Canadians still have time to vote for the musician they think should represent the country on the Eurovision stage.
Known as the world’s largest live annual televised music competition, Canada is set to make it’s Eurovision debut next year – the first new country to join since Australia in 2015.
Five musicians are in the running to represent Canada: William Cloutier, Josiane, Talk, Tyler Shaw, and Rêve.
Rêve
“Eurovision is the musical Olympics,” said Rêve. “I’m not much of an athlete so this is the musical version of that. It’s a scale beyond my wildest dreams.
“To be the first representative that Canada puts forward would just be such a proud Canadian moment for me and for any of us five finalists.”
Rêve, the Juno Award-winning artist from Montreal, has amassed more than 175 million global streams with songs including “CTRL + ALT + DEL,” “Contemporary Love,” and “Whitney.”
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Tyler Shaw
As for Tyler Shaw, the Vancouver-born Chinese Canadian pop artist’s song “Kiss Goodnight” reached Platinum in 2012. And his song “With You” was 2019’s most-played single on Canadian radio by a Canadian artist.
“I have been able to have been fortunate enough to live in a lot of different places in this country and a lot of these places I do feel like I am able to call home,” said Shaw. “Growing up in Vancouver, going to university in PEI, living in Toronto for 10 years, building the music career. Now I live in Ottawa, my grandparents own a home in Saskatchewan.
“So I feel like my home is literally across Canada.”
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TALK
Talk, who was raised in Ottawa, won the 2024 Juno for breakthrough artist of the year. He’s had new music dropping year-round and is set to tour Canada later this year.
“Seeing it come to life as this manifestation I’ve had has been really magical and I’m really proud of myself, my team and really all of the finalists.”
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Josiane
From New Brunswick, Acadian singer-songwriter Josiane makes bilingual pop. Her song “Lose It All” has surpassed six million streams.
She won Quebec’s version of The Voice — La Voix – in 2020.
“It’s bigger than anything I could ever dream for and hope for for myself,” she said. “For me, it’s an amazing opportunity also to represent Canada; I’m such a proud Canadian.”
William Cloutier
Nominated for song of the year alongside artists like Céline Dion, Charlotte Cardin and Angine de Poitrine at the Gala de l’ADISQ this Sunday for “Où on dansait autrefois” is William Cloutier.
From Drummondville, Que., he won Mixmania at 16, then Star Académie in 2021.
“What I love to be is on stage and it’s my house. So for me it’s absolutely a dream,” he said.
Back in 1988, Céline Dion won the Eurovision Song Contest representing Switzerland.
As for who will take Canada’s inaugural spot, votes can be cast online, once a day, until Thursday.
