National Final Throwback: Jurgis DID & Erica Jennings – Sing!

The Lithuanian Eurovision selection has historically been very hit or miss. For every gem is a handful of duds, but today we are putting the spotlight on a song that for me, was the shining light of the 2019 Lithuanian selection.

Two former Eurovision participants united, and not only do they have that in common, but they are also a married couple! Erica Jennings previously participated at Eurovision as part of the group SKAMP, while Jurgis Didžiulis performed as part of the group Inculto. Together, they competed with the song Sing!

From first listen, this caught my attention. As a fan of Jurgis from his Inculto days, there may have been a bit of bias, but I instantly fell in love with this song. The positivity it brought was unrivalled in the Lithuanian selection, and although it didn’t win in the end, it certainly created a positive memory. Realistically, it wasn’t a hugely competitive song, and had it actually reached Eurovision, I question whether it would have brought Lithuania success, but this was the type of song that you could just appreciate it for what it is.

The style of this song is definitely reminiscent of an Inculto song, but a bit more toned down with the addition of Erica’s vocals. The lyrics are simple, but yet still uplifting, and the duo said it best themselves,

‘A song can do many things; it can embrace us when we are hurt, it keeps us company when we are alone, it helps us express emotions that we have no words for. Song is more powerful when we sing; when we become immersed in the process, when we add our intention, when we find our voice amongst others.’

Vocally, I love the combination of the two voices, and by the final of the national selection, they really refined their performance. While it was nice to see the two interact on stage, at times it felt a bit empty, but the circling of the cameras really helped remedy that.

Overall, this performance really did spark joy. It might not be the type of song I have playing all the time, but when it does play, I really enjoy every second of it. A true highlight of the 2019 Lithuanian selection for me, and with that in mind I’ll score it an 8/10.