Austrian broadcaster ORF has now announced that singer PAENDA will represent the nation at Eurovision this year. The artist and song have been chosen internally, which is the method that the broadcaster has used in recent years. Her song ‘Limits’ will be released at a later date.
Since the age of 14, PAENDA began to write music while also learning to play the guitar and piano in order to implement them in her music. Later in life, she moved to Vienna to study jazz music and after that she began various music projects. In 2015 she launched her project, PAENDA.
Her first singles Waves and Good Girl attracted positive attention, and her debut album EVOLUTION I was also well received. Her next album will be titled EVOLUTION II and will be released on the 26th of April.
PAENDA has discussed her future performance at Eurovision, saying that it has been a dream for her to participate, ‘When I was watching the Eurovision Song Contest on ORF in the past few years, I knew that if the opportunity presented itself, I would very much like to become part of it and compete for Austria. Music becomes a universal language, boundaries dissolve and it is shown that love is colorful, diverse and can not be classified in any drawer. The contest is a bridge builder that manages to unite different cultures and religions for a while. Now I’m allowed to sing for Austria and I am overwhelmed. It really means a lot to me to be part of this message to the world.
ORF program director Mag. Kathrin Zechner also commented on the selection, saying, ‘PAENDA is an outstandingly versatile artist and woman, who not only composed and wrote, but also produced the songs she sings. These are her own emotions, experiences and her soul that she expresses and with that, she will cast a spell over the audience.’
She will perform her song ‘Limits’ at Eurovision, however it will be released at a later date. Listen to some of her previous music below: