Intervision, a musical spectacle and geopolitical propaganda

The United States has confirmed its participation in Intervision 2025, the Russian version of Eurovision, with the artist Brandon Howard, an American singer who has been speculated to be the son of Michael Jackson. The event will take place in Moscow on September 20 and raises many questions about its cultural and political meanings.

• What is Intervision and why is it back now?

Intervision was the Soviet alternative to Eurovision, organized between 1965 and 1980 in communist Czechoslovakia. Its relaunch in 2025 is a personal decision of President Vladimir Putin, who appointed Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshchenko to head the organizing committee. The reason for the relaunch is obvious: Russia was excluded from Eurovision after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and is now trying to create its own cultural platform, in which to attract allied or neutral states.

• Participants among dictatorships and controversial states

The list of participating countries highlights the geopolitical nature of the competition: Russia - represented by pop singer Shaman, known for his public support of the war and sanctioned by the EU; Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Venezuela, Cuba, Qatar, Kazakhstan - states close to Moscow or considered authoritarian regimes; Serbia - a special case, being also a candidate country for EU accession, but which chose to participate here as well; The United States - the surprise of the competition, with the sending of B. Howard, a gesture that sparked numerous debates on a diplomatic and cultural level.

• Michael Jackson's "Unconfirmed Son"

Brandon Howard, known as B. Howard, is an American singer born in 1981. Over the years, rumors have circulated that he is the illegitimate son of Michael Jackson. In 2014, the website FilmOn.com claimed to have DNA tests confirming the blood relationship, but these have proven inconclusive. Several artists, including Akon and Aaron Carter, have publicly stated that they believe Howard is the son of Michael Jackson. The physical and vocal similarities to the "King of Pop" have fueled this speculation, but Howard has not officially claimed paternity. Intervision organizers described Howard's music as a means to "transcend borders and unite cultures," attempting to emphasize a universalist message in a politically charged context.

• Ukraine: "A Propaganda Tool”

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has labeled the event "a hostile propaganda tool and a means of hiding the aggressive policy of the Russian Federation.” It also believes that the participation of the United States, alongside authoritarian regimes close to the Kremlin, raises questions about: the cultural legitimacy of the competition; the risk of being instrumentalized by Russian propaganda; the diplomatic message the US is sending through this decision.

Intervision 2025 is not just a music festival, but a stage where culture directly meets geopolitics. For Russia, it is a symbolic alternative to international cultural isolation. For participants, including the US, it is a controversial act, which can be interpreted as cultural openness or as giving in to a Kremlin image game.