With one month to go until the Eurovision Song Contest is held in the UK for the first time in 25 years, a new crop of artists hopes to follow in the footsteps of past winners like ABBA, Celine Dion and Måneskin. The world's largest live music event, which attracted more than 160 million viewers last year, still has the power to propel acts to international stardom.
Duncan Laurence's 2019 winning song 'Arcade' took time to break into the UK charts, only reaching the top 40 in February 2021. But it is now the most-streamed Eurovision song of all time in the UK, with almost a billion global plays on Spotify alone. It also became the first song from the contest in 25 years to chart in the US and has since been covered by Kelly Clarkson.
Rosa Linn from Armenia finished 20th out of 25 in the 2022 final, leaving her 'really upset'. Yet less than a year later, her song 'Snap' has become a viral hit with more than half a billion streams, making it the second most-streamed Eurovision song in history. The 22-year-old is now preparing to support Ed Sheeran on his US stadium tour.
Iceland's Daði og Gagnamagnið had a strong chance in 2020 with 'Think About Things' before the contest was cancelled due to the pandemic. The dance became a viral hit on TikTok during lockdown. They returned in 2021, placing fourth, but were prevented from performing live after a band member tested positive for Covid.
Måneskin won in 2021 with 'Zitti E Buoni', performed entirely in Italian. They have since become one of the biggest bands in the world, with hits including their cover of 'Beggin'', and were nominated for best new artist at this year's Grammy Awards. Other Italian artists like Mahmood, Marco Mengoni and Il Volo have also found success after participating.
Conchita Wurst's 2014 winning performance of 'Rise Like A Phoenix' remains iconic. When I saw Conchita perform last November, the crowd's response was as loud as it was eight years earlier, cementing her status as one of the best-known contestants.
