Introduction

• Participant(s): Natalia Gordienko
• Song: Sugar
  
• Writer(s): Mikhail Gutseriev, Sharon Vaughn
• Composer(s): Dimitris Kontopoulos, Phillipp Kirkorov
• Broadcaster: TRM
  
• Social media:     
  
• Team review: 

Unlike other years, the Moldovan broadcaster TRM did not arrange a national final. Last year’s singer Natalia Gordienco has been directly nominated again to show the Moldovan colours in Rotterdam. This time even more powerful than ever. With the support of the pop powerhouse Dimitris Kontopoulos and Philipp Kirkorov a very lavish and extravagant entry could be created. The name of the song “Sugar” is maxed out in the colourful video clip, this is not a song for diabetics as it’s full of sugar elements.

Natalia Gordienco is not stranger at the ESC. She has been performing together with Arsenium “Loca” in Athens 2006 and made a 20th place in the Grand Final. Last year she should have sung the ballad “Prison”, from the same songwriter team, but she received another chance with “Sugar”.

Natalia Gordienco was born in Chisinau in 1987 and is a Moldovan singer and dancer who also plays the piano. In Moldova’s debut year 2005 she took part with the band Millennium with the song “Tabloul de pe Sticla”  and made a second place. In her music career she received new wave award in 2007, released three solo albums and is touring around the world.

The song “Sugar” is full of energy, glamour and coolness, the total opposite of last year’s entry “Prison”. Kirkorov and his team put everything together to guarantee a high international standard. There has been a glowingly song presentation in Moscow with Natalia as the super star. Unfortunately, she did not perform her song live. In previous appearances Natalia appeared inconspicuous and now she has transformed to a super vamp. The big question here is if the juries and televoters are going to attest this.

History

• Debut: 2005
• Participations: 17
• Victories: 0
• Finals: 10
• Top 10: 4
• Chances for Top 10: 24%
• Chances for Final: 59%

Moldova had its debut in the year 2005 with the extraordinary punk rock song “Boonika Bate Toba” by the legendary group Zdob si Zdub. Remember the funny grandma in her swing-chair – that was truly unique and brave! The band is very popular beyond the borders of Moldova, in many other ex-Soviet states this band enjoys a huge success. This also led to a respectable 6th place in Kiev, not bad for a debut entry. The band performed again with the extraordinary “So Lucky” in Düsseldorf 2011 and made 12th rank.

The best place Moldova could achieve so far in the Eurovision Song Contest with the group Sunstroke Project in 2017. The band has entered the contest again with the song “Hey Mamma” they reached a spectacular 3rd place in Kiev! Moldova was never been that close to victory.

This year it’s going to be the 17th time for Moldova in the ESC in Rotterdam. The enthusiasm in this country is very high and is growing year after year. The Moldovan broadcaster TRM is organizing a national final every year, despite of this year, as the singer Natalia Gordienco has been directly nominated, because of the cancellation of the ESC 2020. So far the Grand Final has been be reached 10 times and a Top10 place for four times that makes a realistic likelihood of 24% to accomplish a Top10 position.

Moldova is also profiting from the neighbour countries votes, Romania and Ukraine were always very generous with their points and vice versa. The Moldovan entries have often been modern with a folkloristic character. That’s why Moldova reaches the Grand Final quite often by a chance of 59%.

Biggest successes

• 1x 3rd place
  “Hey Mamma” | Sunstroke Project (Kiev 2017)
• 1x 6th place
  “Boonika Bate Toba” | Zdob și Zdub (Kiev 2005)
• 2x 10th place
  “Fight” | Natalia Barbu (Helsinki 2007)
  “My Lucky Day” |DoReDos (Lisbon 2018)

Video Nostalgia

• “Fight” | Natalia Barbu
  Rank 10, Helsinki 2007
• “Hora Din Moldova” | Nelly Ciobanu
  Rank 14, Moscow 2009
• “So Lucky” | Zdob și Zdub
  Rank 12, Düsseldorf 2011