Alicja Szemplińska once again tries her hand at the Polish pre-selections for Eurovision – this time with the song “New Home”, which she told in an interview with Interia. The singer also confessed who of her pre-selection competitors she would see in the grand final in Liverpool. There was also a theme of the canceled competition from three years ago. – I treat all this as a lesson and now I am going for a new one – he announces.
In 2020 it is Alicja Szemplinska and her monumental work “Empires” was to represent Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest. The pandemic caused the competition to be canceled, although before that many thought that the Polish woman had a great chance to succeed. A year later, after an internal plebiscite on TVP, Alicja was not entrusted with this challenge – he went for her instead Rafal Brzozowskiwho did not advance to the finals.
Three years have passed, and the winner of the 10th edition “The Voice of Poland” tries his hand at preselection again. And he hopes to win again. Her new contest song, “New Home”, will premiere on February 24 at midnight.
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Mateusz Kamiński, Interia: Pre-selection concert on Sunday. How are you feeling ahead of this big day for you?
Alicja Szemplinska: – I am accompanied by a lot of emotions. First of all, I am excited to return to this Eurovision scene and to the emotions that accompanied me already 2 years ago. Contrary to appearances, I did not expect this return to happen so quickly. However, I think that intuition and all the signs that the world was giving me told me to try again this year. I wrote a song and decided to be brave and apply.
This is your next attempt, because with the song “Empires” you were supposed to represent Poland in 2020. A pandemic broke out, and a year later Rafał Brzozowski drove for you. What did you feel then?
– You know, I won’t lie, I was sorry and sad. That’s how it is when you set yourself up for something, hope for it, and then comes a slight disappointment. Over time, however, this sadness passed, I resigned to it and thought to myself that maybe it was also a sign that maybe it was time for another song. So I treat all this as a lesson and now I’m going for a new one.
Alicja Szemplinska /press materials /press materials
It’s not an easy decision after all that’s happened. It must be aggravating that you were supposed to perform there once, now you have to fight for it again.
– This decision to re-selection was not so obvious. I had a lot of emotions inside me – a lot of doubts and fears. But I think it was the song that gave me the courage “New Home”which was created and which I believe, but also feel very strongly. And above all, people – those who have been sending me messages every day for almost 3 years asking: “Alicja, apply for Eurovision”; “Alice, when will you apply for Eurovision, please!”. It seems to me that I do it for myself, but also for people, because I know how much some people are waiting for it – not only people from Poland, but also Eurovision fans from different countries.
In fact, I don’t know how many similar situations there have been in other countries with someone who had a certain performance at Eurovision, which, however, did not come to fruition. Is it very valuable for you that foreign fans have already had the opportunity to know your skills?
– Yes, that’s what they were talking about a while ago. I gained many foreign listeners who listen not only to my Eurovision song, but also to other Polish songs and write nice messages about it. It is very, very uplifting that I was able to gain such an audience, but also motivating to try again. Because I feel like they’re waiting for it.
Alicja Szemplińska on the new Eurovision song: closer to my musical roots that shaped me
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“Empires” was sublime, with an important social context and that almost Bond ending. What is “New Home”?
– It seems to me that the new song is closer to me, more intimate than “Empires”. It also touches on a very important topic for me – longing and searching for a home. I think we all look for that at some point in our lives your homethis place on earth. In this metaphorical message dom it can be ambiguous – in us, but also in the other person. But “New Home” also refers to people who have physically lost their home and are trying to find themselves in a new reality.
This topic is very, very broad. The first inspiration to write this song, however, were the stories of people around me who lost, abandoned their “home”, but also those who simply wanted to build a new one. We shot a music video for the song, which is such a beginning, an introduction to these stories, which I will later develop and tell about. In the video clip, I show portraits of my heroes who have different stories, but a common emotion. I’m the voice in their head in the video, I’m them. I can’t wait to share their stories with you, because I think they are touching and inspiring and worth being identified with.
In terms of music, did you also follow this earlier, uplifting trail, or did you decide to take yourself to other areas?
– In “New Home” as in “Empires” I am talking about a socially important topic. However, when it comes to the musical layer, it will be a bit more close and intimate than in “Empires”. There we had a great orchestral arrangement – here it will be closer, more soulful, closer to my musical roots that shaped me, but I think also with elements of surprise (smile). The premiere is just around the corner, so I think it’s best if you listen to it yourself and feel it in your own way.
Between one preselection and another you recorded quite a few singles. When will your full studio album be released?
– I hope that as soon as possible, because I’m working on this material all the time and I think that you will be able to hear such strictly album and EP material soon. It will be a preview of the whole project, so I think that in the near future there will be some information about it (laughs).
We have already met several Eurovision candidates from other countries. Is there a favorite of yours among them? Do you follow the Eurovision contests at all?
– My mother always watched Eurovision, so many times I watched it with her when I was growing up in my family home. It seems to me that it was then that my idea, or maybe more a dream, to perform there one day was born. I heard a few of the announced artists, but not all of them, so it’s hard for me to choose one favorite. Once I’ve listened to all of them and can compare, then I’ll decide (laughs).
And does anyone from the Polish top ten seem particularly interesting to you?
– When it comes to my competitors, my favorite song among all selected from the Polish pre-selection is the song “Gladiator” Janna. I really, really like her and Janna, who recently was on my show, “21 GRAMS OF SOUL” and we talked about music there. I think he’s a really great guy and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the best performance.
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Eurovision 2023 – when are the Polish preselections?
National eliminations will take place on February 26 (17:30). The Polish representative for this year’s Eurovision in Liverpool will be chosen by the jury and viewers in a 50:50 ratio. So far, TVP has not officially announced the composition of the jury. She is to be the chairman with the deciding vote Edyta Gorniak.
Let us remind you that in 2022 he represented Poland at Eurovision Krystian Ochman.
