#esc montenegro

[demi-eurovision]

Come into me from within

We can be as one in the sin

Slavko is such a legend! Does anyone know if he met Käärijä during the Eurovision cruise recently?

[eurovision-facts]

Eurovision Fact #790:

The artists taking part in Montesong 2025 have been announced and 10 out of 16 artists are Montenegrin, which the contest director was pleasantly surprised by since "the competition was open to authors from all over the world."

The complete list of artists and songs is as follows:

Anastasija Koprolčec - "Kraj" Bend "9" - "Stop War" Boban Rajović - "Suze" Dolce Hera - "Repeat" Đurđa - "To Ljubav Je" Glumci Bend - "San" Isak Šabanović - "Ljeto, Ljeto, Ljeto" Kejt - "Obala Raja" Luka Perazic & Rade Vukčević - "Dva Srca" Luka Radović - "Kada Dođe Maj" Milena Vučić - "Škorpija" Nemanja Petrović - "Među Zvijezdama" Neonoen - "Clickbait" Nina Žižić - Dobro Došli Tina Džankić - Nova Verica Čuljković - Čuješ Li

[Source]

"Montenegro 2025: Artists announced for 'Montesong'," Eurovision.tv.

[vintageurovision]

Debuting countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004

Albania: Anjeza Shahini - The Image Of You [x]

Andorra: Marta Roure - Jugarem A Estimar-nos [x]

Belarus: Alexandra & Konstantin - My Galileo [x]

Serbia & Montenegro: Željko Joksimović - Lane Moje [x]

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2007: Qualification

Last year's Eurovision turned out to be immensely popular. Both the lack of scandal and a hugely popular and novel winner not only went down well with the European public, but also the broadcasters of Europe.

It was enough to quell the doubts about the competition that had been increasing. At least for now. Austria and Hungary returned having registered their concerns and reassured that if a bunch of rock demons from Finland could win, then so could they.

Monaco however felt differently. They'd spend three years in the semi-finals since their return in 2004, never really threatening to qualify and given the low budgets and viewership (does anyone resident in Monaco actually watch Eurovision?), they once again pulled out. As of 2024, they still haven't returned.

After last years unpleasantness, both Serbia and Montenegro took part separately. Officially they were debuts, but they kind of weren't. It now meant that every republic that had formerly constituted Yugoslavia were now competing independently. Six countries where there had been one. There was still the question of Kosovo though, and that's a question that remains to this day.

Two other countries had a go at Eurovision for the first time: Georgia and the Czech Republic. That's forty-two countries in total breaching the EBUs forty country limit.

This resulted in the biggest semi-final ever with twenty-eight countries competing in one of the longest Eurovision performance schedules ever and it left the EBU scratching its head as Azerbaijan were asking politely to take part as well.

Of the forty-two entrants, ten went for internal selection, up two from last year. That still means that thirty-two national finals took place, three more than last year. Three of those were song-selections with an artist known in advance, and one (Hungary) was an artist selection show with a song already in mind.

Adding in Sanremo, that leads to a round 500 songs being in the contention for my bracket this year. That's actually a fifty-three song reduction on 2006, mainly because several of the monster selection shows slimmed down somewhat.

2007 is Eurovision achieving it's full size for the first time. There will be a couple of years that match it for number of entrants, but this is the one that grew beyond what the EBU was prepared for. But was exactly what the EBU wanted.

[sycamoreesc]

MONTESONG 2024

Montenegro is coming back to Eurovision this year after a two year break, and they have the honour of kicking off national final season with Montesong airing next Wednesday, 27th November 2024! There are 16 songs in total that I will rank from my least to most favourite.

Please remember that these are just my opinions, and I'd love to hear your own opinions!

16. Stop War by Bend 9

I actually feel kind of sad putting this last, becuase I know there will be some technical element to this song that I just don't get, because I can't actually listen to this due to how noisy it is. I've mentioned in my previous ranking that metal and my ears don't mix well, and that's the exact trouble I have here. I will say though that I love any kind of anti-war sentiment, and the kind of chanty nature of the lyrics was pretty good. I simply cannot justify putting a song that I can't listen to the whole way through without getting a headache anywhere but last place.

