Born in London and with African roots in her blood, Izzy Bizu is one of the most prominent new names within the British music scene. Her most recent single shows all her capability: "Mad behaviour" is a soft yet powerful combination of soul and pop, and it fully displays Izzy's beautiful voice.
Austrian singer Ramona Rotstich is back to Sounds European! with another great song. "Unsichtbar" is a mixture between a ballad and a pop-rock track, with a great emotional charge and a fantastic vocal performance by Ramona.
SAARA is the stage name of Sara Maria Forsberg, a Finnish singer and YouTuber who has recently launched her music career. "I do" is SAARA's second single, and it surely shows what she's here for: super catchy pop, with an enticing melody and a very nice atmosphere.
We remeet German singer KENAY for another great single! His most recent release is "Schön so wie du bist", a song in which he explores a different sound in his music, with lyrics resembling a bit to rap yet mantaining the great chorus and instrumentation.
Swedish singer Eric Saade has made a stunning return to the music scene last month. His most recent single is "Colors", a song in which he mixes his charismatic pop with a more relaxed beat. Pop at its best!
Norwegian electronic music scene is quite captivating, and we were caught by the sounds of Seeb's debut single. Formed by Simen Eriksrud and Espen Berg, they feature Portuguese artist NEEV in the great "Breathe", a song which is a total thumbs up for a calmer dance session!
Updated on October 1st, 2016, with the official video.
There are artists that, with every new single, makes us fall in love harder than before. And Romanian singer Giulia is one of them. Her most recent release is "Ochii tai", a pop song which oozes class and sweetness. The addition of some exotic sounds in the background make up for the greatness of the track!
Finnish duo Møtions are once again collaborating with singer Kasii. After their very catchy "Flow", they have released "Paint the sky", a relaxed and groovy pop song with a light dance beat. You won't be able to stop dancing to it!
Danish-born sweetheart Yohanna has just released a new single! "Revolving doors" is a very sweet and touching melody, which combines a tender instrumentation with her dulcet yet powerful voice.
Czech band Voxel makes a stunning return to our site. Their most recent single, "V čase zpátky", is a confluence of amazing sounds: the great pop-rock that the band has us accustomed to and a great country feeling attached to it. A truly great song!
Swedish singer Ace Wilder was one of the hot favorites to win this year's Melodifestivalen. She showered everybody with her amazing vibe and the infectious "Don't worry", and eventually finished third. We are still dancing to her beat, though!
Hailing from the city of Busenbach, Max Giesinger is a German singer born in 1988. He participated in the first edition of the German version of The Voice, in 2011, and since then has worked for his solo career to grow. His latest single is a hit in his country: "80 millionen" is a soothing and very cool pop-rock track.
Finnish singer Niila is back with us! His most recent single is a small twist to what we had heard of him before: in "Restless heart", he keeps his indie sounds but adds a touch of country and a very catchy whistling in the post-chorus.
Montenegrin singer Sergej Ćetković is having one of the most prolific moments of his career. His most recent single is again a wonderful mix of pop and Balkan sounds: "Ne živim ja" explodes with traditional instruments and the sweetness that only Sergej can put in his music!
French singer Marvin Dupré is back with his lovely sounds. His latest single is "Le départ", a downtempo pop-rock which lets Marvin showcase his exquisit vocal power.
We stay in Sweden, and we still talk about Melodifestivalen songs. SaRaha, a Swede living in Tanzania and developing her career between the two countries, presented her catchy "Kizunguzungu" to the competition, eventually arriving to the final and finishing ninth. The song is becoming a hit in the country: it's this week's #2 in the charts!
Frans Jeppsson-Wall was the dark horse of this year's Melodifestivalen, eventually making it to win the competition (and, with the victory, earning the ticket to represent Sweden in this year's Eurovision Song Contest). His song "If I were sorry" caught the ears of the people in his country: this week, he leads the Swedish charts!
Time to check one of the hot favorites to win this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Russian star Sergey Lazarev's music is so good, he was considered a candidate for the victory even before his song was presented. We feel "You are the only one" is more directed to Eurovision audience and less Lazarev's style than we would like, but it still works greatly. It's a very good pop, and we wouldn't be surprised if it really does get the trophy.
