Performing Freedom – Georgian Identity on the Eurovision Stage

Eurovision is a platform where countries showcase their identities, both how they see themselves and how they want others to see them. For Georgia, which is trying to balance its European goals with a more conservative political environment, the 2025 song Freedom by Mariam Shengelia highlights this challenge. In my previous blog post, I discussed how Georgian identity is shaped by language, homeland, and faith. This performance shows how cultural symbols, political stories, and emotional connections come together on the Eurovision stage. Through this mix, Georgia shows a version of itself that values tradition while also appealing to an international audience.

Eurovision entries often simplify complex national stories into clear, recognizable themes. In Freedom, this simplification appears through strong rhythms, legendary landscapes, and traditional imagery. These elements reflect deep cultural roots but also fit with the ruling party's conservative views. The performance both celebrates and limits Georgian identity, highlighting the political tensions underneath.

 

A Politicized Selection: The Artist as National Symbol

Mariam Shengelia's selection as Georgia's representative sparked controversy. She was born in Mingrelia in 2002 and is a 23-year-old political science student and a former contestant on X Factor Georgia and The Voice Sakartvelo. Shengelia is known for her strong story of perseverance in music. She built her career without formal training or industry connections. She gained national recognition for her unique voice and emotional performances (Eurovision, 2025). Working with the fusion band Mixtura helped her expand her artistic skills, adding to the versatility she brought to the song Freedom. The Georgian Public Broadcaster chose her, a move many believe is linked to the ruling Georgian Dream party (Gruin, 2025). Her appearances in Georgian Dream campaign materials raised concerns, especially as the government faced criticism for weakening democratic institutions and receiving backlash from the EU. Some experts see Georgia's political situation during this time as not just a slow decline but a quick breakdown of democratic norms (Meladze & Asaad, 2025).

This political backdrop influenced how people viewed her song Freedom even before it was performed at Eurovision. Online, accusations branded Shengelia as homophobic and pro-Russian, which she denied by saying, “That’s not me” (EurovisionFun, 2025). Her denial highlights the clash between individual artists and the political stories that people project onto them. Even though Shengelia tried to distance herself from party politics, many saw her selection as part of a larger government message about Georgia’s identity.

 

Performance Analysis

Before looking at the song's music and lyrics, it's important to see how the performance shows political issues through art. Eurovision is more than just a song contest; it is a visual space where countries express their identity through how they stage their performances, movement, and symbols. In Freedom, every detail from the rhythm and lighting to the costumes helps present Georgia’s national story in ways that reflect and change the current political situation.

Language and Rhythm: The Emotional Geography of the Homeland

The song Freedom uses both music and language to support its message. It begins in Kartuli, the Georgian language, which is important to national identity and represents cultural boundaries (Gökçelik, 2022). The lyrics mention mountains, sky, and purity, reflecting the emotional connection to Mamuli, seen as a sacred homeland (Tevzadze, 2008). These images portray freedom as something inherited and spiritual, tied to the land.

Musically, the song features a 5/8 rhythm, inspired by khorumi, a traditional Georgian war dance from the Guria and Adjara regions. This dance is linked to preparation for battle and unity among people (DanceUs.org, 2023). The rhythm emphasizes a view of freedom linked to endurance and historical battles. The chorus switches to English with the line “Freedom is a heaven’s gift we share.” This helps reach European audiences while remaining true to Georgian traditions. In the background, singers chant the 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet, emphasizing the unique language and marking cultural boundaries.

This use of both languages reflects Georgia’s effort to connect with Europe while also maintaining its cultural identity.

 

Staging Freedom: Mythic Landscapes and Gendered Symbolism

The live performance highlights key themes through impressive staging and meaningful dance. The stage starts with thick fog, revealing a large geometric rock structure in the center (Shengelia, 2025). Mariam stands on top, still, wearing a silver gown that matches the stone beneath her. This makes her look like part of the landscape, timeless and strongly connected to the nation. Behind her, an LED screen shows a rising moon, stylized mountains, and stormy clouds, emphasizing that Georgian identity is closely tied to its rugged land.

