The song “Layla” he produced was the most successful song of the past year, and now pop star Ikke Hipgold wants to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest with another song. And he can be happy. Tiktok users nominate him for the selection for the preliminary decision.
The ninth and last starter for the German preliminary round of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has been determined. In a vote on the online service Tiktok, the party hit singer Ikke Hipgold was able to prevail with his “song with good lyrics”, the NDR announced. The fun song, which some compare to Guildo Horn’s ESC contribution from 1998 – “Guildo hat dich lieb” (Guildo hat dich lieb) prevailed with 52 percent of the votes against five competitors.
After much criticism of the selection process for the German preliminary decision, the NDR had initiated a vote on a starter at Tiktok for the first time. The preliminary decision “Our Song for Liverpool” is on March 3rd in Cologne. There, the audience can help decide on the German contribution to the ESC final in Liverpool in May. Among the starters already set is the rock band Lord of the Lost, who with their album “Blood
The well-known pop duo Frida Gold also wants to start at the ESC for Germany. Also the Berlin singer Will Church, Patty Gurdy from Düsseldorf, the singer Trong from Bad Kissingen in Bavaria, the Berlin singer René Miller, the Berliner Anica Russo and the Passau band Lonely Spring.
The ESC final will take place in Liverpool on May 13th. The UK is hosting, although it finished second in Torino 2022 behind Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra. Because of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the European broadcasting union EBU did not want the ESC final to take place in the country of last year’s winner, as is usual. Ukraine originally wanted it anyway.
Germany had done disappointingly in the ESC final in recent years. Singer Malik Harris took last place last year.
(This article was first published on Saturday, February 04, 2023.)
