to think that we have a chance in Eurovision this year

[Polyanthus2]

news.sky.com/story/eurovision-tiktok-singing-sensation-sam-ryder-will-perform-for-uk-with-track-space-man-12562140

Good looking and a good voice - I'm not on tiktok so this singer is new to me!
Even the song seems ok!

*prior to the competition

@Tillymintpolo

We’ll be bottom 3 as usual, if Ukraine is entered then they will win

This 100%

I agree showmethegin, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jade Ewen's UK Eurovision song was completely mediocre IMO, but they plugged the hell out of it for months on every chat show in Europe and were rewarded by a very respectable fifth place.

@showmethegin

Every song that does well is hugely promoted prior to the completion, maneskin for example last year were already a really popular band and have done well since. They send interesting or memorable songs, take it seriously and design memorable staging and costumes.

We send an unknown chubby bloke, who no one has ever heard of, give him a bland, boring song, dress him in a car seat cover and put him on a plinth. Then say "pah! It's bloody political". It's so churlish and we never learn

This!

We do badly because we don't try, not because "boohoo Europe hates us!" Sweden has a six week long national selection show which features their most popular current artists, with songs written by top composers. Sweden consistently does well.

Other countries take it very seriously. We think it's a joke. How are we ever supposed to win with that attitude?

I quite like the UK song this year. It's the strongest we've had in a while, though obviously that's not saying a lot. I'm rooting for Serbia this year!

I hate when people say it's decided by countries voting for their neighbours. If that was the case, why wouldn't the same country win every year? Geography doesn't change much. It is well known that the countries that win are those that put the effort and money in, such as France and Italy who have both recently massively improved their scores. We don't score high because we treat it like a joke when everyone else takes it seriously, and we don't understand that British music taste isn't universal, that's all.

Switzerland & Bulgaria are good examples of countries that consistently failed to qualify, started putting more effort in and their results improved massively.

I think really we just need to switch it up, though I do think this year is an improvement on the past few. Just need to have some decent staging for it and it's a solid effort.

Every song that does well is hugely promoted prior to the completion

Well our guy is big on tik tok - that should help.

@30not13

We could have Adele sing for us and we still wouldn't win

Thats true in so many ways

I think being in the semi finals gives an advantage to a song in terms of building hype, but many countries promote their songs in neighbouring countries before the main show too.

With the right song, singer and staging I don't see why the UK wouldn't do well. If it was entirely political Israel and Russia wouldn't get many points.

@SpiderinaWingMirror

No fucking chance You could have Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles performing and we would still come last. We used to blame the jury system, til it became a public vote and it was blatant that entire populations hated us. And that was before brexit.

This. ^ Basically we are disliked by many other countries because they're jealous of us. They hate us coz they ain't us. Whenever any country has any problems/issues/war/famine, they ALL want to come to the UK (I am not including Ukrainians here.)

People from many MANY countries aspire to come to Britain, we have lots of benefits and positives to living here, we are looked after as a nation more than many other countries, it's a democracy and we have freedom and rights, and a healthcare system where people don't get 10s of 1000s into debt because of medical treatment. It's not perfect, but we have it..

So, yep, IMO many people are jealous. And when people are jealous they get mean and spiteful and make catty derogatory, mocking remarks. Just the like elite Boys Club (The EU) did when we had the TEMERITY to leave them, and take our £350 MILLION a week with us!

Dragging up stuff from centuries ago is pathetic, and nobody ever mentions the fact that many other countries invaded other parts of the world too.. No no no, let's just bash the British - preferably the English, and call them all little Englanders, bigoted, racist gammon. No other country gets the same shit as we do. Even from some of its own people, who bash and berate it. Should be ashamed of yourselves! Do you know how lucky you are to live here?! Try moving somewhere else if it's that bad, see if ANOTHER country is better for you!

There is so much loathing for the UK, (especially England) even from its OWN PEOPLE. No wonder the majority of people voted for Brexit.

Hmm, we might get a few points overall but definitely not going to win

Not bothered either, this country - or rather how the governments actions make us look, gives us well deserved amount of apathy

Not terrible hate - just the kind that is expressed by not bothering to vote for our song

If there is any hate and that's why the voting is as is this type of attitude is why.

This. ^ Basically we are disliked by many other countries because they're jealous of us. They hate us coz they ain't us. Whenever any country has any problems/issues/war/famine, they ALL want to come to the UK (I am not including Ukrainians here.)

