Lordi (Finland) - This Is Heavy Metal - Davis W

t's Ozzfest 2008. I'm at an outdoor amphitheater with 18000 people. Mr. Lordi stands on the stage. My dad and I are the only people standing up. The crowd boos. 

After Lordi's win, the North American metal community rejected them, deeming them fake metal. I love metal, but the debates about what's real metal and what's fake metal put the Eurovision drama to shame. 

That's why I love "This is Heavy Metal" so much. They rejected all the dumb debate with a simple message : Lordi is metal, no matter what you say

Marina Satti (Greece) - Lalalala - Alan T

The acclaimed singer-songwriter, Marina Satti, represented her nation on what is the 50th anniversary of Greece's first Eurovision Song Contest participation. She placed 11th with 126 points, receiving twelve points from Switzerland in the jury vote. And this is in Switzerland, more exactly the 26th July at the Paleo music Festival near Geneva, that I went to see her in concert. 

https://yeah.paleo.ch/en/artist/2024/marina-satti

She was great and energetic and well received  I loved that she took a type of traditional music from the Greek islands and a folk instrument adding her own twist on them. She performed her new 3 songs “.

"LALALALA", "MIXTAPE" and "Ah THALASSA"  She speaks French

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDDZCo031TI

Electric Fields (Australia) - Don't You Worry - Steven L

I had the privilege to see Electric Fields twice.  The first was in Malmö for Eurovision’s First Semi Final.  The second was a month later in New York City at Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City celebrating South Australian First Nations.

 At Eurovision, we came to know and love “One Milkali (One Blood)” – a song promoting togetherness and healing.  It was the first Eurovision song in the Aboriginal language Yankunytjatjara.

 Zaachariaha Fielding is the driver of highlighting Aboriginal culture and providing crystal clear powerhouse vocals.  Coupled with the dynamic production and keyboards from Michael Ross, this duo continues to pave new paths in Aboriginal Australian electric-soul.  They joined forces in 2016 after Fielding completed a stint on The Voice Australia and Ross on The X Factor Australia.

 The result was an Extended Play (EP) called “Inma,” which refers to the cultural ceremony of Aṉangu women.  The standout track in the EP is “Don’t You Worry,” the song that built the foundation of their unique sound and many singles to come.  The song has around 3.1 million streams and was their most streamed song until “One Milkali (One Blood).”

 While the song didn’t qualify for the Eurovision Final, the song became adored by fans, and the duo continues creating new and innovative music and living to their motto of “bypassing the barriers.”

  https://open.spotify.com/track/1c0nre9VH2QJolZNfeGsGu?si=08af560e92764393

Natasha St Pier (France) - Tu trouveras - Rodrigo H

After representing France at the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest, Natasha St-Pier's career soared. Her powerful vocals propelled her to stardom in France and Belgium. Hits like "Tu Trouveras" dominated the charts, solidifying her status as a leading French pop artist. Beyond music, St-Pier showcased her versatility with roles in the television series "À la roots" and as a presenter and performer in various television programs.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=yB_UBqMRvKk

Michael Schulte (Germany) - With You - Aaron P

Michael Schulte Represented Germany in ESC in 2018, when the contest was held in Lisbon. His song was one of the favourites and he ended up in fourth place.

Since that time, he has remained active in his singing career. He has released two albums, Highs and Lows (2019) and Remember Me (2023). He also made a special appearance with Ilse DeLange on Europe Shine a Light (2020), where they sung a duet of 'Ein Bißchen Frieden' 

My favourite song of his post ESC is "With You". The story and lyrics in the song itself are not happy, but the song itself sounds very lively and upbeat. 

https://youtu.be/TWRHkaLpWmM?si=5BAGZRudseKONxZ0

Francesco Gabbani (Italy) - Pachidermi e Pappagalli - David R

Did you know Marilyn Monroe and Elvis live in Hawai‘i running a successful bar named Star? It's true!  Francesco Gabbani said so in his follow-up song after his smash Occidentali's Karma in 2017.  

Like his 6th place Eurovision hit, this song is an upbeat, whimsical satire of human nature, now parodying people's penchant for crazy conspiracy theories.  It's another happy-go-lucky, infectious song that makes my foot tap and my finger hit replay multiple times.  Pachyderms and parrots, ... something has to keep us grounded in reality with the crazy talk around the interwebs, while we avoid real life through music.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Qh-zRh58g
https://open.spotify.com/track/3kUdfpJUuOApv7gmurJUhJ

Julio Iglesias (Spain) - Un hombre Solo - Dylan G

Julio Iglesias was a well-known star by the time he performed at Eurovision in 1970, as his first album peaked at number 3 in Spain. However, after Eurovision he ascended to even greater heights. He released many other songs that charted, including duets with Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton, Sting, and Art Garfunkel. He won a Grammy for his album Un hombre solo, which included the hit Lo Mejor de Tu Vida. As a final fact, Julio is the father of Enrique Iglesias, a perhaps even bigger star than his chart-topping father!

Here is a link to his song, Un hombre solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=7LanNzZFtYnnwGvY&v=ccPeGTWqOSA&feature=youtu.be



Kati Wolf (Hungary) - Life Goes On - Ronny A

When you’re on to a winning formula, stick to it!  Thats exactly what Kati Wolf of Hungary did after the 2011 fan smash ‘what about my dreams’.  I love an artist that thinks about, and keeps her fans happy, and Kati constantly  delivers at yearly Eurovision events and even at this years Euroclub in Malmo. All of this, and still this song is killer, 13 years after her competing year in Dusseldorf! What a star!! 

https://youtu.be/W_ABh6eFAAQ?si=LGGft-2nbEwP9oaQ

https://open.spotify.com/track/1c9CDRdauC2qOvoL3hjQQI?si=HBEGQTChQ2CIWlRhZC1O9g

https://music.apple.com/au/album/life-goes-on/489750801?i=489750804