europopped

OK so maybe Minsk's Litesound will not win the Eurovision Song Contest (now nearly underway in Baku), but at least they know how to make a decent video that's not deady dull. The band, who we wrote about five months ago, just debuted an energetic clip for "We Are The Heroes" where things blow the fuck up. Planes explode, friends! Now this you don't see in your typical Eurovision clip, we can assure you. Because of the complex and well-documented politics of Eurovision voting, don't expect this band to win this year, but they will surely win over a few new fans with this song and new today promo. Check it below.

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On February 21st of 2012, the members of popular girl group Feminnem surprised the music world when they announced that they had decided to disband and pursue solo careers. One of the gals from the act familar to Eurovision fans (Feminnem repped Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2005 and Croatia in 2010 at ESC), Neda Parmac, is currently writing/recording her first solo album due for release in late Spring 2012. The singer's first solo single is "Naša Stvar" (It's About Us) and it's pretty good. Earlier this week, a video debuted for the track which was officially released on Croatia Records May 7th. Check out the former Eurovision star and onetime Hrvatski Idol (the Croatian version of Pop Idol) in action below on teh streets of Zagreb.

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You know who has a strong hand to play at the Eurovision Song Contest this year? Italy, that's who. The country did surprisingly well last year at ESC is poised to do just as well (if not better) in 2012, thanks to a true talent already known in Rome named Nina Zilli. " L'Amore È Femmina (Out Of Love)" is a last minute switch up for Italy (they were going to have Nina sing a different song, then this one, now a new version of "L'Amore È Femmina"), but this new mostly in English version of "L'Amore È Femmina (Out Of Love)" is sounding rather good. The singer has already drawn comparisons to Amy Winehouse (even though Nina was singing like this before Amy rose to fame), but she's also a bit like Belgium's Selah Sue in this song. There are moments that really simmer here, others that fall flat. Regardless, Nina has the requisite charisma to carry the tune. English might just be the trick for this sultry Italian singer, slowly winning over those who hear her outside of Italy this season. I;'d bet money this could win it all (even if it doesn't win at ESC, it may well become some kind of EU hit for Universal, sales wise). UPDATE May 2012: Nina has debuted the real clip, see it directly below.

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Right now at this very minute Estonia's Teele Viira is at Estonia's Eesti Laul competition, hoping her song "City Nights" makes the cut to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest. We'll find out soon if she wins (UPDATE, she did not win), but really, she's already won in her home country because she recently put out this kind of awesome video where she is beating the living crap out of other Estonian women in some kind of underground Estonian Thai boxing party. It's like "Fight Club" for girls. In Estonia. Win or lose tonight at Eesti Laul, Teele (a former Eesti Superstaar contestant) is a champion, as you'll see in the clip below.

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Good morning, Europe. I know it's cold where you are, but it's likely colder in Estonia. But that's ok! Because Cat Eye, aka Margaret, is going to heat up all of the EU and soon. This woman is new-ish on the scene and lately she's burning up Tallinn with two clips that dropped last month and are just about the best thing out of Estonia since Kerli. First up is Margaret's dubstep-influenced "Sundance," which is a one-take clip. A simply amazing song. More recent and just as good is "Ride," which Margaret does under the name Cat Eye. "Ride" is in the top 20 of the semifinals of Eesti Laul 2012 - the Estonian competition to determine this year's participant in the Eurovision Song Contest. The song competes 10th and is the last song in the 2nd semifinal show, which goes down 2/25. Everyone pray to the pop Jesus she wins, because Margaret is fucking fantastic. See below (both clips directed by Ergo Kuld, both tracks produced by Karel Kattai).

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