The Eurovision Song Contest is fast approaching once again, and today the BBC has revealed the six hopefuls who will battle it out to represent the UK this year.
After spending weeks carefully selecting acts, the lucky six were announced on Ken Bruce’s Radio 2 show this morning. Here are the six contenders:
Joe and Jake
You might recognize Joe Woolford and Jake Shakeshaft as former contestants from The Voice. Both competed last year with Joe on Team Rita and Jake on Team Will. They have since formed a duo and hope to represent the UK with their piano-driven power ballad ‘You’re Not Alone’. The song has been compared to Coldplay, which is a great compliment for them.
Our first #Eurovision: You Decide song IS ‘You’re Not Alone’ by @JoeandJakemusic! pic.twitter.com/vGkAxqPns7
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) February 22, 2016
Bianca
Bianca Claxton is a singer-songwriter from Nottingham. You might recognise her from her days in girlband Parade, who had a top-ten hit with ‘Louder’. Her entry is called ‘Shine a Little Light’ and was co-written by Leona Lewis!
Presenting @BiancaMusicUK with ‘Shine A Little Light’ #Eurovision: You Decide pic.twitter.com/2b9NA9xKyZ
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) February 22, 2016
Dulcima
The third hopeful is a duo called Dulcima, made up of Dulcima and Tomas. They are offering a country/pop mash up called ‘When You Go’. The song features lyrics including “I’m going to light a candle so I can see in the dark.”
Meet @DulcimaMusic with ‘When You Go’ #Eurovision: You Decide pic.twitter.com/EupRbRq9ZH
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) February 22, 2016
Matthew James
The next hopeful is Matthew James from 90’s band Bad Boy Inc. He has also appeared in Doctors. He will be performing ‘A Better Man’ to try and get your votes.
Our fourth #Eurovision: You Decide song is! ‘A Better Man’ from @matthewjpatemanpic.twitter.com/OSWvqRSWFp
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) February 22, 2016
Darline
The fifth entry is from country duo Darline, made up of Abby and Cara. The duo have recently supported The Shires on their UK tour. Their song is called ‘Until Tomorrow’ and was co-written by Martine McCutcheon’s husband, Jack McManus.
Say hello to @DarlineMusicUK with ‘Until Tomorrow’ #Eurovision: You Decide pic.twitter.com/oJ7YR9OPQa
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) February 22, 2016
Karl William Lund
The final hopeful is 29 year old Karl William Lund. He gained a following for his music by uploading tracks to YouTube. His cover of Beyonce’s Halo was spotted by Ryan Seacrest and featured on his website. He will be performing a ballad called ‘Miracle’.
Our final song is by @KarlWilliamLund! Listen to ‘Miracle’ #Eurovision: You Decide pic.twitter.com/7j1U7T9iR6
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) February 22, 2016
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Stockholm on May 10th and it was revealed last week that the voting will be radically transformed. For the first time ever, the jury vote and the televoters score will be separated, meaning that the winner won’t be revealed until the very end of the show, adding “a new level of excitement for hundreds of millions of viewers in Europe and beyond.”
With the new voting rules, and six brilliant acts to choose from, fingers crossed that the UK won’t be going home with nil points this year!
You can choose who will represent the UK at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest by tuning in to ‘Eurovision: You Decide’ on Friday, February 26 at 7:30pm on BBC Four.
Who would you like to see represent the UK this year? Tweet us your thoughts @CelebMix
photo credits: BBC