Cyprus: Eurovision Artist Announcement Expected “In A Few Days”

After days of speculation, OGAE Greece is now reporting that the Cypriot artist for Eurovision 2018 will be revealed imminently. The song is described as “uptempo” and “ethnic” with lots of instrumental parts.

It is understood that Cypriot broadcaster RIK are searching for a female artist to take their Alex Papaconstantinou (Alex P) penned track to Lisbon. Yesterday, in a flurry of rumours it was suggested that Helena Paparizou (Eurovision winner, 2005) was approached by the Cypriot team but ultimately declined the offer.

According to INFE Greece, another Alex P collaborator, Tamta, has also been approached by RIK but declined the offer due to a heavy work schedule. Both Helena and Tamta are said to have liked the song and believe it has the potential to be a major hit.

Other names on RIK’s list are reportedly Eleni Foureira and Christiana Loizu. Christiana Loizu was the winner of the 4th season of X Factor Bulgaria in 2016. The runner-up in that season was Kristian Kostov who went on to also be the runner-up in Eurovision 2017 for Bulgaria with Beautiful Mess.

In November 2017, auditions were held in Nicosia to find a potential singer to represent Cyprus in Eurovision 2018. A live show was planned to select the winner through a combination of televoting and jury vote but it appears that RIK is now opting for a internal artist selection. However, it is expected that if none of RIK’s choices agree to go to Eurovision they may choose one of the artists who auditioned in November.

Alex P was announced as the Cypriot composer in September. He is half-Greek, half-Swedish and is based in Stockholm. He has a number of notable writing and producing credits including I Like How It Feels by Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez’s hit Live It Up. Alex also has an extensive Eurovision pedigree with involvement in past entries including Yassou Maria (Greece 2007) and La La Love (Cyprus 2012).

Source: OGAE Greece