Slovenia: The three semifinalists from EMA Freš 2022 Week Two

Slovenia: The three semifinalists from EMA Freš 2022 Week Two
Sunday, 12 December 2021

  • The Slovenian broadcaster, RTVSLO , has announced the second set of three semifinalists of EMA Freš 2022, the competition for young acts under 30 yo that will determine four spots of the Eurovision national final, EMA 2022. 

    After four duels taking place throughout the week, Saturday took place the 2nd weekly final with the four duel winners competing for thress spots that lead to the live semifinals of EMA Freš 2022. 

    From the four candidates two of them were selected by the public, via an online voting, while one was selected by a jury. In Saturday's weekly final we say the following acts competing:

    • Ina – “Moj dopamin” (My dopamine)
    • Jaka Hliš – “Svoje sreče krojač” (Your lucky tailor)
    • LUMA – “All In”
    • Lara Dovier -  “Ko sva se prvič spoznala” (When we first met)

     

    The three qualifiers that made it to the semifinals live shows are Ina, Jaka Hliš and the band LUMA with Lara Dovier reserving the right to compete in the second chance round. 

    EMA Freš 2022

    For three weeks in a row, two performers will be presented on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and through an online poll, voters will choose one each day to qualify for Saturday’s weekly finals. Out of the four winners of the day, voters will be able to vote for two winners in the new round, also via an online poll, and one will be selected by an expert commission.

    In Saturday's weekly final webcasts by Ema Freš, the weekly finalists will be scrutinized by three commentators, representatives of the young generation of musicians: singer Bojan Cvjetićanin, singer Eva Boto and rapper Arne. In the weekly final on Saturday two acts will be selected by the public and one from the jury to comepte in the televised shows later in January. 

    Of the 24 songs, 14 will remain after four weeks of online pre-selection. The 14 newcomers will re-introduce themselves in January, this time in two Ema Freš televised shows during which 7 contestants will compete in each show.

    From each show, two songs will be included in the central selection of EMA 2022. One will be chosen by the audience by telephone voting, and the other by an expert jury. Thus, out of 14 finalists, only four will qualify for the EMA 2022 selection, where they will be joined by 16 other established musicians.

    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/ Image: RTVSLO