Rêve, TALK and Tyler Shaw Among Canada’s First-Ever Eurovision Finalists

Canada’s finalists for its first-ever Eurovision Song Contest appearance have been announced.

CBC/Radio Canada has unveiled the five finalists, selected by a jury of industry professionals.

The list includes: pop artist William Cloutier, singer-songwriter Josiane, dance-pop act Rêve, vocal powerhouse TALK and singer-songwriter Tyler Shaw.

The news comes after many users speculated who could represent the country, with names like bbno$, Charlotte Cardin, Alessia Cara, Carly Rae Jepsen and TALK himself circulating on social media.

The acts were selected from a pool of 325 artists who submitted applications between Aug. 31 and Sept. 9. After applications closed, CBC/Radio-Canada’s music teams narrowed the list to 15 artists, before the expert jury chose the final five.

From Oct. 27 to Nov. 5, Canadians can vote for their favourite artist, who will take the stage at the international music competition in Bulgaria next May. Fans can vote up to 10 times during the voting period, which closes at 11:59 pm PST. Vote here. The selected Eurovision artist will be announced in December.

Hailing from Quebec, Cloutier says he wants “to bring our Francophone culture, of course,” if he were selected. “There are iconic singers from Quebec, some have even sung at Eurovision,” sharing that he would like to follow in their footsteps. Back in February, he hit the Billboard Canada AC Airplay chart with “Ou On Dansait Autrefois,” featuring Zach Chico.

Josiane is based in New Brunswick, but has positioned herself as a bilingual artist. “Being bilingual is part of me. It’s literally who I am. And I want to represent all of these people. I’m Acadian, and I’m so proud to be Acadian." Meanwhile, Rêve’s dance-pop sensibility has captured Canadians, most recently with her hit “Dancing In A Dream” with Felix Cartal.“I want them to feel excited, I want them to feel seen,” she says of her audience, which reminds her of why she is an artist. If selected for Eurovision, she “promises to push on all of the limits that that stage has ever seen before.”

It’s been a major year for TALK, who re-emerged in the spotlight for the first time in three years. Signing with Big Loud Rock in the U.S., the homegrown star has notched multiple charting hits, including “Time Machine” and “Boomerang.” He explains that he’s not “the cookie-cutter kind of shape that fits the music industry,” but he’s made a bold path for himself. “I want the world to see big colours, my big heart, lyrics that slap and to see what I can do on a big stage.”

Tyler Shaw experienced a wave of popularity in the mid-2010s, but the singer-songwriter has made a comeback, most recently with “Run to You,” which landed on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. “I know the beauty and the people that we have in this country, and I want to bring them along for this journey,” he shares. With only one song to win over judges, he plans to bring listeners in “nice and intimate and then we’re going to go big.”

According to the major Canadian broadcasting company, applicants were evaluated on “vocal quality and proficiency, stage presence, artistic experience, musical vision, artist availability and the potential to deliver a strong performance on an international stage.” In addition, the selected artists would have a European following and “significant experience” in the music industry.

The jury included Maurin Auxéméry, Sam Chouinar, Orin Isaacs, Shawn Myers and Élisabeth St-Gelais, with Dany Meloul, Radio-Canada’s executive vice-president and Douglas Smith, CBC’s executive vice-president, rounding out the list.

“Each of the five finalists has their own style, and they’re all exceptionally talented. Regardless of who Canadians choose, we can be confident we’ll be represented by a remarkable voice,” says Smith.

Meloul explained that the five finalists represent the diversity of Canadian artists and genres. “It is an extraordinary showcase for promoting and highlighting the unique musical talent that sets Canada apart,” she says, sharing that “millions of people” watch the song contest every year.