Eurovision
For the Italian public, he is now an artist who needs no introduction. His surprising climb to second place at the Sanremo Festival 2025 with the song “Volevo Essere un Duro” (“I Wanted to Be a Tough Guy”) made him famous thanks to its mix of tenderness, irony and aesthetic and musical references to glam rock – reinterpreted in his own way. However, for the international public of Eurovision 2025, Lucio Corsi is an artist who is still to be discovered.
Italy’s presence among the “Big Five” guarantees him direct access to the final, but will he be able to replicate his unexpected success of Sanremo? He openly does not aim for victory: “Music for me is not a competition. It would make no sense: how can you compete in music? It’s not a sport,” he says, sounding sincere.
However, everyone’s eyes and ears are focused on the Saturday (May 17) final, where the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest winner will be decided. Billboard Italy interviewed the “anti-hero” songwriter after his performance in the first semifinal to gather his thoughts and impressions before the final.
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What was your first impression of Eurovision?
It was interesting to see how many rehearsals there are before the performance. They are repeated several times a day and there is great attention to every little detail. There is also great readiness to improve the shots and the sound. It is a fortune to be able to invent what we want on stage.
What are the similarities and differences between Sanremo and Eurovision?
In Sanremo everything is very concentrated: from morning to evening there are interviews, rehearsals, performances. Here, instead, everything is more dilated in time and there are fewer things on your schedule. In Sanremo you continuously breathe the atmosphere of the festival, here you can also isolate yourself: in some moments you don’t even feel like you are at Eurovision. It is also interesting to be able to encounter other types of musical expression, from other countries and with other conceptions of the songs.
You said that you particularly like Napa, the Portuguese band. Have you had the chance to meet other Eurovision artists in person?
Yes, I met Go-Jo, the Australian artist. I first met him by chance while walking in Rome: we turned a corner and found ourselves face to face. It’s a small world…. Then I met [Estonian artist] Tommy Cash here in the hotel. These encounters are among the nice things of these experiences.
After your performance, many people appreciated your reference to a glam rock sound and aesthetic. Is it an element you are counting on to appeal to an international audience?
I have always tried to find my own way of being inspired by that type of sound. I have always liked it, since adolescence. It is not something aimed at making an impression: it just interests me on the level of composition, sound, research. However, I like many types of music, from folk to prog rock. In the future, I would like to delve into other things as well. This is just a snapshot of this period of mine.
How was your “anti-hero” style received by those who didn’t know you before?
I’m very happy that the English subtitles to the lyrics did their job. I’m happy to see that foreign journalists understood the meaning of the song. I hope that can happen in the final, too. The English translation we did is the simplest possible, because it has to reach non-native speakers as well. We didn’t need a sophisticated translation but a clear, immediate text.
Your collaboration with Tommaso Ottomano, who is with you on stage, is very close: tell us about the human and professional relationship that binds you guys.
He’s like a brother. We’ve known each other since we were kids and we’ve invented everything together, from songs to music videos [Ottomano is also a director, ed.]. We both come from Tuscan, in particular from Maremma, which is a sort of Italian Wild West. Music took us away from the boredom of the province, which is also wonderful because it’s very similar to peace. Learning to deal with such boredom as kids gave us the opportunity to find escapes in music. Also, the stories of people from the provinces are very epic: since the places are “small,” these stories have to be in some way gigantic. This inspires me a lot.
Lucio Corsi
Francis Delacroix/Billboard Italy
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Organized by the European Broadcasting Union, the 69th annual Eurovision Song Contest features the brightest up-and-coming singers and pop groups in 37 countries, including France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Australia, Israel, Italy, United Kingdom and many others, competing to win the event.
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Eurovision 2025 starts on Tuesday (May 13) at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT and ends on Saturday (May 17) at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. The music competition livestreams on Peacock. Learn more about Eurovision Song Contest 2025 here.
The event livestreams from St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland. Keep reading to learn how to watch the event live.
