Israel - Toy - Netta Barzilai

Congratulations Netta!                      ברכות לישראל
and Jubilations to Israel who clocked up their 4th victory in Eurovision history.
And mazzeltov to the songwriters Doron Medalie and Stav Beger who told us many moons ago that they thought that had a potential winner on their hands. How nice it is to be right!
Now get working on that cdsingle, 12"inch with remixes and a full Netta album for us millions to enjoy.

1 - 529 pts / 1 - 283 pts in semi 1

Digital Release Image

Netta Barzilai (נטע ברזילי) represented Israel in Lisbon and lead the country to victory.
She won the televote in the final and aso won her semi-final.

Israel selected their singer for Eurovision through reality show / singing competition HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star, הַכּוֹכָב הַבָּא). The song is titled Toy and was officially revealed on March 11.
(even though it leaked two days before that).

Toy is written by Doron Medalie and Stav Beger. Doron Medalie also wrote the Israeli entry Golden Boy from 2015.

Watch the Toy videoclip here at Eurovision.tv
Two versions have been released as digital singles, the original single version at most sources and the video version.
It's the single version that ended up on the official Lisbon album but the video version was performed at the contest.

No physical release or promo has been released (Bad Netta!).
The picture discs and Russian CD's offered at e-bay are counterfeit, unofficial, without permission, illegal etc. Don't buy them.

Remix DRI

A remix by Sagi Kariv is now uploaded to Netta's Youtube and released digitally.
An extended remix is at Sagi Kariv's Soundcloud.
Not all digital sources have all released versions, you'll have to do some searching for yourself.
The Chen Leiba remix was released on March 3 along with its instrumental.

The Riddler remixes were released on September 15. Digital only.

Netta Barzilai considers herself a Looping Artist which more or less means she performs while synthesing her own sounds in her songs to be used as soon as they happen. It's like what JOWST did last year but our Netta takes it to the next extreme. Can't wait to see how it will work at Eurovision.

2020

A digital EP with a new remic, the #NotYourToyRemix (mixed by Stav Berger) was released through S Curve, Netta's US label. The EP also has the Toy we know and the single version  of Cuckoo.

Chen Leiba Remix DRI

Versions
Toy - music video version
- video at Eurovision.tv, digital release
Toy - single version
- digital release, the official Lisbon album
Toy - Sagi Kariv remix
- video, digital release
Toy - Sagi Kariv Extended remix
- Sagi Kariv Soundcloud, digital release
Toy - Chen Leiba remix
Toy - Chen Leiba remix instrumental
- Chen Leiba mixes are digital releases
Toy - Riddler Dub remix
Toy - Riddler Festival remix
Toy - Riddler Future Vocal remix
Toy - Riddler Future instrumental remix
- Riddler remixes  are digital release
Toy - #NotYourToyRemix 2020

- 2020 remix digital release (S curve)

Toy - karaoke (= instrumental of the single version)
- digital on the official karaoke album

Riddler remixes DRI

Charts
Belgium (Flanders) top 50: 29, 35, -
Sweden top 100: 5, 10, 34, 55, -
Netherlands top 100: 60, 72, -
Ireland top 100 (IRMA): 63, -
U.K. top 100: 49, -
German top 100: 19, 53, -
Norway VG lista 40: 19, -
France top 200 (Ifop): 16, 74, -
Switzerland top 100: 34, -
Austria top 75: 15, 44, -
Spain Physical+Digital sales top 50: 4, 37, 47, -
Spain top 100: 16, 25, 65, 82, -
Finland top 20 (Ifpi): 10, -
Suisse Romande top 20: 14, -
US Billboard Dance Songs top 50: 35, 26, 19, 16, 11, 6, 3, 2, 1, 7, 12, 13, 38
+ TOY - Karaoke version !
Spain Physical+Digital sales top 50: 39, -

Pic sampled from Netta's Facebook

Links and sources:
Thanks to Frederick and to Nigel.
Netta Barzilai: Facebook, Instagram
The Next Star at Mako.co.il
More Eurovision gems from Israel: 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

Bulgaria - Bones - Equinox

14 - 166 pts, 7 - 177 pts in semi 1

Bulgaria participated  in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest with the band Equinox. The song and artist were revealed on March 12.
The song is titled Bones.
Watch and listen here

Bones plus its karaoke and instrumental were released as a digital single on March 12.
A promo cds is issued. It has the Eurovision version, instrumental and karaoke.

The song is written by Borislav Milanov, Trey Campbell, Joacim Bo Persson and Dag Lundberg.

Campbell is a member of Equinox, Milanov and Persson were also behind the 2017 entry Beautiful Mess.

Equinox are Zhana Bergendorff, Vlado Mihailov, Georgi Simeonov, Johnny Manuel and Trey Campbell.

Remix Contest / Remixes
The Point Blank Music School and Symphonix International organized a remix contest for the Bulgarian entry.
A pack of remix stems was released to help you create your remix.
Entries were uploaded by the mixers to Soundcloud, if you'll do this search you'll find most of them.
The top three will be released through Symphonix international.
Four mixes (by Three DJs) have been released digitally, so I guess they won the competition. (DJ Burlak, DJ Kuaga and DJ Dagge)

A version of Bones by Enerugi Shindo feat. Equinox was released on September 7 (2018)
Available through the usual digital sources.

