2024 has seen a surprising change from the 2023 Eesti Laul, especially after Alika made the country proud by placing eighth with “Bridges“. Not only is it the country’s second straight qualification, but also marked Estonia’s first top-ten placing in five years!
The two semi-finals are now merged into one, with fifteen aspiring contenders hoping to get their place in final on 17 February, where they would join five automatic qualifiers for the chance to represent Estonia in Eurovision 2024. From pop to rock and everything else in between, Eesti Laul boasts the same diversity as before, and promises a fun selection.
The Big Names:
One of the more interesting names in the ring is Ewert and the Two Dragons. Named after a movie that Ewert Sundja, the lead singer, was a fan of, they’re an indie rock collective who takes inspiration from international bands, and were part of American record labels Sire Records and BGM. Their entry, “Hold Me Now”, coincidentally shares the same title as a famous Eurovision winner, but focuses more on caring for others and sharing warmth.
Another big name in the mix is 5miinust, a hip hop group who are collaborating with the folk duo Puuluup on the intriguingly-titled track, “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi“. Puuluup has traveled across Europe with their mix of folk, and have released two albums as of date. Their instrument of choice is the talharpa, which is a traditional Estonian lyre.
5miinust released two albums thus far, which rose to the top of the Estonian charts in 2018. Not only do they have commercial success, with millions of streams on Spotify; but they also have trademarked “Rämmar”, which has become their overall brand. You could still find their merchandise in Estonian bookstores.
Familiar Returnees:
Both Laura Põldvere and Traffic were contenders in the very first Eesti Laul back in 2009, with Laura just missing out on the superfinal with “Destiny” and Traffic losing out to Urban Symphony with “See päev“. Both are intimately tied to the Eurovision Song Contest, but in different ways.
Laura competed in Eurovision twice before, once in 2005 with the group Suntribe and again in 2017 with Koit Toome. In addition, she has competed in Eesti Laul multiple times, though her most recent national appearance was with UMK in 2021 with the song “Play.” She has also moved to Finland, and is also launching her own haircare brand.
Traffic was co-founded by Stig Rästa, who participated in Eurovision 2015 with Elina Born. While he’s not an active member of the band anymore, this doesn’t mean he hasn’t had a hand in the songwriting, including for their entry “Wunderbar“. Along with their multiple Eesti Laul appearances, Traffic is known for their songs “Sekundiga” and “Fur Elise”, the latter which had competed in Eesti Laul 2014.
More Comeback Kids:
“Hold Me Now” is not Ewert’s only contribution to this year’s Eesti Laul–he is also collaborating with the band Cartoon with the song “Oblivion“. While Ago Teppand and
Joosep Järvesaar knew each other since high school, they only started their band in 2015. They are known for their major hit “On and On”, which features fellow Eesti Laul competitor Daniel Levi.
While Silver Jusilo and OLLIE also re-entering the Eesti Laul ring, both are more recent entrants. Silver Jusilo competed in Eesti Laul 2022 with “Elu rüpes“, which was the first track of his second album. His entry this year, “Lately”, is notable for being his first ever English-language song he recorded. Meanwhile, OLLIE became a fan favorite with with “Venom” in the previous year’s Eesti Laul, losing to Alika by the finest of margins in the superfinal.
Another name amongst the ranks is Inga Tislar, who has something more relaxed musically with “No Dog on a Leash“. Despite that, the lyrics asserts power, in that Inga would take her stand. Previously, she competed with the La La Ladies in Eesti Laul 2016 with “Unikaalne“, which she also co-wrote. Three years later, she competed in Eesti Laul again with Lumevärv, performing “Milline päev“, which ultimately came in fifth.
Yonna, who also competed in Eesti Laul 2019 under her real name Johanna Eendra with the song “Miks sa teed nii?”, comes back with not only a new stage name, but also a new sound. “I Don’t Know About You” has a low-key, simple tone, trying to let go the last remains of a relationship. In addition to music, she has already composed music for artists such as Eurovision 2001 winner Tanel Padar, and has made a video documenting one second per day from 2021.
And with the song “Korra veel”, Peter Põder diverges not only from his guitar-based background, but also from his Eesti Laul 2022 entry, “Koos lõpuni”.
In contrast with the soloists, Eesti Laul also features Antsud, who are celebrating their ten year anniversary this year! The folk-rock ensemble has traveled all over Estonia, performing in festivals with their unique brand of music. They previously participated in Eesti Laul 2017 with “Vihm“. Their Eesti Laul entry, “Vetevaim“, takes the image of a water spirit to lead the listener on a journey of self-discovery.
The New Names:
One of the more intriguing new names in the mix is Cecilia, who has emerged as a favorite with the song “FOMO“. With its dark pop atmosphere and references to religion in the lyrics, it’s sure to bring about a thumping dance floor in the night.
Two new contestants have connections to the Berklee College of Music–Sofia Rubina and Ingmar. Sofia has performed in jazz ensembles across Estonia, and participated in two editions of Eurolaul in 2004 and 2006. Her Eesti Laul song, “Be Good“, is playful and fun and vintage. Ingmar’s song, “Dreaming“, is a bit simpler musically, but still resolute. He hopes to expand his dreams with this song, after winning a prize for violin and placing sixth in Eesti otsib superstari, Estonia’s version of American Idol.
Then there’s Anet Vaikmaa, who intends to give a dash of serotonin through her song of the same name. Written by Eesti Laul mainstay Sven Lohmus, it strives to add a dose of joy in a pop-rock package. She’s better known for her role in the band Mahavok, where she sings and plays the keyboard in the band her father performed in for years.
With this bunch of contestants, who do you think will make it to the final?
The Eesti Laul semifinal will take place on 20 January, and the five finalists will join the autoqualifiers in the final on 17 February.