Serbia has chosen its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025! The Serbian singer Teya Dora has hand over the witness to Princ who, after emerging victorious in the fourth edition of Pesma za Evroviziju securing 18 points with his captivating performance, is ready to take the Eurovision stage and fight for a spot in the Grand Final on May 15 during the second semi-final.
From Belgrade to Basel: Serbia’s Choice for Eurovision
The decision to select Princ as Serbia’s Eurovision representative was made through a combination of jury and televote, each accounting for 50% of the final result. The jury, composed of 5 members: Slobodan Marković – Composer and arranger (jury president), Snežana Vukomanović – Composer, Dragan Đorđević Suzuki – Cello professor at the Faculty of Musical Arts, Zorja Pajić – Musical performer and Dejan Kostić – Composer and arranger, awarded its highest score to Vukayla and her song “Mask”, while Princ only received 10 points. The televote, on the other hand, favored Bojana & David and their song “Šesto čulo”, relegating the winner to only 8 points from the televote. Despite not receiving the highest points from the jury or televote individually, Princ’s cumulative 18 points secured his victory, earning him the golden ticket to Eurovision 2025.
Who is Princ?
Princ, born Stefan Zdravković on September 29, 1993, in Vranje, Serbia, is a talented pop-rock singer and composer which has carved a notable path in the music industry. Known as “Princ od Vranje” (Prince of Vranje), he moved to Belgrade in 2002, where he began developing his musical career. An accomplished martial artist in his youth, Princ later turned his passion towards music, forming the band Šesta Žica during his high school years. His academic journey led him to the University of Belgrade, where he specialized in Scandinavian languages, literature, and culture, focusing on Norwegian.
Musical Achievements and Career Highlights
Musically, Princ is a pop-rock artist proficient in guitar and drums. Since 2016, he has been the lead vocalist of the group Sizip. Throughout his career, Princ has shown remarkable talent and dedication. In 2020, he starred in the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar and took part in several international festivals, including the Slavianski Bazaar in Belarus, River Notes International Music Festival in Bulgaria (which he won), and the Golden Voice Malta in 2020. He also participated in festivals in Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Italy, and Spain.
In addition to his singing career, Princ is an accomplished songwriter, penning tracks such as “Lepo moje Vranje” for fellow artist Đorđe Popović. He made headlines in Bulgaria in 2021 by reaching the semifinals of The Voice, standing out among more than 4,000 contestants. In 2024, he released several singles, including “Ajša“, “Ela Ela“, and “Belo“, followed by his winning song “Čardak” at the Biser Jadrana Festival in Montenegro.
A Comeback Story
Princ’s road to Eurovision wasn’t without challenges. He initially qualified for Pesma za Evroviziju 2022 but withdrew due to creative conflicts. In 2023, he made a strong comeback with the song “Cvet sa istoka”, gaining significant public support but ultimately finishing in second place, behind Luke Black and his song “Samo Mi Se Spava“. His persistence paid off in 2025 when “Mila” secured him the coveted spot to represent Serbia.
Introducing “Mila”: Serbia’s Eurovision 2025 Entry
Composed by Dušan Bačić with musical arrangements by Dejan Nikolić, “Mila” is a deeply emotional ballad that explores the struggles and sacrifices of love. The lyrics convey a profound longing and devotion, portraying the intense emotions of a troubled relationship. Princ’s passionate delivery and heartfelt interpretation are expected to captivate both the juries and the audience at Eurovision 2025. The song’s structure, especially its repetitive and reinforcing final verses, has been highlighted as a potential advantage for Serbia in the competition.
Discover the lyrics of “Mila”, Princ’s theme for Eurovision 2025
Original lyrics
Neka bude mi
To zadnja večera
Nek oko Kerbera
U noć me potera
Nek te probudi
Taj miris sećanja
I moja muzika
Od tvoga imena
Mila
Ti si platila što volim te ja
Mila
Život vratila sa ruba
Ima mnogo razloga da
Ipak voliš drugoga
Al’ tako mi je stalo da te čuvam
Ovaj život je
Bez zrna šećera
Od kada ne je da
A vera nevera
Nek te poljubi
Ko bolje slaže te
A nek te dobije
Ko rizikuje sve
Mila
Ti si platila što volim te ja
Mila
Život vratila sa ruba
Ima mnogo razloga da
Ipak voliš drugoga
Al’ tako mi je stalo da te čuvam
English lyrics
Let this be for me
The last supper
Let the hound of Hades
Chase me into the night
Let the scent of memories
Wake you up
And my music
Made from your name
Mila
You’ve paid the price for my love
Mila
You’ve brought life back from the edge
You have many reasons
To love another one
But I only want to take care of you
This life is
Without a grain of sugar
Since no became yes,
And faith turned to betrayal
Let the better liar
Kiss you
Let the one who risks it all
Win you over
Mila
You’ve paid the price for my love
Mila
You’ve brought life back from the edge
You have many reasons
To love another one
But I only want to take care of you.
Serbia’s Eurovision Legacy
Since debuting as an independent country in 2007, Serbia has achieved remarkable success, including winning the contest with 268 points in Helsinki with Marija Šerifović’s stirring ballad “Molitva”. Serbia has not won again, but that entry has been followed by a total of four more Top 10 finishes, including a third place thanks to Željko Joksimović in 2012 in Baku with “Nije ljubav stvar”.
Out of 16 total entries, Serbia has made it to the final 13 times, not only achieving this in 2009, 2013, and 2017, but always just missing out. In this sense, their worst results were tenth place in the semifinals in 2013 and 2017.
Furthermore, none of their finalist entries have finished at the bottom of the final, with three more making it into the Top 15. Completing the trio of Serbian Top 3s are the country’s entries in 2008 in Belgrade thanks to the sixth place of Jelena Tomasšević and Bora Dugić and their “Gold”. Also notable is the fifth place for Konstrakta’s “In corpore sano”, one of the favorites for the 2022 edition. With Princ’s “Mila”, Serbia hopes to return to the top of the scoreboard and capture the hearts of Eurovision fans once again.
Looking Ahead to Basel 2025
Nemo was the winner of Eurovision 2024 with a total of 591 points with the song “The Code”, after sweeping the national jury’s vote and finishing in 5th place in the televote, setting a record for winning the competition after finishing in 5th place in the televote. His victory also makes him the first non-binary representative to win the Eurovision Song Contest.
Nemo’s victory brings the Eurovision Song Contest back to Switzerland 36 years after the last time, the third time in history, after having won with Céline Dion in 1988 and in 1956 with Lys Assia, in the first edition of the contest also held in Switzerland.
After a highly controversial edition, the European competition will return to its roots to celebrate the 69th edition of Eurovision, which will take place on May 13, 15, and 17, 2025, in Basel (Switzerland).