The release of Iru’s “Echo,” Georgia’s entry for Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, completes the lineup for the season after three months of national and internal selections.
“Echo,” written by Iru alongside Giga Kukhianidze and Beni Kadagidze, also represents a change of strategy for the Caucasus nation as it seeks to improve its fortunes at Eurovision.
Most significantly is the hiring of Kukhianidze as composer and producer. Kukhianidze, making his debut at Eurovision, wrote all three of Georgia’s Junior Eurovision winners. This includes “Candy Music” by Candy, of which Iru was a member when they won Junior Eurovision 2011.
The video for “Echo” was directed by Zaza Orashvili, a regular music video director for Georgia at Junior Eurovision and Eurovision.
Iru’s distinctive costumes, which were the talk of this week’s build-up to the release of “Echo,” were designed by Shako Popiashvili and Marica Kurtubadze. The makeup for the video was done by Tiko Gulbatashvili.
The choreography was done by Giorgi Toriashvili, though it has yet to be announced who will do the live stage choreography.
Iru, born in Tbilisi on December 3, 2000, but also of Armenian heritage, has also spent considerable time in her youth in the United States.
The Voice of Georgia is not Iru’s first attempt at Eurovision – she also tried out for 2019’s Georgian Idol, but did not make the final ten contestants.
In 2021, she released her debut single “No Jerk Around Me.” This single was co-written by Giga Kukhianidze and Beni Kadagidze.
Georgia have not qualified for the Eurovision Grand Final since Nika Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz’s “Midnight Gold” at Eurovision 2016. Though Georgia is often highly regarded in the Eurovision fanbase, their cult status has not translated into qualification for the Grand Final of late.
Georgia debuted at Eurovision 2007 with Sopho’s “Visionary Dream.” To date, Georgia’s best performance is 9th place, achieved twice in 2010 and 2011 with Sofia Nizharadze’s “Shine” and Eldrine’s “One More Day,” respectively.
Georgia’s last entry, Circus Mircus’s “Lock Me In,” came in 18th and last in Semi-Final 2 at Eurovision 2022 in Turin, Italy.
Georgia have been drawn to perform in the second half of Semi-Final 2, to be held on May 11, 2023.
What do #YOU think of “Echo”? Do #YOU think this will qualify for the Final? Let us know in the comments below, on our social media, or in our forum.
