After Montaigne was internally selected to represent Australia at Eurovision 2021, she’s been dropping hints about the musical alchemy she has brewing for Rotterdam. But recently, Montaigne has revealed the title of a potential entry — and talked about the unusual theme of the song.

Montaigne dropped the news in an appearance on the Dragon Friends live Twitch stream. While Dragon Friends is a Dungeons & Dragons themed channel, the conversation got around to Montaigne’s songwriting process and if she had written her song for Eurovision 2021. Montaigne told the streamers:

“I think I have my Eurovision song. My manager was like ‘Would you be open to other international writers writing you a hit song for you?’ And I was like ‘Hmm, I guess, ’cause you want that for me.'”

But Montaigne revealed she’d come up with something on her own, a song with an unusual back story and themes:

“But I am pretty sure I have a song. It’s called “JC Ultra” and it’s a reference to MKUltra, that f****d brainwashing program that the CIA tried to do back in the day, in the ’70s or the ’80s. It’s about a society of aliens that has a major music label as a front for a brainwashing program where they try to brainwash potential music celebrities to go out and spout pro-alien propaganda to try and help the aliens to integrate into human society better and covertly usurp human power.”

Project MKUltra was a CIA programme run in the 1950s and 1960s. It controversially included the — sometimes illegal — testing of psychedelic drugs such as LSD on American civilians. But it doesn’t sound like Montaigne is planning to take a deep dive there.

Will Montaigne take her alien adventure to Eurovision?

From Montaigne’s description, it sounds like the song’s quirky lyrical scenario may actually contain a bit of criticism of the music industry.

But will “JC Ultra” end up as Montaigne’s song for Rotterdam? It also sounds like her management is keen for Montaigne to again team up with existing songwriters to pen her Eurovision song. Montaigne’s Eurovision 2020 song “Don’t Break Me” was co-written with the DNA production house. DNA were also behind Australia’s Eurovision entries in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

In August, Montaigne told fans “i reckon i’ve written my eurovision song for next year it’s totally f****d, lets see what mgmt says”

While she hasn’t said what song this referred to, “JC Ultra” does seem to fit that description!

Montaigne’s journey to Eurovision

Montaigne originally won the Australian 2020 national final Eurovision: Australia Decides with her song “Don’t Break Me”. She was set to head to Rotterdam in May before Eurovision 2020 was sadly cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, in April, Montaigne received the good news that SBS had internally selected her to get the return ticket to Rotterdam in 2021.

Montaigne’s internal selection also means that Australia won’t be using its new national final Australia Decides. While some countries who have internally selected their 2020 acts will be using a national final to select the song for their act, there’s no word on how Montaigne’s song will be chosen.

Her recent remarks suggest that it may simply be a matter of one song getting selected internally.

What do you think? Should Montaigne take “JC Ultra” to Eurovision 2021? Or should she head in a different direction? Tell us your thoughts below!

Read more Australia Eurovision news here

49 Comments
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Tralfamadorian
Tralfamadorian
3 years ago

The quirky use of aliens motif reminds me a lot of Kurt Vonnegut’s books! I hope she’ll release the song in the future, it might be sooo interesting!

George
George
3 years ago

Montaigne had actually played JC Ultra on one of her live streams on twitch back in late August. It was quite abstract and quirky. It would not be for everyone’s taste, and I personally didn’t like it. Not to mention, I thought it was against ESC rules to play the song on a digital social platform before 1st September.

ESCFan2009
ESCFan2009
3 years ago

The story sounds soooo good <3

Darren
Darren
3 years ago

Great
But I dunno, I can’t see Australia taking part next year. Australia’s travel restrictions are quite strict.

Pressed Yolk
Pressed Yolk
3 years ago
Reply to  Darren

Have you seen the 4 possible ways of hosting Eurovision?

Nicky
Nicky
3 years ago
Reply to  Pressed Yolk

option 5 i hope: Cancel it and give us dutch another bit of time to host 2022 contest

Fast Food Music Lover
Fast Food Music Lover
3 years ago
Reply to  Nicky

Are you saying the Dutch is that inefficient that they need 3 years to host a song contest?

Eugeny
Eugeny
3 years ago

Have a feeling she is just trying too hard. Sorry but when you don’t have charisma, you can’t do much. No aliens will help.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Eugeny

Then it’s a good thing Montaigne has a lot of charisma, then.

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
3 years ago

‘It involves brainwashing and aliens’
Yasss queen, give us that Qanon conspiracy anthem banger

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
3 years ago
Reply to  Frisian esc

Oh nvm i hadn’t read the article yet haha

Ermin
Ermin
3 years ago

Nobody will go to Rotterdam. It,s good to be optimistic, but really…. we,ll have a show like Europe Shine A Light

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago
Reply to  Ermin

There’s being cautious and just being too pessimistic – the EBU have 4 contingency plans for a reason. Protocol surrounding the pandemic will have evolved from April 2020 to May 2021. One good thing is that compared to the first waves on the continent, fatality rates are lower even though positive cases are rising again- but please don’t take my word as gospel on the virus seriously, I’m not a qualified public health expert, but I pay attention to the news.

