Last year she served as a backing vocalist during the Eurovision 2016 rehearsals, helping Samra get ready for her stage show.

But on Monday it was clear that Diana Hajiyeva — the aspiring pop star better known as Dihaj — is ready for her moment in the spotlight, as Azerbaijani broadcaster ITV announced that she’ll sing at Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv.

The Baku-based beauty definitely beats to her own drum, dropping other-worldly experimental pop.

You can see that most clearly in “I Break Again” — her first single, which hit YouTube in December 2014.

Her voice has a rich, haunting quality that carries emotion well. It works well with jazz, soul and funk — genres that have mixed to great effect in recent chart-toppers around the world.

The experimental sound gives way to avant-garde styling, and Miss Hajiyeva has at times worked glorious acid-blonde dreadlocks. Very Rona Nishliu!

She’s been on our radar for a very long time.

Diana previously competed in Azerbaijan’s Eurovision 2011 selection, coming fourth in Heat Six behind Eldar Gasimov, who eventually made it to Eurovision alongside Nigar Jamal.

In June we selected her as the Azeri representative in wiwivision, our alternative Eurovision Song Contest.

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