German singer Bosse made it to our top 40 of 2013 with his lovely "So oder so", and we are finally hearing from him again! His most recent single shows why he is one of the top acts in his country: "Steine" is a smooth pop-rock song with a marking chorus filled with chords. Classy music as only Bosse can do!
Greek pop star Kostas Martakis has a new song. And we are very glad to present it. "Panta tha zeis" is a beautiful Greek folk pop, which travels very well between midtempo and uptempo. Kostas's voice is is a perfect fit for it all, providing quite a homogeneous result.
Sore is, without a doubt, one of our favourite Romanian singers. Her new single just confirms why we like her so much: "Un minut" is a soft pop song which explodes in the chorus to the rhytm of R&B beats.
Another pearl coming from the season of National Finals for Eurovision. This time, we go to Poland, where Natalia Szroeder had offered us "Lustra". Her song wasn't the selected one to go to Stockholm, but we really enjoyed it. It's a well-paced track with very entertaining melody.
Albanian-born singer Eleni Foureira is a usual feature of our site. And that's because her singles are, simply put, irresistible. The same happens with her most recent song. "Den sou xrostao agapi" is the kind of Greek ballad you can't help but loving: growing, dramatic, and with a chorus that explodes both instrumentally and vocally. No wonder it became our song of the week!
Redd are a Turkish rock band from Istanbul. They are formed by Doğan Duru, Güneş Duru and Berke Özgümüş. They have just released a new single, entitled "Aşk virüs". It's a great pop-rock track with highly involving ambience. The result is very unique, and makes you go in a very personal trip with it.
After being absent in the last two years, Croatia decided to return to Eurovision this year. And they are coming back bigger than ever. They selected Nina Kraljić and her lovely "Lighthouse" seeking for a ticket to the final. The song, a lovely ballad with ethnic sounds all around, rapidly became one of the favorites to qualify from the semifinals.
Updated on May 9th, 2016, with the official video.
After quite some years betting on downtempo songs for Eurovision, Azerbaijan has finally given a turn to an uptempo entry. And what a great one it is! Samra Rahimli (who took part of The Voice of Turkey and was a finalist of The Voice of Azerbaijan) sings "Miracle", an extremely contagious track, with one of the best choruses of this year's edition.
Swedish singer Lisa Ajax was one of this year's participants of Melodifestivalen, the Swedish National Final for Eurovision. Her song, "My heart wants me dead", captivated us with its Oriental sounds and powerful beats, and managed to find a place within the finalists of the competition.
Jean Gavril is a Romanian singer who was born in the city of Constanța. We have just listened to his single "Totul sau nimic", and it was love at first listen. It has an irresistible groove, which you can already feel from the first seconds of the song, and an extremely catchy chorus. Highly addictive!
Danish singer Mads Langer is on fire! After his return with "3AM", he has just released another great single. "Tunnel vision" keeps the twist of his sounds to a more alternative music, including some daring dance elements in a very soothing and relaxed way.
Serbia is ready to make the sequence of great results on Eurovision! This year, they'll send Sanja Vučić (lead singer of the group ZAA), born in Kruševac in 1993, with "Goodbye (Shelter)". And, may we say, it is the most grandiose track of the year. It is a shower of powerful vocals, wrapped in the perfect growing melody to value the voice as much as it deserves. We love it!
Maltese singer Ira Losco will represent her country on this year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Walk on water". The song, which has Swedish singer Molly Hammar among its composers, is a very contemporary pop track with an oldie feeling attached to it. Overall, the song is one of the most powerful of this year's festival!
It's Laura Pausini as you've never seen before! The Italian pop star has just released "Innamorata" as a single. With it, Laura explores street pop for the first time in her career. The result is unique, and shows Laura as the versatile artist she has always been!
British singer Birdy is living a great moment of her career, releasing one amazing track after the other. Her most recent single is "Wild horses", a song which retains the emotion she adds to every song but with a bigger amount of instruments and sounds.
Every year, Melodifestivalen (the Swedish National Final for Eurovision) introduces us to at least one new great talent of the Swedish pop scene. This year, it was surely Wiktoria Johansson, 19-year-old singer from Brämhult. Her "Save me" was one of the highlights of the show, with the catchy melody, contagious chorus, excellent vocal performance and one of the best stagings of the year.
Gabriela Gunčíková is a Czech singer born in Kroměříž in 1993. She will represent her country on this year's Eurovision Song Contest with the deep "I stand", a beautiful ballad which displays a powerful vocal performance from Gabriela.
Romanian pop star Elena has been experimenting several possibilities of pop music with her latest singles. This time, after very long, she has gone back to basics, and presents us a regular pop ballad. And oh wow: she does it better than most singers around! It's so beautiful and captivating!
Namika is becoming one of the most popular pop singers in Germany. And we can easily see why in her latest single: "Kompliziert" oozes with her charisma and relaxed ways. Add the mix to a lovely pop song with classical instruments all around and it results in an irresistible song!
Sounds European! isn't afraid of affirming: Sweden has made an awful choice for Eurovision. And even if they end up winning the contest (which we hope they don't), nothing will change the fact that "Human", by Oscar Zia, was by far the best song of Melodifestivalen – likely, of this year's Eurovision season as a whole. A masterpiece pop with grandiose chorus and passionate melody. Oscar: you are our winner!
Damien Lauretta is a French singer and actor born in 1992 in Mandelieu-la-Napoule. He rose to fame acting in Disney series Violetta, and has since entered the entertainment scene in his home country. His most recent single is "Fall in love", a song which mingles the sweet romance of French language in a very contemporary pop song.
Time to meet Nikola Petkovic, singer and musician from Sopot, in Serbia. His single "Ne daj da te kunem" is a great mix of pop-rock and Balkan music. The result is extremely charming and entertaining.
Austrian singer Julian le Play is back to our site! His soothing tunes meet in "Hand in hand", his most recent single. The song is a very cool pop track, with a smooth harmony and a very nice vibe.
Italian band The Kolors has just released a beautiful ballad. "Me minus you" is a piano-based song which is extremely touching. Everything is built in a very endearing and lovely way. It's impossible not to feel involved by it!
Robin Bengtsson was born in Svenljunga, Sweden, in 1985. He took part of the 2008 Swedish season of Idols, finishing third. This year, he took part of Melodifestivalen with the catchy "Constelation prize". He amazed the audience with the simple, yet effective performance on stage, which rendered in a fifth place in the competition.
Get ready for an amazing track coming from Romania! Loredana's new single, "Venus si Marte", is as great as pop can get. Great vocal performance, involving melody and a very catchy chorus. We couldn't ask for more!
Updated on March 21st, 2020, with the official video.
Mateo Pilat is a singer from Karojba, Croatia. He took part of the first edition of The Voice in his country, which took place last year. His talent oozed in the competition, and now, signed to a discographic, he is releasing a magnific single. "Izgubljeni raj" is a great sample of a rock ballad from the Balkans!
Updated on April 10th, 2016, with the official video.
Polish star Margaret has become one of the main hits of the 2016 season of National Finals for Eurovision. Her "Cool me down" is extremely popular among the fans of the festival, and clearly has everything to please the rest of the continent, even not having won the Polish selection.
Updated on October 31st, 2016, with the official video.
Spanish singer and songwriter David Feito had introduced us to "Dominaremos el mundo" in the interview he gave us a couple of days ago. The song mixes his raspy voice with rock, a slight bit of pop and even some folkloric instruments to convey a really grandiose track!
We've shown you some of the highlights of this year's Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian National Final for Eurovision. But the song that is really hitting the charts is the one that almost stole the victory from Agnete: Freddy Kallas' is this week's #2 in the local ranking with "Feel da rush"!
Australian singer Sia is a sensation with every new single of hers. The latest hit is "Cheap thrills", a song which already hit #9 in Switzerland, #8 in Portugal, #7 in Bulgaria, #4 in Finland and #3 in Ireland and Norway.
Majk is the stage name of Kastriot Rexha, Kosovar singer and songwriter who was born in Pristina in 1990. His new single "Dashni" is extremely entertaining. It's a mix of pop, R&B and rap which made us remind of the best songs by Maître Gims.
Look who are back! It's one of the most successful girlbands ever, All Saints! They are preparing a new album, which is set to be released in April. While we wait, we already have its first single. "One strike" is a great midtempo pop with involving melody and a very catchy chorus.
Laura Pinski is a German singer who was born in 1996 in Düsseldorf. She took part of this year's National Final of Germany for Eurovision Song Contest with "Under the Sun we are one". The song, signed by legendary Ralph Siegel (who is responsible for Eurovision entries such as "Dschinghis Khan", the winner "Ein bißchen frieden" and, more recently, "Crisalide (Vola)" and "Chain of lights"), was one of the most beautiful ones in the selection show.
Meet Serbian alternative rock band Šišarke. Their single which is currently in work, "U ranama", is the personification of strength. The powerful melody is perfectly filled with some of the strongest vocals we've ever seen in Balkan rock.
After some time without releasing a new single, it is time for Finnish singer Benjamin to spread good music once again! His new song is entitled "Body", and it's a fresh uptempop pop which has all the elements to make you dance along.
Updated on May 18th, 2016, with the official video.
Ana Milenković was born in Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro, in 1980. She was part of Beauty Queens, the girlband who were back vocalists of Marija Šerifović when she won the 2007 Eurovision with the song "Molitva". Ana's solo career has already brought us several singles, but her most recent one is simply adorable: "Budalo" is a fantastic sample of pop which automatically became our song of the week!
Alessandra Amoroso has just released a new single. And we know what that means, right? It's time to listen to great music! "Comunque andare" goes in a different direction from most of her recent singles: it is more uptempo and a bit less mostly-vocal. But one thing doesn't change: the high quality of every song she delivers. So great!
Vanna is the stage name of Ivana Ranilović, one of the biggest pop divas of the Croatian music scene. She was born in Koprivnica, a city in the Northern region of Croatia, in 1970. Her new single, "Suze na kiši", is getting very successful in her country, and we can really see why: it has a very enticing melody and a great chorus.
Picture This is a new band rising in the great rock scene of Ireland. And when rock is coming from Ireland, you can be sure it is good! Their "You & I" is an amazing song, with an involving melody which has everything to make you in love. Its video is specially cute.
Elouiz was born in Sweden, but she moved to Norway when she was six, developing her career in the latter. Last month, she took part of the Norwegian National Final for Eurovision, Melodi Grand Prix, with the song "History". The track, a melodic and very sweet ballad, definitely marked our hearts!
Lérica are a Spanish group formed by Tony Mateo, Juan Carlos Arauzo and Rubén Noel. They have just released "Recordando el beso". It's a beautiful song with passionate melody and a great mix of voices. There's no way not to fall in love with it!
We said that UMK (the Finnish selection for Eurovision) had a fantastic level this year, and here comes yet another participant! Finnish singer and former The Voice of Finland participant Tuuli Okkonen reached the final of the competition with "Don't wake me up", a soft and sweet ballad with a very deep set of lyrics.
Anja Baš, Slovene singer from Jesenice, was firstly presented on Sounds European! in 2014, when she released "Nimaš kej". Now, we meet her again, with the song she subscribed to EMA (the National Final of Slovenia for Eurovision Song Contest). "What if" wasn't the winner of the NF, but it was surely a great entry – one of the best ones presented during the show.
After a while of silence, in which they changed lead singer, Italian band Dear Jack returned to the spotlight last month, when they took part of Festival di Sanremo. The song they entered the competition is "Mezzo respiro", a song which mingles perfectly the band's rock power and the tenderness of Italian ballads.
Justs Sirmais is a Latvian singer who was born in Kekava in 1995. He has been selected to represent his country on the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest with "Heartbeat". The song has a clear connection to the Latvian entry of last year, "Love injected" by Aminata – who, no wonder, is also the composer of "Heartbeat".
Updated on May 9th, 2016, with the official video.
Born in Split, Croatia, in 1985, Lidija Bačić is a very prolific Croatian singer, having released three studio albums and several singles. The latest one of them is "Prokleto dobro ljubiš", a song which combines pop, rock and a touch of folkloric sounds to create a really magical song!
Some of the best Finnish pop stars are returning with new music after some time off. One of them is Vilma Alina. She has just released "Juha88", a very catchy pop track which has the participation of Finnish hip-hop group Teflon Brothers, from Helsinki.
