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So after a week of noise from all corners of the internet, the study of rules that people seem to know better than the EBU and countless sighs on X/Twitter, it seems that NeonnoeN have “voluntarily” withdrawn from the Eurovision.
A statement released by the band has one or two telling phrases in it .
“In the best public interest, with the desire to end the uncertainty and once again contribute to the music that we are here for, we inform you that we are voluntarily withdrawing from participating in Eurovision. RTCG, in accordance with the regulations, will choose another representative, and we will be the first to wish him luck and provide full support.
The victory at Montesong brought us publicity whose type and scope we did not choose, nor could we control. We would like to point out, and the facts confirm this, that performing the working version of the song live neither jeopardized the process of the Montesong festival itself, nor could it have influenced its final outcome and our placement. The fact is that there have been many similar examples and that the EBU has always decided that these songs can participate (one even won at Eurovision), because they did not have a competitive advantage over the others, which is clear to everyone.
However, we simply do not want to be part of any stories outside of music, nor to promote our author’s work in this way.
Eurovision has never been a goal in itself for us. Expanding the field of our musical activity – it certainly is!
The Montesong Festival organized by the Association of Entertainers brought 16 new songs and that is its greatest value.
We would like to thank the management of RTCG for their good will and intention to give us space for other options. We believe that they will understand our decision to give up on Eurovision and we also thank them for that.
Special and immense gratitude for the support of fellow musicians, lovers of good music, friends, acquaintances, journalists and the general public from Montenegro and abroad, which gave us strength in the last days. Our families, together with us, have experienced all the splendor and despair of this process and now it is time to repay them and dedicate ourselves to them in the right way.
CLICKBAIT continues to live as a musical single, but we are also afraid of it as a contemporary social phenomenon.
Once again, thank you all. Now let’s all support Montenegro at Eurovision!”
Whilst on the surface this sounds all gracious and stuff, the impression to me is that there has been pressure applied from somewhere. If the statement is to be believed, then the band think they would have been cleared by the EBU but, if that was the case, why haven’t they stood their ground? If they don’t want to be the story, why did they enter a televised song contest in the first place?
Anyway – it is what it is and as of now (04/12/24) Montenegro don’t have a candidate. There are a couple of choices for the broadcaster here, they can send the Runner-up ( who was their preferred entry anyway), they could re-run Montesong or enter a completely new song. Whatever they decide, as long as they have something by the deadline to hand their homework in, they are all good!
Stay Tuned!