Poland is no stranger to Political controversy, and its state broadcaster, Telewizja Polska (TVP), has often been mired by accusations of bias, including surrounding its Eurovision selection process. Last year’s national final was marred by accusations of vote rigging, technical glitches, and poor production quality. Many fans and artists expressed their dissatisfaction with the results and the format of the show, and some even called for a boycott of the Contest.
With TVP now—as my Polish friend put it—”in transition”, it was perhaps not surprising that the broadcaster decided to select its representative through an internal, and highly transparent, selection process.
In January, TVP opened a short submission period. Applicants were required to hold Polish citizenship and to submit songs online. TVP received 212 submissions, including entries from Edyta Górniak and Justyna Steczkowska, who represented Poland in the Contests of 1994 and 1995 respectively. Many of the submissions were released publicly, giving fans a flavour of what was unfolding.
A five-member selection committee was appointed to evaluate each entry, awarding points on a scale of 1 to 10. The selection committee consisted of Łukasz Pieter (Radio ZET), Michał Hanczak (Radio Eska), Kasia Moś (2017 Polish ESC representative), Konrad Szczęsny (President of OGAE Poland) and Piotr Klatt (music journalist and TVP representative).
On February 19, TVP revealed the Polish entrant during the morning show on TVP2. Luna, a young singer-songwriter, student of liberal arts and yoga teacher from Warsaw was announced as the winner. Born Aleksandra Wielgomas, Luna has a background in folk music and took her cosmic alter ego in honour of the moon. Her victory grants her the right to perform her song, “The Tower”, during the first semi-final in Malmö in May.
The decision was close, with veteran Justyna Steczkowska obtaining only one point fewer than Luna. Initial fan reaction has nonetheless been generally positive. The song is a pop-rock anthem with powerful vocals and a catchy chorus, and the video is innovative and engaging. Luna has said that the theme is overcoming fears and challenges and reaching for your dreams.
It remains to be seen whether Poland can reverse recent poor showings in the adult Contest. Irrespective, having a less controversial selection result is an achievement and will allow Polish fans to be proud of their representative in May.