Goga Stanic is a Serbian singer born in the city of Loznica. Her most recent single is, simply put, pop perfection: calm verses, an explosive chorus, light electronic beats and soft guitar riffs make of "Sve je laz" a perfect song!
The best rock band of Italy has just released a new single. It's time for us to check "È solo colpa mia", by Modà. It's that kind of involving song with big drops of Italian passion added to it, in that way which only Kekko Silvestre can make.
Lucas Nord is a singer from Stockholm. His music reflects the great Swedish pop and a more contemporary approach to electronic beats. This can be very well appreciated in "Faking", his latest single, a very modern pop track!
Great new song by Czech singer and songwriter Thom Artway! "Blind man" is a great mix of indie and folk pop. The melody is just irresistible, and the chorus is very good. Thom's voice is specially great on this track.
Portuguese band ÁTOA return to our site with their lovely sounds. Their most recent single is "Pouco de Sol", a beautiful and soft ballad. The incredible instrumentation and the fragile voice of the singer makes it a perfect song to relax to!
Swedish singer and songwriter Noonie Bao is responsible for writing some big international hits, like Charli XCX's "Doing it" and Avicii's "I could be the one", and now she is ready to front her own songs. "Criminal love" is her current single, and we love it. It has such an involving ambience! We were hypnotized by it!
Dani Dimitrovska is a pop singer born in Skopje in 1979. Her most recent single is "Sushtina", an intense and powerful pop track which includes rock beats in a very marking chorus.
Updated on November 15th, 2016, with the official video.
Michał Szpak is a Polish singer who was born in Jasło in 1990. He started to appear to the audience when he took part of the first season of The X Factor in Poland, ending as the runner-up. He has just been chosen to represent his country on Eurovision with "Color of your life". It's a beautiful ballad, which shines brighter clearly due to Michał's amazing vocal capability.
Laila Samuels is a Norwegian singer born in Oslo in 1976. Last month, she was announced as one of the participants of Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian National Final for Eurovision. The song she presented is "Afterglow", a deep and dark ballad which explodes with classical instruments.
Sounds European! first met ways with Czech singer Olga Lounová in 2013, when she released a collaboration with Slovak DJ and producer Eddie Sender. Now, we finally remeet her, with an amazing song. "When the music's on" is pop as you want it to be: extremely catchy and completely contagious!
After teasing us with some more electronic sounds, Monika Linkytė shocked us with a deep ballad as a new single. "Krentu žemyn" includes violins and cellos to create a fantastic atmosphere.
When we say Laura Pausini is in a very productive phase, we are not overstating it. She is already releasing a new single! "Il nostro amore quotidiano" is one of those ballads which are perfect for her to show all her vocal capabilities. Beautiful from first to last second!
Beata Kozidrak was born in the city of Lublin in 1960. She was the lead singer of the popular group Bajm, and has for some time also released music as a solo artist. Her most recent single is "Bingo", a song in which she mingles dulcet tones of pop with alternative sounds.
"Work", the new single by Rihanna, is breaking borders. The song, in which she features Drake, is currently #5 in Ireland and Norway, #4 in Spain, #3 in Portugal and the United Kingdom, #2 in Netherlands and Sweden and #1 in Denmark!
Kosovar singer Era Istrefi has recently released a massive track. Her song "Bonbon" is not only a hit in Kosovo and Albania, but also in Bulgaria, where the single is #3 in this week's chart!
The delicate music of Brigitte returns to our site! After the very nice "Hier encore", the duo is back with "L'échappée belle", a song in which they ooze class. The soft tunes of the verses mingle perfectly with a more movemented chorus!
Mihran Tsarukyan is an Armenian singer from Yerevan. He has just released "Ti moya". It's a fresh and summerish track. The melody throughout all the song, and specially in the chorus, is a big invitation to dance.
Italian singer Irene Fornaciari was born in Pietrasanta, Italy, in 1983. She took part of this year's Festival di Sanremo with "Blu", a ballad which is very calm in the verses but explodes into a fantastic chorus!
We are still in love with Raleigh Ritchie's single "Never better", which is surely one of our favorite songs of the year by now. So it was not a surprise that we also fell in love with his new release, "You're a man now, boy". It's another great track, with amazing ambience.
