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​

 

[midnightsun]

Randomly, our only 2 televote points in the final came from Azerbaijan of all places?!

Maybe people liked it because Sheldon and Nadir are the best vocalists with a similar power ballad?

 

[Kaz]

I'm hoping we go back to internal selection. I mean choices were limited this year considering our weak selection for Australia Decides, our poor results with our last two entries (Montaigne imo would've still not qualified even if she was there in person) - I just can't see many acts jumping to participate next year if we do another Australia Decides.

IMO I like having a national final but I think it does need to be changed somewhat. I like that we have options to choose from and that we have a say in deciding who represents us rather than risking an internal SBS selection where we end up with another Don't Come Easy.

I think that Australia Decides needs to change format to either a Melfest style song contest with an international jury, OR a selection where SBS chooses the artist but they perform a few different song options (like Eden Alene). Probably leaning towards the international jury, it might be our best bet to avoid another year with 2 televote points.

 

[PolarFoxxie.]

Congratulations to second place and silver medal in semifinal. Well done Australia, should be proud. it is really difficult no matter what songs they send for non European countries to do well. Results don't make sense.

 

[soulm8]

From 2nd to the bottom. Crazy. Whatever Australia sends it will be not good enough for people to vote. Ask Dami Im.

 

[midnightsun]

I voted a lot for him but in the end it wasn’t enough. Unfortunately.
We have to accept that the audience goes for upbeat songs or modern ballads, not the traditional ones like Australia.

 

[Preuss]

Let's discount Montaigne (because of covid), and Australia Decides has produced a 9th place and a 15th place. Kate brought us the best staging ever seen and unarguably deserved to do better than 9th, while Sheldon came 15th, which ain't a bad result

The internal selections have resulted in 5th, 2nd, 9th and 20th, which is you know, good. So even when it's clear at this point that the public vote is a bit of an uphill battle for Australia, I hope it doesn't discourage SBS to not put in the effort, because you can see that they're trying every year at least

I think Australia probably relied on Sony to fund their acts to a certain degree, then they struggle with the funds when they send an independent artist without a label. Kate had to do a fundraiser lol. But the acts of Kate and Sheldon looked expensive, so they got the money from somewhere this year too, I guess...

I think SBS has a bigger chance to get a bigger act with internal selections, but it doesn't necessarily mean a better result because Kate and Sheldon were better than Isaiah and Jess. I see pros and cons with both type of selections

 

[ESC94]

This overdramatic trash receiving just two points from the audience was really my personal highlight of the voting this year together with the low score of .

 

[Ezio]

I gave this song 0 points before the contest, and won't upgrade it afterwards. It's pretentious and unlistenable. I hate how the juries fall for something like this all the time. We don't needed this song at all. I wish it would have gotten zero televotes.

 

[PolarFoxxie.]

Australia still Finished in top 15 of grand final despite the fact they received 2 points and there is a bit of prejudice towards non European countries. Still better than Austria for example who finished in 30th+ place.

And Sheldon is vice champion of second semifinal, stronger semifinal.

 

[Preuss]

He came 9th with the juries, stop pretending that it was that good of a result lol

 

[Zeus]

Should have been even higher. Insane vocals.

 

[midnightsun]

I love the forum’s pretentiousness on this one!

Vocals are praised when it comes to UK, to Sweden (lol), to Italy (despite being a live disaster), to Albania (even more lol) but the best singer of the contest is trashed for his incredible vocals?

And as if his vocals were the only part what made the song top 10 worthy. Composition, lyrics and outfit were amazing too, but… oh wait…

Bold, extravagant outfits were praised when it came to Austria 2014, Ukraine 2007 and Silvia Night is an icon. But the outfit that was most worked on and put many thoughts on this year was trashed because a young man fulfilled his dreams because he‘s into fashion?

Sob stories of men trying to cope with their sexuality and life were perfectly fine when it came to Austria 2014. Sob stories in general also worked for countless countries, this year, every year. But Sheldon‘s heartbreaking story is trashed as overdramatic because he sang his whole heart out and put drama in his voice because he truly FELT the drama that was happening to him.

I‘m disgusted how allegedly open minded people here bully contestants who dared to open themselves to the public with a personal story (like Switzerland too, for example) and laugh about it or even call it trash, literally, because in their narrow minds it's "overdramatic cringe". Yeah, the only problems these poor contestants have are "How can I be ridiculously overdramatic on Eurovision to get laughed at in front of a million people". Jesus!

Nadir‘s song was trashed because it was too artificial and not believable what he sang.

Sheldon‘s and Marius' songs were trashed because they were too emotional and also not believable.

Wow!

I didn’t say they are particularly GOOD songs (in case of Switzerland I find it rather boring and I see why people might find Australia a boring song) but trashing the artists for being too emotional and making fun of their dramatic staging (clothes, gestures, voice) is a no go!

 

[ESC94]

I love the forum’s pretentiousness on this one!

Vocals are praised when it comes to UK, to Sweden (lol), to Italy (despite being a live disaster), to Albania (even more lol) but the best singer of the contest is trashed for his incredible vocals?

And as if his vocals were the only part what made the song top 10 worthy. Composition, lyrics and outfit were amazing too, but… oh wait…

Bold, extravagant outfits were praised when it came to Austria 2014, Ukraine 2007 and Silvia Night is an icon. But the outfit that was most worked on and put many thoughts on this year was trashed because a young man fulfilled his dreams because he‘s into fashion?

Sob stories of men trying to cope with their sexuality and life were perfectly fine when it came to Austria 2014. Sob stories in general also worked for countless countries, this year, every year. But Sheldon‘s heartbreaking story is trashed as overdramatic because he sang his whole heart out and put drama in his voice because he truly FELT the drama that was happening to him.

I‘m disgusted how allegedly open minded people here bully contestants who dared to open themselves to the public with a personal story (like Switzerland too, for example) and laugh about it or even call it trash, literally, because in their narrow minds it's "overdramatic cringe". Yeah, the only problems these poor contestants have are "How can I be ridiculously overdramatic on Eurovision to get laughed at in front of a million people". Jesus!

Nadir‘s song was trashed because it was too artificial and not believable what he sang.

Sheldon‘s and Marius' songs were trashed because they were too emotional and also not believable.

Wow!

I didn’t say they are particularly GOOD songs (in case of Switzerland I find it rather boring and I see why people might find Australia a boring song) but trashing the artists for being too emotional and making fun of their dramatic staging (clothes, gestures, voice) is a no go!

Well, there´s a fine line between being emotional and drowning himself in self-pity, and never made it past that. It simply screamed "Look what a poor guy I am, please have sympathy with me". And sorry, even as someone who has the Asperger syndrome I can´stand that. Having this sucks, and there are days when I just wanna scream, but crying rivers won´t make the situation any better. Learning to deal with this handicap wasn´t easy and is still not easy, but by doing so I can live quite a "normal" live.

 

[midnightsun]

You can simply not know how Sheldon feels and what is good for him. To claim he cries in self-pity is absolutely ridiculous. How many songs we have each year where people tell sob stories in their lyrics? Many! Sheldon isn’t the only one, plus, he even emphasized with his lyrics that he is NOT singing about or for himself but "for all the others who cannot word it". He literally sings "WE are not the same". His songs goes out to everyone who struggles in life. And sorry, no, he has NOT to deal with it. As an Asperger you should know there are things for autistic people they will simply never be able to deal with, no matter how good therapy or medical help is.

As I said, I totally get if people find this song lame because it’s boring, I even get why people dislike the mask thing, it’s definitely a bit over the top (but in the final he didn’t put it down in a dramatic way)… but to say Sheldon‘s song is trash because he is only crying, pity demanding etc. is really rude!

 

[MopManMoss]

From 2nd to the bottom. Crazy. Whatever Australia sends it will be not good enough for people to vote. Ask Dami Im.

She came fourth in the televote what are you talking about

 

[esc87fan]

Sheldon was revealed to be the Snapdragon in season 4 of the Australian version The Masked Singer. He finished in 2nd place behind Mirrorball (singer Melody Thornton)

 

[esc87fan]

He will be performing on the second episode of America's Got Talent: Fantasy League on Monday, perhaps this little Twitter teaser has some clues as to what song he'll be doing

https://twitter.com/SheldRiley/status/1743718750992658441

 

[ESC94]

The missing TV placements:

13th
18th
24th
17th
23rd

 

[soundofsilence]

The missing TV placements:

13th
18th
24th
17th
23rd

Source?

 

[ESC94]

Source?

Results of the Grand Final of Turin 2022 - Eurovision Song Contest

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