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!

LOL at all the people complaining that everyone hates the UK and that's the only reason you never get anywhere.

Do you honestly not hear any difference in quality between recent UK entries and the songs that have gone on to win?

Crappy songs and singers come last, or in the case of Ireland for the last few years, they don't even make it out of the semi finals.

Well presumably Ukraine will win - I hope they do anyway. It send a message if only a small one.

Our song is a bit better than some we have had recently, but it is incredibly derivative, not at all an original sound so hardly a stand out tune.

...we don't have any neighbours...

This is comedy gold.

Ireland doesn’t even vote for us any more! 😅

And anyway... it's not like all the other countries win every year and the UK is the only one that does badly!

There are loads of countries in the competition now and obviously they can't all do well no matter how good they are.

I only ever watch the voting, for the fun of predicting who will/will not vote for who.
Regardless of the quality of the song or the talent of the performers it's usually no great surprise.

I'm always amazed by these kinds of comments. It's like they've stepped out of a 40 year long apocalypse, rubbing their eyes

Do people - at least in the U.K. - still watch/care about Eurovision any more? To me it’s been a bad joke for ages

Those bleating on about how everyone hates us, it's laughable and a bit cringy to be honest. It smacks of a massive chip on the shoulder and a complete lack of awareness of the crap songs we send year after year.

Like others have said, promotion is a massive reason for others doing well. But we also have to look at the quality of song we're sending. Apart from the Big 5 + previous year's winner, all the other countries have to produce a good song or risk being eliminated in the semi finals. So the other 6 can get away with sending shit songs because there's no incentive for us to bother trying to produce a great song.

If you look at last year's results, we have the big 5 (UK, France, Italy, Germany,Spain) and the previous year's winner (Netherlands) - Italy and France massively upped their game and did well, but the other 4 came the bottom 4. That can't be a coincidence.

I think those who think it's because of Brexit or Iraq or whatever need to get that chip of their shoulder and look at the song.

@LondonDadToBe had it spot on.

There are regional biases and no matter how brilliant any song is, you can guarentee that Greece and Cyprus will give each other the douze points.

There is some predictability of scoring, but strong, distinctive, well-staged songs win/ score highly, and we generally don't put those in. We tend to put in something that we think is Euro-pop but are about 20 years out of touch. We don't put spectacular staging in either. There is politics, but well-chosen songs can override that.

@MurmuratingStarling, I have read your 'jealous' post a few times, but I still can't figure out if you are being sarcastic or sincere.

I have strong views about Israel in relation to Palestine, but Dana International is and will forever remain one of the BEST songs ever staged at Eurovision and I would vote for it every year, because you know, I like it and it has bugger all to do with what I think about Israeli politics.

I’d also never vote for Adele probably as I don’t find her music very engaging

Your average viewer voting these days really isn’t sitting about going ‘oh how I wish I could be in the UK but the bastards did or .

It’s just an entertainment show!

I for one have been delighted that acts have started reverting back to singing in other languages.

I also don’t think this tik tok song is all that interesting, but aside from Dana, Ruslana is my other favourite so …

Hes got a song called 'tiny riot'!! It's soooo good!! He should hopefully get points!!!

[quote mathanxiety]@MurmuratingStarling, I have read your 'jealous' post a few times, but I still can't figure out if you are being sarcastic or sincere.[/quote]
Same! It was so over the top and frothy that I thought must be satire, but as I got to the end I wasn't quite sure...

@Iputthetrampintrampoline

What I mean by political voting is not so much as it sounds but I guess what I mean is Spain always votes for portugal, Ireland used to always vote for us, Denmark and sweeden etc ...the countries seem to form an alliance,Terry wogan could always tell you who would vote for who and 9/10 he was right sure enough it happened. I personally think its the best part of the comp the voting bit, I cannot ever remember apart from AbbA being my exception that the best songs ever won! More tactical voting than political I guess really in my opinion.

I don't think it is as political as people like to make out.

Of course neighbour countries often vote
for each other - because they probably have similar tastes in music and may well be already familiar with the singers which their neighbour enters. We are probably the only country who enters a contestant who nobody has even heard of, even us!

Also other countries make more of promoting their song before hand and getting it known. Add to that the fact we don't perform in the semis, means most voters don't hear our song until the night.

On a side note, if Ukraine win that might be logistically tricky for Eurovision 2023

@CapMarvel

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".

Exactly. This song is super bland. I mean, I already guessed what it would sound like based on the phrase ‘tik tok singer’ but it was so dull. We don’t have a chance.

We could send along Ed Sheeran and Adele and still poll last!

@WeDontShutUpAboutBruno

That's how Eurovision is won. Nothing to do with music anymore.

Its a bit better since they changed the voting, I wish they would do it on the public votes alone though.

I love the drama of the public vote changing everything. Italy were quite good last year and so we're Ukraine.

The voting for neighbouring countries trope is a myth.

@SapatSea

We could send along Ed Sheeran and Adele and still poll last!

Well, not everyone likes their sound. I wouldn’t vote for them even though I accept they are able to sing, they just don’t sing the sort of thing I like.

Obviously ukraine will win. They could send on a deaf cat and everyone will ensure they win.

@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!

There's no way in hell we're doing well I'm the Eurovision, now or.ever. Bunking off and paying our way through the first early stage is the first fatal error. Then just not understanding what Eurovision music should be is our second. And general Brexit misery has kind of piqued it all.

He did a song called 'tiny riot' that song is so good! I like this song, but we all know how it's going to go down 😑

@SwedishEdith

I'm always amazed by these kinds of comments. It's like they've stepped out of a 40 year long apocalypse, rubbing their eyes

Do people - at least in the U.K. - still watch/care about Eurovision any more? To me it’s been a bad joke for ages

I take it you aren't actually Swedish, or you'd know that Melodifestivalen is a big deal in Sweden, by which they select their high-performing acts?

Or that last year's winners, Maneskin, have since opened for the Rolling Stones, topped international Spotify charts, and charted #1 with follow up songs?

I travel a lot, and hear Eurovision songs frequently in other countries, because most countries don't send a "Eurovision song", they send a "good song".

I wish the people who have just come to comment that "it's all just political blah blah blah" would bugger off the thread, but instead I'll settle for saying this: you are all no more interesting, informed or original than my tedious FIL.

@thecatsthecats - no, I'm pointing out that I'm amazed some people haven't realised what a big deal Eurovision is. It's like they've been in a cave.

I love Eurovision.
We send crap song then moan about people hating us.

Maybe we should send better song and do some deep thinking about why so many other countries think we are shitty.

BTW, this is a much better song.

I hear the Herrey Brothers (huge past crush) are still singing. Can’t we grant them citizenship and send them instead? Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley is of course the greatest song of all time.