Eurovision winners unite: Ducan Laurence says Måneskin were “Beggin'” him for tips

Eurovision winners unite: Ducan Laurence says Måneskin were “Beggin'” him for tips
Paul Bellaart

The U.S. normally ignores the Eurovision Song Contest, but two recent winners are actually on the charts: 2019’s Duncan Laurence with “Arcade,” and this year’s Måneskin, with “Beggin.'”  Duncan met Måneskin at the Eurovision semi-finals, where he says he correctly predicted their win.

“I told them they were going to win, and they did,” says Duncan. “I saw them perform, and I was like, ‘You guys are going to win.'”

“I really love them,” he says of the Italian rockers, whose name means “Moonlight” in Danish. “They stand for so many things I stand for. I think they’re this new wave of power that Eurovision, but also the world, needs.”

As a past winner, Duncan says Måneskin were eager to get pointers from him.

“It was funny because I walked in and they were humming my song, ‘Arcade,'” he laughs.

“And then they actually asked, ‘Are there any tip[s]?’ And I was, like, ‘No, because I saw you on stage and you’re so great,'” says Duncan. “‘You’re so different from me. I have no idea what I could possibly say that would benefit you. So, no, just do your own thing.’ And I think that’s the most important tip you can give anyone, actually.

So, does Duncan feel he’s leading a trend of future Eurovision winners conquering the U.S. charts?

“I hope so!” says the Dutch singer. “I mean, that was the dream: for me to go to Eurovision and…show the world that [it’s]…a platform where starting artists or, in the case with Måneskin, who were very famous already in Europe and Italy, to become bigger and show the world, ‘This is what we’re made of, and this is who we are, and this is what we want to do.’ So I’m very proud.”

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