Singer Benjamin Dolic is set to compete for Germany in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). The 22-year-old “The Voice” runner-up is expected to perform his song “Violent Thing” for Germany in Rotterdam on May 16, according to Norrdeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).
His song was written by Eurovision veteran Boris Milanov and the staging is being prepared by Justin Timberlake’s choreographer and artistic director Marty Kudelka, according to the Eurovision website.
“This is such a great honor and I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity,” Dolic tweeted.
Before official reports confirmed his place as Germany’s 2020 Eurovision face, rumors were already swirling on social media that he was likely to be the country’s contestant. Dolic offered fans an early clue when he posted a video on his Instagram story on Wednesday, in which you could recognize the theater that the song will be performed in.
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In 2018, Dolic, a native Slovenian-turned-Berliner, won second place in the show “The Voice of Germany.” The final ESC contestant was selected out of 607 artists to participate in the finale, following months of evaluation and an extensive jury vetting process. The selection juries comprised one “Eurovision Jury” with 100 people from all over Germany, and an international jury of 20 music experts.
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Barbara Schöneberger, a German actress and television presenter, is set to announce the details of Dolic’s Eurovision performance in a 45-minute program called “Our Song for Rotterdam,” which is set to air on Germany’s public broadcaster at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday.
German Eurovision contestants haven’t seen much success in the past five years, with the exception of Michael Schulte taking fourth place in 2018. The last highly successful German Eurovision song was “Satellite” by Lena, released in 2010.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Switzerland: Luca Hanni — ‘She Got Me’
This guy looks good, dances well, and when he sings, rhythm seems to radiate from every cell in his body. His voice is engaging too. Switzerland’s multitalented entry has been a favorite in the field of Eurovision betting. And from the audience in the Tel Aviv Expo Hall, Luca Hanni gets just about the strongest applause of any contender.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Cyprus: Tamta — ‘Replay’
With so many acts to follow, it’s tough starting off the first semifinal, but Tamta made it to the next round. At the climax of her cool, seductive dance number, male dancers rip off her black leather jacket to reveal a white bejeweled corset beneath. “Them sheets need my body tonight,” she sings, “You need my love on replay.”
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Czech Republic: Lake Malawi – ‘Friend of a Friend’
A light, fun pop number by the three-boy band Lake Malawi exploits the cute factor. Lead vocalist Albert Cerny’s trademark yellow sweater has a high recognition factor. The country sent a young, acrobatic singer last year too, and he did well.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke — ‘Zero Gravity’
Clearly not afraid of heights or prone to dizzy spells, Miller-Heidke issues forth her fluttering high notes while wafting through outer space. The audience in the arena see her and two acrobats tied to long, swaying poles, but in the television version, the performers soar above the earth. The song is about lifting oneself out of depression.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Estonia: Victor Crone — ‘Storm’
“But when it all calms down / We’re still safe and sound,” Crone sings while holding a guitar, both feet firmly on the ground. The song could have come from an American showbiz city like Nashville or Los Angeles, which is no coincidence: Crone worked in the music business in both those places. He has a ballad of quiet confidence to soothe the spirit, and juries and televoters lap it up.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Iceland: Hatari — ‘Hate Will Prevail’
Five singers and dancers cavort in BDSM fetish garb in front of a spherical iron cage, atop of which a grim figure beats away with a sledgehammer. Tapping into the present current of anti-establishment feelings, Hatari sings in Icelandic, “Europe will crumble / A web of lies / Will arise from the ashes.” However, the song is more about ridding the world of lies and deception than nihilism.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
San Marino: Serhat — ‘Say Na Na Na’
But just what is the mood in Europe? Do people want to smash the prevailing order or to party? This tiny country places its bets on the latter. At the semifinal, Serhat’s voice was obscured by the mix, but that didn’t keep the Turkish-born TV personality and trained dentist from advancing to the final round. The song’s simple message — or complete lack of one — didn’t hurt.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Belarus: ZENA — ‘Like It’
No need to plumb profound depths in this one either. The colorful and happy dance number is delivered by a singer who is just 16 years old but is very poised. She is joined by two male dancers doing breathtaking acrobatics.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Serbia: Nevena Bozovic — ‘Crown’
Eurovision has nearly defined the “power ballad” genre, emotional songs about love. They’re often delivered by sultry blondes who toss their hair and underline their expression with sweeping gestures. ESC 2019 has one, too — and the swirls of color in the backdrop make it visually interesting to viewers from the get-go. It’s a piece calculated to do well, at least by ESC standards,
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Slovenia: Zala Kralj and Gasper Santl — ‘Sebi’
For three long minutes on a darkened stage, a single melody sounds over and over again. It comes from a breathy, fragile voice, and the singer and guitarist gaze constantly into each other’s eyes. Minimalism is almost an understatement here. Are Zala and Gasper a love couple or not? “Just friends,” she says. He contradicts, perhaps seeking to underline the song’s authenticity.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Greece: Katerine Duska — ‘Better Love’
The Greek-Canadian singer has a husky voice that makes you want to hear more of it from the very beginning. “I won’t fight this / Burning feeling inside / Gotta get / Better love,” sings Duska as backup dancers in diaphanous gowns wield swords and a pleasant lavender floral motif unfolds on the LED screen behind them.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Germany: S!sters — ‘Sister’
In an age of apparent self-absorption, two friends discover that together, they can be stronger. Germany’s entry speaks about female competition giving way to solidarity. As with the entries from most countries, the television audience in Germany was involved in the choice to send the duo to the competition. As Laura and Carlotta have gained experience, their performance has increasingly shone.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Malta: Michela — ‘Chameleon’
Only 18, the singer is signed to Sony Music. The cool dance number is catchy, and the set is stark, simplistic and changes color nearly every second.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Norway: KEiiNO — ‘Spirit In The Sky’
With three singers, including Fred-Rene Buljo (above), the song veers from one style to the next and includes yoik singing, a traditional chant-like style from the Sami people in the country’s extreme north. As though calculated to spread the risk-taking, the song seems to have something for every taste; it has caught on with audiences and visiting journalists.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
North Macedonia: Tamara Todevska — ‘Proud’
“Girl / They will try to tell you what to do / Don’t be afraid to spread your wings and fly,” sings Todevska, who has dedicated this feminist hymn to her two children.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Spain: Miki — ‘The Blindfold’
The 23-year-old singer was shaped musically in part as the front man of the band Dalton Bang, which combines Catalan rumba and Latin percussion. He has spent nearly a decade delivering performances with the high energy of a fiesta. This Spanish-language song has that pulse, too.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Albania: Jonida Maliqi — ‘Return to the Land’
This catchy song with inflections of Balkan folk music is interpreted by a versatile singer who performs at international festivals and hosts music and dance shows on Albanian TV. “So much nostalgia, so little hope / Return to your land / You know there is a heart waiting for you,” she sings, at moments slightly off-key.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Sweden: John Lundvik — ‘Too Late For Love’
The singing gives you goosebumps, and the vocalist’s bouncy and infectious charm leaves everyone smiling. John Lundvik is also a songwriter, having written the song for Michael Rice, his opponent from Great Britain. The smooth soul voice is backed up by a four-member female gospel choir, and the engaging song has the audience clapping to the rhythm at the refrain.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Azerbaijan: Chingiz — ‘Truth’
A rising star in his home country, Chingiz cavorts with robots onstage in a song about love disappointed.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Italy: Mahmood — ‘Money’
Mahmood is another of the top-ranked acts this year, and for good reason: He sings in Italian about a problematic father-son relationship and delivers the song with credibility, an attractive Italian semi-spoken, semi-sung style, and a refrain so catchy that everyone ends up humming it afterwards.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Russia: Sergey Lazarev — ‘Scream’
There are eight Sergeys in the stage production, including seven projections of the singer onto screens, all of which point to the 36-year-old Russian superstar’s versatility. After nearly winning three years ago, the Russian with a mighty voice has returned to Eurovision with the intention of not just nearly winning this time. Many give him a serious chance of achieving that goal.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Great Britain: Michael Rice — ‘Bigger Than Us’
A song of love and hope with little dazzle but unquestionably one of the best voices this year. This is a song competition after all. No gimmicks, just quality singing. Does that suffice to propel Michael to the top?
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Denmark: Leonora — ‘Love Is Forever’
As the singer and her backup performers sway back and forth on a huge chair, the song unfolds a naive charm and casts a positive message in English, Danish, French and German. Twenty-year-old Leonora is a prizewinning figure skater. “Love is forever / Love is forever and everyone,” she sings. Who could argue with that?
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
The Netherlands: Duncan Laurence — ‘Arcade’
Seated somewhat remotely at a piano, the artist relies on the camera for a close-up. No frills in the production, just a wistful ballad about a loved one who died too young. Although Duncan Laurence makes generous use of falsetto and his voice sometimes wavers, he has never budged from near or at the top spot among the bookies’ favorites.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
France: Bilal Hassani — ‘King’
Singing a ballad in a minor key about inclusion and self-determination, Bilal wears long blonde wig and white outfit and is flanked by two ballet dancers. Just so the message isn’t lost, words are highlighted on the LED screen about tolerance and love, and “Only you can decide who you want to be.”
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Israel: Kobi Marimi — ‘Home’
Bearing a resemblance to Freddie Mercury, Kobi sings “I’m coming home,” symbolizing the contest coming to Israel after Netta’s sensational win last year in Lisbon. Whereas Netta was freakish, cute and outlandish, Kobi’s style is simple and straightforward.
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lc/aw (dpa, AFP)
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