Eurovision 2021: Vital Statistics

Whatever the reason, Eurovision expert Samantha Ross has compiled all the vital statistics you’ll ever need for this year’s Contest, including an incredibly comprehensive subsection on Samanta Tīna.

Who’ll be performing:

• Solo Female (17): Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Romania, Russia, San Marino*, Slovenia
• Solo Male (13): Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
• Duos (1): Denmark
• Groups and Collaborations (8): Belgium, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Serbia, Ukraine
  
  * For the record: we consider San Marino’s entry to be performed by a Solo Female.
  Not a duo. Not a group. Not a collaboration.
  Although Flo Rida will appear on stage with Senhit to perform 'Adrenalina’ he is not credited as a featured artist. Just in case Richard Osman is reading.

How they were chosen:

• National Final (12): Albania, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy*, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Sweden
  (The winner of Italy’s Sanremo Festival is given first right of refusal for the ticket to Eurovision. This year, the winner accepted the invitation.)
• Partial National Final (Internal artist selection, public song selection) (2): Israel, Spain
• Internal Selection (23): Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
• Other (2): Bulgaria, Ukraine
  (For both of these entries, a number of potential songs were released and public opinion was requested and considered, but the song was ultimately selected internally.)

How many were selected to perform for their countries in 2020, and were carried over to 2021:

• Selected Internally (23): Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
• Won a National Final (3):Australia, Estonia, Lithuania

What language will the song be performed in?

• English (21): Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom
• Primarily in English, a few scant words or phrases in other languages (7): Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Malta, San Marino,
• No English (7): Albania, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine
• Primarily in a non-English language, with only a few scant words in English (1): Serbia
• Bilingual (3): Croatia, The Netherlands, Russia

Artists under the age of 20 (at the time of performance):

• Greece: Stefania (18)
• Malta: Destiny (18)
• Sweden: Tusse (19)

Artists over the age of 40 (at the time of performance):

• Belgium:

  Geike Arnaert (41)

  Alex Callier (48)

  Raymond Geerts (61)
  

• San Marino:

  Senhit (41)

  Flo Rida (41)

(Poland’s Rafał Brzozowski celebrates his 40th birthday on June 8, 2021)

Solo Artists using a pseudonym, mononym, or nickname:

• Australia: Montaigne’s real name is Jessica Alyssa Cerro.
• Azerbaijan: Efendi’s full name is Samira Azer gizi Efendiyeva.
• Bulgaria: Victoria’s full name is Victoria Georgieva.
• Croatia: Albina’s full name is Albina Grčić.
• Czech Republic: Benny Cristo’s real name is Ben da Silva Cristóvão.
• France: Barbara Pravi’s real name is Barbara Piévic.
• Germany: Jendrik’s full name is Jendrik Sigwart.
• Greece: Stefania’s full name is Stefania Liberakakis.
• Iceland: Daði’s full name is Daði Freyr Pétursson.
• Latvia: Samanta Tīna’s real name is Samanta Poļakova.
• Malta: Destiny’s full name is Destiny Chukunyere, and as a recipient of Malta’s Medal for Service to the Republic, she is entitled to use the post-nominal initials MQR.
• North Macedonia: Vasil’s full name is Vasil Garvanliev.
• Norway: TIX’s real name is Andreas Andresen Haukeland.
• Poland: RAFAŁ's real name is Rafał Brzozowski.
• Romania: Roxen’s real name is Larisa Roxana Giurgiu.
• Russia: Manizha’s full name is Manizha Dalerovna Sangin.
• San Marino: Senhit’s full name is Senhit Zadik Zadik. Flo Rida’s name is Tramar Lacel Dillard.
• Sweden: Tusse’s full name is Tousin Michael Chiza.
• Switzerland: Gjon’s Tears’ real name is Gjon Muharremaj.