How to Watch Eurovision Song Contest 2025
Peacock exclusively livestreams Eurovision Song Contest 2025. For Peacock subscribers, you can tune into the live event for no additional cost. Just log into your account once the event begins, and you’ll have access.
Don’t have a Peacock subscription? The streaming platform doesn’t offer a free trial, but does come with a couple of affordable plans starting at $7.99 per month.
There are two different plans offered on Peacock: The Premium Plan for $7.99 per month or the Premium Plus Plan for $13.99 per month. If you’re looking for additional savings, you can save 17% off when you do the annual plan for $79.99 per year or $139.99 per year. With the Premium Plan, it’s ad-supported and you’ll receive more than 80,000 hours of TV, movies and sports, access to live sports events, current NBC and Bravo shows, 50+ always-on live TV channels as well as the ability to stream new, exclusive and original content from the streaming platform.
Peacock’s Premium Plus plan comes with everything in the Premium plan, no ads, your local NBC channel live and the ability to download and stream eligible content offline.
Alongside Eurovision Song Contest 2025, you’ll have access to the entire Peacock library, including WrestleMania, Yellowstone, The Holdovers, Five Nights At Freddy’s, Vanderpump Rules, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Based on a True Story, Bel-Air, Kevin Hart: Reality Check, Poker Face, Saturday Night Live, Willie Nelson & Family and more.
Check out the Eurovision 2025 schedule below, and livestream the event here.
Eurovision 2025 Schedule:
Tuesday, May 13, First Semifinal — 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Thursday, May 15, Second Semifinal — 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
Saturday, May 17, Grand Final — 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT
The streaming service also offers a number of music documentaries and specials, such as Toby Keith: An American Icon, Bowie: The Man Who Changed The World, Bob Dylan: The Folk Years, Stevie Nicks: Through The Looking Glass, Katy Perry: Main Square, Welcome To The A: 50 Years of Hip-Hop in Atlanta and more.
Meanwhile, those who want to watch internationally can access the streaming service with a VPN, such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN — prices start at $4.99 per month or $3.09 per month, respectively.
Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is available to stream on Peacock starting on Tuesday, May 13, starting at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.
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At the age of 10, Melody became a precocious phenomenon in Spanish pop with “El Baile del Gorila,” the lead single from her album De Pata Negra, which led her to embark on an international tour. Twenty-four years later, the singer and songwriter is facing the challenge of representing Spain at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held on May 17 in Basel, Switzerland.
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The song she will perform is “Esa Diva,” a pop track that’s both a vocal challenge and a manifesto of empowerment. “A diva is brave, powerful/ Her life is a garden full of thorns and roses/ She rises up dancing/ Stronger than a hurricane,” goes part of the chorus, in Spanish. With an intense performance and dynamic staging, Melody is aiming for more than just a show — a story with purpose and soul.
“I didn’t want to go with an empty dance song. I wanted it to have a message, strength, to speak about something that happens to all of us,” the artist explains in an interview with Billboard Español.
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The song has been widely embraced since its debut at the Benidorm Fest, evolving with new versions. The original was co-written by Melody and Alberto Fuentes Lorite and produced by Joy Deb, Peter Boström, and Thomas G:son. On March 13, a symphonic version was released, arranged by Borja Arias and performed by Melody alongside the RTVE Orchestra and Choir, adding a more cinematic and emotional dimension to the track.
“I wanted to show it in a different way. I’m a fan of soundtracks, and this song called for an orchestral treatment,” Melody says. “If a rhythmic song works as a ballad, it’s a great song.”
Beyond the music, “Esa Diva” has become a symbol. “The diva isn’t just the one who shines on stage –she’s the one who fights, the one who falls and gets back up. The one who supports other women. The one who is strong, but also humble,” Melody notes. And many people have found comfort and inspiration in this message. One of the anecdotes that has moved her most is about a young woman undergoing cancer treatment who listens to the song daily to gather strength.
Although this is not the first time Melody has tried to represent Spain at Eurovision — she did so in 2009 with “Amante de la Luna” — she feels that now is the right time. “If I didn’t do it now, I was never going to do it. It was the moment,” she adds. “I feel it, and I’m enjoying it like never before.”
