Kirkorov wants to persuade juries to vote for Russia

Philipp Kirkorov at Christmas Song of the Year 2015 Source: Okras

Performing well in the jury vote is clearly important to Russia in this Eurovision. Sergey Lazarev lost the Eurovision 2016 trophy because of the jury vote, and Philip Kirkorov wants to make sure this does not happen again.

Already when Russia released the song “Scream” for Lazarev, it became clear that the song was very different from “You are the only one” in 2016. Sergey Lazarev will sing a ballad this year. While his previous entry was more of a Euroclub pop song.

“Scream” also allows Lazarev to showcase his strong vocals even more. There are a few big key notes in the song, which could impress the jury. We can expect the Russian superstar to perform these notes pitch perfect. Not only is he experienced, he is also a notorious perfectionist and he knows how to handle the pressure.

During the 2019 Eurovision rehearsals, it has become even clearer that Russia & Kirkorov are in there for the jury vote. The staging for “Scream” is impressive, yet elegant. While some jurors might have been put off by all the visual spectacle of “You are the only one” in 2016, this year Russia plays the long game. On top of that, Lazarev’s movements to the exact rhythm of the holograms could persuade several juries to consider him a professional.

ESCDaily will liveblog the jury shows on Wednesday and Friday night. You can follow our commentary and assessments live!

Kirkorov: “We had to show Europe a different side of Sergey Lazarev”

“Europe only saw one part of Sergey ‘s talent. ‘You are the only one’ was very theatrical. That’s why, when we started to prepare for Eurovision, we showed him different kinds of songs. Songs with a strong melody, strong voice. So that he can show Europe that he’s a great great singer. We pushed him and pushed him, because first he said: no! But now we are here.”