After almost winning the contest back in 2018 with “Fuego”, Cyprus tried to capture lightning in a bottle the next two contests (not counting 2020) with songs in a similar vibe. This proved to be a case of diminishing returns, so this time their internal section process resulted in a entry with a traditional approach to songwriting rather than another heavily choreographed dance track.

The song “Ela” by Andromache has strong elements of the Greek sound we’ve heard at the contest many times, most recently in 2018. However, this time it has a particularly lush presentation, with Andromache’s bewitching vocals adding an extra layer of mystery. I think this would be a better song if it was entirely in Greek: the chorus is simple enough to have universal appeal, and Andromache sounds more at ease singing in that language. I doubt the setting of the video would translate well to the Eurovision stage without looking silly, but something that hints of the siren-like aesthetic should be sufficient.

Cyprus have a strong qualification record, even if they don’t have their best buddy Greece around to give them an easy 12 points in the jury vote in their semi. This song has a distinct sound which doesn’t really have any rival in the second semi, so I’d expect it to pick up votes among juries and viewers who enjoy entries where you could identify the country of origin blindfolded. Once in the final I suspect this will fade away in between the taller trees, but it should at least have made it there.