Estonia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "The Lucky One" performed by Uku Suviste and written by Suviste himself along with Sharon Vaughn. The Estonian broadcaster (ERR) organised the national final in order to select the Estonian entry for the 2021 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The national final consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. Twelve songs competed in each semi-final and six from each semi-final as determined by a jury panel and public vote qualified to the final. In the final, the winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, a jury panel and a public vote selected the top three to qualify to the superfinal. In the superfinal, "The Lucky One" performed by Uku Suviste was selected as the winner entirely by a public vote.
Estonia was drawn to compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 20 May 2021. Performing during the show in position 2, "The Lucky One" was not announced among the top 10 entries of the second semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Estonia placed thirteenth out of the 17 participating countries in the semi-final with 58 points.
Background
Prior to the 2021 Contest, Estonia had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest twenty-five times since its first entry in 1994, winning the contest on one occasion in 2001 with the song "Everybody" performed by Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL. Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004, Estonia has, to this point, managed to qualify to the final on seven occasions. In 2019, "Storm" performed by Victor Crone managed to qualify Estonia to the final where the song placed twentieth.
The Estonian national broadcaster, (ERR), broadcasts the event within Estonia and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. ERR confirmed Estonia's participation at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest on 18 March 2020 after the 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since their debut, the Estonian broadcaster has organised national finals that feature a competition among multiple artists and songs in order to select Estonia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition has been organised since 2009 in order to select Estonia's entry and also on 18 March 2020, ERR announced the organisation of in order to select the nation's 2021 entry.
Before Eurovision
Eesti Laul 2021 was the thirteenth edition of the Estonian national selection , which selected Estonia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. The competition took place at the Saku Suurhall in Tallinn, hosted by Tõnis Niinemets and Grete Kuld and consisted of twenty-four entries competing in two semi-finals on 18 and 20 February 2021 leading to a twelve-song final on 6 March 2021. All three shows were broadcast on (ETV), on ETV+ with Russian commentary, via radio on Raadio 2 with commentary by Erik Morna, Margus Kamlat, Robin Juhkental and Kristo Rajasaare as well as streamed online at the broadcaster's official website err.ee.
Format The format of the competition included two semi-finals on 18 and 20 February 2021 and a final on 6 March 2021. Twelve songs competed in each semi-final and the top six from each semi-final qualified to complete the twelve song lineup in the final. The results of the semi-finals was determined by the 50/50 combination of votes from a professional jury and public televoting for the first four qualifiers and a second round of public televoting for the fifth and sixth qualifiers. The winning song in the final was selected over two rounds of voting: the first round results selected the top three songs via the 50/50 combination of jury and public voting, while the second round (superfinal) determined the winner solely by public televoting.
Competing entries On 1 September 2020, ERR opened the submission period for artists and composers to submit their entries up until 6 November 2020 through an online upload platform. Each artist and songwriter was only able to submit a maximum of five entries. Foreign collaborations were allowed as long as 50% of the songwriters were Estonian. A fee was also imposed on songs being submitted to the competition, with €25 for songs in the Estonian language and €75 for songs in other languages. One of the semi-finalist spots was reserved for Uku Suviste, who was to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 before the contest was cancelled. 156 submissions were received by the deadline. A 17-member jury panel selected 24 semi-finalists from the submissions and the selected songs were announced during the ETV entertainment program on 11 and 12 November 2020. The selection jury consisted of Bert Prikenfeld (DJ), Kaupo Karelson (television producer), Jüri Pihel (television producer), Jaan Pehk (musician), Anu Varusk (Warner Music Baltics regional marketing manager), Karl-Erik Taukar (singer), Sten Teppan (Vikerradio music editor), Mari-Liis Männik (Raadio Elmar presenter), Ahto Kruusmann (Raadio Uuno presenter), Margus Kamlat (Raadio 2 presenter), Laura Põldvere (singer), Vaido Pannel (Raadio Sky+ music editor), Robert Kõrvits (musician), Rauno Märks (Retro FM presenter), Dmitri Mikrjukov (Raadio 4 music editor), Andres Aljaste (Power Hit Radio presenter) and Liis Lemsalu (singer).
