New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Host country Portugal and the 'Big Five' - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom - rehearsed for the second time on the Eurovision stage this morning. After their rehearsal, they gave a press conference, during which they also drew wether they would perform in the first or second half of the Grand Final.
Portugal:
Isaura, the composer of O Jardim, said: "I wrote O Jardim, and first thought it was too personal to share, that I couldn't give it to another person. It is about my grandmother. So I wrote another song, and was looking for someone really charismatic and true to sing it. By serendipity I found Claudia and sent her a message on Facebook."
Isaura told the audience that Claudia came to record the other song, but that is soon became clear O Jardim was the journey they had to take: "It took me some time to get comfortable, but when she sang it we just knew it was the one."
Portugal already drew to perform 8th in the Grand Final during the Heads of Delegation meeting in Lisbon in March.
United Kingdom:
During the press conference after her second rehearsal, SuRie talked to the journalists who attended about the meaning behind her song Storm: "The message is a reminder that we need to keep our chins up sometimes. We all have storms we are dealing with. It is our personal storms that we are dealing with day to day, and sometimes we need a reminder, you know? I need a reminder."
She went on: "It's that hope — you have got to see that light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully it will mean whatever it needs to mean for each person." The United Kingdom drew to perform in the first half of the Grand Final.
Spain:
"Every time we sing together is magic," Spanish duo Amaia y Alfred said during the press conference after their rehearsal.
The Spanish couple said that they were deeply moved the first time the song was introduced to them, but do they get the same emotions now than they did the first time? "No, it's different every time we sing Tu Canción, because the audience is different, the situation is different, but every time we sing together is magic!"
Alfred told his music style is eclectic: "Even if it sounds ambitious, I believe mine is a unique style, like a mix of pop, rock, indie, and more. I'm so introspective in my life and my creations as an artist...I'm a weird songwriter."
Amaia confessed to be a bit of a Eurovision fan: "My family loves Eurovision, so I have watched the contest since I was a baby. I love older Spanish entries like En Un Mundo Nuevo (1971) or Vivo Cantando (1969)." The duo isn't sure yet which costumes they will wear during the live show. Spain drew to perform in the first half of the Grand Final.
Germany:
During his press conference,
Michael Schulte reflected upon his second rehearsal: "We were already very happy with the positive feedback after the first rehearsal, but the second rehearsal went also well. I felt very good on stage, the sound was great, and I am very satisfied with my own performance."
Michael also spoke about the more difficult moments in his life: "I think that when my father passed away, my mum did a very good job because she had to deal not only with the death of her husband, but at the same time the sadness of her three children. I don't know how she managed, but she certainly did a great job."
Michael is soon becoming a father, so the host asked him if they have already picked a name: "Yes we have, but I'm not going to say it," Michael confessed. Germany drew to perform in the first half of the Grand Final.
France:
When asked about how
Madame Monsieur deal with the pressure of performing at Eurovision, Emilie answered: "We are focused, happy, patient and a bit nervous. But everything is ok as soon as we're on stage and that is the most important thing."
Jean-Karl added: "We want to sing the song the best that we can and we will put all our emotions in it, that is what we focus on."
France drew to perform in the first half of the Grand Final.
Italy:
During their press conference, Italy's
Ermal Meta e
Fabrizio Moro were asked about the staging of the song and what makes it such a distinctly Italian song: "We just wanted to keep the meaning of the lyrics in tact without translating the song. If you translate it, the song loses something. With the overlays we found a good solution for that. The song has a double meaning: It is sung in Italian, but there is also a personal side in the lyrics. It tells a lot about our personal stories, what we felt growing up and walking the path until the place where we're at today. The song tells the story of two people who grew up in Italy." Italy drew to perform in the second half of the Grand Final.
