ALICJA Talks Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Her New Single And More

Polish artist and songwriter ALICJA is confirmed to represent Poland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, where she will perform her new single ‘Pray’. She kindly took time out of her busy schedule to chat to JLTT:

What is your earliest musical memory?

 

My earliest musical memory would be in my family home doing performances for my Mum. I would introduce myself as Alicja the singer, and then I would go behind the curtains, and come back on and just sing random songs. That’s my earliest memory. That was my whole childhood,  pretending to be a star on stage since I was, like, four years old.

 

When did you begin songwriting?

 

 When I was 16, I began songwriting because my whole life I was just doing covers of many different songs. But then I realised that I can actually write my own because I was very into theatre and poetry. I used to write poems and short stories when I was little. But then I combined it with music when I was a teenager. That’s where the journey started.

 

You have been chosen to represent Poland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. How are you feeling about it/ what was your reaction? 

Honestly, it’s a huge honour and a huge chance for me to show the world who I am as an artist and as a person and to bring something completely new and fresh to the Eurovision stage. So I’m just happy and grateful.

 

The song you will be performing is called ‘Pray’. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?

Well, the song was based on the last few  years of my life, being an artist, being a female in the music industry, the praise you get and the ups and downs. It’s about being put in the boxes you don’t fit in. And after all, even though I was left on my own, I still made it. I still found a way to be myself and make my music, even though I had nobody around me. If you stay true to who you are, you’ll make it. So that’s the message behind Pray, and that’s what I want to bring to the stage, and that’s the message I want to inspire people with.

 

Where did you record the song and who produced it?

 We started it in my studio at my house, recording the gospel section. Then we went to my producer Veira’s studio in Warsaw and made a bunch of different versions of the song. It was a long journey with the track, but Veira  is my friend, and an amazing producer. I’m honestly super grateful that we met. She showed me that you can be who you want to be, because she did that herself. She also went through a lot of doubts in her career and life, she inspired me a lot.

 

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

Yes, I have many. The funniest part was doing the gospel choir. I was pretending to be different parts of the choir to create the sound. Veira would tell me, pretend to be an old auntie in a church, then an old granny, then an old grandpa, old uncle. And me doing the different voices I spent, I would say, 30 hours overall just doing the choir. And then she was adding her vocals on. That was super fun, super funny. It may not sound that funny, but if you were there with us, you would be laughing. The whole journey was fun. 

 

Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

 Pray 

I would say the Pray is a combination of being my happiest, angriest and lowest because it takes you on a journey of being happy, then reaching the lowest point of your life, then being in angry mode and then at the end it’s about winning. So it’s a whole journey. It’s a roller coaster. So every single one, Pray.

 

Who were the musicians who were on the track with you?

We had Sinclair Alan Malcolm who is a friend of ours. He’s also an amazing singer and writer from London. He came to Poland specifically to write this song with us. I actually didn’t think that he would write this specific song, but once he heard the intro and then the beat, he was like, yeah, I’m doing it. And we wrote the rap parts together because he’s crazy when it comes to lyrics.

 

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words? 

Chehannof in Poland. Small, cozy family, calm and beautiful.

 

How do you look after your voice?

I try to rest when I have a chance because sleep is the best medicine for my voice. Honestly, I don’t do it that much nowadays. But if you’re a singer and you’re reading this,  then you should get some sleep. I hydrate my throat, always warm up my voice. Obviously, I can’t always do all of this, but when I can I do.

 

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2026?

I have the Amsterdam Eurovision pre-party show. And then we two have London pre- party shows. And then after Eurovision, hopefully we’ll get to do some more.

 

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

Satisfaction with my performance and just a sense of happiness and achievement. An I did it moment. That’s what I want. And also for my country to be proud of me and other countries to be happy with my performance. But most of all, just me.

 

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I’m a simple girl. I love the piano. I love live, organic piano. I spent 12 years of my life in music school playing the piano. So that’s why I feel super connected to it. I like to keep it simple. I like piano. I love guitar. I also love the live choirs, as you can probably tell.  I love acoustic versions of my songs. So that’s why I love to keep just me and two musicians on stage and maybe some live vocals and that’s it.

 

The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

It was directed by Martyna Byczkowska. She’s a young actress from Poland, a rising star. And actually this was her directing debut when it comes to music videos. So it was a huge thing to both me and to her because I knew her for being a great actress, but I didn’t know that she was so good when it comes to directing. We had a phone call about the concept of the music video and I wasn’t sure about her being the one directing it. But then she told me her idea and it was so similar to mine, I knew immediately that she was the director. She came up with the idea to have it in the church and to film it in my hometown. But then she had this idea about a little girl who just imagined her whole life and a whole new world. And it felt so similar to my thought process and to my childhood that she just got me. And she brought good strong female power and energy into the project. I’m super grateful that I got to meet her and work with her. She’s honestly amazing.

 

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

My favourite childhood book, “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” by Kate DiCamillo 

 

Who are some of your musical influences?

 Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston. Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Tony Hathaway, Daniel Caesar. Harry. Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Beyonce. I can go on for days.

 

What makes ALICJA happy and what makes you unhappy?

Being true to myself and being real makes me happy. Pretending to be someone that I’m not makes me unhappy.

Feature Image Photo Credit: All Photos Credited to Daria Irena

ALICJA’s new single ‘Pray’ is out now.

Listen Here: https://ffm.to/alicjapray

ALICJA is representing Poland at Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The first Semi-Final will include ALICJA and takes place Tuesday 12th May 2026 at 21:00 CEST.

For more information on Eurovision visit: https://www.eurovision.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliciaszemplinska/