The sixty-eighth edition of the Eurovision Song Contest continues to shape its lineup of artists. Latvia will be represented by the singer Dons, after becoming the winner of Supernova 2024, the Latvian national pre-selection to choose its representative in the musical contest.
The artist, who is also a composer, will be the flagbearer of his nation with the song “Hollow,” which finished in first place with a total of 24 points, earning the maximum score from both the jury and televoting, followed by Vēstulēs with “Kur?” with a total of 20 points, and Katrīna Gupalo in third position with 16 points.
Who is Dons?
Artūrs Šingirejs, known artistically as Dons, was born on April 10, 1984, in Saldus, Latvia. From an early age, his interest in music became evident, with his mother being his first teacher of English and music theory at the age of six. Piano lessons at the local school expanded his musical education, while his self-taught approach led him to explore guitar and singing.
His musical career took off in 2003 when he participated in the reality show “Talantu Fabrikā,” which allowed him to release his first album in collaboration with Lily, his competition partner. It was in 2006 when his solo career took flight with the album “Lights On,” produced by Charles Foskett, known for his work with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. Success not only found him in music but also on stage, starring in the musical “Adata” in 2007. After a stint in London and Los Angeles, he decided to focus on his career in Latvian, resulting in a series of successful albums such as “Lelle” in 2008 and “Signāls” in 2013.
His passion for Eurovision was reflected in several attempts to represent Latvia,as he achieved second place in 2010 and 2014 at the Latvian national finals. In addition to his music, Dons is passionate about fitness, yoga, and basketball, and is the owner of Engure Café.
His latest album, “Tūrists,” released in 2020, paved the way for his upcoming release, “Laiks,” scheduled for this summer. Dons stands out not only for his musical talent but also for his commitment to authenticity and advocacy for copyright.
“Hollow” the Latvian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024
“Hollow” is composed in English by the author himself along with Liam Geddes, who has worked with musicians like Afrojack or Tiesto, and the poet Kate Northrop during a composition camp in Spain last summer. It speaks about self-discovery, insecurities, authenticity, and avoiding conforming to what society expects from us. A lyric laden with emotion in search of each individual’s identity, despite the constant pressure and influence of others. It talks about how we all need a ray of hope when going through desperate situations so as not to give up and dig a hole to isolate ourselves from the world.
Lyrics of «Hollow»
Don’t look now
You’ll see me crying rivers I might drown
Don’t know how
Oh will I ever find my own way out
I don’t wanna lose me so cruelly
I’m drifting in and out of who I am
So help me understand
It’s killing me slow
Try to make me just another believer
Everybody just pretending they’re preachers, preachers
It’s killing me slow
Yeah I’d rather let them dig my grave shallow
Instead of selling out to something so hollow, hollow
Not afraid
Oh to tell you all my sins I can’t escape
No I won’t change
Woah it’s like a bad disease that I can’t shake
I don’t wanna lose me so cruelly
I’m drifting in and out of who I am
So help me understand
It’s killing me slow
They try to make me just another believer
Everybody just pretending they’re preachers, preachers
It’s killing me slow
Yeah I’d rather let them dig my grave shallow
Instead of selling out to something so hollow
Latvia’s participation in Eurovision
Latvia made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000 and has since never missed its appointment with the European competition. Furthermore, it has always chosen its representative through an open pre-selection. While in the early years the pre-selection was called Eirodziesma, from 2015 they have been selecting their representative in Supernova.
Since its debut in 2000, Latvia has participated a total of 25 times, reaching the final on 6 occasions since the introduction of the semifinals. Latvia has already won the contest once, in its third participation in 2002 with Marie N and the pop song with Latin touches “I Wanna,” scoring 176 points.
From 2009, they faced a series of years without reaching the final, which led to changes in their selection process. With the introduction of Supernova in 2015, they experienced a resurgence with Aminata and her song “Love Injected,” achieving their best result in years.
In the following years, Latvia failed to qualify from the semifinals with Triana Park (2017), Laura Rizzotto (2018), and Carrousel (2019). In 2021, it was the only occasion when the national pre-selection was not held, offering Samanta Tīna automatic participation after the cancellation of the festival in 2020.
In 2022 with Citi Zēni and in the last edition with Sudden Lights, Latvia once again narrowly missed the final, accumulating a streak of 6 consecutive editions without qualifying for the final of the contest.