Artists’ Names in their native-language script, if the Roman alphabet used is not their primary script of use:

• Azerbaijan: Əfəndi (full name: Samirə Azər qızı Əfəndiyeva)
• Bulgaria: Виктория (full name: Виктория Георгиева)
• Cyprus: Έλενα Τσαγκρινού
• Georgia: თორნიკე ყიფიანი
• Greece: Στεφανία (full name: Στεφανία Λυμπερακάκη)
• Israel: עדן אלנה (Hebrew), ኤደን አለነ (Amharic)
• Moldova: Наталія Гордієнко
• North Macedonia: Васил (full name: Васил Гарванлиев)
• Russia: Манижа (full name: Манижа Далеровна Сангин)
• Serbia: Hurricane is written as such in Serbian, but can be transliterated as “Харикејн”.

  Band Members: Сања Вучић (Sanja Vučić), Ксенија Кнежевић (Ksenija Knežević), Ивана Николић (Ivana Nikolić).

• Ukraine: Go_A is written as such in Ukranian, but can be transliterated as “Ґоу_Ей”

  Band Members: Катерина Павленко (Kateryna Pavlenko), Тарас Шевченко (Taras Shevchenko), Ігор Діденчук (Ihor Didenchuk), Іван Григоряк (Ivan Hryhoriak)

Songs changed/modified/revamped/translated from original winner/announcement/release?

• Albania

  While still staying in Albanian, the original version of Karma underwent a revamp to get it ready for Eurovision.

• Israel

  Set Me Free had a bit of a revamp between Israel’s Selection Show and the final Eurovision version.

• Italy

  The original version of Zitti E Buoni was slightly too long for Eurovision, and a few choice Italian phrases were softened for the international stage.

• Ukraine

  The original version of Shum was too similar to the traditional Ukrainian folk tune that inspired it, and it was also longer than the 3 minute limit. The song underwent an edit and revamp to get it to conform to Eurovision rules.

How many have had previous involvement with Eurovision?

• Austria: Vincent Bueno was one of the backing singers for Austria’s 2017 entry, Running On Air by Nathan Trent.
• Belgium: Hooverphonic member Alex Callier co-wrote Belgium’s 2018 entry for Sennek, A Matter of Time.
• Malta: Destiny was one of the backing singers for Malta’s 2019 entry, Chameleon, by Michela Pace. Furthermore, as the winner of Junior Eurovision 2015, Destiny was featured briefly at Eurovision 2016.
• Moldova: Along with Arsenium and Connect-R, Natalia Gordienko represented Moldova at Eurovision 2006, coming in 20th place in the Final with Loca.
• North Macedonia: Vasil was one of the backing singers for North Macedonia’s 2019 entry, Proud by Tamara Todevska.
• San Marino: Senhit (then 'Senit’) represented San Marino at Eurovision 2011, where her song Stand By came in 16th place in the Semi-Final.
• Serbia:

  Ksenija Knežević was a backing singer for her father, Knez, in 2015, with the Montenegrin entry Adio.

  Sanja Vučić represented Serbia as a soloist in 2016, coming in 18th place in the Final with Goodbye (Shelter).

• United Kingdom: James Newman was one of the songwriters behind Brendan Murray’s Dying To Try for Ireland in 2017.

How many have previous involvement with Junior Eurovision?

• France: Barbara Pravi is the songwriter behind France’s two most recent Junior Eurovision entries: 2019’s Bim Bam Toi for Carla and 2020’s J’imagine for Valentina, which took home the winner’s trophy.
• Greece: As one third of the group Kisses, Stefania represented The Netherlands at JESC 2016 with the song Kisses and Dancin’. The trio came in 8th place.
• Malta: Destiny was the winner of Junior Eurovision 2015 with her song Not My Soul.
• Poland: Rafał was one of the co-hosts for the 2020 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, and also co-hosted the 2017 Polish Junior National Final.
• Spain: Blas Cantó participated in the 2004 National Final to represent Spain at Junior Eurovision that year with the songs Cantaré and Sentir, but came in second place to eventual Junior Eurovision Song Contest winner Maria Isabel.

How many had previously been involved in National Finals (excluding their 2020 or 2021 victory)?

