ESC 2019: Germany's S!sters eager to go on stage

It is the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv that brought these two young singers together. In February, Carlotta and Laurita were chosen to represent Germany at the ESC, and they have been inseparable ever since. Months of preparation, training, rehearsals, appointments and interviews have made them inseparable.

They call their duo S!sters and they behave as if they were real sisters, hugging and cuddling. Together, they are strong, a fact they emphasize in their ESC video. It shows them entering a boxing ring from opposite sides and then tossing their boxing gloves aside, no longer opponents. Respect and support each other, that is their message.

The crucial week leading up to the final has flown by for the performers, a week filled with rehearsals, interviews, events and excursions. "You can't even remember what you did today or yesterday," Carlotta said after the first few days in Tel Aviv. "We just live from one day to the next."

Whirlwind week

Events included a reception on the "orange carpet," where the German contenders said they for the first time felt the party vibe that makes the ESC so special. The duo went for a hot air balloon ride over Tel Aviv with 30 fans and shopped for vegetables at the local Carmel Market with German star chef Tom Franz. Another outing took S!sters to a reception in the garden of the residence of German ambassador to Israel, Susanne Wasum-Rainer.

In between, they had brief moments to themselves to enjoy the city's tingling atmosphere that is even more electrifying this ESC-dominated week. "A festival mood is in the air," said an enthusiastic Carlotta.

Tel Aviv is party town, right on the sea, so naturally everyone flocks to the fine sandy beaches and the promenade. The young women are staying at a hotel on the beach with their team and take every opportunity to head out on their own. "The best thing is how quickly you strike up a conversation with the people here," Laurita said. She and her co-singer especially enjoy the moments when they end up chatting with people who have no idea who they are. 

Read more: Eurovision in Israel: Tel Aviv caught between partying and politics

Ready to go

Rehearsals started about a week ago — and there were a lot of them to get the sets, the lighting and the singers and dancers' positions right.

By now the performance has been polished down to the last detail. With the show ready to go, the two singers are at ease. "Now it's out of our hands to change anything and that's why we're not nervous anymore," Laurita said two days ahead of the competition's final. They have mixed feelings. "Somehow you don't want it to be over; on the other hand, we finally want to be on stage," they said.

They are not nervous about the big stage, either. "It's an incredibly cool design," said Carlotta, and Laurita said she doesn't feel small on the big stage at all, but rather "very safe."

True to themselves

Like every year, the pressure on the German ESC contender or contending team is enormous. After several years of German flops at the song contest, last year's contender came in fourth.

The S!sters try not to let the past influence them. "We don't have to participate, we want to," said Laurita, adding that if you feel like doing something like this, pressure is not an issue.

You also can't cater to everyone's tastes, they said. "We don't care about what is 'in' at the moment, and it doesn't matter to us who participated with what song in past years. We are focused on ourselves, and we are a new act." 

Of course they are aware that they are not necessarily among the ESC viewers' top favorites. Given the strong competition, they are being realistic and truly not out to win the competition. The two singers just want to do the best they can this Saturday evening.

S!sters do their thing

"We want to make the best impression we can possibly make," said Laurita. Carlotta adds that after all, they want to be able to look at themselves in the mirror afterwards.

The two don't waste time googling how people feel about them but instead enjoy the ESC mood in Tel Aviv, this huge, lively music festival with the many fans who have traveled to Israel from all over Europe. Their biggest fear is slipping or falling off the stage on Saturday. No matter how it turns out, they will continue as a duo, they said — the S!sters have indeed become one.

Bookmakers predict odds

The bookies and betting offices are always a good indicator of the expected results. S!sters was ranked at the bottom end for a long time, but the duo has since improved its standing by a few places. Duncan Laurence from the Netherlands is still in the lead. Many ESC visitors have already arranged to meet next year in Amsterdam — but who knows, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland and Russia are also close behind. It will make for an exciting final.

The ESC final will take place on Saturday evening at 21:00 CEST. DW will be tweeting live from the event at @dw_kultur and @dw_culture.