Second up on Day One were the Latvians. Citi Zeni’s press conference went something like this:
Right from the first seconds of the meet and greet, I hated this lot, but that’s just me. Our lead singer (Jānis Pētersons) came across as very obnoxious and liking the sound of his own voice … and was also wearing lime green! Total fashion crime.
The actual presser starts with our moderator asking the question about being veggie. All of the band are actually veggie (but not vegan) and feel it is an important message to get across to the public. They have been together since 2020, and Jānis tells us the story of the band – they actually met in three pairs and got together to form the group. They like performing and being together otherwise “What is the point?”
Shortarse
They say they have updated their pants from the national final and they split on stage again, but the band members had matching pants on this time – luckily for us! They have also adapted the performance to keep their fun essence for three minutes as that’s what they are there for. They introduced platform shoes because Janis is a shortarse, clearly!
The moment they stepped onto the stage it felt “right” being there, although there are some technical adjustments their team needs to take care of… maybe hinting at some underlying stress. He adds that they are bringing their energy in front of 200 Million people and they are a “walking party”……. apparently.
Unicorn pop
When asked about how they felt about being viral sensations, they seem quite coy, but they knew how in the performance, they wanted key moments – and they think they achieved that (pussy, yes). Janis wants a hamster wheel on stage… (nob). They seemed surprised that people have read their bio, and went on to describe what they call Unicorn Pop – a description of their sound, the Latvian unicorns. Thankfully they know they are being ironic at times so they are definitely sentient beings!
They were then asked, inexplicably, what their favourite drink might be, and it was, apparently, a smoothie, specifically one that they made at Riga airport during their leaving party. Turning serious for a second, their goal is to provide three minutes of escapism. The world has changed and people have earned the right to have some fun. They added that their stage outfits have been made out of organic materials and they are trying to keep as much of them as secret as possible.
One of the band likes the Maltese song and another one likes the Portuguese song – maybe they are all musicians after all, but their cred comes down again because Janis says that Chanel is the European Beyonce. I’m sure I’ll get some heat for that but hey!