Utrana in the Majestic Song Contest

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Utrana participated in the Majestic Song Contest for the first time in Majestic Song Contest 17.

History
Utrana officially confirmed their debut in the 17th edition of the Majestic Song Contest. Upon their confirmation, URTV stated "The Majestic Song Contest is the biggest musical contest in Majestica. For years we have been trying to obtain MBU membership but due to reasons beyond our control, it has only been recently we have been able to join. The main aim of these years of attempting to join the MBU has been to enter the contest and show Majestica the best music Utrana has to offer.

Majestic Song Contest 17
URTV internally selected Utranian singer Cher, singing the song "Believe". URTV released a statement following the announcement, stating "We are incredibly proud of the music history within Utrana and knew we had to send our biggest star in Utrana to the contest. Cher has had hits in every decade since the 1960's and has had 18 number one singles, more than any other singer. If any knows a hit it is her."

Utrana performed 3rd in the first semi final, following Cascadia and preceding  Eblos. Utrana qualified for the final, coming 4th. In the final, Utrana performed 18th, following Denovia and preceding  Nexus. Utrana came a highly respectable 6th in their debut, scoring 120 points.

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Majestic Song Contest 18
Utrana confirmed their participation in the 18th edition of the Majestic Song Contest shortly after the final of the 17th edition. URTV decided, following the success of their debut, to internally select their representative. Saara Aalto was selected with the song "No Fear". Utrana performed 22nd in the second semi final and came 7th with 87 points. In the final, Utrana performed 22nd, coming 17th with 94 points.

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Majestic Song Contest 19
Utrana's participation in the 19th edition of the Majestic Song Contest immediately following the final of the 18th edition. URTV continued to internally select their representative, with the song "People Like Us" being performed by Kelly Clarkson. Utrana performed 13th in the second semi final and came 1st with 124 points. In the final, Utrana performed 5th. The country came 12th with 107 points.

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Majestic Song Contest 20
For the 20th Edition of the Majestic Song Contest, URTV decided to opt for a national selection for the first time. The performer, Ruth Lorenzo, was internally selected, performing 5 different songs. The selection proved controversial in Utrana, due to the majority of the votes coming from international juries, with the Utranian public providing significantly less for their chosen song. There were also issues with URTV's selected method of voting, the method being altered numerous times until the national final was shown. Despite the controversies, the song "Gigantes" was selected. The song performed 7th on the night of the first semi final, coming 7th with 94 points and qualifying to the final. On the night of the final, Utrana performed 24th. Their final result was 18th with 81 points.

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Due to the controversies of the previous edition, URTV reverted back to an internal selection. Following speculation regarding the participant, URTV teased that the broadcaster would be "going back to where it all began". It was later revealed that Cher, Utrana's debut and most successful entrant to date, would be returning to the competition. She confirmed her entry would be her song "If I Could Turn Back Time". The song is the first entry for Utrana to be a number one single in the country prior to the contest. On the 2nd May 2020, Utrana was drawn to perform 9th in the second semi final, following Kingdom of Winchester and preceding Vladmanstan. Utrana failed to qualify to for the final for the first time, finishing 12th with 103 points. Following her non-qualification, Cher stated that despite not qualifying it "has not put [her] off" for a third appearance in a future contest.

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Majestic Song Contest 22
For the 22nd Edition, URTV again internally selected their act, choosing their youngest entrant to date. 16 year old Asanda was chosen to represent Utrana with the song "Legends". She was chosen to perform 4th in first semi final on the 11th June 2020. Following a strong performance, Utrana failed to qualify for the second consecutive edition. The Director General of URTV, Lloyd James, stated that he was not disheartened by the result, stating "We believe that there is a need to be a part of the Majestic Song Contest, and thata non-qualification does not mean a failure. "Legends" has charted successfully in many countries, and highlighted the Utranian music culture". He also confirmed participation in MSC23 and MSC24, hinting at a return to the national final format.

