ESC Covers are in Moscow for this evening’s live Intervision song contest, and we have been attending a number of press conferences of the contestants, performers and stars of the show.
This afternoon we got chance to ask a number of questions to Belarus’ entrant, Nastya Kravchenko. The interview was recorded in Nastya’s national language, and is available to watch on our YouTube short, but we have also provided an English transcript for those that don’t speak Russian/Belarusian below.
Eliana: After the release of your song “Moth”, you wrote on one of your social media pages: “Fly, my moth!”. What does that mean? Is it just a song for you? Or is it some kind of symbol, a hidden meaning?
Nastya Kravchenko: Every person puts their soul into a song, a part of their life story. Even when someone is not the author of a song, they always choose a song that resonates with their soul and heart. In this case, I am the author — the lyrics are entirely mine. I put my own creative story into it. At first glance, it may seem like a classic love story, but it is something more. This song is about a dream, about striving for one’s goal, about flying toward the light. Initially, it was a very personal story, but the more people hear it, the more feedback I receive that each person finds something of their own in this song. For me, that is important — both as an artist and as the author of the song.
Eliana: Especially to support you, I chose a handbag with a moth for my look today!
Nastya Kravchenko: Hahaha, thanks!
Eliana: It has become known that aerial acrobats will be part of your performance, doing acrobatic tricks. Could you tell us more about them?
Nastya Kravchenko: They’re not aerial acrobats, but professional ballet dancers. I truly admire them, because while we were rehearsing in Belarus, we had no harnesses. Just five days before the final, the guys had to learn how to fly. According to the concept of the performance, I will be inside a confined space — a glass capsule — trying to break free. And the dancers will play the role of fireflies, helping their butterfly find the way out!
Nastya will perform her song, “Motylyok“ in the 21st slot of the Intervision show
This morning, a press conference with Russia’s 2025 Intervision commentator, Yana Churikova, was held. Yana has also been the Russian commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2018.
Eliana, our Intervision reporter for ESC Covers was in attendence, and has provided an English translation of her question and reponse from Yana.
Eliana: Are there the rules about 6 participants maximum on the stage? And what about live backing vocals?
Yana: Yes, 6 participants maximum. So, the band from South Africa consists of 6 artists. Additionally, two musical instruments may be played live on stage. The vocals and backing vocals are only performed live, and that’s not even up for discussion. The first rehearsal on the big stage at Live Arena was all about sound and testing the live vocals.”
Eliana: “Will there be only one winner? Or will the 2nd and 3rd places also be awarded?”
Yana: There will be only one winner who will receive the grand prize. But still, everyone will pay attention to the top of the leaderboard.”
If you are able to understand Russian, the full clip is available to watch as a short on our YouTube channel. We’ll be providing more content from the Intervision Song Contest ahead of the live show tomorrow evening!
The United States of America now have a new song and artist representing them at Intervision ’25 on Saturday night.
VASSY will now take to the stage with her song, ‘Midnight’. The original performer, Brandon Howard is no longer able to perform, due to “unforeseen family circumstances.”
VASSY’s replacement is an upbeat dancefloor banger, released on the Dutch ‘Spinnin’ Records‘ record label, which is responsible for a huge catalogue of huge electronic music hits.
VASSY is the first woman to receive the EDMA Icon Award (2023), she has collaborated with Tiësto and David Guetta on chart-topping tracks that have gone multi-platinum in 30 countries. Her hits have racked up millions of streams worldwide. In addition to her music career, she is actively involved in social initiatives, including music education for youth and the promotion of green technologies.
It’s unknown yet, whether there will be any variation or revamp to the song which was released a year ago. We’ll find out once VASSY performs ‘Midnight’ on the Moscow stage. But, for now, the original version is available to watch on YouTube in the link below.
The full list of the 23 artists and songs that will be competing on Saturday evening’s show are as follows:
Sources and Images: Intervision / Eliana Goncharova
Intervision – Russia’s alternative to the Eurovision Song Contest, will take place on Saturday, September 20th in Moscow.
