Estonian rapper and performance artist Tommy Cash has been selected to represent Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland; known for his provocative aesthetics and boundary-pushing music, Cash will perform his song, Espresso Macchiato, a genre-blurring track blending English and Italian influences.
The decision comes after Cash triumphed in Estonia’s national selection contest, Eesti Laul 2025, where he emerged as a fan favourite. The competition, which underwent format changes this year by scrapping semifinals, saw 16 finalists compete in a one-night-only event at Tallinn’s Unibet Arena on 15 February.
Cash’s entry, co-written with Finnish musician Johannes Naukkarinen, stood out in the lineup, which featured both Eurovision veterans and newcomers. His song, released on 7 December 2024, quickly gained traction and became one of the most talked-about entries leading up to the national final.
Cash, born Tomas Tammemets in 1991, has built a reputation as one of Estonia’s most unconventional artists. His work fuses hip-hop, rave and experimental sounds, often accompanied by surreal and satirical visuals.
He has collaborated with international acts such as Charli XCX and Little Big and made waves in the fashion world with avant-garde appearances at Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks. His selection marks a stark contrast to Estonia’s recent Eurovision representatives, often drawn from pop and indie backgrounds.
Eesti Laul 2025 saw 175 entries submitted, with a diverse mix of genres, from traditional ballads to experimental electronic tracks. The 16 finalists were chosen by a 34-member jury, with the final song determined through a public vote.
The competition also saw the return of previous Eurovision representatives, including Anna Sahlene (Estonia 2002), Gerli Padar (Estonia 2007) and Laura Põldvere (Estonia 2005, 2017), adding further excitement to the selection process.
Tommy Cash performs his winning entry, “Espresso Macchiato”, at the Eesti Laul 2025 final in Tallinn.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place in Basel’s St. Jakobshalle arena, following Switzerland’s victory in 2024 with Nemo’s The Code. The grand final is scheduled for 17 May, with semi-finals on 13 May and 15 May. Switzerland last hosted the contest in 1989 in Lausanne.
Estonia has won once
Estonia has had a mixed track record at Eurovision, with its only win dating back to 2001, when Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL secured victory with Everybody. In recent years, the country has struggled to break into the top 10, often missing out on qualification.
With Tommy Cash’s selection, Estonia is taking a bold artistic leap, betting on the rapper’s high-energy performances and cult following to make an impact. Whether his surrealist style will resonate with Eurovision juries and audiences remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – Estonia’s 2025 entry will be impossible to ignore.