Among the competing artists were previous Eurovision Song Contest entrants Ivo Linna, who represented Estonia in 1996 with Maarja-Liis Ilus, Koit Toome, who represented Estonia in 1998 and in 2017 with Laura, Tanja, who represented Estonia in 2014, and Jüri Pootsmann, who represented Estonia in 2016. Andrei Zevakin, Egert Milder, Kaire Vilgats (member of Suured tüdrukud), Karl Killing, Kéa, Kristel Aaslaid (lead singer of Gram-Of-Fun), Nika Marula, Redel, Robert Linna, Sissi, Tuuli Rand, Uku Suviste and Wiiralt have all competed in previous editions of Eesti Laul.
Artist Song Songwriter(s) Alabama Watchdog "Alabama Watchdog" Ken Einberg and Pluuto "Wingman" , Henry Orlov Egert Milder "Free Again" , Matteo Capreoli, Egert Milder Gram-Of-Fun "Lost in a Dance" Martin Kuut, , Raul Ojamaa, Kostja Tsõbulevski, Mikk Simson "One by One" Vahur Valgmaa, Hans Nayna Helen "" Rob Montes, Jason Hunter, Renae Rain, Helen Randmets Heleza "6" Karl Killing, Helena Põldmaa Ivo Linna, Robert Linna and Supernova "" Rainer Michelson, Robert Linna Jüri Pootsmann "" Jüri Pootsmann, Joonas Mattias Sarapuu, , Aleksi Liski Kadri Voorand "Energy" Kadri Voorand Karl Killing "Kiss Me" Karl Killing Kéa "Hypnotized" Ketter Orav, Sander Sadam, Alvar Antson, Karl-Mathias Saarse Kristin Kalnapenk "Find a Way" Kristin Kalnapenk, Hannes Agur Vellend Koit Toome "We Could Have Been Beautiful" Joonas Parkkonen, Koit Toome, Peppina Pällijeff Nika Marula "Calm Down" Andrei Zevakin, Nika Marula, Daniil Kotilevits Rahel "Sunday Night" Rahel Ollisaar, Frederik Küüts, Jason Hunter Redel "" Kristjan Oden, Indrek Vaheoja "Time" Sissi Nylia Benita, Andrei Zevakin, Kelly Tulvik Suured tüdrukud "Heaven's Not That Far Tonight" Koit Toome, Gevin Niglas, Karl Killing Tanja "Best Night Ever" Timo Vendt, Tanja Mihhailova-Saar, Mihkel Mattisen Tuuli Rand "" Gevin Niglas, Kristel Aaslaid, Tuuli Rand Uku Haasma "" Uku Haasma, Henri Erik Tammai, Rudolf Toltsberg Uku Suviste "The Lucky One" Uku Suviste, Sharon Vaughn Wiiralt "Tuuled" Pat Lyons, Martin Saaremägi
Shows
Semi-finals The two semi-finals took place on 18 and 20 February 2021. In each semi-final twelve songs competed for the first four spots in the final with the outcome decided upon by the combination of the votes from a jury panel and a public televote which registered 12,643 votes in the first semi-final and 27,785 votes in the second semi-final; the remaining two qualifiers were decided by an additional televote between the remaining non-qualifiers which registered 5,902 votes in the first semi-final and 11,800 votes in the second semi-final. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, Elina Born, who represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, and singers Beebilõust and Villemdrillem performed as the interval act in the first semi-final, while singer Daniel Levi and the group Curly Strings performed as the interval act in the second semi-final. The jury panel that voted in the semi-finals consisted of Kerli Kõiv, Heidy Purga, Sünne Valtri, Janika Sillamaa, Anett Kulbin, Nele Kirsipuu, Kristjan Järvi, Koit Raudsepp, Silver Laas, Andres Puusepp and Genka.
+ Semi-final 1 (First round) – 18 February 2021 Artist Song Jury Televote Total Place Votes Points Votes Points 1 Tanja "Best Night Ever" 25 1 685 2 3 10 2 Hans Nayna "One by One" 40 3 916 4 7 8 3 Wiiralt "" 59 6 945 5 11 5 4 Kéa "Hypnotized" 37 2 411 0 2 11 5 Andrei Zevakin and Pluuto "Wingman" 14 0 1,476 8 8 6 6 Karl Killing "Kiss Me" 54 5 1,151 7 12 4 7 Nika Marula "Calm Down" 62 7 548 1 8 7 8 Egert Milder "Free Again" 100 10 1,136 6 16 3 9 Tuuli Rand "" 9 0 278 0 0 12 10 Koit Toome "We Could Have Been Beautiful" 111 12 2,873 12 24 1 11 Kristin Kalnapenk "Find a Way" 51 4 705 3 7 9 12 Ivo Linna, Robert Linna and Supernova "" 76 8 1,519 10 18 2 + Semi-final 1 (Second round) – 18 February 2021 Artist Song Televote Place Andrei Zevakin and Pluuto "Wingman" 1,593 1 Hans Nayna "One by One" 1,083 2 Kéa "Hypnotized" 446 6 Kristin Kalnapenk "Find a Way" 412 7 Nika Marula "Calm Down" 686 5 Tanja "Best Night Ever" 781 3 Tuuli Rand "Üks öö" 164 8 Wiiralt "Tuuled" 737 4
+ Semi-final 2 (First round) – 20 February 2021 Artist Song Jury Televote Total Place Votes Points Votes Points 1 Sissi "Time" 44 4 1,797 5 9 7 2 Gram-Of-Fun "Lost in a Dance" 67 8 1,403 3 11 6 3 Kadri Voorand "Energy" 107 10 2,680 7 17 2 4 Helen "" 3 0 1,210 2 2 10 5 Redel "" 63 6 2,876 8 14 5 6 Rahel "Sunday Night" 33 1 839 0 1 11 7 Uku Haasma "" 12 0 654 0 0 12 8 Heleza "6" 35 2 1,494 4 6 9 9 Uku Suviste "The Lucky One" 41 3 6,291 12 15 3 10 Alabama Watchdog "Alabama Watchdog" 64 7 1,052 1 8 8 11 Jüri Pootsmann "" 110 12 2,119 6 18 1 12 Suured tüdrukud "Heaven's Not That Far Tonight" 59 5 5,370 10 15 4 + Semi-final 2 (Second round) – 20 February 2021 Artist Song Televote Place Alabama Watchdog "Alabama Watchdog" 1,022 6 Gram-Of-Fun "Lost in a Dance" 1,771 3 Helen "" 1,270 5 Heleza "6" 1,345 4 Rahel "Sunday Night" 819 7 Redel "" 2,600 1 Sissi "Time" 2,451 2 Uku Haasma "" 522 8
Final The final took place on 6 March 2021. The six entries that qualified from each of the two preceding semi-finals, all together twelve songs, competed during the show. The winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, a jury (50%) and public televote (50%) determined the top three entries to proceed to the superfinal. The public vote in the first round registered 55,956 votes. In the superfinal, "The Lucky One" performed by Uku Suviste was selected as the winner entirely by a public televote. The public televote in the superfinal registered 52,214 votes. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, singers Liis Lemsalu and Stefan as well as the groups Goresoerd, Mr. Lawrence, Pitsa and Smilers performed as the interval acts. The jury panel that voted in the first round of the final consisted of Moniqué (Lithuanian singer), Brian Henry (British keyboardist), Ben Camp (American songwriter), Sylvia Massy (American producer), Jan Frost Bors (Czech screenwriter), Stephen Budd (British producer), Helena Meraai (Belarusian singer), Pierre Dumoulin (Belgian songwriter) and Steve Rodway (British composer).