"A Million Voices" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Polina Gagarina | ||||
Released | 7 April 2015 [1] | |||
Recorded | 2015 | |||
Genre | Pop, Pop Rock | |||
Length | 3:05 | |||
Label | Universal Music Group | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Polina Gagarina singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Eurovision Song Contest 2015 entry | ||||
Country | ||||
Artist(s) | ||||
Language | English | |||
Composer(s) |
| |||
Lyricist(s) |
| |||
Finals performance | ||||
Semi-final result | 1st | |||
Semi-final points | 182 | |||
Final result | 2nd | |||
Final points | 303 | |||
Entry chronology | ||||
◄ "Shine" (2014) | ||||
"You Are the Only One" (2016) ► |
"A Million Voices" is the name of the song that represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. [2] It was performed by the Russian singer, songwriter, actress, and model Polina Gagarina. In the grand final it received 303 points, finishing second, becoming the first second-placed song ever to receive more than 300 points in the Eurovision Song Contest. The song is written by Swedish songwriters Gabriel Alares, Joakim Björnberg, by Australian Katrina Noorbergen and by Russians Leonid Gutkin and Vladimir Matetsky.
Charlotte Runcie of The Daily Telegraph described the song as "synth-heavy with oodles of key changes, on record it sounds quite a lot like a standard karaoke ballad - think Take That-lite". [3]
The music video of the song was presented on March 15, 2015. [4] On the same day it was published on the official channel of the contest on YouTube and gained more than 10 million views, making it the most watched Eurovision 2015 music video on the contest's channel. [5]
The shooting of the video involved 25 people, including children, adults and elderly people of different races and nationalities,The Holi part is the end. [6]
The 63-year-old singing contest in which viewers phone in to vote for their favourite has always largely been political, says Karen Fricker, a professor of Dramatic Arts at the Brock University of Canada who was in Vienna for the grand final. "The song is extremely effective and I would argue, manipulative," says Fricker, "because it's one of those songs that's all about how we should all get together and link hands and be human beings together and believe in peace", and added, "We have to bear in mind this song is representing Russia, a country that is very involved in aggressive foreign relations at the moment".
Before the final, Fricker pointed out that Gagarina did not earn boos from the crowd. While she acknowledged it may be a reflection of the crisis in Ukraine becoming less popular news, Fricker told CTV News, "it's also perhaps because fans just love the song". [7]
The live audience could be heard booing whenever a country awarded points to Russia at the song contest, which took place at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, prompting one of the hosts to remind the audience that “music should stand over politics tonight”. Conchita Wurst, who was condemned by leading Russian religious figures following her win last year, called the boos “incomprehensible” and said that Gagarina “cannot be blamed for the rules” in her home country. [8]
The booing was thought to be linked to Russia's anti-LGBT policies and its involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Conservative Russians viewed Conchita Wurst as a threat to traditional family values, and expressed concern about hosting the Eurovision Song Contest if Russia won. Despite the negative reaction from the Eurovision crowd, Russia's entry Polina Gagarina came in a respectable second place after Sweden's Måns Zelmerlöw took the crown with the song Heroes. Anti-booing technology was reportedly installed in Wiener Stadthalle to prevent boos from being heard on television. [8]
Russia's communications coordinator for Eurovision told The Moscow Times: “It was very embarrassing for us last year when this happened, as it was not the spirit of the contest. "We are here to build bridges, as the motto [of the contest] says".
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [9] | 79 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [10] | 10 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [11] | 22 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [12] | 38 |
CIS (TopHit) [13] | 123 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [14] | 23 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [15] | 46 |
Iceland (Tonlist) [16] | 4 |
Ireland (IRMA) [17] | 86 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [18] | 99 |
Russia (2M) | 1 |
Scotland (OCC) [19] | 55 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [20] | 26 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] | 39 |
UK Singles (OCC) [22] | 97 |
UK (UK Single Downloads Chart) [23] | 61 |
Russia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 23 times since their debut in 1994. Russia won the 2008 contest with Dima Bilan performing the song "Believe". One of the most successful countries in the contest in the 21st century with a total of ten top five placements, Russia finished second with Alsou in 2000, Dima Bilan in 2006, Buranovskiye Babushki in 2012 and Polina Gagarina in 2015; third with t.A.T.u. in 2003, Serebro in 2007, Sergey Lazarev in 2016 and 2019, and fifth with Dina Garipova in 2013. In 2018, they failed to qualify for the final for the first time in their history. The Russian entry has been chosen through both internal selections and a televised national final titled Evrovidenie, with their most recent entry (2021) being chosen by the latter.
"Merci, Chérie" was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966, performed for Austria by Udo Jürgens with lyrics in German and partially in French. It is an earnest ballad in which the singer, as he leaves her, thanks his lover for good times and positive memories.
"Dancing Lasha Tumbai" is a song recorded and written by Ukrainian singer Verka Serduchka. It is best known as the Ukrainian entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, held in Helsinki.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the 2014 contest with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), the contest was held at the Hall D of the Wiener Stadthalle and consisted of two semi-finals on 19 and 21 May, and a final on 23 May 2015. The three live shows were presented by Austrian television presenters Mirjam Weichselbraun, Alice Tumler and Arabella Kiesbauer, while the previous edition's winner Conchita Wurst acted as the green room host.
Thomas Neuwirth is an Austrian singer and drag queen who is known for his stage persona Conchita Wurst. Neuwirth came to international attention after winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 as Austria's entrant with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix". Neuwirth has stated that he is not a trans woman. He is gay, and has also described himself as a drag queen.
Austria participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix", written by Charlie Mason, Joey Patulka, Ali Zuckowski and Julian Maas. The song was performed by Conchita Wurst, the drag stage persona of Tom Neuwirth, who had risen to fame after taking part in an Austrian talent show in 2011 and attempting to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. In September 2013 the Austrian broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) announced that they had internally selected Wurst to compete at the 2014 contest in Copenhagen, Denmark, with her song presented to the public in March 2014.
"Rise Like a Phoenix" is a pop song performed by Austrian singer Conchita Wurst, and the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. Selected to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark, its official release on 18 March 2014 was followed on 21 March by Conchita's first live TV performance of the song, on the ORF show Dancing Stars. "Rise Like a Phoenix" was Austria's second winning entry in the competition, their first being in 1966.
Russia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "A Million Voices", written by Gabriel Alares, Joakim Björnberg, Katrina Noorbergen, Leonid Gutkin and Vladimir Matetsky. The song was performed by Polina Gagarina, who was selected by Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia (C1R) in March 2015 to represent the nation at the 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria. In the first of the Eurovision semi-finals "A Million Voices" placed first out of the 16 participating countries, securing its place among the 27 other songs in the final. In Russia's nineteenth Eurovision appearance on 23 May, "A Million Voices" finished in second place, receiving 303 points and full marks from five countries.
Aminata Savadogo, occasionally known as simply Aminata, is a Latvian singer, songwriter, record producer, and model. She represented Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Love Injected". She released her debut studio album, Inner Voice, in April 2015.
"Golden Boy" is a song performed by Israeli singer Nadav Guedj and was written by Doron Medalie. It was chosen by public broadcaster IBA to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. The song was premièred on 12 March 2015. It was released as a digital download on 15 March 2015 as the lead single from his debut studio album Nadav Guedj (2016). It is the first ever Israeli Eurovision entry with lyrics entirely in the English language. Within the Eurovision Song Contest, the song went through to the grand final after finishing in 3rd place in the 2nd Semi-final. The song finished in 9th place in the grand final with 97 points.
Polina Sergeyevna Gagarina is a Russian singer and songwriter. She represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with "A Million Voices" where she finished second with 303 points. In doing so, she became the first second placed finisher to exceed 300 points. Gagarina also participated in the Chinese reality-competition Singer in 2019, where she was one of the finalists.
Polina Sergeyevna Bogusevich is a Russian singer. She represented Russia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with the song "Wings", and went on to win the competition. She is the second Russian entrant to win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
Chingiz Mustafayev is an Azerbaijani singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He represented Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Truth", finishing in eighth place.
Austrian singer and recording artist Conchita Wurst has released three studio albums and eighteen singles. Her debut studio album, Conchita, was released in May 2015. The album peaked at number one on the Austrian Albums Chart, and includes the singles "Rise like a Phoenix", "Heroes", "You Are Unstoppable", "Firestorm" and "Colours of Your Love". Her second studio album, From Vienna with Love, was released in October 2018. The album peaked at number one on the Austrian Albums Chart, and includes the singles "The Sound of Music" and "Für mich soll's rote Rosen regnen". His third studio album and first as WURST, Truth Over Magnitude, was released in October 2019. The album peaked at number three on the Austrian Albums Chart, and includes the singles "Trash All the Glam", "Hit Me", "See Me Now", "To the Beat", "Forward" and "Under the Gun".
Russia originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Uno", performed by Little Big. The entry, written by Denis Tsukerman, Ilya Prusikin and Viktor Sibrinin, was selected internally. The group was also internally selected by the Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia (C1R). However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the contest was cancelled.
The discography of Polina Gagarina, a Russian singer-songwriter, consists of three studio albums and 33 singles. She represented Russia at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, with the song "A Million Voices", coming second in the final with 303 points.
Poprosi u oblakov is the debut solo album by Russian singer Polina Gagarina. It was released on 12 July 2007.
O sebe is the second solo album by Russian pop star Polina Gagarina. It was released on 11 March 2010.
9 is the third solo album by Russian pop star Polina Gagarina. It was released 9 September 2016.
The Eurovision Song Contest has had a long-held fan base in the LGBT community, and Eurovision organisers have actively worked to include these fans in the contest since the 1990s.