United Kingdom 2021: James Newman - Embers

I don’t feel like this is middling at all. It stands out for lack of immediate competition.

There’s a lot this year that I think will waft by without making an impression - Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal, Netherlands... this is leagues above that benchmark.
 
Soldi said:
To be fair Belgium managed a top ten finish opening one of the best ever finals with a Sax rip off so it might not be a poisoned chalice.
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If we draw first half I feel like I'd much rather take opening the final over anything in the 2nd-8th region
 
ButterTart said:
I don’t feel like this is middling at all. It stands out for lack of immediate competition.

There’s a lot this year that I think will waft by without making an impression - Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal, Netherlands... this is leagues above that benchmark.
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I'm not prepared to set my predictions TOO high only to be disappointed again on the night, the best I can muster up is 'well at least he won't come last, there's no way it's getting beaten by SPAIN' :D
 
ButterTart said:
I don’t feel like this is middling at all. It stands out for lack of immediate competition.

There’s a lot this year that I think will waft by without making an impression - Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal, Netherlands... this is leagues above that benchmark.
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What a benchmark for UK Eurovision success - Little competition.
 
I really like this!

It's basic, but it's also the first UK entry in ages that I've actively wanted to listen to again straight afterwards. I don't think it will necessarily do that well but as I song that A. I like and B. I am not embarrassed by......I'll take it!!
 
Jacques said:
I'm not prepared to set my predictions TOO high only to be disappointed again on the night, the best I can muster up is 'well at least he won't come last, there's no way it's getting beaten by SPAIN' :D
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Yeah, I don’t mean it’s gonna be a roaring success, I just mean that it’s a song that will provoke a reaction and - good or bad - should be memorable to voters. The ones I listed are the songs I think are in danger of being forgotten, or overshadowed by similar songs.
 
I think there's a question of what we can reasonably expect from a UK Eurovision entry at this point in time. Bearing in mind that no-one with any sort of profile will do it and that Radio 1 are openly contemptuous of the entire process, a reasonably contemporary sounding song from someone who can actually sing is probably the best we can do.
 
dmlaw said:
I think there's a question of what we can reasonably expect from a UK Eurovision entry at this point in time. Bearing in mind that no-one with any sort of profile will do it and that Radio 1 are openly contemptuous of the entire process, a reasonably contemporary sounding song from someone who can actually sing is probably the best we can do.
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speak as someone totally out of the loop, is there ANY chance something like this will get R1 airplay despite the Eurovision tag? TBH a hit on the local radio network will probably be more beneficial in it being a hit on home turf.

I think THAT’S the holy grail in terms of luring normal acts back to UK representation. or a motivated big artist representing us under their own volition (then who knows what the BBC would do with it)

oh fuck it DOWN WITH THE BBC
 
Diddy said:
speak as someone totally out of the loop, is there ANY chance something like this will get R1 airplay despite the Eurovision tag? TBH a hit on the local radio network will probably be more beneficial in it being a hit on home turf.

I think THAT’S the holy grail in terms of luring normal acts back to UK representation. or a motivated big artist representing us under their own volition (then who knows what the BBC would do with it)

oh fuck it DOWN WITH THE BBC
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I can see this getting played more on radio stations across Europe than I could over here. Stick it on commercial radio, though, and I reckon it might get decent airplay.
 
I'm not trying to be a total RaspberrySwirl about it all, just setting expectations.
 
Diddy said:
speak as someone totally out of the loop, is there ANY chance something like this will get R1 airplay despite the Eurovision tag? TBH a hit on the local radio network will probably be more beneficial in it being a hit on home turf.

I think THAT’S the holy grail in terms of luring normal acts back to UK representation. or a motivated big artist representing us under their own volition (then who knows what the BBC would do with it)

oh fuck it DOWN WITH THE BBC
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It would have to be a legitimate hit on its own before Radio 1 would go anywhere near it. Never forget that they premiered last year's entry and their scumbag DJ questioned why he was having to play it whilst introducing the song.
 
