"I want to win": Malik Harris sings for Germany
Created: 05/03/2022, 08:12
Malik Harris is on stage at the show "Germany 12 Points - the German ESC preliminary decision" after his victory.
© Britta Pedersen/dpa-POOL/dpa/archive image
It just looks different.
With the last vote, Malik Harris prevailed against tough competition in the preliminary round for the Eurovision Song Contest.
The singer has big plans for the finale in Turin.
Berlin - An evening between war trauma and the world of pop: the singer Malik Harris will represent Germany at the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin.
The 24-year-old prevailed in a memorable ESC edition in Berlin on Friday evening.
The six songs of the final round in "Germany 12 Points - the German ESC preliminary decision" were framed by the commemoration of the war in Ukraine.
Harris, who comes from Landsberg am Lech in Bavaria and is the son of US presenter Rick Harris, won out with his song “Rockstars”, sung in English.
According to the vote of the radio stations involved, he was still in second place.
Maël & Jonas from Koblenz initially led by a clear margin with the strong song "I Swear to God".
In the audience's decision, which was also rated at 50 percent, Harris passed the duo.
Nico Suave & Team Liebe landed on the places with "Hallo Welt", Felicia Lu ("Anxiety"), Eros Atomus with "Alive" and "Soap" by Emily Roberts.
Harris' winning song "Rockstars" revolves around a carefree childhood, looking back at beautiful moments and reflecting on things in common.
The German-American pop singer, rapper and songwriter Harris has a lot of music and entertainment in his blood.
A grandfather was an opera singer, a grandmother a pianist, his father plays several instruments.
Malik Harris found his way onto concert stages early on, played on tours and was an opener for James Blunt, for example.
Harris has big plans for the ECS finals in Turin.
"I want to win," he said after his success in the preliminary round.
In recent years, Germany has mostly ended up far behind in the ESC final, in 2021 with Jendrik, for example, in penultimate place.
The emotional highlight of the evening was reserved for the Ukrainian singer Jamala (38).
The 2016 ESC winner combined her appearance with a moving plea for peace in her country.
"My biggest wish is for the war to stop," Jamala said.
The singer had fled her homeland with her two children under dramatic circumstances.
She had to leave her husband behind in Ukraine.
more on the subject
"I want to win": Malik Harris sings for Germany
Ukrainian ESC winner Jamala addresses the audience
"The whole world should hear our pain": Jamala sends an emotional Ukraine message at the ESC preliminary decision
"I'm singing on behalf of children today, I'm singing on behalf of women today," Jamala said.
"I want the whole world to hear our voice, hear about our pain and suffering." She will do everything she can.
"I'm going to shout for the whole world to hear that it can't be like this."
With the Ukrainian flag in hand, Jamala sang her 2016 winning song "1944".
The song is about the deportation of Crimean Tatars by Soviet dictator Stalin.
The winner of the evening also used his performance to make a clear statement against the war.
At the end of his song, he turned his guitar over.
On the back of the instrument was written in large letters: "I stand with Ukraine".
dpa