Her victory at Benidorm Fest 2025 confirms this: She was the audience favorite, earning first place in the tele-vote with a solid 39%. Although the jury placed her third, the combination of both votes secured her direct pass to Eurovision.
With six albums released, tours across Latin America and roles in series like Cuéntame Cómo Pasó and Arde Madrid, the singer and actress has navigated genres and formats with ease. “It’s been many years. And here we are, with a good attitude, eager to sing and keep making the audience happy. What more could you ask for?” the performer of “Parapapá” and “Rúmbame” says with a laugh.
Meanwhile, she continues to bring her music across Europe as part of her pre-Eurovision tour, TheDIVAXperience. In recent days, she has performed in Amsterdam and London, presenting the new version of “Esa Diva” to specialized media and Eurovision fans. On April 7, the artist was welcomed in Dos Hermanas, her hometown, where she performed the song from the balcony of City Hall before a crowd. “The love from my hometown moves me. When you’re recognized at home, it feels different,” she says.
This week, she will participate in the PrePartyES in Madrid (April 18-19), where she will share the stage with representatives from various European delegations. Then, on April 23, she will headline a special farewell event organized by RTVE at Teatro Barceló before heading to Basel for the contest.
The staging for Eurovision promises a significant evolution compared to what was seen at the Benidorm Fest. Melody has indicated that the set design will include new visual and choreographic elements, aiming to make the most of the technical possibilities of the stage. “There will be new ingredients. It won’t just be a song; it’s a story I want to tell,” she says, making it clear that her proposal seeks to move audiences beyond the visual spectacle.
Recently becoming a mother, Melody, an independent artist and an advocate for meaningful lyrics, acknowledges that balancing it all is not easy: “I organize myself however I can. But my son recharges my batteries, and when I need grounding, I go back home.” Participating in Eurovision involves much more than stepping onto a big stage — it means enduring a level of media exposure, artistic pressure, and public scrutiny that is hard to match.
Regarding the flood of opinions surrounding this experience, Melody maintains a firm stance. “I value constructive criticism; there’s always room to learn. But destructive criticism doesn’t affect me. I’m not driven by that. I sing from the heart, and that’s why I’m here,” she says.
Her approach is not casual. Eurovision generates a massive volume of social media conversations every year, with millions of interactions, according to data from the EBU (European Broadcasting Union). The contest’s global audience exceeds 160 million viewers across its three shows, making it one of the most-watched musical events in the world. For any artist, the exposure is as immense as the challenge.
After the festival, Melody already has plans: a new single, a tour across Spain and a strong desire to reconnect with her Latin American audience. “I’ve always felt so much love from Latin America,” she says. “This is a new chapter, and I’m thrilled to bring my music there again. They’re so heartfelt, so close. I want to dance and enjoy together.”
JoJo Siwa is ready for the world’s stage. According to the 21-year-old star, Poland is considering her to represent the country in the next Eurovision Song Contest — and she’s totally down to do it. The Dance Moms alum shared the news while getting ready to head to the airport in a recent TikTok video, […]
With their groundbreaking anthem to gender nonconformity “The Code,” Swiss pop artist Nemo transformed from a lesser-known European artist to a bona fide global star in a matter of weeks.
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That’s in no small part thanks to their participation in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, which they won on May 11, 2024. “I remember being on that sofa, hearing the jury votes and just being in a state of complete confusion,” they tell Billboard. “It was incredible. And it was really meaningful because I feel like this kind of [opportunity] doesn’t really happen for Switzerland that often. We have such a great scene and so many amazing artists, so I’m really happy that this puts a spotlight on Swiss music.”
Nemo is eager to share that spotlight with the nonbinary community, both in Switzerland and across the world. “It can be hard to stay hopeful when bad things keep happening to our community over and over again,” they say. “But this helps me feel like there are finally things to be hopeful about.”
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FOUNDATION
Nemo’s career started from a place of sheer curiosity. At age nine, the singer found a flyer in their hometown advertising open auditions for a youth opera and joined. After one performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, they came to a realization: “I love being on a stage.” Nemo went on to perform in a number of operas and even landed a role in a musical in Zurich, all of which helped hone their vocal skills and educate them on writing lyrics. In 2015, they self-released Clownfisch, an EP of songs written in Swiss German. But soon after its release, Nemo realized that writing and performing songs in their native dialect could only get them so far. “Swiss German is great, but it is also a tiny language,” they say. “If I wanted to open my playing field and collaborate with more people, I needed to start writing in English.”
DISCOVERY
After a decade spent jumping between boutique indie labels, Nemo decided to submit a song to Eurovision 2024 — but knew they needed someone “to direct that water.” They reached out to multiple major labels and found what they were looking for at Universal Music Group. Soon after, Nemo submitted an original song, “The Code,” which fittingly interpolates The Magic Flute. The frenetic, operatic track won Eurovision’s top prize by 44 points over the favorite to win, Croatia’s Baby Lasagna. In taking home the trophy, Nemo became the first nonbinary performer to win Eurovision — and has since watched “The Code” become their first charting hit, climbing to Nos. 21 and 52 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and Billboard Global 200 charts, respectively. “Jumping into the cold water that is Eurovision meant learning how to swim while everyone was watching,” they say.
FUTURE
With so much momentum, Nemo is resolute in making the most of their moment. Following the “very time-consuming” process of curating their Eurovision performance, Nemo has now been spending a significant amount of time in the studio. “The last couple of days, I’ve worked with some amazing writers and producers, and we have so many songs that I want to share,” they say, beaming. “A lot of exciting things are finally happening.”
A version of this article originally appeared in the June 22, 2024, issue of Billboard.
The four members of the Swedish pop quartet ABBA, who triumphed at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the peppy love song “Waterloo,” on Friday (May 31) got one of the most prestigious knighthoods in Sweden from the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf.
The Order of the Vasa was handed out for the first time in almost 50 years. Agnetha Faltskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad became “Commander of the First Class” of the order for “very outstanding efforts in Swedish and international music life.”
Sweden has several orders, including the Royal Order of Seraphim, which is awarded to heads of state and foreign royals, and the Royal Order of the Polar Star that is given to foreign citizens and stateless persons.
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The Royal Order of Vasa, which is given in recognition of personal efforts for Sweden or for Swedish interests as well as the successful performance of public duties and assignments, was dormant until late 2022, when it was reactivated after regulations opened the Royal Orders to Swedish citizens again.
Earlier this year, candidates were nominated by the public and the Swedish government and the king approved the nominees that included the four ABBA members.
The orders were awarded during a solemn ceremony at the Royal Palace in the gilded Vita Havet Assembly Rooms. The monarch handed them the order in a red box while a diploma was given to them by Queen Silvia.
”The order you get today today is Sweden’s thanks for your exceptional efforts,” the monarch said before handing out orders to “13 exceptional Swedes.”
Andersson, Faltskog, Lyngstad, who now uses the last name Reuss walked up using a cane, and Ulvaeus received the order in an event that was aired live on Swedish media.
The Eurovision victory turned ABBA into a pop juggernaut, by far the most successful band to win the pan-continental music contest. ABBA’s melodic disco pop sold hundreds of millions of records worldwide. The stage musical Mamma Mia! based on its songs is 25 years old and spawned two movies.
Coincidentally, the 2024 Eurovision was held in southern Sweden. Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th contest with “The Code,” an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing a nongender identity.
The Swedish band members have not performed together live for four decades, but released a comeback album, Voyage, in 2021. The digital “ABBA-tars” opened in London in 2022.
Two other receipients were two 2023 Nobel Prize winners: French-Swedish physicist Anne L’Huillier, and Svante Pääbo, who won the coveted award in physics and medicine. They were both made Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star for “outstanding research efforts.”
Another edition of Eurovision Song Contest – the pan-European Olympics of pop songwriting – has come and gone, but the competition’s impact lingers, with six songs appearing on the May 25-dated Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. Nemo’s “The Code” won for Switzerland and leads all charting songs, debuting at No. 21, while also cracking the Billboard Global 200 at No. 52.
