The secret ingredient behind Tommy Cash's success?

Tommy Cash's "Espresso Macchiato," Estonia's entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest, has taken the world by storm, inspiring hundreds of tributes. Cash himself has likewise drawn widespread attention for his provocative Eastern European style. On Sunday, ETV's "AK. Nädal" took a closer look at the possible recipe for this Tallinn native's success.
"Espresso Macchiato," Cash's Eesti Laul-winning hit, has experienced a meteoric rise unlike any of Estonia's previous Eurovision songs. Teetering between absurdity and parody, the song has firmly entrenched itself in the international consciousness; in early March, it ranked among the most-listened-to tracks on YouTube in 14 countries.
"Its greatest charm is that it's such a simple song that appeals to all generations," noted Eurovision enthusiast Sidni Tomson. "It's a wild mashup of everything — a brilliant song, in that sense."
Tommy Cash himself is often regarded more as an artist.
"I see him as a modern-day Salvador Dali," acknowledged Tabasco creative director and advertising lecturer Kersti "Kessu" Raidma. "Like a modern-day surrealist, except instead of a canvas, he uses different mediums — social media, public attention and the media are what he plays with. People are always intrigued, always waiting for what's coming next, what he's gonna do now, what topic he'll come out with."
As a brand, Tommy Cash possesses an extraordinary talent for combining unexpected objects and themes. On one hand, he's repulsive and gross; on the other, playful and boundary-pushing.
Raidma recalls first becoming aware of Cash when the artist used his face on various body parts in the video for "Winaloto."
"Then came the bread slippers," she continued. "Then, I think a significant leap for Tommy himself was the collaboration with [American fashion designer] Rick Owens. That actually put him on the world map."
Today, hundreds of fan videos featuring coffee cups and Cash's distinctive mustache are making the rounds online. This self-sustaining social media presence plays a crucial role in the artist's brand recognition.
"It's a huge plus when you're not the only one promoting your story and doing something with it — you have people actually creating the content for you," Tomson highlighted.
Some Eurovision fans analyzing Tommy's songs on social media are unsure whether his tracks are centered mainly on shock value or whether there is a deeper meaning behind them. Love him or hate him, Cash definitely gets a reaction.
"Since Tommy Cash is an artist that doesn't spell everything out for his followers, viewers and listeners, in that sense he leaves things open-ended," Raidma acknowledged.
"He won't say anything definitively — whether it's Andy Warhol, Donald Trump or someone else [in his imagery for "Espresso Macchiato"]," she continued. "I think the more buzz and debate it garners, the better. Since the song is a positive one, and the message is a positive one, then there must be intrigue — but there's even more positivity."
Ahead of this May's song contest, Estonia's Eurovision song is currently predicted to place fourth or fifth in Basel, Switzerland. What surprises Cash has in store for this year's Eurovision, however, are being kept under tight wraps.
"I think he definitely has a lot of secrets," Tomson said. "As an artist, he's the kind who only has secrets. He's always scheming something somewhere — there's always some plan brewing. There's a lot more to come."
Even speaking to "Aktuaalne kaamera," Cash didn't cave.
"A surprise is a surprise — you don't talk about it," he said.
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Editor: Annika Remmel, Aili Vahtla