NeonoeN’s Eurovision 2025 run has come to a bittersweet end. Just days after winning Montesong 2024, the act was found to have unknowingly violated the September 1 rule. And now, amid online clamour and continuing uncertainty, the five-piece rock band has decided to withdraw.
They made the announcement on Instagram on Wednesday. We are re-publishing their statement in full below.
RTCG, Montenegro’s state broadcaster, will now choose their replacement. It seems likely that Nina Zizic, who placed second in the competition, will have the right of first refusal about going to Basel.
NeonoeN withdraw as Montenegro’s Eurovision 2025 act: Full statement
“In the best public interest, with the desire to end the uncertainty and once again contribute to the music that we are here for in the first place, we inform you that we are voluntarily withdrawing from participating in Eurovision. RTCG, in accordance with the regulations, will choose another representative, and we will be the first to wish him luck and provide him with full support.
“Winning at Montesong brought us publicity whose type and extent we did not choose, nor could we control. We note, and the facts confirm this, that performing the working version of the song live neither jeopardized the Montesong festival process itself, nor could it have influenced its final outcome and our placement. The fact is that there were many similar examples and that the EBU always decided that these songs could participate (one even won at Eurovision), because they did not have a competitive advantage over others, which is clear to everyone. However, we simply do not want to be part of any stories outside of music, nor to promote our authorial work in this way.
“Eurovision has never been a goal in itself for us. Expanding the field of our musical activity – it certainly is!
“The Montesong Festival organized by the Association of Entertainers brought 16 new songs and that is its greatest value. We would like to thank the management of RTCG for their benevolent attitude and intention to give us space for other options. We believe that they will understand our decision to give up on Eurovision and we also thank them for that.
“Special and immense gratitude for the support of fellow musicians, lovers of good music, friends, acquaintances, journalists and the general public from Montenegro and abroad, which gave us strength in the last days. Our families together with us have experienced all the splendor and despair of this process and now it is time to repay them and dedicate ourselves in the right way.
“CLICKBAIT continues to live as a musical single, but we are also afraid of it as a contemporary social phenomenon.
“Once again, thank you all. Now let’s all support Montenegro at Eurovision!!!”
