Who should we enter for Eurovision 2013?

[misterpete]

I think Sophie Ellis-Bextor would be good with another Freemasons track, or something produced by Cahill or Wideboys. In fact I've told her as much on Twitter. See how she responds to that!

I've also said the same to Luciana (as in Bodyrox featuring, and Tiesto and Wolfgang Gartner Featuring, etc)

Who would you want to represent the UK?
I think Loreen has proved that if you just enter a singer with a great dance track, and promote it around Europe (She must have surely? She was in all the Euro charts before Eurovision) then you can do great out of it!

[nigel99]

The Saturdays with a Xenomania produced song.

[WowWowWowWow]

I think Loreen has proved that if you just enter a singer with a great dance track, and promote it around Europe (She must have surely? She was in all the Euro charts before Eurovision) then you can do great out of it!

I believe it was KamikazeHeart who mentioned elsewhere that Loreen's pre-Baku promo was limited to Sweden, Finland and possibly Norway. Any popularity in any other country could really only be attributed to word of mouth or Internet buzz.

I don't mean to derail this thread with more Loreen talk, but rather I think you might need to add "having a song/performance that goes viral" to your criteria for how to do well at Eurovision in the 2010s. I like the names you put forth, though!

Next year is also the first year of the new "every country must have some element of a public vote" rule, right?

[KamikazeHeart]

Considering that practically half of the entries these days are previous contestants from national Idol/X-Factor-esque competitions, I'd say that's a good place to start looking.

Shayne Ward comes to mind.

[stevo_1988]

Sophie E-B always comes to my mind whenever we talk about possible Eurovision representatives. Not only becasue I think she could do a good song and do it well, I remember her being on the Paul O Grady show saying that she was a fan of Eurovision, so it all seems to fit perfectly.

The Saturdays are another good choice, speically seeing as where they are at the moment I don't think they have anything to lose by doing it. All FIred Up, Get Ready Get Set, Faster, 30 Days would all have made great Eurovision songs.

If we're going for wildest dreams picks my two are always going to be Kylie and Girls Aloud. Kylie is supposed to have said that she likes Eurovision and all teh different styles of music (this was in the that Green Room column of The Metro though, so a pinch of salt it needed me thinks). Also GA will have re-united by this point so what better way to re-launch in Europe?

Also Claire Richards I think would kick ass in an Adele soul ballad/regular love ballad kinda way. (if anyone saw the Steps re-union tour and her version of I Surrender you'll know what I'm on about)

[Txetxu]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: BEVERLEY KNIGHT. She would sing circles around ANY other entry by a wide margin - give her a danceable smash and watch the UK get a Top 5 placing.

[Rhombus]

MARINA. She's desperate/ambitious enough to do it and when she doesn't come first you'll know there'll be the mother of all Twitter-rants.

[Unsayshuhbul]

I'd love Marina to do it, especially with a song like 'Power and Control', that has the perfect Eurovision feel to it.

We need one of the well-known 'Big Guns' such as -

Jessie J
The Saturdays
Olly Murs
Alexandra Burke
Pixie Lott
JLS

A well-known act is definetly needed. Plus if they fail, the UK public will still 'love' them.

Also, I can't believe that Katie Melua offered to represent us with 'The Flood', that would have been PERFECT.

[Rhombus]

I think Alexandra might do it next year. She probably won't have a label then anyway.

[3Xs]

Send Booty Luv. They're young, cute, better than The Saturdays, and most of all need the promo.

I think a song like this could easily slay Eurovision


(No? *gets coat*)

[StratusJM]

You know, it's not actually necessary to send one of your biggest stars to represent you. You could just send... a good song?

[Rhombus]

None of the acts mentioned above are our biggest stars.

[StratusJM]

None of the acts mentioned above are our biggest stars.

Well if nobody else, I think Jessie J certainly counts as one of the UK's biggest stars, no matter how awful she is.

[jinzo]

None of the acts mentioned above are our biggest stars.

I know right? Cher Lloyd is weeping at these lists.

If we don't have the billions of pounds it would require for Adele to do it, let's get The Saturdays to do it. It'll keep 'em relevant when Girls Aloud are back to repeatedly punching them out the game.

[Jackie Tyler]

Can't we get Xenomania or God help us Gary Barlow to write it?

[duffy]

The only sensible suggestion so far has been Beverly Knight. And at a stretch Pixie Lott. But at the end of the day it's the more the song than the performer. If Blue had had a stronger song, they'd have been a hit with the juries and the voting public. When it comes down to it "I Can" was a load of shit. Engelbert's entry was just completely bland, and despite a passable performance he was never going to be a hit with juries nor voters, despite his supposed millions of European fans (who probably weren't watching anyway) and completely exaggerated 150 million album sales.

Those suggesting an X Factor alumni are seriously overestimating what would happen. We need a talented, unknown young artist with a catchy song. That's all there is to it - there's no need for there to be a "big name" (Blue, Engelbert) or stupid gimmick (Pete Waterman). If we can get 5th place with the trashfest "It's My Time," then there's no limit to what we could achieve with a quality pop song. I don't buy this whole 'stigma' thing either, if people like Katie Melua and Hurts exhibit an interest in doing it then shame on the BBC for allowing the selection process to become such a farce.

[KamikazeHeart]

I didn't suggest X-Factor contestants as a "fame guarantee". I meant that there's a certain element of quality control with them; vocals, TV charisma, experience (this is obviously not without its exceptions). At least you won't end up with complete duds like Josh or The Hump.

With the god-awful exception of Running Scared, the latest winners have all been quite big personalities, and it's shone through so well in their three minutes on stage. The British entries of the last couple of years have all been so incredibly... bland.

[Alphableat]

Leona, Alexandra, Clare Maguire, Ellie Goulding, Lemar, Just Jack (maybe), Pixie Lott, James Morrison, Marina, Mika, Sunday Girl.

Any of the above would 'do the busienss'.

[duffy]

James Morrison and possibly Marina are the only ones there I can see Europe voting for, aside from Leona.

[hudweiser]

The song is definitely more important than the artist or how well they can sing. Some godawful singers have won in recent years with songs that have good studio versions (Jedward anyone?) and likewise some great singers have tanked because the song was dull.

That shrieking banshee for Albania this year proved that a great voice will take you so far - though I'm still mystified as to how that headache inducing mess came fifth.

I think a problem for writers/producers is that they think the song might 'go to waste' on Eurovision if it *doesn't* win.

[KhiaShamone]

Marina would be amazing.

Also, Misha B dutty-whining along to "Home Run" might do the trick.

[Alphableat]

James Morrison and possibly Marina are the only ones there I can see Europe voting for, aside from Leona.

I think the only ones on that list on the edge of European irrelevance would be Lemar, Just Jack and Sunday Girl. Everyone else would do bloody brilliantly with the right song.

[vivalaradio]

The Saturdays would be a terrible choice, considering they are DREADFUL live.

[PopfanSF]

This is an interesting subject. I don't know how Engelbert Humperdink ended up the UK entry, it was a so-so song, but not very Eurovision friendly, and definitely DOA going first.

I agree that the song and the talent are the most important, not the personality, per se. Being American, I rarely know any of the singers from anywhere, but have found over the last few years some songs I have come to love, despite not knowing the singer, or sometimes even the language. (If only I could vote!) A good song and virtuoso talent can rise to the top, though even that is no guarantee.

How about Susan Boyle?

[buseygary]

@Txetxu....said about BEVERLEY KNIGHT and that is just true!!! Love the danceable smash!!!!