Slovenia (EMA 2021) - Chris Zeiher

Slovenia’s song reveal for Eurovision 2021 took place last night (27th Feb) telecast from Ljubljana via a celebratory revamp of their internal selection contest EMA.   Stunning Ana Soklič, the winner of EMA 2020, was internally selected as the Slovenian representative for this year.  The initial proposal for EMA 2021 was a showcase of 3 potential songs (selected from over 190 entries) for Ana to take to Rotterdam where the general public would vote for their preferred option.  However, due to ongoing issues with the COVID-19 pandemic, the show was transformed into an hour long celebration of Slovenian and Yugoslav participation in the contest.  The retrospective was capped off with the reveal of the song that Ana will take to The therlands in May; the anthemic “Amen”.

Hosted by Lea Sirk (2018) and Nejc Šmit EMA 2021 was the perfectly socially distanced retrospective of Slovenia’s history at the Eurovision Song Contest, as both a part of former Yugoslavia and as independent country.   The hosts playfully moved through the decades chatting with multiple former artists and performers from throughout the years.

Highlights from the hour long show included a truncated “re-watch” of Yugoslavia’s win in 1989 with Riva’s “Rock Me” coupled with a lively chat with Riva’s lead singer Emilija Kokić.   Other standout interviews included a great natter with 1990 entrant Tajči Cameron and a lovely feature with the very humble 2 time representative Darja Švagyer who, to this day, co-owns Slovenia’s highest placing in the contest (7th in 1995).

The show also feature numerous shout outs of support for Ana from previous Slovenian entrants including members of 1XBand (Slovenia’s first entry as an independent country in 1993), Sestre (the controversial drag act from 2002) and artists Alenka Gotar (2007), Tinkara Kovač (2014), Omar Naber (2005, 2017), Rebeka Dremlj (she of the dog men fame from 2008) and 2019 finalists Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl.   EMA 2021 hit all the right notes of celebration and reflection.

AMEN! 

The second song in the 2021 contest going by the moniker “Amen” (yep, we’re looking at you Austria) this is a dramatic, gospel-laden track that suits Ana’s caramel voice and big range perfectly.  Written by Ana, Charlie Mason (um, he co-wrote “Rise like a Phoenix”), Ziga Pirna and Bojan Simonic “Amen” delivers everything you want from a ballsy ballad particularly in the final third.   

Sung entirely in English “Amen” feels like a logical progression from Ana’s previous winning effort “Voda” which would have been performed at the 2020 contest.   “Amen” is slightly more accessible than the prior and one which could, given some clever staging, deliver plenty of drama in Rotterdam.   This 2.0 version of Ana could continue Slovenia’s recent success of qualifying for the Grand Final.

For a great retrospective on Yugoslavia and Slovenia’s participating in Eurovision check out EMA 2021 here – https://www.rtvslo.si/4d/arhiv/174756986?s=tv

Amen! And here’s Ana’s entry - https://youtu.be/p5LW-09r2JQ