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.
THE HARDKISS – “Tenderness”
“Tenderness” is the latest track to be released ahead of The Hardkiss releasing a new album next year. The track sees the band really focusing in on the contrast between their hard instrumentals and Julia’s smooth, powerful vocals. This is also your reminder that, for fans of the new songs or those wanting some HARDKISS classics, they will be touring across Europe throughout the rest of the year.
ДК Енергетик – “2х2”
And that is not the only excellent Ukrainian rock song I have for you this month. ДК Енергетик are back with more sexy guitar effects, this time leaning a bit more towards The Cure in their sound. A lush moody piece of music that feels both warm and extremely cold at the same time. After all, “And the world is as simple as two by two: If you do something, something will happen; And don’t expect good from good”, as they sing.
Balkan Paradise Orchestra, Tanxugueiras, Arnau Altimir – “Abelles reines (Game Sessions II)”
We love Tanxugueiras here at That Eurovision Site, and this month they show up in the round-up with a pretty interesting collab. Balkan Paradise Orchestra are a group of instrumentalists that started out playing Balkan classics on the street of Barcelona before starting to create their own music inspired by a whole host of different sounds and backgrounds. “Abelles reines” (Queen bees) was the closer on BPO’s 2024 album “Néctar”, and now as part of their Game Sessions it gets a new twist. Arnau Altimir and Tanxugueiras join the group in this beat heavy remix of the original track. I, of course, absolutely adore this. It’s exactly my kind of thing and my Track of the month!
Eefje de Visser – “Normaal Toen”
That was “Normaal Toen” (Normal Then), Eefje de Visser sings in this song that manages to both be an ode to when she was younger and an examination of the uncertainty and turmoil she felt back then. Layered instrumentation and vocals, this is another typical song of hers ahead of her upcoming album “Vlijmscherp”.
An-Marlen – “trügige must mööda”
Get ready to dance and “trügige must mööda” (push past the black) with An-Marlen this month. The Estonian singer comes with one of the most energetic songs about writer’s block I have ever heard.
From Fall to Spring – “ENTRY WOUNDS” (LP)
While Chefsache ESC only lasted one year, I had a much better time with it than I thought I would. That is in large part thanks to the excellent competing acts, such as From Fall to Spring. Although they didn’t take the win, they got a lot of new fans out of it ahead of their second album “ENTRY WOUNDS”. The album takes musical and lyrical inspiration from metalcore, alternative rock, and even pop to create something that is very listenable as the album charts the slow journey of self-discovery and dealing with deep-seated emotional, personal struggles. Recommended for fans of early 30 Seconds to Mars and (for our UK readers) people who used to read Kerrang Magazine.
Young Associate, Slam Dunk – “Post it on LinkedIn (My Grandma Just Died)”, “Grønn på Teams (feat. Trond)”
I think we are all surprised to see me writing about these artists. But these songs are so fun I just can’t deny them the spotlight. “Post it on LinkedIn (My Grandma Just Died)” is the kind of bizarre satire that reminds me of Stefan Raab, with the lyrics taking aim at corporate culture and LinkedIn posts. “Grønn på Teams” (Green on Teams) meanwhile is musically much more my thing. This makes the song no less biting, as it takes on the freedom but also pressure that comes with working from home and having to be always online. And, of course, I love the WordArt cover.
Anne Fagermo – “Femåring”
But don’t worry, we also have a Norwegian face that is familiar to the round-up. Anne Fagermo has released “Femåring” (Five-year-old), a slow and contemplative song about a child having a difficult childhood, while also being hopeful about things getting better in the future.
ÁTOA, Os Azeitonas – “Drama”
One of my favourite interviews I have done for the site was with Os Azeitonas. They are a lot of fun to talk to, just as their music is a lot of fun to listen to. “Drama” sees them working with ÁTOA and create a superbly vibey track. That the song is about a relationship that is falling apart, creating some really interesting musical and lyrical dissonance, is just the icing on the cake for me.
Hydrogen – “ANTENA\\SRCE\\RADIO”
Part of what I love about the round-up is seeing how groups have changed or evolved over time. Pesma alums Hydrogen have built on their homemade sound and sound bigger and better than ever. The garagey feel of their music comes out better, their alternative rock influences finally really shine through, and we even get some powerful post-punk elements towards the end here. This sounds like a band firing on all cylinders while also still having oodles of potential. Highly recommend.
tam – “sve još miriše na leto”
“sve još miriše na leto” (everything still smells like summer), tam declares on her latest track. Pure dance-pop goodness, with a gorgeous contrast between slightly melancholy vocals, thumping beat, and glittering synths.
FELICIA – “Black Widow”, “En hälsning”
The artist formerly known as Fröken Snusk, FELICIA, has two new songs out that left such an impression they got the Mello rumour mill going. Musically, both tracks represent a massive step up for the performer. “Black Widow” is a confident, powerful dance-pop track full of attitude. It also is very, very catchy.
“En hälsning” meanwhile is a frankly shocking release, in which Felicia speaks over a piano about her struggles and fears, while also expressing hope and excitement for what’s to come.
Agnes – “EGO”
Ready for more? Agnes‘ shopping tour through past decades gone by, with “EGO’ including nu-disco and new wave elements in its otherwise thoroughly modern production. On the song, Agnes sings about letting go of her ego to create space for relationships and new experiences.
Night Tapes – “portals//polarities” (LP)
And finally we reach an album that this round-up has been hotly awaiting. “portals//polarities” by Night Tapes includes previously released songs such as the trip-hoppy “babygirl (no1 else)“, dream pop track “Storm” and more. All 13 tracks consist of dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes, from the layered opener “enter” or the gentle but more drum focused “masterplan” to closer “wayfarer”, which almost sounds like Jamie XX producing a disco track and then releasing it on some supremely lofi equipment. Album of the month!
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 Nemo, Jeangu Macrooy, and The HARDKISS to KEiiNO, Annalisa, Alessandra Mele, 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, tumblr, and Bluesky for all the latest Eurovision news and more!
News Source: That Eurovision Site / Various
Photo Credit: Red Sebastian, S10, Agnes, An-Marlen. Collage by That Eurovision Site.
Giwrgos Oiko