Azerbaijan - Miracle - Samra Rahimli

Digital release image

17 - 117 pts / 6 - 185 in semi 1

The Land Of Fire is represented in Stockholm by Samra Rahimli (Səmra Rəhimli) and her song Miracle.
The song is written by Amir Aly, Jakke Erixson and Henrik Wikstrom.

You can watch and listen here

The song has been released through most digital stores. (CAP-sounds).
A pack of five remixes (see versions below) has been released (CAP sounds digital release)
Some remixes are uploaded to Samra's Youtube. (see Versions).

At least two promo's have been released. A 1-track and a five track.

Wikstrom is the co-writer of 33 Melodifestivalen entries including one winner, Invincible by Carola (2006). Amir Aly has 10 MF entries to his name.
Out of nine entries for Azerbaijan, seven have been written by Swedish songwriting teams.

5-track promo

Versions
Miracle - ESC version
- Stockholm 2CD
Miracle - karaoke

- Official karaoke album (digital)
Miracle - Tomas N'evergreen and Graddus remix
Miracle - Kamil's Moombah remix
- remixes through Samra's Youtube
Miracle - Thomas Godel remix
Miracle - MAnGoo remix
Miracle - Promostella Club remix
- all five remixes: digital release

Links and sources
Samra Rahimli FB (new link)
Ictimai Eurovision pages

Remixes DRI

Former Azerbaijan entries
2015 - Elnur Hüseynov
2014 - Dilara Kazimova
2013 - Farid Mammadov
2012 - Sabina Babayeva
2011 - Ell and Nikki
2010 - Safura
2009 - Aysel and Arash
2008 - Samir and Elnur

Finland - Sing It Away - Sandhja

Digital release image

15 - 51 pts in semi 1

Finland's ticket to Stockholm went to Sandhja, who won the multi week preselection process Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) 2016 with her song Sing It Away.

The song is written by Sandhja, Milos Rosas, Heikki Korhonen, Petri Matara and Markus Savijoki.

Sing It Away was released as a digital single on Januari 13 through Sony Music Finland.
It can also be found on the UMK 2016 album (see below)
A promo cdsingle is issued.

Sandhja releases her new album Freedom Venture on April 29. It includes Sing It Away, new single Love Me High and eight other songs. (Columbia, picture and tracklist at the end of this post).

Remix version DRI

Versions
Sing It Away
- digital single, Stockholm 2CD, promo
Sing It Away - karaoke
- on official karaoke album (digital release)
Sing It Away - Alex Mattson remix
- digital release May 20 2016

Sandhja (Sandhja Kuivalainen) released her first single Hold Me in 2013 and it became a minor radio hit.
It was followed by the album Gold in 2014 and two further singles Gold and My Bass.

UMK 2016
All 18 songs from the Finnish selection have been released on the album UMK - Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2016 (through The Fried Music label). No CD will be released.

Links and sources
Sandhja website and FB
YLE's UMK 2016 pages
Sandhja's video at UMK's Youtube

Album Freedom Venture DRI

Tracklist Freedom Venture

1. My Bass
2. Sing It Away
3. Heaven’s Gates
4. Don’t Come Back for More
5. The Chase
6. Misery
7. Seven Billion Hearts
8. Calling of the Night
9. Haunted
10. Love Me High

Sing It Away is Finlands 50th Eurovision entry. The country has one memorable victory to its name, 2006 shock entry Hard Rock Hallelujah by Lordi.

The Finnish entries of the past few years.
2015 - Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät
2014 - Softengine
2013 - Krista Siegfried
2012 - Pernilla Karlsson
2011 - Paradise Oskar
2010 - Kuunkuiskaajat
2009 - Waldo's People

Macedonia - Dona - Kaliopi

Promo cds

11 - 88 pts in semi 2

MKRTV decided on Kaliopi (Kaliopi Bukle, Калиопи Букле) to represent Macedonia (F.Y.R.) in the 2016 contest.

The song, Dona (Дона) is written by Romeo Grill with lyrics by Kaliopi. It was presented on March 7.
Watch and listen here.

Dona has been released as a digital single.
A 1-track promo is issued.

Eurovision fans all know and love Kaliopi for her fab entry Crno i Belo (Black and white) from 2012, which finished 13th in the Baku final.

