He's got another go and this time his song is 'a banger'...
James Newman takes "Embers" to Rotterdam for the UK!
We have learnt only recently that the BBC asked James to return last summer, so the chances are that "Embers" has been 'smouldering' for some time (sorry!), and it was only last week that the song was revealed to the world on the UK's Radio 2 and 1 (I put them in that order as that is the level of importance for Eurovision matters to the BBC). Gone was the mid tempo ballad of 2020 that eventually grew on me with time, leading to "My Last Breath" being my #10 by the end of the year - now we have "Embers":
When was the last time that the UK had anything resembling a mid/up tempo pop song that could just about sneak its way into a primetime commercial radio show AND be perhaps TOO contemporary for Radio 2? Blue's "I Can" as far as mainstream appeal is concerned? Gina G's "Ooh Aah...Just A Little Bit" for the uptempo side of things? We really don't do this sort of music for Eurovision, do we, UK Eurofans! Now James still doesn't come across to me as the strongest vocalist in the world but what he does do is emanate a likeable 'everyman' persona that combined with this song just makes the whole package extremely fun. Say this quietly but "Embers" could be
THE FEELGOOD song of Eurovision 2021!
It has that mix of electronica and brass that the fandom went mad for when Blåsemafian did much the same thing in MGP 2021 - it also has that enthusiasm and bounce that "Let Loose" had in Norway. There is an immediacy about "Embers" that most UK entries of the past decade or so haven't had, that brass mix gives an instrumental hook and James is singing 5 seconds in - no messing about and we get to the first chorus within 30 seconds. The thumping beats keep the listener engaged throughout - this is one of the best UK entries I have heard in years, arguably with the most potential to do well since I heard the reveal of "Children Of The Universe" by Molly in 2014. There are a few caveats with this optimism...
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How well might James do at Eurovision?
- All of this is based on the studio version and video - how will James' voice cope with this live?
- What on earth will the staging look like? The UK have not had the best recent record for outstanding visuals, Lucie Jones being the stand out over the past decade;
- We have a year of uptempo bangers ("Mata Hari", "Tick-Tock", "El Diablo", "Sugar", "Adrenalina" and "Loco Loco" for starters), and of course the UK, as always, goes with the trend. The main advantage that "Embers" has is that a Final place is guaranteed, whereas I would guess that perhaps only 3 at most of those above will be there with the UK.
With my Jury scoring hat on, I don't think that the UK will be getting huge numbers of 1-12 points from the delegations around Eurovision. It is not a stand out in anyway at the moment when we consider the composition/originality of the song itself and the lyrics are much what you'd expect from a dance floor track from mainstream commercial radio:
Repeating the same lines over and over, together with that hooking chorus, will embed the song in many listeners' heads on Final night, never a bad tactic at Eurovision, but to be honest, we really have not much else to go on until we see a live show. James has a decent live voice if last year was any guide:
Sometimes I know my fire burns low
But as long as you're with me I'll never get cold
'Til day and night, 'til darkness and light
I never worry when you're by my side
Oh, feelings change and seasons fade
But nothing will burn us out
Nothing can stop us now
Out of the embers
You and I are gonna light up the room
(Yeah, you and I gonna light up the room)
Out of the embers
There's a fire burning for you
(Yeah, there's a fire burning for you)
I feel the heat here
There's still a chance for us
Down herе in the ashes, yeah, thеre's something growing
Out of the embers
You and I are gonna light up the room
(Yeah, you and I gonna light)
Light up the room
Light up the room
You and me forever, we're free
We're cool under pressure, and that's all we need
So take my hand, and forget the past
We're in this together, there's no looking back
Oh, feelings change and seasons fade
But nothing will burn us out
Nothing can stop us now
Out of the embers
You and I are gonna light up the room
(Yeah, you and I gonna light up the room)
Out of the embers
There's a fire burning for you
(Yeah, there's a fire burning for you)
I feel the heat here
There's still a chance for us
Down here in the ashes, yeah, there's something growing
Out of the embers
You and I are gonna light up the room
(Yeah, you and I gonna light)
Light up the room
Out of the embers
You and I are gonna light up the room
(Yeah, you and I gonna light up the room)
Out of the embers
You and I are gonna light up the room
(Yeah, you and I gonna light up the room)
Light up the room
Light up the room
But I always felt that he might get found out live with "My Last Breath" on the big stage in Rotterdam. "Embers" doesn't need that reliance on his voice - he is an integral part of the whole sound, sure, but it is mainly about that music and vibe given off by the package. He does not need to be as good a vocalist as Barbara Pravi, VASIL, Ana Soklič, Destiny, Samanta Tīna or Gjon's Tears - he just needs the sound to be better than whichever bangers make it out of SF1 and SF2. Of all those up-tempo tracks I mentioned earlier, only "Adrenalina" has stuck in my head from first listen, so well done to James and his team for achieving better memorability with this entry! I need to hear him sing and perform live to get some sort of idea how it is going to look and sound. Unfortunately the UK are infamous for only revealing what an entry looks like at the first rehearsal itself - any live performances before then will be him alone I suspect, and that is likely to be restricted to a Graham Norton show in the immediate run-up to Rotterdam.
Would "Embers" have won a National Final in another nation this year?
Yes, I believe it would have done.
Will "Embers" win Eurovision 2021?
I can't see that happening as there are better all round entries out there
Despite the fandom wanting a party song to win the Contest, the overall factors that come together for a win will apply this year too, in spite of the pandemic and that will require and entry to have...
A GREAT vocalist + GREAT stagecraft/charisma + GREAT visuals + a bit of luck
James will not let the UK down and all things being equal, I would like to think that a mid-table finish is not beyond us this year, although it might require those televote points - I also think that there will be a spread of marks across the board which will boost the placings of many acts, hopefully James being one of them. "Embers" is definitely a song that fits nicely into a 2021 playlist and gets many replays - it was also the only way to kick off show 135...
ELEVEN new entries for Rotterdam, a Ukrainian revamp plus the 'other version' of San Marino's song - you even had Little Big, Michael Schulte, the final five of the 'MF 28' plus the JESC 2020 winner thrown in for good measure:
"Embers" - James Newman
"Russian Woman" (National Final version) - Manizha
"Sex Machine" - Little Big
"SHUM" (Eurovision version) - Go_A
"Amen" - Vincent Bueno
"Last Dance" - Stefania
"Tout l'univers" - Gjon's Tears
"growing up is getting old" - VICTORIA
"Here I Stand" - VASIL
"The Ride" - RAFAŁ
"The Moon Is Rising" - Samanta Tīna
"Still Young" - Charlotte Perelli
"Dandi dansa" - Danny Saucedo
"Little Tot" - Dotter
"In The Middle" - The Mamas
"Every Minute" - Eric Saade
"Voices" - Tusse
"Adrenalina" - Senhit and Flo Rida
"10 Years" - Daði og Gagnamagnið
"Stay" - Michael Schulte
"J'imagine" - Valentina
Now there will be three more entries to play in show 136 - Azerbaijan, Georgia and Malta have revealed theirs around the time of show 135 airing. There is still the possibility that Belarus might resubmit another song but I am not holding my breath! Whatever happens, I am hoping that you will have had the opportunity to hear all the Eurovision songs for May in Rotterdam by 10pm next Tuesday - that will leave 46 days until the likely first rehearsal (assuming that Scenario B does happen) on Saturday 8th May. After next week's show, that will make SIX episodes of LET ME BE THE ONE to take you to Rotterdam - I have some ideas for how to fill that time, so hopefully you will keep listening. I still have all the entries from ROXEN onwards to chat about as well so keep reading too! As for the rest of show 136, this lady will make an appearance...
The selfie with Barei was a wonderful moment for me at my first ever London Eurovision Party...
Find out how that fits into LET ME BE THE ONE next week!