Jalla (song)

"Jalla"
Single by Antigoni
English title"More"
Released8 February 2026 (2026-02-08)
Length2:59
LabelMinos EMI
Songwriters
  • Antigoni Buxton
  • Charalambous Kallona
  • Connor Mullally-Knight
  • Demetris Nikolaou
  • Klejdi Lupa
  • Paris Kalpos
  • Trey Qua
Producers
  • Kalpos
  • Lupa
  • Mullally-Knight
  • Qua
Antigoni singles chronology
"Sleeping Alone"
(2025)		 "Jalla"
(2026)		 "Oud"
(2026)
Music video
"Jalla" on YouTube
Eurovision Song Contest 2026 entry
Country
Artist
Languages
Composers
  • Antigoni Buxton
  • Charalambous Kallona
  • Connor Mullally-Knight
  • Demetris Nikolaou
  • Klejdi Lupa
  • Paris Kalpos
  • Trey Qua
Lyricists
  • Antigoni Buxton
  • Connor Mullally-Knight
  • Klejdi Lupa
  • Paris Kalpos
  • Trey Qua
Finals performance
Semi-final result
10th
Semi-final points
122
Final result
19th
Final points
75
Entry chronology
◄ "Shh" (2025)
Official performance video
"Jalla" (second semi-final) on YouTube
"Jalla" (grand final) on YouTube

"Jalla" (from Greek "Κι άλλα", transl. "More") is a song by English Cypriot singer Antigoni. The song was released on 8 February 2026 through Minos EMI. It was written by Buxton, Charalambous Kallona, Connor Mullally-Knight, Demetris Nikolaou, Klejdi Lupa, Paris Kalpos, and Trey Qua. It represented Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, and finished in nineteenth place at the final. The song debuted at number 23 on the Greek Local Singles chart.

Background and composition

"Jalla" was written by Antigoni Buxton with Charalambous Kallona, Connor Mullally-Knight, Demetris Nikolaou, Klejdi Lupa, Paris Kalpos, and Trey Qua. Kalpos, Lupa, Mullally-Knight, and Qua also produced the song.[1][‡ 1] The title, "Jalla", is a word from Cypriot Greek meaning "more".[2] Nikolaou is credited with proposing the word "Jalla" (J’alla) as the Cypriot dialect term for the song at Buxton's suggestion to incorporate the dialect into the lyrics.[3]

Musically, the song was described as "an up-tempo tune that merges traditional sounds with big-scale beats".[4] It was further described as a "Mediterranean summer-pop anthem" which uses traditional Cypriot instrumentation, including çifteli and lute.[5][6] Lyrically, according to Buxton, the song is about "energy, passion, and striving for more in life". She further added that the track was intended to reflect the "Cypriot spirit" while maintaining international appeal.[7]

Release and music video

The song and its music video premiered on the Cypriot broadcaster's main evening news bulletin on 8 February 2026.[8] Following the initial broadcast, the music video was released on the official YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest.[4] It was disclosed by the CyBC Director General Thanasis Tsokos that the budget for the filming of the official music video, as well as the production expenses and promotional campaign costs, amounted to approximately €100,000, which was covered by Buxton's music label, Minos EMI.[9]

The music video was directed by Alexis "Bodega" Kostel and its filming took place at multiple Cypriot towns and villages.[10][‡ 2] It was later revealed on the show With Love Christiana by the president of the Community Council of Lythrodontas, where the filming of the music video began, that around 200 to 250 residents were gathered to join the shooting.[11] The outfits featured in the music video were designed by Cypriot designer Gregory Morfi.[12]

Promotion

To promote "Jalla" before the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Buxton performed as an interval act at Sing for Greece 2026, the Greek national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.[13] She also participated at the Nordic Eurovision Party 2026 held at Rockefeller Oslo on 21 March 2026.[14]

