A very risky but standout entry, hopefully that's rewarded with a top half finish!

Thank you, that would be amazing!

I'm here to start the FSR Rontvia fanclub with @Jade as our president

Sabrina's witchy return for Halloween

Way back in BJSC 113 we sent one of our all-time favourite entries, the lo-fi, sample laden piano house of All The Beautiful Things U Do by then new artist DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ. The song hit No.1 in FSR Rontvia and ended up in our top 10 of 2019, finishing 15th in the contest. Then two years later, Trifoski recycled DJ Sabrina and finished 2nd with the brilliant Try Not To Be Afraid, which also appeared in our top 10 of 2021, comfortably our favourite 'foreign' BJSC entry of that year.

Fast forward four years and in the meantime DJ Sabrina has continued releasing fantastic (and very long) albums and other projects, while also co-writing hits for major artists, including Happiness by The 1975. Despite this, she is still waiting for a major commercial breakthrough of her own, with just over 20,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and only one song over a million streams.

DJ Sabrina has also done lots of remixes for other artists and this is where we find her now, as she returns home to FSR Rontvia as a witchy Halloween treat alongside Salem Saberhagen the cat and GIVE LOVE, the mysterious alias of Simon Kempner, who appears to be British and like DJ Sabrina is another dance producer come sampling genius, but I cannot find out any other info about him.

The song is called In Your Mind and it has been No.1 in FSR Rontvia for the past month. It has been fortunate enough to get an AQ and pass straight to the final in Nelionöir after Turkish rock entry Korku by ARGO unexpectedly finished 2nd for us in BJSC 177.

Ricardo Delta said: "We wanted something suitable for Halloween but we used up our spooky quota last month with Korku, with its dark sound and artwork. So we've moved away from rock for a bit and brought back an old friend, DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ, who turned this track from GIVE LOVE, the more ambient original version of which features on his new album The Broken House Project, into a joyful and uplifting dance banger that has become another Rontvian No.1 hit. We very rarely recycle artists (not even as remixers) but the song has little over 4,000 streams and 100 views on YouTube and we feel it deserves a wider audience."

Over to Estonia for penultimate 2025 entry

After a solid but mixed year for results (but all finalists...so far) FSR Rontvia has confirmed our first ever Estonian entrant (and song in the Estonian language) in the form of Luukered by SADU. According to the band, SADU was "born from the desire to create music that highlights courage, strength, vulnerability and tenderness, as well as themes that resonate and provoke thought". The group is led by Sandra Sillamaa (vocals, whistles, jaw harp, bagpipes) and Sofia-Liis Liiv (vocals, violin), with music brought to life in collaboration with producer Fredi. It blends musical elements from folk, pop, and world music. Luukered was released in June and is taken from the group's debt album PROBLEEMID PARADIISIS. It is about betrayal, trust, and things we usually keep quiet.

Ricardo Delta explained the entry choice: "We were on the lookout for something unique and ear catching with the hallmarks of a Rontvian entry and landed on this wonderful folk inspired piece by talented Estonian band SADU. Estonian is a really beautiful language, very soft and easy on the ear and we have enjoyed getting to know more about it through this actually quite biting tale of betrayal, which has very hooky verses and chorus, beautiful instrumentation and even a clubby electro instrumental middle eight. We're addicted to it here in FSR Rontvia where it has already topped the charts, and we hope you like it too."

Luukered's lyrics:

Miks see tüli majja toodi
See pole minu mehe moodi
Tema pole iial kõrvalt pannud
Alati vaid truudust vandund

Mina ikka pikalt unistasin
Teda üle teiste eelistasin
Lootsin ükskord sõrmus sõrmes
Nüüd käin ringi kurbus põues

Mõtsin teda saab usaldada
Tal’ aga meeldib tuuseldada
Rääkis aina ilusaid asju
Samal ajal läks aga teise kaissu

Vahi aga vahi tal luukered kapis
Mina ei hakka koristama
Kui nüüd tuleb välja talle meeldib
Ämbreid mööda kolistada

Kes selle supi kokku keetis
Õhtu võõras voodis veetis
See pole kindlalt minu peiu
See on talle täitsa võõras neiu

Nüüd aga kuulen linna peal
Neid olla nähtud siin ja seal
Väidab see oli kogemata
Oleks võind olla olemata

Anud, et võtaks tagasi
Kui tema voodis selgeks magasid
Mul pole küll sul rohkem anda
Võta see sitt nüüd enda kanda

Vahi aga vahi sul luukеred kapis
Mina ei hakka koristama
Kui nüüd tuleb välja sullе meeldib
Ämbreid mööda kolistada

Oi kuis mul ei meeldi
Seda lugu vesta
Sinu masti mehe
Musta pesu pesta

Teadku parem kõik nüüd
Millega oli tegu
Tia kas naerda-nutta
Aga see on elu

Varem oleks võinud
Ennast süüdistada
Enda hella südant
Katki küünistada

Kaotusi on kaks nüüd
Taevas jõudu anna
Kuna teele jäi sul
Mu parim sõbranna

With the English translation according to Google, although consult MattoTranslate (@matto) for accuracy:

Why was this quarrel brought into the house

This is not like my husband

He has never put it aside

He has always sworn loyalty

I always dreamed of him

I preferred him over others

I once hoped for a ring on my finger

Now I walk around in sadness

I thought I could trust him

But he likes to flirt

He always said nice things

At the same time, he went to someone else's hug

Watch out, watch out, he has skeletons in the closet

I won't start cleaning

If it comes out now, he likes

Rumbling buckets

Who cooked this soup

He spent the evening in a strange bed

This is definitely not my fiancé

This is a completely strange girl for him

Now I hear in the city

They have been seen here and there

He claims it was by accident

It could have been without being

Watch out, watch out, you have skeletons in the closet

I won't start cleaning

If it comes out now, you like

Rumbling buckets to rattle

Oh, how I don't like

Telling this story

Your suit man

Washing dirty laundry

I'd better know everything now

What was it about

Tia, whether to laugh or cry

But that's life

Earlier, I could have

Blamed myself

My tender heart

Clawed to break

There are two losses now

Heaven give me strength

Because you got in the way

My best friend

Ha! MattoTranslate arrives. 😁 There are a few small mistakes in that but I think the gist is there for the most part. I was amused at 'he likes rumbling buckets', I'm actually not sure what they mean by 'talle meeldib ämbreid mööda kolistada'. It's kind of like, 'he likes rattling bucket after bucket' lol, it must be a figure of speech that I don't really know oops.

This is such a fun song and it's cool to have an Estonian-language song in the contest (do we know if there have ever been any others? I've been wondering for a while 🤔 I mean I wouldn't be surprised). Stay tuned for the next contest for another one. 😉

Must admit that I looked at some of Google Translate's take (particularly 'rumbling buckets' and thought 'what?' and assumed it was an Estonian turn of phrase!).

Off the top of my head I'm not too sure if there have been any Estonian language entries, as Kerli's entries were all in English. No doubt Brer will know the answer. I look forward to hearing yours next time around!

Also the live performance is SO good, sharing as the final minute in particular is magic.

I can't immediately think of any other Estonian language entries! (I don't have all the stats on that, maybe one day x)

Wow maybe there really haven't been any - and then you get them two contests in a row! (Unless I change my mind xo)