Ahead of his participation in Pesma za Evroviziju 2026 (PZE), Tetiana was able to chat with Brat Pelin. He is re-bringing “Fräulein” to the competition in Belgrade hoping it will reach its long awaited destination in Vienna at Eurovision 2026.
Let’s talk about your upcoming PZE participation. How did you make a decision to apply? What was the process for “Fräulein” creation, and was the chorus in German aimed at the contest in Vienna?
I actually applied two years ago with a song called “Fräulein”. However, I didn’t make it through at the time — probably because I submitted a demo that didn’t sound polished enough. So I didn’t intentionally use a German word because I wanted to go to Vienna… but somehow, Vienna came to me. And here’s how.
Last year, on May 18th, my friends and I celebrated my birthday in Vienna. That evening, we went out looking for a pub where we could celebrate, but every single place was packed because everyone was watching the Eurovision final. We barely managed to find one small pub and squeezed into a tiny booth. That’s when we decided to follow the final on our phones. There was no TV in that pub.
We saw that Austria was among the favorites. And then we all realized something — I actually had a finished, unreleased song called “Frauline.” At that moment, I made a promise: if Austria won Eurovision that night, I would submit the song again to the PZE competition, and one year later we would return to Vienna to celebrate my birthday — but this time in the green room.
And I truly believe we will accomplish that mission.
Apart from releasing music you are also invested in video content production and the scope of Sasvim Obična Emisija Youtube show is quite impressive. Do you feel more like an actor and producer or like musician and performer these days?
This whole process of participating in the festival has actually shown me the path I want to follow.
The feeling I have when I step onto the stage is indescribable, and I want to live with that feeling for the rest of my life. I truly believe I was born for it. It’s not just singing, or acting, or music, or directing. It’s all of it combined.
It’s a show. That’s what I will dedicate the rest of my life to. I am a showman.
Did you make friends with PZE artists? Please tell some fun stories from backstage!
I’ve met many of the contestants, and there’s truly a beautiful atmosphere between all of us. We haven’t had that much time to spend together yet, but I can already tell we’re going to have an amazing time in the green room.
We haven’t had the chance to create any fun backstage stories so far — but I guarantee there will be plenty of them after PZE.
If you could claim 1 song from this year’s PZE as your own, which one?
If I absolutely had to choose a song that isn’t mine — and if we’re judging purely by quality, not by chances of winning — it would definitely be “Manivi – Svaki dan.”
In my opinion, it’s a masterpiece that deserves much, much more attention.
I would honestly love it if, in case I don’t win, it’s because Manivi won.
Please tell about your favorite Eurovision songs of all times and which ones you like that represented Serbia.
My forever favorite Eurovision song will always be “Athena – For Real.” Close to the top are also “Eva Rivas – Apricot Stone,” and of course Måneskin, who were absolutely fantastic.
When it comes to Serbian representatives, “Lane moje” holds a special nostalgic place in my heart, since that was the very first Eurovision I ever watched.
For a long time, aside from “Molitva” and “In Corpore Sano,” we didn’t really have a song we truly believed could win.
Your plans on where you would like to perform this year apart from PZE, any plans to release more music, arrange a concert or two? Or it will be a show/a movie?
I still don’t know exactly what form it will take, but I’m definitely starting to work on some kind of show program. I really enjoyed the live performance, and I believe that by the end of the year I’ll have a clear goal — one that I will achieve and that all of Europe will hear about.
I’m certainly planning a film, a concert, a show, a series — everything inside me that’s been waiting to come out!
About Brat Pelin
Brat Pelin (his name is Stefan Papić) is an actor, musician, content creator, producer, director and all-around showman from Užice in Serbia. He graduated in journalism in Novi Sad, where he got his first job as a musician and journalist for Radio Delta. He plays guitar, piano and drums professionally and writes songs for the band Il Mondo.
His Youtube show “Sasvim Obična Emisija” (A Very Ordinary Show) is being followed by more than 100K audience as it’s scope, quality and humor are sure to move everyone. He clearly has big dreams which he turns into clear goals as he threads his creative path: “If haven’t heard of me, then I should work more” is his credo. He is entering the regional music industry loudly and spectacularly as his first performance will be held on the biggest stage. Brat Pelin will be competing in Semi final 2 on February 26 with “Fräulein”.
Serbia’s Eurovision journey
In 2007, Serbia made its debut as an independent country, having previously participated as part of Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro. There, they were represented by Marija Šerifović with “Molitva”, which managed to win the competition. Since their debut, Serbia has participated 16 times (13 of which, where they qualified for the Grand Final).
Princ represented Serbia at Eurovision 2025 in Basel with his song “Mila”. At this year’s competition, Serbia failed to qualify for the Grand Final, finishing in fourteenth place with 28 points in the semi-final.
What do you think of the PZE 2026 competing songs? Who would you like to see represent Serbia in Vienna? 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 for all things Serbia at Eurovision 2026!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: RTS
Rory Gannon