I like to save the best for last. I’m going alphabetically though, so I can’t – it has to be the United Kingdom instead. Where to start with my home entry? My heart sank when I first read about the selection process: I just don’t think the format of presenting songs as duels sung in different styles by different artists is a helpful approach. It shows up the weaknesses twice, and whilst I do think there’s progress in the BBC’s approach, we’re still not yet sufficiently advanced to not be choosing between weak songs.
Having one version of each of the three dumped by a panel before the voting audience got anywhere near them just made the dual format feel especially pointless. I hope we return to a straight run off between all the entries next year (though I hope more we get somebody more credible who just wants to go with a killer contemporary song that the BBC has the sense to just sign up). In the end I think the best version of the best song won, but it’s still some way from the standard we need it to be.
Ricey seems game enough; he’s likeable and can deliver vocally. I’ve already trailed that his song is co-written by one of the songwriters behind Germany and Switzerland, but it’s also penned by the Swedish contestant John Lundvik – and rejected by him for Melodifestivalen. It has echoes of Lundvik’s own entry and would benefit from a similar gospel-style backing. Lundvik’s controlled, made-for-TV delivery highlights the chasm between the two performers’ experience and Ricey would benefit from a slightly reigned-in presentation.
The song’s not bad, but, as the international fan club vote has indicated, it’s just not polling consistently enough to make the top 10 of many collated scores, and as a result nowhere near the points zone. I can’t see how that’s not going to continue on the night. Until the UK finds a way to secure the better songs of better songwriters, I can’t see a way out of this rut, but here’s an idea for 2020: get SuRie back but let her bring a decent song this time. She’s so much BIGGER than Storm.
Monty’s score: 6 points