The LTV, Latvia’s public broadcaster, chose their Eurovision representative for the ninth consecutive year through Supernova, a national final format created in 2015 and which, with small changes over time, remains the selection method for the Baltic country. During the first two weeks of February, both the semifinal and final of Supernova took place, and the Sudden Lights group, with the highest scores from the jury and televote, won their ticket to Liverpool and succeeded Citi Zēni as Latvia’s representatives at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Get to know Sudden Lights
Sudden Lights was formed in 2012 when Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis (vocalist) met Mārtiņš Matīss Zemītis (drums) while both were studying at a music school in Riga, the Latvian capital. Later, the other two musicians who are part of the current formation of the band joined: Kārlis Matīss Zitmanis (guitar) and Kārlis Vārtiņš (bass). And it was not until 2015 when the group released their first original song “Tik savādi”, after winning the first prize in a contest for emerging musicians. Several more singles, which had some impact on the country’s radios, followed until in 2017 the band’s first studio album Priekšpilsētas was released. “Just Fine”, one of the songs from that album, was the one the group tried to go to Eurovision with when they competed in Supernova 2018 and finished in 2nd place. That same year, the group won the Zelta Mikrofons award for best debut artist and accompanied Eurovision’s Brainstorm on their national tour. The upward career of Sudden Lights continued with more successful singles, two more albums on the market, concert tours and festivals, among other things. And after their second attempt, the band will represent the Baltic country at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest.
“Aijā”, their song for Liverpool
In several interviews, the band has said that their song “Aijā” was made with the purpose of being a lullaby, in the purest “Eaea” style of Blanca Paloma. The band says that due to the “bad things” happening all over the world, they wanted to create a song that would distract people who listened to it from those problems. Likewise, the Sudden Lights guys claim that they want viewers to feel like they’re experiencing a “rock concert on stage” when watching them perform.
“Aijā” by Sudden Lights Lyrics
Original lyrics
You said some words
Didn’t hear you fall asleep
People were talking louder
From my TV screen
I heard them scream
It was too dark to see
Don’t cry
I’ll try to
Say the right words at the right times
Sing you lullabies
Please don’t wake up wake up
Used to think we live
In a world so beautiful
You see
I think I don’t believe
In this stuff anymore
Don’t cry
I’ll try to
Say the right words at the right times
Sing you lullabies
Please don’t wake up wake up
Don’t cry
I’ll try to
Say the right words at the right times
Sing you lullabies
Please don’t wake up wake up
Please don’t make me wake
Don’t make me wake
Please don’t wake up wake up
Aijā, aijā, saldā miegā
Aijā, aijā, saldā miegā
Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest
Latvia made its Eurovision debut in 2000 with the group Brainstorm, which finished in third place. Two years later, in 2002, with Marie N and her ‘I Wanna’, the country achieved its only victory to date in Tallinn.
Since 2000, Latvia has reached the final in 10 participations. Of the three Baltic countries, it is the one that has managed to qualify for the final the fewest times, being eliminated in the semifinals in 11 of the 17 editions, in five of them in last place. In these 21 years at the festival, Latvia has finished within the TOP5 three times and within the TOP10 four times.
In 2022, the country was represented by the group Citi Zeni, with their song ‘Eat your salad’ but failed to qualify for the final and finished in 14th place in their semifinal with only 55 points.