Azerbaijan - Efendi - Mata Hari

20 - 65 pts / 8 - 138 in semi 1

Samira Efendi (Samirə Əfəndiyeva) was to represent Azerbaijan in the 2020 Contest and she's one of the artists continuing her Eurovision adventure in 2021.

The song for 2021 is titled Mata Hari and is released on March 15. 2020's Cleopatra gets a mention and  a musical nod (tiny sample) as well. And there's even a mention of The Army Of Lovers. (plus a tiny sample of Crucified)

Here's the official video.

The song is in English but has a small part in Azerbaijani in the backings "Yalan da mən,  yanan da mən,  yaman da mən" translating as "I am a liar, I am on fire, I am evil".

The song is written by Luuk van Beers and Tony Cornelissen, who were also behind 2020's Cleopatra, and Amy van der Wel.

We also know Tony Cornelissen from Cascada's Glorious (Germany 2013)

Half of Mata Hari sort of leaked (apple music) before the official reveal. The single was released on March 16 through several digital sources.

A promo cds is issued. it includes

1. Mata Hari

2. Mata Hari - karaoke

3. Cleopatra (the 2020 song)

The slow version of Mata Hari was presented on April 14 (here's the video) and the release is on April 25.

Here's the 2020 post about Cleopatra, Efendi's 2020 song.

Mata Hari

Greta Garbo portrayed her in 1931, Anne-Karine introduced her to the Eurovision community in 1976, We all know Hari Mata Hari and now the ill fated dancer turned spy is back.

We don't get enough songs named after historical (i.e. long dead) persons and this is Mata Hari's second appearance. (equalling Socrates, Casanova and Maria Magdalena)

Coincidentally the first Mata Hari was also in a contest in the Netherlands, so that's fitting as she was Dutch (Frisian). 

Mata Hari (Malay for Sun) was framed! and they still haven't found her head. Legend has it that she  had the outfit she wore on her execution (in 1917) especially made for the occasion. Now if that isn't classy. But you can study your wiki's for that and more yourself.

Versions

Mata Hari

- digital 16-3, Rotterdam 2CD

Mata Hari - slow version

- digital release 25-4

Mata Hari - karaoke

- karaoke on the official karaoke album (digital)

Coverversion

Efendi performed Mata Hari with Greek singer Josephine at the MADTV awards show with Josephine singing in Greek.

Josephine released her own Greek version as a digital single. (Panik records) (see comments)

Charts

Netherlands singles top 100: 44, 76, -

Sweden top 100 (Topplistan): 47, 93, -

Norway top 40 (VG lista): 21, 31, -

Links and sources

Samira Efendi FB, Instagram 2020

Cleopatra 2020

Israel - Eden Alene - Set me free

17 - 93 pts / 5 - 192 pts in semi 1

Israel chose Eden Alene (עדן אלנה‎) who won her initial (2020) Eurovision ticket by winning the Rising Star contest. She is one of the 26 artists moving on to 2021.

She will be performing Set Me Free in the Rotterdam contest. The song is written by Noam Zaltin, Ido Netzer, Amit Mordechai and Ron Carmi.

Here's (first) the official video

First version single

A new version of Set Me Free was released on March 26.  

Here's the new version video

A promo cds in a fold out cover was issued.

It has the Eurovision and karaoke versions.

Set Me Free, Ue La La and La La Love have been released as digital singles / tracks on January 26 (A.M Music productions.)

A new version / mix was made for the contest. This Eurovision version was released on March 26 and replaced the original one in most (all?) digital outlets.

An edited version was released on a digital album Festigal/Sky High, tying in with a kids music festival. (December 20, 2021)

At the festigal Set Me Free was performed live but the album has an 2:02 edit of the single version.

Nine songs were presented (in demo versions by other singers) to select three songs for Eden. Ue La La, Set Me Free and La La Love were chosen to proceed to the final HaShir Shelanu L’Eurovizion 2021 on January 25.

Eden Alene won the 2017/2018 edition of X-factor Israel and released a few digital singles including a coverversion of Brotherhood Of Man's Save Your Kisses For Me, the 1976 Eurovision winner. (Listen to that here)

Eden's Eurovision 2020 song was Feker Libi (My love) written by Doron Medalie and Idan Raichel.
You can read all about the various recordings, mixes and composer versions here at the Rotterdam20/20 Collection.

Versions

Set Me Free - Eurovision version

- digital release 26-3, Rotterdam 2CD, promo cds

Set Me Free - single version

- original digital 26-1 release now replaced with Eurovision version

Set Me Free - Eurovision karaoke

- karaoke on the official karaoke album (digital), promo cds

Set Me Free - 2:02 version (edit)

- digital album Festigal / Sky High  20-12

Set Me Free - Demo by undisclosed artist

- Audio tube on the net

Charts

Netherlands singles top 100: 78

Sweden top 100 (Topplistan): 78

Links and sources
Eden Alene Facebook, Instagram

promo

Latvia - Samanta Tīna - The Moon Is Rising

17 - 14 pts in semi 2

Samanta Tīna (Samanta Poļakova) respresented Latvia in the 2021 contest.

Her song, The Moon Is Rising was revealed on March 12. The digital single is out now.

The song is written by Samanta Tīna, Aminata Savadogo and Oskars Uhaņs. (see Songwriters below for more on that)

An acoustic version with Haralds Stenclavs (on piano) was released on May 5, available through your favorite digital stores and streamers.

Here's the official video

She won Latvian Supernova selection in 2020 with song Still Breathing and proceeds to Rotterdam 2021.

Acoustic version

Nobody has been trying to get to Eurovision as hard as Samanta Tīna.
2012 - I Want You Back (duet with Dāvids Kalandija, 2nd place in final)
2012 - For Father (7th in semi-final)
2013 - I Need A Hero (2nd place)
2014 - Stay (3rd place)
2016 - The Love Is Forever (finalist but Samanta withdrew)
2016 - We Live For Love (5th in quarter final)
2020 - Still Breathing (winner)

She also participated in the Lithuanian selection:
2013 - Hey Chiki Mama (Duet with Vudis, 4th in first round)
2017 - Tavo Oda (Your skin), (Duet with Tadas Rimgaila, 7th in first round)

She was the winner of X-Factor latvia in 2010 and was also a finalist in The Voice Lithuania in 2014.

The Songwriters

Originally the song was written at a Songwriting camp (it’s a thing these days) by Oskars Uhaņs with Arnis Račinskis and Alise Joste. When Samanta Tīna liked The Moon… for Eurovision Aminata Savadogo was roped in because she’s the #1 Latvian Eurovision songwriter at the moment. Samanta Tīna also got a songwriting credit but Račinskis and Joste seem to have lost theirs. 

Singer/Songwriter Aminata Savadogo is of course best know for her stunning performance in the 2015 Vienna contest. Here Love Injected ended a 6 year run of non finalists for Latvia and finished 6th. She released a new version of the song in 2020.

She also co-wrote Heartbeat (Justs' 2016 entry), last year's Still Breathing and several National Final songs in Latvia and Lithuania.

Versions

Still Breathing

The Moon Is Rising

- digital release 12-3, Rotterdam 2CD

The Moon Is Rising - Acoustic with Haralds Stenclavs

- digital release 5-5

The Moon Is Rising - karaoke

- karaoke on the official karaoke album (digital)

Links and sources

Samanta Tīna Facebook, 2020

Spain - Blas Cantó - Voy A Quedarme

picture from RTVE

24 - 6 pts, not in semi

Blas Cantó wass the Spanish singer in Rotterdam 2021. First it was announced he was proceeding to the new contest, then he wasn't because TVE wanted a preselection show but now he's back on track.
Blas performed two songs from his forthcoming album in a TV show and it was the ballad Voy A Quedarme (I'm staying) that got 58% of the votes

Voy A Quedarme is written by Blas himself with Leroy Sánchez, Daniel "Dangelo" Ortega and Dan Hammond.

The other song was the  uptempo Memoria.  

Both songs were released on February 10 through all your favorite digital platforms.

Videoclip Voy A Quedarme  Videoclip Memoria

An English acoustic version titled I'll Stay is recorded. Here a making of clip (RTVE alacarte video service). It's released on April 23.

A Spanish acoustic version was released on April 30.

He's also considering a French version after a fan sent him a French (cover) version.

An English  acoustic duet version with U.K. entrant James Newman will be out on May 18.

Read all about Blas Cantó's Universo here at the 20/20 Collection.

picture from RTVE

Versión Acústica

El Camino A Rotterdam II
Eurovision history for young Blas started early.
In 2004 he was in the Spanish preselection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final with the song Sentir. He lost out to María Isabel who went on to win the whole shebang with Antes Muerta Que Sencilla.
From 2009 to 2016 He was in a boy band Auryn who tried to get to Eurovision in 2011. They finished top 3 in Destino Eurovisión (2011) but in the end lost out to Lucia Pérez.
Auryn scored 15 top 50 hits in Spain including the #1 Puppeteer (2014). Three of their four albums went to #1.
Blas Cantó has so far released one solo album Complicado from 2018 (CD). It was re-released in 2019 as Complicados, a deluxe version with bonus tracks (2CD).
The album is mainly in Spanish but also includes a few songs in English.
The album was a #1 in the Spanish charts and stayed on the top 100 for 42 weeks.

