Photo credit: RTL
Having not competed in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1993, and with five historic wins under their belt, all eyes are on Luxembourg to see how they will fare on their return. On Saturday 27th January, eight artists will compete for the chance to represent their country for the first time in over thirty years.
The live show will be held at the Rockhal in Esch-sur-Alzette and will be broadcast on RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg from 20:00 CET with commentary available in Luxembourgish, French or English. Read on to learn more about the eight artists hoping to become a part of Eurovision history.
Angy & Rafa Ela – Drop
Angy & Rafa Ela is a duo comprised of 39-year-old singer-songwriter Angy Sciacqua and 27-year-old singer Rafaela Teixeira Fernandes. Both are highly experienced in song competitions, with Angy having competed in the 2013 edition of The Voice Belgium, while Rafa Ela has won both Luxembourg’s Next Pop Star in 2016 and Top Voice Luxembourg in 2018.
The duo will be performing their song ‘Drop’ which was composed by Angy herself, alongside the songwriters Martin Kleveland and Siv Marit Egsith. It is about persevering in the face of adversity and you can listen to it below:
CHAiLD – Hold On
CHAiLD is the stage name of 25-year-old Adriano Lopes da Silva who was born in Luxembourg but has Italian and Portuguese roots and is currently based in Brussels. He initially started his career under the name Adrian, winning a number of prizes in Luxembourg’s music festival Screaming Fields, including the Coup-de-Coeur prize, which allowed him to record his debut single ‘Chimney Sweeper’ in 2018.
2019 saw big changes for the artist, who changed his stage name from Adrian to CHAiLD and also came out publically, allowing his career as an openly queer artist to flourish. In the same year, he opened for Italy‘s two time Eurovision representative Mahmood at the Rockhal.
In 2023, CHAiLD went on to release his debut EP ‘Urgent Care’, which was well-received by Luxembourgish music critics. His entry for the Luxembourg Song Contest, ‘Hold On’, was written by prominent Swedish songwriters Jimmy Jansson, Peter Boström and Thomas G:son. Jimmy Jansson holds the record for the most songs composed in one edition of Swedish national final Melodifestivalen, having written six of them in 2020 while Peter Boström and Thomas G:son both helped compose Loreen‘s 2012 Eurovision winner ‘Euphoria’, with Thomas G:son also having co-wrote her follow on winner ‘Tattoo’. With such successful writers behind him, could this spell similar success for CHAiLD? You can listen to ‘Hold On’ below:
EDSUN – Finally Alive
Edson Pires Domingos, who performs under the name EDSUN, is a 33-year-old R&B singer and dancer born and raised in Luxembourg. From a young age, EDSUN would dance on the tables of his parents’ café before going on to formally study hip-hop dance and music at school. This culminated in him writing and producing his own music, including his two EPs ‘NO’ (2015) and ‘You Are Not Just One Thing’ (2018). He has since gone on to tour a number of European countries and headlined his own concert at the Rockhal in 2022.
EDSUN will be performing his song ‘Finally Alive’ which was written by the artist himself alongside Jana Bahrich and Sergio Manique Jr. The song contains R&B and pop elements and deals with facing up to your fears and doubts. You can listen to it below:
Joel Marques Cunha – Believer
25-year-old Joel Marques Cunha initially worked as an educator in Differdange, Luxembourg before deciding to audition for The Voice of Germany in 2023. It was a decision that seems poised to change his life: in his initial blind audition, Joel wowed the judges with his rendition of Kaleo‘s ‘Way Down We Go’, inspiring all four judges to turn their chairs. After picking Bill and Tom Kaulitz (members of the German band Tokio Hotel) to be his mentors, Joel made it as far as the show’s semi-finals, ultimately just missing out on a spot in the final. In December 2023, only a week after his exit from the show, Joel released his debut single ‘Stranger’.
