United Kingdom UNITED KINGDOM 2023 - Mae Muller - I Wrote a Song

[ESC United Mod Team]

 

[Leydan]

Seriously though the betting companies put up a 'who will host Eurovision 2023?' market where you can bet on Rylan, Timur, Mel, Graham etc but they never opened up a 'who will represent the UK at Eurovision?' market, they would make a killing off it with the carousel of rumours.

As for Rina, afaik there's 2 new bits of information since that Tiktok-thing and 2 potentially old bits of info that her fans have brought up in the comments sections of her TikToks about Eurovision that seem relevant.

1)

TaP released their shortlist of four news story last week (LINK), giving us the most bare scraps of information, but they did state among other things a kinda bizarre description of the artist not being British, stating:

and then Rina released a TikTok the other day pre-BRITs reminding us that she's not at all British, has never held a British passport as Japan doesn't allow dual citizenship. This effectively means that she's technically not at all British even though she's lived here for most her life, so she really strongly fits the bill for what TaP are looking for (supposedly).
https://www.tiktok.com/@rinasawayamaofficial/video/7198935434225896710

2)

Rina performed a charity gig, a part of a series of gigs in the run-up to the BRITs. I've seen this mentioned in multiple tweets and reviews of the set that Eurovision was mentioned a lot in the crowd and in Q&A's:

https://gigwise.com/reviews/3428741/-i-m-a-rock-chick---rina-sawayama-live-for-brits-week

3)

One of her fans on the Euphoria TikTok mentioned an interview from a couple of months ago when the Hold The Girl album dropped, the interviewer compared her music to Eurovision, and she not only confirmed it as an inspiration but also that she was a fan of Eurovision.

https://www.smh.com.au/culture/musi...ems-could-save-your-soul-20220721-p5b3j9.html

4)

Again, a comment on her YouTube from a fan in one those Eurovision Tiktoks, they brought up something along the lines of "is this why Hold The Girl was delayed to September?", suggesting that the album might have been delayed to become Eurovision eligible. I can't actually find a source for this claim other than just her fans are rabid.

It does suggest something interesting, as I kinda just assumed that Rina would write a new song for Eurovision - because if she did enter with a song off the album then it means we can look at the album credits for people who worked on it who are TaP-adjacent. Only one is, Dan Grech, who conveniently worked on all three TaP 2022 shortlisted acts (that we know of) of: Sam Ryder - Space Man (infact he worked on the whole #1 album too), Years & Years - Night Call (album) and HYYTS - Twice in a Lifetime (single). I find it a bit of a coincidence that he worked with all three of these acts around the time that TaP would have shortlisted them so as a TaP producer/mixer he is one to watch. As is stands, Dan Grech worked on exactly one song off Hold The Girl, that song being the much rumoured Frankenstein.

https://www.discogs.com/release/24545687-Rina-Sawayama-Hold-The-Girl

I think the whole TikTok rumour focusing purely on the gap in her tour dates and stuff kinda missed the point entirely, because there's actually a lot pointing to Rina, and it's annoying that everyone has sort of shut down the rumour based off flimsy evidence just because that TikTok and her Euphoria dance got all the attention.

I dunno, I think if just one thing pointed to her we could chalk it up to coincidence, there's now quite a few things here, and the way I see it there's no smoke without fire, especially when you consider the two BBC appearances she made in October and December of 2022 too. She's a fan of Eurovision, she's a hugely creative person, and in my mind that makes her the natural step from Sam Ryder.

The research and evidence you've got collected here. It's all very convincing but I still remain skeptical in that it's not just fans piecing together some random puzzle pieces.

Maybe she wasn't originally planned, but then they saw the rumours and hype around her and thought lets find out. i'll believe it when I see it.

 

[ChiversLookDivine]

The research and evidence you've got collected here. It's all very convincing but I still remain skeptical in that it's not just fans piecing together some random puzzle pieces.

Maybe she wasn't originally planned, but then they saw the rumours and hype around her and thought lets find out. i'll believe it when I see it.

