Monty’s Eurovision Countdown 2025 Part 25 – Montenegro

Dobrodošli by Nina Žižić

Montenegro’s had a patchy history in Eurovision. They’ve competed inconsistently (2025 is only their second participation since 2019, after a two-year hiatus) and have only qualified twice, never troubling the top 10. It was something of a surprise to see them out of the blocks early this time with the first national final of the season way back in November.

In Montesong it was nice to have a show (almost) named after me, but it was not a show without controversy; it transpired the winning group, Neoneon, had performed their entry at a festival the summer before, a potential breach of the rules had it been deemed to give it an advantage. We never found out what the EBU would have ruled as the band withdrew themselves from the process, and the duty handed to runner up Nina Žižić instead.

Nina has a bold, brooding ballad, dark, moody and dramatic. She’s singing on putting a brave face on it all, and the welcome of the title is to those who gather and see her façade. It’s illustrated by shadowy figures amassing on the backdrop behind her. It’s unmistakably Balkan, and it’s up my street. I liked it when it didn’t win the national final and prefer it to the withdrawn song. But…

This is playing to a niche gallery. Without an affinity for the genre, an understanding of the language, or another connection to the region, it’s difficult to see where wider support for this will come from. Although I quite enjoy it personally, I can also see it’s not even nearly a great example of its style. If Montenegro is to have a sudden breakthrough at Eurovision, it’s not going to be in 2025.

My marks: 6 points

Photo: Nadia Vojinovic/EBU