Sam Ryder has been confirmed as the United Kingdom’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest this May.
Selected by TaP Music, the management and publishing company behind the likes of Dua Lipa, Lana Dal Ray and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, he’ll enter with his song ‘Space Man’.
Currently the most followed UK music artist on TikTok, the track was written with Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud) and Max Wolfgang.
Sam Ryder says: “Having been a fan of Eurovision since I was a kid l I am so honoured to have been presented with the opportunity to sing at an event alongside some of Europe’s most talented creatives, performers and songwriters. I hope to sing my head off in a way the UK can be proud of, and to showcase a song I wrote with my friends last summer makes the whole experience even more special. See you in Turin legends!”
The 2022 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Turin, with the final held on 14th May. You can check out Sam Ryder’s ‘Space Man’ below.
Last month, The Rasmus were confirmed to be representing Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest.
The band – famed for their 00s hit ‘In The Shadows’ – won Finland’s selection contest Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) with a landslide victory for their track ‘Jezebel’ on Saturday (26th February).
“We did it! We are so happy. It was a super tough competition, all the other songs were very good,” says vocalist Lauri Ylönen. “We were preparing so hard for this for six months. We are really taken and honoured and we will be working like pigs to represent Finland in the best way in Turin.”
After winning the contest, the band were asked about how they feel about participating in the competition, following the expulsion of Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
“This is an important issue and we are constantly thinking about it. It’s really shocking and distressing, and it has been really emotional,” bassist Eero Heinonen commented.
“What is happening feels very wrong. I watched the news on TV in my hotel room and cried. It felt twisted and wrong to go to the UMK rehearsals after that. It was like being on an emotional rollercoaster,” Ylönen added
Of course, while having the Rasmus at Eurovision is great, they will have to beat possibly the greatest song of all time, Latvia’s CITI ZĒNI with the wholesome ‘Eat Your Salad’.
