ESCXTRA’s 2018 Hopefuls: Armenia

Welcome to our brand new weekly series, ‘ESCXTRA’s 2018 Hopefuls’, in which we will tell you who we would like to see in Eurovision next year! This series will keep you entertained with new music from across Europe every Monday until the national final season begins next year, and may give you somebody new to root for to represent your country! ‘ESCXTRA’s 2018 Hopefuls’ begins today, as we look at who we want to see represent Armenia in Eurovision 2018. Let’s get started!

Lilit Hovhannisyan

Lilit Hovhannisyan’s career began after she took part in the Armenian version of Pop Idol, Hay Superstar, in 2006. She placed fourth out of the ten participants, but went on to achieve massive success nationwide.
Lilit is current, on-trend, and is one of Armenia’s most popular singers. Just listen to her music, it’s catchy and very Beyoncé-esque! She clearly knows how to dance too, which could give us some fantastic choreography on the Eurovision stage. She also tends to sing in Armenian, which could satisfy those fans who want to see more non-English songs in Eurovision!

Furthermore, her most recent hit also shows that she has a comedic side. However, she doesn’t just end up as a joke, so this could go down well for Armenia in Eurovision.

Mihran Tsarukyan

Mihran Tsarukyan took part in the same series of Hay Superstar as Lilit Hovhannisyan and he came third, just beating Lilit. He has also gone on to achieve success in Armenia both musically and as an actor!
Mihran’s voice has a distinctly eastern feel to it, giving his music a real Armenian vibe! He is well choreographed in his performances and is very popular in Armenia. Listen to his most recent single, Gna Gna below!

Sona Shahgeldyan

Sona Shahgeldyan is known for winning the 2010 edition of the New Wave competition for Armenia. She has released many singles, and has appeared in many Armenian films and TV series.
Although not as popular as Lilit or Mihran, her music makes use of traditional Armenian instruments, whilst adding a modern twist. Her most popular hit is Harsi Shor from 2013.

Furthermore, only a few days ago, she released her new single, Im Haverzhutyun.  It is a powerful and dramatic ballad which could’ve been perfect for Eurovision, had it just been released a few months later!

Sofi Mkheyan

Sofi Mkheyan has previously won the Best Newcomer award at the Armenian National Music Awards. She has previously duetted with the 2008 representative for Armenia, Sirusho. See their song, Arjani e, below!

As a soloist, Sofi creates catchy, modern hits, which enjoy a great deal of success in Armenia. Like Lilit, she also knows how to dance and work the stage, so would give us a fantastic show in Portugal! Armenia could definitely get behind her song!

System of a Down

System of a Down are an Armenian-American heavy metal band. They are well-known world-wide for their music, and have received nominations for countless awards. Of these nominations, they have won a Grammy award, an ECHO award, and an MTV Europe Music Award.
System of a Down could give us something unique and original in next year’s Eurovision. I don’t think I have ever described a heavy metal song as “refreshing”, but it truely would be in a sea of pop songs! Since heavy metal songs are exceptionally rare in Eurovision, one will easily stand out next year and stick in viewers’ minds. Anybody who is a fan of metal music is bound to vote for them!

Next week, we will look at who we want to see represent Bulgaria!
What do you think of our hopefuls? Is their anybody else you’d like to see for Armenia in Eurovision? Do the idea of any of these artists excite you? Tell us in the comments below!