Oh I totally hear you I guess I got bored of waiting for TaP to come back at us with... anything.

Also the reason I decided to see if I could stick puzzle pieces together is because stuff wasn't adding up - for instance, we were told that Rina couldn't possibly be our entry because the Radio Times published a story simply saying it wasn't her. But the RT didn't name a source, and it didn't make sense that the BBC or Rina's PR team would go to such a random place to publish that. Nobody else even published the story except for Eurovisionfun, and tbh if you were Rina's PR you wouldn't shut down a positive rumour getting people excited...

and then the next thing you know Rina is out there on TikTok playing up to the rumours (which like I said doesn't make sense if her PR team told the Radio Times it wasn't her or if the BBC put out a statement, which they almost certainly didn't). What did most Eurofans say? "She just wants some cheap publicity". But I didn't see any other artist doing the same, I certainly didn't see Ellie Goulding saying anything even though loads of people were commenting "Eurovision?" on all her posts.

Okay so what about the "Rina is too big for Eurovision" claims? Sam Ryder has a #1 album, Rina doesn't. And you only needed to look at the Strictly Come Dancing and Graham Norton socials when Rina performed on both shows to know the average Brit just plain doesn't know who she is (ultimately I think Rina doing both shows was laying the groundwork to make the public recognise her)

"The March to June gap in the touring schedule is for John Wick 4 PR" - really? 4 months devoted to PR to a movie that comes out in March? Most movie press tours last 2-4 weeks and start before the movie is out, it'll be over by April at the latest. Don't forget Sam Ryder had an extremely busy March-May where he visited basically half of Europe from San Marino to Serbia, and fitted in music festivals and TV appearances as well as random press like visiting the European Space Agency. A movie press tour is short and even then she could fit it around a Euro press tour.

I admit I look silly, I fully feel like that conspiracy theory meme of Charlie in IASIP, and I realise if I'm wrong I will look insane, but I blame TaP for making us wait. Bookmark me, make fun of me in 2-3 weeks when TaP unveil some nobody we've never heard of or Jesy Nelson, but right now I fully believe Rina Sawayama is our entry, there's just too much pointing to her.

 

[lasse braun]

hey,UK i have a very good new song for you!
still searching?
take this!

still waiting for the big bang news.

 

[njdevils94]

It's isn't Rina. She's doing a good troll job though.

 

[Dolly Blue]

Hi sorry I am new. I am starting to think that if it is not Rina then I am going to be very annoyed.
I have got
very into her songs etc

 

[ChiversLookDivine]

Hi sorry I am new. I am starting to think that if it is not Rina then I am going to be very annoyed.
I have got
very into her songs etc

Nobody should get too invested in a rumour. Yeah, I'm one of the believers, and I think there's evidence pointing to Rina - but, if it turns out to be someone else entirely than I'm not going to be too mad. After years of the UK doing so badly at Eurovision it really feels like we've turned a corner thanks to Sam, I mean we literally had Eurovision discussed at the BRIT Awards and had our entry performing in the main event of the show which is... wild. If it means we get linked with bigger names now and they even acknowledge it on their socials then so be it, it's just part of where we're at now.

Speaking of bigger names, we can cross Ellie Goulding (yay) and Freya Ridings (boo) off the potential entry list, they've both been confirmed for badly-timed music festivals in that crucial second week of May.

 

[Dolly Blue]

Nobody should get too invested in a rumour. Yeah, I'm one of the believers, and I think there's evidence pointing to Rina - but, if it turns out to be someone else entirely than I'm not going to be too mad. After years of the UK doing so badly at Eurovision it really feels like we've turned a corner thanks to Sam, I mean we literally had Eurovision discussed at the BRIT Awards and had our entry performing in the main event of the show which is... wild. If it means we get linked with bigger names now and they even acknowledge it on their socials then so be it, it's just part of where we're at now.