Versions
Dona - Original version
- Stockholm 2CD, promo
Dona - karaoke (instrumental)

- official karaoke album (digital release)

Picture from Kaliopi's Facebook

Kaliopi's Eurovision history starts in 1987, she almost made it in 1996 and you can read all about her previous entries and releases here at the Baku Collection.

Kaliopi's most recent album is Melem from 2013, but she has released several singles in 2015: Mojot Dom, Pozeli and most recently Jutro.

Links and sources

Kaliopi website and FB

Kaliopi at the Baku Collection 

Kaliopi's 2012 cdsingle Crno i Belo

Macedonia's recent Eurovision songs
2015 - Daniel Kajmakoski
2014 - Tijana Dapčević
2013 - Esma and Lozano
2012 - Kaliopi
2011 - Vlatko Ilievski
2010 - Gjoko Taneski and Billy Zver
2009 - Next Time

Romania - Moment Of Silence - Ovidiu Anton (OUT)

Digital release image

Excluded entry, was planned in semi 2

Romania is excluded from the 2016 contest following a dispute with the EBU about money.
This means Moment Of Silence (The irony) by Ovidiu Anton will not be participating in the 2nd semi.
Eurovision history is riddled with withdrawn entries, mostly replaced by other songs, but it's only the first time a country is kicked out of the competition after the starting order was revealed.

Rock singer Ovidiu Anton was to represent Romania this year with his self-penned song Moments Of Silence.
Moment Of Silence was released as a digital single on March 30 through the usual sources.
An early 1-track promo cdr was issued.
Both the single version and karaoke version have been released on the Stockholm 2016 compilations.

Watch and listen here at TVRs Youtube.

Ovidiu Anton has appeared on the Romanian Eurovision final (Selecţia Naţionala) a few times. The first time was in 2010 with his band Pasager.
2010 - Running Out Of Time - Pasager (13th)
2012 - I Walk Alone (5th)
2015 - Still Alive (3rd)

Picture from Ovidiu Antons Facebook

Links and sources
Ovidiu Anton FB
Ovidiu's page at TVR
TVR Eurovision pages

Check out Romania's recent Eurovision history
2015 - Voltaj
2014 - Paula Seling and Ovi II
2013 - Cezar
2012 - Mandinga
2011 - Hotel FM
2010 - Paula Seling and Ovi
2009 - Elena Georghe

Malta - Walk On Water - Ira Losco

12 - 153 pts / 3 - 209 pts in semi 1

cds promo

Ira Losco, remember her?, the 7th Wonder (see below) chanteuse has taken 14 years to return to the contest.
In 2002 she ended 2nd and she hopes to take it one place year this year with Chameleon, the winning song of the 2016 Malta Eurovision Song Contest.

But someone decided the winner of the Malta Song Contest wasn't good enough and a new song Walk On Water was chosen.
The new song is written by Tim Larsson, Lisa Desmond, Molly Petterson-Hammar and Ira Losco.

Watch and listen here
Molly Petterson-Hammar was in this years Swedish Melodifestivalen where she reached the Second chance round with Hunger.

Walk On Water is released as a digital single on March 30 through the usual sources. (PBS/Universal)
On April 8 a 2-track digital release has Walk On Water and another song Haunted By Love (Warner Music Sweden).

A promo cdsingle is issued and features four tracks.
1. Walk On Water
2. Haunted By Love
3. The Person I Am
4. Walk On Water (Instrumental)
It's available here at BeaRecords right now
(Jagged House/Warner Music Sweden)

Digital release image

Versions
Walk On Water
- Stockholm 2cd, promo
Walk On Water - Karaoke
- on official karaoke collection (digital release)
Walk On Water - Instrumental
- on promo cds

Chameleon
Ira wrote the Chameleon with Talkback (Howard Keith Debono, Peter Borg and Matthew James Borg)
She had another song in the Maltese selection this year, but That's Why I Love You was eliminated in the first round.



