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Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
It's not us that needs to change, it's the Eurovision Song Contest itself
Ireland has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 58 times since making its debut in 1965 in Naples. And although we failed to qualify for this year's Grand Final, we have, drumroll please... clocked up seven wins. We're the only country to have won three times consecutively and, as it stands, Johnny Logan is the only person to have won the contest three times - twice as a singer and once as a songwriter. Savour it while it lasts. Sweden is clipping at our heels, and judging by the odds and their performance in semi-final one, they're set to break our record this year with 'Bara bada bastu' by KAJ. In 2023, I questioned whether it was time to bow out of this loveless marriage we were in with the song contest, after not having qualified for the final for a fourth time in a row. Bambie Thug In its history, the Eurovision Song Contest has seen many changes, and for a decade, Ireland had a reputation for staying the same. Then, came Bambie Thug. Not only did Bambie represent a change in Irish Eurovision, but also a change in Ireland. The Cork native put Ireland back in the Eurovision conversation by representing us in a way that had the entire world talking. Bambie Thug performs during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden last year. Bambie challenged the competition in a way that we were proud of. But that journey wasn't without turbulence. After controversy surrounding the Cork native expressing pro-Palestine views and accusing the Israeli broadcaster of rule violations, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) appointed an independent expert to review the contest. From this, they issued a new code of conduct, which has come into play this year in Basel, Switzerland. The 24-page document says the contests is a "celebration of diversity and community where everyone involved shares a common desire to respect one another, look out for each other, and affirm that our differences are far outstripped by our commonalities." Flag policy The new rules also include a new flag policy this year. Contestants are now only allowed to display the flag of the country they are representing, both on stage and in other 'official spaces' — such as the green room where contestants await results. This means a ban on all flags associated with the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile audience members attending the St Jakobshalle Arena can wave any flag they want, as long as it complies with Swiss law. This was in contrast to last year's event, where only the flags of competing countries and the standard six-stripe rainbow Pride flag were permitted in the arena. Nemo of Switzerland, celebrates after winning the Eurovision Song Contest last year. Last year's winner Nemo proudly waved the non-binary flag on stage during the flag parade — a flag that is banned from appearing on stage this year. So much for the code of conduct and the "celebration of diversity and community". In the last few weeks several broadcasters across Europe, including RTÉ, asked for a discussion on Israel's inclusion, in solidarity with Palestine. In response a spokesperson said: 'We all aspire to keep the Eurovision song contest positive and inclusive and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is.' Sound familiar? Within this, there continues to be confusion as to what counts as 'Europe' in the context of Eurovision — and who has the right to participate. 'How is Australia in the Eurovision?" continues to be the refrain of those who might look down their noses at the world's largest live music event. The actual participants in Eurovision are the TV broadcasters who are members of the EBU — this comprises 112 broadcasting organisations spread across 68 members in 54 countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Australia pays to be a member of the EBU. The country's broadcaster, SBS, received special approval to take part in the competition. As it stands, they are the only country outside the European Broadcasting Area to have ever competed. The Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (RTR), meanwhile, was expelled from the EBU in 2021 due to consistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service media values. According to the EBU, the Israeli national broadcaster (KAN) has not made similar breaches, despite the country's horrific war in Gaza. Should the EBU board of management, headed by former Director General of RTÉ Noel Curran, be the deciders of who or what is right when it comes to international affairs? 'Fuck the EBU,' Bambie Thug exclaimed hours after last year's Grand Finale. 'We are what the Eurovision is. The EBU is not what the Eurovision is." It was a sentiment echoed by Nemo during the winner's conference moments before. 'I broke the code and I broke the trophy. The trophy can be fixed, maybe Eurovision needs a little bit of fixing too." This time it's not us that needs to change, it's the competition. Read More Irish fans 'heartbroken' as Emmy Kristiansen fails to make final
Extra.ie
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Ranking Ireland's winning Eurovision songs. Will record be broken by Sweden?
