Veronika (song) explained

Veronika
Cover:Veronika (song).jpeg
Alt:The cover artwork for "Veronika". The cover features Raiven in a gray outfit amongst a black background. Four men around her are shown bowing down to her.
Type:single
Artist:Raiven
Ep:Sirene, Pt. 1
Genre:Alternative pop
Length:2:46
Label:Virgin Music
Producer:
  • Danilo Kapel
  • Martin Bezjak
  • Peter Khoo
  • Sara Briški Cirman
Prev Title:Slovenian: Ikona|i=no
Prev Year:2023
Misc:
Embed:yes
Song: "Veronika"
Year:2024
Country:Slovenia
Artist:Raiven
Language:Slovene
Place:23rd
Points:27
Place Semi:9th
Points Semi:51
Prev:Carpe Diem
Prev Link:Carpe Diem (Joker Out song)

"Veronika" (pronounced as /sl/) is a song by Slovenian singer-songwriter Raiven. Inspired by the story of Veronika of Desenice, it was composed by Raiven along with five others, with lyrics also coming from Raiven. The song was self-released on 20 January 2024 through Virgin Music Group, and represented Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, where it placed 23rd with 27 points.

Background and composition

"Veronika" is composed by Bojan Cvjetićanin, Danilo Kapel, Klavdija Kopina, Martin Bezjek, Peter Khoo, and Raiven, with lyrics for the song written by Cvjetićanin, Kopina, and Raiven.[1] Cvjetićanin is a current member and lead singer of Slovenian rock band Joker Out, who represented Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.[2] According to Raiven, the song is inspired by Veronika of Desenice, a Countess of Celje who was tried for witchcraft. She was reportedly murdered under the orders of her father-in-law, because of her lower status and his opposition of her marriage to his son.[3] [4]

In an analysis by Wiwibloggs writer Ruxandra Tudor, the song is described as "a dark alternative pop song", with Veronika described as "a woman of power, a magical figure". She later went on to say that, "the song possesses a mystical allure, and its potency grows as the composition unfolds, showcasing Raiven’s formidable vocal abilities. Raiven [later declares] 'I am, you are, Veronika,' conveying that the power of her character, Veronika, can be found within each of us." Raiven has also described the song as a "child of mine", wishing to put an emphasis on visual art for the song.[5]

The song was originally meant to be written for Raiven's second EP, Sirene, and not meant for the Eurovision Song Contest. According to Raiven, the song took six months to create, and that she focused on the "dramatic quality [of the song]... I wanted her story to not only be expressed but also resonate with the year 2024."[6] Raiven was officially announced as Slovenia's Eurovision representative for 2024 during a press conference held at the Ljubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet on 12 December 2023.[7] The song and its accompanying music video premiered on 20 January 2024, during a special television programme titled Slovenian: Misija Malmö.[8] [9] [10]

Music video and promotion

An accompanying music video was released on the same day the music video was released. It was filmed at the Črni Kal quarry and in Radovljica, and was directed by Lukas Zuschlag and Tjaša Barbo and choreographed by Zuschlag.[11] [12] In an interview given out by Radiotelevizija Slovenija, Raiven stated that she wanted to incorporate "the four elementsearth, fire, water and air". Raiven, who has a phobia of deep water, stated that production for the music video was "time-consuming and very stressful". The music video features Raiven in a body of water, with Raiven "calling out" Veronika surrounded by an entourage of four men.[13]

Raiven performed the song at Dora 2024, the preselection for Croatia's Eurovision entry.[14] To further promote the song, Raiven performed the song at various Eurovision pre-parties. Raiven appeared at the Barcelona Eurovision Party on 6 April 2024,[15] the Eurovision in Concert pre-party on 8 April,[16] and the Nordic Eurovision Party on 14 April.[17]

