision career, his songwriting partnership with Mørland, his Eurovision 2024 winner, and more! You can also read our 2023 interview with Janek here.
Listen to Janek’s entry “Frozen”
About Janek
Janek Valgepea, known mononymously as Janek in his music career, has lived and worked in London since 2014. He can play the piano and violin in addition to singing, and participated in writing both “Frozen” and his 2023 Eesti Laul entry, “House of Glass”. 2023 was his first Eesti Laul appearance, and he ultimately placed 5th in the final. Prior to moving to London, he was a participant on Eesti Otsib Superstaari 2012; he has also lived briefly in Australia.
Estonia’s Eurovision journey
Estonia has appeared at almost every Eurovision since their debut in 1994. They have won the contest once with Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL in 2001, singing Everybody. Other notable Estonian entrants include 3rd placer Sahlene with Runaway in 2002 and Ines with Once In A Lifetime in 2000, who placed 4th. More recently, their highest-placing entries have been Urban Symphony with Rändajad in 2009 and Ott Lepland with Kuula in 2012, both of which finished in 6th place.
In 2024, Estonia elected to send 5MIINUST and Puuluup through Eesti Laul to the Contest with “(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi”. They successfully qualified for the final and finshed in 20th place with 37 points. The group finished with 4 points from the juries, and an additional 33 points from the televote.
For over a decade now Eesti Laul has showcased Estonian talent in a multi-stage format to select Estonia’s Eurovision entrant. Traditionally featuring two semi finals and a final, in recent years the show has been adapted year on year to feature (then subsequently remove) quarter finals, and wild card rounds; this year, there will not be a semifinal. The winner is typically decided by a hybrid voting of juries and televotes, with a superfinal of usually three acts vying for the chance to represent Estonia.
Will Janek succeed in representing Estonia on his second attempt? What do you think of his song “Frozen”? 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 as we prepare for Eurovision 2025!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Ksenia Pareyko
Rory Gannon 
Giwrgos Oiko