# Solo (Blanka song)

"Solo" is a song by Polish singer and model Blanka, released on 23 September 2022. It represented Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 after winning Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję, Poland's national final for that year's Eurovision Song Contest. The song finished 19th with 93 points. It reached number one in Lithuania and Poland, later certified two-times diamond in Poland for estimated sales of 500,000 units.

## Background and composition

According to Blanka, the song is about a relationship that is one-sided and a "sham", where one loses "their head for someone" yet the other person in the relationship is "playing [with them]." The song represents her belief that "sometimes it's worth being alone and that's OK... we can get to know ourselves better and see that the other person may not be the best for us." Vulture writer Jon O'Brien noted that "Solo" is a "summery cod-reggae throwback" reminiscent of the Swedish group Ace of Base and i's Anna Bonet labelled the song "upbeat pop", comparing it to the likes of singers Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa.

## Eurovision Song Contest
### Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję

Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję ("Here beats the heart of Europe! We choose the hit for Eurovision") was the national final organised by TVP that selected the Polish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. The show was held on 26 February 2023, with 10 artists and their songs competing. The winner was determined by a 50/50 combination of votes from a five-member professional jury and a public vote. In the event of a tie, the tie would be decided in favour of the jury.
On 15 February 2023, "Solo" was announced as one of the ten songs competing in the contest. Heading into the final, the song wasn't considered a heavy favorite to win the contest, being beat out by what was considered the favorite according to a Eurovision fan-site poll, Jann's "Gladiator". In the final, the song would manage to score 22 points, earning 12 points from the juries and placing second in the public vote. As a result, the song went on to represent Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

### 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, and determined which half of the show they would perform in. Poland had been placed into the second semi-final, which was held on 11 May 2023, and performed in the second half of the show. The song was announced as one of the qualifiers to move onto the grand final, and was drawn to perform fourth in a field of 26 songs. In the final, the song finished in 19th place, scoring 93 points: 81 points from televoting and 12 points from juries.

### Controversy

The song's win in Tu bije serce Europy! Wybieramy hit na Eurowizję sparked controversy in Poland due to alleged rigged votes and corruption within the jury panel for the national selection.
Before the contest, the opening line of the song, "Baby / It's kind of crazy", became an Internet meme due to Blanka's pronunciation of the opening line. Over time, the line would be mocked, with Polish media and people coining the term "Bejba, it's kajna krejsa", with the term becoming popular across Poland to both mock TVP and Blanka. Blanka would respond by wearing a dress during the contest's Turquoise Carpet before the contest, wearing a green dress with the word "Bejba" written in pink at the back of her dress. After she qualified from the second semi-final, in a response to a question about the song's promotion and widespread phenomenon as a meme, Blanka would say "Well, I want to thank all the haters because they really motivated me... I really hope that I can make my country really proud in the finals."

## Certifications

Certifications for "Solo" :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Poland (ZPAV) | 2× Diamond | 500,000$^‡$ |
| $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||

## Release history

Release dates and formats for "Solo" :
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label(s) |
| Various | 23 September 2022 | Digital downloadstreaming | Original | Warner PolandAle Label |
| Various | 15 December 2022 | Digital downloadstreaming | Christmas Bell | Warner PolandAle Label |
| Various | 20 December 2022 | Digital downloadstreaming | Audiosoulz remix | Warner PolandAle Label |
| Various | 3 January 2023 | Digital downloadstreaming | Acoustic | Warner PolandAle Label |
| Various | 5 May 2023 | Digital downloadstreaming | SMYLES remix | Warner PolandAle Label |
| Various | 11 May 2023 | Digital downloadstreaming | Sped up | Warner PolandAle Label |
| Italy | 22 May 2023 | Radio airplay | Original | Warner |
| Various | 10 October 2024 | Digital downloadstreaming | Dance Break | Warner PolandAle Label |