The Croatian band LELEK was the revelation of the Eurovision season
The Croatian band LELEK will perform today in the Eurovision semifinals with their song “Andromeda.” The group has become a real sensation in Croatia thanks to its blend of folk motifs, electronic music, and modern pop sounds, according to the official Eurovision website.
LELEK is a young ethno-pop band from Croatia that formed as recently as 2024 but has already made a big splash. The group consists of five members: Inka Vecherina Perusic, Judita Storga, Korina Olivia Rogic, Lara Brtan, and Marina Ramljak. The band quickly gained popularity after their debut track “Tanani Nani.” The song literally “took off” on Croatian social media, and listeners took notice of the unusual blend of Slavic folk, polyphony, and electronic music.
People started talking even more about LELEK after their performance at Dora 2025—Croatia’s national selection for Eurovision. There, they performed the song “The Soul of My Soul” and took fourth place. Although the band didn’t win, it was after this that they began to be called one of the most interesting new projects in the country.
In 2026, LELEK returned to Dora with the song “Andromeda” and this time took the victory. Their performance was called one of the most atmospheric in the selection—featuring a wealth of ethnic elements, live vocals, and a mystical style. The band itself says it wants to “modernize the Slavic cultural heritage” and introduce folk music to a young audience through a contemporary sound.
However, LELEK wasn’t without its share of controversy either. Some critics in Croatia accused the band of “making folklore too pop-oriented” and using folk motifs more as a stylish image than as a genuine tradition.
Also, following their victory at Dora, discussions arose on social media regarding the similarity of certain elements of LELEK’s performance to those of other European ethno-bands. The band members themselves did not comment on these accusations but emphasized that they draw inspiration from various Slavic cultures and the contemporary electronic music scene. Despite this, the band’s popularity continues to grow. They are actively listened to not only in Croatia but also in neighboring Balkan countries. Many Eurovision fans are already calling LELEK one of this year’s most unusual acts.
In their interviews, the girls say they want to create “music between the past and the future.” “We don’t copy tradition—we try to breathe new life into it,” the band members explained.
Today, LELEK will perform in the first Eurovision semifinal. Fifteen contestants are participating in the show, and the Croatian band will take the stage third.
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Swedish singer FELICIA will be the second to take the stage in today’s Eurovision semifinal. The artist has long been known in Sweden, but previously performed under a different stage name—Fröken Snusk—which has sparked controversy and heated debate on more than one occasion