Critical reception

"Veronika" has drawn mixed reception. In a Wiwibloggs review containing several reviews from several critics, the song was rated 6.5 out of 10 points,[18] earning 20th out of the 37 songs competing in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on the site's annual ranking.[19] Another review conducted by ESC Bubble that contained reviews from a combination of readers and juries rated the song sixth out of the 15 songs "Veronika" was competing against in its the Eurovision semi-final.[20] Vultures Jon O'Brien ranked the song 31st overall, declaring that Raiven had "thrown everything but the kitchen sink into this attempt: operatic wails, galloping drums, and the kind of click-clacking noises that suggest 2018 winner Netta accidentally wandered into the studio."[21] Erin Adam of The Scotsman rated the song four out of 10 points, deeming the song to be "a little repetitive".[22] In contrast, ESC Beat's Doron Lahav ranked the song as his overall winner, stating the song provided "a very whole package, with mysterious production and rich arranagment [<nowiki/>[[sic]]]".[23]

Eurovision Song Contest

See main article: Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Internal selection

Slovenia's broadcaster Radiotelevizija Slovenija (RTVSLO) officially announced their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 on 14 September 2023.[24] Initially, the broadcaster planned to host a national final, although this was later scrapped for an internal selection.[25] [26] A pair of panels determined the representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, with a Slovenian panel picking five finalists and an international panel choosing the final song out of the five finalists.[27] On 12 December 2023, Raiven was officially announced as the Slovenian representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The song was released on 20 January 2024, along with a music video.

At Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 took place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consisted of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Slovenia was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.[28] She was later drawn to perform ninth in the semi-final, ahead of 's Hera Björk and before 's Teemu Keisteri.[29] For its Eurovision performance, Nejc Levstik was appointed as the creative director.[30] Before the contest, Raiven announced intentions to heavily base the performance off of the song's music video and its "femininity, darkness and mystery".[31] She also stated desires to emulate Veronika of Desenice in her performance.[32] The performance featured Raiven in a transparent black outfit adorned with silver leaves. Five backing dancers accompanying her, all wearing "nude" bodysuits.[33] [34] The dancers were described by Raiven to be "my children…they’re like my little creatures that I brought from the underworld when Veronika rose up from the ground". The use of fog and wind effects were also implemented. "Veronika" finished ninth, scoring 51 points and securing a position in the grand final.[35] [36] In response to her qualification, Raiven, who was predicted by bookmakers to not qualify, stated to Delo, "I didn't even expect to be in the finals... since everyone mentioned them, I began to doubt myself."[37]

Raiven performed a repeat of her performance in the grand final on 11 May. The song was performed 22nd, ahead of 's Nemo and before 's Baby Lasagna.[38] After the results were announced, she finished in 23rd with 27 points, with a split score of 15 points from juries and 12 points from public televoting.[39] No sets of the maximum 12 points were given by any country in both groups. The country that gave the most in either category was, who gave a set of 10 points in both categories.[40]

Track listing

Digital download/streaming[41]

  1. "Veronika" – 2:46

Digital download/streaming – Acoustic Session[42]

  1. "Veronika" (Acoustic Session) – 2:56

Charts

Chart (2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Lithuania (AGATA)[43] 72

Release history

Country! scope="col"
DateFormat(s)VersionLabel
Various20 January 2024SingleVirgin Music
28 April 2024Acoustic Session

