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:
Jeangu Macrooy – “Everybody Needs Somebody”
We here at TES love it when Jeangu Macrooy grabs more than just an acoustic guitar, and this month he delivers once again with “Everybody Needs Somebody”. The artist once again walks that line between genres, taking elements from soul and indierock for this uplifting singalong anthem that will have you scream the title of the song along with it before you know it. Jeangu’s voice also sounds as rich as ever, but with the necessary confident vulnerability to really sell the song. Great stuff.
S10 – “Mijn Haren Ruiken Naar Vuur” (LP)
We continue this Dutch release party with S10, whose new album is out now. The 11 track effort “Mijn Haren Ruiken Naar Vuur” (My Hair Smells Like Fire) includes the pre-release singles of “Weer Verliefd“, “Have Fun“, and the title track plus a good chunk of new music. From the sweepingly chaotic, Woodkid-esque opener “De Leukste Mensen Zijn Raar” (The Nicest People Are Weird) to the classic S10 altpop of “Donkerblauw” (Dark blue) or the twirlingly electronic-to-indierock emotional closer “Kan Het Leven Vandaag Beginnen” (Can Life Begin Today), the Dutch singer-songwriter once again shows off her creative and emotional range.
Zdob și Zdub feat. Irina Rimes – “Dragobete”
Train dads are back, although it seems they ran into a bit of a delay. You see, Wikipedia tells me Dragobete is a traditional Romanian holiday not unlike Valentine’s Day that typically is celebrated on… February 24th? And this song released in March? Anyway, the delay was absolutely worth it because this song slaps. Zdob și Zdub team up with Moldovan singer-songwriter Irina Rimes for this very fun song that sees the ZsZ rock sound get fused with folk elements for this song that will get you dancing and humming along from the very first note.
Barbara Pravi – “l’exil et l’asile”, “Voyage Voyage”
Joining a bunch of other artists in the list of treating us to two songs this month is Barbara Pravi. First the singer-songwriter continued her tradition of releasing a song for International Women’s Day “l’exil et l’asile” (exile and asylum), which she recorded for and in collaboration with La Collective Arles, an organisation that serves as a centre for women’s health and as a safe space for those suffering from domestic violence, which this song is about.
She closed the month on a very different note emotionally as Barbara Pravi provided a cover of 80s megahit “Voyage, voyage” by Desireless, although I personally am most familiar with the version by robbed Eurovision queen Kate Ryan. The track is part of the film “On Ira” by Enya Baroux, which saw its wide cinematic release in the Francophone parts of Europe this month. This version of the song is a delightful, summery version and is a lot of fun.
Montaigne – “swim back”
It is time to “swim back” for Montaigne, in which the singer-songwriter takes their indie songwriter sensibilities and adds a pop tinge to it, leading to an enchanting soundscape that gently but firmly grabs you by the emotional collar. The song feels confident about itself while floating in uncertainty, a certain determination among the turmoil. And that is fitting, as Montaigne describes the track top Rolling Stone as “the aftermath of the previous song’s wreckage” while mentioning feeling adrift but embracing this opportunity to find a new place to belong.
Sinplus – “Unnatural Disaster”
The swaggering Swiss rockers of Sinplus are warning of an “Unnatural Disaster” on their latest piece, which sees them slightly change up their sound once again. A shimmering guitar here, some electronica inspired riffs there, all while the Sinplus formula of pure swagger and attitude with a nice wall of sound to be taken in by of course still there. A lot of fun.
O NOSO CANTO: Todas xuntas resoamos máis forte
O NOSO CANTO is Galician for OUR SONG and is a musical project that has brought together over 30 artists from across the region, with the end result also being called “O NOSO CANTO” So yes, that technically makes Todas xuntas resoamos máis forte (All together we resonate more strongly) a subtitle. So really the title of this section should read (according to how Tidal lists it at least) *deep breath*
Lucía Pérez, Yoly Saa, Sabela, Belém Tajes, Road Ramos, Uxía, Rosa Cedrón, Adufeiras de Salitre, Ana Moas, Anaïs Barbier, Bea Martinez, Caamaño & Ameixeiras, Carolina Rubirosa, Catuxa Salom, Claudia Abril, Icía Varela, Leticia Rey, María Jorge, Nastasia Zürcher, Sara Gimeno, Sara Nebra, Yeny Mendéz – “O NOSO CANTO”
And that isn’t even including some of the choir members that have gone uncredited as main artists but still played a part in creating this great piece of music. It’s a beautifully grand yet intimate, uplifting track made for International Women’s Day celebrating all the women in Galicia. It’s here thanks to the participation of Lucía Pérez, who together with NF fan fave Yoly Saa is one of the principal voices on this stunning track.
Gustaph – “Look At Us Now” (LP)
Have you been missing Eurovision’s daddy with a good hat? Gustaph now is here with a whole album of new music! Well, 11 tracks that include the excellent previously released singles such as “Really Mine“, “Already Know“, “Faith In What You Feel“, “Calls Your Name” and the Pride edition of his Eurovision entry “Because Of You”, but also some new tunes to dig into, all in Gustaph’s characteristic and fun 90’s house style.
Madame Monsieur – “Cinéma”
It’s time for some absolute “Cinéma” thanks to Madame Monsieur, who we haven’t featured here since their 2023 album. It’s a delightful 80s new wavey throwback that could go straight into an indie film now or the credits of any French film then. An absolute bop.
Next page: Highlights from artists from across the Extended Eurovision Universe
Giwrgos Oiko