With the success of the Eurovision movie on Netflix, its anthemic song ‘Husavik’ is not only storming charts across the world but even being rumoured for Oscar ‘Best Song’ consideration. The lady behind it all is actually Molly Sandén, who is known online as ‘My Marianne’. Molly is a singer from Sweden who was previously in a band called ‘Helges All Stars’ with Zara Larsson, who broke onto the international scene with her song ‘Lush Life’ in 2015 reaching number 4.
Molly was the perfect choice to be the voice in the movie as she is actually a real life fan of Eurovision herself, even representing Sweden at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 and returning as an interval act in 2011.
It doesn’t end there though, with Molly competing in the Swedish selection behemoth Melodifestivalen 3 times in an attempt to take on the big leagues of the Eurovision Song Contest itself. Since 2000, Melodifestivalen is the most watched television show in Sweden. In 2012, the semi-finals averaged 3.3 million viewers, and over an estimated four million people in Sweden watched the final, almost half of the Swedish population!
What other hidden gems are hidden in the National Finals across the European Broadcasting Union that are yet to make it to the prestigious stage? Let’s take a look at acts to look out for in future years:
Iceland - Iva
Iva Marín Adrichem, known simply as Iva, is a Dutch-Icelandic singer and songwriter. Coming second only to the sensationalised ‘Think About Things’ at their national selection, Söngvakeppnin, Iva would have been a fantastic addition to the Rotterdam stage. A song like ‘Oculis Videre’ from Iceland in 2021 would really make some waves. Here at EuroStarz, we think Iva is up and coming on the Eurovision scene:
Australia - Vanessa Amorosi
Australian pop star Vanessa Amorosi, much loved by 90s pop fans for her hit ‘Absolutely Everybody’, is a household name in Australia and has had her eye on the Eurovision stage since Australia’s entry to the competition in 2015. She competed this year, placing a respectable third, in their National Final with ‘Lessons of Love’ and hasn’t been shy in talking about trying again, obviously after Montaigne has her second chance in 2021 having been re-selected to represent Australia next year. Definitely one to watch…
Finland - Erika Vikman
Erika Vikman has been releasing music in her native Finland since 2015 and even featured on the Masked Singer Finland showcasing her impressive vocal ability.This year she participated in the Finnish selection New Music Competition with the quirky and very memorable song ‘Cicciolina’ – both visually and musically, it is definitely Eurovision material and here at the EuroStarz camp we think she would be perfect for next year. The song was an immediate fan favourite and considered the stronger by many than Aksel who went on to win with his entry ‘Looking Back’. You have to see this: