The United Kingdom’s Eurovision results since the year 2000 have been decidedly disappointing, only gracing the left-hand side of the scoreboard four times in 23 contests. In 2022, Sam Ryder’s 2nd place triumph in Turin ultimately led to the UK hosting the 2023 show in Liverpool when winning Ukraine could not host due to security concerns. Sam’s effervescent charm, luscious locks, and broad appeal won over the crowd and the audience at home, proving that it’s not simply anti-UK sentiment that has locked the UK out of the winner’s circle for so long. The right combination of performer, song, and staging can present spectacular results.
Last year’s choice of representative, up-and-coming pop star and songwriter Mae Muller, was received by ESC fans as a signal that the BBC had learned from Sam’s stunning achievement and was committed to following the path he’d forged. Unfortunately, her lackluster live vocals and staging left the UK again at the bottom of the table in a year full of outstanding staging concepts and vocal performances. How do you recover from such a sharp disappointment on home turf? If you’re a constitutional monarchy, you start looking for a “King” to unite around.
The UK delegation took the off-season to reflect on the lessons learned over the past two years. In December 2023, when they announced the internal selection of Olly Alexander, star of stage (Peter and Alice), screen (Skins, BAFTA-nominated for It’s a Sin), and studio (Years & Years, both as frontman and a solo artist), it appeared that they’d come to the right conclusion: the importance of performance chops and live vocals cannot be discounted. The UK immediately skyrocketed to the top of the ESC odds for the first time since eventual winners Katrina and the Waves in 1997 on the strength of Olly’s star power alone. However, with this month’s release of his song “Dizzy,” Olly presented us with a synthy dance-pop confection that will need every ounce of his showmanship and vocal prowess to stand out in the crowded field of upbeat dance numbers the contest is blessing us with this year.
This is not to say that it’s an impossible feat; Olly is a veteran live performer who is no stranger to huge live audiences or the pressure of being viewed by millions at home. His duets with such giants as Elton John and Kylie Minogue have proven his ability to deliver incredible vocals under immense pressure. What’s a little friendly competition like Eurovision when you’ve already held your own on the same stage at the same time as some of the most legendary performers on the planet?
Will Olly get Europe “Dizzy” enough to place him on the left-hand side of the leaderboard at Eurovision 2024?