It is Eurovision week again and all eyes are on this year’s contestants of course. But whatever happened to all the stars of last year? I wrote a blog post about the most promising new artists last year soon after the contest. A year later, I look back to see what our favourite Eurovision contestants have been up to!
Let us start with last year’s winner from Sweden, Måns Zelmerlöw. Although his winning song ‘Heroes’ did not get the most votes from the televoters (this honour went to Italy’s Il Volo), it still became a more than decent hit around Europe. He released his album Perfectly Damaged and just dropped a brand new, catchy guitar pop single last week, called ‘Fire In The Rain‘. He will host the 2016 contest and definitely promote this new release.
Runner up Polina Gagarina from Russia had a hit in her home country when she released the dramatic ballad ‘Кукушкa’, the soundtrack for the movie Battle For Sevastopol. She is currently a coach in the Russian version of The Voice.
Second runner up and winner of the televote Il Volo from Italy is still very popular in their home country. They released an album with original songs and covers in 2015. In Italy, the album was titled L’amore Si Muove while the international version was titled after their Eurovision success Grande Amore. The record even charted in the classical list of Billboard in the United States!
Oh, where did Loïc Nottet go? The Belgian Eurovision pride did not release one new single in the whole year, but still he has been quite busy. He won a Dancing With The Stars tv show and recorded a new visual for his Eurovision track ‘Rhythm Inside’, which has gathered over a million views. The singer promised his fans he is working hard on his debut album. Don’t make us wait too long though!
Australia’s first Eurovision contender Guy Sebastian is preparing the release of a new album and ‘Black and Blue’ is the first single. This is more of trend chasing thing than ‘Tonight Again’!
Aminata from Latvia was my queen of Eurovision 2015 and she released a more than decent debut album just after the contest. A second one is already on the way, scheduled for release in October. ‘Fighter’ is the first single and the video shows Aminata fighting in a boxing match! Serve us those big vocals we love! Oh and she also composed ‘Heartbeat’, the song Justs will represent Latvia with at Eurovision 2016. They are in for another good result!
Estonian Elina Born did an outstanding job on duet ‘Goodbye To Yesterday’ last year and served her country another very catchy pop tune, ‘Kilimanjaro’, once again composed by duet partner Stig Rästa. Her vocals are to die for!
Norwegian singer-songwriter MØRLAND stunned last year with the ballad ‘A Monster Like Me’, performed as a duet with Debrah Scarlett. They both went their own ways after the contest and he surprised with the catchy pop single ‘No Firewall’. More recently he dropped the dramatic and emotional ballad ‘Skin’.
Debrah Scarlett worked hard on new music as well and recently released her impressive debut solo single ‘To Figure’. She is such a versatile vocalist and her tone is everything!
Georgian ‘Warrior’ Nina Sublatti is working as a judge on the Georgian X Factor, but also keeps releasing new singles like there is no tomorrow. ‘You Call Me Devil’ charted in more than one European country!