We might have missed him from the spotlight for a while, but now he’s back! Loukas Yorkas, the Greek-Cypriot artist who represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the hip hop singer Stereo Mike is here to make a powerful comeback with a rather… unexpected song!
Loukas’ flashback video clip and revealing words
His brand new song Ipokrinese (You’re pretending) is now available and apart from its recently-filmed scenes, its video clip features highlights from Loukas Yorkas‘ music career over the years, from its very beginning to the present day, including his Eurovision participation, of course! The video features parts from his stage performance in Düsseldorf, his walking through the red carpet with the rest members of the Greek delegation, his press conference and him talking to journalists.
Here is Loukas Yorkas and Stereo Mike speaking to ESCToday during Eurovision 2011 in Germany:
You’re pretending!
The video starts just it all started for Loukas; with his victory at the first Greek X-Factor edition. However, it hasn’t all been a happy fairytale for him… His new song’s title Ipokrinese (You’re pretending) actually refers to himself and the time when he had to play someone else’s role in order to deal with the huge publicity around his name.
Below you may listen to his brand new mid-tempo Greek-lyric song. Do you like it?
On the occasion of his track’s release, Loukas spoke in detail about the tough times he faced, while he didn’t hesitate to talk about his fight against depression and how difficult it was to get through it.
Here are his shocking statements:
Publicity split my life into two parts, and it pressurized me with the responsibility of the role model, the proof of the impossible, the fake attitude and the hypocrisy from which our days suffer. I was very young. I was spontaneous. Impulsive. And I never liked to pretend… So I had been trying for years to hurt that “famous man” who came into my life and turned it upside down. I was afraid of “him” because I could not deal with “him”… that’s why that I wanted to hurt “him”.
I was drinking alcohol and I was walking drunk around Athens. I had panic attacks, I took antidepressant pills, I was running into the streets because I wanted someone to see me while I was “dying” and I was tearing the posters of “his” on the streets. I did some psychotherapies, I tried to come even closer to God until I realized that all I was doing was my self-destruct, that the person I’m fighting is not my enemy. He’s not even my friend. It was myself… and that made me stronger. I picked up my shivers from every corner of my place and I re-united them. Now I’m not going to say “I’m ready” but I’m here and I have the experience and integrity I need to face the battles that are now ahead!
Loukas Yorkas at Eurovision
After a national final event with a total of 6 acts competing, it was finally announced that it would be the singers Loukas Yorkas and Stereo Mike who would fly the Greek flag at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song Watch my dance, which combined hip hop with Greek laiko elements.
The two artists went on to represent the country in the May of the same year in Düsseldorf and participated in the first semi-final. After going through to the final, they managed to enter the Top 10 and come 7th, with a total of 120 points.
Below you may remember their live performance at the 2011 Eurovision Grand Final: