Germany has selected a Eurovision act… and some people aren’t happy about it
Germany has already selected an entrant for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest – but not everyone is happy about it.
The German broadcaster ARD announced this week that R&B star Xavier Naidoo will represent them in Stockholm next May – with a contest to produce the right song for him.
However, the decision has not gone down well with some Germans, due to the singer’s history of controversial comments.
The singer has claimed that in the past that “Germany remains an occupied country” and has made controversial statements about War-related conspiracy theories.
He also faced allegations of homophobia in 2012, for an explicit secret track recorded with rapper Kool Savas.
The track, which details taking a violent sadistic revenge on a child abuser, includes the lyrics: “Why don’t you like p***y when every person came out of one?”
The pair denied the lyric was meant to be homophobic, but faced condemnation from the Left Party, who branded Naidoo a “Christian homophobic glorifier of violence”.
Tobias Zimmermann, of the Lesbian and Gay Federation (LSVD) in Germany, told The Local the group was “astonished about this choice” given Naidoo’s “aggressive and inciting” lyrics.
He added: “ARD is a publicly-owned broadcaster and he isn’t someone who should be representing the pluralistic society we have in Germany abroad.”
The LSVD added: “We think the nomination of Mr Naidoo by the ARD is very questionable. Germany stands for a pluralistic community.
“We do not see that Xavier Naidoo has distanced himself from the [controversies].”
However, in a video, Xavier Naidoo pledged to promote “love” at the contest.
The singer said: “I’m really excited about ESC. The unifying contest is something special to me. And of course, I’m doing this to bring home the victory.
“It’s going to be exciting having to compete against other artists. I promise to sing better than I ever have in my life. During those three minutes, I want to prove that Germany has music that is passionate.
“And I want to show what my music stands for: Love, Freedom, Tolerance and Togetherness. I will put my heart and music into this and show what we have to offer.”
