Gintarė Korsakaitė: “You don’t have to be perfect to do what you really enjoy”

As we look ahead to the last heat of Pabandom iš naujo, we were fortunate enough to interview Gintarė Korsakaitė and together we talked about her journey with music, past and present participations in the national final, and what it would mean to go to Eurovision this May. Check it out!

Hello Gintarė – thank you so much for meeting with us today! Why don’t you give our readers an introduction into who you are?

Hello. Thank you for your invitation. I am a singer, songwriter from Lithuania. Even though I am singing from a very young age my first bigger recognition in Lithuania was when I was 18 years old and took part in a TV show “The Voice of Lithuania” reaching the semi-finals. Soon, I started working with Lithuanian music producers and released my first singles. In 2019 I participated in a TV show “The Final4” and won the second place. Throughout my musical career I had a chance to represent Lithuania at many international singing contests in Europe.

Wonderful thanks for helping us get to know you better! And when did you first discover that you were interested in music and performing?

I have been singing from as far as I remember myself. I always loved being the center of attention, to perform, act and so on. It is in my blood, I think. Everybody in my family loves to sing. When we celebrate birthdays and sing “Happy birthday” – it is quite a performance 😀

I did notice you are no stranger to the Lithuanian national selection, having participated in both 2010 at the age of 16, and again in 2012. Do you feel like you’ve changed as an artist since you last participated?

Definitely. When I participated being 16 my song was very childish, I wasn’t ready then. Nowadays 16-year-olds sing and look way better than I did 11 years ago 😀 There was a time when I wanted to quit singing, I felt like I can’t find myself. Now I am more mature and I know what I want. In these past couple years I understood the style of music I like and the way I want to sound. It is the best version of me and I like myself now.

And you were also set to compete in last year’s edition of Pabandom iš Naujo but sadly had to withdraw before the selection began – what does it mean for you to be back this year to try again?

The last year I was going to participate with a song that wasn’t mine. Withdrawing was the last-moment decision because I had this gut feeling that it won’t be good. This year I am confident about the song because I co-wrote it with a bunch of great songwriters and I like it a lot.

Last year I organized the songwriting camp where I invited the music producer and two songwriters and we all went to a farmstead to spend time composing songs. One of those songs was Fantasy Eyes.

And with Pabandom iš Naujo, there is no more live jury feedback along many other changes such as better staging and lighting, no audience due to the pandemic, and pre- recorded vocals being allowed. Are there any changes that you were or weren’t excited about heading into filming?

I really liked the feeling that I am all alone on the stage. No pressure, you can have your 30 minutes to rehearse, to look at your performance, make some little changes and then record.

This year your song is titled “Fantasy Eyes” – could you tell us a bit more about the message behind your song and it’s lyrics?

The song Fantasy Eyes is about the relentless desire to be with someone even though they are bad for you. A part of you knows that there would be no happy ending there because you have been in such a toxic relationship before and you know it leads to no good, but still, that person draws you like crazy, hypnotises you with those fantasy eyes. Finally, you realise that you are strong enough to resist the impulses and you say no to this person. But it leaves you wondering – maybe I should give it a try one last time…?

I know that the performances have already been recorded ahead of Saturday’s broadcast, but I’m curious about what the preparation and rehearsal process looked like for you ahead of the show? Can you tell us more about that?

The performance preparation took about a month. I really like dancing and took a chance to work with a great choreographer-scenographer Paulius Šinkūnas. He allowed my own sense of movement to unfold by firstly asking to perform the song as I feel myself and then creating scenography by using what I did. I am really glad that Paulius saw something in the way I dance.

And are there any hints or teases you can give us about what to expect on the PiN stage today?

I really want to keep it secret.

Well then I guess our readers will need to make sure they watch your performance later today! Speaking of performances, the winner of Pabandom iš Naujo would be heading off to Eurovision this coming May. What would it mean for you to be able to perform on such a large stage and represent your country?

I would probably faint 😀 I do not expect to win the contest this year but if I would have to imagine the possibility – that would be a lot of responsibility. I am a very responsible person, I always try to make everything perfectly. I imagine myself going to English classes, vocal classes, dancing classes and so on 😀 Talking seriously, I would be the happiest person in the world. It is only my insecurities talking here. I would be very proud of myself and I would do everything to perform the best I can.

For those who want to connect with you ahead of or after the selection– where can they find you and your music?

You can connect with me on Youtube, Spotify, Facebook, or Instagram.

Alright, one final question for you – is there any message you’d like to share with our readers?

I know that there are so many perfectionists like me out there in this world. And this trait sometimes gives you anxiety, sometimes you feel too insecure to do something. What I want to say – you don’t have to be perfect to do what you really enjoy, you can make mistakes, do stupid things, say something weird, make a mess. This is what I am learning every day.

Well Gintarė, I want to thank you again for taking some time to speak with me, and we wish you the best of luck in tomorrow’s heat!