I don't know how you all are feeling right now but the semifinal days are coming and I'm getting a bit nervous cause this year we got an amazing group of artists and anything can happen next week so to relax a bit let me post a short interview with the winner of Melodifestivalen 2021 and the fashion king who is going to represent Sweden next tuesday, here are Tusse's answers:
Hej Tusse, welcome the Eurovision universe. How are you doing?
I’m feeling great, and superexcited about the semifinal!
Let's start from the beginning, how did your mello adventure start?
I decided to participate as soon as I heard the song, “Voices”. The fun thing is that due to a math test and my drivers license test I had a hard time finding time to record the song. But my high school decided to postpone the test so that I could go and record the song. And then I ended up winning Melodifestivalen which was just unbelievable. I remember that it came as a huge surprise when I heard my name. I couldn’t believe it when I was announced as the winner. I remember thinking that maybe Eric Saade, The Mamas or Dotter would win. So being here in Eurovision is a true honor.
Can you describe for us the day you recorded "Voices"? And what was your reaction when you heard the final result for the first time?
It was a great experience for me and I had a fun time working with Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt and Anderz Wrethov, who are the songwriters’ behind “Voices”. I remember that we actually wrote a lot of songs before they suggested me to sing “Voices”. But when I heard it I immediately said yes, because the song was an incredible song with a lot of emotions and hope and strength. And I just fell in love with it.
Photo: Gustav Ike
What's the story behind the song?
I would love the song to give people hope and strength, because that’s what the song has given me. The message is loud and clear, every voice matters. There’s a lot of people out there that have no voice and I would like my song to be a reminder for them that we all are born free with millions of opportunities and choices. We all have feelings and thoughts. And that makes us stronger, because we’re all in this together. I believe that we have more in common than what separates us. We all have emotions and thoughts, and because of that we’re not alone. Everybody feels lonely sometimes and sad sometimes, and because everybody feels that way, then we’re not lonely at all, because we have each other to lean on.
Photo: Gustav Ike
Were you involve in creating how the performance would look like? How was it to work with the mello team for it and can we expect any changes for the Eurovision performance?
Yes, I have been involved and I’m so proud of what we’ve done together with the Mello team. The staging will be quite similar to what you saw in Melodifestivalen, but we've tried to make it look bigger and more authentic. We've made some changes in the visuals and we've made some changes on the outfit and to make it greater and bigger.
Photo: EBU
Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
This year's Eurovision is quite interesting cause we got a mix of artists we loved last year and some new ones that we are starting to love now. Our next interview is from one of the biggest revelations of ESC 2021, she owns the stage like no other and I can't wait to see her shine in may, here are Albina's answers:
Name: Albina Grčić
Birthday: 06.02.1999
Height: 164 cm
Favorite color: blue
Whats your strangest talent? Not the strangest but photographic memory
What is the strangest thing you have in your room? Cervants bell
What are you really good at? Multitasking and pep talk
What are you really bad at? Cheating in school
Childhood memory: Summer days with grandma in her garden and driving an old Fiat through the village
Celebrity crush: Matthew McCounaghey/ Martino Rivas
Who would you cast to play you in a movie about your life? Neslihan Atagul but as a blonde haha
What would the title of that movie be? Albina: Best From Both Worlds
Favorite movie: Schindlers list, Interstellar
Favorite TV series: Stranger Things, Game of Thrones
Dish/Snack/Beverage/Candy we should try if we ever visit Croatia: : Dorina chocolate with cookies, Kiki candy, White Linolada (our alternative for Nutella), Domaćica cookies, Ledo ice creams
What is your guilty pleasure? watching girly TV series that make no sense 😂
Can you recommend us a song (old or new) from a Croatian artist? Lipa Moja (Oliver Dragojević and 2Cellos)
Can you teach us some interesting words in Croatian?
Hi Albina, welcome to the Eurovision universe. How are you doing?
Hi, thanks for having me! Im quite well, very excited.