“The Code” arrives with 21.6 million streams worldwide, 20.8 million of which, or 96%, were from outside the U.S., May 10-16, according to Luminate. It crowns Billboard’s Switzerland Songs, while placing in the top 10 on rankings reflecting activity in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg and Sweden.
Eurovision runner-up Baby Lasanga’s “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, representing Croatia, and fourth-place finisher Slimane’s “Mon Amour” (France) also debut on both global charts. The former is new at No. 64 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 139 on the Global 200, and the latter starts at Nos. 61 and 144, respectively.
Plus, third-place finalist “Teresa & Maria” by Alyona Alyona and Jerry (Ukraine) hits Global Excl. U.S. at No. 130 and seventh-place finisher “La Noia” by Angelina Mango (Italy) arrives one spot higher at No. 129.
One other Eurovision song appears on both global charts, but you won’t find it on the competition’s leaderboard. Joost’s “Europapa,” representing the Netherlands, was disqualified from competing after the singer threatened Eurovision’s production crew. The ban may have helped spur global consumption, as its No. 24 re-entry on Global Excl. U.S. comes just below the winning track’s debut, and it leads the Eurovision pack on the Global 200, one spot above “The Code,” at No. 51.
The global success of Joost’s entry, particularly on the Global 200, were U.S. sales and streams are part of the chart’s equation, is unique. On average, this year’s six Eurovision tracks drew 3.65% of their worldwide streams from the U.S. in the frame following the competition’s close, in line with last year’s 3.58%. But “Europapa” is an outlier, more than doubling that average. Of 23 million streams worldwide in the tracking week, 7.44% come from the U.S., marking the highest domestic share of any Eurovision song to have hit the global charts since 2021. The song’s spiked American activity is notable since its lyrics are in Dutch (while “The Code” is performed in English).
The total tally of six Global Excl. U.S.-charting songs improves upon the four from Eurovision’s 2023 haul and matches 2022’s six. Still, 2021’s competition remains unmatched with seven, including Måneskin, which won for Italy with “Zitti E Buoni.” That song got as high as No. 10 but proved an appetizer for the group’s “I Wanna Be Your Slave” and “Beggin,” which climbed to Nos. 8 and 2, respectively, later that year.
Defying the odds, Switzerland won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with “The Code” by Nemo on Saturday (May 11) at the Malmö Arena in Sweden. It’s the perfect bookend as Switzerland won the very first competition in 1956 with “Refrain” by Lys Assia. This is the European nation’s third win and the first since Celine Dion claimed victory with “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi” in 1988.
Croatia was tipped to take the 2024 crown, and in the end, it did come down to the two countries vying for first place. Switzerland took a commanding lead with the jury vote, which is always announced first. Adding in the audience votes at the end usually provides for a dramatic ending, and it could have gone either way, but Switzerland collected enough points from the public to maintain its lead. It would have been Croatia’s first win out of 29 tries; it is the country’s best result to date, after three top five finishes — in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
Nemo, who identifies as non-binary, received the microphone-shaped glass trophy from the hands of Loreen, who won Eurovision in 2023 for Sweden with “Tattoo.” Nemo has been releasing music in Switzerland since 2015. They competed on Switzerland’s version of The Masked Singer in 2021-22 and was unveiled as the Panda in fifth place.
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It was a Eurovision Song Contest with more drama than in recent memory. Joost Klein from the Netherlands was disqualified after the semi-finals because of an alleged backstage incident. Alanna Mele, designated to be the spokesperson to give Norway’s jury points on air, withdrew the day of the final with a statement that ended with “Free Palestine.” Slimane from France unexpectedly stopped his performance during Saturday afternoon’s (May 11) dress rehearsal for a message of love and peace. Bambie Thug from Ireland protested to the European Broadcasting Union about remarks from the Israeli commentator and missed one of her rehearsals.
