How the Eurovision Song Contest will change in 2021, and why a migrant will go from Russia

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Eurovision is the main vocal competition in which European countries take part. Due to the pandemic, the competition was canceled last year, but the organizers of the show decided to hold it, but in the format of an online concert. In 2021, the 65th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in its usual form, but with a number of restrictions.

Where and when will the competition take place

In 2020, due to the spread of the coronavirus in Europe, as well as restrictions imposed by the authorities, the competition was held like a regular online concert. Accordingly, the winner was not determined. This format did not cause much resonance, so the organizers of the show decided that in 2021 Eurovision will take place no matter what.

This year, the competition, as previously planned, will be held at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam (Netherlands), since in 2019 the winner of the competition was the representative of this country Duncan Lawrence with the song Arcade.

Forty countries will participate in the Eurovision 2021 song contest. This year, just a couple of months before the start of the show, Armenia withdrew its application for participation, as the political situation in the country has deteriorated. Also, Hungary, Luxembourg, Morocco, Monaco, Slovakia, Turkey and Montenegro will not participate.

The dates of the competition program are also known to everyone. In 2021, Eurovision will take place from 18 to 22 May. Accordingly, the first semi-final will take place on May 18, the second semi-final on May 20, and the grand final on May 22. According to the results of the draw, the representative from Russia will play in the first semifinal.

New rules for Eurovision related to COVID-19

The European Broadcasting Union and the organizers of the Eurovision show hope that the pandemic will subside by May. But it was decided to postpone the question of the decision to admit spectators to the hall until April, when the epidemiological situation will be clearer. However, decisions have already been made regarding changes to the show's rules.

For example, performers are now allowed to use pre-recorded backing vocals in the competition. Firstly, it will help to reduce the number of speakers on stage, and, accordingly, the size of the delegation. Secondly, it makes it possible to expand the creative potential of the performer, and also helps to slightly ease the technical burden on the show organizers.

But the organizers do not insist on this rule, the artist himself decides to record back vocals for him or still use only live sound. There is also an option to combine two types of backing vocals. The main thing is that they do not drown out the voice of the main performer. And, of course, the rule remains unchanged that the performer himself must sing exclusively live.

Not without a reduction in the number of journalists at Eurovision. Their number should now not exceed five hundred people. A thousand more people will cover the musical event in a specially created and equipped press center.

Competition options

Since the pandemic has not yet subsided, the European Broadcasting Union, together with Dutch broadcasters, came up with four options for hosting Eurovision.

First option. Conduct the competition in the usual format, without restrictions. However, in February 2021, the European Broadcasting Union decided that this option was no longer being considered.

Second option. Conduct the competition in the usual format, but with the rules of social distance. All participants will also have to periodically take a coronavirus test. Contestants who cannot come to Rotterdam will be able to perform online directly from their countries. Their performances will be broadcast live in the concert hall. In March 2021, the European Broadcasting Union confirmed that they are leaning towards this option. But he still clarified that if the situation deteriorates, the format of the tender may change and the restrictions will be stricter.

The third option. Conduct a competition without the presence of performers. In this case, the artists will perform live without leaving their countries. On the stage of Rotterdam, there will be only presenters to announce the contestants, as well as fill in the pauses between performances. This format was invented in case there are restrictions on movement and travel.

The fourth option. If the situation worsens, and countries again declare strict quarantines, then the competition will be held entirely online, and it will be broadcast in the Rotterdam Concert Hall. Moreover, as the organizers of the show noted, the broadcast will take place under any circumstances.

Who will represent Russia at Eurovision

The European Broadcasting Union left the countries to decide for themselves who will represent them at Eurovision - the participants of that year or new artists. The only requirement is that the contestants' songs are new. Basically, countries send those performers who were supposed to perform last year. But some are still satisfied with the new national selections.

Russia was no exception, and held a national selection on International Women's Day - March 8. Last year our country was supposed to be represented by the popular group from St. Petersburg "Little Big" with their incendiary song "Uno". The video for this composition has gained tens of millions of views on YouTube in just a few days.

But this year, the group decided not to apply for the competition. At the national selection, their performance was just a guest performance. The main reason for their refusal to participate in Eurovision this year is still unknown. But there are already several versions: the first, as the musicians themselves say, they want to give way to the young, and the second, most likely the most faithful, that the musicians failed to write a new song that would beat the popularity of their previous track "Uno".

According to the results of the national selection, Russia this year at Eurovision will be represented by a young singer, musician and songwriter Manizha Sangin (Manizha). The girl, a native of Tajikistan, became known to the public thanks to her author's music videos on the popular social network Instagram. She is also known as the performer of the Russian version of the soundtrack to the American film "Mulan". And since 2020, the young performer has become the first Russian UN Goodwill Ambassador for Refugees. During the national selection, the young singer won 39.7% of the TV viewers' votes.

Competition was made by girls from the popular group "# 2Mashi" with the song "Bitter words", who yielded a little to her, gaining 37.7% of the audience's votes.

The third place in the selection was taken by an indie music group founded by musician, composer and producer Anton Belyaev - Therr Maitz with the composition "Future is bright", collecting 24.6% of the votes.

The representative of Russia Manizha at Eurovision will perform, for the first time in twelve years, a song in Russian. The composition titled "Russian woman" was written by Manizha herself. According to the performer herself, this song tells about the changes in Russian women over the past decades. And also about how Russian women were transformed from peasant women without rights to leadership positions, from factory workers to cosmonauts. Russian women have always been able to resist stereotypes and take responsibility. All this inspired the contestant to write such a song. Moreover, Manizha wrote this composition a year ago, but for the first time she performed it only now, at the national selection, thereby making a gift to all women by March 8.

Many people see feminist notes in the composition, because there are such lines: "You are already over thirty, hello, where are the children?" Therefore, not everyone liked this composition, including some politicians, as well as producers. The audience was also divided, but, as you know, the winners are not judged.