There’s a Radio 1 premiere this morning as well. Listening into see how much they lay into it.

At least it’s Scott Mills doing it this time around so one would imagine he’ll be slightly more on brief.
 
dmlaw said:
It would have to be a legitimate hit on its own before Radio 1 would go anywhere near it. Never forget that they premiered last year's entry and their scumbag DJ questioned why he was having to play it whilst introducing the song.
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I don't remember this. It is always Scott Mills that does it, and he tends to be enthusiastic.
 
Yeah Greg James was an absolute bellend last year, basically goading the public into slagging it off. Just listened to the soothing tones of Ken Bruce - I don’t think I was quite ready to hear him say the word ‘banger’.
 
It’s that 2nd half of the chorus that’s the problem. Too sparse.
 
Meh it's fine quite CHEAP SOUNDING. If this was the entry for Austria I can't imagine we'd be ALL THAT EXCITED by it.

But I'm not going to piss on your chips if you're excited.
I don't imagine it will do any better than Spain's Miki from a few years back who had a similar sort of song albeit Spanish. And the fact remains that it's James Newman performing it, which I personally think will always be a stumbling block.
 
ManicKangaroo said:
Do we know if it was co-written by his brother John? it sounds very much his style
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Apparently not

The writing team includes: Grammy-nominated songsmith Conor Blake; multi platinum singer-songwriter Danny Shah; and writers Tom Hollings and Samuel Brennan who have seen their songs surpass over 250 million streams in the last 18 months.

The track’s brass section is provided by Swedish arrangers Mattias Bylund and Magnus Johansson, known for their work with Max Martin and The Weeknd.
 
Hmmm. It's frustrating for me because it's HALFWAY towards being genuinely good. It's much closer to the style of songs he had success with in the past, but it feels like somebody at some point lost their nerve and went "we need this to sound more EUROVISION". Consequently, it doesn't really work as either a Sigala-esque radio dance track or a tits out Eurovision song, just an awkward combination of the two.

I can see it being an accidental last placer just because I can't begin to imagine it would be anybody's favourite on the night. It'll just pass by.
 
I don’t hear what the majority of you are hearing, it’s quite shite - another knock off poundland Sigala track, it’s like the spate of tracks released every June in the hope of making it onto a Love Island episode that never materializes because there is plenty better out there.

I’d rather listen to that Kerrie Ann’s knock off Sigala track that we didn’t send in 2019 than this shit again!
 
I was really enthused by this last night and I thought the reactions would be much better :D It sounds like an actual hit (sigala/jonas blue/generic dance artist) song!
 
Superstylin' said:
I don’t hear what the majority of you are hearing, it’s quite shite - another knock off poundland Sigala track, it’s like the spate of tracks released every June in the hope of making it onto a Love Island episode that never materializes because there is plenty better out there.

I’d rather listen to that Kerrie Ann’s knock off Sigala track that we didn’t send in 2019 than this shit again!
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:D
 
Superstylin' said:
I don’t hear what the majority of you are hearing, it’s quite shite - another knock off poundland Sigala track, it’s like the spate of tracks released every June in the hope of making it onto a Love Island episode that never materializes because there is plenty better out there.

I’d rather listen to that Kerrie Ann’s knock off Sigala track that we didn’t send in 2019 than this shit again!
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The thing is, that sort of song hasn’t been represented at Eurovision so in that sense it’s more of a novelty.

Honestly, you win one ASFM and all of a sudden you’re Paul Gambaccini.
 
Ag said:
Would the reactions be the same if it was QUEEN FLEUR on the vocals?
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Not to be FATTIST, but there is a clear break where Fleur could pop out some dance moves, which I presume James won't be taking advantage of in the same way. That might have helped. Also Fleur is generally a hugely charismatic performer who could only have elevated it.

But it'd still be just OK to me, I think.
 
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