Moldova National Selection Review - Michelle Stigwood

Natalia Gordienko announced to her fans in July 2020 that she would indeed be heading to Rotterdam in 2021, but it wasn’t until 26 January 2021, that Teleradio- Modova (TRM) finally confirmed that Natalia had won the right to represent Moldova again at Eurovision in May 2021. It stated that Moldova would not be having its annual National selection by way of the TV broadcasted show “O Melodie Pentru Europa” due to the ongoing effects of Covid.

Natalia is a seasoned professional artist ( Moldovan ESC entrant in 2006, “Europe’s New Wave winner 2007, and selected Moldovan ESC entrant in 2020) but for her performance in 2021 she has certainly discarded and disrobed! She has tossed out the overdramatic ballad from 2020 and replaced it will a provocative pop offering.

Her 2021 song “Sugar Sugar” is a naughty but nice pop song written and produced once again by “The Dream Team” of Philip Kirkorov, Dimitris Kontopoulos and Sharon Vaughan. It is a truly international team entry with connections to Russia, Greece, USA and Moldova.

“Sugar Sugar” is definately a dance floor number with trendy heavy horn interjections in the chorus ( think Maruv 2020) and will demand a sensual high energy performance from Natalia and her backing dancers. It was been described as a cabaret style take on the sexual candy store, however I think it has more substance than that and have found myself humming this “sweet” melody for a few days now. I am also sure many will be practicing the punctuated thrusting dance moves that this choreography unleashes on the Eurovision universe.

I look forward to seeing “Sugar, Sugar” expertly staged ( think DoReDoS 2018) and impeccably performed by Natalia in Rotterdam and achieving its reward in the final in 2021.

Congratulations Moldova.