On February 25th, Croatia chose its representative for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest at Dora 2024, the Croatian pre-selection for the European competition, which marked its 25th edition.
A national and international jury, along with viewers via phone calls and SMS, had the choice to select Baby Lasagna as the Croatian representative in Malmö (Sweden) next May. Baby Lasagna is a breath of fresh air on the stage, representing the most explosive and charismatic side of Croatia’s new talents. After entering the pre-selection as one of the reserves, the young artist will finally travel to the Malmö Arena to perform “Rim Tim Tagi Dim.”
With the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on the horizon, it’s time to get to know each of the contenders vying for the crystal microphone.
Who is Baby Lasagna?
Baby Lasagna is the stage name of the young artist Marko Purišić. The singer was born on July 5, 1995, in Umag, a coastal town on the Istrian Peninsula. From a very young age, Marko dreamed of being a musician and singing to his audience. Marko is a singer, musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a multidisciplinary artist who has gradually shaped his acclaimed musical style. What Baby Lasagna is today is the result of his involvement in various projects, combined with his life journey very present in his songs.
His foray into the music world came with the metalcore group Meant To Be, where he joined Alen Hodović (vocalist), Denis Nadarević (guitar), Nola Filipović (bass), and his brother Martin Purišić (drums) as a guitarist and backing vocalist. In his time with Meant To Be, he met the producer Marko Matijević Sekul, who invited him to join Manntra, where he was a guitarist. Between 2016 and 2018, Marko Purišić temporarily left Manntra to launch the Bastion project. In 2022, he definitively left Manntra to embark on new solo projects focused on writing his own songs.
In 2023, Baby Lasagna was born. He claims that he came up with the stage name while looking for a store to buy water to take a headache pill. Baby Lasagna emerged as a hobby, an outlet to freely compose songs. It is a musical project that arose from Marko’s need to follow his own desires and not according to the instructions of record companies. Baby Lasagna’s style ranges from punk to metal, passing through pop, techno, and house.
“Rim Tim Tagi Dim” the Croatian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
Baby Lasagna will perform “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” in Malmö 2024, an explosive and captivating proposal that will leave no one indifferent. Remaining true to his style, Baby Lasagna brings all the necessary effects to the stage to build the narrative of his song. Through lighting effects, pyrotechnics, and attractive visuals, he narrates the migration of a young man from the countryside to the city to carve out a better future. Inspired by the massive exodus of young people who left Croatia in search of better opportunities in foreign countries, something very common in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
In “Rim Tim Tagi Dim,” he considers himself mature enough to leave and start anew elsewhere. To do so, the artist portrays life’s contrasts, drawing a parallel between the countryside and the city: “I hope to find peace in the noise. I want to become one of those city boys.” According to Marko, he wrote the song in his bedroom and was inspired by a job offer on a cruise ship that he ultimately turned down. Initially, the song was intended to be part of his debut album, but he realized its potential and decided to submit it to the competition. “There was no intention, it rather emerged as child’s play,” he said.
“Rim Tim Tagi Dim” was first heard on January 4 on HRT Radio 2 Svijet Diskografije. It was officially released on January 9 alongside the rest of the entries for Dora 2024 on the competition’s official YouTube channel. Finally, on January 12, it was released on all digital platforms. Baby Lasagna, Croatia’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, has confirmed that “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” will be the lead single of his debut studio album, “Demons & Mosquitos.”
Baby Lasagna himself, credited as Marko Purišić in the official song credits, is the composer of the music and lyrics of the proposal. Meanwhile, his acclaimed and viral music video was directed by Elizabeta Ružić, taking into account the original idea proposed by Marko. The Rose Art studio was responsible for the recording, production, and realization of the official video.
The countryside, nature, and animals, from a revolutionary perspective, have inspired Marko to shape his music video, filmed in Umag, his hometown. In the video, a rural man is depicted, excited to leave his lifestyle behind but still overwhelmed by anxiety and fear.
Lyrics of «Rim Tim Tagi Dim»
Ay, I’m a big boy now.
I’m ready to leave, ciao, mama, ciao.
Ay, I’m a big boy now.
I’m going away and I sold my cow.
Before I leave, I must confess.
I need a round of decompress.
One more time for all the good times.
Rim tim tagi digi dim tim tim.
Gonna miss you all but mostly the cat.
Gonna miss my hay, gonna miss my bed.
Most of all, I’ma miss the dance.
So come on y’all, let us prance.
Now don’t call, don’t write.
I’m leavin’ with the first light.
Don’t cry, but dance.
Rim tim tagi digi dim tim tim.
There’s no going back.
My presence fades to black.
Yeah, there’s no going back.
My anxiety attacks.
Rim tim tagi digi dim tim tagi digi.
I hope I find peace in the noise.
Wanna become one of them city boys.
They’re all so pretty and so advanced.
Maybe they also know our dance.
Bye mom, bye dad.
Meow, cat, please meow back.
Don’t cry, just dance.
Rim tim tagi digi dim tim tim.
There’s no going back.
My presence fades to black.
Yeah, there’s no going back.
My anxiety attacks.
Rim tim tagi digi dim tim tagi digi.
There’s no going back.
My presence fades to black.
There’s no going back.
Anxiety attacks.
Rim tim tagi digi dim tim tagi digi.
There’s no going back.
My presence fades to black.
Yeah, there’s no going back.
My anxiety attackѕ.
Rim tim tagi digi dim tim tаgi digi dim.
Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest
Since its debut in Eurovision in 1993, just two years after its independence from Yugoslavia, Croatia has maintained a constant presence in the contest, except for the editions of 2014 and 2015. With its participation in Malmö 2024, the Balkan country achieves an important milestone: 30 total participations.
Croatia has a rich history in Eurovision, even before its independence. In several previous editions, the representatives of Yugoslavia came from the Croatian region, with notable names like the group Riva, who won the contest in 1989 with “Rock Me”. Additionally, the Croatian capital, Zagreb, hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 1990. After independence in 1992, Croatia attempted to participate in Eurovision, but its national broadcaster, HRT, was not yet a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). However, in 1993, with HRT’s entry into the EBU, Croatia was finally able to join the competition.
In its first participation in 1993, Croatia qualified through the pre-qualification round “Kvalifikacija Za Millstreet” and achieved a respectable fifteenth place with the song “Don’t Ever Cry” by Put. Since then, Croatia experienced a “golden age” in Eurovision between 1996 and 1999, achieving notable results such as fourth place in Oslo 1996 and Jerusalem 1999.
Croatia has reached the Top 10 on five occasions. Since the introduction of the semifinals in 2004, it has advanced to the final on eight occasions. In 2023, the Croatian group Let 3 qualified with their song “Mama ŠČ!” and reached thirteenth place in the final.