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Mila by Princ
With the notable exception of Konstrakta’s unlikely top 5 finish singing a satirical take on the principle of universal healthcare Serbia’s glory days at Eurovision feel far away. Even the unabashed joy of Hurricane only scaped into 15th place and it’s well over a decade since Željko Joksimović delivered their last podium finish in 2012. Molitva – still Eurovision’s greatest winning song for me – was a full 18 years ago! I know, terrifying.
Enter Princ. Not a real royal, despite his full stage name Princ od Vranje meaning the prince of where he was born. The official Eurovision website informs me (most likely boasted via a Serbian TV press release) that he is also known as the “vocal miracle” of his hometown. He does have an impressive set of pipes to him, so that description, whilst somewhat cringingly hyperbolic, isn’t far off.
The journey to Eurovision has been a few years coming for Princ, having first been in then out of the 2022 Serbian pre-selection after a disagreement with his songwriter, then finishing second to Luke Black in 2023. This year he takes his place in Basel with a powerful Balkan ballad.
Princ appears to be something of a polymath, playing guitar and drums as well as singing, and having previously been a national karate champion. He’s also a philologist by qualification. He might be something of a philanderer too, as his song, which he’s said reflects events in his life, talks of longing to be still with a partner despite his betrayal. It’s a dark affair, with Princ illustrating his position as being a last supper before the hounds of hell drag him into the night. That would be quite the comeuppance.
I enjoy this style of Balkan ballad, and style-wise Princ has little in the way of similar competition. Mila feels a stronger song to what competition for this style there is, from Montenegro, for example. Still, it’s not got the quality of a song like Lane Moje or Oro from Serbia’s Eurovision past. Qualification is entirely possible, but anything higher than mid-table in the final would need staging as miraculous as his fabled vocals.
My marks: 7 points
Photo: Nikola Glisic/EBU
