Interview Elnur Hüseynov: ‘I represent myself with ‘Hour of the Wolf”

Azerbaijan is represented by Elnur Hüseynov in the 60th Eurovision Song Contest this year. It is not the first time the singer represents his country. In 2008, he was the first ever contestant for Azerbaijan together with Samir, when they performed the song ‘Day After Day’ as angel and devil. In the meantime he won the voice of Turkey and now he is back in Eurovision with the ballad ‘Hour of the Wolf’. Like almost every year, Azerbaijan is one of the hot favourites for the win in Vienna. I spoke to Elnur about participating in Eurovision for the second time and his admiration for the Australian participant Guy Sebastian.

This is the second time you participate in Eurovision. What is the biggest difference for you?
Well, this year I am performing on my own as a solo artist and that is quite different. It’s also great to be part of the 60th birthday of the Eurovision Song Contest. In terms of the songs, ‘Day After Day’ was like a small musical. It was the first time our country participated in Eurovision and we wanted to show everyone all styles we have in Azerbaijan. It is a mix of classical music and rock with a theatrical performance. With ‘Hour of the Wolf’ I represent myself more and I can show everyone who I am. I like to sing in a lot of different styles and ‘Hour of the Wolf’ is a beautiful song that suits me.

You won The Voice of Turkey. What experiences from this will you use on stage in Vienna?
Of course I learned a lot in this show and more importantly, it gave me the opportunity to build a career in Turkey and of course Azerbaijan. I am busy with a lot of projects at the moment and there will be an album on which I show my real self and the styles I love. I still need some time to record new songs in the studio, but of course, now I am very busy with Eurovision.

Azerbaijan usually does really well in the competition. Does this put pressure on you to get a good result?
Honestly I don’t feel any pressure and I will just enjoy the ride. It is not like we are going to war, we are all just going to give our best on stage. Although I don’t feel pressure, of course I want to show Europe a great performance.

Who are your favourites out of the other contestants?
First of all I would like to say that I love how every single song has its own story and style. My favourite would be Guy Sebastian from Australia, because he is an amazing singer. He is a true professional and I have been supporting him for years now ever since he won Australian Idol. I was so excited when I heard he would also participate in Eurovision. I was like: “Go Guy Sebastian, you can win!”

If you could cover a song from the history of Eurovision, which one would it be?
That’s a good question, but I don’t know, because I usually don’t do covers. But maybe it is a good idea to do one. I will think about it!

Thanks Elnur and good luck in Vienna!