Lithuania’s Eurovision hopeful Monika Liu on Friday left for Italy, where she will perform her ballad Sentimentai for European audiences. She says some international fans have already learned to sing along, in Lithuanian.
Although she has been travelling a lot lately, to the so-called Eurovision pre-party events, Monika Liu says she is feeling good.
“In Spain, Israel, Amsterdam, London, I met a lot of contestants, I did about a thousand interviews and I sang my own song every time. That was the most important thing for me because I was worried about how foreigners would react to a song in Lithuanian. After the first concert, I calmed down. I realised that everything was fine,” the singer says.
According to Monika Liu, people abroad already know the lyrics of her song, Sentimentai. This surprised the singer, but it was also the most enjoyable part of it all. Some fans knew a few lines, while others could recite the entire song. “It’s my mission this year – to bring the Lithuanian language back to the Eurovision stage. So far, it’s going smoothly,” she says.
Read more: Lithuania’s Monika Liu on going to Eurovision and surviving her own company – interview
Although preparations for Eurovision may be stressful and exhausting, Monika Liu admits, she is convinced that none of it will be visible on stage – it is her job to make it invisible. Besides, the experience is a once-in-a-lifetime gift, she adds: “I appreciate every moment.”
This year, Monika Liu’s favourite entry is the Ukrainian song. She says the lyrics take on particular poignancy at this time and hit her right in the heart. “I think they are the absolute favourites this year and they have to win,” she says.
Monika Liu thinks that Ukraine should be the focus this year and probably will be. The singer herself would just be happy to advance to the Eurovision final, as it would be a huge achievement for the Lithuanian song.
“My main goal is that when I sing the song in Lithuanian in front of millions of people, it will make Lithuanians proud that the Lithuanian language is so widely heard,” Monika Liu says.
For a week before her departure for Italy, the singer has been limiting her social interactions in order to build up her energy for Eurovision. Another ritual is to visualise the performance.
“I close my eyes and imagine how it will go. To do that, I need time, to be with myself,” says Monika Liu. “I feel that I have professionalism, I am in control on stage. I am calm and confident on stage, and I need to make sure that everybody in the environment does their job well.”
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