San Marino has gone back to a familiar face for 2026, sending SENHIT with ‘Superstar’ after she won San Marino Song Contest on 6 March. It’s her third Eurovision outing for the microstate, following 2011’s ‘Stand By’ and 2021’s ‘Adrenalina’. ‘Superstar’ arrives with a clear commercial brief, a guest turn from Boy George, and just enough swagger to suggest San Marino isn’t just interested in making up the numbers. SENHIT performs in the second half of the first semi-final, which is probably where a song this knowingly glossy would want to land.
The song itself is a straight-down-the-line club-pop bouncer, with efficient lyrics, a hooky chorus and a faintly 80s sheen that feels intentional rather than accidental. It isn’t the newest sound in the world, but it is a stronger song than the sort of novelty-heavy packaging San Marino has sometimes leaned on. SENHIT’s own site describes it as a pop anthem with “80s-inspired glamour”, and that feels about right: this is built for the stage, for camera cuts, and for a performer who knows how to make three minutes stick. Boy George’s role isn’t huge, but he’s more than decorative.
The wider narrative is almost as useful as the song. Boy George didn’t appear live at the national final, which inevitably prompted eyebrow-raising, but since then he and SENHIT have met up (in Las Vegas, obvs) and, according to San Marino RTV, the pair are actively working on the Vienna performance.
History
San Marino has only reached the Eurovision final four times. Last year Gabry Ponte edged through only to finish 26th with 27 points. SENHIT herself remains the country’s most recognisable Eurovision figure, and ‘Adrenalina’ still stands as one of its more effective modern entries.
As for 2026, qualification feels realistic. Juries may not fall headlong, but they could reward professionalism and clean construction. Televoters are the more obvious route, particularly if SENHIT sells it with the same charisma that she’s use to carry far weaker material in the past. A left-hand-side finish in the final is not outlandish. It may not be the most modern song in the field, but it knows what it is doing, and so does she.
8 Points
