Alika | |
|---|---|
 Alika in the Alexela Concert Hall in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alika Milova |
| Born | 5 September 2002 Narva, Estonia |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 2021–present |
| Labels | Universal Music Group |
Alika Milova [lower-alpha 1] (born 5 September 2002), known mononymously as Alika, is an Estonian singer. She represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "Bridges", finishing in eighth place with 168 points.
Milova made her name by participating in various singing competitions and television programs in Estonia and abroad since childhood, including The Baltic Voice, New Wave Junior, Kaunas Talent, Bravo Song Contest and Berlin Perle. She rose to prominence in 2021 with her victory at the eighth edition of the Estonian talent show Eesti otsib superstaari , which earned her a record deal with Universal Music Group. [1]
On 1 November 2022, it was announced that she would participate in Eesti Laul 2023 with the song "Bridges". [2] She participated in Semi Final 2 and qualified for the final. [3] On 11 February 2023, Milova performed in the final, where televoting chose her as the winner among the 12 participants to become their national representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool. [4]
At Liverpool, Alika performed in the first half of the second semi-final and placed 10th, qualifying for the final. In the grand final, Milova ultimately placed 8th with a score of 168 points.
On 14 August 2023, Alika announced on her Instagram account that her debut album would be released on 24 November. [5] This debut album, titled simply 'Alika', won Debut Album of the Year at the Estonian Music Awards 2024 (Eesti Muusikaauhinnad 2024) held on 1 February 2024. [6] At the same awards ceremony, Alika also won Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year with her Eurovision entry Bridges. [6]
Milova was born into a Russian-speaking family in the Estonian border town of Narva. [7] Originally, most of her family is from Crimea, Ukraine. Family members that still lived there, moved to Kyiv after the Russian invasion and occupation of Crimea in 2014. [8] Milova's sister, Valeria Milova, is a professional dancer and has appeared on the Turkish and Irish versions of Dancing with the Stars . [9]
| Title | Details |
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| Alika |
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| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LTU [10] | SWE Heat. [11] | ||
| "Õnnenumber" | 2021 | — | — |
| "Bon Appetit" | 2022 | — | — |
| "C'est La Vie" | — | — | |
| "Bridges" | 20 | 17 | |
| "You" | 2023 | — | — |
| "Lihtsalt Veab/Too Much" [12] | — | — | |
| "Õde ütles" [13] | — | — | |
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Estonia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, with "Bridges" performed by Alika. The Estonian broadcaster Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR) organised the national final Eesti Laul 2023 in order to select the Estonian entry for the 2023 contest. The national final consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. Ten songs competed in each semi-final and six from each semi-final as determined by a jury panel and public vote qualified to the final alongside two wildcards selected by the public. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, a jury panel and a public vote selected the top three to qualify to the superfinal. In the superfinal, "Bridges" performed by Alika was selected as the winner entirely by a public vote.
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