In total 10 Ira Losco songs have graced the Maltese Eurovision Song Contests.
2000 - Shine (6th)
2000 - Falling In Love (7th)
2001 - Spellbound (2nd)
2001 - Don't Give Up (4th)
2001 - Deep Inside My Heart (9th)
2001 - We'll Ride The Wind (11th)
2002 - 7th Wonder (1st)
2002 - One Step Away (3rd)
2016 - Chameleon (1st)
2016 - That's Why I Love You (semi)
2016 - Walk On Water - Eurovision entry

Picture from TVM news

Links and sources

Thanks to Nigel
TVM Eurovision pages, song change news at TVM
Ira Losco FB
Ira Losco at BeaRecords
Watch and listen to Chameleon (live)
Eurovision Collectors Guide 1956-2005

The entries Malta gave us in recent years:
2015 - Amber
2014 - Firelight
2013 - Gianluca Bezzina
2012 - Kurt Calleja
2011 - Glen Vella
2010 - Thea Garrett
2009 - Chiara III

Ira Losco's 1st Eurovision entry, 7th Wonder was the best placing for the island nation to that date. It was equalled by Chiara's Angel in 2005.

The promo and later cdsingle include the radio version, club mix and instrumental versions of 7th Wonder plus National Final song One Step Away.

An earlier version of 7th Wonder was released on the CD album Malta Song For Europe (with all NF entries) and the Ira Losco album Butterfly.

The picture on the right is a 3" inch cut cdrom with the single version and videoclip of the Eurovision entry.

Glorious days they were, I found the above promo, even before the contest took place, at a record fair bargain bin. How times have changed. 

United Kingdom - You're Not Alone - Joe and Jake

2nd DRI, Joe on the left and Jake on the right

24 - 62 pts / not in semi

The BBC surprised us by staging a real national contest this year, it was hidden away on BBC4, but never mind. Joe and Jake won the thing with their song You're Not Alone, written by Justin J Benson, Schwartz and S. Kanes.

The digital single was released on March 11.
A one track promo cdsingle was also issued. (Record company promo for  radio stations)
Cahill remixes have been recorded and are released (digital)
The (longer) Cahill Club remix has also been released on the DJ CD DMC Dance mixes 158.

Joe Woolford and Jake Shakeshaft both participated in The Voice UK 2015.

DMC CD has Cahill Club remix

Versions
You're Not Alone
- digital release
You're Not Alone - Cahill Club remix
- DMC DJ CD (pic left)
You're Not Alone - Cahill remix radio edit
- digital DJ release
You're Not Alone - karaoke (= instrumental)

- official karaoke album (digital release)

Remixes DRI

Charts
U.K. top 100: 81


Links and sources
Joe and Jake FB,
Joe Woolford FB,
Jake Shakeshaft Website and FB

First Digital release image

The U.K. entries from the past few years
2015 - Electro Velvet
2014 - Molly
2013 - Bonnie Tyler
2012 - Engelbert Humperdinck
2011 - Blue
2010 - Josh Dubovie
2009 - Jade Ewen

Iceland - Hear Them Calling - Greta Salóme

promo cds

14 - 51 pts in semi 1

Greta Salóme is the winner of this years Söngvakeppnin final with the song Hear Them Calling, the English version of Raddirnar.

All songs were performed in Icelandic during the heats, but in the final the singers performed their song in the language as they would in Stockholm (if they won). 

This resulted in a final with five songs in English and one in Icelandic in the final.

Hear Them Calling is written by Greta Salóme herself. She also wrote the song Á Ný, performed by Elisábeth Ormslev, the only Icelandic language song in the final.

It's the second time Greta Salóme (Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir) is representing Iceland. In 2012 she performed Never Forget with Jónsi which ended 20th in the final in Baku.

2nd DRI

Hear Them Calling is released as a digital single track (for example here), the Icelandic version can be found on the album below.

The twelve competing Söngvakeppnin songs have been released on CD (Icelandic versions), but this year there are no karaoke versions included.

A digital six-track release has all the finalists in their final versions, see tracklists and details below.
A digital single has the English version and karaoke versions (released March 8 through Hands Up Music)

First promo has the Eurovision version and karaoke

Digital Release Image

Versions

Hear Them Calling - Eurovision version
- video, Stockholm 2CD, promo
Hear Them Calling - Second English version
- digital single release
Hear Them Calling - First English version

- digital release Söngvakeppnin 2016 Úrslitalögin - The Finalists

Raddirnar - Icelandic
- CD Söngvakeppnin 2016

Raddirnar - Icelandic karaoke
- CD Söngvakeppnin 2016

Hear Them Calling - Karaoke version (ESC version)
- on official karaoke album (digital release)
Hear Them Calling - Karaoke version (First english version)
- digital release
Raddirnar - Icelandic remix by Dusk
- various website incl. Greta's own. Not released commercially yet.

