Thirty-nine countries are competing with the aim to lift the trophy in Malmö. The eleventh country to be introduced is Austria. The country won the contest in 1966 and this year Natália Kelly will fly the Austrian flag in Sweden.

Basic information

Performer: Natália Kelly
Song: Shine
Language: English
Music: Andreas Grass, Nikola Paryla & Alexander Kahr
Lyrics: Andreas Grass, Nikola Paryla & Natália Kelly

The song

Shine is a rocky ballad song about looking forward and positive in life. Natália Kelly sings about a situation when you you’re lost but you can shine again by finding yourself.

Shine
When hurt is all you’re feeling
You’re heart is slowly bleeding
There’re only memories to hold on to
When you almost stopped believing
Cold, alone and freezing
You think you’re lost but don’t know where to go
Look up to the starlit sky
Reignite the fire
You will shine, shine
And fight the shadows in the sky
You will shine
I see the light in your eyes

The performer

Natália Kelly is an Austrian singer, born in Hartford, Connecticut, United States to an American father and Brazilian mother. Kelly arrived to Austria from the US at the age of six in 2000. In 2004, at the age of ten, she was a member of the children’s opera in the production of In 80 Tagen um die Welt (Around the World in 80 Days) at the Baden state theatre. Also in 2004, Kelly came second on Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) television show, Kiddy Contest, with a duet with Manuel Gutleb. In the following years, Kelly participated in several competitions including Prima La Musica in classical music.

The songwriters

Andreas Grass, Nikola Paryla and Alexander Kahr composed this year’s Austrian entry. Together with them Natália Kelly wrote the lyrics of the song. Grass, Paryla and Kahr are three re-owned writers as Kahr is a well-known producer who searches for new talent. Infact he found Natália in 2011, when she participated in the Austrian version of talent show The Voice. That year she received a recording contract from Alexander Kahr.

The national selection

An Austrian national final took place in which five acts competed and the winner was chosen by tele-voting and jury at 50% split.

Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest

Austria debuted in the second Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 and immediately finished last. Over the years, the country turned out to be among the less successful ones in the competition. The only victory came in 1966 with Udo Jürgens and Merci chérie. Austria never finished second or third but fourth once and fifth four times. After the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 they withdrew from the competition and did not return until 2011 in which Nadine Beiler’s decent ballad managed to qualify to the final. Last year the country finished last in the first semi-final held in Baku.

Statistics

This will be Austria’s 46th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. It will be the 14th time that Austria is represented by a female solo singer. The last time the country sent a female singer was two years ago when Nadine managed to put Austria in the final.

Austrian vote in Eurovision

Austria and United Kingdom exchanged the top points in the Eurovision Song Contest. While the United Kingdom gave 81 points to Austria, the central European nation gave 167 points to the British.

The betting odds

According to oddschecker.com, Austria is currently standing at number 19 to win the Eurovision Song Contest. The country is the ninth favourite to qualify from semi-final one.

Wir wünschen Österreich und Natália Kelly viel Glück und eine gute Platzierung in Malmö!

Videos

Preview clip

Video by Universal Austria

Ne partez pas sans moi

Tomorrow another country will be introduced (hint – she’s back with a bang)

Have your say

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You can view previous parts of this series by clicking here