Rotterdam 2021🇱🇻 Latvia

🇱🇻 Samanta Tina defends music video against homophobic and transphobic complaints

"This song is for strong and amazing women - for all of us!"

After much teasing and speculation, Samanta Tina released her Eurovision 2021 entry back in March as part of a series of special programming from LTV. The music video for “The Moon Is Rising” attracted criticisms and legal challenges from Latvian conservatives due to its inclusive message. In an interview, Samanta has defended the clip and its message.

During a TV interview on Slavenības bez filtra, Samanta responded to a legal challenge that was raised by critics which claimed that her music video contained “erotic content.” She laughed off the details of the police report and defended the message of the video, specifically its inclusion of lesbian and trans women.

This song is for strong and amazing women – for all of us! I want us not to hide and not be afraid of our uniqueness and difference. Therefore, the song invites every woman to crown herself or accept herself and be a determinant of her life. We accept and love ourselves, we are proud of what God has given us and what we have created, but we see every difference as wealth, because I am for equality. 

Samanta defending the clip on Slavenības bez filtra

This of course, this is not the only entry to attract campaigns against their participation. So far, Cyprus, Russia, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan’s entries have faced calls for withdrawal.

About Samanta

Samanta Tina, a veteran of the Latvian selection Supernova, finally got her chance to go to Eurovision last year when she won the selection with “Still Breathing”. However, with the cancellation of the contest, it turned out to not be her year after all. Thankfully, LTV internally selected her for the 2021 contest and began the search for her 2021 entry last summer.

Samanta and her team wrote 11 potential entries during her songwriting camp. In the process she consulted former Latvian Eurovision representatives Aminata (2015) and Kārlis Būmeistars (Valters & Kaža, 2005).”

I’m not looking for a standard Eurovision classic! I want to stay with that surprise, that crazy.

During the process, four song concepts and teams were merged in order to create Samanta’s entry. The final entry was produced by Oscar Wuhan, who has worked with Aminata previously. In the episode, she also noted that some of the songs that didn’t get selected may be released in the future as singles.

What do you think of Samanta’s response? Are you rooting for Samanta in 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! Also, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see our reactions to the news in the upcoming months.

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