Söngvakeppnin í 30 ár

Iceland is celebrating 30 years of Eurovision this year.
A special edition of the yearly Söngvakeppni CD has been released.
It includes all the original Icelandic versions of the  entries of this years selection Söngvakeppnin Sjónvarpsins 2016 on the CD plus two DVDs with six episodes of "Árið Er".

The six shows feature the highlights of Icelands Eurovision selections.
More details (trackslist) below.
Then there's a 4-DVD box (pic right).

Full details here at discogs  
Icelandicmusic has three albums of audio tracks with live versions from 1986 to 2003.,

Links and sources
Special thanks to Jens
Greta Salomé FB
Árið Er FB has links to the shows for viewing.
Listen to the songs at RÚV's Söngvakeppni pages

Greta & Jónsi 2012 promo

Despite Iceland celebrating 30 years of Eurovision, Hear Them Calling is the country's 29th entry.
Check out mor about Icelands recent entries
2015 - Maria Olafs
2014 - Pollapönk
2013 - Eyþór Ingi
2012 - Greta Salomé and Jónsi
2011 - Sjonni's Friends
2010 - Hera Björk
2009 - Yohanna

Tracklist Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 2016.
1. Alda Dís Arnardóttir - Augnablik

2. Elísabet Ormslev - Á ný

3. Hljómsveitin Eva- Ég sé þig

4. Pálmi Gunnarsson - Ég leiði þig heim

5. Ingólfur Þórarinsson - Fátækur námsmaður

6. Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir og Hjörtur Traustason - Hugur minn er

7. Sigga Eyrún - Kreisí

8. Karlotta Sigurðardóttir - Óstöðvandi

9. Erna Mist og Magnús Thorlacius - Ótöluð orð

10. Helgi Valur Ásgeirsson - Óvær

11. Greta Salome Stefánsdóttir - Raddirnar

12. Þórdís Birna Borgarsdóttir og Guðmundur Snorri Sigurðarson - Spring yfir heiminn

2 DVD… Árið er.. Söngvakeppnin í 30 ár í tali, tónum og myndum. (30 years of Songcontest in words, sounds and images.)
1.  1986 - 1988
2.  1989 - 1992
3.  1993 - 1998
4.  1999 - 2005
5.  2006 - 2009
6.  2010 - 2015

Úrslitalögin - The Finalists

A digital release has the six finalists with five songs in English:

1. Greta Salome Stefánsdóttir - Hear Them Calling
2. Erna Hrönn og Hjörtur Traustason - I Promised You Then
3. Karlotta Sigurðardóttir - Eye Of The Storm
4. Þórdís Birna Borgarsdóttir og Guðmundur Snorri Sigurðarson - Ready To Break Free

5. Elísabet Ormslev - Á ný
6. Alda Dís - Now

Lithuania - I’ve Been Waiting for This Night - Donny Montell

Digital release image

9 - 200 pts / 4 - 222 pts in semi 2

Donny Montell won the many many many week Lithuanian selection with the song I’ve Been Waiting for This Night.

We already met Donny Montell a.k.a. Donatas Montvydas when he ended 14th in the Baku contest in 2012 with Love Is Blind.

I’ve Been Waiting for This Night is available through some digital sources (incl Spotify) in three versions (see below).
The song is also on his new album #BLCK. CD out now in Lithuania.

Donny Montell is the first Lithuanian singer to represent Lithuania for a second time.
He's not the only 2012 singer to revisit the contest. He'll be hanging out with old mates Kaliopi (Macedonia) and Greta Salóme (Iceland).

Read more about Donny Montell and his early Lithuanian selection adventures in the 2012 post Love Is Blind.


Versions
I’ve Been Waiting for This Night - radio edit
I’ve Been Waiting for This Night - Trap remix
I’ve Been Waiting for This Night - Club remix
- all version on digital single and CD album #BLCK
I’ve Been Waiting for This Night - karaoke

- on the official karaoke album (digital release)

Album #BLCK

Links and sources
Donny Montell FB
LRT Eurovision pages

Find out more about these Lithuanian Eurovision stars
2015 - Monika Linkytė and Vaidas Baumila
2014 - Vilija Matačiūnaitė
2013 - Andrijus Pojavis
2012 - Donny Montell
2011 - Evelyna Sashenko
2010 - Inculto
2009 - Sasha Son(g)

Serbia - Goodbye (Shelter) - Sanja Vučić ZAA

Digital release image

18 - 115 pts / 10 - 105 pts in semi 2

Sanja Vučić (Сања Вучић) represents Serbia in Stockholm. Or rather Sanja Vučić ZAA, the ZAA bit is the name from the band/project Sanja usually works with.
The song Goodbye (Shelter) is written by Ivane Peters.

