Montenegro - D Mol - Heaven

Digital release image, serious looking D Mol

16 - 46 pts in semi 1
D-Mol's Heaven is the song for Montenegro in Tel Aviv. Heaven is written by Dejan Božović and .
Some sources used D-Moll as the name, but the officially released single says D Mol.

The words are by Adis Eminić (who also gave us Slavko's Space in 2017).
A new version was recorded for Eurovision.

A promo was issued. It is a cd-rom with two audio's (ESC and instrumental) and video.
Audio's play in a cdplayer. (RTCG)

You can listen to the first Heaven here (Youtube)
The new official version is here.
The digital single is released on March 29

The original song was titled Ti and sung in Montenegran Serbian. This was selected for the Montenegrin final before the singers were chosen.
Aleksandar Miličić is the lyricist of Ti but only the English lyrics by Adis Eminić were recorded by the singers from D Mol.
D Mol stated that they would record Ti in their own language but it hasn't been revealed (yet?).
Eurovision's D-Mol are six singers from a larger youth choir.

promo, smiling D Mol

D Mole are (from left to right on promo) Ivana Obradović, Emel Franca, Mirela Ljumić, Rizo Feratović, Tamara Vujačić and Željko Vukčević

Montenegro had five songs in the Montevizija final on February 9.
All audio's are at youtube and some kind tuber made a playlist.

Versions
Heaven - Eurovision version
- Tel Aviv 2CD, promo
Heaven - Eurovision karaoke (= instrumental)
- on the official karaoke album (digital), promo
Heaven - first version
- at RTCG website
The original version Ti remains unreleased (so far).

Links and sources
Montenegro 2018 has links to all Montenegran entries from 2009 on.

RTCG Montevizija pages
D-Moll FB
Thanks to Nigel

Ireland - Sarah McTernan - 22

Digital release image

18 - 16 pts in semi 2
Ireland was represented in Tel Aviv by Sarah McTernan. Her song, 22, is written by Janieck, Marcia Sondeijker and Roulsen.
Watch and listen here (RTÉ's YT)

The digital single was released on March 29.

No physical release or promo was issued.

Versions
22
- digital release, Tel Aviv 2CD
22 - karaoke
- on the official karaoke album (digital)

Links and sources
Ireland 2018 has links to all Irish entries from 2009 on.
Sarah McTernan Website, FB

Czech Republic - Lake Malawi - Friend Of A Friend

11 - 157 pts / 3 - 242 pts in semi 1

New version DRI

On January 28 it was annonced that four piece band Lake Malawi are the winner of the Czech selection.
There was an internet selection with some added jury points.
The song, Friend Of A Friend, is written by Jan Steinsdörfer, Maciej Mikolaj Trybulec and band member Albert Černý.

The original video is here (Ctv Youtube).
Friend Of A Friend was released as a digital single on January 7.
A new version with new vocals was revealed on March 8.
The new video is here. The digital release is on March 31.

A cassette* was made for promotion. It has the Eurovision version and five other songs.
It came with a walkman*
* Ask anyone over 40.....

Here's some bites liberally extracted from their bio:

1st Digital release image

Lake Malawi named themselves after the Bon Iver song rather than the lake in question. The actual lake is very big and has a lot of fish. In fact it's so big it's also in Tanzania and Mozambique.

Today the band is Albert Černý (lead vocal, guitar), Jeroným Šubrt (bass and keys) and Antonín Hrabal (drums) and Pavel Palát (guitars).

They released their first EP We Are making Love Again in 2015 and their full length debut album Surrounded By Light is from 2017.

They have been supporting act for Thirty Seconds From Mars, Mika and The Kooks but now it’s their time to shine.

Versions
Friend Of A Friend - new version
- digital release, Tel Aviv 2CD
Friend Of A Friend - original
- first digital release

Friend Of A Friend - (new) karaoke
- on the official karaoke album (digital)

Charts
Sweden top 100: 86, -
France top 200 (IFOP): 179, -

Links and sources
Czech Republic 2018 has links to the entries from the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2017.
Lake Malawi website, FB, Insta.
Ctv Eurovision Insta, Youtube.

Belarus - Zena - Like It

24 - 31 pts / 10 - 122 pts in semi 1
Belarus is represented by Zena (Зена Куприянович) and her song Like It.
You can watch the live performance here.
The (downloadable) first studio version is here at TVR.BY.

The song was released on March 26 in a slightly altered version.

A promo cd-r is issued for Tel Aviv.
It has the Eurovision version of Like It and four other songs.

Zena has particpated in several nationa Belarussian talent shows including the preselection for the Junior Eurovision in 2016 and 2017.
In 2018 she hosted the Junior ESC which was held in Minsk.

Versions
Like It - Eurovision version
- Tel Aviv 2CD
Like It - original studio version
- as distributed by BYTV
Like It - Eurovision karaoke
- digital on the official karaoke album

Links and sources
Belarus 2018 has links to all Belarussian entries from 2009 on.
Zena Website,  Instagram, VK, FB

Hungary - Pápai Joci - Az Én Apám

12 - 97 pts in semi 1
Joci Pápai (Pápai Joci) returned to the Eurovision stage for Hungary. Two years ago he finished in 8th place with Origo.
The 2019 song, Az Én Apám (My father) is written by Joci (Joszef )himself. He was the first singer for Hungary to get a second go at Eurovision but it didn't work out this time.

promo

Eurovision version DRI

The original version of the song is included on the A Dal 2CD and is also released as a digital single.
A new version was revealed on March 14 on Joci P's Youtube as the Eurovision version.
It doesn't have the whistling...
The new Eurovision version was released on March 26 along with a karaoke version.

A promo cds for Tel Aviv is made. It has the Eurovision version and karaoke. Sleeve states that it's self released and limited to 350 copies.

1st Digital release image

Hungary selected their entry for Tel Aviv on February 23.
The A Dal selection included 30 songs: 3 rounds with 10 songs, two second chance rounds and a final.
The 2CD A Dal 2019 includes all 30 songs and has been released on January 24 (Grundrekords).
The 2 CD is available through BeaRecords

Versions
Az Én Apám - Eurovision version
- digital release, Tel Aviv 2CD, promo
Az Én Apám - original version
- A Dal 2CD, digital single
Az Én Apám - Eurovision karaoke
- digital release, promo

The A Dal 2019 2CD

Links and sources
Hungary 2018 has the links to all Hungarian entries from 2009 to 2018.
Pápai Joci in 2017
Official A Dal pages at Mediaklikk
Hungarian cds at BeaRecords
Pápai Joci FB
Thanks Krzysztof and to Nigel.

Latvia - Carousel - That Night

15 - 50 pts in semi 2
Indie pop duo Carousel (Sabīne Žuga and Mārcis Vasiļevskis) represented Latvia with the song That Night. They are joined by Stanislav Judins on double bass and Mareks Logins on drums.
Watch and listen here at LTV's Youtube.

New version Digital Release Image

EP DRI

That Night, the original version, was released as a digital single on December 29.
A new version was released on March 22 and had initially replaced the original version.
A digital EP, Sketches Of Sleepless Nights was released just after the contest. This includes the original mix of That Night.

No physical release or promo was issued.

Latvia selected the entry for Tel Aviv through their Supernova preselection. Two semi's with a final on February 16. You can listen to the 16 contestants here (Youtube)

Versions
That Night - Eurovision version
- Tel Aviv 2CD
That Night - Supernova version
That Night - karaoke (= instrumental)
- all digital releases, karaoke on the official karaoke album

Original version DRI

Links and sources
Latvia 2018 has the links to the Latvian entries from 2009 on.
LVT Supernova pages.
Carousel FB

Croatia - Roko Blažević - The Dream

Digital release image The Dream

14 - 64 pts in semi 2
Croatia's selection DORA 2019 was won by Roko Blažević and his song The Dream.
The Dream is written by Jacques Houdek, Andrea Ćurić and Charlie Mason.
The song is sung in English and Croatian.
Watch the live performance here at HRT's Youtube.
The song was originally recorded in Croatian as Heroj and Charlie Mason wrote the English lyrics afterwards.

The Dream and Heroj have been released as digital single tracks. (as Roko).
The full English version can only be found on the USB promos.

Two USB's (one card, one wristband) were used for promotion.
They have the ESC version, Croatian and English. Also includes, videos, photos and info.