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Majestic Song Contest 23
Following Utrana's confirmation, URTV were quick to announce an internal selection for edition 23. Rumoured artists for this edition included Jessie J, Sergey Lazarev, Steps, Wagner and The Script, after URTV announced the entrant they hoped to secure would be returning to the limelight after a number of years. On 18th June 2020, it was confirmed that Steps would reform for th 23rd edition of Majestics. Their song was revealed to be "Scared of the Dark". However, on the 26th June, it was revealed that they needed to withdraw due to personal circumstances within the band. URTV announced that they had no intention to withdraw and would find another act. It was also stated that URTV would happily ask Steps to be the Utranian act again in the future. Four days later, Molly Sanden and Will Ferrell (performing as Fire Saga) would be the Utranian entry, with the Engish/Icelandic song "Husavik". On the 11th July, Utrana successfully qualified in 1st place with 157 points. In the final, they performed 10th, with Utrana coming 15th with 107 points.

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Majestic Song Contest 24
Following their entry confirmation of MSC23 and MSC24, it was also confirmed that the national final "Utrana Decides" would be making a return for edition 24, citing more time in planning the event. On the 19th July 2020, 7 acts and songs were revealed by URTV to be performed during the national final. The final was broadcast on the 27th July, with Indie-Rock band The Sounds were selected to represent Utrana in MSC 24. Their win caused discussions throughout the country due to the noticeable shift in the type of songs typically sent by Utrana. However, the change was nationally welcomed by the Utranian fans.

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Despite a strong performance in the semi-final, The Sounds failed to qualify to the final, finishing 12th. Despite fans support, The Sounds argued that their performance was sabotaged due to the in-ear track. Following an investigation by both MBN and URTV, it was found that these claims were false.

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Majestic Song Contest 25
Following discussions within URTV, the broadcaster agreed to promote the music of the Welsh-speaking regions of Utrana. This was met with mixed reactions from the public, with some arguing other regions were not considered and that a national final could have been the opportunity to promote various regions. Regardless, Alffa were chosen with the song Gwenwyn. The public support was limited, and this resulted in a failed qualification, finishing 14th, Utrana's worst result to date.

Alffa stated following their non-qualification "We were used as a novelty. The only reason that this song was chosen was due to the Welsh language. We were and still are proud of the song, but feel that Majestics was not the most suitable place for the song." Many members of the public and music critics agreed with this statement, suggesting that the style of song was not the tpical song related to the contest. In contrast, Head of Delegation, Anne Turner, stated "We as a team will not deny we were trialling something different in our entry this edition. However, this is nothing to do with the Welsh language. We received many songs in a variety of languages. We believed Gwenwyn was a strong choice for this aim, although the public, both in Utrana and in other Majestic nations did not agree. We will reconvene for the next edition. We would like to thank Alffa for their effort in the contest and they will always remain a part of the Majestic family. If they ever wish to return to the contest, with the right song, we would be more than happy to welcome them back."

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Majestic Song Contest 26
With the public losing interest with URTV's selections, the broadcaster promised a "megastar" for MSC 26. In the build up to the reveal, URTV stated that the selected entrant has previously taken to the MSC stage and is prepared to come back with a stronger song. Teaser clips were released in the build up, including footage of a foggy cemetery and the stage the entrant had previously performed on. It was later revealed that that Ella Henderson would represent Utrana with the song "Ghost". The decision was met with universal acclaim for both the act and the song, from Utrana and from other Majestic countries. "Ghost" was an early favourite with fans, with many suggesting it could be the winner.

During the third semi final, Henderson gave a strong vocal performance. Utrana qualified to the final for the first time in three editions, coming first in semi final 3 with 153 points. During the final, Henderson again gave a strong performance. By the end of the night, Utrana came 9th with 135 points. This led to URTV to put a greater focus on their participation in future contests, while also stating they are expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

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Majestic Song Contest 27
Utrana confirmed their appearance in the Majestic Song Contest 27 shortly after the final of the 26th edition. Within the following days, it was announced that Wiktoria would be representing Utrana with the song "As I Lay Me Down". Wiktoria had previously taken part in the contest on two occasions, for Rosland in MSC11 and for  Elirea in MSC13. Of her return, Wiktoria stated "I know what to expect of the contest as a whole, so I am going in eyes wide open. I hope to make a third final and make the Utranian people proud with their first win."

Utrana performed 3rd in the first semi final, following Lutenia and preceeding  Mixlandia. Following a strong semi-final, Utrana finished 3rd in the semi final, advancing to the Grand Final. During the Grand Final, Utrana performed 15th, following Frotevina and preceeding  Rosland. At the end of the voting, Utrana finished 13th with 94 points.

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Majestic Song Contest 28
Following the 2nd top ten result for Utrana, URTV had soon announced their participation in the contest until at least MSC30. The broadcaster sent Faith Hill with the song "Where Are You, Christmas?". Within their song and artist reveal,URTV announced the following statement regarding the song choice:-

"Following a difficult and upsetting year for many, where the Covid-19 Pandemic has caused much uncertainty of any form of normality in day to day life. With Christmas just around the corner, it is still unclear if we can spend time with our loved ones. The reason behind this song is that the current circumstances may make it seem that there is no reason to celebrate, but there will be light at the end of this very dark tunnel."

Utrana was announced to be performing 12th in the third semi final, following Altanvi and preceding  Nexus. The performance was met positively, despite many fans and competitors suggesting the song was not strong enough to qualify to the final. This came to fruition when the results were announced and Utrana came in 12th place. Despite the 12th place finish, Utrana received 12 points from Pandora.

Following her time in the contest, Hill stated that she was proud of her performance and was aware of the difficulties of qualifying due to the strong semi-final. Upon her return to Utrana, Hill was interviewed by URTV, stating "I would definitely go back if I was asked. Majestics was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in my professional career. Representing my country and having my own professional freedom in my performances are something not many people get to have in this industry. Maybe in a few editions I will go back, but for know, I want to let other singers feel the energy and positivity I felt on that stage." URTV responded by saying "The Utranian delegation is immensely proud of the work Faith has put into the song and performance. We would like to thank Faith for making the Utranian people proud and we hope to work with her again in the future."

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Majestic Song Contest 29
During MSC28, URTV internally selected Xavier Darcy for the next edition. Darcy had recently won The Voice Utrana with his entry "Jonah". Many fans stated that they wanted the song to go the Majestic Song Contest and petitioned for URTV to approach Darcy. Following successful communications, Darcy was selected as the next entrant for Utrana. Darcy promoted the song across various national finals, with many outlets praising his vocals and staging.

Utrana was drawn to perform second in the second semi final, following Rahuna and preceding  Kingdom of Winchester. at the end of the voting, Utrana finished 9th, failing to qualify for the final. Many criticised the staging of "Jonah". While it was praised during various national finals, the performance looked completely on the MSC stage. Many fans believed this was the reason Utrana failed to qualify. URTV issued a statement following the criticisms, stating "During national finals, we had used an interim creative director whilst waiting for the contract to be signed with Kevin Swain. Kevin had a completely different outlook on the song and adjusted the staging to his vision. Although we are happy with his ideas, URTV believe Xavier's staging ideas discussed with the interim creative director gave a fuller performance".

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Majestic Song Contest 30
Following the announcement that the theme for the 30th edition would be Songs of the 80s, as voted for by members of the MBU, URTV revealed the Utrana's most popular singer Cher (who previously represented Utrana in MSC17 and MSC21) would return for her third participation, this time alongside Meatloaf. Of her return, Cher stated; "To be asked back for a third time is an absolute honour. Each time I watch the contest, I get fond memories of previous participations with a hint of jealousy of those who get to perform. I can not wait to get back on the Majestics stage, and this time have someone to keep me company". Of his debut, Meatloaf said; "When I got the call I knew there was no question. To be able to participate alongside a seasoned professional like Cher is amazing. She knows the contest so well and has already given me advice about how to cope with the pressures of the show. Hopefully, we can come back with the best ever result for Utrana". URTV Director-General, Lloyd James, stated " When the theme was revealed to be songs of the 80s, we knew instantly who we wanted to send. Cher and Meatloaf are huge stars and will undoubtedly do us proud".

On the 11th March, Utrana performed 8th in the first semi-final, following Bruba Islands and preceeding  Sintriaslands. Despite performing in a strong semi final, as many fans discussed, Utrana successfully qualified for the Grand Final for the first time since MSC27. Shortly after the results were revealed, Utrana was drawn to perform in the second half of the Grand Final, where they were later revealed to be performing 14th in the Final. During this press conference, the Head of Delegation for Utrana, Jessica Smith, revealed that the preparations for the 31st edition are already well underway and the act for the contest has already been selected and that Utrana would return to a national final in the 32nd edition.

Prior to the Grand Final, many stated how tough this edition would be as many countries sent high quality songs. Of the competition, Cher stated "This edition, it was just an achievement to qualify. There are so many strong songs that it is going to be a tough race. But we are here to do Utrana proud. Hopefully, We are already doing that." Meatloaf added "Whoever wins absolutely deserves it. There will not be any "We were robbed" remarks from us or anyone else because it is anyone's for the taking". At the end of the night, Utrana came 22nd with 56 points.

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Majestic Song Contest 31
On the 20th March 2021, the day after the MSC30 final, Utrana scheduled a live broadcast to present the entry for the 31st edition. In the build up, trailers had been played since the conclusion of the MSC 30 Final showing possible entrants. Those who have previously performed at MSC for Utrana or would have made their debut were included. To increase suspense, URTV pre-recorded the performance of the song and carried out interviews with former representatives such as Wiktoria, The Sounds and Ella Henderson discussing their previous entries and what their entries would sound like if they were the next entrant. Interviews were also conducted with possible new Utranian representatives such as Ulrikke, KEiiNO and RuPaul. At the end of the night, KEiiNO premiered their song Monument, which would officially be Utrana's next entry to the Majestic Song Contest.

On the 28th March, it was revealed that KEiiNO would close the second semi final. Following a successful performance, Utrana was announced as one of the 8 finalists on the 12th April, finishing 6th in Semi Final 2. During the finalists press conference, KEiiNO randomly selected the first half of the Grand Final. It was later revealed that Utrana would perform 5th during the final on the 20th April, following Vijamar and preceding  Ustarlandia. At the end of the voting, Utrana was declared the winner of the Majestic Song Contest 31. During the winners press conference, KEiiNO stated that they were considering disbanding prior to their MSC selection, with member Alexandra Rotan stating "We have participated in Majestics a couple of times, and even though each time we have had respectable performances and placements, we often felt we were not being seen as credible artists in our own light. This is probably completely untrue for our fans, but for us we always walked away thinking should we stay in the music business. This has solidified it that we are credible artists who have been successful. Tonight is not just about our win for us. It is about looking at our future, but also looking at the past and re-evaluating our success to lead us to this."

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Majestic Song Contest 32
During the 11th March press conference following the Semi Final results in MSC 30, it was announced that Utrana Decides would return for the 32nd edition of the Majestic Song Contest. Throughout April, URTV discussed the upcoming national final. It was stated that some participants have previously taken part in the contest for other countries, with there being a variety of songs taking part. It was also confirmed that 5 songs will be taking part in the national final, with the voting structure being adapted compared to previous editions.