The song was revealed on March 12. Sanja Vučić showcased both the English and Serbian versions in a TV show.
The Serbian version, Iza Osmeha (Иза осмеха) translates as Behind The Smile.

Watch and listen here and here (Serbian)
or Download here (mp3 or Wave files)

Goodbye (Shelter) is released as a digital single on March 30 through the usual sources.

Versions
Goodbye (Shelter) - English version
- Stockholm 2CD
Iza Osmeha / Иза осмеха - Serbian version
Goodbye (Shelter) - Karaoke
- on the official karaoke album (digital release)
- all also as free website downloads

Picture from RTS

Links and sources
Sanja Vučić ZAA FB
RTS Eurovision pages

More Serbian entries
2015 - Bojana Stamenov
2014 - No participation
2013 - Moje 3
2012 - Željko Joksimović 
2011 - Nina
2010 - Milan Stankovic
2009 - Marko Kon and Milaan

Italy - No Degree Of Separation - Francesca Michielin

Digital release image

16 - 124 pts / not in semi

San Remo winners Stadio have declined their ticket to Eurovision so now it's up to Francesca Michielin to defend Italy's honours in Stockholm.
Michielin was the runner up in this years Sanremo festival with the song Nessun Grado Di Separazione (No degree of separation), written by Francesca Michielin, Federica Abbate and Cheope.

A bilingual version of Nessun Grado Di Separazione, No Degree Of Separation is the entry for Stockholm.
It has been released as a digital single through several digishops. (RCA records)
Watch and listen here

A promo cdsingle includes the Eurovision version and the original Italian version.

Nessun Grado Di Separazione was first released on Michielins album di20are, a re-issued version of di20, which was released last october.
The Sanremo runner up can also be found on the Sanremo 2016 2CD (see below).

Digital Release Image Italian version

Versions
No Degree Of Separation - English/Italian ESC version
- digital release
Nessun Grado Di Separazione - Original Italian abum version
- on CD di20are
No Degree Of Separation - ESC karaoke
- on official karaoke album (digital release)

Charts
Italy top 20* 1, 4, 9, 12, 16, -, 20

* Italian original


Sanremo 2016 CD

album di20are

A 2CD has been released with songs from the competition. One disc has songs that actually participated in the contest (Both from big artists and newcomers). The second disc features coverversions, performed during the coverversions night.
Not all participating songs are included, see tracklist below.
Francesca Michielins coverversion was Il Mio Canto Libero (Lucio Battisti, 1972) but it is not on the Sanremo 2CD and so far remains unreleased.

Links and sources
Francesca Michielin website and FB
The iTunes version of the Sanremo 2016 CD
Sanremo official pages (but loaded with ads and annoyance)

Italy's entries since their return to Eurovision.
2015 - Il Volo
2014 - Emma Marone
2013 - Marco Mengoni
2012 - Nina Zilli
2011 - Raphael Gualazzi

Tracklist CD Sanremo 2016

CD1

1. Patty Pravo - Cieli Immensi

2. Arisa - Guardando Il Cielo

3. Lorenzo Fragola - Infinite Volte

4. Annalisa - Il Diluvio Universale

5. Alessio Bernabei - Noi Siamo Infinito

6. Francesca Michielin - Nessun Grado Di Separazione

7. Neffa - Sogni E Nostalgia

8. Noemi - La Borsa Di Una Donna

9. Rocco Hunt - Wake Up

10. Zero Assoluto - Di Me E Di Te

11. Bluvertigo - Semplicemente

12. Dolcenera - Ora O Mai Piu' (Le Cose Cambiano)

13. Clementino - Quando Sono Lontano

14. Giovanni Caccamo E Deborah Iurato - Via Da Qui

15. Stadio - Un Giorno Mi Dirai

16. Enrico Ruggeri - Il Primo Amore Non Si Scorda Mai

17. Valerio Scanu - Finalmente Piove

18. Irene Fornaciari - Blu

CD2 (The coverversions) 

