As we covered yesterday, Katerina Stikoudi and Irini Papadopoulou have been reported to be among the frontrunners to represent Cyprus at Eurovision 2021. However, both are signed to the label Minos EMI and neither are of Cypriot origin. Now, it has been announced that Panik Records will only be proposing artists of Cypriot descent to the Cypriot broadcaster.
Speaking to Eurovision Fun, a source from Panik Records has announced that in its proposal to RIK, it will only be putting forward Cypriot artists. This instantly rules out a number of the artists on their roster, such as Vangelis Kakouriotis.
Note, this still fits the Cypriot broadcaster’s plan for their 2021 entry, which specified a big name in the Greek music scene, or an artist of Cypriot origin.
Also, this is good news for the many fans hoping to see the return of 2012 representative Ivi Adamou, who is both signed to Panik and Cypriot-born. Other Cypriot artists on Panik’s roster include Charis Savva and Nearchos Evangelou.
According to the source, formal discussions with record labels will commence in Athens in the coming days. As such, we can expect to hear updates in advance of the artist announcement, expected in November.
As Panik and Minos EMI are the two biggest Greek labels, it is highly likely that RIK’s choice will come from one of these labels. Note that Eleni Foureira (2018) and Tamta (2019) are signed to Panik and Minos, respectively.
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” (1982), Hara & Andreas Constantinou’s “Mana you” (1997) and Lisa Andreas’ “Stronger Every Minute” (2004).
While Cyprus secured seven top 11 finishes in the 1990s, their form dipped during the semi-final era. Cyprus failed to qualify in six out of eight occasions between 2006 and 2013, withdrawing in 2014 for financial reasons.
In 2018, following a string of qualifications, Eleni Foureira brought them to second place for the first time with “Fuego”. The following year, Tamta brought them their fifth consecutive qualification with “Replay”.
In 2020, CyBC selected ‘Sandro’ to represent Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Running”. Sandro was set to perform 13th in semi-final one of the 2020 contest, which was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who are you hoping will represent Cyprus next year? 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! Also, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see our reactions to the over the coming months.
Dang it. Was hoping we would see Melisses at Eurovision