Kuba Szmajkowski Interview: Pray is about the “possibilities every day”

As Friday’s national selection in Poland slowly approaches, we had the opportunity to connect with Kuba Szmajkowski ahead of the show.

Together we talked about his journey toward the selection show and the preparation process, learned more about his personal life, and discussed his musical inspirations.

Hello there Kuba, welcome to ESCUnited.com! We’re so excited to have the opportunity to interview you today. Before we get deep in questions – how are you doing in the buildup to Polskie Kwalifikacje?

Hey! I’m super exited too! I’m good, we are working on a show for couple of weeks so I feel more and more confident.

Now we’ll get to the Polish national final in a moment, but I’d love a chance for our readers to get to know you a bit better! When you aren’t working on new music or performing what are some things that you do for fun?

I really love sport and I often go to the gym. I used to play volleyball in a local team but now it’s more like a hobby for me. Music is my greatest love. Horse riding also gives me a lot of satisfaction and peace.

And when you are thinking about music, what are some genres, musicians, or other factors that influence the music you like to create?

Mostly, the people I surround myself with inspire me the most. I listen to every kind of music. Whenever I discover a fresh sound, I immediately feel more motivated to create something new. My biggest inspirations are Harry Styles and Shawn Mendes. As a little boy, I used to listen to Demi Lovato. Of course I was a huge fan of Hannah Montana.

Let’s pretend you’re at a karaoke night and you must perform at least three songs. Which songs would you be picking and can you tell us why?

“Listen” by Beyonce for sure. This song has a beautiful melody and has repeatedly restored my hope that I can perform on big stages.

“Before I go” by Guy Sebastian. I love every sound in this song, and it gives me great opportunity to show vocal runs and adlibs.

And “Pray” of course! I can’t wait to perform it during polish selections first.

You’ve done a few musical collaborations, including one with fellow Polish artist Sarah James and LIAMOO of Sweden. So if you had the chance to manifest a collaboration with another artist, who would you choose and why?

For sure INNA. She is my favourite artist! She has an incredible voice, an interesting image, and a duet with her would be the fulfillment of my biggest dreams.

Now it’s very clear that you are passionate about competing in Eurovision, and you’ve previously stated it was your biggest dream to be on the largest European stage. When did this dream of being a Eurovision artist first begin for you?

I remember watching Eurovision for the first time in 2015. I was supporting Swedish artist, who ultimately won the contest. I noticed that Eurovision sparked emotions in my heart that I had never felt before. At that moment, I thought to myself that I also want to perform on such big stages like the Eurovision artists. I hope to have that opportunity one day.

Speaking of that passion, this year is the third time you’ll try to make that dream a reality. Is there anything that you are planning to do differently this time or that you’ve learned from the previous attempts?

I’ve definitely gained more distance from the media buzz, which used to distract me. I try not to worry about negative comments and focus on working on my performance. I’m really happy that my song PRAY is liked by so many people and is receiving great reviews. This year, we have plenty of time to prepare the show, so everything is already set. I can’t wait for the first rehearsals and the performance.

Your song this year “Pray” is a slight departure from the more dance-pop entries you’ve sent in the past. How did this entry come about from the writing process and how did you settle on this sound for the song?

The song was created when I had to say goodbye to my great-grandmother. I want “Pray” to make many of us realize that we have a lot of possibilities every day. We should feel like the happiest people in the world when we wake up healthy in the morning, have the chance to eat a delicious breakfast, and go to work. We should realize that it’s up to us whether the next day will be better than the one before.

While I know you can’t reveal anything specific about the performance plans for Polskie Kwalifikacje, you have done highly cinematic almost music video quality performances in the past. Is this what you are planning again, or will we see something entirely different?

The quality of the performance is indeed very important to me. We’ve been working on everything for several weeks. I believe I will surprise you in a positive way. The only thing I can reveal is that my outfit will be red.

As we close our time together is there anything you would like to share with our readers including how to connect with you on social media or support your music?

I want to thank everyone for the kind messages, comments, and support. Keep your fingers crossed for me on Valentine’s Day! If you enjoy my performance, I’d love to have your votes. Sending hugs

Kuba <3

Thank you so much for your time Kuba and wishing you the best of luck in the Polish Pre-selection!

The final of Polskie Kwalifikacje is set to take place on Friday, February 14 on TVP starting at 20:45 CET.

Will #YOU be supporting Kuba this coming Friday? Let us know on our forum, or visit us on Facebook, X(Twitter), Instagram, Youtube, and Discord.