After the unfair result of 2015, Molly Hammar returned to Melodifestivalen this year with hunger for victory. Unfairly again, the odds weren't in her favour: her catchy and very contemporary entry, "Hunger", couldn't make it to the final of the competition. She still slayed with class and killer vocals in the live performance, leaving all of us with our jaws dropped!
Updated on July 5th, 2018, with the new stage name of the artist.
Miro Jaroš is a Slovak singer who was born in Žilina in 1978. We don't know what took us so long to get to know his single "Rieka", but we are surely glad it has finally happened. Because, oh wow, what an excellent song it is! It is a shower of melodic power, wrapped in an absolutely flawless vocal performance by Miro. A true masterpiece, which we elected our song of the week!
Last week, Amir went under all the spotlights in France, after he was named the country's representative on this year's Eurovision Song Contest. He will fly to Stockholm with the song "J'ai cherché", a very modern, catchy and bilingual pop track which has already captured hearts in home soil and expects to do the same in the whole continent!
Time to present a new group of boys who are trying to take over the world: meet Catching Cooper, from Norway. According to their biography, "there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure". And oh, do they show it on their music! Their single "Firefly" could even be qualified as a guilty pleasure. But no: we do not feel guilty of loving it. It's impossible not to, anyway!
The Netherlands had announced its plans for Eurovision early last year, when they told everybody that Douwe Bob would represent them on Stockholm. But it was only last week that he presented his song: "Slow down" is a very country-inspired track, which follows the trend set by The Common Linnetstwo years ago.
Slovenia will go to Eurovision with "Blue and red". But ManuElla's song is not the only one which called attention during EMA, the Slovene National Final for the contest. Nuša Derenda (who has been on Eurovision in 2001, holding her country's best result ever together with Darja Švajger) has also presented an amazing song: "Tip top" was pop at its purest state. Catchy, contagious and very inviting!
Mavrick is a 25 year-old Swedish singer hailing from Stenungsund, but currently living in Stockholm. His music promises to take the country's pop scene by storm: "Funeral", his most recent single, is a pure and amazing mix of pop and alternative sounds.
After winning the Nuove Proposte section (for new artists) of Festival di Sanremo in 2015 with the beautiful "Ritornerò da te", Giovanni Caccamo returned to the competition in 2016, this time in the main category. He has gathered with the very talented Deborah Iurato for "Via da qui". It's a smooth and beautiful track. Their voices work very nicely together.
Polish singer Szymon Chodyniecki is back to us with more amazing sound! His most recent single is "Drogowskaz", a very cool pop-rock which creates a very cool atmosphere!
It's time to get to know another great song which was part of this year's UMK, the Finnish National Final for Eurovision. Eini Hannele Pajumäki is a very important name in the music scene of Finland, with albums dating back to the '70s. Her "Draamaa" was a very catchy entry, with exciting melody and a very cool chorus. It didn't win the selection, but it has surely caught our attention.
Alban Skenderaj was born in Lushnjë, Albania, and grew to become one of the most successful singers in his country. His latest single shows why he is so famous: "Une dhe ti" is a very moving and captivating ballad, beautifully orchestrated and which surely depicts a very different sound from what we're used from Albania.
This year's Festival di Sanremo had many songs of very good quality. And Enrico Ruggeri's "Il primo amore non si scorda mai" is surely one of them. This track had one of the catchiest melodies, with an invigorating pace during the chorus. Amazing single, which ended the festival with a very deserved high placing.
Russian band Alessiee dazzles us once more! Their most recent single is "Bez tebya", a song in which they turn into Russian language to show us they can be equally great and powerful!
Time to remeet Macedonian band Eye Cue. They have released a new single, entitled "Eve pak". It's a guitar-based song with very entertaining melody. The chorus is specially cool, and the voices work very well together throughout all the track.
British singer Kerri Watt returns to Sounds European! with one more sample of bubbly pop! Her single "The wild" mixes some country sounds to achieve a very cool and flowing melody.
There are few Greek artists who make us so excited when releasing a new single as Thanos Petrelis. His voice and his music are unique, and we always love the songs he makes. And "Exo mia kardia" is not an exception. It's everything you can expect from a great Greek pop, with that quality that only Thanos can add.