The producers have now revealed the two presenters that will host the upcoming show!
Stefy Patel🇮🇳 — actress, model, winner of Miss Teen International and finalist of Femina Miss India. A rising star in cinema and a cultural ambassador for India on global stages.
Meng Lei🇨🇳 — bilingual Chinese-English TV presenter and the face of global brands like Jaguar, Chanel, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW. A charismatic host of world-class events around the globe.
Eliana Goncharova from ESC Covers will be in Moscow to attend the event, and she’ll be keeping you up-to-date with the latest news and will also be chatting to the acts taking part!Yesterday, an official press conference was held at the MFA Reception House — a major step in preparing for Intervision ’25.Speakers included:
▪ Konstantin Ernst — Channel One CEO and Committee Member
▪ Delegates, press, and international guests
Key facts:
— 36 cameras will film the Live Arena final
— AI will be used in the live broadcast
— 150+ people in the production team
— Hosts: China + India duo
— Greenroom: covered by a celebrity married couple of Alex Sparrow and Aida Garifullina from Channel One
— Expected audience: 4 billion worldwide
We recently posted a video featuring 30-second clips of all 23 of the competing songs, which you can watch below.
We have, however, recieved news (via Andy Mikheev) that Brandon Howard, the artist due to represent the United States of America, will not be able to represent his country, and has now been replaced by an Australian singer of Greek origin that lives in the US – VASSY
TASS – the Russian News Agency also have posted this information.
The first edition of the second series of our exclusive Eurovision Pub Quiz is now available to play on the ESC Covers Official YouTube channel.
We’re back with another 10 questions of Eurovision trivia – but this time there’s now FOUR answers to choose from, rather than the three in Series 1 – making it even more challenging for hardcore fans.
Share the link with your friends and see who the the most knowledgeable Eurovision fan!
The winner of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2025(MESC 2025) has just been announced! Miriana Conte will be serving ‘Kant’ at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, taking place later in the year.
This evening, the Dutch delegation held an online press conference with the four members of their 2024 Junior Eurovision Song Contest act, Stay Tuned!
ESC Covers attended, and below we bring you a selection of questions from both ourselves and various other media outlets that participated in the video call, plus the answers given by the Dutch representatives themselves; Chiara, Inkar, Niek, and Miucha!
Please be aware that the following transcript has mostly been A.I. generated from the audio recording of the press conference, so potential minor inaccuracies/misinterpretations may occur.
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Eurovoix: What are the main things that help you work together well as a group?
I think we all very busy. Busy and crazy. And crazy on a nice way. And, Yeah. I think we’re good. So we’re good friends. Yeah. We can, like, feel each other’s energy. And if so if someone is something doing what we would like from the other person, we also just say it and then they are okay with it. So that’s really nice.
Radio International: How do you feel representing the Netherlands at the Junior Eurovision Contest in Madrid?
It’s a dream coming true. Yeah. I feel like I don’t feel actually yet. I just I it’s like I’m just dreaming the whole time, and I’m just walking here around and just actually, it’s just I live my life right now, actually. I think I think it’s very cool. I never watched it before. I don’t know it was here, and then I saw it on TV. And then I think, yeah. I can do that. And then we are here. It’s so cool.
ESC Everyday: Who is your biggest supporter?
I think it’s family, but the biggest I think my biggest biggest fan is, the site of my grandpa because they’re, like, the most musician family site. So I think they’re, like, the most important. And that’s very special because they’re from Kazakhstan. Right? Yep. Yeah. And mine is my mom. I think. Yes. My mom. Yeah. My family. Yeah. And my brother. There are gonna be, 80 people for us. They’re they’re gonna fly to Madrid. Like, you feel the support that you’re like, wow. They come for us, Madrid, and that’s like Yes. Yes.