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At the end of the voting, NEEV was revealed to be the winner and represent Utrana on home soil. As the winner of the previous edition, Utrana was required to vote in both semi finals. During the final, Utrana was randonly drawn to perform last on the night in the 27th position. Prior to the final, many journalists in Utrana suggested URTV were hoping for a loss, due to the cost of hosting two editions in a row. However, a URTV spokesperson denied these claims, stating "We have had an amazing opportunity showcasing Utrana during this time. We would happily welcome the opportunity to promote our country again, whether it be next edition or in 10 editions time. The reports of URTV hoping to lose the contest are completely false." Despite the denials by URTV, Utrana cam 19th out of 27 countries, scoring 81 points overall.

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Majestic Song Contest 33
Following the final of 32nd Majestic Song Contest, Utrana revealed they would use Utrana Decides once again. This time, URTV selected one main artist (with collaborations depending on the song), which was announced to be Pink. 3 songs were selected by URTV and performed for the juries around Majestica. Following the Final on the 30th May, it was revealed P!NK would be flying the flag for Utrana solo, with the song "All I Know So Far".

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Following the semi-final allocation, Utrana was drawn to perform 6th in the second semi-final between Lunatopia and  Hastwyn. After performing 6th in the second semi final on the 11th June 2021, Utrana was announced as one of the 11 qualifiers who would take part in the final on the 22nd June. At the end of the voting, Utrana finished 12th with 109 points. It was also revealed that Utrana came 3rd in the Semi Final with 103 points.

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Majestic Song Contest 34
In the build up to Edition 34, it was speculated that URTV were looking into taking a break from the national final format used in the past two contests. Many found this to be a welcome change, particularly as the format was achieving average placements in MSC. Others found this news disappointing, with many indicating that the issue was not necessarily on the quality of song in Utrana Decides, but that the quality at MSC was simply higher. Following confirmation of the removal of Utrana Decides, URTV released a statement stating "Utrana Decides will definitely be back in the future. We love putting the show on for the Utranian public and the ratings show that the public loves it too. We are not removing the national final because of poor results. Granted, we have not had the best results from the National Final format, but the main reason we are removing it was because we were presented with a song we simply could not pass by. Numerous national finals around Majestica have had some of their strongest songs, possibly winning songs, lose out in the national final and we did not want to take that risk. We will be releasing the song and artist in due course, but we have a very good feeling about our choice."

It was later revealed that Allie X, who had previously represented in Edition 8 would be the representative with the song "Hello". The Utranian public reacted well to the choice, with the song reaching number one in the Utranian charts for 7 consecutive weeks. additionally, the song was well received by music critics and fans around other majestic nations, with many citing a shift into an indie music style a positive factor. During the first semi final on the 9th July 2021, Utrana performed 14th, following and preceeding. At the end of the night, Utrana was announced as one of the 11 qualifiers for the final (with it later revealed Utrana came 3rd with 107 points). In the build up to the final, Allie X stated that she would not accept anything less than a top 5 result, stating that "the response to the song from all participating nations has been so overwhelming, it would come as a huge shock to me if I did not come at least 5th". Performing 18th on the night, Utrana came 2nd overall with a grand total of 152 points.

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Majestic Song Contest 35
Following their 2nd place result in MSC 34, Utrana qualified automatically for the grand final. In the build up to the contest, URTV stated they wanted to keep the indie music style as it was widely welcomed by the public and music experts. It was later revealed that Simple Plan would be representing the country. As with every fifth edition of the Majestic Song Contest, this edition required the selected song to have a theme. The theme randomly selected for the edition was "Viral Songs". Therefore, Simple Plan sent their song "I'm Just A Kid", which had become increasingly popular on the social media site TikTok. During the Grand Final on the 16th August, Utrana performed 21st, following and preceeding. At the end of the night, Utrana came 12th with 102 points. Simple Plan later stated in an interview that they did not really want to win the contest, as they did not want to be known from this point on as a group who won the Majestic Song Contest, fearing the label would disadvantage them in any future opportunities.

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Majestic Song Contest 36
After the conclusion of the 35th Edition, URTV revealed that the national final "Utrana Decides" will return for its 5th edition. It was also revealed that 5 artists and songs had been selected but would not be revealed until the show aired. Many Utranian artists were questioned regarding their participation, with some stating they had been approached but had declined either due to a lack of personal interest or scheduling conflicts. The final took place on the 22nd August 2021, where Conchita Wurst was revealed as the winner with the song "You Are Unstoppable".

Voting

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URTV ensured Wurst was widely promoted across many participating nations, with Wurst performing in 13 competing countries and giving interviews in many more. During the semi final on the 8th September, Utrana was allocated the 12th position in the second semi final, following and preceeding. At the end of the voting, Utrana was announced as the second qualifying nation on the night, later revealed to have come 2nd overall with 138 points. On the 17th September, Utrana performed 22nd in the Grand Final. On the morning of the final, Utrana was the favourite to win, but eventually came 3rd with 166 points, behind winner and runner up.

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Majestic Song Contest 37
With Utrana guaranteed a place in the Grand Final of the 37th edition, URTV decided to return to an internal selection. They stated that "there was a selection of songs presented prior to the decision of conducting an internal or national selection. Members of the delegation and music industry experts were consulted and listened to over 200 songs, but one song stood out more than any other. Therefore, it was decided that we should not pass up on the opportunity on a song that was so popular and could really resonate with the voting public." It was later revealed that Calum Scott, who has previously participated in the contest three times for (MSC 02),  (MSC 06) and  (MSC 12). It was later revealed that Scott would sing "Biblical" in the Grand Final on the 19th October. At the end of the night, Utrana was awarded a total of 95 points from the public, coming 14th out of 27 competing countries.

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Majestic Song Contest 38
Following Utrana's 14th place in the previous, URTV confirmed the return of the national final "Utrana Decides" as well as confirming there will be mix of new acts to the contest and acts who have had experiences of the national final. The finalists and songs were revealed during the live show, with URTV citing this reason to be how many fans across Majestica would receive the songs for the first time. It was also confirmed that international juries would be the only voting method due to issues with servers shortly before the show went live, which remained unresolved until the show had ended. Following all performances, It was revealed that Måns Zelmerlöw would return to the Majestic Song Contest, after previously participating with Dami Im for in MSC 19. Zelmerlöw will represent Utrana with the song "Fire in the Rain".

Voting

During the 3rd semi final on the 13th November 2021, Utrana performed 6th in the semi final following and preceeding. At the end of the night, Utrana was announced as one of the 8 qualifiers for the Grand Final. Utrana was randomly selected to perform 20th on the final night, following and preceeding. Despite what many called one of the strongest finals in recent editions, Utrana came a highly respectable 9th place with 119 points. Following his performance, Zelmerlöw stated that he was pleased with his performance and placing, citing his previous participation as a learning curve to prepare for the contest. When asked if he would return to the contest, for Utrana, or any other country, Zelmerlöw said "I will definitely try at some point at the future. But it will only be when I find the right song. As for the country, it depends on where I am living at that time".

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Majestic Song Contest 39
Over the MSC Christmas break, URTV decided to slightly alter their national selection and use a song only selection, internally selecting their artist. It was decided by URTV that Cascada would be the representaive for Utrana. In a statement from URTV, Utrana's delegation released their reasoning behind the decision, stating "Utrana has been on a qualification streak since edition 30 and we wanted to make sure this would continue. The delegation agreed that the songs sent for this edition were not of the quality we had been sent in previous editions. Three songs were sent by Cascada which were going to be used in a three-song national final. After discussions with the band, they stated they had two other songs, which they could not send due to three-song limit. URTV and Cascada came to an agreement that these songs would be put forward in a five-song selection in the hope of continuing Utrana's success". The songs were revealed on 28th December 2021, with voting taking place over the course of the week, with a live final on the 5th of January 2022. At the end of the night, the international juries and televoters voted for the song "Blink" to be sung in in Edition 39.

Voting

Contestants
Playlist

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Voting history
As of MSC38, Utrana's voting history is as follows: