Irish singer-songwriter Samantha Mumba and Norwegian singer-songwriter EMMY have been revealed as the next two acts hoping to represent Ireland at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.
Samantha Mumba, singing My Way, and EMMY, singing Laika Party, will compete alongside four other acts in the Eurosong final on The Late Late Show Eurosong Special on 7 February.
Speaking on RTÉ One's Ray D'Arcy Show on Thursday Mumba said she was "excited and nauseous" and that she felt "too old to be putting herself through this stress".
The singer said she had been "asked about it (Eurovision) for years" and that "she really wanted to do it" but she didn't know the "powers that be".
"This year though, is a very personal year for me and I really want to challenge myself and push myself out of my comfort zone."
Mumba went on to explain that a contact put her in touch with the "powers that be" and they "had a chat and it went from there".
Mumba shot to international acclaim at just 17 with her 2000 debut single, Gotta Tell You.
The song became a global phenomenon, achieving top five positions in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where it peaked at No 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Her eponymous debut album sold over four million copies worldwide.
She was most recently seen on screens in the Jane Seymour-starring Harry Wild and is also part of the voice cast of Queen Latifah's Audible series Technically Speaking.
EMMY is a 24-year-old Norwegian singer and graphic designer who began making her own songs at the age of seven.
Speaking from her home in Norway Emmy told D'Arcy that she met a songwriter from Ireland at a songwriting camp so "it felt natural to submit the song for Ireland".
EMMY explained that she comes from a musical family and that her brother is also a writer on her track, Laika Party. She has never been to Ireland but is "very excited" to spend a couple of days here ahead of her Eurosong performance on The Late Late Show on 7 February.
EMMY's career got a kick-start in 2015 when, as a 15-year-old, she participated in Melodi Grand Prix Junior, one of the biggest music competitions in her country, for children.
Six years later, in 2021, she participated in Melodi Grand Prix, Norway's national selection of a song for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Today, EMMY is especially known for singing on TikTok and has 1.2 million followers from around the world.
She has also worked with big artist producers, such as K-391 and Braaheim.
Earlier this week, Adgy, Reylta, and Bobbi Arlo premiered their Eurosong tracks on The Ray D'Arcy Show.
The remaining Eurosong act will be revealed on Friday on The Ray D'Arcy Show.
