The Austrian broadcaster ORF just announced this morning on Ö3-Wecker the duo Teya & Salena will represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom in May. The 22-year-old Viennese Teya and 24-year-old Styrian Salena will perform an uptempo pop song together in Liverpool. The song will be premiered on the 8th of March (International Women’s Day) during the same radio show they were revealed.
Song Selection
Back in November, the Kleine Zeitung revealed more details about this year’s selection method of Austria. Several were scouted by music professionals. An internal jury, existed out a professional jury & international fan clubs selected their favourite act from the several casting tapes they received. From the favorites selected by the internal jury, ORF program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz and entertainment director Alexander Hofer ultimately will choose the song and act that will represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, UK. Teya & Selena will be the first female duo Austria send to the competition.
About Teya & Salena
The two musicians met on the talent show “Starmania 21”. There they quickly changed their relationship status from rivals to friends. Since then, Teya and Salena have always enjoyed making music together in addition to their respective solo projects.
Teya (Theodora Spiric) tried it twice three years ago as Thea Devy and her song “Sudnji Dan”, but failed in both the Austrian and Serbian ESC preliminary rounds. She gained her first stage experience as a saxophonist in a jazz orchestra.
Salena (Selina-Maria Edbauer) also had to put up with a defeat trying representing Austria in 2019. Next to Starmania 21, she also participated in the Voice of Germany in 2017. However, her voice is probably known to a wider audience as the singer of the Ö3 jingles. “For me, the ESC means diversity and shows people with visions and dreams,” she says
Going to the Eurovision Song Contes is a dream come true for both of them. Teya and Salena don’t consider the semi-final to be a big hurdle and of course they want to win the final. The two women are not lacking in self-confidence. They are ready for their performance at the Eurovision stage!
Austria in Eurovision
Austria debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 with Bob Martin and his song Wohin, Kleines Pony finished in the last place scoring just 3 points. Luckily, Austria also won the contest twice: once in 1966 (Udo Jürgens) and 48 years later in 2014 (Conchita Wurst), holding the record for longest gap between two wins at the Eurovision Song Contest!
However, Austria hasn’t been lucky lately at the contest. After earning a bronze medal in Lisbon with Cesar Sampson and his song ‘Nobody But You,’ the country has failed to qualify for the Grand Final. Last year, the country were represented by LUM!X and Pia Maria. They brought the party to Turin with their Eurovision entry “Halo,” but finished in 15th place in the first semi-final with 42 points.
What do #YOU think of the Austrian duo? Let us know down below in the comments, on social media @ESCUnited, on our Forum, or on our Discord!
