Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022

Eurovision Song Contest 2022
Country	Montenegro
National selection
Selection process	Internal selection
Selection date(s)	Artist: 4 January 2022 Song: 4 March 2022
Selected entrant	Vladana
Selected song	"Breathe"
Selected songwriter(s)	Vladana Vučinić Darko Dimitrov
Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2019 • 2022

Montenegro is set to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy with the song "Breathe" written by Vladana Vučinić and Darko Dimitrov. The song will be performed by Vučinić, who was internally selected by the Montenegrin broadcaster Radio i televizija Crne Gore (RTCG) to represent the nation at the 2022 contest. Vučinić was announced as the Montenegrin representative on 4 January 2022, while her song was presented to the public on 4 March 2022.

Background[]

Prior to the 2022 contest, Montenegro has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest as an independent nation eleven times since its first entry in its own right in 2007.^[1] The nation's best placing in the contest was thirteenth, which they achieved in 2015 with the song "Adio" performed by Knez. In 2014, Montenegro qualified to the final for the first time since they began participating and have since featured in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest two times up to this point. The nation briefly withdrew from the competition between 2010 and 2011 as well as between 2020 and 2021 citing "modest results" and/or financial difficulties as the reason for their absences.^[2][3] Montenegro failed to qualify to the final in 2019 with the song "Heaven" performed by D mol.

The Montenegrin national broadcaster, Radio i televizija Crne Gore (RTCG), broadcasts the event within Montenegro and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. After a two-year absence, on 12 October 2021, RTCG confirmed that Montenegro would participate at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.^[4] Montenegro had used various methods to select the Montenegrin entry in the past, such as internal selections and televised national finals to choose the performer, song or both to compete at Eurovision. In 2018 and 2019, the Montenegrin entry was selected via the national final Montevizija. However, for 2022, the broadcaster opted to internally select both the artist and song that would represent Montenegro.^[5]

Before Eurovision[]

Internal selection[]

On 28 October 2021, RTCG opened a submission period where artists and songwriters were able to submit their entries until 10 December 2021.^[6] At the closing of the deadline, RTCG received 30 entries, of which 24 were valid for consideration.^[7][8] A selection jury evaluated and marked the received submissions against a number of criteria: up to 50 points for composition, up to 30 points for lyrics and up to 20 points for the production potential of the composition.^[9] The jury consisted of Radio Montenegro music editor Stana Šalgo, TVCG music editor Branka Banović, President of the Association of Pop Artists and Performers of Montenegro and member of 2005 Serbian and Montenegrin entrant No Name Danijel Alibabić, music advisor at the Bureau for Educational Services of Montenegro Bojana Nenezić, professor at the Music School "Vasa Pavić" Zoja Đurović, TVCG entertainment editor Dražen Bauković, singer and 2013 Montenegrin Eurovision entrant Nina Žižić, RTCG director and producer Gojko Berkuljan, TV Teuta editor and director Ilmira Lika and RTCG Marketing Manager Đorđije Kustudić.^[10]

On 4 January 2022, RTCG announced during the TVCG 1 morning show Dobro jutro Crna Goro that Vladana Vučinić would represent Montenegro in Turin. Vladana previously attempted to represent Serbia and Montenegro at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2005 with the song "Samo moj nikad njen" which failed to qualify from the Montenegrin semi-final, and in 2006 with the song "Željna" which she performed in a duet with Bojana Nenezić and placed fifteenth.^[11] In regards to her selection as the Montenegrin representative, Vladana stated: "I know that life is in both black and white keys, and everyday is a brand new song. That's why it's interesting. We only realise what it means to fight for a life when it begins to hurt, and when the cure is the only mission. This is my song, my cure for Europe, and for the world."^[12]

The Montenegrin song, "Breathe", was presented during a television special titled Montenegro, dodici punti on 4 March 2022.^[13][14][15] The show was televised on TVCG 1 and TVCG SAT as well as broadcast online via the broadcaster's website rtcg.me.^[16][17] In addition to the presentation of the song, the show featured guest appearances by 2022 Macedonian Eurovision entrant Andrea, members of 2005 Serbian and Montenegrin entrant No Name and 2016 Montenegrin Eurovision entrant Highway Luka Vojvodić, Nina Žižić, 2015 Montenegrin Eurovision entrant Knez, and member of 2019 Montenegrin Eurovision entrant D mol Tamara Vujačić.^[18] "Breathe" was written by Vučinić herself together with Darko Dimitrov who also carried out the production and mixing.^[19][20] Vučinić recorded the music video for the song in early February 2022, which was filmed in Cetinje and directed by Gojko Berkuljan who described his involvement as an opportunity to "communicate the message of the song through strong visual and metaphorical elements that accentuate the deep connotations the lyrics convey [...] The whole ambience of the video acts as if it is frozen in time, with people and things slowly levitating in that airless and weightless space". The video was released via the official Eurovision Song Contest's YouTube channel on the same day.^[21][22]

Promotion[]

Vladana is currently making appearances across Europe to specifically promote "Breathe" as the Montenegrin Eurovision entry. On 5 March, Vladana performed "Breathe" during the final of the Romanian Eurovision national selection. On 11 March, Vladana performed during the Melfest WKND event, which was held at the Nalen venue in Stockholm, Sweden and hosted by Reine, Brenda Mandlar and Miss Tobi.^[23][24] Vladana is also set to perform during the Barcelona Eurovision Party event on 26 March, which will be held at the Sala Apolo venue in Barcelona, Spain and hosted by Sharonne and Giuseppe Di Bella.^[25][26] Vladana also made several appearances in television talk shows in Serbia and is due to perform at the London Eurovision Party, which will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel venue on 3 April 2022 in London, United Kingdom and hosted by SuRie and Paddy O'Connell.^[27][28] She will also perform in the Eurovision in Concert 2022 at AFAS Live in Amsterdam on 9 April 2022 hosted by Edsilia Rombley and Cornald Maas.^[29]

In addition to participating in promotional activities across Europe to promote the Montenegrin entry, on 6 March 2022, Vladana produced her 'live-on-tape' backup recording in Belgrade, Serbia alongside the entrants from Serbia and North Macedonia. This can be used if Vladana is unable to travel to Turin, or subjected to quarantine on arrival.^[30]

At Eurovision[]

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 25 January 2022, an allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Montenegro has been placed into the second semi-final, to be held on 12 May 2022, and has been scheduled to perform in the second half of the show.^[31]

References[]