Critical reception

Cypriot media and personalities

The song's release was met with mixed critical reception. While many positive comments appeared online from the general audience, many were vocal against the song. On 10 February 2026, multiple known persons in the Cypriot cultural and media scene formally expressed their dissatisfaction with the song's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.[15] In the letter sent to the president and members of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) management committee, they claimed that the song's music video "did not accurately depict the Cypriot traditions and cultural image of Cyprus" while also claiming that the video clip "includes and legalises very dangerous unlawful road driving practises", in reference to a scene in the music video where a group of youths are doing wheelies on motorcycles, without wearing helmets.[16][17][18]

In response to the letter, CyBC Director General Tsokos released a statement through the CyBC Corporate account on Facebook that same day. In the statement, he mentioned that the music video's online reception is "warm and positive" and that the "reactions of experts and friends of the Eurovision Song Contest on social media are similarly positive". He added any scenes that did not follow road safety principles "have been removed from the clip" and its revised version will be "reposted by the European Broadcasting Union".[19]

Eva Frantz of Yle gave the song a rating of eight out of 10, describing it "a sound that highlights both [Buxton's] British and Cypriot roots, but also offers sounds from the Middle East", and called it a "success". She further characterised the entry as being "challenging without being clumsy" and that Buxton has the charisma to "turn the toughest halloumi into dipping sauce".[20] Glen Weldon of the National Public Radio ranked the entry fourth in his list of the 10 best songs competing at Eurovision 2026, calling it a "classic, old-school Eurovision" entry and categorising the track as an "expression of cultural joy", despite noting Buxton's "iffy vocals".[21]

Jon O'Brien from Vulture ranked the entry 16th out of the 35 entries, calling it "seemingly inoffensive" that has "somehow become one of this year's most provocative entries" because of the controversy surrounding its music video.[22] In TV 2, Line Haus gave the entry a three out of six, calling what she describes as "one of this year's most delicious potential summer hits on streaming platforms" disappointing and "completely fell through live without any punch". She further criticised Buxton's vocal timing, sour tones, and flow in her choreography.[23] In the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, Ralf Lofstad gave the song a two out of six, describing it as "quite lively" and "atmospheric" but "never reaches the really great heights". He further criticised the staging for being empty and Buxton's "shaky" vocals.[24]

Eurovision Song Contest 2026

Internal selection

Cyprus' broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC), announced its intention to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 on 14 August 2025,[25] and later confirming an internal selection to select its 2026 entry.[26] The selection of the Cypriot entrant consisted of two parts: the first involved the votes of a five-member jury panel from nine potential artists proposed by Greek record labels, and the second involved an online questionnaire posted via the broadcaster's website between 30 October and 6 November 2025, during which the public could express their opinion on the artists and its participation in general.[27] On 6 November 2025, CyBC announced that British-Cypriot singer Antigoni Buxton would represent Cyprus in Vienna.[28]

At Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 took place at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and consisted of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May 2026.[29] During the allocation draw held on 12 January 2026, Cyprus was assigned to compete in the second semi-final, performing in the latter half of the show.[30] Buxton was later drawn to perform eighth, after Switzerland's Veronica Fusaro and before Austria's Cosmó.[31]

For its Eurovision performance, the staging was choreographed by Natalia Michael and Sacha Jean-Baptiste.[32][33] Michael also performed as one of the four dancers joining Buxton, alongside Anna Chatzikyriakou, Konstantina Spyrou, and Sophia Papakonstantinou.[34] "Jalla" qualified for the grand final.[35]

Buxton performed a repeat of her performance in the grand final on 16 May. The song performed 21st, after Sweden's Felicia and before Italy's Sal Da Vinci.[36] It received 75 points, finishing on 19th place.[37]

Track listing

Digital download/streaming[‡ 3]

  1. "Jalla" – 2:59

Digital download/streaming – Afro-house rework (with Gigi)[‡ 4]

  1. "Jalla" (Afro-house rework) – 3:12
  2. "Jalla" (Afro-house rework extended) – 4:13
  3. "Jalla" – 2:59

Digital download/streaming – Arabic remix[‡ 5]

  1. "Jalla" (Arabic remix) (with Oualid) – 3:14

Digital download/streaming – Anastasia remix[‡ 6]

  1. "Jalla" (Anastasia remix) – 2:05

Charts

Chart performance for "Jalla"
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[38]26
Greece Local (IFPI)[39] 5
Lithuania (AGATA)[40] 19
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[41] 5
UK Singles Sales (OCC)[42] 64

Certifications

Certifications for "Jalla"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Greece (IFPI Greece)[43] Platinum 2,000,000†

† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Jalla"
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various 8 February 2026 Original Minos EMI
21 May 2026 Afro-house rework
22 May 2026 Arabic remix
2 July 2026 Anastasia remix

References

  1. ↑ "Πρώτη παρουσίαση στις 8 Φεβρουαρίου της κυπριακής συμμετοχής στη Eurovision 2026 από το ΡΙΚ" [First presentation on February 8 of the Cypriot participation in Eurovision 2026 by RIK] (in Greek). Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  2. ↑ Theodorou, Alexandra (2 February 2026). "Antigone to sing 'JALLA' for Cyprus at Eurovision". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  3. ↑ "Cyprus Eurovision 2026 "Jalla" hits 500k views amid criticism". SigmaLive. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Cyprus 2026: Antigoni releases 'JALLA'". Eurovision.com. European Broadcasting Union. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  5. ↑ Bijuvignesh, Darshan (8 February 2026). "Cyprus: Antigoni Reveals Eurovision Entry "JALLA"". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  6. ↑ Bijuvignesh, Darshan (28 January 2026). "Cyprus: Filming Has Begun For Antigoni's Music Video & New Song Details". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  7. ↑ Tkach, Anna (9 February 2026). "Cyprus First to Name 2026 Eurovision Act: Antigoni Buxton with Song 'Jalla'". Inkorr. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  8. ↑ "Antigoni Buxton unveils Eurovision 2026 entry 'JALLA' tonight". Phileleftheros. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  9. ↑ "How much Cyprus is spending on Eurovision 2026". Phileleftheros. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  10. ↑ "Eurovision: To ΡΙΚ παρουσίασε σε επίσημη πρώτη το "JALLA"" [Eurovision: RIK presented "JALLA" in an official premiere] (in Greek). Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  11. ↑ Haritou, Louis (27 January 2026). "Στον Λυθροδόντα τα γυρίσματα του videoclip της Antigoni Buxton για τη Eurovision (ΒΙΝΤΕΟ)" [The filming of Antigoni Buxton's video clip for Eurovision is in Lythrodontas (VIDEO)]. Hello! (in Greek). Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  12. ↑ "Antigoni Buxton: Σήμερα τα γυρίσματα για το videoclip της Κύπρου στη Eurovision" [Antigoni Buxton: The filming for the Cyprus Eurovision video clip is today] (in Greek). ANT1. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  13. ↑ Thomson, Euan (8 February 2026). "Antigoni releases 'Jalla' for Eurovision 2026". That Eurovision Site. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  14. ↑ Conte, Davide (9 March 2026). "Antigoni and Akylas Announced for Nordic Eurovision Party". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  15. ↑ Psichi, Margarita (10 February 2026). "Γνωστοί Κύπριοι ενώνονται για να αποσυρθεί το «Jalla» - Η επίσημη ανακοίνωση (ΦΩΤΟ)" [Prominent Cypriots unite to withdraw "Jalla" – The official announcement]. Hello! (in Greek). Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  16. ↑ Granger, Anthony (10 February 2026). "Cyprus: CyBC to Make Changes to "Jalla" Music Video Following Complaints". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  17. ↑ "'We know what the audience wants': CyBC boss defends 'Jalla' against criticism". Phileleftheros. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  18. ↑ Psichi, Margarita (10 February 2026). "Δημήτρης Τοκαρής: Ζητά να αποσυρθεί το βίντεο του «Jalla» επειδή δεν φοράνε κράνος ασφαλείας" [Dimitris Tokaris: Requests the withdrawal of the "Jalla" video because they are not wearing safety helmets]. Hello! (in Greek). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  19. ↑ Morphakis, James (10 February 2026). "Public figures urge CyBC to pull Eurovision entry JALLA". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  20. ↑ Frantz, Eva (24 April 2026). "Så här bra är de 35 bidragen i årets Eurovision Song Contest" [This is how good the 35 entries in this year's Eurovision Song Contest are] (in Swedish). Yle. Archived from the original on 25 April 2026. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  21. ↑ Weldon, Glen (14 May 2026). "The 10 best songs competing at (a very contentious) Eurovision". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on 15 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  22. ↑ O'Brien, Jon (11 May 2026). "Every 2026 Eurovision Entry, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on 12 May 2026. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  23. ↑ Haus, Line (16 May 2026). "Eurovision-finalen: Fra terningkast én til seks" [The Eurovision final: From dice rolls one to six] (in Norwegian Bokmål). TV 2. Archived from the original on 25 May 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  24. ↑ Lofstad, Ralf (14 May 2026). "Eurovision Song Contest 2026: Vi anmeldte låt for låt" [Eurovision Song Contest 2026: We reviewed song by song]. Dagbladet (in Norwegian Bokmål). Archived from the original on 14 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  25. ↑ Jiandani, Sanjay (14 August 2025). "Cyprus: CyBC confirms participation at Eurovision 2026". ESCToday. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  26. ↑ Granger, Anthony (30 October 2025). "Cyprus: CyBC Asks for the Public's View on Eurovision 2026 Artist & Song". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  27. ↑ Jiandani, Sanjay (12 November 2025). "Cyprus: How was Antigioni selected for Eurovision 2026?". ESCToday. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  28. ↑ Bijuvignesh, Darshan (6 November 2025). "Cyprus: ANTIGONI to Eurovision 2026". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  29. ↑ "Vienna announced as host city for Eurovision Song Contest 2026". The Guardian. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  30. ↑ "Vienna 2026: Semi-Final Draw results". Eurovision.com (Press release). European Broadcasting Union. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  31. ↑ "Vienna 2026: Semi-Final Running Orders revealed". Eurovision.com (Press release). European Broadcasting Union. 2 April 2026. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  32. ↑ Haritou, Louis (14 February 2026). "Η χορογράφος του "Jalla" αποκλειστικά στο HELLO! – Μας δείχνει βήμα-βήμα τη χορογραφία" [The choreographer of “Jalla” exclusively on HELLO! – She shows us the choreography step by step]. Hello! (in Greek). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  33. ↑ "'Let them talk': Antigoni Buxton responds to 'too Cypriot' Eurovision criticism". Phileleftheros. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  34. ↑ Farren, Neil (6 April 2026). "Cyprus: Four Dancers to Join Antigoni on Stage at Eurovision 2026". Eurovoix News. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  35. ↑ "Eurovision 2026: The Second Semi-Final Qualifiers". Eurovision.com. European Broadcasting Union. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "The Running Order of the Eurovision 2026 Grand Final". Eurovision.com. European Broadcasting Union. 15 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  37. ↑ "DARA wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 for Bulgaria". Eurovision Song Contest. 17 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  38. ↑ "Antigoni – Jalla" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  39. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (Local) – Εβδομάδα: 20/2026" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 27 May 2026. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  40. ↑ "2026 21-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 22 May 2026. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  41. ↑ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 21, 2026". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  42. ↑ "Official Singles Sales Chart on 22/5/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  43. ↑ "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (Local) – Εβδομάδα: 26/2026" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved 8 July 2026.

Primary sources

In the text, these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

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