• Austria: Vincent Bueno participated in the 2016 Austrian National Final with All We Need Is that Love.
• Azerbaijan: Efendi was a participant in Azerbaijan’s 2014 National Final, but was eliminated in the penultimate round of competition. She was also rumoured to have been in the running for the internal selection in 2019.
• Estonia: Uku Suviste first attempted to represent Estonia at Eurovision in 2017, when his song Supernatural failed to qualify for the Eesti Laul final. Two years later, however, he came in second place at the national final with 2019’s Pretty Little Liar.
• Georgia: Tornike Kipiani participated in the 2017 Georgian National Final with the song You Are My Sunshine, featuring Giorgi Bolotashvili, coming in 23rd place.
• Iceland: Daði Freyr (alongside a then-uncredited Gagnamagnið, but all still rocking their trademark green jumpers) came in second place in 2017’s Söngvakeppnin with Is This Love? It was also performed in Icelandic as Hvað með það? during the show’s Semi-Final.
• Latvia: See below for Samanta Tīna…
• Lithuania: The Roop took part in the 2018 National Final with the song Yes, I Do, which came in third place overall.
• Moldova: Natalia Gordienko, alongside Arsenium and Connect-R, won the second Moldovan National Final in 2006 with their song Loca.
• North Macedonia: Vasil took part in Skopje Fest in 2007, coming in 13th place with Pomogni mi.
• Poland: In 2017, Rafał came in second place in the Polish National Final with the song Sky over Europe.
• Serbia: As a member of the group Sky’s, Ksenija Knežević came in fifth place in 2013’s edition of Beosong with the song Magija.
• Slovenia: As 'Diona Dim’, Ana took part in EMA 2004 (with the song If You) and 2007 (with Oče), coming in ninth and eleventh place, respectively.
• Spain: Blas Cantó, as a member of the group Auryn, was a finalist in Destino Eurovisión, Spain’s selection process for Eurovision 2011, with the song Volver.

Samanta Tīna’s previous involvements with National Finals:

Latvia’s Samanta Tīna has travelled a long and winding road to Eurovision, but she’s persevered across two countries, a dozen songs, and 10 years:

• Latvian National Finals:
  2012: For Father 7th place in the Semi-Final.
  I Want You Back, a duet with Dāvids Kalandija, 2nd place.
  2013: I Need a Hero, 2nd place.
  2014: Stay, 3rd place
  2016: The Love is Forever, withdrawn after qualifying for the Semifinal.
  We Live for Love, 5th place in the semifinal.
  2019: Cutting the Wire”, 7th place.
  
• Lithuanian National Finals:
  2013: Hey Chiki-Mama, a duet with Vudis, 4th place in its heat.
  2017: Tavo oda, a duet with Tadas Rimgalia, 7th place in its heat.
  
  (…and, of course, her 2020 entry Still Breathing)

Who wasn’t born in the country they’ll be representing?

• Cyprus: Elena Tsagrinou is from Athens, Greece
• Greece: Stefania was born in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
• The Netherlands: Jeangu Macrooy was born in Paramaribo, Suriname.
• Russia: Manizha was born in Dushanbe, in what is now Tajikistan.
• San Marino:

  Senhit was born in Bologna, Italy.

  Flo Rida was born in Carol City, Florida (near Miami).

• Sweden: Tusse was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

How many songs this year were written or composed (at least partially) by the performer?

• Australia
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• The Netherlands
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Portugal
• Russia
• San Marino
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom

How many of this year’s entries include a songwriter who had taken part in Eurovision as a singer (including returning artists)?

• Latvia
  The Moon is Rising is co-written by Latvia’s 2015 representative Aminata Savadogo
• Moldova

  Sugar’s music was co-composed by Phillipp Kirkorov, who represented Russia in 1995.

• Serbia

  Loco Loco’s lyrics were written by Sanja Vucic, who represented Serbia solo in 2016.

How many songwriters this year have more than one song in the running?

• Dimitris Kontopolous

  Music for Greece and Moldova

• Jimmy “Joker” Thornfeldt

  Music & Lyrics for Cyprus, San Marino, and Sweden

• Joy & Linnea Deb

  Music & Lyrics for San Marino and Sweden

• Sharon Vaughn

  Lyrics for Estonia, Greece, and Moldova

• Thomas Stengaard

  Music & Lyrics for Cyprus and San Marino

Thank you to Eurovision expert Samantha Ross of ESC Insight and the 12 Points from America podcast for compiling these vital statistics.