Hoping to further cement his career as a solo artist, Joel will be performing the single ‘Believer’ which showcases his soulful vocals. Will it wow the judges and jurors to let this new performer represent his country at Eurovision? Listen to the song below and decide for yourself:
Krick – Drowning in the Rain
Another alumni from The Voice of Germany is 26-year-old Christine Heitz, better known as Krick. Initially posting covers on her YouTube channel, Krick went on to achieve success on the show in 2017 and also cemented a spot in its history, being the first Luxembourgish singer to make it to the Sing Offs. Following her time on the show, Krick released her debut single ‘Fake Cake’ in 2018 followed by the singles ‘Heart Shape Socks’ (2020) and ‘Sometimes’ (2022).
Krick is hoping to achieve success with her entry ‘Drowning in the Rain’ which was written Tom Oehler, Andreas Stone Johansson and Elsie Bay, the latter of whom has attempted to represent Norway at Eurovision twice with her songs ‘Death of Us’ and ‘Love You in a Dream’. Additionally, Andreas Stone Johansson has composed a number of Melodifestivalen entries including Sweden‘s 2019 entry ‘Too Late For Love’. Could this be a good omen for Krick? We’ll have to wait until she performs to find out but in the meantime you can listen to ‘Drowning in the Rain’ below:
Naomi Ay̩ РPaum̩e Sur Terre
Having turned 16 on 24th January, Naomi Ayé is both the youngest contestant in the Luxembourg Song Contest and – should she win – is likely to be the youngest Eurovision Song Contest entrant this year. She got her first big break in 2020, when she participated in the French version of The Voice Kids. Despite only being 12-years-old at the time, Naomi wowed the judges in her blind audition with her rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen. She chose French singer and guitarist Kendji Girac to be her mentor and ultimately progressed to the show’s finals. Since then, Naomi has gone on to release her debut single, ‘Turn My Back on Light’, in 2022.
Naomi will be singing the French song ‘Paumée Sur Terre’ (‘Lost on Earth’), a ballad that allows Naomi to showcase her powerful vocals. You can listen to the song below:
One Last Time – Devil in the Detail
One Last Time are a pop rock band who have been performing together since 2022. They are comprised of Andrea Galleti (vocals), Jonathan Fersino (bass), Barbara Salvi (keyboard), Tom Sagramola (guitar) and Alessandro Sorbelli (drums). The band all knew each other through previous musical projects before forming, which is why they chose the name One Last Time. According to frontman Andrea, in an interview with Luxembourgish daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort, “We wanted to achieve what the music industry still owes us. We still had a score to settle, so to speak.”
The band will be performing the single ‘Devil in the Detail’ which is about realising someone is not being honest with you. It was written by Bruce R. F. Smith, Jonas Holteberg Jensen and Albin Fredy Ljungqvist, the latter of whom has competed in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in 2013 and 2018 in the hopes of representing Denmark at Eurovision. You can listen to ‘Devil in the Detail’ below:
Tali – Fighter
Tali Golergant, who performs under the name Tali, is a 23-year-old singer and actress who is based in New York City. She released her debut EP ‘Lose You’ in 2021 and has gone on to release numerous singles since. She cites Sara Bareilles, Lady Gaga and Lizzy McAlpine as her greatest musical influences and likes to blend pop, R&B and indie music together to make a sound all her own. In addition to making her own music, Tali is also a musical theatre performer, having graduated from Marymount Manhattan College’s Musical Theatre program in 2023.
Tali will be hoping to represent Luxembourg with the song ‘Fighter’, which was co-written by Italian songwriter Dardust among others. Dardust will perhaps be recognisable to eurofans as having co-written and co-produced ‘Soldi’ by Mahmood, which of course brought Italy great success at Eurovision in 2019. Could this be a good omen for Tali?
So there you have the eight artists hoping to represent Luxembourg at Eurovision! Who will you be rooting for on the night? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to follow us on all our socials.
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