1. Arisa - Cuore (Heart)

2. Lorenzo Fragola - La Donna Cannone

3. Annalisa - America

4. Clementino - Don Raffae'

5. Zero Assoluto - Goldrake

6. Irene Fornaciari - Se Perdo Anche Te (Solitary Man)

7. Neffa - O Sarracino

8. Valerio Scanu - Io Vivro' (Senza Te)

9. Enrico Ruggeri - A Canzuncella

10. Francesco Gabbani - Amen

11. Cecile - N. E. G. R. A. 

12. Michael Leonardi - Rinascerai

13. Mahmood - Dimentica

14. Miele - Mentre Ti Parlo

15. Irama - Cosa Restera'

16. Ermal Meta - Odio Le Favole

17. Chiara Dello Iacovo - Introverso

Albania - Fairytale - Eneda Tarifa

Digital release image

16 - 45 pts in semi 2

Albania selected their Eurovision entry for 2016 through the 54th Festivali I Këngës. The song, Përrallë (Fairytale), was written by Olsa Toqi and performed in Albanian at the national final.
You can listen to the studio version (and all the other FiK entrants songs) here at RTSH's Festivali pages.

Albania has often made major (and often very effective) changes to the arrangement of their Eurovision entries and it's the same this year.
The English version for Eurovision is titled Fairytale, lyrics by Olsa Toqi.
Watch and listen here

Fairytale is released as a digital single on March 30 through the usual sources.
A promo CD/DVD set is issued.
It includes the Eurovision version, karaoke, instrumental and Albanian version. Both in Wav and mp3 format.

Picture from RTSH

Third time lucky for Eneda, she entered the FiK twice before.
In 2003 (for the 2004 contest) she entered the song Qëndroj (Stay) which ended outside the top three.

E Para Letër (The first letter) ended 10th in the 2007 FiK (for the 2008 Eurovision)

Versions
Fairytale - English ESC version
- Stockholm 2CD
Fairytale - karaoke

- Official karaoke album (digital)

Fairytale - Instrumental
- on promo
Përrallë - Original Albanian version
- studio version at RTSH website

promo set

Links and sources
Thanks to Nigel
Festivali i Këngës pages at RTSH
Eneda Tarifa website and FB

Check out these Albanian entries:
2015 - Elhaida Dani
2014 - Hersi Matmuja
2013 - Adrian Lulgjuraj and Bledar Sejko
2012 - Rona Nishliu
2011 - Aurela Gaçe
2010 - Juliana Pasha
2009 - Kejsi Tola

Estonia - Play - Jüri Pootsman

Digital Release Image

18 - 24 pts in semi 1

Play by Jüri Pootsmann is the winner of Eesti laul 2016, the Estonian selection for the Stockholm Eurovision Song Contest.
The song is written by Fred Krieger, Stig Rästa and Vallo Kikas.
Stig Rästa finished 7th last year with his duet with Elina Born: Goodbye To Yesterday.

Play has already been released as a digital single and cdsingle.
The cdsingle was released only in combination with Pootsmanns mini album and fanbook available at Apollo.ee.
A full album is expected in autumn (Universal)

The Stockholm promo cdsingle has the Eurovision and karaoke versions in a different sleeve.

Jüri Pootsman is the winner of the talent show series Eesti Otsib Superstaari (Estonia's searching for a superstar) sixt season (2015).
He has so far released one EP / Mini album with five songs including his debut singles Torm and follow up Aga Siis.

Versions
Play - Original version
- cdsingle, promo, Stockholm 2CD, digital single
Play - karaoke version
- on official karaoke collection (digital release, promo cds)

Links and sources
Jüri Pootsmann FB and Website (new)
ETV Eesti Laul pages

Mini album / EP

Don't forget these Estonian gems
2015 - Elina Born and Stig Rästa
2014 - Tanja
2013 - Birgit Õigemeel
2012 - Ott Lepland
2011 - Getter Jaani
2010 - Malcolm Lincoln
2009 - Urban Symphony

Hungary - Pioneer - Freddie

19 - 108 pts / 4 - 197 pts in semi 1

Hungary is represented by Freddie and his song Pioneer, written by Borbála Csarnai.
Freddie (Gábor Alfréd Fehérvári) first came to Hungary's attention to Rising Star, the singing competition/reality show where he ended fourth in 2015.

