Artist Q&A

Vasil Puts On His Armour And Takes A Stand In Our Latest Eurovision Interview! 🧔🏻🇲🇰

By Cain Cooper

Posted on May 11, 2021

(PHOTO: EBU / ANDRES PUTTING)

“A mirror is literally your best friend and your worst enemy,” Vasil says of his costume armour reveal in his stage performance for Here I Stand. “That is the basis of what we want to talk about, that theme of turning darkness into light.”

Next in our Zoom series, we speak with North Macedonian, Vasil who undertook a transformation sequence during Semi-Final 1 rehearsals this week. After last year’s cancellation of the Eurovision Song Contest, he’s back in 2021 with a self-penned memoir Here I Stand, and he opens up to DNA’s Cain Cooper about having a song that has drawn its fair share of comparisons and controversies since being released, all the while standing true to his beliefs and being in a position as a “voice for the voiceless” – LGBTQIA+ youth in the Balkans.

We also talk about how his severe back bending could lead to a killer death-drop!

The music video for Here I Stand was filmed in the National Gallery of Macedonia. In a deleted shot, an artwork in the background appeared to resemble the Bulgarian flag, sparking debate over whether or not Vasil should represent North Macedonia in Eurovision.

Here I Stand by Vasil is available to stream and download on all platforms. Vasil will perform in Semi-Final 1 on May 18 (19th here in Australia).