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jiandani . Sanjay . 20 January 2024 . Slovenia: Raiven releases her Eurovision entry 'Veronika' . 25 January 2024 . ESCToday . en-US.
  2. Web site: Tudor . Ruxandra . 20 January 2024 . "I am Veronika" - Slovenia's Raiven releases Eurovision 2024 song . 25 January 2024 . . en-US.
  3. Web site: Santos . Pedro . 20 January 2024 . Slovenia's song for Eurovision 2024 released: Raiven with "Veronika" . 25 January 2024 . Eurovision World . en-gb.
  4. Encyclopedia: 2009 . Veronika Deseniška . Slovenski biografski leksikon . Grafenauer . Bogo . Vide Ogrin, Petra . Slovenian . Veronika of Desenice . 978-961-268-001-5.
  5. Web site: Čeh . Žana E. . 21 January 2024 . Raiven o Veroniki: "V vsakem izmed nas je neki del, ki je ranjen" . Raiven on Veronica: "There's a part of each of us that's wounded" . 25 January 2024 . . sl.
  6. Web site: 20 January 2024 . Prisluhnite, kako zveni skladba Veronika, s katero bo Raiven zastopala Slovenijo na Evroviziji . Listen to the song Veronika, with which Raiven will represent Slovenia at Eurovision . 25 January 2024 . . sl.
  7. Web site: 12 December 2023 . At the Eurovision Song Contest, we will be represented by Raiven with her song entitled Veronika . 25 January 2024 . . sl.
  8. Web site: 16 January 2024 . V soboto ob 20.00 Misija Malmö, predstavitev skladbe za izbor Pesem Evrovizije . On Saturday at 20:00 Misija Malmö, the presentation of the entry for the Eurovision Song Contest . 16 January 2024 . . sl.
  9. Web site: Granger . Anthony . 17 January 2024 . Slovenia: Misija Malmö Song Reveal Show Details Revealed . 18 January 2024 . Eurovoix.
  10. Web site: Grace . Emily . 20 January 2024 . Slovenia: Raiven Releases Eurovision 2024 Entry 'Veronika' . 25 January 2024 . Eurovoix.
  11. Web site: Raiven - Veronika Slovenia Official Video Eurovision 2024 . EBU . . 19 January 2024 . 19 January 2024 .
  12. Web site: Slovenia: Raiven ready to reveal 'Veronika' music video. Eurovision.tv. EBU. 2024-01-20. 2024-01-20.
  13. Web site: Bermejo . Aitor . 21 January 2024 . Veronika finally comes alive: Slovenia's Raiven reveals her entry for Malmö! . 25 January 2024 . ESCplus . en-GB.
  14. Web site: Granger . Anthony . 15 February 2024 . Croatia: Slimane & Raiven to Perform at Dora 2024 . 17 May 2024 . Eurovoix . en-GB.
  15. Web site: Maldonado . Yesaac . 9 January 2024 . Slovenia: Raiven Confirmed for Barcelona Eurovision Party 2024 . 25 January 2024 . Eurovoix . en-GB.
  16. C14Rh5ytuNu. eurovisioninconcert. 2024-01-08. Our Third Confirmed Act is Raiven!. 2024-01-13.
  17. Web site: Granger . Anthony . 14 January 2024 . Sweden: Five Artists Announced to Date for the Nordic Eurovision Party 2024 . 25 January 2024 . Eurovoix . en-GB.
  18. Web site: 14 April 2024 . Wiwi Jury: Slovenia's Raiven with "Veronika" . 17 May 2024 . . en-US.
  19. Web site: Vautrey . Jonathan . 7 April 2024 . Eurovision 2024: Reviews and rankings by the Wiwi Jury . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240501144508/https://wiwibloggs.com/2024/04/08/eurovision-2024-reviews-and-rankings-by-the-wiwi-jury/280997/ . 1 May 2024 . 26 April 2024 . . en-US.
  20. Web site: Juhász . Ervin . 23 April 2024 . The Public Reacts to Sweden: Marcus and Martinus – Unforgettable . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240502022256/https://escbubble.com/2024/04/the-public-reacts-to-sweden-marcus-and-martinus-unforgettable/ . 2 May 2024 . 1 May 2024 . ESC Bubble . en-GB.
  21. Web site: O'Brien . Jon . 6 May 2024 . Every 2024 Eurovision Song, Ranked . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240507032323/https://www.vulture.com/article/every-2024-eurovision-song-ranked.html . 7 May 2024 . 7 May 2024 . . en.
