They Will Never Give Up On You! The United Kingdom Reveals Their National Final Entries!

The United Kingdom is one the most successful and decorated countries in Eurovision history, but recently that seems to have taken a turn have taken a turn with their last top 5 placing coming from Jade Ewen in 2009. But last year they were, but the BBC are out to prove they can still bring great entries as they used to just as Molly Smitten-Downes and Lucie Jones proved in 2014 and 2017 respectively. The BBC have again chosen to use their national final “Eurovision, You Decide” as the format to choose their entry for 2018, “The Beebs” have recently revealed the hopeful acts in the running for the ticket to Lisbon!

I sat down to review and give some of my predictions/hopes of what “Eurovision, You Decide” is bringing to the table!

First up is Goldstone with “I Feel the Love”. This song automatically screams attitude, the clap beat of the track brings real swagger to this track, this introduction builds real hype for an amazing chorus for the girls of Goldstone, but I feel the chorus is a little lacklustre, but the instrumental after the chorus could be greatly used as a dance break! This song will require great and modern staging for these girls. I imagine the girls being joined by another trio of dancers/backing singers on stage as they perform some amazing choreography, at some points I do hear tinges of Little Mix, but there is nothing wrong with being compared to the biggest girl group of this century. I can’t wait to see how the girls of Goldstone bring it to the live shows, where I no doubt they will kill it! If the staging and song pair well together, I would not be mad, seeing this go to Lisbon. Although I do agree, that the song will need to go under a revamp, like Lucie last year. Strong contender!

The next track is Asanda with the song “Legends” Asanda, of Britain’s Got Talent, fame. Now a musical star as ‘Tallulah’ in “Bugsy Malone”. “Legends” come from the song-writing talents of Laurell Barker of “Freedom Hearts” and “I Wish I Loved You More”. The track automatically has even more attitude than the first song did, and that song was loaded with ‘tude, this song gives African vibes. Asanda’s vocals in the chorus are smooth and light, then the beat drops to a drumroll to progress into a further drop to horns and drums with Asanda adlibbing “Yeah, yeah, yeah” over the top. This song is already in the lead for me and I can’t wait to see what they do to elevate it with staging! The track then takes it up a notch adding in trumpets in the chorus which in its own way hype us for the upcoming drop! The second verse features the male backing vocals from the intro to mix it up even more! The breakdown is very reminiscent of Jasmine Kara’s from Meldoifestivalen fame. Although I do feel that the final verse requires more of an WOW moment, but this can be simply changed in a revamp, as it is I feel like this could win. And receive the revamp and the ticket!

The next entry is perhaps the most controversial of the pack, Raya with the song “Crazy” Readers may remember the controversy that shrouded Raya’s participation after an journalist, unfairly published an article diminishing the national final, in which he went in hard for Raya, but you cross one euro-fan and you cross all of them and the story received a widely negative reception, and putting Raya firmly as a frontrunner to win the show. Another connection this song has with ESC is that Icelandic representative 2012/16, Greta Salome has co-written her song. Will it be as good as “Never Forget” or “Hear Them Calling”?

The intro is very very modern which is a good sign, Raya then brings it down to tropical feel with the pre-chorus, which gives us Anne-Marie vibes. The chorus is a non-offensive pop chorus which is sure to get the people dancing in the stadium! Raya is a competent singer and is sure to bring it live, like the previous entries I do feel the song lacks a climax or any build at all, but this can be all fixed in a revamp, as the UK has shown they can do! I wouldn’t be surprised if this wins on the night, at the moment it is my second place, this could all change once he live show begin of course but for now a close second!

Next is Liam Tamne with the song “Astronaut” we do hope this performance will not actual use a real astronaut because we have seen how that works for you at ESC *COUGH LIDIA ISAC COUGH* The song is co-written by Dansk Melodi Grand Prix alum Jeanette Blonde, this could very well be the song that Mans referred to as “Ed Sheeran-y” in the promo video, the song is nice, it has a current beat and rhythm but I do feel this could get lost on the night, it just doesn’t have the right vibe around it. Like Lucie last year her song created an atmosphere which I doubt this song will be able to do. But overall a nice song which could do good depending on running order, staging, etc. But for now this will be a nice song for the final.

The next entrant is SuRie who will sing “Storms” SuRie herself a Eurovision veteran serving as a backing vocalist for Belgium 2015/17. Placing fourth both times! Will SuRie be able to bring the UK to a level that Belgium has produced? The piano intro alludes to a ballad type of song but the modern tinge throughout brings it into a poppier version of a song. The chorus is a massive let down from the good build up the song had. The electronica beat that makes her vocals almost unheard is dreadful. Unfortunately the lyrical content is wasted on a track like this. These lyrics need to be put onto a Kelly Clarkson ballad type track, to really make an impact. This song tries too hard to be alternative, unlike the effortless alternative songs that make it to ESC. Then out of nowhere the song progresses to a clap and stomp breakdown. I do get that this song is meant to convey an uplifting message and maybe if they were able to change the instrumental, of the song it would work. But it would need to win the national final first and I really doubt that will happen. Unforteunately as SuRie is an amazing vocalist and performer, I just expected a bit more from her!

The final act is Jaz Ellington, with the song “You”. One thing the BBC is doing is ‘Celebrating Diversity’ in their national selection and we are all here for it! From the promo pictures, I can only imagine a soul driven ballad from Jaz, Jaz’s vocals are amazing on this track, although it does plod a bit and there is some. The chorus though doesn’t do it for me, they seems to be no flow in the chorus, then the second chorus changes it completely the song gets faster which again doesn’t habve a good track record at ESC *COUGH AGNETE COUGH* and Jaz explodes in his vocals. The song so far is very unpredicatable at this point, oh also hes added in a spoken word “No” which again doesn’t do well at ESC *COUGH MICHELLE COUGH* overall this song isn’t quite there for me, it seems to be a couple of different song melded together to form what it is now. I can only hope that Jaz will bring something better in another year because his vocals are amazing and the world NEEDS to hear them!

My final ranking of Eurovision, You Decide:

Asanda – Legends

Raya – Crazy

Goldstone – I Feel The Love

Liam – Astronaut

Jaz Ellington – You

SuRie – Storms

I must stress that all of these can change once we get to the lives, and I may change my opinion as well so please don’t take it to heart if I have disliked your song, I may only dislike your studio cut you might be amazing live, and if you do one thing prove me wrong and be amazing live! I want to see all of you do well!

The United Kingdom chose Lucie Jones through Eurovision You Decide, last year to sent to Kyiv, with the song “I Will Never Give Up On You” after a revamp, the song became a fan favourite and from the rehearsals some fans even belived she could win it for them! Lucie and the UK ultimately had to settle for 15th place which was their best result since 2011! Watch Lucie’s performance below!