German participant Isaak: Exciting facts about the ESC singer

Isaak Guderian (29) is Germany’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. After Lord of the Lost’s last place last year, the singer should do better in Malmö this year. In mid-February, his participation in the German preliminary round was set in stone. An overview of his career, private life and his ambitions at the ESC.

Musical path

Isaak Guderian was born on January 31, 1995 in Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia. Today he lives with his family not far away in Espelkamp. After his entry into the ESC, he was also allowed to enter the city’s Golden Book. “Everyone is as proud as Bolle,” the singer told spot on news in March. “I get a lot of messages, generally from the Minden-Lübbecke district. Many people really see themselves as a team member and say: ‘Hey, that’s cool that one of us is there.'” Public viewing for the ESC is already planned there .

At the age of twelve, Isaak was already taking his music to the outside world, or more precisely to the streets. “No matter what gigs I’ve played, street music has always been a part of me,” he explained to spot on news. “And she taught me a lot. Above all, that it’s worth being brave and standing up for yourself.” Initially just spontaneously playing the guitar on a family vacation, street music became a passion, as he said. “Because I started very early, I realized very quickly that this is exactly what I want to be and what I want to work for. I’ve been aiming for this my whole life.” The fact that music determines his life was also clear in his ESC application video, when he mentioned his hobbies as “only music, a bit of philosophy and I like playing billiards, but I’m incredibly bad at it.”

He pursued his passion vehemently and was not afraid of competition. Isaak took part in 2011. “You’ve just blown us away here,” was Sarah Connor’s (43) praise for his performance with the Oasis song “Wonderwall”. He also demonstrated his vocal power over streamer Jens “Knossi” Knossalla (37), which he won in 2021. Sido (43) called him “one of the best singers I have ever heard live on a microphone.”

Triumph in the preliminary round

The next contest awaited Isaak on February 16th. With “Always on the Run” he competed alongside eight other acts at the “Eurovision Song Contest – The German Finale 2024” in Berlin. In the end, he prevailed against Ryk (34), who was favored by betting forecasts, with “Oh Boy” or the well-known names Marie Reim (23, “Naive”) and Max Mutzke (42, “Forever Strong”). The latter wanted to compete again for the anniversary after taking part in the ESC in 2004 (eighth place). An international jury and the audience were allowed to vote and saw Isaak as the favorite. The English title “Always on the Run” is about his own inner contradictory spirit, from which Isaac is “on the run”. Light and shadow, joy and sadness, self-doubt and self-confidence are addressed as opposites in life. A line of the song had to be changed afterwards because of an expletive that was banned in the ESC rules.

ESC becomes a family affair

On his musical and now also ESC path, he is supported “far above all others” by his wife Loreen and his manager, Isaak revealed to spot on news. “The two of them are really at the start. Next I would say my family, especially my children, who need to be looked after. Unfortunately, we can’t take them with us everywhere and my wife is also a permanent member of the team. That’s one very extraordinary time for all of us.” His wife is very involved in creative decisions “that don’t necessarily have to do with music. Especially when it comes to stage production and styling. She also does my nails and hair, for example.”

In the “Bild” interview he also revealed that the two of them will have a special day at the ESC: “We will celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary on May 7th in Malmö. It couldn’t be better. And Loreen will definitely be happy for me again in Malmö bring.” He shows that his two children are obviously also enthusiastic about his participation in the ESC (around 27,000 followers). In a short clip they diligently sing along to his song.

ESC ambitions

As a half-Icelandic, his mother comes from the Nordic island state, he wants twelve points from Iceland, explains Isaak in the ESC application video about his wish for the ESC. In an interview with spot on news, he is otherwise calm about his placement in the competition: “Even if it were last place, no one would hold that against me. Everyone will say again: ‘That’s the German ESC curse ‘It doesn’t matter who we send, we’ll come last anyway.'” So he doesn’t worry about it at all. And: Assuming 90 percent of them don’t like me, then there are still 25 left Millions of people left.”