  22. Web site: Adam . Erin . 7 May 2024 . Eurovision Song Contest 2024: All 37 songs reviewed ahead of semifinals, including UK's Olly Alexander . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240510235940/https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/eurovision-song-contest-2024-all-37-songs-reviewed-ahead-of-first-eurovision-semifinal-including-uks-olly-alexander-4617993 . 10 May 2024 . 16 May 2024 . The Scotsman.
  23. Web site: Lahav . Doron . 30 March 2024 . Eurovision 2024 Songs Review – Part 2 (Croatia, Ireland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia) . 12 May 2024 . ESC Beat . en-US.
  24. Web site: Maatko . Alesh . 14 September 2023 . Slovenija gre na Evrovizijo 2024 . Slovenia is going to Eurovision 2024 . 14 September 2023 . Evrovizija.com . sl.
  25. Web site: Maatko . Alesh . 2023-10-17 . Ema 2024: Štiri skladbe, en zmagovalec . Ema 2024: Four tracks, one winner . 2023-10-17 . Evrovizija.com . sl-SI.
  26. Web site: Granger . Anthony . 2023-12-10 . Slovenia: Eurovision 2024 Song to be Revealed on January 20 . 2023-12-10 . Eurovoix.
  27. Web site: Granger . Anthony . 10 December 2023 . Slovenia: Eurovision 2024 Song to be Revealed on January 20 . 24 January 2024 . Eurovoix.
  28. Web site: 2024-01-30 . Eurovision 2024: Semi-Final Draw results . 2024-01-30 . Eurovision.tv . EBU . en.
  29. Web site: Adams . William Lee . 26 March 2024 . Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final Running Order Revealed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240427034238/https://wiwibloggs.com/2024/03/26/eurovision-2024-semi-final-running-order-revealed-tonight-from-1800-cet/280818/ . 27 April 2024 . 26 March 2024 . . en-US.
  30. Web site: 16 April 2024 . Raiven na Pesem Evrovizije v Malmö . Raiven at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö . 17 April 2024 . . sl.
  31. Web site: 16 April 2024 . Raiven želi uprizoriti nastop, na katerega bo ponosna še leta . Raiven wants to put on a performance she'll be proud of for years to come . 16 April 2024 . . sl.
  32. Web site: Kao . Scarlett . 5 May 2024 . "It's like I'm stepping into her body": Raiven on bringing "Veronika" to life in her Eurovision staging . 17 May 2024 . . en-US.
  33. Web site: Lahav . Doron . 6 May 2024 . Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 1: Dress/Jury Rehearsal Live Commetary . 11 May 2024 . ESC Beat . en-US.
  34. Web site: Farren . Neil . 28 April 2024 . Slovenia: All the Details About Raiven's First Rehearsal . 17 May 2024 . Eurovoix . en-GB.
  35. Web site: Završnik . Gašper . 9 May 2024 . Raiven je uspelo! Slovenija v evrovizijskem finalu . Raiven made it! Slovenia in the Eurovision final . 17 May 2024 . . sl-si.
  36. Web site: Vautrey . Jonathan . 12 May 2024 . Eurovision 2024 semi-finals: Detailed results show Croatia and Israel won each show . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240514041739/https://wiwibloggs.com/2024/05/12/eurovision-2024-semi-finals-croatia-israel/281694/ . 14 May 2024 . 12 May 2024 . . en-US.
  37. Web site: Završnik . Gašper . 8 May 2024 . Verjamem, da so publiko prepričali moja karizma, karizma plesalcev in vokal . I believe that the audience was convinced by my charisma, the charisma of the dancers and the vocals . 17 May 2024 . . sl-si.
  38. Web site: Vautrey . Jonathan . 10 May 2024 . Eurovision 2024 grand final running order: Ukraine in second, Austria closes . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240510011747/https://wiwibloggs.com/2024/05/10/eurovision-2024-grand-final-running-order/281608/ . 10 May 2024 . 10 May 2024 . . en-US.
  39. Web site: 12 May 2024 . Raiven finishes Eurosong in 23rd place . 17 May 2024 . The Slovenia Times.
  40. Web site: Grand Final of Malmö 2024 - Slovenia Grand Final Results Allocation . 17 May 2024 . . European Broadcasting Union.
  41. Web site: Veronika - Single by Raiven . . 2024-05-03.
  42. Web site: Veronika (Acoustic Session) - Single by Raiven . . 2024-05-06.
  43. Web site: 2024 20-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). lt. AGATA. 17 May 2024. 17 May 2024.

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