Montenegro’s journey to Eurovision 2025 in Basel has taken an unexpected turn, as controversy brews over their selected entry, “Clickbait” by NeonoeN.

The song won the national selection Montesong on 27th November but allegations have emerged that a version of the song was performed live before the eligibility cutoff date of 1st September — a violation of Eurovision’s rules.

The issue arose when a video surfaced on the platform X, purportedly showing NeonoeN performing an early version of “Clickbait” at the Zabjelo Cultural Festival in Podgorica in 2023.

According to the rules set by both Montesong and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), entries must be unpublished and unperformed in any form before the specified date to ensure fair competition.

The organizers of Montesong, Montenegro’s public broadcaster RTCG and the Association of Performing Artists of Montenegro, are currently investigating the video’s authenticity.

Danijel Alibabić, the director of Montesong, also member of the group No name, which represented Montenegro at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest, with “Zauvijek moja”, stated on Instagram:

“A decision regarding potential disqualification will be made tomorrow (Monday, December 2nd) after consulting with the European Broadcasting Union, the organizer of Eurovision.”

NeonoeN, a rock band relatively unknown before their Montesong victory, responded to the allegations on Instagram. They acknowledged performing parts of their music in small live settings but denied that it gave them an unfair advantage. In their statement, they said:

“Until yesterday, hardly anyone even knew we existed, especially at our live shows, where we played our original music to small groups in almost empty spaces. Suddenly, it’s an issue that we once performed a draft version of the song to around 20 people. We wonder, did anyone in the audience even remember hearing it? And if so, did it influence their decision to vote for us nearly two years later at Montesong?”

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The band emphasized that “Clickbait” was not commercially released or exploited in any way before the competition and insisted their win was deserved:

“The public first heard the song alongside the other entries of this year’s Montesong. If it hadn’t won, nobody would be discussing this.”

Despite the uncertainty, the band promised to respect whatever decision is made:

“Whatever the outcome regarding our victory, we will honor it and either proudly represent Montenegro or wish the best of luck to whoever eventually does.”

A potential disqualification of NeonoeN would mark an unprecedented scandal in Montenegro’s Eurovision history. If the EBU finds that “Clickbait” violated the rules, Montenegro will need to decide on an alternative representative.

The decision is expected to be announced on Monday, 2nd December and it could reshape Montenegro’s Eurovision 2025 journey.

Will NeonoeN’s Clickbait survive the scrutiny, or will Montenegro’s hopes lie elsewhere? We want to know your thougths in the comments and on our social media profiles @buildingbridgespod.