Czechia’s Eurovision star ADONXS has explained the queer inspiration behind his stage name, and revealed how he prefers to meet a man for a “Kiss Kiss Goodbye”.
ADONXS, real name Adam Pavlovčin, is the first out LGBTQ+ artist to represent Czechia at the Eurovision Song Contest (last year’s representative, Aiko, came out as bisexual earlier this month), and it appears his queerness has informed much of his act.
Speaking to PinkNews ahead of his performance at the Eurovision semi-final in Basel, Switzerland this evening (15 May), the singer explained the very queer origins behind his stage name.
“I will admit that I was inspired a little bit by the queer party Adonis Adonis Adonis in London. I’ve never been to that one but I always saw it everywhere along with the [fellow queer event in London] HOMOSTASH,” said the musician, who lived in London for a while.
ADONXIS, who is performing at Eurovision with his broody break-up bop “Kiss Kiss Goodbye”, explained that his stage name was originally spelt with a “Y” instead of an “X”, as a take on the Greek word for a handsome young man.
However, after some thought, he decided to add in an “X” as a “little play” with the use of “X” and “Y” chromosomes.
“That was for me a little play with the chromosomes, with like XX, XY male and female chromosomes, masculine and feminine energy and the spectrum of this,” he shared.
“That’s how I felt with my performance really. I never felt like I’m doing just one thing. I felt like it was always a mixture of the femme and masc energy.”
In addition to London’s queer scene, the musician shared that the art of drag has inspired his career. Being friends with professional dancers, the singer has got to meet and party with drag performers and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars.
“I was like ‘OK, if these people can lip-sync for the arenas, I might someday sing for arenas and I might need this character, this persona [of ADONXS] that will manage everything, even if I don’t feel like it,” he explained. “That’s where ADONXS came from.”
Though his Eurovision entry song “Kiss Kiss Goobye” is a song about parting ways with a lover, the 29-year-old star himself is something of an old romantic.
“I would definitely see myself as an an old school dating guy who believes in a random meetup,” he said.
“I think I prefer this way, way more than any of the setup [on] Tinder [or] Grindr, whatever dating app date it is… because it always feels like an interview. It always feels like, ‘OK! So here we are! I need to do my elevator pitch, I guess’ or whatever.
“I want the old school, old-fashioned way, behind the bar or on the dance floor. Or while surfing, meeting in the waves and exploring the island. That would be cool.”
Before experiencing Eurovision fame, ADONXS was best known in Czechia for winning SuperStar, the Czech-Slovak version of Pop Idol, in 2021. In the process, he became the show’s first ever LGBTQ+ winner.
While the artist “felt very validated and seen” through winning the show, he doesn’t think his home country Slovakia has become any more progressive since.
According to the annual ILGA Rainbow Map, Slovakia is one of the worst countries in Europe to live as an out LGBTQ+ person.
“I must sadly admit that I don’t think Slovakia, and arts especially, are progressing. I think… Slovakia is in a very bad stage at this point,” he shared.
Same-sex marriage is currently illegal in the country, while LGBTQ+ couples are not permitted to adopt children.
“I’m very positive and I’m hoping that the next parliament election will change a lot because we have so many great and competent people that can take charge and lead the country in a more progressive way,” ADONXS added.
ADONXS will perform at the Eurovision semi-final tonight (15 May) on BBC One at 8pm BST.
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