Aijā

{{Short description|2023 single by Sudden Lights}}

{{use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Aijā

| cover = Aijā cover artwork.png

| alt = The official cover for "Aijā"

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Sudden Lights

| language = English, Latvian

| released = 27 January 2023

| genre =

| length = 3:00

| label = Self-released

| writer = {{hlist|Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis|Kārlis Matīss Zitmanis|Kārlis Vārtiņš|Mārtiņš Matīss Zemītis}}

| prev_title = Jasmīns

| prev_year = 2022

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|xAjVA3qwqGk|"Aijā"}}}}

{{Infobox song contest entry

| embed = yes

| song = {{flagicon|Latvia}} "Aijā"

| year = 2023

| country = Latvia

| artist = Sudden Lights

| languages = {{hlist|English|Latvian}}

| composer = {{hlist|Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis|Kārlis Matīss Zitmanis|Kārlis Vārtiņš|Mārtiņš Matīss Zemītis}}

| lyricist = Andrejs Reinis Zitmanis

| place =

| points =

| place_semi = 11th

| points_semi = 34

| prev = Eat Your Salad

| prev_year = 2022

| prev_link = Eat Your Salad

| next = Hollow

| next_year = 2024

| next_link = Hollow (Dons song)

}}

{{External music video|header=Official performance video|{{YouTube|SEykwl9X9SY|"Aijā" (First Semi-Final)}}}}

}}

"Aijā" ({{IPA|lv|ˈaijaː}}; {{literal translation|Hushaby|Shush}}) is a song by Latvian indie rock band Sudden Lights, released on 27 January 2023.{{Cite web |last=Matamis |first=Apostolis |date=27 January 2023 |title=Sudden Lights: "We want the audience to have the feeling of a rock concert" |url=https://eurovisionfun.com/en/2023/01/sudden-lightswe-want-the-audience-to-have-the-feeling-of-a-rock-concert-exclusive-interview/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Eurovision Fun |language=en-US}} The song represented Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 after winning Supernova 2023, Latvia's national selection for that year's Eurovision Song Contest.{{Cite web |last=Veen |first=Renske ten |date=11 February 2023 |title=Sudden Lights win Supernova final and will represent Latvia at Eurovision 2023 with "Aija" |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2023/02/11/latvia-supernova-2023-final-results-eurovision/275403/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Wiwibloggs |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=11 February 2023 |title=Latvia: 'Supernova' victory for Sudden Lights with 'Aijā' |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/latvia-supernova-victory-sudden-lights |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Eurovision Song Contest |language=en}}

Background

In interviews, the band stated that "Aijā" was made with the purpose of being a lullaby, in the sense that it would make people sleep easier. During an interview with Eurovision fan-site That Eurovision Site, they stated that due to "bad things" happening around the world, they wanted to create a song that would distract listeners from those issues.{{Cite web |last=Dibben |first=Jazzi |date=26 January 2023 |title=🇱🇻 Sudden Lights: "It's the lullaby that we sing to ourselves and all the people listening to our song! |url=https://thateurovisionsite.com/2023/01/26/supernova-2023-sudden-lights-interview/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=That Eurovision Site |language=en-GB}} In another interview with Eurovision fan-site Eurovision Fun, the band stated that they wanted viewers to feel as if they were on a "rock concert on stage".

Eurovision Song Contest

{{Main|Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023}}

= ''Supernova 2023'' =

{{lang|lv|Supernova}} 2023 was the Latvian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. The format of the competition would consist of two shows: a semi-final and a final. The semi-final, which was held on 4 February 2023, featured 14 competing entries from which the top ten entries advanced to the final. The final was held on 11 February 2023, which selected the Latvian entry for Liverpool from the remaining entries. Results during the semi-final and final shows were determined by the 50/50 combination of votes from a jury panel and a public vote, with both the jury and public vote assigning points from 1–8, 10 and 12 based on the number of competing songs in the respective show.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-05 |title=Izvēlēti Latvijas Televīzijas dziesmu konkursa "Supernova" pusfinālisti |url=https://ltv.lsm.lv/lv/informacija-medijiem/raksts/282297/izveleti-latvijas-televizijas-dziesmu-konkursa-supernova-pusfinalisti |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=ltv.tv |publisher=Latvijas Televīzija |language=lv}}

"Aijā" performed 14th during the semi-final and came within the top ten, thus advancing to the semi-final.{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Oliver |date=4 February 2023 |title=Latvia's Supernova 2023 semi-final results |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2023/02/04/latvia-supernova-2023-semi-final-results-and-qualifiers/275217/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Wiwibloggs |language=en-US}} In the final, "Aijā" performed seventh. At the end of the voting, it was revealed that the song had managed to win the competition, and thus earn the Latvian spot for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. It became the second Eurovision entry to feature lyrics in Latvian, after 2004.

= At Eurovision =

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final progress to the final. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into six different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot. On 31 January 2023, an allocation draw was held which placed each country into one of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show they would perform in. Latvia was placed into the first semi-final, scheduled to perform in the first half.{{Cite web |last=Groot |first=Evert |date=2023-01-31 |title=Eurovision 2023: Allocation Draw results |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/eurovision-2023-allocation-draw-results |access-date=2022-01-31}}

“Aijā” performed 4th during the first semi-final on 9 May 2023, but did not qualify to the grand final.{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=William Lee |date=2023-05-09 |title=Eurovision 2023: Semi-Final 1 results and qualifiers |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2023/05/09/eurovision-2023-semi-final-1-results-and-qualifiers/277416/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=wiwibloggs |language=en-US}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Chart performance for "Aijā"

! scope="col"| Chart (2023)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| Latvia (LAIPA){{cite web|url=https://www.parmuziku.lv/chart?type=2&week=2023-W07&limit=100&id=5e472896c97ba|title=Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 07. nedēļa|publisher=LAIPA|language=en, lv|accessdate=18 June 2023|date=19 February 2023}}

| 3

scope="row"| Latvia Domestic Airplay (LAIPA){{cite web|url=https://www.parmuziku.lv/muzikas-zinas/latvija/latvijas-radio-stacijas-speletakas-dziesmas-top-9716|title=Latvijas radio stacijās spēlētākās dziesmas Top 13. nedēļa|language=lv|publisher=LAIPA|access-date=May 28, 2023|date=March 27, 2023}}

| 3

scope="row"| Latvia Domestic Streaming (LAIPA){{cite web |date=23 May 2023 |title=Līderu maiņa: straumēšanas topu turpina šūpot koncertturnejas un Eirovīzija |trans-title=Changing leaders: concert tours and Eurovision continue to rock the streaming charts |url=https://sejas.tvnet.lv/7780520/lideru-maina-straumesanas-topu-turpina-supot-koncertturnejas-un-eirovizija |access-date=7 March 2025 |publisher={{Ill|TV Net|lv|TVNET GRUPA}} |language=lv}}

| 2

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Latvia (LaIPA)|title =Aijā|artist=Sudden Lights|award=Platinum|salesamount=4,000,000|salesref={{cite journal|url= https://laipa.org/lat/zelta_un_platina_sertifikacija/platina_sertikats___sanemeji|title=Platīna sertifikāts tiek piešķirts mūzikas ierakstiem par 4'000'000 straumju sasniegšanu.|website=Latvian Music Producers Association|language=lv|access-date=26 April 2024}}|certref=}}

{{Table end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

{{Eurovision Song Contest 2023}}

Category:2023 songs

Category:2023 singles

Category:Eurovision songs of 2023

Category:Eurovision songs of Latvia

Category:Sudden Lights songs