The countdown is on to this weekend’s ‘Eurovision : Australia Decides’, so here’s part one of our run through of this year’s tracks!
Each of the competitors will hit the stage at Convention & Exhibition Centre on the Gold Coast this Saturday night to vie for the affections (and the votes) of the public.
The public vote will be combined with those of an expert panel to determine which of the eleven acts will be winging their way to Turin for this year’s edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in May.
So let’s take a little look at the first six contestants’ songs (in alphabetical order).
CHARLEY : I Suck At Being Lonely
EMI Music signing Charley has impressed with her musical output thus far (she dropped two tracks last year), but will compete with her single ‘I Suck At Being Lonely’ this Saturday night.
Charley’s voice is utterly divine and gives extra feeling and emotion to this track about the feelings of heartbreak and loneliness; a track Charley penned after a painful breakup.
It truly is beautiful; packed with so much emotion, stunning production and a killer vocal.
We have no doubt that ‘I Suck At Being Lonely’ will garner plenty of attention from the voting panel and public – and could do well in Italy. Douze points.
ISAIAH FIREBRACE & EVIE IRIE : When I’m With You
Former ‘X Factor’ alumni Isaiah is no stranger to Eurovision audiences, having represented Australia in the 2017 edition in Ukraine with his song ‘Don’t Come Easy’.
He’s obviously caught the Eurovision bug, however, ’cause he’s back for another shot in 2022. Only this time, he has Central Coast songstress Evie Irie in tow and this time, his trip to Eurovision isn’t automatic.
Evie gets the job of opening the track, before Isaiah’s soft vocal comes through on the mainstream pop/R&B track, which was penned by the pair alongside Taka Perry.
It’s a hella decent offering, but we’re not sure it’ll make it to the podium on Saturday night. Huit points.
G-NATION : Bite Me
Straight out of the City Of Churches, Adelaide’s G-Nat!on are no stranger to auspOp audiences, having impressed us with their debut single ‘Girls Night Out’ back in 2019 (HERE).
Now Taylah, Isla, Emma, Alessia, Mateja and Rylee are vying for the attention of all of the world with their Eurovision : Australia Decides entry ‘Bite Me’.
This showcases the girls’ tight harmonies and sweet vocals, along with a contemporary girl group sound that’s sure to have global appeal. On first listen, we reckon a lot of the appeal of ‘Bite Me’ will come down to the staging on the night. Huit points.
JAGUAR JONZE : Little Fires
Brisbane artist Jaguar Jonze is also no stranger to the Eurovision competition. Many will remember her from her 2020 appearance at the ‘Eurovision : Australia Decides’ event, where she placed sixth with the track ‘Rabbit Hole’.
She’s back in 2022, however, with the rocky magic of ‘Little Fires’. It’s a duplicitous little piece too, bursting into a cacophony of drums, rock guitar and crashing cymbals just after the two minute mark.
We know Eurovision has a tendency to be the domain of campery and an abundance of pop tracks, but rock continues to show its hand each year. Could Jaguar make it through the selection process as a result? An outside chance, we reckon, but don’t write it off. Sept points.
ANDREW LAMBROU : Electrify
Another act who’s no stranger to the pages of auspOp, Sydney performer Andrew Lambrou is here to showcase his performance skills to the masses.
The track was penned by fellow pop singer Nick de la Hoyde along with his brothers Joseph and Timm and, according to Andrew, is about a feeling.
“That feeling you get when someone suddenly steps into your life and all of a sudden you have a superpower of emotions,” he says.
It’s sure to get the European crowd on their feet, has a splash of Spanish to keep things interested and with Andrew’s Greek heritage, there’s no doubt there’ll be some interest from Cyprus and Greece too. Neuf points.
SEANN MILEY MOORE : My Body
Sydney’s Seann Miley Moore is no stranger to the bright lights and nerves of competition, having strut his stuff on the ‘X Factor’ stage over in the UK back in 2015.
Now it’s on to Eurovision, however, and he’s come armed with a track all about loving the skin you’re in; celebrating our differences.
“Be Bold in your BODY, Be Brave in your BODY, be-YOU-tiful,” he says.
Some big vocals, some big notes. Big ticks there. There could also be a dynamic performance that will get the votes flowing in. Huit points.
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