It’s the first day of the Eurovision month of May and my Countdown comes to an end with the home team. It’s Michael ‘Bigger than us’ Rice.
The song itself has a Eurovision pedigree of sorts. It’s co-written by (among others) John Lundvik – who sings for Sweden this year- and Laurell Barker – who also has a hand in that awful German song.
Rice arrived at the BBC door courtesy of a Saturday night talent show, and there’s an air of over-achieving pub singer about him. He’s a lovely lad, but any performance in the promo season has been shot through with inexperience. He substitutes that irritating talent show ‘improvisation’ style of singing, where ‘Bigger than us’ might better call for precision. But he does everything with a grin on his happy face, and it means he gets away with a lot.
When the line-up was unveiled for the UK national final, most people said the same thing. Three nice enough songs with unremarkable performers. Nothing to hate. Little to love.
And that’s about it, really. It’s the sort of thing that won’t be bottom of anyone’s list, but I doubt it’s going to make the top ten with any jury and the phone votes are unlikely to save face.
I think we’re looking at another year propping up the right-hand side of the scoreboard.
Prove me wrong, Michael!
3 Points