Image: LRT / D. Umbrasas
It’s time to try again! On 21st January 2023, Lithuania will start its national final process of selecting their Eurovision Song Content 2023 entry. Pabandom iš naujo! (PiN) (Let’s try again!) is back for the fourth year running, consisting of two heats, two semi-finals and the all-important grand final. The rules of PiN state that it’s up to the artist if they want to release their song before the competition, so you’ll be able to hear some below – but not all. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at which artists will be participating in the first heat and hoping to represent their country at Eurovision.
Aistė Pilvelytė – ‘We’re Not Running’
Aistė Pilvelytė is no stranger to a national final! She has taken part in various Lithuanian selection shows, no fewer than 12 times. Her latest attempt was in 2020 where she finished a very respectable 5th place with her powerful pop diva vocals in ‘Unbreakable’ – but she also has achieved three 2nd place finishes. Will 2023 finally be her year to get the ticket to Eurovision?
Joseph June – ‘Vaccum’
Joseph June is best known for his PiN 2022 entry ‘Deadly’ which has a true indie sound. Back for 2023 with ‘Vaccum’ which he has released before the show, he stays loyal to the genre – with the rhythmic drum and bass riff dominating throughout.
Il Senso – ‘Sparnai’
‘Sparani’ was first previewed on LRT’s ‘Good Morning’ show – the quartet show off their harmonisation skills as the song builds into more operatic elements. With some dramatic staging, this will really help bring the song into it’s own. Let’s see how they present it on a national final stage, rather than early in the morning!
W.I – ‘You Can Not’
W.I are an electronic pop duo who have been releasing music for a few years. Their upbeat sound is seen throughout their back catalogue, and they even have a song featuring Gabrielius Vagelis who is also in this year’s competition. However, rather than taking the route of their normal dance/techno influence, their PiN entry is classic pure pop, featuring a trumpet riff.
Multiks – ‘London’
Multiks have a long history in the Lithuanian music scene, having a classic indie band sound with a pop twist. They have taken part in national finals before in 2012 and 2013 with their best placing being last in the 2012 final. Their latest single, ‘Goodbye Summer’ features a catchy chorus and a trumpet riff.
Luknė – ‘Paradise’
Luknė performed on The Voice Generations with her music teacher Donata who is also taking part in PiN 2023! With some television experience already behind her, we’re sure this will help her in the competition. You can hear her entry ‘Paradise’ below!
Gabrielius Vagelis – ‘Šauksmas’
A huge fan favourite from previous competitions, Gabrielius Vagelis first took part in PiN in 2020 with the 80s soft pop Lithuanian language track ‘Tave čia randu’. In 2021 he was back with an English track ‘My Guy’, which didn’t make it out of the semi-finals. Since then, he has released numerous Lithuanian language synth-pop bangers. There will be a number of fans excited for this one!
Alen Chicco – ‘Do You’
Alen Chicco’s 2022 EP ‘MŪSŲ LIETUVA’ has strong electronic but haunting production. Not to forget, he did take part in PiN 2020 with his song ‘Somwhere Out There’, making it to the semi-finals. His music video for his debut song ‘Aš Čia’ has reached 118k views on YouTube, which has a pop-ballad feel with strong emotive vocals. His PiN entry also goes down this music style, you can hear it below.
Rūta Mur – ‘So Low’
2023 season is showing that the 80s trend is still going strong and that’s what you get with Rūta Mur’s entry ‘So Low’. It’s very synth led including autotune effects to tie it all together. The music video has a very clear aesthetic too – it would be cool to see the cowboy meets disco vibes on the PiN stage!
Justin 3 feat. Dj AugustYno – ‘Not Giving Up’
Justinas Stanislovaitis, aka Justin 3, has a huge history with the Lithuanian national final process – and even tried representing San Marino in 2018! You will probably mostly recognise him as part of the group Twosome who’s song ‘Playa’ in PiN 2020 got a bit of a cult following. For Dj AugustYno, his background is in creating modern versions of Lithuanian folk music. We could get anything with this duo; Justin 3 doesn’t follow any pattern when it comes to his previous entries – so let’s wait and see.
Baiba – ‘When the Lights Go Out’
Not too much is known about Baiba, she has been singing and releasing her own tracks for a few years but it looks like PiN 2023 will be her big chance to grab a hold of the Lithuanian music industry. Her song for the national final, ‘When the Lights Go Out’ was premiered on LRT’s ‘Good Morning’ show on January 12th. Her amazing vocals definitely take centre stage on this song – we’re looking forward to seeing it with the full PiN production!
Justa Rubežiūtė – ‘When I’ll Find’
Justa is at the very start of her music career; although there isn’t much of her work available yet, what is apparent is her strong vocals. Watch then come to life below and be blown away by her mystical sound.
Noy – ‘Destiny’s Child’
Noy is the stage name of Nojus Žebrauskas who has appeared on The X Factor and The Voice. He states on Instagram that his time on PiN will be “pink, vibey and loud” as well as showcasing videos of impressive dance practices. His song ‘Destiny’s Child’ really does echo this statement and we just know he’s going to have so much fun on stage.
Paulina Paukštaitytė – ‘Let Me Think About Me’
Paulina started her career on The Voice, and has released a great collection Lithuanian language pop bops since then, gaining traction in the local market. Now singing in English, she’s given a great account of her contemporary musical style with her Pabandom iš naujo! 2023 entry – she could easily gain a great following in the Eurovision community.
Justė Kraujelytė – ‘Need More Fun’
Justė Kraujelytė finished a very respectful 6th place overall in the last addition of Pabandom iš naujo! with ‘How to get my life back’ where she expertimented with dark pop sounds. Her 2023 entry was originally reported to be called ‘Eurovision Needs More Fun’ (which would’ve been a great song title) and was premiered on LRT’s ‘Good Morning Show’. This time around, she is giving us a ballad approach but is sprinkled with sweet soft harmonies.
So that’s a wrap on what you can expect from Heat One of Pabandom iš naujo! 2023 – who are you looking forward to seeing? Let us know in the comments and on our Twitter and Instagram!
You can watch Heat 1 of Pabandom iš naujo! 2023 at 20:00pm CET on LRT, Saturday 20th January 2023.
