Poland have had a mixed history at Eurovision, especially evident in recent years. After the announcement of the return of Szansa Na Suckes, the selection format responsible for their second consecutive Junior Eurovision win, we are expecting some exciting new names, and perhaps some big names participating all in the hopes of bringing Poland back to the final.
Since I am not well versed in Polish music, I asked the team of Destination Eurovision to send through a list of artists that they wish to see represent Poland at Eurovision this year. To get a feel for the styles of the artists they selected, I also have links to some of their best songs, according to the team!
Margaret (Recommendation from Lauren)
Song: Tempo
Now, I can’t really give this a first impression, as I’m very familiar with Margaret. She first came to my attention in 2016 after participating in the Polish Eurovision selection with the song Cool Me Down. Since then, I’ve kept an eye on her new songs, and of course followed her journey in Sweden’s selection, Melodifestivalen. In terms of her songs, she has some real bangers, but my only hesitation about Eurovision is that her live vocals aren’t always strong. A strong visual performance and some good backing singers could alleviate that at Eurovision, and let’s just say, I wouldn’t be mad if she represented Poland at Eurovision!
Ania Karwan (Recommended by Agnieszka)
Song: Czarny Åšwit
My first impression of Ania and this song is very good. Vocally, this is very strong, but also the music itself is very moving. I don’t understand a single word, however it feels like a story is being told throughout the length of this song. I’m usually more of a fan of upbeat songs, but this song is something special. Hypothetically if this song was at Eurovision, I think it would be a qualifier, and although I can’t speak much about her style of live performance, song alone, this is stunning.
Dawid Podsiadło (Recommended by Roksana)
Song: Najnowszy Klip
The Destination Eurovision team are on fire so far, because I’m loving this as well. This is a very different song from the last two, but definitely appeals to me. The vocals were the first thing I noticed while listening to this song. I love Dawid’s tone of voice, and it works so well against the simple guitar at the beginning of the song. I like the verses more than the chorus, as I just love the simplicity of his voice against the music. The synthesised parts of the song are an interesting addition, and give the song a contemporary feel. Overall, I’m a big fan.
Kasia Dereń (Recommended by Aleksandra)
Song: Move in the Right Direction (The Voice Poland)
Based off the videos uploaded to Kasia’s YouTube Channel, she is more of a cover artist, but nonetheless, with her Voice Poland audition in mind, she could be a strong competitor for Poland. Vocally, she is fantastic, and actually reminds me to Gaitana, who represented Ukraine back in 2012. With a song that suits her vocals, I could see her doing well at the contest, and I could see her excelling at either a ballad style song, or an upbeat number.
Paweł Domagała (Recommended by Roksana)
Song: Weź nie pytaj
This is quite different to the previous recommendations, and reminds me of the direction the Netherlands have taken in recent years. It has that bluesy feel, which is definitely different for Poland. This is a nice song, especially in terms of the actual music. Vocally, I like his tone, and it certainly suits this style of song, but as a whole I find this to fall a little flat. Overall, I prefer the other artists in this list so far…
Cleo (Recommended by Roksana)
Song: Dom
Well, this is a familiar face! When I think of Poland at Eurovision, the first person that comes to mind is Cleo, all thanks to her epic performance back in 2014 with the song Slavic Girls. It was perfect for Eurovision, it was a little bit traditional mixed with the modern, and that’s why so many people enjoyed that performance. I followed Cleo after her Eurovision performance, and occasionally still listen to her tracks, with Sztorm easily my favourite track from her. DOM was recently released, and I haven’t heard it yet… well, until now. It’s definitely not taking top spot of my favourite Cleo song, but it’s a nice song. I love her voice, and would be very happy to see her at Eurovision again, but perhaps with a ballad like Sztorm.
Sarsa (Recommended by Paweł)
Song: Zakryj
I have a good first impression of this song, but it hasn’t struck me as some of the other songs on this list. I’m liking the music on this, beat of the drums, and the inclusion of the strings. I like the simplicity of the first verse, and that’s probably my favourite part of the song. Unfortunately, by the time it reaches the chorus, it starts to get a bit flat. Again, it’s a nice song but it’s not impactful enough for me. Hypothetically, with a different song she would represent Poland well, but I prefer some of the other choices.
Daria Zawiałow (Recommended by Paweł)
Song: Hej Hej!
Now this has a much better first impression. This feels incredibly contemporary from the get go, and I’m absolutely loving the vibe of this. I love her vocals, as well as the melody, and it all just works so well together. At times the music sounds quite similar to something Blanche would release, it just has that synthesised sound, but it’s the best kind of synthesised, retro but still yet modern. Hypothetically, if this exact song was representing Poland at Eurovision, I’d be very pleased. I’m imagining it with an edgy lightshow, and it would just work so well. If only.
Natalia Nykiel (Recommended by Paweł)
Song: Total Błękit
If I didn’t know this was a different artist, I would have thought this was another track from Daria. It has that same synthesised sound, but more intense, and I’m really liking it. It’s very impactful, but doesn’t feel cheap. Vocally, it’s a bit chaotic at times but in the right way. It works really well with the music, and again, hypothetically, if this was at Eurovision, I think it would have a similar impact as Hatari in terms of the music. It’s edgy, but in all the right ways. Another good choice!
Baranovski (Recommended by Sebastian)
Song: Czułe Miejsce
After that punchy intro, I was expecting another edgy song, but as it reached the verse, it definitely mellowed out. This has a super catchy beat, the type of beat where you can’t help but tap your feet. I actually prefer the choruses in this song, just as the vocals are pushed a bit further. In the verses, it just feels very safe, but the personality really comes out in the choruses. It’s definitely not bad, but overall not my favourite.
Out of the artists recommended, I would say that Ania Karwan had the most impactful first impression for me, and I’d love to see her at Eurovision. Cleo is a hit with me as well, but in terms of artists I’d not heard before, I also enjoyed Natalia Nykiel, Daria Zawiałow and Dawid Podsiadło. Regardless, if Poland sent any of these 10 artists matched with a good song, they could do very well!