This focus on the landscape aligns with the idea that the homeland is not just land, but also an emotional and spiritual anchor (Tevzadze, 2008). However, it also presents a view of identity that avoids the political issues around Georgia’s democratic crisis (Smolnik & Tadumadze, 2025). By emphasizing nature and myth, the performance offers a depoliticized version of national identity at a time when politics were hard to ignore.

The dance adds to this story. Four male dancers in chokha-inspired costumes circle the rock with strong, martial movements (Shengelia, 2025). Their moves recall traditional warrior dances, reinforcing gender roles: the woman as homeland, and the men as protectors (Surmanidze & Tsuladze, 2008). In the second chorus, the dancers raise white flags not as signs of surrender, but as ceremonial banners symbolizing peace while still maintaining a defensive look.

The performance reaches a turning point when Mariam steps out of her silver gown to show a bright red jumpsuit. She descends from the rock and walks toward the audience, symbolizing her escape from the static role assigned to her. However, even in this moment of change, she remains surrounded by the dancers' protective formations, suggesting that her freedom exists only within the limits of a state-controlled narrative.

 

Identity Frameworks: Representation, Post‑Soviet Narratives, and Cosmopolitan Tension

The performance uses multiple ways of understanding identity at the same time.

Representation

Identity is shaped by cultural stories and symbols (Hall, 1990). Freedom, Georgia, is seen as old, strong, and connected to nature, with Mariam representing the emotional heart of the nation.

Post‑Soviet and decolonial identity

The focus on martial rhythm and landscape shows a post-Soviet story about taking back control. However, it also presents freedom as something we inherit historically, rather than as a right of citizenship (Tlostanova, 2021).

Cosmopolitanism

The English chorus and modern production suggest a connection to Europe, but the imagery focused on heritage makes this idea more complicated. It shows a nation that is both open and defensive (Delanty, 2006).

These elements highlight a key conflict in the performance: Georgia is shown as both European and unique, modern and ancient, and open yet closed.

 

The (Mis)alignment Between Civic Identity and State‑Curated Imagery

The main issue in the song Freedom is the clash between how Georgians see their national identity and the identity that the government presents. Many Georgians view their identity as European and civic. However, the 2025 song takes a more populist approach, suggesting that the European Union threatens traditional values.

Lyrics like “თავისუფლებაც ჩემშია/არ მინდა სიმდიდრე სხვა” which translates to “The homeland is the one and only/I don’t want any other wealth” (Eurovision, 2025) express a nationalist rejection of working with others.

This creates irony: a song called Freedom comes from a government accused of limiting freedom. The performance showcases a selective view of Georgian culture, presenting a tough, martial image that fits the ruling party's agenda instead of reflecting the varied hopes of Georgian citizens.

The performance does not fully match the civic and pro-European identity that many Georgians value, but it does have some similarities. It includes elements like a strong emotional connection to the homeland, the use of the Kartuli language, and symbols of endurance that reflect common cultural values. However, the performance emphasizes these connections in ways that support the ruling party's agenda while downplaying or ignoring civic and democratic aspects of Georgian identity. As a result, the performance shows a selective alignment: it uses real cultural symbols but changes their meaning to support a narrower, government-approved view of what it means to be Georgian (Vuletic, 2024).

 

Evolved Understanding of National Identity

My understanding of Georgian national identity has slightly changed since the last blog post 1. At first, I thought of identity mostly in terms of culture, focusing on language, homeland, and faith. However, studying Freedom showed me that identity is also shaped and expressed in specific ways. This assignment helped me see national identity as a story that is constantly debated, influenced by political power, public opinion, and symbols.

 

Conclusion

Freedom did not reach the Grand Final, finishing 15th in its semi-final (Eurovisionworld, 2025). This result shows that while focusing on heritage in branding can look good, it struggles when the differences between the presented identity and the real political situation are too stark. The performance aimed to show Georgia as ancient and strong, fitting with the ruling party’s view. However, this image conflicts with the civic, European-focused identity that has shaped Georgia's goals for many years.

In the end, Freedom was more about national branding than a true celebration of liberty. On the Eurovision stage, Georgia not only showed who it is but also highlighted the political struggle over who it can become.

 

Word count: 1,541

 

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