Enerugi Shindo version

Versions
Bones - Studio version
Bones - Karaoke
Bones - Instrumental
- digital releases, all on promo cds

Bones - DJ Burlak remix radio
Bones - DJ Burlak extended remix
Bones - DJ Kuoga remix
Bones - Dagge Dance remix
- digital releases
Bones - Enerugi Shindo feat. Equinox

Charts
Bulgarian top 40: 37, 38, 30, 16, 28, 39, -

Links and sources:
Equinox: Facebook
BNT Bulgaria: Eurovision website, Facebook, Instagram
Bulgaria's entries to check out: 2017 -  2016 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

United Kingdom - Storm - SuRie

Digital release image

24 - 48 pts, not in semi

SuRie won the BBC's Eurovision You Decide with her song Storm, written by Nicole Blair, Gil Lewis & Sean Hargreaves.

The six songs competing in the U.K. selection were revealed on January 24 and can all be heard here at the BBC's Eurovision pages.

A new version of storm was recorded for Eurovision. It has been released as a digital single, along with an instrumental, on March 7.
Watch and listen here.

7th Heaven have made two remixes of Storm. Both the Radio edit and the Club mix are available through the usual digital sources. (Released on April 9, MMP Ltd).

An acoustic version was released on April 23 (digital, MMP ltd).

[ˈdʌz(ə)n] artwork by Anna Ståhl, pic from SuRie's Facebook

A counterfeit, fake, illegal cdsingle has been spotted, don't buy it. No official physical release or promo was made.

SuRie (Susanna Marie Cork) released her full debut album Something Beginning With... in 2016 (CD and digital).
This album includes a song (also) titled Storm but it's a different one from the Eurovision entry.
Before that she released a 5 track EP SuRie.
In 2017 she released a single Lover, You Should've Come Over.

More SuRie at Eurocovers

[ˈdʌz(ə)n]

In 2019 SuRie release her new album  [ˈdʌz(ə)n] (Dozen) featuring 12 tracks, coverversions of selected songs for every month of the year. As a bonus track on the limited CD release (only) an exclusive version of Storm is added.
At this moment the CD version is still available at https://surie.bigcartel.com/
Streaming and downloading links are all here.
It really is a beautiful album, go get it!

Acoustic version DRI

Versions
Storm - single version
Storm - instrumental (= karaoke)
- both digital releases
Storm - original
- has been on BBC sites
Storm - 7th Heaven Club mix
Storm - 7th Heaven Radio edit
- digital releases
Storm - acoustic
- digital release
Storm - exclusive CD version
- on CD  [ˈdʌz(ə)n]
A Video edit of the 7th Heaven remix can be found here (video only)

In 2020 SuRie recorded a coverversion of Silent Storm, the 2014 entry by Carl Espen (Norway)
Find out all about that here.

Charts
U.K. top 100: 50, -
France top 200 (Ifop/Snep): 103, -

Pic from SuRie's facebook

Links and sources:
SuRie: Website, Facebook, Instagram
BBC Eurovision pages, Facebook
The U.K. have their moments here: 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

You'll find details on all Eurovision remixes made by 7th Heaven here. They got their own page now (at The Tel Aviv Collection)

Bring Back Eurovision To The U.K..

Germany - You Let Me Walk Alone - Michael Schulte

cdsingle insert

4 - 340 pts, not in semi

Michael Schulte won the German selection Unser Lied Für Lissabon. His song, You Let Me Walk Alone is written by Thomas Stengaard, Nisse Ingwersen, Nina Müller and Michael Schulte himself.

You Let Me Walk Alone was first released as a digital single.
A cdsingle was released on May 4. It includes the Eurovision version and the acoustic version of You Let Me Walk Alone.(VUM 7771492)

On May 4 the album Dreamer: The Best Of Michael Schulte was released on LP, CD and digital. See below for tracklist.
The LP is a limited edition double LP on green vinyl.
(Very Us records/Edel).

For promotion in Lisbon a USB bracelet with audio, photos, bio and photos was made.

A remix by M3-O & Topflyte was released through Soundcloud. Also on M3-O CDr album Year One. (pic right)
The CDr has been available at TIOS (sold out now) but the free Soundcloud download is still available.

The German national final decided the entry  Germany in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Six artists were lined up and battled it out on Februari 22.

Who's Michael Schulte?
Michael Schulte started out as a Youtube singer performing cover songs. He clocked over 50 million views since then and it was just a matter of time for him to be discovered. It was Rea Garvey (of Raemonn of Supergirl fame) who did just that. Together they wrote Carry Me Home which became Michael's first hit (#8 in the German charts).
His debut album Wide Awake was followed by some intensive touring and after that he released his second album The Arising.
In Februari 2018 he won the German selection with all the maximum scores with You Let Me Walk Alone.

Michael's Youtube channel is here.

Versions
You Let Me Walk Alone
- cdsingle, CD Dreamer
You Let Me Walk Alone - Acoustic
- cdsingle, CD Dreamer
You Let Me Walk Alone - M3-O & Topflyte remix
- free download at Soundcloud, needs a Soundcloud account
You Let Me Walk Alone - Instrumental (actually karaoke)
- digital release, also on the official karaoke album


Charts
German top 100: 27, -, re: 3, 17, 34, 44, 48, 79, 97, -
Sweden top 100: 32, 38, 73, -
Netherlands top 100: 83, -
France top 200 (Ifop): 105, -
Switzerland top 100: 27, -
Austria top 75: 23, 45, -
Spain Physical+Digital sales top 50: 18, -
Spain top 100: 74, -
In September the song charts on the Dutch top 40
Netherlands top 40: 35, 33, 25, 19, 20, 25, 38

Links and sources
Special thanks to Stella at Very Us.
Michael Schulte: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube channel
Unser Lied für Lissabon pages, Facebook
Germany's other Lieder: 2017 -  2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

The album Dreamer DRI

Dreamer tracklist

1. You Let Me Walk Alone

2. Rock and Scissors

3. End of My Days

4. Thoughts

5. The Deep

6. Rusted Blood

7. The Maze

8. Dear Doubt

9. Flicker

10. You Said You'd Grow Old with Me

11. Falling Apart

12. Silence

13. Take It All Away

14. Take Me as I Am

15. Mountain Spring

16. Heard You Crying

17. You Let Me Walk Alone (Acoustic)

18. You Said You'd Grow Old with Me (Acoustic)

19. You'll Be Okay (Acoustic)

20. Holding Back the Fire (Acoustic)

France - Mercy - Madame Monsieur

The 3rd "Lisbon" promo cds

13 - 173 pts, not in semi

Madame Monsieur won Destination Eurovision, the French selection for Lisbon with their self penned song Mercy.
Madame Monsieur are Émilie Satt and Jean-Karl Lucas. They released their album, Tandem in 2016, which is well worth checking out.
Their new album Vue D'ici, released on April 20, includes the Eurovision entry in its full original version.
The album is out on CD and through digital stores. A promo issue in a larger (6 inch) pop-up card sleeve is also issued.

Mercy was released as a digital single (Play Two).
In the week before the French final Mercy already entered the French charts at #8.

A 1-track promo with the full version has been made.
The Eurovision edit was revealed on March 13.

Digital Release Image

The 2nd promo has 6 versions of Mercy, . All tracks have also been released as a digital EP. You can listen to all versions at the MM Youtube channel.
This promo was distributed before the contest to radio and other contacts.
1. Mercy - original
2. Mercy - Eurovision version
3. Mercy - English version
4. Mercy - Spanish version
5. Mercy - French remix a.k.a. Remix Electro (French)
6. Mercy - English remix a.k.a. Remix Electro (English)
The English and Spanish version are full (3:58) versions.

A 3rd promo has the same  6 tracks but a slightly different sleeve. This is the one used in Lisbon

Classical version
Madame Monsieur join sisters Camille and Julie Berthollet on their version of Mercy.
The classical musicians (violin and cello) released their version on the CD Entre 2 in November 2018 and a reissued deluxe edition in 2019. (Warner Classical )
It's pretty beautiful. You can watch a video of a live performance here at Dailymotion.





France selected their 2018 entry through a three night preselection.
The final was on January 27. All 18 songs competing have been released (digital)
Find out more here at the Destination Eurovision pages.

Mercy digital EP image

Versions:
Mercy - Eurovision version
- 2nd promo
Mercy - single version (3:58)
- both promos
Mercy - English version
Mercy - Spanish version
Mercy - Remix Electro (French)
Mercy - Remix Electro (English)
- all on 2nd promo
Mercy - Camille & Julie Berthollet with Madame Monsieur
- CD Entre 2 (Camille & Julie Berthollet)
Mercy - Eurovision karaoke (= instrumental)
- digital release
All versions have (also) been released digitally.

Charts
IFOP France top 200: 8, 3, 17, 26, 30, 26, 26, 23, 30, 30, 42, 51, 40, 14, 17, 10, 2, 19, 30, 46, 85, 105, 89, 106, 149, 176, -
Suisse Romande top 20: 16, -, re 8, -
Belgium (Wallonia) top 50) 37, 47, 44, 42, 33, 27, 10, 19, 32, -
Sweden top 100: 90, -

Links and sources:
Madame Monsieur: Facebook, Instagram
France 2 Eurovision pages
French Eurovision history: 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009

Forthcoming album Vu D'Ici

Vu D'Ici tracklist
1. Comme une reine
2. Mercy

3. Tourner la page

4. Ne me laisse pas

5. Au-delà

6. Ça vaut la peine

7. Quand la nuit nous sépare

8. Qui sait

9. La voyageuse

10. 22.11.2013

11. Des baisers

12. Pour ceux qu'on aime

13. Défends-moi

14. Partir
Défends-moi and previous single Partir also appear on the 2016 album Tandem. Défends-moi is a rap-free re-recording but Partir is the original.

(Low Wood / Play Two records 0190295651268, distr. Warner)