San Marino Brings Flo Rida to Eurovision

MAY 15 2021 · 12:40

Senhit feat. Flo Rida · "Adrenalina" · San Marino · 2021 Placement: 22 · Score: 50 · Language: English · Composers: Malcolm McLaren, Jeffrey Stevens, Lorenzo Sebastiani, Chanel Tukes · Venue: Rotterdam Ahoy · Host: Rotterdam, Netherlands · Type: scandal · Broadcast: streaming era Senhit — Eritrean-Italian vocalist representing San Marino — takes the Rotterdam Ahoy stage for 'Adrenalina'. Mid-song, Flo Rida — American rapper — emerges onstage as featured artist. His presence is unexpected, his appearance only officially confirmed days before. It is the first time an American Billboard chart-topping rapper has guest-appeared at Eurovision. 50 points for 22nd place. Måneskin wins for Italy. Context San Marino's broadcaster SMTV had been investing in high-profile international collaborations since Ralph Siegel's Valentina Monetta era. The Flo Rida guest appearance was negotiated quietly through 2020-2021. His presence challenged Eurovision norms that expected principal artists to be from the representing nation. EBU rules technically permitted it. Legacy The 2021 Flo Rida appearance is cited in Eurovision artist-rules discussions. Subsequent San Marino entries did not attempt comparable American guest features. Senhit returned in 2022. The card is a genuine oddity in Eurovision's otherwise European-centric artist pool — a US crossover moment that neither repeated nor generated systematic change.