Introduction

• Participant(s): Sanja Vučić ZAA
• Song: Goodbye (Shelter)
• Writer(s): Ivana Peters
• Composer(s): Ivana Peters
• Broadcaster: RTS 
• Social Media: 
• Team review: 

The Serbian broadcaster has decided to make an internal selection as many other countries this year. Nevertheless, the Serbian entry has been introduced in a greatly arranged TV show. RTS has chosen a quite new and fresh face this year. The 23 years old singer Sanja Vučić will be representing Serbia with the band ZAA and the song is called “Goodbye (Shelter)”. Judged by the style of her looks and appearance there a strong similarities to Amy Winehouse.

Sanja Vučić was born in Kruševac (close to Niš), Serbia in 1993. Sanja comes from a music influence family, both parents were musicians and they were teaching her to sing folk songs. Sanja started to improve her singing qualities with the help of the opera singer Katarina Jovanovic but she is very open to any style of music from jazz, ska, dub, punk to church choir music. Sanja is a student of philology, literature and Arabic. She is the lead singer of the band ZAA, with which she has been recording one album already called “What About” and toured in Serbia and other ex-Yugoslav countries as well as in Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

The song “Goodbye (Shelter)” is about the end of a love story, where she is looking to find a distance from her love. Judged by her live performance at the song presentation, Sanja has very good stage appearance, a great voice and a striking charisma, even if her looks reminds a bit of Amy Winehouse. Nevertheless, this is a very strong song for Stockholm, very convincing in all aspects. There are some ethnic elements, a great dramatic climax and radio friendly melody. Great choice Serbia!

History

• Debut: 2007
• Participations: 9
• Victories: 1
• Finals: 6
• Top 10: 4
• Chance for Top 10: 44 %

It’s the 9th time for Serbia taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest as an independent country. From 2004 until 2005 is was formally known Serbia & Montenegro and participated as one country. Montenegro also debuted independently in the same year of 2007. In the ESC history the former Yugoslavia took part 27 times and could achieve one victory with “Rock Me” by Riva in 1989 in Lausanne. The debut year of Yugoslavia was 1961.

In the year of 2007 Serbia had its debut as independent country and there was one girl from Serbia who has captured the European hearts by a storm - Marija Šerifović. Her power ballad “Molitva” was the big favourite from the beginning. With the incredible and touching stage performance she could overwhelmingly win the ESC. The year after Serbia had the honour to host the ESC for the first time in the capital of Belgrade. It was a terrific show with one of the most beautiful ESC stages so far. It made not only the Serbians proud, also the neighbour countries.

The Serbian songs were mostly quite successful, out of 8th participations so far they could qualify for the Grand Final six times and achieved Top10 ranks for four times, that’s a chance of 44%. We also need to mention Željko Joksimović here as he has put the most effort in the Serbian success in the recent years and even beyond. He composed, sang his entries and also hosted the ESC in Belgrade 2008.