The UK Eurovision 2019 entry, Michael Rice
Eurovision is almost upon us! A total of 35 countries will compete over two semi-finals tonight and 16 May, which will whittle the contenders down to the 26 entries chosen to perform in Saturday’s grand final in Tel Aviv.
As host nation, Israel is already guaranteed a place in the final, along with the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy - the so-called “Big Five” countries who make the biggest financial contribution to the European Broadcasting Union.
But while the UK’s spot in the final is assured, recent years have demonstrated that success on the night is a whole other matter. So who are the bookies’ favourites to take the Eurovision title - and does the UK stand a chance in 2019?
1. Netherlands - Arcade, Duncan Laurence
Far and away the favourite to top the table on Saturday night - EurovisionWorld gives it a 24% chance of winning - is the Dutch entry, Arcade.
Atmospheric and sophisticated, with strong Sam Smith vibes, Arcade is a slow-burner, but gradually builds to a stirring crescendo - it’s easy to see why the smart money is on the Netherlands.
Ah, but what about the singer? “Duncan Laurence” - he must be British, so really if you think about it, if he wins it’s almost like… No. Sadly, the Dutch performer’s real name is Duncan de Moor and he hails from South Holland. Sorry.
2. Sweden - Too Late for Love, John Lundvik
Sweden has taken the Eurovision title twice since 2012, most recently in 2015 with Måns Zelmerlöw’s infuriatingly catchy Heroes - and they could be set to triumph again this year.
Performed with gusto by John Lundvik, Too Late for Love starts off as a pleasing poppy number, but truly soars when it reaches the chorus - a joyous, ear-catching refrain boosted by backing vocals straight out of a 1970s disco banger. You’ll be clapping along before the halfway point.
3. Russia - Scream, Sergey Lazarev
Scream is a dark, theatrical number with big instrumentals and plenty of intense warbling courtesy of a moody Sergey Lazarev, (sample lyrics: “I'll swallow hard, fall apart / Break and bleed but you won't see”). Expect some seriously dramatic staging on the night (which might drown out the anti-Kremlin booing).
All we can say is that if it doesn’t win, it would make a great Bond theme.
4. France - Roi, Bilal Hassani
France’s recent Eurovision history has been almost as uninspiring as ours: in the past ten years, their entry is only broken into the top 10 twice. They’re hoping to end the slump with Roi, sung by French pop star and LGBT icon Bilal Hassani in a Franglais that stays just the right side of kitsch.
The “you go, girl” empowerment ballad has been done to death in recent years, but Hassani has an undeniable stage presence - throw in some eye-catching production values on the night, and it might just work.
5. Australia - Zero Gravity, Kate Miller-Heidke
Since Australia first entered Eurovision in 2015, Australia’s entries have finished in the top ten on three out of four occasions, peaking as runner-up in the 2016 contest.
The Australians have nonetheless been criticised for avoiding the kitschy, tongue-in-cheek Eurovision spirit we all know and love, opting instead for catchy but safe pop tunes.
They certainly won’t get that criticism this year. Decked out in a Statue of Liberty outfit atop a 20ft-high skirt-cum-podium, classically-trained songstress Kate Miller-Heidke warbles her way up and down operatic scales. It’s bonkers and brilliant.
What about the UK entry?
Keep scrolling… The UK’s entry - Bigger Than Us, performed by 21-year-old former X Factor contestant Michael Rice - is sadly in the lower half of the odds table.
The song itself is the kind of bland, by-the-numbers balladry that could have been generated by an algorithm, but fresh-faced Rice works overtime to sell it and his passion shines through even the most generic key changes. Could he pull it off?
Bigger Than Us is ranked 22nd out of the 41 entries by the bookies, which, according to EurovisionWorld’s calculations, gives us a 1% chance of next year’s contest being London 2020.
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