Introduction

• Participant(s): Highway
• Song: The Real Thing
• Writer(s): Skansi, Luka Vojvodić & Maro Market
• Composer(s): Skansi, Luka Vojvodić & Maro Market
• Broadcaster: RTCG
• Social media: 
• Team review: 

The Montenegrin broadcaster RTCG has announced the name of the ESC representatives as one of the earliest. The pop and rock band Highway should represent Montenegro at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm this year. Montenegro has always dared to send unconventional entries to the ESC. This time it’s a rock band out of the ordinary.

The band Highway is coming from Podgorica and consists of Petar Tošic (lead vocal), Marko Pešic (guitar and vocal) and Luka Vojvodic (guitar and vocal). The band appeared in the X Factor Adria show and became very popular not only in Montenegro, also in the neighbour countries. They have also participated at the Suncane Skale 2015 with the song “Bar na Krato” where they became third.

The Montenegrin entry “The Real Thing” is a rock song about love “Feel It – I am the real thing”. The song has a different style and structure compared to the other songs this year. There are strong e-guitar parts accompanying the notorious dark melody. This entry will definitely have its fans, but if the majority of the juries and TV spectators will vote for is probably unrealistic.

History

• Debut: 2007
• Participations: 8
• Victories: 0
• Finals: 2
• Top 10: 0
• Chance for Top 10: 0 %

In the young history of Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest it’s only the eighth contribution this year in Stockholm. Montenegro has also taken part two times as “Serbia & Montenegro” in 2004 and 2005. These entries have been very successful “Lane Moje” by Željko Joksimović in 2004 (2nd place) and “Zauvijek Moja” by the group No Name in 2005 (7th place).

Before Montenegro was a part of Yugoslavia, which had the debut in 1961 in Cannes with “Neke Davne Zvezde” by Ljiljana Petrovic (8th rank). There was one victory for Yugoslavia in 1989 with “Rock me” by Riva. Unfortunately, Montenegro has never made it into the Grand Final until the last two successive years. Even with a little help of the other ex-Yugoslav countries it did not reach the Grand Finals before. Thanks to Sergej Ćetković who could make a 19th place with the folkloristic ballad “Moj Svijet” in Copenhagen and Knez with another ethnic entry called “Adio”, he reached the 13th place in Vienna and hence it’s the best placing so far.

Even the German composer Ralph Siegel has tried to bring some success to the Mediterranean country with “Just get out of my life” by Andrea Demirovic in 2009 (11th in the Semi Final) but it was not successful either. The other songs have mainly been unglamorous rock songs like “Ajde Kroci” by Stevan Faddy in 2007 (22nd in the Semi Final) and “Zauvijek Volim Te” by Stefan Filipović in 2008 (14th in the Semi Final). Maybe the composers did have not the right hand in composing to match the European taste at the ESC. One exception was the entry “Igranka” by the group Who See, which was a truly outstanding performance with astronaut costumes, unfortunately the song did not qualify for the Grand Final in Malmö.