Whether it's your first or 20th Eurovision, we must face facts: Ireland's long-standing record of seven wins is probably going to be broken this year. What was once an incredible feat for the country has since been tied with the Swedes last year, with it being increasingly likely that they'll go back to back with KAJ and Bara bada bastu. And while some (myself included) who grew up when we sent Jedward and Dustin the Turkey would balk at the idea that Ireland were once a powerhouse at the song contest, it's true; the Eurovision was a rare instance of us doing well at a competition on an international stage. With that, we at have decided to take a trip down memory lane at what once was, and rank the seven songs we won the Eurovision Song Contest with. Being written by two time winner Johnny Logan, Linda Martin's second attempt at Eurovision kicked off the country's three-peat in 1992. Pic: Sipa/REX/Shutterstock This isn't to say that this is the worst of the bunch, but the competition really is that stiff for Linda. And hey, some people even prefer her previous entrant in Terminal 3, which saw her place second nine years earlier. Written by two-time winner Johnny Logan (much more on him later), the song 'only' got the coveted douze point from three countries, but kicked off the country's illustrious three-peat of Eurovision wins in the 1990s. So we have Linda to thank for that! The first of three wins for Johnny Logan (two as a singer, one as a songwriter), What's Another Year was, in hindsight, foreshadowing to his further success. But alas, this is the weaker of his two wins (I feel ye already know where his other song will end up…), but is still a cute song; and got 12 points seven times from the voters. 19-year-old Dana's song All Kings of Everything was sent to Eurovision in 1970, and the rest, as they say, is history. Pic: Keystone/Getty Images Ye know I'm right! Perhaps it's a generational gap, but aside from Dana's just raw talent as a singer (it's absolutely phenomenal that she did this at 19-years-old), this is one of those songs that you'll either love or find a bit boring. But again, Dana sang this, and the rest, as they say, is history. If there's one thing the Eurovision apparently loved from Ireland, it was an auld ballad — and despite not having anyone to shop it due to the association with Eurovision, Niamh convinced a young Simon Cowell who released the song internationally. With the song also being lauded as having 'lots of old fashioned qualities,' another fun fact is that the demo of the song was sung by a then unknown, young Idina Menzel. Yep, the original Elphaba helped Ireland win the Eurovision back to back. 1996 was the last time Ireland won the Eurovision, with Eimear Quinn being the last one to bring home the title for the country. Pic: Lehtikuva/Shutterstock The last time we won the competition, and being the fourth time in five years that we won, Eimear Quinn's incredible vocal performance made this a bit of an underrated song in the grand scheme of things. Often called a proper Celtic song, Eimear's vocal talent meant that we ran away with the then record shattering 7th win; with the country still waiting for an eighth nearly three decades. Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan got Ireland their second of the back-to-back-to-back wins — but were (kinda) overshadowed by the interval act: Riverdance. Pic: BSR Agency/Gentle Look via Getty Images It was always going to be a toss up between this and 1st, but I think Paul and Charlie, while fantastic, being the second most talked about performance of Eurovision 1994 behind the interval performance, knocks a point off. While Eurovision nowadays is all flashy and extravagant, there is something just brilliant about a song like this — no orchestra, no backing tracks, just a piano, guitar and two singers. And if you want to feel old, gigven the timeline of the song started 32 years before the year of the performance, if Rock n Roll Kids were released today it would start off in 1993. Jesus. Of course it was. Pic: Andres Poveda Becoming the first act ever to win the contest twice (at least we'll always have that record), Johnny Logan's ballad was arguably Ireland's most successful Eurovision song outside of the contest — reaching the top 5 in the charts in 15 countries, being re-recorded twice, and even being the song used in the incredibly mid-200s McDonald's Eurosaver ad campaign. While four ballads have won the competition for Ireland, Hold Me Now is absolutely the best of the best. And hey, put a dance beat behind it, and we could even take back that title. What do you say, Johnny? 2026?
