The Eurovision Song Contest returns this year and British fans are hoping for a long-awaited triumph. Who is the UK contestant and what are their chances of winning?
What is British entry?
Dizzy by Olly Alexander is the song chosen to represent the United Kingdom this year. Olly was the lead singer of Years & Years, who racked up several hit singles, as well as having a successful acting career. He has been working as a solo artist for the past few years and Dizzy first came to the attention of the British public when he performed him on Strictly Come Dancing last year.
He quickly found himself strongly supported by Eurovision bets. However, if we look at the current odds, Dizzy is quite a bit behind favorites like Switzerland, Croatia and Italy. Other types of bets include the winner of the semi-finals, but as one of the original Big Five countries, the UK gains automatic entry to the finals.
The British song was already released by Polydor Records and has had mixed reviews. It has been praised for its energetic disco feel and synth-pop style, but some critics have felt that it lacks punch. The singer says the lyrics are about feeling intense emotions for someone special.
What other songs are in the works?
A look at Eurovision probability calculator At the time of writing, Switzerland is the favorite to win. At odds of 9/5, Nemo's song The Code is ahead of Croatia at 10/3 and Italy at 5/1. The Code is about the singer coming to terms with his non-binary identity. Nemo will participate in the second semi-final.
The Croatian entry is Rim Tim Tagi Dim by Baby Lasagna and, if successful, would be the country's first Eurovision winner. It is described as a humorous song based on the way many Croatians leave the country to look for work elsewhere. Italy will be represented by Angelina Mango with her song La noia. Based on Latin American cumbia rhythms, it won the Sanremo Music Festival this year to enter Eurovision and peaked at number four on the singles chart in Italy.
Full event details
Sweden is hosting the 68th edition of this song contest. This honor was received by the Scandinavian country thanks to Tattoo by Loreen winning last year's event in Liverpool. They chose the Malmö Arena in the city of the same name as their venue. From these three shows will be broadcast live throughout Europe, with Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman acting as local presenters. The semifinals are scheduled for May 7 and 9, and the final on May 11.
Reviews to date suggest that the British entry has an uphill task in trying to claim the prize for the UK this year. Britain's last win was in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves' Love Shine a Light, but we'll have to wait until the big day to find out if Dizzy gives British music fans a chance to celebrate again.
thanks to our partners at www.xsnoize.com
