mvm.

“You can’t blame politics – we have a winning formula.”

\\That they did. That they did.

With a winning formula for the ages, TikTok-er and outlandish individual Sam Ryder bagged a 2nd spot for the United Kingdom at Eurovision 2022 this year – a feat that has not happened to us since 1998.

But what was that winning formula? ..// Of course, TikTok and politics played a part but they can only get you so far..

First, that historic cynicism had to be diminished. For decades, the United Kingdom has always the butt of many jokes when it came to Eurovision. Many music advocates turned off and tuned out when it became a political horror show certainly after the time of Brexit in 2020.

Following from James Newman’s less eventful performance of EMBERS in 2021 – that resulted in the horrific double-end douse of no points from either country or public vote – many saw this year as another write-off for the UK. Was another loss expectant on the cards?

….

In a drastic turn to push politics aside, a winning formula was set up.

One person behind the team responsible for Ryder’s ripple effect was TaP Music Publishing guru Ben Mawson:

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“Our job was threefold … We had to find the right song, because a traditional pop song doesn’t usually work. A certain type of song with a certain structure to really work in three minutes was essential. We had to get a spectacular voice who was really able to sing live. And, finally, we needed a label who were willing to back it, because they ultimately fund the staging.”

//_______

After originally opting for a supergroup – so one single artist couldn’t take the fall when it went wrong – they were put in touch of one Sam Ryder: a Eurovision hopeful drawn direct from the laboratory . The artist seemingly had the perfect skillset. The British legacy of Elton John and Queen influences hedged with an astonishing voice – and a trailblazing viral sensation on TikTok – seemed to play off beautifully with one another.

The artist was set. Then came the song. The song they eventually landed on was high-octane driver SPACE MAN. With the song playing off lyrics of being alone in space and wanting to be grounded to the ones you love, it felt like it would really resonate with the European audiences – who had seemingly gone through the same here in the UK through the pandemic.

Mawson went on to add: “Politics is still very prevalent, and Brexit certainly hasn’t helped the perception of us. We’re partly up against that, but we personally don’t believe that politics is as strong a force in our Eurovision performance as people seem to think.”

|| And how right they were. //

With Sam’s positivity and charm echoing through everybody he coincided with – not to mention his level-headed homework collaborating with European artists and ultimately busking on the streets wherever he went – Ryder landed a 2nd spot in this years’ competition, just being edged by rightful winners Ukraine with Kalush Orchestra’s ‘Stefania.’

Which – irrespective of the sympathetic viewership to the war with Russia – was a truly fantastic song.

A story re-writing Eurovision history, combating the ill-fated and proving the naysayers wrong, it just goes to show that working hard and proving your worth as an artist really does pay off. Truly fantastic entry and performance.

Widely praised and deservingly so, Ryder is a “local lad doing good.”

Onto the next! Question is – will we stick with the same artist or adapt our now-triumphant formula onto the next budding artist?

<<You can grab tickets for his newly-announced European tour here.>>