Marko Purišić (pronounced[ˈmarkoˈpuriʃitɕ], born 5 July 1995), known professionally asBaby Lasagna, is a Croatian singer-songwriter andmusic producer. He represented Croatia in theEurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "Rim Tim Tagi Dim", where he finished in second place overall with 547 points and first in the public vote, becoming Croatia's highest-scoring Eurovision entrant since its debut as an independent country in 1993.
Marko Purišić was born on 5 July 1995 inRijeka,Croatia and grew up inUmag.[2] He has a younger brother named Martin, who is also a musician and performed as a member ofMono Inc. until June 2024.[3][4]
Coming from a family in which his mother and several other family members work as teachers, Purišić expressed that he would have most likely become a teacher too if he had not decided to pursue a musical career instead.[5] He did, however, work as a children's assistant in elementary school for a year until quitting to studypublic relations at the VERN University inZagreb.[5] Purišić had previously also studied tourism inBuje andsound engineering inLjubljana where his roommate was Martin Maze.[5] He also studied Multimedia at theUniversity North inVaraždin.[6]
From 2011 to 2016 and from 2018 to 2022, Purišić served as the guitarist forManntra, a Croatian rock band.[7] While still a member of the band, they participated inDora 2019, securing the fourth position with the song "In the Shadows" with a total of 12 points.[8] Following his tenure with the group, he transitioned to pursue a solo career in 2023.[9] On 21 October 2023, Purišić released his debut single "IG Boy" under the pseudonym Baby Lasagna through Molly Studios.[10] Two months later, in December 2023, his second single "Don't Hate Yourself, But Don't Love Yourself Too Much" was released.[11]
Purišić was among the participants ofDora 2024, the Croatian selection for theEurovision Song Contest 2024, with the song "Rim Tim Tagi Dim";[12] he advanced from his semi-final on 23 February 2024 and ultimately won the final on 25 February.[13] The song debuted at number 24 on theHR Top 40 chart, making it Purišić's first chart entry in Croatia;[14] following hisDora triumph, it peaked at number one,[15] as well as debuted and peaked at number two onBillboard'sCroatia Songs chart.[16] On 23 March, Purišić served as a presenter at the 31stPorin Awards.[17] On 8 April, Purišić revealed thatCroatian Radiotelevision (HRT) was producing a television documentary about his life and journey to Eurovision, which was set to air before his semi-final performance on 7 May.[18] On 11 May in the Eurovision grand final, Purišić won the televote but finished second overall, behindSwitzerland'sNemo and their song "The Code".
On 15 May, Purišić sold out three concerts atŠRC Šalata, scheduled for 12–14 September, within minutes.[19] He also performed at theSea Star Festival in his native Umag on 25 May.[20]
In 2022, Purišić played a significant role in co-writing several tracks forMono Inc.'s 12th studio album,Ravenblack. contributing to the album's success as it reached the number one spot inGermany, marking the band's highest-peaking album to date.[21] Notably, many of the songs penned by Purišić were selected as singles, including "Princess of the Night", "Empire", "Heartbeat of the Dead", "Lieb mich", and "At the End of the Rainbow".[22]
Purišić came up with his stage name in aneureka moment while searching for a market inNovigrad to buy water and take a headache pill.[23][24] His visual presentation was described as "sometimesgoth, and sometimes anemo reinterpretation ofMattel's famousKen doll" byN1 Hrvatska's Bruno Šlat.[25]
Purišić citesRammstein,Twenty One Pilots,Electric Callboy, andTonči & Madre Badessa as his musical influences.[26][25][27] His music has been described as a mixture ofpop punk,techno,metal, andhouse.[1][28][29] Purišić's musical style revolves around autobiographical storytelling, delving into his personal experiences, while also addressing broader societal issues, particularly those affecting his homeland.[30][31] Noteworthy examples include "Rim Tim Tagi Dim", a poignant narrative depicting a young boy's journey from Croatia in search of a brighter future in another country.[30]
He isCatholic. In an interview forBitno.net, he namedPadre Pio andPaul the Apostle as his spiritual role models.[32] He is married to Elizabeta Ružić who encouraged him to start a solo music career.[33]
.jpg)
Media related toBaby Lasagna at Wikimedia Commons