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I would say that Im quite ambitious and eager for success, but not at every cost. Im also quite sympathetic and devoted to my family and loved ones. I will always try to keep the balance between those two worlds and will always try to be true to myself as an artist. Also, I love the possibility of transformation on the stage and the fact that I can combine singing, dancing and acting.
You were the winner of DORA 2021 and got the ticket to represent Croatia in Rotterdam, how did it all begin?
Hard to say, since I started singing at a very early age. To wrap it in recent turn of events, Id say my producer actually noticed me at Dora 2020, where I was performing as a guest, not a participant, and as soon as we started working together on my first single “Imuna na strah” we already had ideas for the future steps and the ideas we had fit trying out for Dora 2021.
Photo: Mislav Zabarovic
"Tick-tock” is the title of your song, and it's written by Branimir Mihaljević Max Cinnamon and Tihana Buklijaš Bakić, how was it working with them?
Amazing, really. Tihana wrote the lyrics from my first single, already, and even though we have not met in person till we actually started working on Tick-Tock we clicked early on, she took time to understand who I am and managed to write the lyrics and message I want to bring out. Same with Max, hes such talented young person and yet modest. Im sure he'll go a long way and leave some milestones in his professional future.
Can you describe for us the day you recorded the song? And what was your reaction when you heard the final result for the first time?
For me the process was quite fast, Branimir called me up when he was ready to present the song, I immediately went to Zagreb (from Split), heard the song, loved it and I think minutes did not pass by till I already sang in the studio. I was a bit surprised of the tempo of the song since through my past experiences I was always connected with singing ballads, but it didnt take me long to feel very comfortable in the genre.
Photo: Mislav Zabarovic
How do you feel about the reaction your song has been getting from the fans?
Very happy, very proud, Im getting so much support, from both local and international audiences, fans, its amazing and it gives me even more energy in my work.
What's the process of creating a performance for Eurovision like and what can we expect to see on stage in may?
We, my team and I, were preparing for Dora's performance quite intensely, and now we're bringing the performance to a higher level for ESC stage, of course. The team is the same except we're now working together with Marvin Dietmann, one of the best and most experienced artistic directors there are. You can expect the energy of the song brought very vividly, and I hope the audience will feel the fun and joy we're all bringing into the performance.
Photo: Borna Hrzina
What do you like about Eurovision?
It gives the opportunity to young artists who are just starting their careers to experience high level production and perform on such big stage
What do you dislike about Eurovision?
Maybe the fact that sometimes there are a lot of good songs in one semi final and just a few of them in other, which is why some great songs dont get the opportunity for the finals
Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
The Voice: performance of Lovely, by Filip Rudan and I
Sea: My hometown Split
Ice cream: Pastry shop “Hajduk”
Moja stikla: Severina
Applause: Lady Gaga
Is there anything you want to say to close the interview?
Ever since we saw our next guest winning JESC 2015 we knew that one day she was going to step into the big stage of Eurovision and be the super star she was destined to be. We couldn't have her on that stage last year but she came back even stronger this year with one of the songs that made me excited from the moment I heard the 1st note, without further ado, here are Destiny's answers:
Name: Destiny
Birthday: 29/08/02
Height: 5.7
Favorite color: pink and black
What’s your strangest talent? If it’s a talent it cant be strange :))
What are you really good at? Doing make up
What are you really bad at? Doing my hair
Childhood memory: Me singing with Maltese legend Joseph Callejja
Celebrity crush: Justin Bieber
Who would you cast to play you in a movie about your life? Lizzo
What would the title of that movie be? Destined for greatness
Favorite movie: Titanic
Favorite TV series: Money heist
Dish/Snack/Beverage/Candy we should try if we ever visit Malta: Kinnie/Pastizzi/Qubbajt
What is your guilty pleasure? Mixing ketchup and Mayo while eating fries.
Can you recommend us a song (old or new) from a Maltese artist? 7th wonder by Ira Losco
Can you teach us some interesting words in Maltese? Mela!!!!!
Photo: Carlton Agius
Hello Destiny, welcome back to the Eurovision universe. How are you doing?
