Conchita Wurst to ESC again? “Second place would be a defeat.”

Is it the disarming warmth that defines Conchita Wurst? Impressive sound perhaps? Or did the legend of ESC remain like this in reality despite all its successes? Whatever the case, anyone who talks to Conchita Forrest or Tom Neuwirth, the real name of the 2014 ESC winner, will immediately notice that she has not given up her passion for music's biggest competition, even ten years after her win in Copenhagen. he have.

In the interview, Conchita Forst, who is looking for the ninth participant in the German preliminary round with Rhea Garvey in the ARD program “I want to go to ESC”, talks about the requirements profile of the future winner of ESC and answers the question of whether she would like to do it again, Participation in the Eurovision Song Contest will be an option.

You and Rea Garvey are looking for a candidate for the German preliminary round. What does a future ESC winner need to bring with them?

However, there is a joy to the project, a seriousness, and at best, that's for sure. So call the star. If you think back, the overall package always won. The best songs paired with the best artists. They must be stars. It sounds stupid when I say it indirectly, but yeah, that's the magic.

++ ESC: NDR announces the work of the preliminary round ++

“I Want to Go to ESC” is structured like a casting show. How difficult is it to reject candidates?

It got easier and easier for me as the show went on. At first I wasn't prepared for my decisions to be met with such pain. Of course that upset me and made me feel sorry. But at the same time, and this helped me a lot in making the decision, I know what to expect. I know the goal. I know the process – before and during the song contest.
I know what you need. When I notice that this is missing, I have to say that it is simply not enough to achieve this particular goal. That doesn't mean it's not enough for a record deal or a solo record or anything else. This could definitely work. But not for the song contest. This made things relatively easy for me: to be honest, I knew what I needed.

It's been exactly ten years since you appeared. Is the ESC chapter over for you as a musician, or can you imagine performing again?

So for me, the ESC class as a whole is not over because I can be booked for all possible positions, but not for the singing person. But everything else – staging, set design, whatever – I love doing it. But no, I won't compete again.

Why?

Because I already won once.

Lauren does too.

But it's also incredibly good.

And you do not?

Yeah, I don't know, maybe if I had the song, maybe I'd be like, well… I don't know. But I don't have that yet. No, I don't have any motive either. I also think my victory was a little more than just a victory for me and I think for a lot of other people as well.

Is this perhaps also the pressure on the person who has already won?

Yes, of course. In my calculations there is only the option of winning again. Second place would be a defeat.

Talk about placement. You and Rhea Garvey have set yourself a big goal. After all, Germany has achieved rather mediocre results in recent years. What makes you optimistic that things will get better now?

Well, on the one hand, I don't want to burden myself with these expectations. I want to live in the moment and I want to create a good number of people who will then travel to Malmö. I think if you focus on the moment and do your best, it can work out. I don't want to assume that others don't, but that's the path I'm taking. This is the only path I can take. We will see if we are successful or not.

ARD will premiere the first two episodes of “I Want to Go to ESC” on January 27, 2024 at 11:05 p.m. Episodes three, four and five will follow a week later.