Montenegro returns to Eurovision in 2026 with Tamara Živković and ‘Nova zora’, selected through Montesong 2025 after winning both the jury and enough of the public vote to finish clear of the field. That return alone gives the entry a little more weight than it might otherwise have had. RTCG has not exactly been a constant presence in recent years, with absences for financial and other practical reasons cropping up often enough, so the act of turning up again matters. The trouble is that ‘Nova zora’ feels less like a confident relaunch than a rather busy attempt to sound urgent, theatrical and club-friendly all at once.
Every year, there’s one song (at least) that feels to last much longer than three minutes. This is it for me. Eurovision’s official site bills ‘Nova zora’ as a ‘turbo-charged dance track’, and that’s certainly the lane Tamara seems to be aiming for. It starts with intent and never really stops trying, but the central problem is that its different instincts don’t sit especially comfortably together. There’s a club-song pulse underneath it, yet it is also pushing for big theatrical moments, and the two approaches jar more than they combine. The result ends up oddly untidy, as though several ideas met with doggedly determination to meld, and yet failed to persuade anyone they belong in the same song.
Montesong returned as Montenegro’s national final for 2026, with RTCG selecting from 15 finalists in December, so this was at least a public choice rather than a broadcaster quietly giving up and picking something in-house. Tamara’s song was written by Boris Subotić, who finished second in Montesong 2024 as a performer himself, so there’s a certain continuity.
History
Montenegro’s Eurovision record remains modest. Its best result is still Knez’s 13th place with ‘Adio’ in 2015, and it’s only reached the final twice as an independent country. Nina Žižić finished last in her semi-final in 2025, so this isn’t a delegation riding any successful waves.
As for 2026, qualification looks difficult. There may be enough noise and movement in ‘Nova zora’ to catch some attention in a semi-final line-up, and an energetic live performance could help. But juries may find it overworked, while televoters tend to need a clearer payoff . Montenegro is back, which is good news in itself. Whether this is the song to make that return really count is much harder to argue.
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