2016: The Winner

JAMALA WITH "1944" FOR UKRAINE

PHOTO SOURCE: theguardian.com

Did anyone see this coming?! With all eyes on France and Russia this year, this contemporary downtempo track from Ukraine slipped through the pre-hype machine despite its powerful message and incredible performance. Ukraine was a surprise win, knocking the top competition from the win with a staggeringly huge amount of points. The win for Ukraine represents a new chance for the struggling country to assert its independence.

The song was a controversial choice for sure. The song is a dedication to Jamala's grandmother, who was forcefully relocated from her homeland during the Stalinist purges. It's a deep song rooted in some very important and tragic history. I figure it's message must've resonated with the European people at this time. The Russian government had concerns that the song was "Anti-Russian" but many Russians also related to the song, as many Russian families were also victims of Stalin. Some might say the song is too politically charged, but it's also a personal story and that alone is why the song was allowed to compete. "1944" is also the first song in the contest to feature the Crimean Tatar language which adds a haunting quality to this already intense song.

Semi-Final Score: 287 pts (2nd place out of 18)

Final Score: 534 pts (1st place out of 26)

Written by Jamala & Art Antonyan

Final Performance:

Studio Version: