The Montenegrin national broadcaster, RTCG, has unexpectedly announced that renowned singer Boban Rajović has withdrawn from the Eurovision pre-selection contest. In his place, singer Tamara Živković will enter the competition.
Montenegro’s national broadcaster, RTCG, made the surprising declaration today, revealing the withdrawl of Boban Rajović, a well-known figure in Montenegro’s music scene, from the Eurovision pre-selection process “Montesong“. The broadcaster simultaneously announced that Tamara Živković would step in to fill the vacancy left by Rajović’s withdrawal. The event is scheduled to take place on November 27, 2024.
“I think it’s unnecessary to talk about my desire to represent Montenegro at Eurovision, but it simply wasn’t meant to be this year, which doesn’t mean my wish won’t come true in the future,” said Rajović. He sent his support to the Montesong finalists, wishing that the song with the most votes from the audience would win.
The Montesong organizers announced that the Selection Committee had designated three additional songs as backups in case someone failed to meet the competition requirements.
Instead of Rajović, Tamara Živković will participate in Montesong with the song “Poguban let“ (“Fatal Flight”). This last-minute change in Montenegro’s lineup could potentially lead to an interesting outcome, reminiscent of Baby Lasagna’s success story. Živković’s unexpected entry into the competition adds an element of intrigue to Montenegro’s Eurovision 2025 campaign.
Montesong 2024: New Contestants and Songs list
The list of contestants and their songs includes:
- Anastasija Koprolčec – Kraj
- Bend “9” – Stop War
- Dolce Hera – Repeat
- Đurđa – To Ljubav Je
- Glumci Bend – San
- Isak Šabanović – Ljeto, Ljeto, Ljeto
- Kejt – Obala Raja
- Luka Perazic & Rade Vukčević – Dva Srca
- Luka Radović – Kada Dođe Maj
- Milena Vučić – Škorpija
- Nemanja Petrović – Među Zvijezdama
- Neonoen – Clickbait
- Nina Žižić – Dobro Došli
- Tamara Živković – Poguban let
- Tina Džankić – Nova
- Verica Čuljković – Čuješ Li
One name on the list is particularly familiar to the Eurovision community: Nina Žižić, who represented Montenegro in Eurovision 2013 alongside the duo Who See. They performed the song “Igranka,” finishing 12th in the semi-final, but 4th in the televoting, thus many people believe the song deserved a place in the grand final.
Montesong 2024: Everything You Need to Know
Out of 36 submitted entries, 16 songs were selected to compete in the national final on November 27, 2024. The winner will be determined by a combination of 50% jury voting and 50% public voting. Songs must include at least 51% Montenegrin language content. The competition will take place in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, promising a spectacular and exciting show. The winner will be announced live towards the end of the evening after the votes are tallied.
The festival is a collaboration between Montenegro’s national broadcaster and the Association of Artists and Performers of Montenegro, aiming to provide exposure for local artists while primarily reducing the financial burden on the broadcaster. A significant portion of the production costs will be funded by the association.
Montenegro’s return to Eurovision after a two-year hiatus has generated considerable interest among contest fans. In their last participation in 2022, Vladana Vučinić’s entry failed to qualify for the Eurovision final, finishing 17th in the second semi-final. This time, Montenegro hopes for a better result that will secure them a place in the grand final of Eurovision 2025.
Montenegro in Eurovision 2022
“Breathe” is the name of the song performed by singer Vladana, who represented Montenegro in the second semi-final of Eurovision 2022. The song was written by Vladana herself along with Darko Dimitrov, who has composed 11 songs for the competition over the years for Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro. Dimitrov’s most successful entry is “Proud,” which represented North Macedonia in Eurovision 2019 and reached seventh place. “Breathe” was performed in English and Italian and was dedicated to Vladana’s mother, who had passed away a year earlier from COVID-19. Vladana only reached 17th place (second to last) in the second semi-final with just 33 points. This is one of the most disappointing results Montenegro has experienced in the competition.
Source: RTCG
Eurovision 2025: This will be Montenegro’s 13th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Montenegro joined the competition in 2007 and achieved its best result in Eurovision Song Contest 2015 when singer Knez reached 13th place with the song “Adio”.