Nicky
Nicky
3 years ago
Reply to  Ermin

yass, and home concerts <3

Héctor
Héctor
3 years ago

Then I think I’m in…

Preuss
Preuss
3 years ago

About Montaigne going to the Netherlands next year; if Eurovision is such a big deal in Australia, then they’ll allow her to leave. Let’s see what happens

Anonymous Eurofan
Anonymous Eurofan
3 years ago
Reply to  Preuss

But there is the option of doing it remote if there are travel restrictions (probably we will still have them)

Kim
Kim
3 years ago

I still don’t think Australia will be going to Eurovision 2021. The current Government only just let NZ in the country but only officially into 2 states. Aussies can’t leave and go to NZ though and NZ has no plans this year at least to allow us a travel bubble. The government has stated on numerous occasions at this stage no overseas travel until late 2021 or a vaccine is developed and we start immunising. Especially when Europe’s numbers are going up again and we are only just getting our numbers down since wave #2.

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago
Reply to  Kim

Australian cricketeers have been allowed to play in the IPL in UAE/India. Of course Montaigne will be allowed to go to The Netherlands, she’ll just be subject to a strict quarantine before she can freely mix in her local community after leaving Rotterdam. Moreover, given the state of Covid in Australia, outside of Victoria (Montaigne I believe is a Sydney resident), the Morrison federal and Berijeklian NSW government will be more lax than their European counterparts, for better or worse.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

Cricket is worshipped, along with other sports. Music never gets the same respect or money from governments.

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

That’s true, but it’s now a point of fairness. At worst she’ll perform remotely under Plan C/D, but she’ll certainly be allowed by all parties concerned to represent Australia.

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

Also, those cricketeers aren’t even representing Australia, it’s like the Premier League, they play for different Indian teams that have vague connections to Indian cities and states. Montaigne is actually flying the flag for her country in the world’s biggest nation based music competition, she’ll definitely get an exemption to travel unless the situation in The Netherlands/Australia necessitates a scenario C/D approach.

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

I’m not saying you’re wrong. I just think it’s a mistake to use words like “definitely” when it’s not certain at all.

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

Of course the use of definitely is premature, especially now, but so long as Rotterdam and the rest of The Netherlands isn’t a hotspot come May, I think SBS will be able to participate on the ground if other countries can do so.

Eugeny
Eugeny
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

I am sorry, but wtf is cricket?

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Eugeny

Google it.

Anonymous Eurofan
Anonymous Eurofan
3 years ago
Reply to  Eugeny

It’s a sport

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Kim

Even if she can’t leave Australia, the EBU will surely let her perform from Australia. Same for anybody else in that position.

Erasmus
Erasmus
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

tbh I think EBU will try to get the permissions of every country to go to the Netherlands. And yeah music is not so important as sports, but this is more than just music – it’s still about representing your country and Eurovision often has more views than sport events in some countries, so I think all countries would make exceptions (I’m only worried about UK and Ireland tbh)

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Erasmus

Music absolutely is as important as sport. The people in charge don’t always see it this way is what I was saying, and unlike sport, a song contest can still take place even if the singers are on different continents.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Kim

Ok but literally one of the scenarios is if not every country can be there in person, they will still perform. So there is no way Montaigne won’t perform at Eurovision, one way or another.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago

this low-key sounds rly fun not gonna lie

Joe
Joe
3 years ago

Azerbaijan sent an entire rock opera on the struggle between good and evil as their debut entry and they did it all in three minutes. You can do anything at Eurovision if you set your mind to it.

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

And it was ICONIC.

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

I used to think it was terrible, but honestly? I’ve really come around on it. It’s more willingly bizarre than most subsequent Azerbaijani entries, and for my money, more interesting and memorable.

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago
Reply to  Joe

Oh it’s definitely their most interesting entry, and was done entirely local IMRIC.

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

I wish they could do more local stuff with the polish of their foreign collaborations. Turkvision felt like the closest they got to that.

Last edited 3 years ago by Joe
Ewan
Ewan
3 years ago

O….k, I guess?

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago

If SBS don’t have the funds to host ESC 2022 (remember, even if Australia can’t host…yet…as the winning broadcaster they’d produce the show in a European country) they might just let her do whatever she wants so long as it sounds good. After all, Australia’s least mainstream song in the contest is arguably their most popular (hard to tell if fans prefer Sound of Silence to Zero Gravity).

I started watching JESC before ESC
I started watching JESC before ESC
3 years ago

I really want Australia to send something different like in 2019. (I presume this wouldn’t be like our 2016-2018 entries and more of a “different” song) If this becomes the eurovision song, then im excited.

Fast Food Music Lover
Fast Food Music Lover
3 years ago

She could write a song about a stale bread for all I care as long as it sounds great.

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago

This is probably too good to be true. But Montaigne is very avant garde compared to Australia’s usual picks so it might actually be this unconventional.

Anonymous Eurofan
Anonymous Eurofan
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

I agree, I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t end up being the ESC song

although, I kinda want to see Montaigne – JC Ultra – Official Music Video – Australia – Eurovision 2021

Last edited 3 years ago by Anonymous Eurofan
GEE
GEE
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

Don’t break me was not Avant Garde. It was the usual commercial cookie cutter pop fluff

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  GEE

Azaad I assume was talking about Montaigne the artist, not the song. Her other stuff is amazingly out there.

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton

Yeah I was talking about Montaigne herself, although even Don’t Break Me had a more indie sensibility than Australia’s first four entries, even if the song ultimately was pop.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

True true.

Eugeny
Eugeny
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

Sure. Avant Garde goes with art. Hairy armpit is not avant garde. Nor art.

Ashton
Ashton
3 years ago
Reply to  Eugeny

Um, please go away. Thanks