Moldova - Prison - Natalia Gordienko

Digital release image

Moldova brings us the first returning artist for the 2020 contest. (but it wasn't meant to be obviously)
Natalia Gordienko won the Moldovan selection with the song Prison.
The song is written by Philippe Kirkorov and Dimitris Kontopoulos.

A slightly remixed version of the song was released as a digital single on January 30.

Here's the official video.

Natalia will be back in 2021

Natalia Gordienko entered our beloved contest in 2006 with Loca, a song performed with Arsenium (from O-Zone) and Connect-R.
Loca ended in 20th place with 22 points.
Different rules back then meant that the song was already secured a place in the final and they didn't have to participate in the semi.
In 2005 she tried to be the first ever Moldovan Eurovision star with her band Millenium but came 3rd in the National Final.
The song was Tablou Pe Sticla (Picture of glass)
See below for more on Loca.

The Moldovan final was on February 29.
It appears the previously uploaded songs are gone (for) now
A few names we know from Eurovision are Georgeta Burlacu (2008, she withdrew), Pasha Parfeni (2012) and Natalia Gordienko (2006)

Versions
Prison
- Official 2CD
Prison (early mix)
- has only been on TRM website
Prison - karaoke

- on the official karaoke album (digital)

Songwriters

The tandem Kirkorov - Kontopoulos gave us the following Eurovision entries (written or co-written by them)

2007 Work Your Magic - Dimitry Koldun (Belarus, 6^th)

2008 Shady Lady - Ani Lorak (Ukraine, 2^nd)

2014 Shine- Tolmachevy Sisters (Russia, 7^th)

2016 You AreThe Only One - Sergey Lazarev (Russia, 3^rd)

Dimitris Kontopoulos co-wrote these entries

2009 This Is Our Night - Sakis Rouvas (Greece, 7^th)

2013 Hold Me- Farid Mammadov (Azerbaijan, 2^nd)

2017 This IsLove - Demy (Greece, 19^th)

2018 X MyHeart - Aisel (Azerbaijan, 11^th in semi)

2018 My LuckyDay - DoReDos (Moldova, 10^th, Kirkorov “produced”)

2020 Superg!rl- Stefania (Greece)

2020 Prison - Natalia Gordienko (Moldova)

Philippe Kirkorov

Kirkorov himself entered the contest himself with Kolybelnya Dlya Vulkana (Lullaby for vulcano). It finished 17^th for Russia but it later came to light that the song had already been released by a different singer in 1993.

Links and sources
TRM Eurovision Website, FB
Natalia Gordienko FB, 2021

Memory Lane Athens 2006: Loca

(Catmusic 10125412)

Loca by Arsenium with Natalia Gordienko and Connect-R was the Moldovan entry for the Athens Eurovision in  2006.
The song finished 20th.
Arsenium was a member of O-Zone who had their 15 seconds of fame back then which explains probably why he's the only one mentioned on the picture sleeves.

There are two different sleeves (cdsingle and promos) and at least Natalia made it onto one of them. Can't be said for Connect-R.
Three versions of Loca were recorded by the trio
Loca - single version
- cdsingle and promo (Catmusic)
Loca - album version
Loca - Soft remix
- both on Arsenium CD The 33rd Element (Cat Music)

In 2014 Arsenium re-recorded the song in Russian (as Лока) and released it as a digital single (but without Natalia or Connect-R)

(Catmusic promo)