One of these six entries will be representing North Macedonia at Eurovision in May, and YOU … might have a say in which one it is?
As Macedonian broadcaster MRT announced last week, the country is switching to an online national selection to pick its song and artist for this year’s contest. Today, the six finalists were released and voting opened here on the broadcaster’s website. [NOTE: Some people have reported that the site is Geoblocked for them. I was able to vote from Texas, but it took a long time for the site to load. It’s unclear at the moment whether or not voting is meant to be open to an international audience.]
Lyric videos are accessible on the broadcaster’s website, though people outside of the region have reported issues accessing them. Luckily, they have also been uploaded to YouTube:
Kaly, “Love and Light”
Kaly AKA Kalina Velkovska was a backing singer for Kalipopi at Eurovision 2016. She has also attended Eurovision as a member of the Macedonian jury. During the pandemic, she launched Kaly’s Music Challenge, filming a number of music videos from her home and uploading them to social media.
Ris Flower, “Flying to Berlin”
Ris Flower AKA Boris Cvetanovski began releasing music in 2020. He released his debut EP, Live Power Session, last summer. He recorded music videos for all four songs on that EP. They can be viewed on his official Vevo account.
Lara Ivanova, “Flowers of Sorrow”
Lara Ivanova first received attention in 2019, when the then-16-year-old singer made her debut at MakFest, and annual music festival held in North Macedonia. She has released a number of singles since then, returning with a song to MakFest last year and winning the award for Best Vocal Interpretation. Like Kaly, she has also attended Eurovision as part of the Macedonian jury.
Yon Idy, “Dreams”
Yon Idy is often noted to be an unusual figure in the Macedonian music scene, with his songwriting most resembling that of Western indie pop artists. He has had chart success in Albania and North Macedonia since launching his music career in 2019, and his songs have been played on radio stations across Europe.
Andrea Koevska, “Circles”
Andrea Koevska‘s is a bit of a social media sensation, with her music gaining traction on YouTube and TikTok over the last year. Her music has been played internationally, on radio stations across Europe and The US.
Viktor Apostolovski, “Superman”
Viktor Apostolovski is the veteran performer of the contest, first getting a taste of the spotlight in 2011 on the one-and-only season of Macedonian Idol. He placed 4th on that season, one spot above Eurovision 2017 artist Jana Burčeska. He has released over fifty song, recorded three albums, and won numerous international awards.
Voting is open until next Friday, February 4, with the winner being announced shortly thereafter. The outcome will be decided via a 50/50 split of public and jury scores. The jury for ‘Za Evrosong’ consists of a number of local music journalists, as well as the aforementioned Jana Burčeska.
Which of these six songs are #YOU voting for? Were #YOU even able to vote? MRT’s website is basically the dark web, mysterious and unnavigable. Sound off in the comments below, in our forum, or on social media @ESCUnited.