15. Kraj by Anastasija Koprolčec

This is a pretty standard breakup ballad and thus it is very boring to me. I've mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of ballads, especially when they're about romantic relationships; I just find them boring and hard to connect with. I do like Anastasija's voice, and the way the music builds is pretty nice, but this kind of song just isn't for me.

14. Čuješ Li by Verica Čuljković

Another standard ballad, but this time about love instead of breaking up. Again, ballads just aren't for me and this is no different. The reason I ranked this higer than Kraj is because I actually quite like the addition of the bass-y male voices and the stronger music in the last part of the song. Having to go about two and a half minutes to get to that though is not worth it for me.

13. Među Zvijezdama by Nemanja Petrović

Sigh... another ballad. I do enjoy his voice and vibrato; I think it sounds really nice. I also really enjoyed the introduction of violins and and a stronger beat after the first chorus, but then I was disappointed when it went right back to the music from before when he started singing again. If they kept that vibe and tempo going, this could have been a higher scorer. The backing track is what makes this song more interesting than the other ballads so far.

12. Clickbait by NeonoeN

This is a very fun and silly song about being addicted to your phone. I really enjoyed the funky sound in the music, however for me, I feel like it's a bit stagnant, like it doesn't really go anywhere. I enjoy it a good amount, I'd say.

11. San by Glumci Band

Something I love about this song is that they use harmonies throughout the whole thing, though I think it sounds a bit patchy in some places, so I hope they can execute it better live. The guitar solo is amazing; I do love a good guitar solo. Also the talking bit is interesting, and I'm not sure if I like it or not.

10. Škorpija by Milena Vučić

Forget girlbop, this is girlROCK. I really enjoy the music, and her raspy voice is perfect for this kind of song. I think this song really puts forward a sexy and fun vibe which I think a lot of people will gravitate towards. One thing however, is that I felt like I was waiting for something, like it should have built up and had a super powerful final chorus, but I was left hanging.

9. Kada Dođe Maj by Luka Radović

This one gave me a slight futuristic or space-y kind of vibe with the instrumentation, which I really liked. I think Luka's voice is really nice, and he is another singer who has a gorgeous vibrato that really suits the song. Despite how much I like this song, I can't think of what else to say about it, so I couldn't really justify putting it higher than this.

8. Obala Raja by Kejt

This is an absolutely gorgeous song, and I love the sentiment of being happier and more content on her own. Maybe I'm projecting my own aro-ness onto this song, but I just love songs that have that kind of 'standing stronger on your own' kind of messaging. I also really like the addition of the violin. There is an English part in this song, which I'm not sure if I like or not, but I definitely can see why they would put some English in, since it will likely help it to appeal to a wider audience, should it win the show.

7. To Ljubav Je by Đurđa

This song gives me fairytale vibes and I'm not entirely sure why. I love the cadence and bounce in the chorus. I'm actually a bit surprised that I like a ballad as much as I do with this one, but I just think it sounds very pretty.

6. Dobrodošli by Nina Žižić 

Before you all come for me (I know she's the fan favourite), I do actually like this song. It's a nice song about perseverence, and Nina has a great voice (but of course we already knew that). The music sounds like it should have been the score in a blockbuster movie, and I really like how everything comes together in the last third of the song. The only reason it's not in my top 5 is that I simply like the other songs more.

5. Poguban Let by Tamara Živković

Tamara has a lovely voice, and I like the buildup to the chorus. I especially love how the drum machine sounds next to the more traditional sounds, it really scratches the right parts of my brain. The final chorus feels powerful, although I feel like there could have been a bit more.

4. Ljeto, Ljeto, Ljeto by Isak Šabanović

This is honestly such a bop. I love the slight gravel in Isak's voice. I think the music is pretty unique, and the chorus is really fun and catchy - I find it comes into my head at the most random moments. I also really like the part where the song breaks down but comes back with just a drum beat, and I know audiences will love that, too.

3. Dva Srca by Baryak

Now this is the kind of rock song I live for. I absolutely love the sound, it's low-key kind of epic? If that's the right word? The harmonies in this song are also amazing. The strong juxtaposition between verse and chorus is also pretty interesting, and I actually quite like it.

2. Nova by Tina Džankić

I can't help it okay? I absolutely love funky 70s music, and this song perfectly hearkens back to those amazing songs. I can really bop to it, I love the funky backing track, it just gives me such good vibes. I will admit that this style of song doesn't often do well at Eurovision, but this is a list of my personal favourites, and not a list about who I think will win.

1. Repeat by Dolce Hera

Listen, I'm a simle white person: I hear a saxophone, and I get turnt, I get lit, I get [insert another equally outdated term here]. This song just has such a unique sound, and I love the relaxed vibes. Dolce's voice is really smooth and nice to listen to. I know that this song is nowhere near the top favourites, so I'm not expecting it to do well in the show, and I'm also not sure how well this kind of song will translate to a live setting, but despite all that, I can't help but absolutely love it. Unfortunately, there aren't any lyrics available for this song (that I can find, anyway), so I don't actually know what it's about, but it's just such a vibe and I listen to it a lot.

Thank you for reading all this rambling! Let me know if you agree or disagree with anything I said, and please feel free to go to my video on youtube to give it a like or a comment <3

I do feel sad because I know that neither of my top two really have any kind of chance to win, but I understand that they could be considered kind of niche. ;^;

[guysofeurovision]

I know that expectations for Montenegro are below ground level and their song isn't even that bad tbh, but they could have gone for that cool rock song as a good comeback but I guess that they like flopping...

I hope they'll put some effort into revamping it. Fighting for some dignity in the semi final should be a priority!

At least the drummer is pleasing the eye 😉

[aijamisespava]

BREAKING: Montenegro Releases Their National Final Songs!

Montenegro has already made headlines by announcing that they are making a return to Eurovision. And they certainly want to be on the list of "First Released/Announced Eurovision Songs" this year. Pending any internally selected songs we may not know about (we know Theo Evan's song for Cyprus will likely be released around February/March 2025), they could very well do it!

Today, Montenegro released the 16 songs that will perform in their National Final "Eurosong" on the 27th of November. So, in a little over 2 weeks, we will have our first Eurovision song of the year!

This year, Montenegro has a wide selection of songs of different genres. Bend "9" and Baryak bring rock to the table with their songs "Stop War" and "Dva Srca," respectively. We also have some fun pop songs like "Nova" by Tina Džankić. And for fellow ballad fans, we have our fair share of those including "Kraj" by Anastasija Koprolčec, "Obala raja" by KEJT, and my personal favorite of the selection "To ljubav je" by Đurđa.

[neprebolni-gorki-sat]

Absolutely losing my mind over the fact that a decent chunk of the ESC finals this year is just a reunion of Balkan and/or ex-Yu countries peace and love on planet Earth

[anotherescsite]

Decade of Success and Failure - Semi final edition: Montenegro

Lowest in the average score and average placings is Montenegro. Only two qualifiers to the final in the last ten years. They were absent for a few as well.

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Jelena Tomašević -- Jutro (Evropesma 2005)

"Hej, suzice, brojanice more ti je postelja prošao si sve stanice, samo meni više doći nećeš..."

"Hey, little tears, my rosaries, the sea is your bed now, you have passed all the stops, but only to me you will never come..."

If you remember my 250, you might recognize Jelena with her song Oro in 2008. It's a haunting, melancholic gem, with beautiful imagery and sadness about Jelena's lost love. I thought I would be put off it, but it grew on me, and became my winner.

Jutro, on the other hand, was love at first listen.

Using oceanic elements instead of those based on wheat, it's a lament about a lost love. From the flow of the melody, it feels like Jelena was waiting for her love to come, before realizing her lover has drowned in the waves, and probably died herself "my breasts hurt like sails/for my life has come to an end". (Strange imagery, but it gets at the angst.) Combined with Zeljko's composition, it makes for a heart wrenching tale.