Fine thank you
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
Fun and ambitious
Photo: Carlton Agius
Before we start talking about 2021, can we go back to 2015? What do you remember the most from your JESC experience?
The friends I made who I’m still close to till this present day and all the Eurovision fans I met along the Jesc experience.
When we fans look back to Eurovision 2020 we get very emotional about it, how was it for you and what did you learn from it when it came to deciding to select a song for this year's contest?
It was a tough one since I was emotionally attached to my 2020 song All Of My Love. But thanks to my incredible team we’ve come up with an amazing one this year once again and I’m super excited for my performance.
"Je me casse” is the title of your song, what's the story behind if?
Women empowerment, being independent and achieving your goals!
Photo: Carlton Agius
Can you describe for us the day you recorded the song? And what was your reaction when you heard the final result for the first time?
It was a very busy day and I must admit it was a magical one too. I was surprised with what Me and my team managed to create.
How do you feel about the reaction your song has been getting from the fans?
I’m thankful that you amazing people are liking it and vibin to it in such a fantastic way.
Photo: Carlton Agius
What can we expect to see on stage this year's performance?
Something different than usual
What do you like about Eurovision?
Everything... it’s such a great opportunity for people who love music and gather together to listen to different type of song genres. And it’s all about diversity and being yourself.
What do you dislike about Eurovision?
I don’t hate anything about Eurovision. There are so much positives around the contest that I would never let a negative one outweigh them.
Photo: Carlton Agius
Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
Connection: WiFi !
Turtle: animal
Scandal: something bad
Clouds: white circles
Applause: many people clapping and shouting
Photo: Carlton Agius
Is there anything you want to say to close the interview?
I would like to thank you all for supporting me throughout all these years. I’m very grateful for all of you. You inspire me to keep pushing and being a greater version of myself everyday love you all x
One of the most beautiful things about Eurovision is getting to discover great artists and our next guest is a very lovely discovery for me. I heard some of her songs while I was editing this interview and let me tell you something: I'm in love with her music!. It's time to get to know more about one of my fav acts from FDC 2021, here are mema's answers:
Name: mema.
Birthday: 26th February
Height: 1,62m
Favorite color: Blue
What’s your strangest talent? I rather not say. It's too weird.
What is the strangest thing you have in your room? This weird wood percussion instrument shaped like a mouse (I think it's a mouse)
What are you really good at? Music.
What are you really bad at? Dancing.
Childhood memory: My mom singing me to sleep with Zeca Afonso's "Canção de Embalar"
Celebrity crush: haha! this is embarrassing... They change every month. Currently Masterchef Australia's Melissa Leong.
Who would you cast to play you in a movie about your life? Rachel Weizs just because she's an incredible actress and super versatile.
What would the title of that movie be? Stuck on You (or Trapped in Your Mind)
Favorite movie: Parasite by Bong Joon-ho
Favorite TV series: Queen's Gambit. I absolutely loved that show.
Dish/Snack/Beverage/Candy we should try if we ever visit Portugal: Ovos moles (from my hometown, Aveiro)
Can you recommend us a song (old or new) from a Portuguese artist? I'll give you two that I love: Madredeus - Ao Longe o Mar; Pedro Mafama - Lacrau
Can you teach us some interesting words in Portuguese? There's nothing more interesting than food, so I'll teach you some common food words we have here: caldeirada (like "caldeirada de enguias" - eel stew), chanfana (i.e. "chanfana de borrego" - lamb stew, typically cooked in a clay pot), feijoada, lagareiro (i.e. "polvo à lagareiro" - an octopus dish you definitely have to try!).
Hi mema, welcome to the Eurovision universe. How are you doing?
I'm doing great! Excited about Festival da Canção and getting ready for my performance! I can't wait.
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
Introspective, intimate and curious are three adjectives that describe my artistry quite well. I make electronic pop with a touch of traditional Portuguese sounds. I am in constant search for a new, fresher sound, at the same time that I look for reconnecting with my roots. It's an approach I tried with my first record out, my EP "Cidade de Sal", and that I plan to continue pursuing in the future. My music is that affirmation of who I am, together with my view of the world and life questions. There's a lot of honesty in what I do and put out in my music. I get personal, because I believe other people might relate to it too.