ESCplus: Have you met already the representatives of other countries?
Yes. Yes. We meet Armenia, France. Ukraine, San Marino, Germany, Ireland. Actually, all of them. Yes. And it’s very, nice with them. We are very close. Close with each other. We just talk to them. We are being shy like. I think I think there there are kids from our age. The kids from our age. So yeah. They try to communicate easily. Yeah. It feels like we already know each other for, like, 2 years or so. Yes. And it’s very nice to just stay in the same hotel. Yeah. In the evening or in the in the afternoon, we just can chill with them and then talk about how their life is in their country or in our own country.
ESC Covers: Which of this year’s other contestants would you like to hear perform your song ‘Music’?
Armenia. Yeah. Armenia. Now he’s very funny. Or Ukraine. Or France. Yes. Yes. I think those 3. I think that I don’t want to. Yeah. Yeah. Armenian. Because he’s, like, so small and so cute, but he’s so, like he’s not shy. He’s entertaining. Yes. He can entertain very well. So I would like if he also would perform our song and maybe we maybe we and then, we can switch from song. Yes. Yes.
ESC Plus: Although it’s still a few years ago, would you like to represent the Netherlands for the big Eurovision?
Yes. That is also a big dream. I know, like, I think my biggest dream is, like, to represent the of the Eurovision Song contest. Who’s your favorite artist from the big Eurovision? Do you have one? I think, Stefania. I like Stefania from Greece. I like Joost Klein. Yes. Yes. We love Joost Klein.
ESC Covers: What is the best thing about the Netherlands and being Dutch?
I can answer that? I can answer. So, the Dutch people are so if something is free, we take it. Yeah. So, it’s a charm. It’s a rehearsal day, and we free food? Free food? It’s free food. Yeah. It’s, like, it’s free. But not only food. It’s just if if something is free, we take it. Yes. The food is very nice in the Netherlands. Food is delicious. Cheese. Cheese and strobe apples. That’s like a sweet waffle with the caramel with caramel. And our orange sweaters. Yes. The the orange color, it’s just like so bright, and then you can, like, know, everyone knows now in the hotel that we are the Netherlands because we have sweaters.
Radio International: What actually is your ritual when you go on stage? What do you do together as a group?
Dance. And then we squeeze each other.
Eurovoix: I feel like a lot of people must have been asking you over the past week, what’s your favorite thing about Madrid and Junior Eurovision? But what are you guys’ favorite things about each other?
Oh, Niek is a really relaxed guy. Actually, he’s very calm and just and we are sometimes very be like, being crazy, and he’s just trying to relax. And and then it’s very nice to have been in group. Yeah. I think I think Chiara is is a leader. Yeah. So if there is some they don’t make any leader leader that she, like, rules everyone like that. Yeah. Yeah. She can really solve the problems for the and and make them feel like a group. I just want everything to be kind of answered for us. Yeah. I think, Inker, busy or? Busy. Busy. Busy. Oh, it’s busy. Yeah? Yeah. From Miucha, I think Miucha just goes with the flow. She’s just everything of it’s combined. She’s, like, combined with all of us 3. Yeah. It’s just a mix. It’s really nice.
ESC Covers: Did the host of Junior Songfestival, Stefania [2021, Greece ESC and 2016, Netherlands JESC – as a member of ‘Kisses’] give you any tips at all as to what to expect in the whole run up to the competition?
She was the the host host of the national final in the Netherlands, and that was very nice. And when we won, she was just saying, and, it’s a very nice trip, and then you just have to enjoy it and, because it goes so fast. Yeah. If you do time, just, if you blink with your with your, with your eyes, then it’s already done. Yeah. It feels now, like, 2 days, but, actually, we’re already on day 4. Yes. So it goes, like, really fast. Yes. And she’s just telling us to enjoy.
[Inaudible]: I’d like to ask you, if you can choose a 5th member for Stay Tuned among the Eurovision song contest artist, who do you you pick?
