eurovisionblog.com

Once again it’s time for the nation to decide who’ll be representing le Royaume-Uni at Eurovision this year. Yes, the competition once known as A Song For Europe, recently revamped and renamed Making Your Mind Up, is on BBC One on March 5, presided over by Natasha Kaplinsky and Terry Wogan (who has of course become as much of a Eurovision institution as nonsensical, monosyllabic lyrics and debates over so-called political voting).

This year’s contest has attracted more than its fair share of attention, largely thanks to the presence of the artist formerly known as Jordan (here kicking off her music career under the name of Katie Price). But away from the inevitable media hype that goes hand in hand with having a well-endowed glamour model performing one of the songs, what can we really expect from Saturday’s show – and who is most likely to be taking the hopes of the nation to Kiev on May 21st? Here’s what we think:

1 Andy Scott Lee – Guardian Angel
When it comes to Eurovision, solo male singers have a habit of performing really bland ballads, and the former 3SL frontman and Pop idol finalist is no exception. Guardian Angel is pleasant but frankly dull – and entering a solo artist with a ballad did us no favours last year.
For It: He has proven he can sing live, and dull is better than embarrassing – far better to lose with a bland song and walk away with our heads held high than to enter something ridiculous and embarrass ourselves in front of the entire European viewing population.
Against It: As we said – it’s BORING! And no solo male performer has ever won the contest for the UK – although Michael Ball and Cliff Richard came close.

2 Gina G – Flashback
She did her bit for the UK nine years ago, and now she’s back for another go. The problem is that this disco thumper isn’t nearly as good as 1996’s Ooh Aah Just A Little Bit. And it has some of the worst lyrics to grace a Eurovision stage since Israel decided A Ba Ni Bi was a good title for a song.
For It: She’s been here before, and is a recognisable face.
Against It: She sounded very out of tune on the big night in 1996, and as a result the song didn’t do nearly as well as it should have done. In other words, she had her chance and she blew it. Not sure she should have another.

3 Javine – Touch My Fire
The singer who missed out on a place in Girls Aloud delivers a cracking bit of bouncy pop, clearly inspired by some of the recent ethnic-sounding winners. The front-runner by a long chalk – here’s hoping it does well on the night.
For It: Not only can she sing, but there’s loads of potential here for a spot of visual spectacle. And we all know how much Eurovision juries like that!
Against It: Er, Jordan(or whatever she is calling herself these days)? It’s by far the stronger song but without the hype machine, Javine is going to have to work that much harder to win the public vote.

4 Katie Price – Not Just Anybody
And so here it is, the most heavily publicised Eurovision hopeful in years. But is it any good? Well, the song isn’t nearly as frightful as it could have been, but there’s no escaping Katie’s thin, rather reedy-sounding voice.
For It: It could actually turn out to be a good thing – if she wins, it’ll give the contest loads of publicity and likely generate more interest here than it’s had in years. Which in turn might actually lead the organisers to start taking it a bit more seriously. Cue lots of proper songs next year from the likes of Coldplay and Radiohead (or perhaps not).
Against It: Whether she can sing or not remains to be seen – but more importantly, she’s just announced she’s five months pregnant. Given she’ll be eight months gone by the time the contest rolls around, will she actually be allowed to travel to Kiev?

5 Tricolore – Brand New Day
The genuine oddity of the bunch, it’s a bit of operatic pop from a trio reminiscent of recent X Factor runners-up G4. Given the recent craze for this kind of thing, it could well be the surprise package of the evening.
For It: This is real old-school Eurovision – it combines epic scarf-waving quality with the kind of flourishes (bit orchestral finish, harmonious chorus) that win the contest. Or at least they did some time around 1990.
Against It: Could be seen as a bit too much of a novelty, and has such a Disney-esque quality that you almost expect them to end the performance by presenting Simba The Lion King to the audience. One of those songs that could go one way or the other if it were to represent the UK - which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Whatever happens, it all kicks off at 5.45pm on Saturday, with the result announced at 8.20.