The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) confirmed that James Newman will return as the United Kingdom’s representative for Eurovision 2021.
Newman, who was to represent the United Kingdom at last year’s cancelled Eurovision, is now the 25th confirmed returning artist from Eurovision 2020. 23 countries had previously guaranteed last year’s representative a berth at Eurovision 2021, and Lithuania’s The Roop won their national selection for the second year running.
Newman told BBC Radio 1 that “I need to finish what I started. I was so gutted when it got cancelled last year, and I didn’t get the opportunity to go to Rotterdam and sing on stage. I instantly wanted to take part again.”
Last year, Newman entered “My Last Breath,” which he co-wrote with Ed Drewett, Adam Argyle, and Iain James.
Newman’s 2021 entry, which will be revealed at a later date, will be positive and upbeat according to Newman’s interview.
“I feel like everyone wants a party and to have some fun so when I was writing, that’s what I had in my head,” said Newman. “I wanted something people can dance to, even if it’s just in their kitchen”.
Newman was born in Settle, North Yorkshire, on October 19, 1985. He began writing and performing songs with his younger brother John Newman, and both ended up becoming respected writers and producers and artists in their own right in the United Kingdom and United States (James himself working on records by Kesha, Toni Braxton and Zayn.
Newman’s 2021 entry is the second year in a row of the BBC’s outsourcing the talent and song search to Universal’s BMG. The United Kingdom have won the Eurovision crown five times and finished in second place a record 15 times, though the past two decades have been rough, with Jessica Garlick’s 3rd in 2002 and Jade Ewen’s 5th in 2009 being their only infiltration of the Top Ten.
