Entertainment

Eurovision: With Sam Ryder, the UK might actually have a chance

March 10, 2022

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And there we have it – after what felt like an absolute age, and Eurovision detectives figuring out the artist and the song weeks ago – Sam Ryder has been confirmed as the United Kingdom’s entry for the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest.

The Essex lad with soaring pipes and very, very lovely hair has been selected by the BBC and record label of the stars TaP Music to go to Turin with his song Space Man.

Sam caught the eyes and ears of execs after becoming a genuine TikTok star over lockdown with his covers of Adele, Sia and Lewis Capaldi, getting 12million followers on the app.

Somebody internet famous but not chart famous (yet)? Sounds like a decent tactic.

I can imagine that for many, the honour of going to Eurovision for the UK is a bit of a poisoned chalice.

Yes, as one of the Big Five, the UK automatically goes through to the grand final so doesn’t have to suffer the indignity of failing at the semi-final (as an Irish person, I know this hurt far, far too well).

But as we are all well aware, the UK hasn’t been, er, excelling of late at Eurovision. In 2019, Michael Rice came last with his song Bigger Than Us, which had been chosen by the public, and then lost even more points due to a voting glitch.

In 2021, James Newman received nil points from both the jury and the public, despite performing Embers in between giant trumpets.

The last time the UK broke the top 10 was in 2009 with Jade Ewen, and aside from Lucie Jones’ 15th place finish in 2017, the UK haven’t broken the 100 point mark on the scoreboard in a decade.

Sending male solo artists really hasn’t worked out in the past two years, so it is, at first, rather baffling that the UK is sending another male solo artist.

But you know what? I have hope for Sam.

Firstly, Space Man is actually a good song, with a catchy singalong chorus that hopefully will catch the attention of Europe.

Its theme lends itself to some outlandish staging – I’m thinking astronaut graphics, rockets and starships, perhaps that gigantic inflatable moon that Spain’s Blas Canto performed in front of if it’s still kicking around. Just please don’t put him in a moon suit.

And Sam’s pipes are very impressive, so could be a real moment.

But more importantly, Sam seems absolutely chuffed to be going to Eurovision. A self-professed fan, he told BBC Newsbeat that he doesn’t want ‘the stigma or fear of coming a certain place in a table stop me from being part of something I love so much’.

This is what the UK needs.

It has become popular across mainstream TV and radio to dump on Eurovision the minute it rolls around and complain that Brexit/Eastern European blocs/insert the political excuse of the hour means that they’ll always come last, even if they sent Adele (because yeah, I hear Adele has some gaps in her schedule in May).

But as I have written before, it’s not politics that leaves the UK floundering at Eurovision, it’s the lack of effort and enthusiasm.

In most circles, Eurovision is something to laugh at and a relic of times gone by, where Europe’s kooks are wheeled out to perform hilarious songs in national dress.

Well, it hasn’t been that for decades. For every Russian grandma baking bread (which was actually a great song), you have Loreen’s Euphoria. Last year’s winners Maneskin have gone on to break the charts in the UK, open for the Rolling Stones and star in Gucci campaigns.

For the most part, Europe sends solid pop songs they have pored over for months, and the UK sends whatever they can find at the last minute.

I’m hoping Sam Ryder represents a turnaround for the UK. It looks like some actual effort has been put into the selection, and some thought about what Europe will respond to rather than the dregs of the X Factor winner single tombola.