“Pesma za Evroviziju 23” – Serbia’s national selection for the Eurovision kicks off later this week, and a total of 32 acts are going to be competing to represent Serbia this coming May in Liverpool. Egret (Petar Pupić) is competing in this festival for the very first time, and he will try and win the Liverpool ticket with his self-penned entry “Ako shvatim kasno”.

Egret is going to be competing in the second semi final, on the 2nd of March, and he will be the 7th to perform on the night. We chatted with him to find out more about the story behind his entry, his alias, as well as his preparations for Pesma za Evroviziju. Check out everything he told us in this interview right here:

Hi Petar! First of all, thank you for taking your time out for talking to us. For the very beginning of this interview, can you tell us more about yourself and your music career so far?

I’ve been mostly producing music for other musicians (Buč Kesidi, Iva Lorens, Lubičice,…). I released two of my singles before the year 2022, and then at the end of 2022 I released my first EP called “Silent Turns”, that consists of 4 songs. Those songs are in English, and most of them I wrote a long time ago when I was living abroad. Now that I finished them, it feels like I finally started my long awaited journey.

How did you decide for Egret as your artistic name?

When I was studying in Boston, a girl who knows a lot about birds, told me that I reminded her of an egret. So, for me, it naturally became my alias.

You wrote „Ako shvatim kasno” all by yourself. Can you tell us more about the message behind it, and the meaning it has for you?

I felt like I was going slow through life, in a sense that my priorities were clouded by the self-sabotaging thoughts. Overthinking and an over-analytical mind helps in some cases, but in some cases it turns against you. So, this song is about me realizing that, and also me wishing to be less in my head and more in the reality of the present moment.

The song also features a female vocal in a few small parts. Who was backing you, and would they join you on the PzE stage as well?

Those are actually two vocals, twin sisters. They are representing my thoughts in the song. Yes, they will appear on the stage with me. Also, they have a music duo called Demo Mood.

What can we expect from your performance in Pesma za Evroviziju?

You can expect my genuine effort to relive the feeling I had when I was creating the song.

Do you normally watch Eurovision, and do you have a favorite Eurovision entry?

I don’t watch it every year, but there were a few songs from past competitions which stood out. To be totally honest, I didn’t hear any of this year’s international entries besides the Croatian entry, so when I hear more songs, I’ll have a clearer picture of my favorites.

Why should you be the one to win Pesma za Evroviziju, and represent Serbia in Liverpool?

I don’t feel that I should be the one to win. People decide that. I just wanted to share my music and I’d like this song to reach people who will feel something and find something in this song for their benefit.

What normally inspires you to do music?

Any emotion can trigger an inspiration. Also, trying to depict my state of mind can bring inspiration. That’s how the song “Ako shvatim kasno” was made.

Do you have any upcoming projects after “Pesma za Evroviziju” and hopefully Eurovision?

I’m working on more of my songs, rehearsing with my band, also helping the band Buč Kesidi with their upcoming album, and more projects are on the horizon.

Thank you very much for your time Egret, and we wish you the best of luck in PzE!

Give a listen to Egret’s song “Ako shvatim kasno” right here:

Let us know who YOUR personal favorites are in this year’s Pesma za Evroviziju by voting in our polls below: