I know what you’re thinking. ‘Surely, it’s not that time of year again?’. Well, I’m happy to share that the Eurovision season is just getting started, and if you’ve no idea what’s going on so far in the lead-up to the contest, what better way than to immerse yourself in this year’s UK entry, ‘I Wrote A Song’ by Mae Muller? In my last Eurovision roundup, we discovered Liverpool would be the city hosting in place of 2023’s winner, Ukraine, and I’m sure the scousers will be bringing the party to the contest! With Grand Final tickets selling out in less than an hour, thousands of music fans from across the world will be visiting the home of the Beatles to embrace a night of culture, diversity, music, and unity. And with less than two months until the competition begins, here’s everything you need to know about the UK’s entry, hoping to finally reach that number
one spot!
Who is Mae Muller?
Mae may not be a name you instantly recognise (at least I didn’t at first), but she is in fact the hidden talent behind many chart-topping tracks, including NEIKED’s ‘Better Days’, Sigala’s ‘Feels So Good’, and Marshmello’s ‘American Psycho’. Having supported Little Mix on their tour in 2019, Mae has inarguably proved she can perform live, bringing her London attitude and big sister personality to the stage alongside her performances. In contrast to previous UK entry Sam Ryder, Mae brings vibes of the likes of Mimi Webb, Tate McRae, Dua Lipa, and Bellah Mae into her tracks, and the Eurovision entry is no different.
But what about the song?
This year’s song is strategically named ‘I Wrote a Song’, detailing how instead of reacting to the persona’s partner cheating on them by turning to violence, crashing their car, and burning their house, they turned to song-writing, focused on themselves, and found love in self-love (an attitude I’m sure we’d all love to embrace, and will definitely be my next break-up tune). In itself, the track is definitely a testament to the UK music scene, and is especially giving viral TikTok energy. Not only is it a bop you could definitely hear in a club, it is also extremely radio friendly, something the UK has failed to bring pre-Sam Ryder. Furthermore, the music video is what gives me hope in this year’s staging! Giving girl boss energy from both Mae and her backing dancers, combined with a futuristic doll’s house setting, the video gives an era of extreme confidence whilst being slightly disturbing and sinister, which brings a different layer to the song.
So what is Europe’s reaction?
Unsurprisingly, Europe’s reaction is better than the UK’s, with many British critics claiming the track is samey, with no real buzz or energy. Obviously, I have to disagree. As the competition gets closer, Mae’s personality is really starting to show both on and off camera, and I believe this will only advance the UK even further in the contest. Getting a considerable amount of screen time on fan Instagram page, ‘Wiwibloggs,’ is considerably heightening her cause, and increasing awareness of this great song. Although the general reaction is that this is not winning material, many are confident Mae will launch to top 10, with the song being the only Eurovision entry in fifteen years to debut in the UK top 40 charts. With Europe confident that last year was not just a whim for our country, and the summer feel-good tune increasing in popularity at home, I have real hope that this entry will be successful in Liverpool in May.
Good luck Mae!
Written by: Holly Harrison
Edited by: Daisy Jeffs