On Friday 16th February, Germany will select their Eurovision entry through Das Deutsche Finale 2024 (The German Final 2024). The winner will be decided by a combination of 50% international jury and 50% televote. Germany will certainly be hoping for some success this year, having placed last in the previous two contests. Let’s meet the contestants hoping to break their country’s bad luck streak!
NinetyNine – Love on a Budget
NinetyNine is the stage name of Daniel Leon Schmidt, which he derived from his birth year of 1999 but also from his distinctive height of 1.99 metres. He grew up in Hamburg and was raised in a musical family, writing his own songs and learning to play seven instruments. At just 19-years-old, he was awarded a songwriting contract with BMG Publishing Germany, which led him to write and produce songs for other artists. He released his debut single, the 80s-inspired ‘Only a Movie’, in February 2023.
The 80s elements are still very much alive in ‘Love on a Budget’, which will see NinetyNine open the show. The song deals with the idea of love and romance being about more than materialistic items, with the singer saying: ‘Guess I’m full of love with an empty bank account/Got no car no cash to take you out/Only love on discount.’ Could NinetyNine win the most sought-after prize of all and represent Germany at Eurovision? You can listen to his song below:
Leona – Undream You
Another entrant hailing from Hamburg is 20-year-old Leona Preuss, who performs under her first name. Since graduating, Leona has been working hard to build up her music career, amassing a fanbase through social media. This has brought some great opportunities her way, including featuring on two tracks by German DJ duo Ampris & Amfree. The songs, ‘Believe’ and ‘Forever Young’, have both amassed over 6 million Spotify streams each at the time of writing.
Leona will be performing the song ‘Undream You’, an acoustic ballad with strings which deals with heartbreak and wishing you could forget the person who has left you in such pain. Will she tug on jurors’ and televoters’ heartstrings on the night?
Isaak – Always on the Run
Isaak Guderian, known simply as Isaak, is from Espelkamp and has always had a passion for music, stating:
“Music is the only refuge where I can be who I am. Here, everything is allowed. No labels, no system, no order. Pure emotions, a playground not only for children. And everyone can understand it – whether it’s in their language or not.”
Isaak Guderian, Eurovision.tv
Having initially performed in bands, Isaak participated in the German version of the X Factor in 2011 before winning the TV talent show Show Your Talent ten years later. He has released a number of singles since 2020 and has also featured on the 2022 track ‘Baby Steps’ by German DJ David Puentez, which has reached over 23 million streams on Spotify at the time of writing.
Isaak’s entry ‘Always on the Run’ is reminiscent of artists such as Lewis Capaldi and Rag ‘N’ Bone Man and deals with the idea of struggling emotionally and mentally. You can listen to the song below:
GALANT – Katze
GALANT are a duo consisting of 26-year-old Mona Meiller from Munich and 29-year-old Paul-Aaron Wolf from Manheim. They primarily make electropop music with rap elements and like to challenge conventions with their music. Their song ‘Katze’ (‘Cat’) is one of two entries to be sung in German. The song uses the extended metaphor of a cat to explore how people distance themselves from others and become more unapproachable, usually after traumatic experiences as a form of self-preservation. Will it resonate with audiences on the night?
Floryan – Scars
Floryan (real name Florian Rößler) is a 28-year-old singer from Künzelsaunow who got his chance to participate in Das Deutsche Finale through the show Ich will zum ESC! (I Want to go to ESC!) The six-part TV show was developed by German broadcasters NDR and HR and saw a selection of up-and-coming singers be coached by Rea Garvey and 2014 Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst for the opportunity to participate in Germany’s national final.
As part of Ich will zum ESC! Floryan performed a number of covers in order to progress to the final round, where he was supported by Rea Garvey and Berlin-based songwriter and producer Leif Bent to write his prospective Eurovision entry ‘Scars’, which ended up with him winning the contest. Speaking of the moment he realised he would be in Das Deutsche Finale, Floryan said:
“My first feeling was: This can’t be true, I still can’t believe it. It was like a film that passed me by. Pure adrenaline and happiness, I can hardly describe it!”
Floryan on winning Ich will zum ESC!, Eurovision.tv
Can Floryan go one step further and win Das Deutsche Finale too? We’ll have to wait to find out but you can listen to ‘Scars’ below:
Bodine Monet – Tears Like Rain
23-year-old Bodine Monet is originally from Zandvoort, Netherlands and was born to Canadian parents. At just 14-years-old, she entered the German version of The Voice Kids, ultimately reaching the final and has participated in other talent shows since then. In 2018, she released her debut album ‘Cover Stories Vol. 1’ and has released a number of singles since.
Bodine’s song ‘Tears Like Rain’ is an acoustic guitar-led entry that picks up the pace in the chorus, reflecting the song’s lyrical theme of being hurt by someone you love before ultimately deciding to move on from them. Second in the bookies’ odds to win Das Deutsche Finale, this could be one to watch out for. You can listen to ‘Tears Like Rain’ below:
Ryk – Oh Boy
Ryk is the stage name of 34-year-old Rick Jurthe, who started playing the piano at the tender age of five and wrote his first song when he was just 13. This is not his first time attempting to represent Germany at Eurovision, with the singer having participated in Unser Lied für Lissabon (Our Song For Lisbon) in 2018 with the song ‘You and I’. He placed third but ultimately lost out to Michael Schulte and ‘You Let Me Walk Alone’ which finished in 4th place and remains Germany’s best result since their 2010 win with ‘Satellite’ by Lena.
Now Ryk is back with the song ‘Oh Boy’ and this time he is far and away the bookies’ favourite to represent Germany at Eurovision. With a richer, almost cinematic sound than his previous effort, the song deals with themes of unrequited love. Ryk is working with stage director Marvin Dietmann, who has served as creative director for a number of Eurovision entries, to bring the song to life. Could this be another entry we see on the Eurovision stage?
Marie Reim – Naiv
Marie Reim is the stage name of Marie-Louise Oberloher, who is a 23-year-old German schlager singer who was born in Köln. Her parents are also schlager singers with her father Matthias singing the 1990 hit ‘Verdammt, ich lieb’ dich’ (‘Damn, I Love You’) which topped the German singles chart for sixteen consecutive weeks and also reached number 1 in Austria, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland. Her mother Michelle represented Germany in 2001 with the song ‘Wer Liebe lebt’ (‘To Live For Love’), which finished eighth overall. Marie has released two albums: ’14 Phasen’ (’14 Phases’) in 2020 and ‘Bist du dafür bereit?’ (‘Are You Ready For This?’) in 2022.
Hoping to carry on in her mother’s footsteps, Marie will be performing her song ‘Naiv’ (‘Naïve’). The only other song beside ‘Katze’ to be performed in German, it is a classic schlager track that deals lyrically with constantly falling for the charms of a person who you know will leave you in the end. It’s a genre we’ve come to know and love at Eurovision but will it get there?
Max Mutzke – Forever Strong
Maximilian Nepomuk Mutzke, known as Max Mutzke, is a 42-year-old singer-songwriter and television personality. Having started out in a funk band called Project Five, Max got his big break when he won the TV talent show SSDSGPS in 2004. Following this, he released his debut single ‘Can’t Wait Until Tonight’ which went straight to number 1 in the German singles charts and was chosen to represent Germany at the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, where it finished eighth. He then released his self-titled debut album which, like his Eurovision entry, went straight to number 1 in the German charts. He has gone on to release further seven albums, most of which have entered the top 40 of the German album charts.
Twenty years later, Max is back with his song ‘Forever Strong’, a piano ballad that showcases his powerful vocals and is about being strong for the person you care about. Can Max represent Germany at Eurovision again?
So there are your acts for Das Deutsche Finale 2024! You can watch the show on Friday 16th March at 22:05 CET on eurovision.de. Who are you hoping will win? Be sure to let us know in the comments and follow us on our socials.
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