Pioneer was released as a digital single in December 2015 (through Mistral Music).
It's his third single. His first single, summer hit Mary-Joe, was co written by András Kállay Saunders of Running fame.

Hungary decided on their Eurovision entry on Februari 27, but the 2CD with all 30 competing songs was already out in Januari.
The album A Dal 2016 - A Legjobb 30 is also available through digital sources.

Two promo's were made, one a regular cdsingle, the other a credit card sized cdsingle.

Versions
Pioneer - Original version
- A Dal 2CD, Stockholm 2CD
Pioneer - karaoke
- on the official karaoke album (digital release)

Links and sources
Special thanks to Jens
Freddie website, A Dal page and FB
You can listen to the songs at Mediaklikk 
Shopping: The A Dal CD at BeaRecords
Digital: Amazon

Hungary's entries from the past years
2015 - Boggie
2014 - András Kállay Saunders
2013 - ByeAlex
2012 - Compact Disco
2011 - Kati Wolf
2010 - no participation
2009 - Adok Zoli

Tracklist A Dal 2016 - A Legjobb 30

CD1.
1. Gájer Bálint - Speed Bump
2. Singh Viktória - Katonák
3. ByTheWay - Free To Fly
4. Ív - Love Kills Me
5. Berkes Olivér & Tóth Andi - Seven Seas
6. Oláh Gergő - Győz a jó
7. B The First - You Told Me You Loved Me
8. Horányi Juli - Come Along
9. Kállay Saunders Band - Who We Are
10. Benji - Kötéltánc
11. Mushu - Uncle Tom
12. Tolvai Reni feat. Sean Darin & Kocsis Alexa - Fire
13. Egy Másik Zenekar - Kéne egy közös kép
14. Veres Mónika Nika - Beautiful Love
15. Petruska - Trouble In My Mind


CD2.
1. Gáspár Laci - Love And Bass
2. Karmapolis & Szécsi Böbe - Hold On To
3. Patai Anna - Colors
4. Group'n'Swing - Szeretni fáj
5. C.E.T. (Kabai Alex) - Free
6. Maszkura és a Tücsökraj - Kinek sírjam
7. Odett - Stardust
8. Vásáry André - Why
9. Török Jázmin - Power Of Love
10. Parno Grast - Már nem szédülök
11. Veres-Kovács Petra - Singing Peace
12. Freddie - Pioneer
13. Mohamed Fatima - Ott leszek
14. Passed - Driftin'
15. Agárdi Szilvia - It Is Love

Denmark - Soldiers Of Love - Lighthouse X

Digital release image

17 - 34 pts in semi 2

Soldiers Of Love by Lighthouse X is the Danish entry for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest.

Lighthouse X are Søren Bregendal, Martin Skriver and Johannes Nymark.
Soldiers Of Love is written by Sebastian F. Ovens, Daniel Lund Jørgensen, Katrine Klith Andersen and Lighthouse X.

The song has been released on the Melodi Grand Prix CD (see below) and as a single track. (digital).
The karaoke version on the DMGP album is different from the official karaoke album. The DMGP one has backing vocals (lyrics) and the Stockhol karaoke (instrumental) only has some 'hey's.

Lighthouse X decided to call it quits after four years and played their last show on August 17.

Versions
Soldiers Of Love
- MGP CD, Stockholm 2CD
Soldiers Of Love - karaoke
- on the Melodi Grand Prix CD
Soldiers Of Love - instrumental
- on the official karaoke album (digital release)

Charts:
Soldiers Of Love enters the Danish Tracklisten charts at 12.
Denmark top 40: 12, 17, 28, 38, -

Links and sources

Thanks to Frank
Lighthouse X Website and FB

Sony Music DK

The MGP CD at Bearecords

The 46th Dansk Melodi Grand Prix was held on Februari 13, the CD was already released a month before.

Tracklist

1 - David Jay - Rays Of Sunlight

2 - Simone - Heart Shaped Hole
3 - Muri & Mario - To Stjerner

4 - Sophia Nohr - Blue Horizon

5 - Veronicas Illusion - The Wrong Kind

6 - Lighthouse X - Soldiers Of Love

7 - Kristel Lisberg - Who Needs A Heart

8 - Jessica - Break It Good

9 - Bracelet - Breakaway

10 - Anja Nissen - Never Alone

Plus all songs in their karaoke versions.

(Sony Music Europe SME-88875186302 )

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