After achieving their best result since 1993 last year in Tel Aviv, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation decided, once again, to select their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest through an internal selection.
From September 2nd 2019 until September 16th 2019, SRG SSR opened a period for singers and songwriters to submit possible entries. 515 entries were received and it was up to a group of 120 people (*) to decide who would represent the Confoederatio Helvetica in Rotterdam this May 2020.
On March 4th 2020 we came to know that Switzerland will start another decade of Eurovision singing in French. “Répondez-moi” is their first entry totally sung in French since 2010 and to defend it, we have the Gjon’s Tears.
Gjon’s Tears is the artistic name of Swiss singer and songwriter Gjon Muharremaj, of Kosovar-Albanian descent. He has been in different singing talent shows since the age of 12. This 21 year old singer has not yet a vast discography but worth mention is his non-album single, released in 2018, “Babi”.
“Répondez-moi” (answer me) is a ballad. The lyrics touch on the universal search for answers to questions about life, the World, and ourselves. As the singer explained, it is about a very personal subject for him, having a migrant background. It has a quiet start, where we immediately feel Gajon’s unique voice and it builds up in a sort of anthem form, powerful and clear to the end.
As it was mentioned already…
1956 – Switzerland’s first victory, singing in French
32 years after…
1988 – Switzerland’s second victory, singing in French
32 years after…
2020 – Third victory for Switzerland, singing in French?
Time will tell. For now, in an edition that appears to be one of the more unpredictable ones of the last years, Switzerland is gaining recognition at the top of many preference polls.
(*) 50% of the decision came from a panel of 20 international juries and 50% of the decision came from a 100-member public panel