Aiko ready to rock Eurovision semi-finals

Singer song-writer Aiko will represent Czechia at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest with her empowering song called Pedestal. The 24-year-old singer, who was born in Russia, won the Czech national round, leaving behind six other finalists. This Thursday, she will appear in Eurovision’s semi-finals:

Aiko, or Alena Shirmanova, was born in Moscow, but grew up in Czechia and currently divides her time between Prague and the British seaside city of Brighton. She became a household name on the domestic music scene thanks to her participation in the Superstar talent contest in 2018.

Photo: Kubo Krížo, Press kit Aiko

Aiko released her debut EP in 2018. Her first full-length album, Expiration Date, came out two years later. Last October, she released Fortune's Child, which also includes the winning song Pedestal.

In 2022, the singer won Radio Wave’s Czeching contest, which supports up-and-coming bands in their efforts to break onto international stages and into the European airwaves.

She also made history as the first Czech artist to appear on a huge billboard in Times Square as part of the Spotify Equal project.

This is how Aiko spoke about her Eurovision participation on the official Eurovision Song Contest podcast:

“I have been trying to get into Eurovision for three years, so I'm really happy that this is the song that made it in. I did not write it with the intention for it to be in Eurovision, so it’s also something that makes me really happy, that it’s something that is really coming from me, from the heart.”

Photo: Press kit Aiko

The lyrics of the song, inspired by the end of a relationship, were written by Aiko herself. She created the music with drummer, writer, and producer Steven Ansell from Brighton, part of the alternative rock duo Blood Red Shoes.

“I was really angry when writing it, but then when we produced it I was really happy because I wanted to grow into a rockier style and it was one of the first songs I did that way. So it sort of kicked off my entire rock era.”

The Eurovision Song Contest always takes place in the country of the previous year’s winner. Although the contest is now in its 68th year, the Czech Republic took part for the first time in 2007, and only 11 times in total.

The most successful Czech contestant so far was the singer Mikolas Josef, who took sixth place in 2018. Last year, the Czech all-female band Vesna finished in the tenth spot.

Aiko - Pedestal

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