Violation of competition rules: The Montenegrin television network confirmed that Montenegro‘s representatives for Eurovision 2025, the band NeonoeN, performed their Eurovision song “Clickbait” as early as 2023, contrary to Eurovision competition rules. What are the consequences? Here are the details!
The band NeonoeN, which was chosen to represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2025 after winning the Montenegrin Eurovision selection “Montesong 2024” held last week, is now facing potential disqualification. Just three days after their selection, the Montenegrin national broadcaster, RTCG, confirms that the band performed a different version of their song “Clickbait” long before September 1st, 2024, which is against the competition rules. The band performed at a tourism festival held in Žabljak, Montenegro on September 9th, 2023, where they performed the song, albeit in a slightly different version.
As known, any song with an official release date from September 1st, 2024, is eligible to participate in the current Eurovision competition (2025) and so on every year. When a song is performed in a public place, like the mentioned festival, it still gains an audience similar to a release on social media.
Earlier today, it was reported that the band intends to work on a new version of the song, and now the band faces possible disqualification! Tomorrow (Monday), the Montenegrin national broadcaster and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will discuss the matter and make a final decision together. If the song is disqualified, it is likely that the television network will choose the song that came second in the Eurovision selection, Nina Žižić‘s song “Dobrodošli” (tanslated as: “Welcome”).
Last Friday, the host of the Montenegrin selection, Vladana Vučinić, commented on the selection broadcast and, among other things, criticized the audience, who were not eager to vote and the points were distributed based on few votes:
“Where was your support? Out of tens of thousands of viewers that day, even one Nina Žižić from Nikšić, couldn’t get 500 votes from her own city’s residents. Even the winner, whoever it was, couldn’t get 500, let alone a thousand votes. This is a very serious problem with us as people, not the mistakes that happened after 3 hours of broadcasting when concentration wasn’t at its peak under the pressure of a live broadcast.”
Montenegro in Eurovision 2025
“Clickbait” is the name of the song that NeonoeN will perform in the semi-final of Eurovision 2025. The song was written by the band’s guitarist Ilija Pejović. It was selected in the Montenegrin national selection “Montesong 2024” and performed in the Montenegrin language. Montenegro returns to the competition after a two-year absence.
The song “Clickbait” delves into the impact of social media and internet culture on daily life. Its central message critiques addiction to social networks, the influence of sensationalist headlines, and their detrimental effects on behavior. It highlights the blurring of lines between reality and virtuality, showcasing how individuals are drawn into a digital world of sensational content, rapid reactions, and shares, often at the expense of genuine connections and face-to-face interactions. The overarching theme is a critique of modern digital culture and its influence on human behavior and interpersonal relationships.
Currently, Montenegro ranks 37th in the betting odds for Eurovision 2025.
NeonoeN – Who Are You?
The band NeonoeN was formed in 2012 under the name Neon. The members are Marko Vukčević, the lead vocalist; Ilija Pejović, the songwriter and guitarist; Filip Vulanović, the bassist; and Milan Vujović, the drummer.
Despite years of activity, their first original single, “Ti i ja solo,” was only released in 2018. In 2023, a decade after their formation, the band decided to change their name to NeonoeN to avoid confusion with other bands sharing the same name.
Currently, the band is working on a new album, having already released two tracks from it: “Dok Ne Udahnem Te u” and “Dječak Sa Vjetrom U Kosi.”
Source: rtcg.me
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”.
