EB meets... Elnur from Azerbaijan - "There is a wolf in everyone and we need to accept it..."

Good morning from another sunny day in Vienna!  Your EB team arrived yesterday and one of the first things we did was bump into Elnur Huseynov, this year's performer from Azerbaijan!  Elnur is singing "Hour of the Wolf", which is described as a mythical and contemporary ballad.  Here it is:

With songwriters from Sweden and Germany and backing vocalists from Sweden, Netherlands and the US, Elnur is heading up a truly international team!!  

Elnur Huseynov

We were very lucky to speak to Elnur, and pounced on him like a wolf to ask him some questions:

1)  Elnur, it's great to meet you, and thank you for talking to us!  How has the Vienna experience been for you so far?

Love it here! Great organization, great people. Everything very cozy and very up-to-date, I haven't seen much of the city so far but I will try to get to know Vienna.

2)  You were part of the first ever Azeri act to perform at Eurovision in 2008.  How does competing in Vienna 2015 compare with the experience of Belgrade 2008?

It's very different now. In 2008 we were very young, it was so exciting, new and maybe a little bit scary. Today it's the same Elnur but with some experience, some career changes, a lot of music experiments. And now I'm flying solo and I will try to re-discover myself to the European audience, to share my heart and soul with each and every one of the viewers.

3)  Your song, "Hour of the Wolf", is described as a "contemporary mystical ballad".  Can you talk to us about the song, it's meaning, and how it links to the title?

It’s a story about someone who is in constant search for answers, search for truth, and search for love. In a way our world is cruel and brutal but there is always place for love and justice. There is a wolf in everyone and we need to accept it, we need to understand anyone who's different. So, I believe, one need rise above abuses, conflicts, and search for better future. Remember that every heart deserves a fight.

4) "Hour of the Wolf" is getting lots of praise from fans, but what other songs from this years' contest do you like?

I think it's not my place to pick, it's viewers' choice and they need to do it by themselves. I only want to wish good luck to everyone here, any song can win, and that’s for sure.

5)  Everyone remembers your performance in 2008 as you were wearing a stylish pair of angel wings.  Are there any distinctive and unique aspects of your performance this year that you can tell us about?

We were trying to bring the main message in the song to the stage. Male and female dancers are telling the story of ‘Hour of the Wolf’ but you can forget about love story here, it's another one very close to us. It shows how somebody can be excluded from world just for being different – Julia (female dancer) plays the part of an outsider, while Lukas (male dancer) is struggling against her, until I'm trying to unite them with ‘no more fighting, let’s be all together’. By the way, Lucas even coloured his hair to bring the wolf vibe to the stage.

6)  A section to help us to get to know you better!:

Your perfect Saturday night - Night in, or night out?: Night out with my friends

What do you do to relax?: Listening to the music and spending time with my pets

Who are your musical heroes?: Tough one! In Eurovision – ABBA and Patricia Kaas

Favourite Eurovision Song Ever?: Waterloo by ABBA

Favourite Movie?: Harry Potter, American Daddy, Lord of the Rings

Hold Me or Start a Fire?: Both are great!

7) Finally, you've competed in two Eurovision Song Contests, and also won the Voice in Turkey - it seems you love contests!  What next for Elnur after Vienna 2015?:

I think I will spend more time working on my music. I'm about to record new album and I need all the time to do it. But than will see. 

Well good luck with the album, Elnur, we certainly look forward to hearing it, and we wish you the very best of luck in this year's Eurovision Song Contest!