All songs from this years DORA have been released on the CD Dora 2019 (Croatia records). Now available at BeaRecords
See comments.
The album is also available through digital sources

Digital release image Heroj

The composers:
Lyricist Charlie Mason wrote the words to the 2014 winner Rise Like A Phoenix. He also co-wrote the Slovenian entry of the same year. The English parts of L'Amore è Femmina (Italy 2012) are also by his hand.
Jacques Houdek represented Croatia in Kyiv with My Friend and ended 13th.

Versions
The Dream - English/Croatian
- digital release, on Dora 2019 CD, Tel Aviv 2CD
Heroj - Croatian
- digital release,  Youtube
The Dream - English
- promo USB card 
The Dream - karaoke (= instrumental)
- digital release

The Dora 2019 album

Pic from Roko's Facebook

Links and sources
Croatia 2018 has links to all Croatian entries from 2009 on.
Roko Blažević FB
Roko interview at Novolist.hr
Thanks to Jens and to Nigel.

Germany - S!sters - Sister

25 - 24 pts / not in semi 
S!sters won the German selection
The song is written by Laurell Barker, Marine Kaltenbacher, Tom Oehler and Thomas Stengaard.
Listen here at ARD

The song was released as a digital single on February 22.
The karaoke was released on March 15.
S!sters are Carlotta Truman & Laura Kästel.

Remixes and acoustic were released on May 31.

For the first time since 1957 no commercial single was released for a German entry. (Another) End of an era. And there was no promo either. And the song didn't chart.

7 artists were lined up for Unser Song für Israel on Feruary 23.

Versions
Sister
- Tel Aviv 2CD
Sister - karaoke
- digital releases
Sister - Acoustic
Sister - Jay Frog remix
Sister - Jay Frog remix edit
- all digital releases, not on all sources

Links and sources
Germany 2018 has links to all German entries from 2009 on.
Unser Song pages at ARD
S!sters FB

Estonia - Victor Crone - Storm

Digital release image

20 - 76 pts / 4 - 198 pts in semi 1
Storm by Victor Crone is the winner of Eesti Laul 2019 and represented Estonia in the Tel Aviv Eurovision Song Contest.
Storm is written by Stig Rästa, Vallo Kikas, Fred Krieger (a.k.a. Mr. Maarja-Liis Ilus) and Victor Fritz Crone himself.
Storm was released as a digital single in December. (Not available at all sources though)
The official video is here at Crone's Youtube.

The Skip Stones remix of Storm was released on March 8.
Another remix, the Madison Mars remix was released on iTunes on March 19.

No physical release or promo was issued.

You may have spotted Victor in the Swedish Melodifestivalen in 2015 where he took care of the vocals in Behrang Miri's entry Det Rår Vi Inte För which made it to the second chance round Andra Chansen.

The songwriters:
Stig Rästa entered the contest himself, with Elina Born, in 2015 and Goodbye To Yesterday which ended 7th.
He also co-wrote Juri Pootsmann's Play (2016, with Vallo Kikas) and had another go in the Estonian selection in 2018 with Home.

You can listen to all the songs from this years Eesti laul here at ERR.

Versions
Storm - original
- Tel Aviv 2CD
Storm - Skip Stones remix
Storm - Madison Mars remix
Storm - Karaoke
- digital releases (not on all sources though)

Charts
Sweden top 100: 39, 75, -
Switzerland top 10: 91, -
France top 200 (IFOP): 120, -
Scottish singles top 100 (OCC): 56

Links and sources
Estonia 2018 has the links to the Estonian entries from 2009 on.
ERR Eurolaul pages
Victor Crone FB
Thanks to Frederick

Greece - Katerine Duska - Better Love

21 - 74 pts / 5 - 185 pts in semi 1

Digital release image

Greek broadcaster ERT selected Katerine Duska (Κατερίνα Ντούσκα) as the singer for Greece in the Tel Aviv contest.
Her song, Better Love was revealed and released on March 6. It is written by Katerine Duska herself, Leon of Athens and David Sneddon.
A promo cdsingle in 7.5" inch folder is issued.
(ERT, Minos/EMI Universal 7767057)

Watch the official video here at Katerine Duska's Youtube.

Versions
Better Love
- promo cds, digital single, Tel Aviv 2CD
Better Love - karaoke
- on the official karaoke album (digital)

there was even some ribbon left over to tie the promo folder

Links and sources
Greece 2018 has the links to all Greek entries from 2009 on.
Katerine Duska FB, Insta