The Eurovision Song Contest is back for more chaos and controversy as musicians across the continent hope to make their country proud in pop’s World Cup.
It’s just been announced that the UK’s entry for the competition will be pop trio Remember Monday, a band described as a mix between Chappell Roan and Meatloaf.
Picked by Sam Ryder’s manager – Ryder was the most successful British contestant in recent history, coming in second place in 2022 – the group will perform their song “What the Hell Just Happened?”.
Last year’s competition was conducted “under the darkest shadow in its history”, with Israel’s controversial military action in Gaza leading to threats of a boycott and numerous subtle and explicit political displays by artists for allowing the country to compete. The show was plagued by disorder and infighting, with at least one contestant being disqualified. Switzerland’s artist Nemo was eventually crowned the winner.
From a Timothée Chalamet lookalike to one contestant already having their song banned, there are plenty of acts to watch out for this year.
This year’s contest will be hosted by last year’s winner in Basel, Switzerland in May. Two semi-finals will be held on 13 and 15 May, with the overall final on 17 May.
UK
Made up of best friends, Charlotte, Holly, and Lauren, the group hope to break the UK’s Eurovision curse, which made a return in 2024. Last year’s contestant Olly Alexander finished in 18th place out of 25, receiving zero points from the public vote, cementing what The Independent’s Roisin O’Connor has referred to as Britain’s “victim mentality” and “sense of doom”. She said of the band’s song, “What the Hell Just Happened?”: “It’s a throwback to carefree times, when the biggest thing you had to worry about was whether you did call your ex after five shots of tequila.”
Malta
Miriana Conte’s entry “Kant” was barred over its similarity to another word connoting female genitalia. The EBU ruled that although the word “Kant” mean s“singing” in Maltese, lyrics such as “serving Kant” made its use dubious. She’s since been tasked with changing the lyrics completely. Although the 23-year-old said she was “disappointed” by the decision, she promised: “the show will go on – Diva NOT down”. The original complaint was reportedly made by the BBC, with radio presenter Scott Mills saying they “definitely can’t play a clip of it”.
Australia
Go-Jo’s song “Milkshake Man” has been deemed hysterical by fans, who’ve called it “the most Eurovision sounding song Australia has done so far”. One fan said of the song: “It’s so silly and fun and catchy and funny and it makes me dance”. The charismatic musician has an avid social media following, with his covers of songs such as “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls racking up over three million streams on Spotify. His song “Mrs Hollywood” has 60 million streams and over one billion views, according to the Eurovision website.
Norway
Kyle Alessandro is the youngest person to enter this year’s competition, aged just 18. He first appeared on Norway’s talent show Norske Talenter at the age of 10. His entry, “Lighter”, has largely been produced and written on his own with the help of musician and producer Adam Woods. The song is inspired by the story of his mother’s struggle through cancer treatment. Alessandro’s mother is now healthy following successful treatment.
Italy
While many countries choose to perform in English, Italy’s Lucio Corsi will opt to perform his song “Volevo essere un duro” in his native language. The 31-year-old is already a successful musician in his own right, having released two EPs and his debut album inspired by the animals of his homeland, Maremma. The country is a respected contender in the competition, having won it on three occasions in the past, including in 1964, 1990, and most recently in 2021.
Spain
Spain has something of a tried and tested formula but, well, if it ain’t broke… This year’s delegate seems intent on replicating the success of past contestants including Chanel, who finished in third place in 2022, the country’s highest placement since 1995. Melody, already an established singer with 25 years of experience under her belt, will hope to make her country proud with her dramatic and catchy entry “Esa Diva”.
Ukraine
Formed in 2015, pop trio Ziferblat’s entry for the 2025 competition, “Bird of Pray”, seeks to shed light on the struggles that their country faces every day. Russia was banned from the competition following its military action in Ukraine in 2022.
Switzerland
Last year, the country was crowned the winner with its act Nemo and their song “The Code”. This year, they’ll hope to keep up the success with singer Zoë Më. Although the 24-year-old’s song entry hasn’t been confirmed yet, she’s known for a unique blend of pop and poetry and will hope to make her mark this year, performing in her home country.
Estonia
Tommy Cash, 33, who will represent Estonia in Basel, Switzerland this May, is known for featuring on Charli XCX’s song “Delicious” and for his own track “Espresso Macchiato”, which he will perform at the contest. But when his entry was announced, it was his physical likeness to a popular Hollywood star that made headlines. Users on X/Twitter dubbed the Estonian rapper “Tommythee Cashamet” in reference to a similarity to the Dune actor, Timothée Chalamet, with one person adding: “I thought they put a wig on Timothee.”
Finland
Already a star in her home country, Erika Vikman hopes her song “Ich komme” will secure her the crown. The contender’s song is filled with lyrics about sexual desire, climax, and pleasure, and she hopes the “joyous message” of the music will secure her a place in the final. She shot to fame after winning the Tangomarkkinat festival in 2016. The last and only time the country won the competition was in 2006 with “Hard Rock Hallelujah” performed by Lordi.
France
Louane first entered the public eye, aged 16, appearing on The Voice. She’s already performing at sold-out venues across the country and holds numerous trophies, including a NRJ Music Award. France has a nostalgic history with the competition, having won it five times. However, the last time was almost five decades ago in 1977. It got close last year, finishing in fourth place with “Mon amour” by Slimane.