So, yep, IMO many people are jealous. And when people are jealous they get mean and spiteful and make catty derogatory, mocking remarks. Just the like elite Boys Club (The EU) did when we had the TEMERITY to leave them, and take our £350 MILLION a week with us!

Yes, I imagine it will be edited like Scooch had to be

"Would you like something to suck on, Sir?"

Those were the days...✈
😹

I love the surprise and shock when we do get so little. Every year! It's nothing new lol. It's a shame for the singer but they must know how it's likely to go. We did well years back but think marketing and all. We should just go all out and do some absurb song and staging. Probably won't do any better but least be more fun

I just clicked on your link and listened - I honestly was blown away! Instantly catchy chorus (but not in an annoying way) - a rock chorus that will go down well- likeable, sexy guy with a memorable look, truly excellent voice. And I imagine it will work well on stage with a space visual.
I don't think we'll win because, as others have said 1) Ukraine 2) politics but I think we will do much better than recently.
And I think, regardless of Eurovision, Sam Ryder is heading for huge success, if he can write songs like this as well as do covers.

Current betting:

Ukraine 2-1 favourite
Italy 4-1 2nd favourite.
Sweden 3rd favourite (and they haven't released their song yet!)

I can't believe there are people that think this way. No one is jealous of the UK, seriously. Every other country I've lived in is run better, with a better quality of life. When Covid was blazing through the population I had colleagues in Syria telling me they were praying for us. Another British colleague living abroad went back for 2 weeks this summer and cut his trip short after less than 48 hours. He said it was filthy and no one was wearing a mask!

It makes me laugh when we continue to send utterly awful songs to Eurovision and then get surprised when we lose.

I mean, last year we sent a shit song performed by a guy who couldn't sing live, was in clothes 2 sizes two small, couldn't be arsed to shave and pulled off the kind of moves your dad would be embarrased by.

But apparently it's "political".

They could put Adele forward and we still wouldn’t win.

Oh, my mistake, his clothes were two sizes to big, upon reviewing the horror that was the performance.

And I had forgotten about the stupid trumpet dancers as well.

@SartresSoul

They could put Adele forward and we still wouldn’t win.

Yeah, but that's mainly because Adele is shit.

God the level of self pitying nonsense here is astonishing.

The number of people whose knowledge of Eurovision extends to whatever humorous clips make the news or clip shows who pronounce 'knowledgably' about the dynamics of the competition is crazy.

So no, this won't do poorly because there isn't much of a 'gimmick' - Netherlands 2019 didn't have a gimmick. In fact, the only gimmick in a winning entry I can think of in the last ten years was Israel in 2018.

It won't do poorly because the UK is unpopular due to Brexit, Iraq or any other policy - Israel is (rightly, IMO) highly criticised for its treatment of the Palestinians and won in 2018.

It won't do poorly because the UK has fewer neighbours - Israel in 2018, Portugal in 2017 won with the same number or (or fewer) neighbours than the UK.

It won't do poorly because it's not some upbeat europop number. Of the last ten winners, there are maybe two that could be described as upbeat and Europop.

But it might do poorly because of the UK's track record of treating the competition with pretty low respect and putting very little effort into choosing and promoting its entries. Many recent winners have tried extremely hard with excellent entries over the last few years - France has massively upped its game and came close last year; Italy has been on form since it rejoined the competition ten years ago but only won last year. It takes countries (often at least) a few consistent years of putting the effort in to do really well.

It might do poorly because the BBC stage it badly. The staging of last year's entry with the awful giant trumpets was just so outdated and spoke to the sort of old fashioned out of touch views of the competition on display on this thread.

FWIW, I think it's a cracker of a song, and think if its staged well and if his vocals are as strong live as they seem, it will be in the top 10.

Well said @LondonDadToBe !

To those of you who vote in Eurovision, do you ever consider politics when deciding who to vote for, or do you vote for the song you like the most?

It's astonishing how many people seem to think everyone else in Europe is out there thinking about brexit when deciding who to vote for!

I also think that to a certain degree that it's a shame Russia can't compete, because Eurovision is globally popular with a lot of people who Russia themselves disenfranchise. Last year's song from Russia, Russian Woman, was very careful and subtle to get through, and was a protest song after Russia decriminalised domestic violence.

A Russian artist would undoubtedly have a terrible time with the audience, and wouldn't be backed by the Kremlin. I just can't help that think that it's a small shame that Russian eurovision fans, who probably are pretty much a circle in a Venn diagram with Russian anti war protestors, are getting lumped in.

no chance, Eurovision is not about the song