Speaking of bigger names, we can cross Ellie Goulding (yay) and Freya Ridings (boo) off the potential entry list, they've both been confirmed for badly-timed music festivals in that crucial second week of May.

Maybe your reply is for me etc, I don't know but [ do know the casual acknowledgements from myself etc...

 

[ChiversLookDivine]

Quick update on a couple of the rumoured names:

-Molly Rainford's socials have woken up after a few weeks on the Strictly tour, she was at BBC's Elstree Studios yesterday.

-Grace Carter promising a surprise next week to come with the drop of that new song (the TikTok snippet from the other week).

-The Flints dropping new music tomorrow.

-Circa Waves wrapped up their album launch parties, and are now off on a European tour until the end of February, reminder that their March UK dates got moved to June.

-Maisie Peters confirmed for a one-off show in Liverpool at the end of April.

-and just to confirm, the 2023 entry is not Ellie Goulding or Freya Ridings who are booked for the Palm Tree and Tunes in the Dunes music festivals respectively over the Eurovision 2023 weekend.

 

[Laka]

Has Olivia Dean been floated as a possibility by anyone? I have been watching a lot of Eurovision videos and an advert for her new song 'UFO' came up. Crossed my mind that they might just be doing a bit of pre launch promotion? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kphxO1ZVKM0

 

[MopManMoss]

Spaceman was released on Feb 22nd 16 days before it was announced as the entry so just keep an eye out I guess

 

[Leydan]

Keeping an eye out for the Jane McDonald song release coming any day now. @RainyWoods

 

[HarryUK]

Keeping an eye out for the Jane McDonald song release coming any day now. @RainyWoods

Big cruise ship prop or bust

 

[Gera11]

Can't believe the UK is the country I'm looking forward the most to see what they bring lol. With all the rumours, hype is going strong.

 

[Sean]

Quick update on a couple of the rumoured names:

-Molly Rainford's socials have woken up after a few weeks on the Strictly tour, she was at BBC's Elstree Studios yesterday.

-Grace Carter promising a surprise next week to come with the drop of that new song (the TikTok snippet from the other week).

-The Flints dropping new music tomorrow.

-Circa Waves wrapped up their album launch parties, and are now off on a European tour until the end of February, reminder that their March UK dates got moved to June.

-Maisie Peters confirmed for a one-off show in Liverpool at the end of April.

-and just to confirm, the 2023 entry is not Ellie Goulding or Freya Ridings who are booked for the Palm Tree and Tunes in the Dunes music festivals respectively over the Eurovision 2023 weekend.

Sounds like Making Your Mind Up is coming back then #throwbackthursday #MYMUmasterrace

 

[ChiversLookDivine]

Sounds like Making Your Mind Up is coming back then #throwbackthursday #MYMUmasterrace

I think we can all agree that if any of us worked for TaP we'd probably need an emergency NF because we'd all spend way too long picking out an artist.

 

[Mainshow]

HURTS keep on announcing European dates for this summer ( ) these days

They cancelled their last tour due to Theo´s mental health problems. They should have played in tons of cities around Russia (since they are/were kinda popular there?).

Maybe they need a way to introduce them to Western audiences again? Eurovision in their home country would be the perfect comeback (and they could go on tour afterwards).

 

[Chrisiam]

There is still time for Public Image Limited to make the bounce to represent the UK after getting rebuffed by Ireland.

 

[Grinch]

Can't believe the UK is the country I'm looking forward the most to see what they bring lol. With all the rumours, hype is going strong.

IKR? What a time to be alive

 

[HarryUK]

So Mimi Webb has dropped this out of no where…

It sounds like the sort of song TaP would go for - a jury pleaser, a solid sound and would fill an arena… there’s also plenty that can be condensed down to get it to the 3 minute mark!

 

[lasse braun]

So Mimi Webb has dropped this out of no where…

It sounds like the sort of song TaP would go for - a jury pleaser, a solid sound and would fill an arena… there’s also plenty that can be condensed down to get it to the 3 minute mark!

not a bad ballad but an average ballad - no chance against "bridges".