Fuego (Eleni Foureira song)
"Fuego" (Spanish: [ˈfweɡo]; transl. Fire) is a song by Albanian-born Greek singer Eleni Foureira. The song was produced by Alex Papaconstantinou, Didrick and Victory, who also served as co-writers with Anderz Wrethov, Geraldo Sandell and Viktor Svensson. It was released as a single for digital download and streaming on 9 March 2018 in Greece and in various countries on 19 May by A-P, Panik and Sony. Incorporating ethnic and traditional elements, it is an upbeat dance and pop song, with the lyrics addressing female empowerment as well as emancipation and strength.
| "Fuego" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Eleni Foureira | ||||
| from the album Fuego | ||||
| Released | 9 March 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:03 | |||
| Label |
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| Lyricist(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Eleni Foureira singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Fuego" on YouTube | ||||
| Eurovision Song Contest 2018 entry | ||||
| Country | ||||
| Artist(s) | Eleni Foureira | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Composer(s) |
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| Lyricist(s) |
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| Finals performance | ||||
| Semi-final result | 2nd | |||
| Semi-final points | 262 | |||
| Final result | 2nd | |||
| Final points | 436 | |||
| Entry chronology | ||||
| ◄ "Gravity" (2017) | ||||
| "Replay" (2019) ► | ||||
"Fuego" represented Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal, after being internally selected by the Cypriot broadcaster Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) in February 2018. During the contest in May 2018, Cyprus finished second in the first semi-final and qualified for the final, finishing second with 436 points, marking the nation's best result in the contest. Foureira's red and purple-toned performance featured her whipping around her hair, hip swivelling, pose striking and catwalk strutting across the stage, accompanied by four female backing dancers.
Music critics received "Fuego" with positive acclaim upon release, commending its production, lyrics and Foureira's vocal delivery. Commercially, the song reached number one in Greece and Spain and entered the top 100 in several other countries. It further received a platinum certification by the Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE) in Spain. An accompanying music video was filmed in Marathon and Piraeus, and first uploaded to Panik's YouTube channel on 2 March 2018. Following the Eurovision Song Contest, Foureira embarked on a tour throughout Europe, including in Albania, Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Background and composition edit
Panik and Sony released "Fuego" as a single for digital download and streaming in Greece on 9 March 2018 as well as in various countries on 19 May.[1][2] Alex Papaconstantinou, Didrick and Victory produced the song and wrote it alongside Anderz Wrethov, Geraldo Sandell and Viktor Svensson.[3][4] With a Spanish title, "Fuego" is an upbeat dance and pop song, backed by an ethnic and traditional sound and instrumentation.[5][6][7] Regarding its meaning, Foureira described the theme of the song as female empowerment, with her aiming to "show the fire that women have inside them".[8] According to a music critic, the lyrics "represent a sense of emancipation and strength[, with] an internal smouldering that gives life, lust, love and more".[5] Lyrics include: "Cause I'm way up and I ain't coming down, you takin' me higher [...] cause I'm burning up and I ain't cooling down, I got the fire [...] fuego."[5]
Reception edit
Upon release, "Fuego" received generally positive reviews from music critics. William Lee Adams from Billboard highlighted the song as a "Mediterranean [...] anthem" and praised its "something plastic [yet] infectious" lyrics.[9] An editor from The Week characterised the song as "catchy" with "classic Euro-cobblers" lyrics, and further wrote that "Foureira delivers them with plenty of Mediterranean heat, accompanied by some throbbing electro backing".[10] In a Wiwibloggs article with several reviews from individual critics, overall acclamation was concentrated on Foureira's voice as well as the song's appeal, catchiness and nature.[11] Commercially, "Fuego" experienced widespread success on record charts after its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, reaching number one in Greece and Spain.[12][13] The song further reached the top 20 in Belgium,[14] Norway,[15] Portugal and Sweden.[16][17] It also received a platinum certification by the Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE) in Spain for shifting more than 40,000 units.[18]
Promotion and other usage edit
An accompanying music video for "Fuego" premiered to the YouTube channel of Panik on 2 March 2018 at 20:00 (CET), with the upload to the channel of the Eurovision Song Contest following on 12 March.[3][19][20] The video was directed by Apollon Papatheocharis and filmed in Marathon and at the Piraeus Municipal Theatre in Piraeus.[19][21] Following her Eurovision Song Contest participation, Foureira embarked on a tour throughout Europe in 2018, including in Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.[22] Also in 2018, the singer performed "Fuego" on the Spanish dance show Fama A Bailar in May, at the Coca Cola Festival in Tirana in August as well as at the Los40 Music Awards in November.[23][24][25] She also provided live performances of the song in 2019 at the national finals of Albania, Iceland and Spain for the Eurovision Song Contest.[26][27][28] "Fuego" has been covered by several other Eurovision contestants, including Bilal Hassani,[29] Daði Freyr,[30] Eden Alene,[31] Måns Zelmerlöw,[32] Slavko Kalezić and the Black Mamba.[33][34] Bella Santiago, Liis Lemsalu and Lola Índigo impersonated Foureira and provided performances of the song for the Romanian, Estonian and Spanish versions of the reality talent show Your Face Sounds Familiar, respectively.[35][36] The song was further featured on the second season of the Spanish series Elite in 2019.[37][38]
At Eurovision Song Contest edit
Before Lisbon edit
In January 2018, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) announced the Cypriot entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 to be internally selected.[39] Prior to this, the broadcaster planned to hold audition rounds and a national final to select their entry but cancelled the selection process with no official statement.[39][40] Foureira with "Fuego" was confirmed as the nation's representative by the broadcaster on 1 February 2018.[41] Following the announcement, the singer declared that she would promise to perform to the best of her ability in Lisbon, saying: "I would like to say a big thank you to CyBC and all the Cypriot people for giving me this opportunity. It is a great honour for me to represent this wonderful country, which has supported me so much for all of these years."[42] Given her Albanian origin, Foureira's announcement as the nation's representative sparked a divisive debate in Cyprus and Greece on racism and discrimination.[43] She was one of three ethnic Albanian participants in the contest, with each of them representing different countries.[44][45]
In Lisbon edit
The 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest took place at Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, and consisted of two semi-finals on 8 and 10 May and the final on 12 May 2018.[46] According to the Eurovision rules, each participating country, except the host country and the "Big Five", consisting of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, were required to qualify from one of two semi-finals to compete for the grand final, although, the top 10 countries from the respective semi-final progress to the grand final.[47] In March 2018, it was announced that "Fuego" would be performed in the second half of the first semi-final of the contest at 19th position, succeeding Ireland.[48] In the first-semi-final, Cyprus was one of the 10 nations to be announced as having qualified for the final, ranking 2nd with 262 points.[49][50] Subsequently, the nation was placed to perform at 25th position, succeeding Ireland and preceding Italy.[51] In the final, Cyprus finished in second place at the end of the voting, receiving a total of 436 points and having received 12 from the televoters and juries, including from Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Sweden.[52][53] This stood as the nation's best result in its participation history in the contest.[54]
Foureira's performance of "Fuego" for the Eurovision Song Contest was directed by Swedish artistic director Sacha Jean-Baptiste.[3][55] On stage, the singer was accompanied by a backing vocalist, namely Teddy Sky, and four female backing dancers, including Celia Caap, Keisha von Arnold, Lovisa Bengtsson and Marlene Lindahl.[56] Foureira wore a glittery bodysuit with a transparent piece around her stomach and leather sleeves as well as high-heel boots, designed by Greek fashion designer Vrettos Vrettakos.[57][58][59][60] The performance began with the front and centre of Foureira's silhouette against a light tunnel illuminated blue created by lasers.[58][61] Upon walking through the tunnel, the lights began to change from blue to red with the backing dancers entering the performance.[58][61] It continued with smoke in shades of purple as well as fire shooting into the air from the edge of the circular stage.[59] It predominantly included red and purple-toned lighting as well as Foureira whipping around her hair, hip swivelling, pose striking and catwalk strutting across the stage with her troup.[59]
The performance was met with generally positive reviews from critics. Jay McCarthy from the HuffPost highlighted Foureira's fashion and dancing, which according to her "looked straight from a Pussycat Dolls video [and] a cross between Beyoncé and Shakira".[62] In writing for Billboard, Adams wrote that "[Foureira] whipped her hair with Shakira precision and Beyoncé abandon".[9] BBC's Steve Holden described the performance as "[a] high intensity choreography and hair flicking [making] even Beyoncé proud".[8] An editor from The National Herald felt that "it is the kind of thing J-Lo or Shakira would do" and labelled the act a "powerful [and] in-your-face celebration of women".[63] For The Week, the editor elaborated, "given the title, the live performance [of 'Fuego'] is guaranteed to include spectacular pyrotechnics, green-screen flames and some red-hot dance moves."[10]
Track listing edit
- "Fuego" – 3:03
- "Fuego" (Spanish Version) – 3:03
- Digital download and streaming – Remix[64]
- "Fuego" (Playmen Festival Remix) – 3:14
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
| Year-end charts edit
|
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[18] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history edit
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 9 March 2018 |
|
| |
| Italy | 11 May 2018 | Radio airplay | CDF | |
| Various | 19 May 2018 |
|
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See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Fuego – Single by Eleni Foureira". Apple Music (Greece). 19 May 2018. from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ a b c Citations regarding the digital release of "Fuego" by Eleni Foureira in various selected countries:
- "Fuego – Single by Eleni Foureira" (in Portuguese). Apple Music (Portugal). 19 May 2018. from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- "Fuego – Single by Eleni Foureira" (in Swedish). Apple Music (Sweden). 19 May 2018. from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ a b c Jordan, Paul (2 March 2018). "Cyprus: Eleni Foureira premieres the video of 'Fuego'". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Fuego – Single by Eleni Foureira". Spotify. 19 May 2018. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022. Note: Click on the three dots on the right of the track to display the credits.
- ^ a b c Pedra, Jordi (2 March 2018). "Fuego! Cyprus' Eleni Foureira turns up the heat in official Eurovision video". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ^ Santos, Pedro (2 March 2018). "Smashing pop song from Cyprus – Eleni Foureira's Fuego released". EuroVisionary. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ^ Meier, Angelika; Binz, Simon (13 May 2018). "Eurovision Song Contest: Netta aus Israel gewinnt mit 'Toy'" (in German). Nau. from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ^ a b Holden, Steve (10 May 2018). "Eurovision: How Greece's pop star helped Cyprus become favourite to win". BBC. from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ a b Adams, William Lee (15 May 2018). "Eurovision 2018: The People Behind the Sequins". Billboard. from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Eurovision odds 2018: who are the grand final favourites?". The Week. 11 May 2018. from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ Gallagher, Robyn (10 April 2018). "Wiwi Jury: Cyprus' Eleni Foureira with 'Fuego'". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ a b . IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE). 29 September 2018. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Eleni Foureira – Fuego" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Eleni Foureira – Fuego". VG-lista. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Eleni Foureira – Fuego". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Eleni Foureira – Fuego". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Spanish single certifications" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 4 July 2022. Select Canciones under "Categoría", select 2018 under "Año". Select 48 under "Semana". Click on "BUSCAR LISTA".
- ^ a b "Eleni Foureira – Fuego | Official Music Video". Panik Records. 2 March 2018. from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Eleni Foureira – Fuego | Official Music Video". Eurovision Song Contest. 12 March 2018. from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022 – via YouTube.
- ^ Santos, Pedro (2 March 2018). "Smashing pop song from Cyprus – Eleni Foureira's Fuego released". EuroVisionary. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (15 June 2018). "Cyprus: Eleni Foureira kicks off her European summer tour". ESCToday. from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ Gallagher, Robyn (28 May 2018). "Cyprus: Eleni Foureira brings out the fire on Spanish dance show Fama A Bailar". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ "Coca-Cola Summer Fest 2018 gathers 25,000 spectators at Skanderbeg Square!". Coca-Cola Bottling Shqipëria (CCBS). from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (2 November 2018). "Tonight: Los 40 Music Awards in Spain: Eleni Foureira to perform". ESCToday. from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ Christou, Costa (19 October 2021). "Eleni Foureira to perform as a special guest at Festivali i Këngës 58". ESCXtra. from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ Agadellis, Stratos (29 January 2019). "Iceland: Eleni Foureira to perform at Söngvakeppnin 2019 final". ESCToday. from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (11 January 2019). "Spain: TVE sets national final on 20 January; Foureira special guest". ESCToday. from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
- ^ "Bilal Hassani reprend 'Fuego' de Eleni Foureira" (in French). France Télévisions. 26 January 2019. from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Adams, William Lee (19 March 2020). "Land of 'Fuego' and Ice: Gagnamagnið's Daði Freyr covers Eleni Foureira's Eurovision hit". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Fowell, Ian (6 May 2021). "Eden Alene gives live show with 'Fuego' performance and other surprises". ESCCovers. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Van Vliet, Wouter (21 May 2019). "Full version of Måns Zelmerlöw's 'Fuego' cover released". EuroVisionary. from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "The making of Eurovision Home Concerts". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 22 May 2020. from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Muldoon, Padraig (16 April 2021). "Daily digest: Daði Freyr covers 'Arcade' and The Black Mamba do 'Fuego'". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "#Romania Bella Santiago wins the final of 'Your Face Sounds Familiar' by imitating Eleni Foureira". Eurovision Ireland. 10 December 2019. from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Snkt 2: Liis Lemsalu: Eleni Foureira – 'Fuego'" (in Ewe). 3 Play. 14 October 2018. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Muldoon, Padraig (29 September 2019). "The authentic gay magnet: Eleni Foureira's 'Fuego' appears on Netflix's Elite". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Bird, Lisa (14 September 2018). "Eleni Foureira advises Mimi Doblas on 'Tu Cara Me Suena' ahead of Fuego cover". ESCXtra. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ a b Jiandani, Sanjay (15 January 2018). "Cyprus: Has Helena Paparizou been selected internally for Lisbon?". ESCToday. from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ "Cyprus 2018: Uptempo ethnic song – announcement in a few days". Eurovisionworld. 17 January 2018. from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ Jordan, Paul (1 February 2018). "Eleni Foureira to fly the flag for Cyprus with 'Fuego'". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ^ Agadellis, Stratos (1 February 2018). "Cyprus: Eleni Foureira's first reactions and statements about Eurovision". ESCToday. from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ Diakosavvas, Alexandros (16 May 2018). "Η πρώτη συνέντευξη της Ελένης Φουρέιρα μετά τη Eurovision: 'Οι ρατσιστές δεν θα τα καταφέρουν να μην αγαπάω την Ελλάδα'" (in Greek). Lifo. from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ Pani, Pandeli (9 May 2018). "Eurovision Song Contest: Drei Albaner, drei Länder" (in German). Deutsche Welle (DW). from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ Keating, Dave (11 May 2018). "Eurovision 2018: Who's In and Who's Out". Berlin Policy Journal. from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ "Eurovision Song Contest – Lisbon 2018". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Eurovision Song Contest – Rules". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 12 January 2017. from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ Zwart, Josianne (3 April 2018). "Running order for Eurovision 2018 Semi – Finals revealed". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). from the original on 19 September 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
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- ^ "Lisbon 2018: First Semi – Final – Scoreboard". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 8 May 2018. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Eurovision 2018: This is the running order of the Grand Final!". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 11 May 2018. from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Lisbon 2018 – Grand Final". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 12 May 2018. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Results of the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Countries: Cyprus". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
- ^ Quinn, Angus (16 March 2018). "Cyprus: Sacha Jean-Baptiste will stage Eleni Foureira's performance of 'Fuego' for Eurovision 2018". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Eurovision 2018 Cyprus: Eleni Foureira – 'Fuego'". Eurovisionworld. from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ Weaver, Jessica (30 April 2018). "Lisbon Bound: Closing today's first rehearsals is Cyprus". ESC Today. from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ a b c Cobb, Ryan (4 May 2018). "Day 6: Eleni Foureira is the star of the show for Cyprus – Prediction & Review". ESCXtra. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ a b c Adams, William Lee (30 April 2018). "Cyprus: Eleni Foureira whips her hair back during sizzling rehearsal…and leaves a major contender". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ Agadellis, Stratos (18 April 2018). "Cyprus: Eleni Foureira goes into detail about her Eurovision staging". ESC Today. from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ a b Zwart, Josianne; LaFleur, Louise (30 April 2018). "A fiery performance from Cyprus' Eleni Foureira". European Broadcasting Union (EBU). from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ McCarthy, Jay (14 May 2018). "Eurovision: Netta's Poultry Pop Packs A Powerful Feminist Punch". HuffPost. from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ . The National Herald. 11 May 2018. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ^ Citations regarding the release of "Fuego" Remix by Eleni Foureira in various selected countries:
- "Fuego (Playmen Festival Remix) – Single" (in German). Apple Music (Austria). 27 July 2022. from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- "Fuego (Playmen Festival Remix) – Single". Apple Music (Kosovo). 27 July 2022. from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- "Fuego (Playmen Festival Remix) – Single" (in Spanish). Apple Music (Spain). 27 July 2022. from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ "Eleni Foureira – Fuego" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Eleni Foureira: Fuego" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Eleni Foureira – Fuego" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Eleni Foureira – Fuego" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Dance Top 50. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Eleni Foureira – Fuego" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög – 2018" (in Icelandic). Plötutíóindi. from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE). Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ "Eleni Foureira – Fuego | (Radio Date: 11/05/2018)" (in Italian). Radiomonitor. 11 May 2018. from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.