Eric Vidović, born in Koprivnica, emerged as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist through his appearance on The Voice Hrvatska, Croatia’s edition of the long-running television talent competition. From his home studio he crafts sincere, emotionally direct pop that suits mainstream radio play. In 2001 he entered the world already captivated by the Eurovision Song Contest; by age five he followed each annual edition faithfully and continued the ritual into adulthood. That passion prompted him to pick up the guitar, his main instrument, yet during his teenage years he also acquired fluency on piano and bass while teaching himself production techniques.
Vidović’s participation in The Voice Hrvatska commenced in December 2019. On the program he was guided by Massimo Savić, the Croatian pop figure prominent in the 1980s, and delivered covers of songs by Hozier and Sam Smith. January brought his elimination, yet Universal Music Croatia extended a recording contract shortly afterward. The first release under that agreement, the single “Best Present (This Christmas),” climbed into Croatia’s Top 30; its February 2021 successor, “Not Gonna Let Go,” advanced to the Top Ten, at which time he adopted the mononym ERIC. Buoyed by this momentum, he entered the Croatian national selection for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest with “Remi Mi,” which reached the Dora 2021 final. The Rotterdam contest ultimately featured Albina’s “Tick-Tock” instead. Undeterred, Vidović finished his debut album, I Am Eric, and issued it before the year concluded.