Running Scared (Eldar & Nigar song)
Encyclopedia
"Running Scared" is a song performed by Azerbaijan
i duo Eldar & Nigar (also known as Ell and Nikki). It won the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
for Azerbaijan
, held in Düsseldorf
, Germany
. The song was performed in, and qualified from, the first semi-final on 10 May. It was performed in the final on 14 May, and won with 221 points.
Ell and Nikki were the first mixed-gender duo to win the contest since 1963.
, at the initial stage, both singers were unsure of the success of such a project. Furthermore after their victory at Eurovision, when asked about planning to continue to work together in an interview to Daily Mail
, Nigar Jamal
said her primary concern was to pursue a solo career, although she did not rule out the possibility of more joint projects with Eldar Gasimov.
The authors of the song are Stefan Örn, Sandra Bjurman from Sweden together with Iain Farquharson from the UK. Örn and Bjurman are also authors of the song "Drip Drop
", which represented Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
.
Acoustic and remix versions of the song were made by German DJ Azzido Da Bass
in late April 2011.
Running Scared set a new record for lowest average score on a Eurovision winner, earning 5.26 points per jury and breaking the previous record held by Helena Paparizou's My Number One
, the 2005 winner.
held in his native Estonia
, won the right to direct this videoclip after submitting his proposal in February 2011.
Filmed in a "romantic place" by the seaside in southern Crimea
, the videoclip features Ell taking photographs of Nikki as she appears sitting on a cliff with a Labrador Retriever
and taking a ride on a cable car
. These scenes are interrupted by shots of Ell and Nikki singing both separately and together. In the end, Ell is shown climbing up the cliff while Nikki looks at him tenderly, and the joined couple sings the final chorus standing face-to-face.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
i duo Eldar & Nigar (also known as Ell and Nikki). It won the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
for Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, held in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The song was performed in, and qualified from, the first semi-final on 10 May. It was performed in the final on 14 May, and won with 221 points.
Ell and Nikki were the first mixed-gender duo to win the contest since 1963.
Background
Prior to the release of Running Scared, neither singer had performed in a duo. According to Eldar GasimovEldar Gasimov
Eldar "Ell" Gasimov is an Azerbaijani singer who successfully represented Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in the music duo Eldar & Nigar with Nigar Jamal.-Early life:...
, at the initial stage, both singers were unsure of the success of such a project. Furthermore after their victory at Eurovision, when asked about planning to continue to work together in an interview to Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, Nigar Jamal
Nigar Jamal
Nigar "Nikki" Jamal is an Azerbaijani singer currently living in London, United Kingdom, since 2005. Jamal's singing genres include R&B, soul and pop music...
said her primary concern was to pursue a solo career, although she did not rule out the possibility of more joint projects with Eldar Gasimov.
Production and selection
Running Scared was chosen from among 70 submissions coming from both Azerbaijan and abroad which were received by ITV within four weeks from January 10. Eldar Gasimov stated that the song was a perfect common ground for the singers' varying styles, voices and spirits..The authors of the song are Stefan Örn, Sandra Bjurman from Sweden together with Iain Farquharson from the UK. Örn and Bjurman are also authors of the song "Drip Drop
Drip Drop
"Drip Drop" is a song by Azerbaijani singer Safura Alizadeh, written by Anders Bagge, Stefan Örn and Sandra Bjurman, and represented Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in May 2010. Alizadeh's song was selected by a jury from the Azeri broadcaster İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları...
", which represented Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
.
Acoustic and remix versions of the song were made by German DJ Azzido Da Bass
Azzido Da Bass
Azzido Da Bass is a German DJ and record producer based in Hamburg, Germany.-Early life:Over the years, Martens has been influenced by a wide range of music genres: as a youth, he first became interested in hip-hop and break dance; by the mid-1980s, he began collecting electronica and synth pop...
in late April 2011.
Running Scared set a new record for lowest average score on a Eurovision winner, earning 5.26 points per jury and breaking the previous record held by Helena Paparizou's My Number One
My Number One
As Greece had finished the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest in third place, the song was pre-qualified for the final in 2005. Thus, it was performed nineteenth on the night, following Croatia's Boris Novković and Lado with "Vukovi umiru sami" and preceding Russia's Natalia Podolskaya with "Nobody Hurt...
, the 2005 winner.
Music video
The official videoclip for Running Scared was released on 11 April 2011 and was directed by Tarmo Krimm. It was preceded by a promotional video released earlier in March. Krimm, who was also the producer of the Eurovision Song Contest 2002Eurovision Song Contest 2002
The Eurovision Song Contest 2002 was the 47th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place on 25 May 2002 at the Saku Suurhall Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
held in his native Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, won the right to direct this videoclip after submitting his proposal in February 2011.
Filmed in a "romantic place" by the seaside in southern Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, the videoclip features Ell taking photographs of Nikki as she appears sitting on a cliff with a Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retriever
The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Canada, the United...
and taking a ride on a cable car
Cable car
A cable car is any of a variety of transportation systems relying on cables to pull vehicles along or lower them at a steady rate, or a vehicle on these systems.-Aerial lift:Aerial lifts where the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable:...
. These scenes are interrupted by shots of Ell and Nikki singing both separately and together. In the end, Ell is shown climbing up the cliff while Nikki looks at him tenderly, and the joined couple sings the final chorus standing face-to-face.
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (Media Control AG Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
33 |
| Slovakia (IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... ) |
50 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... ) |
61 |
External links
- Facebook Page: Running Scared
- Eldar & Nigar - Eurovision 2011 Winners (official video)
- Eldar & Nigar official website
- Running Scared Video at Eldar&Nigar's official website
- Eldar & Nigar Official Facebook Page