The Second Eurovision Semi-Final is coming up in Liverpool, and it’s time to get to know the 16 competing artists a little better.

Join us behind the scenes for a bit more insight into the final acts hoping to get a place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Grand Final. They might all be talented musicians, but that’s about where the similarities end. Who’s played Mozart on stage, and who is the “Professor of Pop?” Let’s find out.

🇩🇰 Denmark | Reiley - Breaking My Heart

Reiley is on the same record label as Lizzo (Atlantic Records) and is a massive fan of the popstar. And Lizzo if you’re listening, Reiley is up for a future collab. He’s all about the catchy pop songs and explained that creating easily digestible music and getting a pop sound is a lot harder than it looks. This appreciation for good craft and his love of sampling might be why he placed Netta’s Toy as his number 1 Eurovision song of all time.

🇦🇲 Armenia | Brunette - Future Lover

Brunette started singing when she was just 4 years old, and got stuck straight into lessons to hone her craft. She was only a teenager when she started writing her own songs. A little further down the line, and she’s written her own Eurovision Song Contest 2023 entry, Future Lover.

🇷🇴 Romania | Theodor Andrei - D.G.T. (Off and On)

Theodor Andrei isn’t just a rock star, he’s a thespian too. His most recent role is as the eccentric Mozart in a famous play about the composer’s life, Amadeus. He’s won a whole host of awards for his theatre performances at home and abroad, so it’s no wonder he puts on a show on the Eurovision stage.

🇪🇪 Estonia | Alika - Bridges

Alika was raised on rock music and grew up listening to classic bands like Led Zeppelin, ACDC, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, so we can expect all sorts of sounds from her in the future. If she were to collaborate with any other Eurovision 2023 artist, she would choose “rock guy” Käärijä.

🇧🇪 Belgium | Gustaph - Because Of You

Gustaph is not just a performer, he’s a professor of pop. He’s got a Master’s in jazz vocals and now teaches pop music, including songwriting, technical vocals, and ensemble. That paired with his previous experience on the Eurovision stage might be why he’s become a nurturing figure within this year’s group of artists.

🇨🇾 Cyprus | Andrew Lambrou - Break A Broken Heart

Andrew found fame through performing cover songs, and he took social media by storm. After getting the attention of record labels and now representing Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, Andrew’s story has come full circle — other people are covering his songs.

🇮🇸 Iceland | Diljá - Power

Diljá has a lot of range in her voice, and part of that might be down to her studies at a vocal institute in Copenhagen. She wrote her first song at the age of 6, which she can still remember now. She even performed a rendition of it for Clara Amfo.

🇬🇷 Greece | Victor Vernicos - What They Say

Victor is the youngest ever artist to represent Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest, and is only 16 years old. In amongst rehearsals, music production, and interviews, his typical day also includes going to school.

🇵🇱 Poland | Blanka - Solo

Blanka spent a lot of time performing at open mic evenings across New York, with her mum going along with her. She always had her guitar in hand, and would perform her own songs, which she started writing at the age of 16.

🇸🇮 Slovenia | Joker Out - Carpe Diem

The Joker Out boys really love to party, and they’ve got a favourite new karaoke track — Gustaph’s Because Of You. The band are so full of energy that they decided against using pyro in their Eurovision Semi-Final performance, as they decided that their spark would be enough.

🇬🇪 Georgia | Iru - Echo

This might be Iru’s first time at the Eurovision Song Contest, but she’s already got a Eurovision trophy — she was a Junior Eurovision winner with her band Candy. She thinks that experience at a young age has helped build her confidence and set her up for her big Eurovision moment.

🇸🇲 San Marino | Piqued Jacks - Like An Animal

The boys from San Marino are known for their skydiving stunt when they released their album Synchronizer. They would have liked to do the same to launch into their Eurovision performance, but the budget simply didn’t stretch to cutting the roof off Liverpool Arena. Instead, they say that next time they do a skydive, they’ll do it naked.

🇦🇹 Austria | Teya & Salena - Who The Hell Is Edgar?

Teya and Salena might be inhabited by the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe, but they’re also on the same wavelength as each other. When Marija Šerifović won for Serbia in 2007 with the song Molitva, both Teya and Salena decided they wanted to be on that stage one day. It was only recently that they discovered they had the same moment of inspiration. Spooky.

🇦🇱 Albania | Albina & Familja Kelmendi - Duje

Music runs through the Kelmendi family’s veins, with the Kelmendi grandparents being musicians. Every single member of the family can sing, and they all play at least 2 instruments, one of which, for Albina, is the clarinet. Perhaps she can link up with Theodor Andrei and treat Liverpool to a performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto.

🇱🇹 Lithuania | Monika Linkytė - Stay

Monika has competed at Eurovision before, but this time it’s different. In 2015, she performed This Time with Vaidas Baumila, and she had no part in writing the song. But for Stay, Monika co-wrote the song with her friend Krists Indrišonoks. They had 3 weeks to write the piece, but they sat down one evening and the whole thing flowed out. Musical magic.

🇦🇺 Australia | Voyager - Promise

Voyager love to play with genres. They’ve submitted a whole collection of songs to their national selection in past years, channelling different musical vibes. Promise finally gave them the ticket to the Contest, and this song features screamo sections, which are largely thanks to band member Alex.