Playing catch-up with four artists and another song declared...
All in a fortnight's work for LET ME BE THE ONE!
The UK version of Strictly Come Dancing as not necessarily the first place you'd think that we would hear the announcement of the UK artist for Eurovision 2024, given the lack of songs from the Contest over the series apart from "Waterloo" and "Making Your Mind Up". However Final night, combined with Layton and Nikita using "Tattoo" for their Argentine Tango, plus a red top tabloid threatening to reveal Olly Alexander as the chosen one, meant that not only did he read out the voting details, he also told one of the largest audiences on British TV that he would be singing for the UK as a solo artist next May. Years and Years has been a solo project over since the beginning of the pandemic anyway, so a change of name is all that is needed. The only information about the song is that it won't be a ballad - not exactly a surprise to be honest, given his back catalogue and "King", the group's biggest hit, was on this week's show:
And the playlist?
Years & Years - "King"
Aiko - "Pedestal" (censored)
RAIVEN & Helena Blagne - "Ikona"
Joost - "PTSD"
Roger Pontare - "When Spirits Are Calling My Name"
Jessica Mauboy - "We Got Love"
Genealogy - "Face The Shadow"
Esma & Lozano - "Pred da se razdeni"
Céline Carzo - "Quand je te rêve"
Voyager - "Dreamer"
Luke Black - "God's Too Cool"
Malik Harris - "Sticks & Stones"
LET 3 - "Mama ŠČ!"
Vilija Matačiūnaitė - "Attention"
Antsud - "Vetevaim"
Silver Jusilo - "Lately"
SHÉPA - "SUPERNOVA"
TESLENKO - "LIGHTS GO UP"
Lérica - "Astronauta"
María Peláe - "Remitente"
The Shadows - "Let Me Be The One"
Olly Alexander is the biggest name to sing for the UK arguably since Bonnie Tyler back in 2013, also in Malmö! Hit albums, lots of UK chart singles and him being well known across Europe and Australia shows that he has the studio 'golden touch' - we just need to hear the song live to judge whether the sudden shortening of the UK's odds to win in 2024 to second favourite is justified. As soon as we get that, you will hear it on LET ME BE THE ONE.
Your sorry means nothing when everything else
Stays the same, stays the same
You stay silent, I get violent
And everything else stays the same
I'm tired of explaining you shit
You're so full of it, full of it
I'll give all the love to me
And then I'll truly be free, I'll truly be free
And I, I, I, I need to learn to
I, I, I, I need to learn to
Put myself on a pedestal
I will be loving me more, loving me
Put myself on a pedestal
I will be loving me more
I finally learned not to force things
And I love me more, love me more, love me more
Love me more than your bullshit
Put myself on a pedestal
I will be loving me more (Loving me more)
Love of your life, just please don't ask
For any actions or any proof of
The irony, where did my pride go?
I feel no shame, but you should and now I know
I, I, I, I need to learn to
I, I, I, I need to learn to
Put myself on a pedestal
I will be loving me more, loving me
Put myself on a pedestal
I will be loving me more
I finally learned not to force things
And I love me more, love me more, love me more
Love me more than your bullshit
Put myself on a pedestal
I will be loving me more
Loving me more
Loving me mo-oh-ore
Loving me more
Loving me, loving me, loving me, loving me, yeah eh
Yeah eh
Our British media regulators don't like those on live TV, so it wouldn't surprise me if Aiko went the way of MYDY in ESCZ 2024 and make a 'ssshh' sound as needed! That isn't the main issue to be honest - at the moment there is a missing link between studio vocals and excellent stage performance. Even a decent level of live singing is currently an issue with 'Pedestal':
Aiko and the Czech delegation have a few months to sort this if she wants to participate in the promos with something that will sound like the recorded version. Some fans point to Dominika's vocals for "Lights Off" but that was really just one high note that could be covered with a louder backing track and her easing back on the shout - Aiko's enthusiastic staging and dancing really affected her live vocals, so much so that most fans who used the National Final footage to vote with did not give her any chance of winning. A sound engineer friend of mine has suggested that a head mic of some sort might well help a lot - lots of rehearsals are needed, otherwise we might see Czechia out of the Final for the first time since 2021.
And to keep the variety coming for 2024, the Dutch are sending this guy - Joost Klein:
The fortnight that saw four new artists for 2024 also had the confirmation of 37 nations at least in 2024. Luxembourg are in and Romania are out...at the moment - they and the EBU are still negotiating about the price, so we could end up with 38. All the nations attending have been tagged with a song on a LET ME BE THE ONE show already - I'll give those not attending a slot over the next few weeks.
Australia was the flavour of the day as far as favourite ESC and National Final entries were concerned for new LMBTO Eurovision Facebook Group member Hiroshi Katta was concerned. Jessica Mauboy and "We Got Love" from Lisbon and "Dreamer" by Voyager that narrowly missed out on going to Turin were Hiroshi's choices...
Albina and Familja Kelmendi sung "Duje" in Liverpool...
Listen in on Tuesday to hear who will sing for Albania in Malmö!