Austria’s most haunted: Who the hell are Teya & Salena?

The pair were picked through broadcaster ORF’s internal selection, with a song that they wrote specifically for Eurovision. But before that, came years of hard work. They met on Austrian talent show Starmania 21 and spent countless hours at songwriting camps crafting the perfect tune. Or alternatively, they might have been possessed by the song’s real author, Edgar Alan Poe… Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe…

Teya & Salena burst onto the rehearsal stage with their energetic number on Tuesday 2 May. If a 19th-century ghost does indeed possess them, he’s got a good sense of style — they were rocking a hot PVC look and the Austrian hopefuls strutted their way around the stage with all the confidence of ladies possessed! 

There were no hauntings going on as the official Eurovision 2023 Live Blog was being written, so what was said came totally from the heart: "It’s got a message, it’s got a thumping bassline, it’s got HUGE vocals, it's got an insanely polished dance routine that everybody needs to learn immediately, and it’s got the line 'Oh mio padre, there’s a ghost in my body' sung like it’s the Vienna Boys’ Choir."

Teya & Salena are both well prepared for a stint in the UK. Salena told us she apologises far too much and will fill silences with conversation about the weather. Teya, meanwhile, once started asking questions back to her therapist, out of politeness. They're gonna fit in just fine here in Liverpool.

The Austrian singers have got a great ear for upbeat pop songs with fierce female vocals, unsurprisingly. Salena can be found jamming to Lizzo’s About Damn Time while Teya is partial to Midnight Sky by Miley Cyrus. But the number guaranteed to get Teya on the dancefloor is the one and only classic, Macarena.

Teya & Salena told the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast how much they love it when people sing their Eurovision banger at them. “It’s an earworm. It’s a miracle that we’re not annoyed by the song by now, we’ve heard it so many times, we’ve sung it so many times, performed it,” they told host Steve Holden.

“When people come up to us and they do ‘Poe, Poe, Poe,’ we get so excited!” continue the girls. So if you see them on the streets of Liverpool, don't be shy in showing your appreciation for their tune!

There’s more from Teya & Salena on Episode 12 of the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast.

You can learn more about Teya & Salena from Austria right here.

You can listen to all 37 songs of Eurovision 2024 via your favourite streaming service or watch the music videos on our YouTube channel.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Malmö, Sweden on Tuesday 7 May (First Semi-Final), Thursday 9 May (Second Semi-Final) and Saturday 11 May (Grand Final) 2024.

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