Who the Hell is Edgar? by Teya and Salena.
Historical figures have long featured in Eurovision songs. Just recently we’ve had Cleopatra and Mata Hari (for a second time). Dig back a bit to find Charlie Caplin and Socrates, along with cameos from Humphrey Bogart and a certain Swedish Bjorn (at Wimbledon, not the one from ABBA, though wouldn’t that be meta?). Still, despite it being his second appearance in Eurovision lyrics, Edgar Allan Poe wasn’t on my bingo card for Eurovision 2023 – or his ghost, to be specific. Yet here we are. And it’s fabulous!
Teya and Salena met on Austrian talent show Starmania and co-wrote the song in a song writing camp last year. Both have tried to get to Eurovision before; Teya through internal selection and Salena via Beovizija for Serbia. Their thwarted efforts have been worth the wait for this, easily one of the best songs this year, and vying for a spot in my all-time favourites list.
The premise is unexpected: the ghost of lauded yet long dead author Poe has possessed the body of a young writer helping her churn out fantastic writing that catches the eye of publishers keen to make her their next big thing. Swept to the giddy heights of success our protagonist comes crashing back to earth with the reality of just how little this genius will be rewarded, with pittance royalties not stretching to cover the rent.
Thus, the song becomes the most exquisite allegory, taking a swipe at creative industries not paying their creators enough to live on. Zero dot zero zero three references the alleged $0.003 an artist might get from a stream, playfully totting up a full two years before they’ll be able to shout you dinner.
The song, and the video with its Easter Egg references to Poe’s great literary works, are chef’s kiss perfection. Fun, daft, and catchy as hell. The mind boggles about how this will translate to a live performance but nail it and this is a contender.
My marks: DOUZE POINTS!
Correction: Salena through internal selection and Teya via Beovizija for Serbia.