Back in July, it was confirmed that Cyprus would be competing in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. Following this, CyBC confirmed that they had begun discussions with record labels in September. Now, the broadcaster has revealed the number of songs it has received ahead of their internal selection.
According to OGAE Greece, CyBC has received 120 submissions following for their 2020 entry, following a call for songs. Although they have used an internal selection method since 2016, this is a move in a different direction for the broadcaster. For the past two years, Cyprus’ entry has been developed by mostly the same team – with Alex P at the helm of the song’s composition. Or, perhaps, an Alex P song is among those 120 and that will be the song selected?
The Greek site also repeats rumours regarding who could be representing the island nation. Last month, it was reported that there were three artists in the running to be selected. Allegedly, the broadcaster is looking to send either Ian Stratis and Vangelis Kakouriotis to Rotterdam. Last year, Tamta was revealed to be their artist in December, so perhaps we won’t have long to wait?
Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest
Cyprus made their Eurovision Song Contest debut 37 years ago, back in 1981. The island nation has participated in every contest since, with the exception of 1988, 2001 and 2014. Prior to 2018, Cyprus’ best results had come in the form of three fifth place finishes. These came courtesy of Anna Vissi’s “Mono i agapi” in 1982, Hara & Andreas Constantinou’s “Mana mou” in 1997 and Lisa Andreas’ “Stronger Every Minute” in 2004.
While Cyprus secured seven top 11 finishes in the 1990s, the nation’s form dipped as the contest entered its semi-final era. Cyprus failed to qualify in six out of eight occasions between 2006 and 2013, withdrawing in 2014 for financial reasons.
However, since their return in 2015, the island has qualified for the grand final every single time. Prior to this run, Cyprus had never managed to qualify from a semi-final in two consecutive contests. Last year, Eleni Foureira sent this Cypriot momentum to a new peak with a record second-place finish. This year, Greek-Georgian star Tamta represented Cyprus with the song “Replay”, finishing in 13th place with 109 points.
Cyprus may be the nation with the most Eurovision appearances yet to secure a victory, but perhaps that victory could be just around the corner?
Are you looking forward to seeing who and what Cyprus sent to Rotterdam? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates!
