Czechia once again held ESCZ on Monday, December 4, 2023. A major change for this year’s event was a shift to a live show with an audience at the Roxy Theatre in Prague. The stage is fairly small so the staging is limited, with a bit of dancing in some acts and bands on stage. 7 acts were chosen to compete.
Aiko performed first with “Pedestal.” A pop song, Aiko said in her interview with Austrian 2018 Eurovision entry Cesar Sampson, “I felt angry at the time…I’ve not been valuing myself enough.” She hopes it can emotionally connect with the audience and encourages listeners to put themselves on a pedestal.
Next, Elly performed “The Angel’s Share.” A ballad, Elly described it as “healing after losing someone close to you…it has a super personal meaning.” Elly did not realize it was also a term for whisky drinkers meaning the amount of an alcoholic beverage lost to evaporation. She hopes everyone can connect with the song in their own way.
Third, Gianna Lei performed “Starlet.” When talking with Cesar, Gianna describes it as a song about boosting self confidence, written at a low time for her.
Fourth, Lenny performed the second ballad of the night, “Good Enough.” She previously had a hit across Europe with “Hello.” Lenny spoke with Cesar and described the song as personal, about moments where she wonders if she’s good enough to have earned the stage she’s on, or imposter syndrome. She wants it to remind people that they are good enough.
Fifth, Mydy performed the upbeat, electro-pop song “Red Flag Parade.” The front woman of the band, that already performed at Glastonbury, said their name has no particular meaning. The song is self-described as glam-tronic.
Sixth, Tom Sean performed his club dance track “Dopamine Overdose.” He described the song in three words when prompted by Cesar as “uncontrollable pure happiness.” Tom would like to make the staging a party, especially if he makes it to Malmö.
Finally, Tomas Robin performed “Out of My Mind.” It’s a departure from his standard style, shiifng to a more electronic sound. He told Ceasar the hook, which is also the title, was the first part written. He wanted the versus to be more calm building up to the chorus. The lyrics describe overthinking situatons and that we sometimes get to in our heads in situations.
Following Tomas Robin’s performance, the votng was opened. As with ESCZ in the past, international televote will make up 70% of the selection and the vote within Czechia 30%. The results were announced a week later on December 13 with Aiko and “Pedestal” winning with 23,898 points, followed by Elly and “The Angel’s Share” with 12,876 points, and Mydy in third with “Red Flag Parade” and 7,031 points