Stereossauro was one of the composers that RTP invited to take part in FDC 2021 and he chose you to be the singer of the song. How did it all begin?
I met Stereossauro shortly after releasing my EP "Cidade de Sal". He had been following my releases for a while, and invited me to work on a track together. This was in late October last year. Almost at the same time, RTP announced they were opening applications to Festival da Canção, and a lot of my friends were encouraging me to apply on my own. But since I was already working with Stereossauro, I decided to ask him if he wanted to join forces. To my surprise he had just received an invite by RTP to be part of the festival as an author, he said "yes", and there it began! We immediately started working on song options the next day, and soon after "Claro Como Água" was born.
"Claro como água” is the title of your song, what's the story behind it?
The title means “as clear as water” in Portuguese, and it mainly speaks of purpose, self-acceptance and striving through hardship. We had a very tough year in 2020, so we wanted to write a more positive, uplifting song. We wanted to break the cycle of bad news and melancholy somehow. So, when we were happy with the instrumental, I started trying to write the lyrics. I was a bit stuck on it, because I'm used to writing sad songs, in a way. But when I finally managed to kick-it off, it just flowed. It’s a very intimate and personal song for me. When you understand what keeps you moving forward, your reason for being here, that little light within that pulls you through, and when you accept yourself as you are, then you find a certain peace. It's that turning point where your biggest inner questions start fading away, and things get as clear as water. That's what "Claro Como Água" is all about.
Can you describe for us the day you all started working on the song?
Yeah. The day after we decided we'd go to Festival da Canção together, Stereossauro immediately sent me a bunch of beats he had prepared, so we could start choosing the type of sound we wanted for it. I remember I was on a train, going back home, when he sent me those. He's such a hardworking guy! He would send me new stuff every day, until we found the one!
How do you feel about the reaction your song has been getting from the fans?
It's been unbelievable. I wasn't expecting such a heartwarming reaction! I was a bit afraid of what the fans would think, because the song is a bit more upbeat and positive when compared to my previous works. So, I was really happy to see how positive the comments and messages were, and coming from all over the world.
What can we expect to see on stage for the performance?
We're keeping it a secret until the week of the semifinal. 🤫 All I can say is that we're in very good hands style wise, we're working with the amazing Alexandra Moura. Her clothes are incredible and I'm so lucky to be able to wear them on stage at Festival da Canção! As for the performance itself, I can say we're giving you something minimalistic, unique and heartfelt. I'm very excited about it and I can't wait to show you what we've got!
Have you heard any of the other songs in the competition? Any favorite? Yes, of course! We've got a very strong selection this year, but my favourites so far are "Saudade" by Karetus & Romeu Barios, and "Volte-Face" by EU.CLIDES (and Pedro da Linha).
The use of prerecorded backing vocals in the Eurovision performances will be allowed this year and that has set some kind of debate since some find it great but others think it could hurt the contest, as a singer what are your thoughts on this topic?
I actually think it's great. With the constant lockdowns due to the pandemic, it gets really hard to rehearse properly. Having the possibility of using prerecorded backing vocals removes that friction from the equation. Besides that, it opens new possibilities on what you can do outside of your lead vocal line. I think it's great, especially given our current context.
What do you like about Eurovision?
I love the atmosphere, and how we all put differences aside and just celebrate together. I think that's what Eurovision represents. That feeling of togetherness and celebration. It's a beautiful thing. And I love how cultural elements pop in many of the songs.
What do you dislike about Eurovision?
I think sometimes there's too much focus on the lights, props and outfits, and not in the songs themselves. I feel like the performances are also very similar each year. I'd love to see more originality in both the composition and the performances
Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word:
Tree: green
Screen: work
Blackout: dark
Rain: soothing
Live music: happiness
Is there anything you want to say to close the interview?
Thank you so much for having me on your blog. It's been fun! And thank you to all Eurovision fans who have been supporting our song. Your messages are so heartwarming, and they really mean a lot. Thank you!
