| "Pedestal" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Aiko | ||||
| from the album Fortune’s Child | ||||
| Language | English | |||
| Released | 22 September 2023 | |||
| Genre | Pop-rock[1] | |||
| Length | 2:29 | |||
| Composer(s) | Steven Ansell | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Alena Shirmanova-Kostebelova | |||
| Producer(s) | Steven Ansell | |||
| Aiko singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Pedestal" on YouTube | ||||
| Eurovision Song Contest 2024 entry | ||||
| Country | ||||
| Artist(s) | ||||
| Composer(s) | Steven Ansell | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Alena Shirmanova-Kostebelova | |||
| Entry chronology | ||||
| ◄ "My Sister's Crown" (2023) | ||||
"Pedestal" is a single by Czech singer Aiko, co-written with Steven Ansell and released on 22 September 2023.[2] The song is set to represent the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 after winning the national selection ESCZ 2024.[3]
Background
The song is described as self-love, post-breakup anthem[4] and "emphasizes the determination to prioritize independence. It highlights the importance of putting oneself first in the face of adversity and any toxic relationships."[5]
Further, the song delves into the negative feelings and events that occur as a relationship nears its end. In an article by the magazine Distorted Sound, the Czech singer said: "At some point, everything falls into place and you realise that it’s time to put yourself first and make yourself the priority. It’s a process and it can take a while before one learns to be nice to themselves."[1]
Eurovision Song Contest
ESCZ 2024
ESCZ 2024 was the national final organized by ČT in order to select the Czech entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Seven entries participated in the competition which took place on 4 December 2023 at the Roxy Club in Prague, with the winner being selected via public voting and announced on 13 December 2023, with voting taking place in between. The voting consisted of 70% international audiences and 30% Czech audiences.[6]
In the voting, "Pedestal" garnered 723 weighted votes from the Czech vote and 23,175 weighted votes from the international vote, earning a total of 23,898 votes, winning by a margin of 11,022 votes. With the victory, the song was selected as the Czech representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.[7]
At Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. All nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final will progress to the final. On 30 January 2024, an allocation draw will be held to determine which of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show, each country will perform in; the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) splits up the competing countries into different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot.[8]
References
- 1 2 Weaver, James (24 September 2023). "Aiko releases new music video for 'Pedestal'". Distorted Sound. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ↑ "Pedestal - Song by Aiko". Apple Music. Apple Inc. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ↑ "Aiko will represent Czechia at Eurovision 2024". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ↑ "Aiko - Pedestal / ESCZ 2024 - Eurovision Czech Republic / Interview". ESC Bubble. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Adams, William Lee (13 December 2023). "Czechia: AIKO wins ESCZ 2024 with "Pedestal"". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ↑ Granger, Anthony (13 November 2023). "🇨🇿 Czechia: ESCZ 2024 Final on December 4". Eurovoix. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ↑ Bird, Lisa (13 December 2023). "Aiko wins ESCZ 2024 and will represent Czechia at Eurovision 2024". ESCXTRA. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ↑ Van Dijk, Sem Anne (13 December 2023). "Eurovision 2024: Semi-Final Allocation Draw on January 30". Eurovoix. Retrieved 16 December 2023.