The selection of Poland’s Eurovision entries varies from one year to the next. Following last year’s adaption of the long-running talent show format Szansa na Sukces (Shot at Success), this year TVP opted for an internal selection. It also failed to reselect Alicja Szemplińska, who had won the show in 2020 and the right to represent Poland. Instead, TVP picked Rafał Brzozowski to represent the country and on 12 March 2021, his entry “The Ride” was released.
Born in 1981 in Warsaw, Rafał is a musician, television presenter… and a former wrestler. He won bronze in the Polish student games in 2006, but a back injury subsequently ended his sporting career.
His singing career started with a non-Eurovision edition of Szansa na Sukces in 2002. He went on to sing in several Polish bands. His solo career launched in 2011, when he competed in The Voice of Poland, reaching the semi-final. This led to a series of record releases, including the award winning “Tak Blisko” (So Close) in 2012. He has recorded some Christmas albums too, including a collaboration with Margaret, who has competed to represent both Poland and Sweden at the Contest.
Rafał is no stranger to Eurovision audiences in his own right, both as a presenter and singer. He competed in the 2017 Polish national final Krajowe Eliminacje with the song “Sky over Europe”, which came second only to Kasia Moś with “Flashlight”. He was a co-host of the 2020 Junior Eurovision in Warsaw.
“The Ride” is a synth pop song with an eighties flavour. It is written by Swedish writers, and there are unconfirmed rumours that it was considered and rejected for Melodifestivalen. Perhaps partly because of this, there has been a muted reception to the song. By contrast, the colourful music video, set in the neon museum in Warsaw, has received more praise. It will be interesting to see how this translates to the staging.
Will Rafał’s eighties vibe see him ride into the final? We’ll find out in the second semi-final of Eurovision 2021 on Thursday 20 May.