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sweden goes into Eurovision as punters' favourite
Eurovision is the world's biggest talent show, featuring 37 national entries, but one country seems to regularly dominate the conversation and the winners' podium: Sweden. With a month to go before the grand finale in Basel on May 17, anything could happen. But Sweden, which has already won the glitzy glamfest seven times -- tied with Ireland for the most Eurovision Song Contest victories -- is once again seen as the clear favourite to steal the show. Betting sites currently put its odds at 29 percent, followed by Austria at 19 percent, France at 10 percent and Israel at six percent. Here is an overview of the acts topping of the rankings: - SWEDEN: Hot stuff - This year, the act representing Sweden at Eurovision is in fact a comedy trio of dour-looking Finns, marking a departure from the polished, glossy spectacles Sweden usually presents. The three men from Finland's Swedish-speaking community who make up KAJ -- Kevin, Axel and Jakob -- aim to win an eighth trophy for Sweden, with a quirky eulogy to the joy of saunas. "Bara bada bastu" (Just have a sauna), with its comic and catchy chorus, is sung in Finnish-tinged Swedish to the rhythm of the accordion. On stage, the three men wear suits in a mock sauna surrounded by dancers in towels and wool hats, and armed with bouquets of birch branches, used by sauna enthusiasts to whip up their blood circulation. "Sweden has accustomed us to highly produced, almost glossy acts," Fabien Randanne, a journalist at 20 Minutes and Eurovision specialist, told AFP. "Today, it seems the public is more open to rough edges, originality and singularity." Sweden's most notable Eurovision victory was perhaps when pop quartet ABBA catapulted to global stardom with its 1974 winning song, "Waterloo". The Scandinavian country last won in 2023, with the more conventional pop song "Tattoo" by Loreen, who also won the competition in 2012. - AUSTRIA: Vocal crescendo - "Wasted Love", sung by Austrian-Filipino countertenor Johannes Pietsch, known as JJ, fuses pop and lyrical elements in a crescendo that flows into techno sounds. The 23-year-old grew up in Dubai before discovering classical music in Vienna, where he is currently honing his skills between talent shows and small roles at the opera. In his Eurovision song, about the experience of unrequited love, he pivots from high soprano notes into a blend of lyricism and balladry, before ending with a techno flourish. His falsetto voice recalls that of German great Klaus Nomi, and evokes Austria's classical music heritage. His song's opera-infused genre-blending style has also drawn comparisons to "The Code" -- Swiss non-binary vocalist Nemo's 2024 Eurovision victory song in Malmo, Sweden, which gave Switzerland the right to host this year's edition. Also leaning on the styles of Mariah Carey and Anna Netrebko -- his favourite artists -- JJ hopes to secure a third Eurovision victory for Austria, which most recently won with bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst's act in 2014. - FRANCE: Finally? - Well-known in France, 28-year-old singer and actress Louane has infused a sense of hope that her country could declare a Eurovision victory for the first time in nearly half a century. Louane, whose real name is Anne Peichert, shot to French stardom in 2013 when she participated in the televised talent show The Voice. Her ballad, "Maman", addressed to her mother who died of cancer in 2014, exclaims: "In the end, you see, I built my life... I've grown up. From you, I've kept everything that makes me who I am." France already has five Eurovision wins under its belt, but the last one dates back to 1977. Marie Myriam, who won that year with her song "L'oiseau et l'enfant", or "The bird and the child", said she hoped this year's pick could finally bring an end to her country's losing streak. "I want to believe that France will finally declare victory through Louane's voice and performance, under the gaze of the most beautiful of stars, her star," she told AFP. - ISRAEL: Out of the darkness - Yuval Raphael, a survivor of Hamas's deadly attack on October 7, 2023, will represent Israel at this year's Eurovision contest. When Hamas militants killed over 370 people at the Nova music festival, the 24-year-old survived by hiding under a pile of bodies inside a roadside bomb shelter. Raphael only began singing professionally after the attack, as a way to deal with her trauma. She was selected to represent Israel after winning the "Hakochav Haba" (Rising Star) reality television contest with a powerful ballad version of ABBA's "Dancing Queen". At Eurovision, she will perform the power ballad "New Day Will Rise", with lyrics in English, Hebrew and French about survival after tragedy. Last year, amid anger over Israel's war in Gaza, the country's competitor Eden Golan faced threats and mass-protests at the Eurovision contest held in Sweden. There have also been calls this year for Israel to be barred from Eurovision. But that has been ruled out by the European Broadcasting Union, which oversees the competition and of which Israel's public broadcaster is a member. Israel, which has taken part in the contest since 1973, has won four times, most recently with Netta Barzilai's 2018 rendition of "Toy". bur-vog/nl/vog/rmb