But I think nobody but if we needed to choose, then our dance coach, Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Our dance coach. But, actually, it’s going out with each other, which is the 4 of us. And I think, we all need just the 4. We’re already And I’d like Perfect. Yes. Perfect.
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We’d like to thank the Dutch delegation for taking time to arrange this evening’s online press conference, and wish both them and Stay Tuned the best of luck in Saturday evening’s live show in Madrid!
If you’ve not already watched the fantastic music video for ‘Music’, check it out below!
On Saturday, 16th November, the 2024 Junior Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Madrid, Spain at the Caja Mágica. 17 countries are due to take part, and today we bring you an interview with Germany’s representative, Bjarne!
Bjarne is 11-years old and comes from the Lower Saxony area of Germany, and lives with his mum Nadine, dad Björn, brother Jannes, and grandma Carola. His song, Save The Best For Us, will be 11th in the show’s running order. You can watch his official music video and check out an interview with him below!
What inspired you to take part in the Junior ESC? I watch the ESC quite often and I think it’s just super cool that almost every country in Europe gets together and sings to inspire the audience with other languages.
How did you find out that you had been selected for the Junior ESC? I was on holiday playing padel tennis. I saw my dad on the phone all the time and recognised the grin on his face. He didn’t stop talking on the phone and when I looked at him, he said to me, ‘Yes, concentrate on the game. When I finished, I went outside and then the news came. Everyone was looking at us because we were celebrating so much and they probably only spoke Spanish. It was just really cool.
Why do you want to take part in the Junior ESC and what are you most looking forward to? Because I think it’s cool to get to know talents from other countries and to represent Germany on TV and in front of the jury. I’m also looking forward to meeting the other children. I think it’s super cool to speak only in English with them.
What’s the message behind your song ‘Save The Best For Us’? Well, I used to be a bit of a ‘better turn the lights off now, better do this and that’ kind of person. And then I got to choose what my song was going to be about. I chose conservation and I thought that was really cool. That’s how it became my song. My song is for the older people out there, but also for the younger people, because I know that if we don’t do something now, we might not be able to live on this planet much longer. We have to make a change now because we are polluting the earth mor and more and I don’t think that’s good at all. As you can see, the forests are burning, the glaciers are melting. When I sing my song, pay attention to the lyrics rather than how I sing it.
What are your expectations? I have no expectations, except that I want to have a lot of fun. I want to talk to all the other kids and do something cool with them.
Which song from the other countries do you particularly like? I actually think France is very cool because it’s an emotional song, but also a bit of a happy song. And I think that’s just mega cool. And I think I really like the personality of the person.
How does it feel to be allowed to take part in the Junior ESC? It’s an indescribable feeling. You really can’t put it into words. I’m just really looking forward to it. And everything that’s going to happen to me is just going to be great.
How did your passion for music come about? I started singing very early. I think when I was three or four, or maybe even earlier. And then I realised: Aha, I really enjoy this. And in the years that followed I realised that I like singing because you can put the emotions that you can’t really put into words into a song. And that always helps me to express my feelings properly. I also play a bit of guitar and I’ve been taking singing lessons for three years now.
Where do you sing? For myself, at singing lessons and with my grandma Carola.
Do you have a musical role model and who are your favourite artists? My role model is Adele. Because she has such an incredible range and a great voice. Recently I’ve also become a big fan of Nina Chuba, because she has such great songs that you can always vibrate to. I always listen to her in the car with my mum.
What other hobbies do you have apart from singing? Trampolining, dancing, cooking and baking. I like watching my idols on TikTok, imitating dances or freestyling. I’m also interested in music legends and deceased artists, geography and history.
And what’s your favourite food? Strawberry cake, cheesecake and spaghetti carbonara.
We wish BJARNE and his delegation the best of luck in the Contest on Saturday!
Image: Corinne Cumming / EBU Interview provided by the Kinderkanal from ARD and ZDF
