EMMY on Eurovision: 'I was so grateful to be there'
EMMY has been reflecting on her semi-final exit from the Eurovision Song Contest, admitting her disappointment but also the joy she felt as she got to 'fulfil my childhood dream'.
The 24-year-old Norwegian represented Ireland in last Thursday's second semi-finall with her song Laika Party and the feeling was that she had an excellent chance of making it through to Saturday's Grand Final in Basel - but it wasn't to be.
When Greece was announced as the final qualifier, it meant the end of the Eurovision road for Irish hopes this year - but EMMY had mixed emotions in the aftermath when she spoke to RTÉ Entertainment a day later.
"There's so many emotions! I'll be disappointed - but very happy as I got to fulfil my childhood dream," she said, acknowledging the fact that performing at the Eurovision had been something of a lifelong goal.
"We were very happy with the performance,," she added, before notiung that, in the days leading up to Thursday's wemi-final, she had been getting very positive reactions to Laika Party.
"It's a bit weird," ahe admitted, "because we had been told that – at the pre parties and performances – we had the song that most people sang along to, and stuff like that. So I don't know [what went wrong] and will never know if we would've qualified if we were in the first semi-final.
"We had an extra country to compete against – and it was a very, very strong semi-final. I thought the first semi-final was very strong too, but we'll never know what might have happened."
It's never fun to lose out on occasions such as this, but EMMY is far from embittered by her experience. It was emotional, but the tears only came when she realised that her Eurovision experience had ended.
"At first I didn't [cry]," she recalled. "Because, even though the people around me and the team said we would qualify, I am never – I'm not that confident about myself or what I do.
"'Oh, we're gonna go through!' I'm not like that. I was always unsure. But then, when I realised it was all over, I cried. There were so many emotions going on, you know?
"It was a childhood dream that we've had for 16 years – and it was very strange."
She also refused to play the blame game and use the fact that Ireland is a small country with a fraction of the budget some otrghere countries might have as some sort of excuse for failing to make the cut.
She just doesn't do sour grapes.
"I would be happy with the staging, the costumes, the team," she insisted. "I think it was perfect. Exactly my vision and beyond.
On the night, she had mixed emotions before going on stage in front of a massive global audience. "I was very, very excited and nervous. But there was this moment when I knew that, okay, this is the moment you have been dreaming about since you were seven years old.
"So I was just so grateful to be there."
Obviously, the mental and emotional dust needs to setlle before EMMY can look at her next musical steps, or whether she would entertain competing in the Eurovision Song Contest again. But she didn't rule it out.
"I think, maybe when I've landed a bit and understand that this actually happened, maybe I would try to go again in the future.
"I don't know," she admits. "It's very difficult. You don't really choose to go again. People have to choose you. But I'm grateful."
And as for who she's like to see win on Saturday, EMMY was emphatic: "Iceland! I really like that song."
What's next for her is a trip back home to Norway to be with loved ones for a well-deserved break. "We're planning a family road trip," she said. "I'm looking forward to seeing my grandparents again."
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