A Bar Singer, a K-pop Veteran and a 'Railway Track Diva': Eurovision Asia's First Hopefuls

Eurovision Asia launches next week in Bangkok, and three of its 11 competing acts — a bar singer from Bhutan, a K-pop veteran from Seoul and a 19-year-old Filipina — had, in several cases, never even heard of the contest before they were chosen to represent their countries.

Organisers are hoping the inaugural Asian edition brings the fanfare the glitzy song contest usually delivers across Europe. Countries are getting behind their acts on social media. But much of the region is still familiarising itself with the competition: there are no big fanbases like those built over seven decades in Europe, and each act gets only three minutes on stage next weekend.

Who is Nyendra, Bhutan's first-time flyer?

Nyendra, 24, learned of the contest only a year ago, when a friend rang to ask whether he was entering. He went looking for it online. "I learned about how countries were united with the help of songs in Europe," he says. "And that was really beautiful for me."

After winning Bhutan's national selection, he applied for his first passport to fly to Thailand and represent the tiny Himalayan Buddhist kingdom of 800,000 people. "I've never been outside [the country] my entire life," he says. "I've never actually stepped on a plane before. Forget about the plane. I've never been on a train before!"

His entry, Lhayi Semo (ལྷ་ཡི་སྲས་མོ), roughly means "the angel" and is sung in Dzongkha, Bhutan's national language. He calls it a sad love song about longing for someone you've never seen but believe is listening.

Originally from a border town in the south, Nyendra moved to Thimphu at 19 to study. For five years he has supported himself singing in bars and restaurants, usually acoustic pop covers rather than his own songs because he feels insecure. "I'm not that famous or anything," he says. His family was "in disbelief" when he chose music over steadier work. When the national final aired in August, one uncle "was jumping and kissing the screen".

"I know how hard it is for us to get such an opportunity in our life," he says. "If I could bring a little positive effect to whatever I'm doing right now, and to Bhutan, that would be so beautiful for me."

What does Junhee bring from K-pop?

Junhee debuted in 2017 as leader of the five-member group A.C.E and now records solo under his own label. His entry, Deep Dive, began as a loose demo unconnected to the contest and was rebuilt so heavily he calls it almost a remake. "It's progressive EDM, but there's a tempo change in the middle into a hip-hop, rap tempo, and then some R&B singing," the 32-year-old says. "It's a real hybrid." AleXa, who won the American Song Contest (the US version of the format, which ran for one series in 2022 and was never renewed), co-wrote the lyrics.

The hardest part for a performer used to bigger, longer productions? The three-minute limit and the cap on performers. "There's so much I want to show."

He reasoned that a singer representing Korea would be expected to deliver K-pop — so K-pop is what he'll deliver. "Among all these contestants, what's the thing I do best? K-pop." He has studied past winners and entrants on YouTube and is planning a big staging for Bangkok.

And he's going in expecting to win. "There might be a second or third Asian season. So the title of being the first winner means a lot to me," he says. "I want to be remembered as someone who did really well."

Why does Carmelle call it an honour?

Carmelle, 19, has competed in talent shows since she was 12, including the Philippines' edition of The Voice Kids. Last year she won the televised singing competition Tawag ng Tanghalan, and in May she released a self-titled debut album with a sold-out concert.

She grew up in a family of singers in the Bicol region, in a house beside the railway tracks — which earned her the "railway track diva" tag when she entered Pinoy Big Brother. Filipino media now call her the "new gen pop diva".

"I'm happy, I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm pressured, but more than pressure I see it as an honour," she says of representing her country.

Her song Sobra-Sobra mixes pop and rap with traditional Philippine instruments — the kubing (a jaw harp) and the kulintang (a gong ensemble) — sung in Tagalog and English. "It's about how unapologetic, independent and strong Filipinas are," she says. "It describes me — not just me, but of course all the Filipinas."

As per Eurovision rules, audiences can't vote for their own country, but Carmelle expects a boost from the Philippines' large contingent of overseas workers. She's been combining daily vocal sessions with her studies as a first-year psychology student, and befriending fellow contestants — Junhee and Nyendra follow and message each other on Instagram. What she most looks forward to in Bangkok is meeting her co-finalists in person.

"Representing your country, it's a big responsibility," she says. She hopes to "show that OPM [original Pilipino music] are the best!"