With Eurovision on the horizon, it’s hard for us not to look back to 2010 and Josh Dubovie. The entrant might not have gone down well with the rest of the voting bloc, but he can hold his head up because he at least managed to score ten points. Thank God there was no mention of “nil points” for Essex!
Jokes aside, the Eurovision Song Contest is an excellent opportunity for British singers, particularly those born and bred in Essex, to showcase their talents to the world. So, who out of anyone, could represent their county and nation in the future?
Matt Cardle
Matt Cardle emerged from the 2010 version of The X Factor with a Christmas number one that covered an iconic Biffy Clyro tune. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to cash in on the success of the show like other contestants, so raising his profile on Eurovision could be a smart move. In many ways, he and John Newman, the UK artist with 200/1 odds to win the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021, aren’t too dissimilar.
Newman is from West Yorkshire and didn’t rise to fame through a manufactured talent contest. Still, the Settle-born singer hasn’t shot up the charts, much like Cardle, even though his breakthrough on Feel the Love was a massive hit. That, among other things, is why his Eurovision 2021 Song Contest odds are as low as they are currently. But Cardle and Newman do share one thing – a powerful, recognisable voice that listeners love. Plus, the Essex man is a proven songwriter, as highlighted by the news surrounding his original song Amazing and Ed Sheeran in 2017.
If Newman does manage to defy the bookies and make it into the top ten or 20 on Saturday night, igniting the buzz around him, it wouldn’t be surprising if Matt Cardle copied suit and followed his lead.
Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
It might sound strange that a self-described spoken-word electronic duo such as Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip woulddecide that Eurovision is the perfect platform, yet it does make sense on several levels. Firstly, the worldwide TV audience is expected to be around the 200 million mark after the 2019 competition secured 182 million viewers.
More than that, the Eurovision Song Contest is notorious for its love of outrageous performances that both shock and amaze. Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip isn’t Verka Serduchka or DJ BoBo, but they do create a type of music that isn’t mainstream by any stretch of the imagination. Therefore, the Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham pairing could bring the wow factor the UK has been missing.
Turn up the heat with the United Kingdom’s ?? #ESC2021 entry! Here’s Embers from James Newman! ?
?? https://t.co/hLYbh4ReLk pic.twitter.com/gma5ZOMaA5
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) March 11, 2021
John Newman has an incredible voice, yet the odds suggest that alternative tunes could be the solution. After all, Italy has shot to the top of the ratings, with the rock, reggae, funk, pop, and rap-influenced Måneskin now 3/1 favourite for the outright victory.
Charlie XCX
Raised in Bishop’s Stortford near London Stanstead airport, you would be forgiven for thinking that Charlie XCX is probably too big to transition into a bid for Eurovision glory, and you’d be right. She’s not only an international star, thanks to collaborations with the likes of Iggy Azaela, but she’s a renowned writer and producer, too.
More than that, she’s an edgy pop star who understands how to write, produce and perform a track in equal measure. She would bring notoriety, hopefully encouraging our neighbouring nations to take us seriously, and get to the root cause of the issue – poor song choices.
Compared to Newman, she is a big fish, yet quite a few recognised names have given Eurovision a crack in the past, including Olivia Newton-John, Julio Iglesias and Celine Dion. For Essex residents, it could give us long-term bragging right seeing as the UK hasn’t won the competition since 1997.
You should never say never as funnier things have happened concerning the Eurovision Song Contest. Judging by the names above, we would have a decent chance of finishing in a respectable position!
