It's November and the first signs of the national selection season are beginning to appear.
with the announcement of the candidates for the Latvian selection: the Supernova. We
We were lucky enough to interview one of the participants: Agnesse with its
song “Oh My My”who returns to the competition after taking part in 2018.
Can you introduce yourself?
Hi everyone! My name's Agnesse, I'm a Latvian singer and songwriter, and this year I'm taking part in the Latvian national selection for Eurovision 2026!
Why did you choose to become a singer?
I come from a family of musicians: my father is a pianist and composer, and my mother is a singer. In fact, they met through music! You could say that I was performing on stage even before I was born, when my mother was pregnant with me.
But there's nothing easy about working in this environment. My parents would have preferred me to choose a more stable career, like a lawyer or a dentist. When I was little, I didn't want to be a singer but a president, because at the time Latvia had a female president (Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga). In the end, it was music that found me rather than the other way round.
I used to spend my evenings on YouTube listening to Beyoncé, Rihanna or Britney Spears, and I sang all the time. One day, my parents asked me if I wanted to become a singer, because I sang so much! They helped me enormously: my father wrote and produced my very first song, Best Thing I've Ever Had. That's how it all started.
You've taken part in several TV talent shows. How has that helped you?
These shows have given me a lot. Experience is essential in music: you're exposed to a very large audience and a huge amount of stress and anxiety. Over time, you learn to manage all that and to be as well prepared as possible.
You already took part in Supernova in 2018. How did you feel about it, and what do you take away from this experience for 2026?
I was 18, still at secondary school, and the youngest participant. I wasn't experienced enough yet, but my parents were very supportive. It was a great experience, but also a huge source of stress. I didn't really know what to expect.
This year, I'll be much more prepared. I've even written an essay on stage anxiety, stress management and ego - that feeling that everyone is judging you, that almost irrational fear that people will “throw tomatoes” at you if you're not perfect.
Do you have any particular expectations for this year's event?
Obviously, I'd like to reach at least the final, but that's not something I can totally control... unlike the public! So vote for me, guys! I'll give the best performance I can.
How did you go about writing your song?
We wrote it on the first day of a songwriting camp with Gilbert Gauci and Jacob Markman. It's easier to be inspired now than in 2018, with more experience.
We wrote the song, and then we thought it would be perfect for Supernova. Some people write their songs with the competition in mind from the start, but that wasn't the case for us. The song is in English, because for me that's the best way to get a message across in an international competition. And it's also easier to keep it alive after the contest, so that people can sing along!
Do you already have an idea of your staging and choreography?
Yes, we've already had several meetings and a clear vision of what we're going to do. The idea is to represent an extension of myself, as an artist and as a woman. I'm even prepared to pay for us to put some fire on stage! The performance will be energetic from start to finish.
Which artists inspire you?
I'm not the kind of person who gets obsessed with just one artist. I'm inspired by many: opera singer Sarah Brightman, but also Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Rihanna for their way of working and their confidence on stage. I also love Zara Larsson, who has also become a composer, and the way she interacts with her fans as if they were friends.
What does Eurovision mean to you?
I've been watching Eurovision since I was a little girl, and I've always been impressed by what you can create on stage. In 2018, I was thinking “wow, I'm so close to getting there”. It's a place where you can show who you are, gain new fans, and get a huge amount of exposure... even if you can also fade into oblivion very quickly afterwards. I'd like to do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen to me.
Just taking part in Supernova this year has already given me a huge amount of support, and it's such a pleasure to have such a welcoming community!
Your top 3 Eurovision songs?
- Fuego (Eléni Fouréira) - Cyprus 2016
- Bur Man Laimi (Tautumeitas) - Latvia 2025
- Hollow (Donations) - Latvia 2024
Many thanks to Agnesse for her time!
All the songs, including Agnese's, will be available from 4 December.
The Supernova semi-finals take place on 31 January and 7 February, with the final on 14 February!
Instagram Agnesse