For Samanta, taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest is a dream come true - and she’s probably the only ever participant to have written a diploma paper analysing the Eurovision selection process in Latvia and Lithuania.

Samanta has competed in the Latvian Eurovision selection process no less than six times, finishing second twice (in 2012 and 2013). She also tried to represent her second home, Lithuania, on two occasions in 2015 and 2017. There have been few other Eurovision acts throughout the years with this level of commitment to their goal.

In 2020, Samanta finally triumphed in Latvia’s selection show with the song Still Breathing, winning the opportunity to represent her nation at the Eurovision Song Contest. Given the number of previous attempts she’d made to compete, the Latvian delegation invited her back unconditionally after the cancellation of last May's competition.

Speaking about her entry The Moon is Rising, Samanta told Eurovision.tv:

"This song is about powerful and admirable women, about every single one of us. I invite women to not be afraid of ourselves and of being different. My song encourages women to make a crown with their own hands and put it on the head to be the ruler of life. To love and believe in ourselves. Then we will be loved by the people around us.

I believe that your attitude towards yourself changes the way people treat you, but it is not enough. And for this reason the most important line in my song is: if you have something to say, say it to my face. Let’s accept and love ourselves, let’s be proud of what God has given us, let’s accept our differences and stand for equality!"

The one song that always gets Samanta up on the dance floor is AC/DC's Thunderstruck.