As reported last week, it is now being rumoured that RIK are looking to potentially select Eleni Foureira to be their entrant for Eurovision 2021. Now, it is additionally being rumoured that the broadcaster are looking to have Alex Papaconstantinou be the songwriter behind the alleged entry.
As we know, news about the brewing preparations behind Cyprus’ much-anticipated 2021 entry has been moving at a break-neck pace. First, we had a shortlist of Minos EMI artists that were on the table. Then, Panik Records announced that would be only putting forward Cypriot artists for the contest. Just a day or so later, rumours emerged that RIK may be looking to select Eleni Foureira for an anticipated ESC return!
A replay for Alex P?
According to TVNEA, the Cypriot broadcaster are looking to bring back Alex Papaconstantinou as the songwriter behind their 2021 entry. Many fans will know Alex P as the writer behind “La La Love” (2012), “Fuego” (2018) and “Replay” (2019).
The report claims that Alex P will be joining representatives from Panik and Eleni herself in a meeting in Athens in the coming days. Here, they are expected to negotiate RIK’s offer and agree to whether they will proceed to develop the entry. The official artist announcement is not expected until November.
In the meantime, Eurovision Fun has reported that Eleni Foureira had been recording new material in the studio last week.
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.
