Initial hints have been published about the identity of the eight artists from whom the national broadcaster İTV will choose the representative for Eurovision. Who is likely competing for the ticket to Eurovision 2025?
Azerbaijan’s national broadcaster, İTV, has confirmed that a total of 154 potential songs were submitted to represent the country at Eurovision 2025. This marks a decrease of 60 songs compared to the previous year when 214 songs were received. Despite the decrease in submissions, the Azerbaijani national broadcaster expressed satisfaction with the significant increase in the number of songs submitted by local creators. 49% of the songs submitted this year were written by Azerbaijani artists and composers, an increase from 43% in the previous year.
Eight Potential Candidates
The X account ‘Songfestival Azerbaijan’ is now publishing initial hints about the identity of eight candidates from whom the national broadcaster will choose the representative for Eurovision. Among the potential names, there are past contest artists.
🇦🇿 Tips about singers participating in internal selections :
1) Turkvision representative
2) Eurovision commentator
3) Azerbaijani version of Linkin Park
4) Doomsday Blue
5) The hit song of the last 2 months
6) I’m going back to diyar
7) Always on my mind
8) Daddy’s Daughter pic.twitter.com/oKGIuLivq7— Songfestival Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 (@songfestivalaze) October 6, 2024
1) Turkvision representative (a song contest in Eurovision format, mainly involving Turkish-speaking countries and regions)
2) Eurovision commentator
3) Azerbaijani version of Linkin Park
4) Doomsday Blue – likely referring to Ireland’s Eurovision 2024 song by Bambie Thug
5) The hit song of the last 2 months
6) I’m going back to diyar
7) Always on my mind
8) Daddy’s Daughter
Speculations and Theories
Although “Songfestival Azerbaijan” is an independent account and not the official account of the Azerbaijani national broadcaster, it has sparked theories about the identity of the contestants. On Reddit, users have already raised interesting speculations:
- Kenan Çelik (Azerbaijan’s representative for Turkvision 2020), Isa Melikov (Azerbaijan’s representative for Turkvision 2015), or Farid Hasanov (who won for Azerbaijan in Turkvision 2013).
- Azer Suleymanli (TV host who commentated Eurovision 2016, 2017, and 2018) or Murad Arif (singer and composer who commentated Eurovision 2022 and expressed interest to represent Azerbaijan in Eurovision 2025).
- Rock bands Coda or Noir.
- Eminzada – Azerbaijani singer and songwriter whose new song talks about the aspiration to live authentically and practice witchcraft in a parallel universe.
- Aygun Kazimova – Azerbaijani singer who is currently leading radio charts in her country.
- Fahree, Azerbaijan’s representative for Eurovision 2024 with the song “Özünlə apar” (“Take it with you”). “I’m going back to diyar” is a quote from the song in its previous version. The singer has announced that he will once again participate in the selection process for Eurovision 2025, but as a songwriter: “I am not participating myself, but I wrote two songs for very talented performers in the contest”.
- Aysel, who represented Azerbaijan in Eurovision 2009 with Arash and the song “Always” which reached third place. “Always on my mind” is a quote from their song. In recent days, rumors have spread that the singer will participate in Azerbaijan’s internal selection for Eurovision.
- Rashida Rashid, opera singer and daughter of Rashid Behbudov, a past Azerbaijani singer dubbed “the golden voice of Azerbaijan”.
Azerbaijan in Eurovision 2024
Azerbaijan’s entry for Eurovision 2024 was “Özünlə apar“, performed by the duo Fahree featuring Ilkin Dovlatov. “Özünlə apar” finished 14th in the first semi-final, scoring only 11 points This marks the second consecutive year that Azerbaijan has failed to qualify for the Eurovision final.
Source: Songfestival Azerbaijan.
Eurovision 2025: This will be Azerbaijan’s 17th participation in Eurovision. Azerbaijan joined the contest in 2008 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2011 when singers Ell and Nikki, won first place with the song “Running Scared”.