This year has certainly been significant in more ways than one for Estonian musician Andres Kõpper (a.k.a. NOËP). In the spring, Kõpper celebrated a decade of performing as NOËP with an anniversary show at Tallinn's Krulli Quarter. Then, in the fall, it was announced that he had reached the final of Eesti Laul – the nationwide competition to decide Estonia's Eurovision entry – for the first time as a solo artist.

Kõpper said that participating in Eesti Laul as NOËP is also notable because when he started out as a solo artist in 2015, Sony Music Sweden, the first record label he was signed to, told him he could not go to Eurovision.

"I don't know if it was actually written into the contract, but one thing my A&R (artists and repertoire, the department of a record company that develops an artist's career) said, who communicates with the artist on behalf of the record company, was that I definitely couldn't participate in Eurovision because then you're a Eurovision artist and it's hard for us to sell you as a cool artist," Kõpper said.

Kõpper believes that now attitudes towards participating in Eurovision have changed. "For a certain period, Eurovision has been dominated by a very similar type of artist. For me, the turning point came when Portuguese artist Maro participated in Eurovision (in 2022 – ed.). When she participated and I remixed her song 'Saudade, Saudade,' I redefined Eurovision in my own mind," he said.

NOËP 's first single, "Move," immediately broke into both the Estonian and international charts, and also reached the top 32 on Spotify's list of globally viral songs.

"I was lucky that in 2015, when I released my first song 'Move,' the kind of music I really liked was popular at the time. It plays an incredibly important role if the frequency that excites you also excites radio stations or streaming platforms," he said.

Kõpper has said that he wants his song "Days Like This," which is participating in Eesti Laul, to bring joy to listeners during these gloomy times. He compared it to a good, life-affirming film that stays with the viewer long after they've seen it.

"I hope that when people listen to 'Days Like This,' even if they are feeling down, they will feel that they can still get up and climb that hill with a smile on their face. That is definitely the goal," he said.

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