Freddie (which is the new stage name of Alfréd Fehérvári Gábor) won the Hungarian National Final for Eurovision, A Dal. He captured everybody with "Pioneer", a song in which he unveils his amazing raspy voice to an intense pop-rock tune.
Jovana Nikolić is a Serbian singer who was born in Belgrade in 1982. She has released a single with one of the most important names of the recent history of Eurovision Song Contest, Marija Šerifović (the only winner of the festival whose song wasn't in English, since the freedom-of-language rule started being applied). Their "Nismo smeli" is an irresistible pop track. We love it!
Lina Mayer is a Slovak singer from Košice. "Personal sky", her most recent single, is a big hit in her home country, and we can easily tell why: it's a fresh splash of pop which gets addictive with every listen!
One of the coolest surprises of this year's edition of Festival di Sanremo was the song of Rocco Hunt. The Italian rapper from Salerno brought us "Wake up", one of the happiest rap tracks we have ever encountered. It's extremely infectious!
Norwegian band Suite 16 also joined the wave of artists who took part on National Finals for Eurovision. In their home country, they took part of Melodi Grand Prix with "Anna Lee", a cool and very catchy pop song. They managed to get into the final four, eventually coming third.
Sounds European! celebrates the International Women's Day with excellent music! Every year, Melodifestivalen (the Swedish National Final for Eurovision) has at least one entry which receives a totally unfair judgement by the audience. This year, we are sure, it's ISA's "I will wait". This song, which was eliminated on the Andra Chansen week, had potential to win Melodifestivalen – and depending on opponents, Eurovision, even. A masterpiece which deserved much more from the audience.
Italian singer Lorenzo Fragola keeps captivating hearts with every new single of his. This time, he did it with his participation in ths year's Festival di Sanremo: "Infinite volte", a classic ballad, grows with every listen!
Katerina Krasilnikova is a Russian singer from Saint Petersburg. Her new single, entitled "Ty ryadom", is very good. It has a very involving and unique melody. And Katerina's voice is perfect for what the song intends.
Orlando Leopard, Ella Girardot, Elliot Barnes and Hamish Barnes are Arthur Beatrice, an English band formed in 2010. Their most recent single is a shower of the finest British indie-rock: "Real life" has a very cool melody and an explosive chorus.
Belarusian group Napoli, from Minsk, has lived a very rare situation. They took part of two different National Finals for Eurovision, with the same song. "My universe" was part of the selections in Belarus and Poland, but didn't manage to go to Stockholm by neither one of them. But the song has surely had the qualities for it: it is a great pop track with a big epic feeling in it.
American group twenty one pilots are nailing it with their latest singles, which are flooding the charts around Europe. "Stressed out", released last April, is currently #2 in Austria!
Spanish rock is a usual treat for the readers of Sounds European!. Today, our interview section brings a talk with one of the most acclaimed names of the rock scene in Spain. He was part of a very big band, with which he shot to stardom in his country and even abroad. Recently, he started to sail solo – and we love his work so far! These are our 10 questions for David Feito:
Sounds European!: Tell us a bit about your history with music. Who were your musical influences? When did you know that this was the path you wanted to take? When did you start playing the guitar? And what about singing?
David Feito: Hello!!!! I started playing the guitar when I was very young. When I was six or seven, my grandfather built a guitar fit to my size. There has always been a lot of fondness to music at my home. When I was a bit older, I started studying classic guitar at the Conservatorio de Oviedo, and at the same time I started composing music and having my own bands. My first band was Xemá (when I met Raquel [del Rosario, lead singer of El Sueño de Morfeo]), with which I published my first album, "Del interior". Then, we met Juan [Luis Suárez Garrido] and we formed El Sueño de Morfeo. And now, I have started my solo career, releasing my first album "En el otro lado" last October.
SE!: You were the guitarist of El Sueño de Morfeo (ESDM), one of the most popular Spanish groups in the recent years. You were successful not only in Spain, but also in Latin America. How was it to have reached so many people with your music? With ESDM, you represented Spain on the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. Did you enjoy the experience? What do you take from the time with the group to your solo career?
DF: With ESDM, I've lived incredible, indescribable things, and I got to play at unforgettable places, both in Spain and in Latin America. All I can tell you is that I've learnt a looooooot, and I really value what it means, nowadays, to be able to make a living out of music. Our Eurovision experience is another one of those things I was talking about. For us, it was incredible to be part of one of the most important music shows in Europe. I take thousands of moments [with ESDM] which, as I said, make me value the chance to present my new album to you.
SE!: Let's talk about your solo career. What challenges appeared when leaving a group behind and stepping up as the main artist? How have you felt on your first live performances as a frontman? What is the most rewarding aspect of this new role?
DF: The challenge is constant. I honestly don't take it as a "test" or "something to achieve", but as an opportunity that life gifts me – to be able to keep making songs and, with them, trigger emotions in the people who listen to me. It is clear that this process of adapting to being in a "main role" requires a different kind of work, but I enjoy very much every time I have the chance to sing those songs.
SE!: Last October, you released "En el otro lado", your first solo album. What musical styles have you experimented with for this project? What can we expect when listening to the album?
DF: I believe that, on this record, you can listen to the more "rockish" version of David, and, beyond any musical style, what I really wanted to achieve was very honest songs where feelings prevail over everything else.
SE!: For your debut album, you've been multifunctional: a writer, a composer, a producer and a guitarist, besides singing. How was the experience to go through, basically, all phases of the production process of an album? Was there any part you enjoyed the most? What was the hardest part of such a job?
DF: This is a tremendously crafted and personal work, and that required me to take part of all phases of the album. I've enjoyed each one of them a lot, but writing the songs has frankly been a heartwarming experience, and a way to bring out all I had inside. Maybe, one of the hardest moments was to choose the single. So big is my attachment to these songs, that picking only one has been really hard.
"I believe writing about a heartbreak or a life less perfect than what we're told makes people feel empathy towards the songs, and then people make the songs theirs"
SE!: About your work as a songwriter, you have said you like to write songs for "the losers". What are "songs for the losers"? What are your favorite topics, both to write about and to play? Do you have a moment or place in particular to write music?
DF: It's not that I like to write them. I just believe that, sometimes, we search for a shelter or solace in music when we're not fine, and actually I strongly believe in music as therapy. In this sense, I believe writing about a heartbreak or a life less perfect than what we're told makes people feel empathy towards the songs, and then people make the songs theirs. Asturias is my shelter, and where I have written practically all the album. It is my home, and I have the luck of living in a natural paradise, enormously evocative when it comes to writing music.
SE!: Spanish rock scene is one of the most prolific and with the best quality in the continent. In your opinion, what makes Spanish rock so special? What artists of the genre influence your work?
DF: We're on a very hard moment for music, whatever genre it is. Radios find it hard to support music in Spanish language, and it's really hard for new bands to promote their work. Opposite to this, we have social networks which allow us to reach people more directly and with no intermediates. Even when it is a slower way, in my case, I feel glad of having the support and love of the people through social networks.
Regarding the influences, I am for years listening to rock in English – The Killers, Kings of Leon and Muse. But I also listen to bands which sing in Spanish – such as M-Clan and Lori Meyers. And I explore different styles, such as blues and soul, which complement the music I've always listened to – always more acoustic, folk and pop-rock.
SE!: If you could choose anyone, who would be some Spanish and international artists you'd like to collaborate with?
DF: By now, with ESDM, I've had the privilege to collaborate with several artists, and those have always been tremendous experiences. To name one, I'd like to have the chance to sing with Tarque (from M-Clan).
SE!: What are your professional plans for 2016? What can your fans expect from you?
DF: For 2016, I'd like to promote my album – the more people who know about it, the better. In that sense, we are preparing a series of concerts which you can know about on my website. What you can expect is some musicians working our skins off to transmit all the feeling of those songs.
SE!: We would like to post a song of yours to close this interview. What is your favorite song of yourself, and why?
DF: I have 11 favorite songs, because the record has 11 songs, hehe. Still, today I would like to introduce you to my second single, "Dominaremos el mundo", which talks about people who fight to achieve their dreams and, through a love story, recognizes that when you find THAT person you love, you're able to rule the world because of him/her.
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