Slovenia: The four qualifiers from EMA Freš 2022

Slovenia: The four qualifiers from EMA Freš 2022
Saturday, 29 January 2022

  • The four qualifiers that will be joining the Slovenian national final line-up of EMA 2022, were determined last evening with the EMA Freš 2022 final.

    While EMA is the traditional format the country is using to determine their Eurovision representatives since their debut in the contest (except 2013 and 2021), EMA FREŠ 2022 returned for a second time. EMA FREŠ is the competiion in which younger emerging acts under 30 years old and with not more than 3 song releases are invited to take part. After weeks of duels and online votings, 14 acts were selected to battle for four spots that lead to the EMA 2022 national final. 

    Although the initiai plan predicted that thw 14 acts will compete in two televised semi-finals the organisera tweaked the format and decided that there will be only one final show that will determine which four acts will advance to the national final for Eurovision 2022. Two acts were selected by public voting and two acts by a jury. The show was hosted by the trio of Eva Boto, Melani Mekicar and Arne Međedović.

    The 14 acts that  performed in RTVSLO's studios live in the following running order Friday evening were: 

    1. Mia Vučković - Telenovela
    2. De Liri - Obstajam (I exist)
    3.  Jon Vitezič - Jesus Style
    4.  INA - Moj dopamin (My dopamine)
    5. Marijan & Špela - I am so in Love
    6. Stela Sofia - Tu in zdaj (Here and now)
    7. Leya Leanne - Naked
    8. Nika S. - Počakaj me (Wait for me)
    9. Katja Kos - Deadly Flower
    10. Jaka Hliš - Svoje sreče krojač  (Your luck tailor)
    11. Anja Vodošek - Maniac
    12. EMMA - Moja sreča (My happiness)
    13. LPS - Disko
    14. LUMA - All in

     

    The four acts that reserved a spot in the Slovenian national final for Eurovision 2022, EMA, are: 

    1. Stela Sofia – Tu in zdaj (Here and now)
    2. Leya Leanne – Naked
    3. LPS – Disko (Disco) 
    4. LUMA – All In 

     

    Slovenia in Eurovision

    Slovenia participated at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 with 1X Band and hasn’t won yet the competition. The country’s best results in the contest are the 7th placings, achieved  in 1995 (Darja Svajger) and 2001 (Nusa Derenda).

    Slovenia has competed 26 times in the contest since their debut in 1993, and has only missed out the contests of 1994 and 2000 when it had to stay out of the event due to the rules of the competition at that time. In 2018 Slovenia opted to select its Eurovision act and entry via its traditional national selection EMA. Lea Sirk flew to Lisbon with her entry Hvala, ne!, placing 22nd in the Grand Final.

    In 2019 the country was represented in Tel Aviv by the duo, Zala Kralj and Gašper Šantl and their entry “Sebi” which finished in 15th place in the Grand final, marking Slovenia’s fourth semi final qualification the last six years of participation.

    In 2020, Ana Soklič  won the national final with her entry ‘Voda’, EMA 2020, back in February and earned the right to represent Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. Unfortunately the Slovenian act saw her Eurovision journey stay incomplete as the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 outbreak. 

    Nevertheless the Slovenian act was chosen internally for Eurovision 2021 having a second chance to complete her ESC journey in Rotterdam where she performed the song "Amen" in the 1st Semi final but failed to qualiied to the Grand final show. 

     

    News Source/Images: RTVSLO