Solo (Blanka song)

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"Solo"
The official cover for "Solo"
Single by Blanka
ReleasedSeptember 23, 2022 (2022-09-23)
Length2:34
LabelWarner Music Poland
Composer(s)
  • Blanka Stajkow
  • Maciej Puchalski
  • Mikołaj Trybulec
  • Bartłomiej Rzeczycki
  • Marcin Górecki
Lyricist(s)
  • Blanka Stajkow
  • Maria Broberg
  • Julia Sundberg
Producer(s)
  • Tribbs
  • Puchalski
Blanka singles chronology
"Better"
(2021)
"Solo"
(2022)
"Boys Like Toys"
(2023)
Music video
"Solo" on YouTube
Eurovision Song Contest 2023 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Language
English
Composer(s)
  • Blanka Stajkow
  • Maciej Puchalski
  • Mikołaj Trybulec
  • Bartłomiej Rzeczycki
  • Marcin Górecki
Lyricist(s)
  • Blanka Stajkow
  • Maria Broberg
  • Julia Sundberg
Finals performance
Semi-final result
3rd
Semi-final points
124
Final result
19th
Final points
93
Entry chronology
◄ "River" (2022)
"The Tower" (2024) ►
Official performance video
"Solo" (Second Semi-Final) on YouTube
"Solo" (Grand Final) on YouTube

"Solo" is a song by Polish singer and model Blanka, released on 23 September 2022.[1] It represented Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 after winning Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję, Poland's national final for that year's Eurovision Song Contest.[2][3] The song finished 19th with 93 points.[4] It reached number one in Lithuania and Poland, later certified diamond in Poland for estimated sales of 250,000 units.

Background and composition[edit]

According to Blanka, the song is about a relationship that is one-sided and a "sham", where one loses "their head for someone" yet the other person in the relationship is "playing [with them]."[5] The song represents her belief that "sometimes it's worth being alone and that's OK... we can get to know ourselves better and see that the other person may not be the best for us."[6]

Eurovision Song Contest[edit]

Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję[edit]

Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję ("Here beats the heart of Europe! We choose the hit for Eurovision") was the national final organised by TVP that selected the Polish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. The show will be held on 26 February 2023, with 10 artists and their songs competing.[7][8] The winner was determined by a 50/50 combination of votes from a five-member professional jury and a public vote. In the event of a tie, the tie would be decided in favour of the jury.[9]

On 15 February 2023, "Solo" was announced as one of the ten songs competing in the contest.[10][11] Heading into the final, the song wasn't considered a heavy favorite to win the contest, being beat out by what was considered the favorite according to a Eurovision fan-site poll, Jann's "Gladiator".[12] In the final, the song would manage to score 22 points, earning 12 points from the juries and placing second in the public vote. As a result, the song went on to represent Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.[2]

At Eurovision[edit]

According to Eurovision rules, 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 progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 31 January 2023, an allocation draw was held, which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, and determined which half of the show they would perform in. Poland had been placed into the second semi-final, which was held on 11 May 2023, and performed in the second half of the show.[13] The song was announced as one of the qualifiers to move onto the grand final, and was drawn to perform fourth in a field of 26 songs.[14] In the final, the song finished in 19th place, scoring 93 points: 81 points from televoting and 12 points from juries.

Controversy[edit]

The song's win in Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję sparked controversy in Poland due to alleged rigged votes and corruption within the jury panel for the national selection.[15]

Before the contest, the opening line of the song, "Baby / It's kind of crazy", became an Internet meme due to Blanka's pronunciation of the opening line. Over time, the line would be mocked, with Polish media and people coining the term "Bejba, it's kajna krejsa", with the term becoming popular across Poland to both mock TVP and Blanka. Blanka would respond by wearing a dress during the contest's Turquoise Carpet before the contest, wearing a green dress with the word "Bejba" written in pink at the back of her dress.[16] After she qualified from the second semi-final, in a response to a question about the song's promotion and widespread phenomenon as a meme, Blanka would say "Well, I want to thank all the haters because they really motivated me... I really hope that I can make my country really proud in the finals."[17]

Track listing[edit]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for "Solo"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Poland (ZPAV)[39] Diamond 250,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for "Solo"
Region Date Format(s) Version Label(s) Ref.
Various 23 September 2022 Original
[18]
15 December 2022 Christmas Bell [19]
20 December 2022 Audiosoulz remix [20]
3 January 2023 Acoustic [21]
5 May 2023 SMYLES remix [22]
11 May 2023 Sped up [23]
Italy 22 May 2023 Radio airplay Original Warner [40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Blanka zaczyna "Solo". Kim jest 23-letnia piękność z Polski?". Interia Muzyka (in Polish). 23 September 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b Hendryk, Tom (26 February 2023). "BLANKA wins Poland's Tu bije serce Europy 2023 and will sing "Solo" at Eurovision". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Blanka wins Poland's Eurovision pre-selection with 'Solo'". Eurovision Song Contest. 26 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Results of the Grand Final of Liverpool 2023 - Eurovision Song Contest". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Blanka zaczyna "Solo". Kim jest 23-letnia piękność z Polski?". Interia Muzyka (in Polish). 23 September 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  6. ^ Królak, Sergeiusz (23 February 2023). ""Wszystko jest w rękach ludzi i Boga". 23-latka przed życiową szansą". Plejada (in Polish). Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  7. ^ S.A, Telewizja Polska. "Eurowizja 2023. Kandydaci mogą zgłaszać swoje muzyczne propozycje" [Eurovision 2023. Candidates can now send in their musical proposals]. rozrywka.tvp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Eurowizja 2023: TVP ogłasza preselekcje! Kiedy finał?" [Eurovision 2023: TVP announces preselections! When is the final?]. Eurowizja.org (in Polish). OGAE Polska. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Eurowizja 2023: polskie preselekcje ze zmianą w zasadach głosowania". Eurowizja.org (in Polish). 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Eurowizja 2023: oto uczestnicy polskich preselekcji! Kto wystąpi 26 lutego?". Eurowizja.org - najwięcej o Eurowizji (in Polish). 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Poland reveals its Eurovision pre-selection lineup". Eurovision Song Contest. 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  12. ^ Vautrey, Jonathan (26 February 2023). "Poll results: Jann should win Poland's Tu bije serce Europy 2023 according to our readers". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  13. ^ Groot, Evert (31 January 2023). "Eurovision 2023: Allocation Draw results". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Eurovision 2023: The Grand Final running order". Eurovision Song Contest. European Broadcasting Union. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Eurowizja 2023: zagraniczne media o skandalu w Polsce. "Podejrzenie korupcji w wyborze"". Eurowizja.org - najwięcej o Eurowizji (in Polish). 6 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  16. ^ Chojnacka, Joanna (9 May 2023). "O co chodzi z tym "BEJBA"? Blanka pokazała dystans" [What's up with this "Bejba"? Blanka showed the distance]. Gazeta.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  17. ^ Choinski, Robert (12 May 2023). "Zaskakujące słowa Blanki po występie na Eurowizji: "Dziękuję hejterom"" [Eurovision 2023. Blanka's surprising words at the press conference: "Thank you to the haters"]. Glamour Poland (in Polish). Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Solo – Single by Blanka". iTunes. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Solo (Christmas Bell Version) [Live] – Single by Blanka". iTunes. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Solo (Audiosoulz Remix) – Single by Blanka". iTunes. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  21. ^ a b "Solo (Acoustic) [Live] – Single by Blanka". iTunes. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Solo (SMYLES Remix) – Single by Blanka". iTunes. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  23. ^ a b "Solo (Sped Up Version) – Single by Blanka". iTunes. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  24. ^ "Rádio Top 100 – Blanka – Solo". ČNS IFPI (in Czech). 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  25. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202321 into search. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Blanka: Solo" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 17 Jan 2024.
  27. ^ "Download Charts Single – Aktualisiert am: 22.05.2023" (in German). mtv.de. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  28. ^ "IFPI Charts". ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. 20 May 2023. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  30. ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  31. ^ "2023 18-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  32. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  33. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 12.05.2023–18.05.2023.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  34. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 20". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  35. ^ "Solo – Blanka". TopHit. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  36. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  37. ^ "Airplay 2022 – najpopularniejsze radiowe single" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  38. ^ "Top 100 | OLiS – single w streamie | 2023" (PDF) (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  39. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 November 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Solo in the search box.
  40. ^ Tenaglia, Raffaella. "Blanka 'Solo' | (Radio Date: 22/05/2023)". Radiodate.it (in Italian). Warner Music Group. Retrieved 24 May 2023.