Versions

Voy A Quedarme

- digital release 10-2, Rotterdam 2CD

I'll Stay - English accoustic

- digital release 23-4

Voy A Quedarme - Versión Acústica

- digital release 30-4

I'll Stay - English acoustic duet with James Newman

- digital 18-5

Voy A Quedarme - karaoke

- on the official karaoke album (digital)

CD Complicados

Links and sources
RTVE Eurovision pages, RTVE details on the songs

Blas Cantó FB, 2020. Instagram

Germany - Jendrik - I Don't Feel Hate

25 - 3 pts, not in semi

Jendrik Sigwart (or just Jendrik) represented Germany in the 2021 contest.

He performed a self written song which was presented officially on February 25 at 6.pm a.k.a 18:00 here at Youtube. The digital single is out now.

The song is in English with a talking part in German. (although less German, more English at the contest).

In the so called "live on tape" version the talking parts were in Dutch.

On May 14 the "Layed Back Version" was released, hard to believe, but Jendrik's actually going all easy on us with that one. Fortunately it was changed to "Laid back"soon after.

This is released along with the full instrumental of the original. (digital releases, added to the original single in some places)

2020 hopefuls Ben Dolic and B-OK are thanked for their services.

Versions

I Don't Feel Hate

- digital 25-2, Rotterdam 2CD

I Don't Feel Hate - Laid back version

- digital 14-5

I Don't Feel Hate - Instrumental

- digital 14.5

I Don't Feel Hate - karaoke

- karaoke on the official karaoke album (digital)

Links and sources
Jendrik Sigwart Facebook

Germany 2020

Ireland - Lesley Roy - Maps

16 - 20 pts in semi 1

Lesley Roy was be the Irish singer for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest.
She's on of the artists who returns after the 2020 thing didn't happen. 

The remix

The song is titled Maps and was revealed and released as a digital single on February 26.

Watch the official video  here.

A remix by Marco Dalla Villa was released on May 9. (digital)

Find out all about the Story Of Her Life at the 20/20 Rotterdam Collection 

Charts

Ireland top 100 (Irma): 76, -

Versions

Maps

- digital 26-2, Rotterdam 2CD

Maps - Marco Dalla Villa Mix

- digital release 9-5

Maps - karaoke

- karaoke on the official karaoke album (digital)

Links and sources
Lesley Roy Facebook

2020's Story single

Slovenia - Ana Soklič - Amen

13 - 44 pts in semi 1

Ana Soklič represented Slovenia in the 2021 contest. 

The song, presented on February 27, is Amen written by Žiga Pirnat, Bojan Simončič, Charlie Mason and Ana Soklič herself.

Watch and listen here.

All platforms have the song available from March 12.

For promotion a fold out cds style sleeve with a download code was issued

Born To The Fight

A digital EP was released on May 7. It is titled Born To The Fight and includes six versions of Amen plus the 2020 song Voda  in a previously unreleased version (Symphonic version)

1. Amen (extended version)

2. Amen (RnB Radio remix) mixed by Željko Mladenović

3. Amen (Summer vibes mix) mixed by Ricardo Autobahn

4. Amen (Acapella) with Perpetuum Jazzile

5. Amen (ESC version)

6. Amen (karaoke)

7. Voda (Symphonic version) details at the 2020 Voda page.

RTVSLO's download store has the EP available in various qualities (MP3, SD Audio and HD audio) plus the digital booklet accompanying the release.

"Born to the fight"is a line from Amen.

EMA and 2020

This years EMA presentation show was be a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Slovenia's first Eurovision entry*. 

Ana Soklič's Voda, her 2020 entry, came in several versions, read all about that here at the Rotterdam 20/20 Collection.

* The first Slovenian entry was also the first entry for Yugoslavia, Neke Davne Zvezde by Ljiljana Petrović. It was this song selected by RTV Ljubljana that won the Yugoslavian National Final but it was performed in Serbo-Croat, not Slovenian. In total RTV Ljubljana supplied six Eurovision entries for Yugoslavia. They will all be featured on the Februari 27 TV show as well as songs from 1993 on.

Versions

Amen

- digital release March 12, Rotterdam 2CD

Amen - karaoke 

- karaoke on the official karaoke album (digital)

Plus from the digital EP:

Amen - extended version

Amen - RnB Radio remix

Amen - Summer vibes mix

Amen - Acapella with Perpetuum Jazzile

Links and sources
Ana Soklič Website FB, 2020

Ana's 2020 8 track EP

RTVSLO EMA news pages