Azerbaijan, as has become tradition, is one of the last countries to present its representative and premieres its song after the deadline for confirmation to the EBU has passed. This does not mean that they do not meet the deadline, as the song is validated by the EBU, so it depends on the country’s public television, in this case AZTV, when they decide to release it to the general public. This is something that Azerbaijan has repeated in Eurovision 2024.
This year they conducted an internal selection, but with a very public process. The country presented a list of 15 pre-candidates to win the ticket to Malmö, all of whom had passed previous auditions. The finalists performed their proposals in auditions with exceptional judges, including Aysel Teymurzade, Azerbaijan’s representative in Moscow in 2009, Eldar Gasimov, and Nigar Jamal, winners of Eurovision 2011, among others.
This narrowed the list down to just six possible candidates: Emy Lia, İlkin Dövlətov & Mila Miles & Etibar Əsədli, Aisel, Fahree, and Qorqudy Səbinə Quluzadə. From this information, given in November, Eurovision rumors spread like wildfire, with the competition seeming to be between the former Eurovision participant Aisel and the trio created for the occasion: İlkin Dövlətov & Mila Miles & Etibar Əsədli. Ultimately, nothing is as it seems, and soloist Fahree will be the one on the stage at the Malmö Arena.
Who are FAHREE and Ilkin Dovlatov?
Fakhri Ismayilov was born in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on April 10, 1995, surrounded by a family connected to the world of entertainment. His studies took him further away from the entertainment world, as he spent six years earning a bachelor’s degree in Law. However, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, his childhood passion began to take hold of him: pursuing music.
From that moment on, he set aside his legal career and traded law textbooks for a microphone. According to several Azerbaijani media outlets, he wanted to represent his country with an original song, writing the song with which he entered the selection process for the Azerbaijani candidate.
In 2022, he released “Dance,” his debut single, followed by the song “Apardi Uzaqlara” in his native language and in collaboration with Azerbaijani singer, songwriter, and producer Mila Miles, which has garnered the most attention to date. In June 2023, he released the single “Yollar,” from which he released a remix with KHVN and DMTRS.
İlkin Dövlətov rose to fame in Azerbaijan through his participation in the music talent show The Voice. He captivated the entire country with his rendition of Azerbaijani national music, in addition to possessing a very special and characteristic tone in his voice, but ultimately had to settle for second place. His performances on the talent show have garnered a large number of views. Since then, he has only released two songs, “Gecelar” and “Ters,” with little musical reception.
“Özünlə Apar” the Azerbaijani entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
The song is a fusion of styles, ranging from traditional Azerbaijani Mugam to more current sounds prevalent in the global music industry.
“Özünlə Apar” is written in both English and Azerbaijani by Fahree himself, as well as by Edgar Ravin, Mado Salikh, Hasan Haydar, and Mila Miles. The song represents a perfect fusion of Azerbaijani folklore and modern pop. It includes a type of traditional music known as “mugham,” with melodies and rhythms of folk origin, and based on interpretation.
Although traditionally only performed on special occasions such as weddings or certain gatherings, it has now become popularized and there are even festivals dedicated to this genre, recognized in 2003 as intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It is widespread in several countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia. The song is about the journey one must undertake to discover hope and strength through love.
It tells the story of a man who is full of doubts and fears but finds the courage to overcome the darkness when he finds the right person, and it describes how love paves the way to harmony, empowerment of the soul, and emotional fulfillment. In Eurovision, we have been able to enjoy this singing style in “When the Music Dies,” Azerbaijan’s representative in 2012, and in Jamala’s “1944” in 2016.
Lyrics of «Özünlə Apar»
I lived a life standing on my own,
Chaos inside and mysteries unsolved.
Only with you I feel
How the burdens of my life just disappear.
Through all the lows and highs
Love has guided me to gates of paradise.
Hold my heart in your hands,
Do you have what it takes?
Hurricanes are roaming but you take away the pain
Healing all the scars and breaking chains.
Gəl özünlə apar,
Sənsiz göy mənə dar
Gəl özünlə apar,
Sənsiz göy mənə dar
Hold my heart in your hands,
Do you have what it takes?
Hurricanes are roaming but you take away the pain
Healing all the scars and breaking chains.
Gəl özünlə apar,
Sənsiz göy mənə dar
Gəl özünlə apar,
Sənsiz göy mənə dar
Azerbaijan’s participation in Eurovision
The Caucasian country debuted in Eurovision in 2008, with Elnur and Samir and the song “Day After Day,” with which they achieved an eighth position in the final held in Belgrade. Since then, they have participated in all editions, achieving their first and only victory to date in 2011 with “Running Scared” by the duo Ell & Nikki.
It is worth noting that since 2009, the country’s public television has been responsible for hiring and selecting Scandinavian producers and investing a large amount of money in each entry to achieve victory. This has led to a golden age, reaching the Top 10 in a total of seven editions. However, we have seen how in recent years this strategy has failed, failing to reach the final in 2018 with Aisel and “X My Heart” or finishing in twentieth position in 2021 with Efendi and the song “Mata Hari.”
In 2022, Ictamai TV brought Nadir Rüstəmli to Turin, known in the country for being the winner of the Azerbaijani version of The Voice. “Fade To Black” was the song with which he represented Azerbaijan on the Eurovision stage, finishing in sixteenth position with a total of 106 points.
In 2023, Azerbaijani television opted for a distinctly Azerbaijani entry, leaving aside Swedish producers, resulting in the selection of the street group TuralTuranX. However, this strategy did not work out well for them, as the group finished in fourteenth place in the semifinal with only 4 points.