Jutro was also involved in one of the most controversial NFs ever (every Evropesma ever), in which Zeljko might have gotten too cocky and planned a party prior to the final, both sides accused the other of blanking songs from the other broadcaster, and it ended up a total mess which would mark the beginning of the end of Serbia-Montenegro as a country.

The winner, Zauvijek Moja, came in seventh at Eurovision 2005 (and became the basis of Love Love Peace Peace's melody eleven years later!). However, I think Jutro has a bit more power to elevate the country to the top five again, though I'm not sure if it would've won. Especially in a year filled with ethno-influenced music in 2005.

But, who knows?

[eurovision]

NeonoeN se retira de Eurovision 2025

Primera selecicón nacional y primera polémica en el Festival de Eurovision 2025.

Y es que tras ganar el Montesong (la selección nacional montenegrina) se ha dado a conocer que el tema "Clickbait" de la banda ganadora NeonoeN fue interpretado antes del 1 de Septiembre de 2024 (fecha limite por la que los temas deben ser inéditos para participar en Eurovision) por lo que, antes de que la organización del Festival tome una dicisión, la banda comunica su retirada del festival para zanjar cualquier tipo de polémica.

[eurovision-facts]

Eurovision Fact #734:

Montenegro will be participating in Eurovision in 2025. The nation will be using a new format called Montesong to pick their contestant. Those seeking to enter must hold a Montenegrin citizenship.

During Montesong, an internal committee will select 16 songs to participate, but if none of the submitted songs meet a pre -established quality threshold, the song will be selected internally.

However, if an internal selection is not required, the winner will be selected via a vote by the jury and the public, each holding a 50% stake in the vote.

[Sources]

"Montenegro: RTCG confirms participation at Eurovision 2025," ESCToday.com.

"Montenegro is back: Eurovision 2025 participation confirmed," Eurovisionworld.com.

[eurotowne]

we have a winner

[bisexualmothman-br]

Would you look at that, time for another personal top 10, today being for the 2022 contest.

Disclaimer: As i share my takes on my top 10s it should be obvious i only rank years based on the studio version of the entries (it's always the version i listen to everyday, rarely will the live performance of a song affect its placing to me).

10th 🇲🇪 Vladana - Breathe: Georgia 2023 took notes from this one, but damn did Montenegro return for a one-time bop and immediately withdraw again. Lyrics are simple so they're fun to sing along to, but girl really got herself an english dictionary (the italian bridge and chorus on the live was unnecessary but that's irrelevant for now).

9th 🇨🇭 Marius Bear - Boys Do Cry: Listen listen, i have a soft spot in my heart for calm male swiss ballads (Watergun is my 12th this year and the 2020 and 2021 top 10s will let you know my opinion on Gjon wink wink), and as much as Marius is unlikeable, i can't deny his entry fits that model and i love its message.

8th 🇦🇱 Ronela Hajati - Sekret: I have to admit 2022 was my 2nd time following a contest and with Albania revealing their entry that early i kinda have a soft spot for Sekret. It is a banger (pre-revamp, as i almost always rank albanian entries) and definitely a girlbop. Ronela our sammarinese albanian crybaby, please change your ways, i love your entry.

7th 🇱🇻 Citi Zēni - Eat Your Salad: I used to hate that song but then the more i listened the more i got its hype, i love Latvia's 2016-2023 streak so far and, as much as i wasnt expecting a qualification, it kinda stung a bit not seeing it go to the final.

6th 🇵🇹 Maro - Saudade, Saudade: We stan a portuguese sadgirl, and even the english parts were great, just overall a very good chill entry with portuguese bias added of course.

5th 🇷🇸 Konstrakta - In Corpore Sano: biti zdrava, biti zdrava, biti zdrava, biti biti biti biti zdrava, biti zdrava, biti zdrava, može može može

4th 🇲🇰 Andrea - Circles: Underrated entry alert, this definitely deserved to qualify, her voice is so strong and her song is so catchy, girl tested her limits but europe didn't listen.

3rd 🇫🇷 Alvan & Ahez - Fulenn: Diwanit Bugale pales in comparison to this, the studio version is so good and breton is such an interesting language (god help anyone who wants to learn any celtic language). Too bad the live was so jarring, that entry had so much potential but now France may be reluctant on sending more entries in languages like breton or corsican after seeing the result (even though it is such a banger).

2nd 🇱🇹 Monika Liu - Sentimentai: Lithuania and Slovenia are the only countries i didn't change at all in my first and latest 2022 rankings (Austria went from 3rd to 21st lmao) and deservedly so, i'm a sucker for the more unused languages in ESC (please Azerbaijan, send azeri already) and lithuanian was certainly top of the list to do a comeback. Sentimentai is such a classy entry and Monika is hella charismatic, 13th in the final is good by Lithuania's standards but cmon, we all know this should've been their new best result, they need a better "best result".

1st 🇸🇮 LPS - Disko: Already expressed my love for this entry on my blog but long story short THAT'S MY FAVORITE ESC ENTRY EVER I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT AND WHY THE FUCK DID IT GET LAST I LITERALLY CANT SEE WHAT WAS SO WRONG ABOUT IT TO DO WORSE THAN PIA MARIA'S VOCAL "PERFORMANCE". Cahem, yeah, we stan those boys.

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2004 - Number 7 - Željko Joksimović - "Lane Moje"

He's here. The man who's written five of the all time Eurovision greats. The man who's done more to popularise the concept of the Balkan Ballad than any other artist in Eurovision. It's Željko.

Željko is a name that's going to be appearing regularly in my blogs over the next few years, so let's get to know the man. He's multi-instrumentalist. Starting with the accordion at a young age, he was named First Accordion in Europe at the age of 12 at a Europe-wide competition. His singing and playing began to conquer first his home country of Serbia then further into the Balkans. He had a number one in the charts with 7 Godina (7 Years). Between 1999 and 2003 he released three big studio albums with his first major recording contract.

To top it all, his song-writing was becoming even more impressive than his singing. He wrote Čija si (Whose Are You?) the song with which Toše Proeski won the 2003 edition of Beovizija and which would have gone to Eurovision in that year if the EBU had organised itself a bit better.

That gets us to 2004. He and song-writing partner Leontina Vukomanović both entered Evropesma 2004, the new competition to select Serbia & Montenegro's debut/return entry for Eurovision. For that honour Lane Moje (My Darling) was created. It's in the style of an ethno/Balkan ballad, using traditional instrumentation and modes to create an atmosphere of devastating melancholy. A lover is so disconsolate that he asks his devoted partner to leave him. He wants nothing but happiness for her, he loves her dearly, but he feels that he cannot give her anything in return. He dare not love any more, even if that devotion is returned. He is a broken man.

Huge props must go to Leontina for the lyrics to this song. They are hauntingly beautiful. Just the translation of the first verse:

When I think of you I'm afraid of loving you again I sink my teeth into my blue lips To forget the real pain

Wow. And Željko not only sings this beautifully, but he sells that indigo brooding perfectly. Of course it won Evropesma. It won by a mile, getting almost double the score of second place. Going to Eurovision this year for Serbia & Montenegro was a big thing. It was a huge moment. The return of the last former country of Yugoslavia, representing not only national pride and confidence but also a healing of wounds on behalf of all the other former Yugoslav countries as well as Europe as a whole - even if there will be another fracturing in three years time. In Željko and Lane Moje, they had the perfect representative and song to take Europe's hearts.

It cruised through the new semi-final, topping that scoreboard winning Željko millions of new fans outside his home region. In the final he was just pipped by another country who were going to become their own force of nature of Eurovision - but this moment in 2004 welded Serbia back to Eurovision permanently and Željko now has a place among the pantheon of greats and his songs are among the best to have ever appeared at Eurovision.

He'll be back.

[sycamoreesc]

Gotta say I'm a little surprised that Clickbait won, but it's absolutely deserved!

Congrats to NeonoeN and Montenegro! Our first official Eurovision song for 2025 🇲🇪💓🎉