For the 63rd Eurovision Song contest we were taken to Lisbon, Portugal following their first ever win having taken part in 51 previous years of the contest!
There was a real buzz around the capital city and the event took place at the Altice Arena with an live audience of 20,000 fans. The theme for the concert that year was “All Aboard”, a nod to Portugal's geographic location as well as the country's seafaring history.
Alongside the main emblem, which depicts a stylised seashell, twelve supplemental graphics were designed to symbolise different aspects of a marine ecosystem, and underpinning the messages of community and diversity - core Eurovision values that make the contest so welcoming and inclusive.
Forty three countries took part this time, and we intend to pull out some of the favourites from this year, starting with the infamous winner:
ISRAEL
Netta - Toy - Winner - (529 points)
Netta delighted audiences with her vibrant, energetic performance of her winning song in the Altice Arena. Toy is more than just Euro pop, its an exploration of female empowerment, body positivity and stands up against inequality - a real positive message for audiences.
Netta herself is a strong advocate for raising awareness of victims of sexual harassment, and gender inequality; the quirky lyrics of the track play on this message. It’s definitely a stand out track combining ethnic Mizrahi sounds, wordplay and of course those trademark chicken noises, and it was this unique combination that captured the audience on the night of the grand final and led her to victory.
Since her win, the track has clocked up over 100 MILLION YouTube views. Pretty impressive hey?
Relive the moment of her iconic performance!
CYPRUS
Eleni Foureira - Fuego - 2nd Place ( 436 points)
Fuego set the Eurovision stage on fire (literally!) with Eleni’s explosive performance of Fuego. Eleni says that she wanted to "show the fire that women have inside them" and with an infectious chorus, powerful dance routine and pyrotechnics she certainly does that!
Interestingly, Helena Paparizou was originally tipped to represent Cyprus this time around but had a change of heart. We know this as prior to the 2018 concert, a leaked version of Fuego appeared online voiced by her.
Eleni has certainly taken the track and made it her own and it’s definitely become a Eurovision favourite. Fuego is the most streamed Eurovision 2018 track on Spotify, with almost double the amount of plays as Netta’s Toy - she's certainly takin’ us higher!
Check our her fiery performance below:
DENMARK
Rasmussen - Higher Ground - 9th Place (226 points)
This powerful Viking anthem by Rasmussen had the audience transfixed on the final night. The song itself is about resolving conflicts through peace not war, and it’s steady rhythmic beat carries a message of hope. Rasmussen himself said:
"That's why the song is also about being able to take a step back and solve conflicts in a different way than just thrusting a sword into the belly of someone, you are facing. So, it has a message of peace."
Rasmussen's long auburn hair and piercing gaze really help to accentuate the viking themes of the track, along with the cold blue lights on the stage, the mist and the flags to represent viking ships across the waters.
Outside of Eurovision, Rasmussen is the frontman to Hair Metal Heröes, a danish group that cover songs from artists such as Van Halen and Bon Jovi.
UNITED KINGDOM
SuRie - Storm - 24th Place (48 points)
One of our EuroStarz favourites, SuRie delighted Eurovision fans with her iconic performance of ‘Storm’!
SuRie was no stranger to the Eurovision stage, as back in 2015 she featured as a backing vocalist and dancer for Loïc Nottet who represented Belgium in Vienna, Austria (following on from Conchita’s iconic win the previous year) with 'Rhythm Inside'. Just two years later she took the role of musical director for Blanche’s 'City Lights' in Kyiv, Ukraine in the 2017 contest.
We were privileged to welcome SuRie to the EuroStarz stage in our 2019 event and she delivered a flawless performance of her track:
AUSTRALIA
Jessica Mauboy - We Got Love - 20th Place (99 points)
Vivacious and full of life, Jessica Mauboy first rose to stardom in Australian idol back in 2006 at the tender age of 16, although even before this she had been signed to Sony music at just 14 years of age so it was clear she was destined to sing.
Jessica was the fourth artist to represent Australia, and although the track was pretty well liked by fans, unfortunately it failed to do well in the final and didn’t make it to the left hand side of the scoreboard.
FINLAND
Saara Aalto - Monsters 25th Place (46 points)
Saara Aalto’s track about befriending your enemies finished second to last in the competition despite being a hit with hardcore Eurovision fans.
Even with the challenges that 2020 brought us all, Saara got married after a three year engagement to Meri Sopanen in a ceremony in Finland.
Since then, the happy couple have launched an online singing academy where you can learn to sing like a pro!
Check out Monsters, Saaras Eurovision entry below:
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