Speculation: Was American Song Contest’s Enisa tipped to represent Montenegro in 2023?

Credit: NBC

This week has seen the unfortunate news that three countries have withdrawn from Eurovison 2023, including Montenegro, but American Eurofans may be further disappointed to hear that an American Song Contest participant may have been Montenegro’s choice to compete in Liverpool.

Enisa Nikaj, who represented the state of New York in the American Song Contest 2022, reported on Twitter that she would have represented the Balkan nation next year had they been able to participate.

Sad, I was suppose to represent them in #Eurovision 2023. But they couldn’t find a way to financially support it 😕

— ENISA (@IAmENISA) October 14, 2022

Though still unconfirmed by the national broadcaster RTCG, Enisa shared some additional details with curious fans to support that claim. According to the Brooklyn-born artist, she traveled to Montenegro – her parents’ home country – this summer to meet with RTCG, where they asked her if she would represent them in 2023.

In response to one fan who seemed skeptical, Enisa noted that during the trip she filmed a televised interview with the broadcaster on the subject of her music career.

This summer I went to Montenegro, They asked to meet with me & ask if I’d represent them & I said yes, I even did an interview for their TV right after one of the meetings you can see on YouTube. I was happy to help them go far this year, also the song I had selected was big 🔥😒

— ENISA (@IAmENISA) October 14, 2022

In the American Song Contest, Enisa had moderate success with her pop-dance track “Green Light”. Though eliminated in the 2nd Qualifiers round, she was chosen as one of two “redemption” picks based on online streaming performance and earned a place in the Semi-Finals, where she

While there is currently no confirmation from the broadcaster that Enisa was their chosen act for 2023, such a choice would have marked the first crossover participant from the American spinoff of ESC.

Montenegro last participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 after a two-year hiatus from the contest due to financial issues and the Covid-19 pandemic. The song “Breathe” by Vladana placed 17th in the second semi-final.

Would #YOU have been excited to see Enisa compete in the Eurovision Song Contest? Are there any other ASC participants that #YOU would like to see on the ESC stage? Share your thoughts with us in the comments, on our forum HERE or on social media!