Australia AUSTRALIA 2022 - Sheldon Riley - Not The Same

[escYOUnited]

I was told at six years old
They'd avoid me if my heart was cold
Found it hard to talk and speak my mind
They'd never like the things that I would like

'Cause you're told to play, but you're not the same
As the other kids playing the same game
Tried to jump on in, but they push away
So far away

I'm not the same, no
I'm not the same, no

Years go by, I tried and tried
My father asked if today I smiled
I said, "Yes I did", but that's a lie
Oh, I always tell those lies

And you run and hide, hide the break inside
Do you realise that the light shines bright?
Through those, oh, who broke inside

I'm not the same, no
I'm not the same, no
I'm not the same, no
I'm not the same, no

'Cause you never want to be a kind of person
You can work it for those ones who cannot word it
Because you've been the kind of person who felt this pain
Yeah, I felt this pain

So you're gonna leave the pain and find another way to make yourself another game
Maybe one for all to play
'Cause it's not just me who's not the same
We are not the same

I'm not the same, no
We are not the same, no
We are not the same, no
We are not the same, no​

 

[mauve]

Recap:

 

[Mainshow]

There´s a reason the chorus of Sheldon´s entry hasn´t been used in that recap.

The Australian national final is not as strong as I expected it to be but it´s pretty decent.
Although it´s very pop-oriented, we still got a quite diverse range of different songs (NDR - all of these could be played by radio stations and they don´t sound the same!!!!).

Personally, I think I´d still go with "Dreamer" - but Jaguar or Sheldon wouldn´t be bad either.
I´m not a huge fan of Charley´s song, tbh - it´s a solid track but I don´t share the love for it.

The only bad songs in this selection are the ones by Lambrou and Paulini.

 

[mauve]

There´s a reason the chorus of Sheldon´s entry hasn´t been used in that recap.

The Australian national final is not as strong as I expected it to be but it´s pretty decent.
Although it´s very pop-oriented, we still got a quite diverse range of different songs (NDR - all of these could be played by radio stations and they don´t sound the same!!!!).

Personally, I think I´d still go with "Dreamer" - but Jaguar or Sheldon wouldn´t be bad either.
I´m not a huge fan of Charley´s song, tbh - it´s a solid track but I don´t share the love for it.

The only bad songs in this selection are the ones by Lambrou and Paulini.

Also team Voyager or Jonze. As for Sheldon, he has a great voice, but the song is a bit too repetitive for me.

 

[b4ld3r]

Late to the party, but Dreamer is incredible! I mean it's inevitably going to be Sheldon, so hopefully he has a properly impressive staging to complement the meh song.

 

[EscGeek]

Voyager "Dreamer" - I might have to bump this up to an 11/10. RainyWoods was right about this song from the get go
G-Nation "Bite Me"
Jaguar Jonze "Little Fires"

The rest:

 

[mauve]

Well I hope that people are sensible and vote for "Dreamer"!

 

[blue00eyes]

Sheldon's song has a simple but effective build-up it's a dog fart at the end though. I was expecting more from it.
I don't have a clear favourite. There are 3 songs that I can live with.

 

[crashworld]

I guess I am the only one who likes Jude York's entry then. LOL.

 

[Looren]

Let's gooo

1. Sheldon Riley - Am Not The Same (10/10)
2. Jaguar Jonze - Little Fires (10/10)
3. Paulini - We Are One (10/10)
4. Jude York - I Won't Need To Dream (10/10)
5. Charley - I Suck At Being Lonely (10/10)
6. Voyager - Dreamer (10/10)
7. Isaiah & Evie - When I'm With You (9/10)
8. Andrew Lambrou - Electrify (8/10)
9. G-Nation - Bite Me (8/10)
10. Erica Padilla - To The Bottom (7/10)
11. Seann Miley Moore - My Body (6/10)

 

[Kaz]

I'm expecting either Voyager or Sheldon Riley to take this. Paulini could be an underdog, and my reasoning is this:

Put simply, Australia is a nation of passive consumers. The media has such a strong influence on shaping people's views here and most people who watch the big media networks/nightly television often lack the ability to critically evaluate and formulate their own viewpoints. This sounds like a stereotype but it's not, there have been plenty of studies which suggest that critical thinking skills are lower amongst Australians who regularly consume free-to-air television (particularly as the vast majority of accessible media in this country is owned by one single media monopoly, Murdoch).

Paulini is a big name among the Gen X/Boomer demographic and she recently competed on a reality TV competition which was broadcast exactly under these circumstances listed above. Never mind how generic her song is, I can absolutely see people voting for her simply because they recognise her from TV. Then again, I think Jack Vidgen was also on this competition and he flopped at Australia Decides so I could be reading into this too much lol.

 

[ZoboCamel]

I'm expecting either Voyager or Sheldon Riley to take this. Paulini could be an underdog, and my reasoning is this:

Put simply, Australia is a nation of passive consumers. The media has such a strong influence on shaping people's views here and most people who watch the big media networks/nightly television often lack the ability to critically evaluate and formulate their own viewpoints. This sounds like a stereotype but it's not, there have been plenty of studies which suggest that critical thinking skills are lower amongst Australians who regularly consume free-to-air television (particularly as the vast majority of accessible media in this country is owned by one single media monopoly, Murdoch).

Paulini is a big name among the Gen X/Boomer demographic and she recently competed on a reality TV competition which was broadcast exactly under these circumstances listed above. Never mind how generic her song is, I can absolutely see people voting for her simply because they recognise her from TV. Then again, I think Jack Vidgen was also on this competition and he flopped at Australia Decides so I could be reading into this too much lol.

I do think you make some valid points here, but I'm not so sure about Paulini actually *winning*. Even if her mainstream popularity is enough get her past the two big favourites in televote (which seems unlikely), there are juries to consider, and she doesn't strike me as being a #1 jury pick.

I wouldn't say it's impossible for her to win, mind you (I'm always hesitant to talk in absolutes when making predictions, especially in Eurovision where we've had so many unexpected results over the years). I just don't think there are all that many outcomes where she gets all the way to #1, and I feel like some other dark horses stand a bigger chance than her.

Off the top of my head, it feels like there's maybe a 50% chance of Sheldon taking the win, 20% for Voyager, 10% for Charley, 10% for Jaguar, 5% for Paulini, and 5% shared among everyone else? Though that could change significantly over the next week (for example, I had Jaguar in that bottom pack until just now, when I was surprised to see her leading an OGAE Australia poll – albeit just barely ahead of Sheldon and Voyager).

Personally I've got Voyager as a slight favourite, followed by Sheldon; I think a lot will come down to how those two perform live.

 

[Steph777]

It will be so sad if Sheldon win, I don't understande why he is SUCH a big favorite ?
Jaguar, Voyager and others are so better

 

[kamc]

Sheldon’s song is pure repetitive dirge. Can’t believe it’s the hot favourite!

 

[Mainshow]

Sheldon’s song is pure repetitive dirge. Can’t believe it’s the hot favourite!

Sheldon as a performer/vocalist/artist is the clear favourite, I think - his popularity and artistry may shield away from the fact that the song´s chorus is super lame.

 

[Loindici]

I guess I am the only one who likes Jude York's entry then. LOL.

Sir, I just heard this song. It's pure magic and goosebumps for me as well.

 

[crashworld]

Sir, I just heard this song. It's pure magic and goosebumps for me as well.

Isn't it? It sounds right out of a Disney fairytale movie, but with a modern twist to it. I actually really like it.
Was pretty surprised the people here didn't think much of it.

 

[Iker]

Sir, I just heard this song. It's pure magic and goosebumps for me as well.

I Won't Need To Dream is indeed enchanting but I wish it was longer and in this case it actually could be for the ESC ... as it is only 2:38 in length.

 

[crashworld]

I Won't Need To Dream is indeed enchanting but I wish it was longer and in this case it actually could be for the ESC ... as it is only 2:38 in length.

I didn't even realize it's that short until you mentioned it. I thought it's good as it is. Hitting the right moments at the appropriate time. Can't wait to hear it 'live', hopefully they will give him a very magical staging.

 

[Loindici]

Some short comments about the songs:

Andrew Lambrou - Electrify: that hook reminds me of "Lose Control". Not bad.
Charley's I Suck at Being Lonely: If Heize/Idgitaf were Australian.
Erica Padilla's To The Bottom: Yeah, nothing too special here, reminds me of Griff though.
G-Nation's Bite Me: Basically, EVERGLOW or aespa if they can harmonize.
Isaiah & Evie's When I'm With You: Nice R&B duo, kinda sounds like if Jamie Park and Afgan have a duet.
Jaguar Jonze's Little Fires: Kinda drags for me, but it has a nice finish.
Jude York's I Won't Need To Dream: pure MAGIC
Paulini's We Are One: club-ready banger with vocal processes (?) aging like milk.
Sean Riley's My Body: Cheese.
Sheldon Riley's We're Not The Same: Either one heart-wrenching storytelling or a vocal jerkoff, you choose.
Voyager's Dreamer: That's some cool genre fusion they got there.

 

[Loindici]

I Won't Need To Dream is indeed enchanting but I wish it was longer and in this case it actually could be for the ESC ... as it is only 2:38 in length.

I agree. Just one more verse would be good to add before the climax.