One of the biggest questions of the night was whether would ABBA appear, 50 years after giving Sweden its first Eurovision victory with “Waterloo.” While the four members did not appear in person in Malmö, they were represented by their avatars in London, where the virtual show Voyage has been playing for two years. While most of their dialog about their Eurovision win was directly from the show, they did add comments wishing everyone well in Malmö.
Nemo’s win means that Switzerland will host Eurovision in 2025. Cities in that nation can vie to host. Switzerland previously hosted Eurovision in Lugano and Lausanne.
The top 10 countries for Eurovision 2024 and their combined points from the jury and public votes are:
Switzerland, 591
Croatia, 547
Ukraine, 453
France, 445
Israel, 375
Ireland, 278
Italy, 268
Armenia, 183
Sweden, 174
Portugal, 152
Norway finished last with 16 points. The U.K. entry “Dizzy” by Ollie Alexander, did not fare well with the juries, receiving 46 points, but completely failed with the public, being the only nation to receive zero points from viewers voting by telephone, website, SMS and the Eurovision app.
The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest live broadcasts aren’t just about the competing songs. There are flashbacks to past shows, interstitial material and most important, performances by some of the host country’s most beloved artists.
One of Sweden’s brightest stars turned in a tour-de-force performance this week in the first semi-final for Eurovision 2024. Benjamin Ingrosso performed a seven-minute medley of some of his best songs, including his new single, “Look Who’s Laughing Now.”
Ingrosso has a multi-year history with Eurovision. When he was 8 years old, he competed in the Lilla Melodifestivalen for younger artists in 2006 and won. In 2017 he competed in Sweden’s national final with the song “Good Lovin’” but did not win and did not advance to Eurovision. It was a whole different story in 2018 when Ingrosso’s “Dance You Off” won Melodifestivalen and opened the door for him to compete in Eurovision that year.
Billboard met up with Ingrosso at the Malmö Arena to talk about this year’s Eurovision, his new album and what happened when he sang “Wild World” in front of Cat Stevens.
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What is it like for you coming back to Eurovision but not competing?
It’s a very nice thing to come back and not compete, because you don’t win and you don’t lose. You can just go up on stage and have fun. But for me, the biggest difference is that when I was here six years ago, I was a younger, almost a completely different artist. I was 21 and now I’m 26 and I’ve been on tour a lot and I think I have evolved as an artist. People who have not seen me since 2018 will see me as a different performer, and I do believe I’m more of a performer now. Back then I was just an artist singing a song, but now I’m an entertainer. At least, that is what I’m aiming for.
I saw your rehearsal and you’re definitely a performer.
I’ve been working hard to get where I am today. I always love to work on every little thing I do. I really want to become better. Back in 2018, I did like a music video kind of number and this is the opposite. This is more of a live pop show. I’ll be on stage with 21 people for a seven-minute medley of my recent songs.
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Describe the work you put into your performance.
Covid stopped everything from happening, but I worked a lot during the pandemic. I released a lot of music in Sweden. Since my Eurovision participation in 2018, I’ve released four studio albums and three live albums. I’ve done a TV show. I’ve done concerts and tours, so I think I’ve been evolving both as a human being and also as an artist.
What advice would you give yourself if you went back in time to when you were performing on Lilla Melodifestivalen?
I would just give him a big hug and say, “I’m proud of you.” I sent a video to my mom last night from the rehearsals and I said, “Imagine if I could go back in time and show the 8-year-old me this number, he would be so proud.” This is like a full circle moment. When I was a kid, I loved John Travolta and tonight I will be on stage in a white John Travolta suit, so I’m doing this for the little kid I was.
Tell me about your new single.
I just released “Honey Boy” last week with the Purple Disco Machine and Nile Rodgers and Shenseea and that song is one of my favorite songs ever. I wrote the chorus two years ago and we’ve been working on it for a while. I performed it last summer on my tour, so my core fans have been asking for this song for a long time. That song will be the end of the medley. I also premiere a new song tonight, “Look Who’s Laughing Now,” and that song will be out this month on May 31.
Did you write “Look Who’s Laughing Now”?
I wrote it in Los Angeles with David Stewart and Jessica Agombar. They had a number one in Billboard. We’re talking the younger David Stewart [not the Eurhythmics Dave Stewart]. They did “Dynamite” with BTS. He just finished Shakira’s new album. He’s supremely talented. We were in Westlake Studios for four days and on the fourth day, the guy that works in the studio asked if I wanted a tour of the place. I walked past Michael Jackson’s gloves and a painting. “Wait a minute. Why are there Michael Jackson pictures everywhere?” “He did Thriller here.” And I said, “And you’re telling me this now? I’ve been here for four days. This could have been inspiration!” But it turned out to be a great song that starts with a Queenish/ABBA beat. There’s some energy in that studio.
Are you working on a new album?
Yes. I’ve been on my first European tour. It is sold out, and I’ve been so blessed to be able to do a European tour for the first time in my career. And on that tour, I’ve been doing 80% new songs, teasing the next album. I did not tell anyone before, because I thought that people wouldn’t buy tickets if it was only songs that they never heard. But to be honest, I made people sing along in a weird way. Thanks to TikTok and Instagram, people could learn the songs before the show.
Any plans to do more recording in America for this upcoming album?
I might go back in September after the tour to finish a couple songs. Before Covid, I used to go to Los Angeles often. I think for the next album, I will be doing maybe 80% of the songs in Los Angeles, because I’ve been working with a lot of great songwriters and producers.
The European tour is over, so what is next?
The European tour lasted a month. The new tour is in Scandinavia and it’s on a much larger scale. We’re 12 people on stage. There are 45 people in the crew, so it’s a massive production. We’re playing Stockholm in August in a stadium, which is has a capacity of 30,000. It’s my biggest show ever in my career so far, so that’s going to be cool.
Any thoughts of trying to break into America?
100%. That’s my goal and it’s been my goal ever since I was a kid, although when I was 8 years old, I wanted to become a Broadway musical artist. I did musicals, but that changed and then when I was a teenager, I wanted to become the next David Foster and now I’m really aiming for a global tour in the future.
Marcus and Martinus from Norway are representing Sweden this year Have you given them any advice about performing on the Eurovision stage?
We talked yesterday. I was in the bathroom on the toilet and I heard the guys coming in and I said one word in Norwegian and they said, “Benjamin?” I asked how they could hear what I was saying. They replied, “We’ve been listening to ‘Honey Boy’ for 24 hours. So we recognized your voice in a second.” We talked about the fact that it’s a three-minute performance, so make sure you enjoy those three minutes because they go like this[finger snap]. I told them to have fun and enjoy it and not take it too seriously. To win Melodifestivalen is already a big achievement. It is pretty hard for a country to win Eurovision twice in a row [Sweden won in 2023 with “Tatttoo” by Loreen]. I told them that we’re all proud of them.
I was seated at a table closest to the stage at the Polar Music Prize in 2023 when Chris Blackwell was a Laureate, so I had a close-up view of you singing “Wild World.” What was it like when Cat Stevens rose out of his seat and walked on stage to embrace you?
It was insane. First of all, I had rehearsals the whole day for the tour, so I had one hour to jump into the car, put on my clothes, walk up on stage, sing the song and then all of a sudden, people were standing and I just turned around and Cat Stevens was there, right next to me, hugging me. It was a great night. The day after, I thought, “What happened yesterday? Did I hug Cat Stevens?” It was so cool. And then I performed the song on my tour and I never expected it to become such a big thing. A lot of older artists from his generation came up to me in Sweden and they were saying things like, “Well, Cat Stevens gave you a big hug. That’s impressive.”
We couldn’t tell from the floor — when he was hugging you, did he say anything in your ear?
He said nothing to me, but I saw him interviewed by the host and he said, “That guy is really talented. I really want to work with him.” Just the fact that he said that was pretty dope.
With less than four hours to go before the live grand final of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, developments on the ground in Malmö, Sweden, are heating up at a fast pace. During the third dress rehearsal for the grand final, still in progress at Malmö Arena, the singer from France stopped his performance to […]