Early on Thursday morning, Australian broadcaster SBS made the big announcement everyone was waiting to hear – Guy Sebastian would be representing Australia in Vienna. Australian media rushed to cover the big news, with more than a few opinions expressed. Let’s see what the Aussies have been saying.
SBS have extensive coverage of their new star. SBS News covered the announcement, with Guy saying he’s “stoked to have been chosen.”
SBS also have this profile of Guy, from his early days on Australian Idol to his recent successes.
Youth radio Triple J came up with a list of nine acts they think would have been a better choice than Guy.
But Guy ain’t having none of this criticism. The Daily Mail notes that while there has been some backlash, Guy has a good role model for dealing with the pressures: “To quote the very brilliant Taylor Swift: ‘Haters gonna hate, hate, hate.’ There are way too many positives.”
The Sydney Morning Herald covered the announcement, and noted that Guy has performed for “Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth II and Oprah Winfrey”. They also have a profile on Guy, and mention that while he performed disappointingly at World Idol in 2003, he is so over that. Guy is quoted as saying “I’ve choked on big stages earlier on in my career and I think [improvement] is just what experience does.”
And if you want more on Guy’s experience at World Idol, there’s also a look back at that classic 2000s television event. The SMH wonders if we can expect to see similar voting patterns this time around. (For the record, at World Idol Guy received points from the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, the UK, Norway and Germany).
The Guardian also covered the news, including a link to its two-star review of Guy’s latest record, Madness – the album that Guy has suggested his Eurovision entry will be taken from. The Guardian say he’s too nice to make the album’s attempts at bad-boy pop work. Ouch!
On a similar theme, the ABC’s The Drum music show has an opinion piece where they also reckon Guy is just too nice to represent Australia – even going so far as to claim that the UK sending the Hump was more interesting. ABC News talked to Guy about his song choice and got his theories about why Australians are so fired up over Eurovision. And in his typically understated style, Guy says, “If I win, I get a glass trophy and a lot of high fives.”
And finally, Guy himself shared this pic on Facebook. Well, that’s the costume sorted.
That was Australia’s take on it. What do you think of Guy Sebastian being chosen as Australia’s very first official Eurovision singer? Share your comments below.
My top 5 for Eurovision-:
1) Dami
2) Sia
3) Tina
4) Guy
5) Jessica
He was on my top 5 on the artists I knew Australia would send.
1. Justice Crew
2. Guy Sebastian
3. Dami Im
4. Sia
5. Iggy Azelea
I still don’t get Australia’s involvement to be honest it’s beyond logic. But I wish them the best.
What will EBU do next year guest invite to China Korea JAPAN? It has to stop somewhere Eurovision is Europe and EBU members.
All the songs should be submmited by 17th of March.,really curios now.
WELCOME AUSTRALIA ITS GREAT TO HAVE SOME NEW IN COMPETITION AND GUY SEBASTIAN IS WONDERFUL AND FRESH
In order to have tattoos like Adam Levine, Guy Sebastian will have to have the same amount on his right arm. So there! 😛
I loved him during his Aussie Idol days and remembered watching WI saying that he’s too good for that competition. Can’t wait to hear what song he’s planning to perform in Vienna!
I like him. 🙂 ‘Battle Scars’ is such a good song. I hope he’ll stay himself at the contest. Be what you are and sing what you sing, what you feel…
@Alex that may be a fair call but the Australian charts don’t really count for much. Outside of Australia he had the opportunity for success but that failed.
@Titaniumsparrow: The idea that his career is failing is ludicrous – his last four singles charted top 20 in Australia. If that’s enough of a standard to deem one’s career to be failing then pretty much every artist has failed already – no need to select anyone at all!
What I don’t understand is, why criticize anything, good or bad, when the song isn’t announced yet. For example, last year Aram MP3 was known for funny songs, yet he send an emotional one. Who knows what will Guy sing at ESC? Until then, every criticism is merely an assumption.
Mario I don’t understand your writing style. First, why you use that *…* instead of “…”, which would be correct. 2nd is it really that hard to write “for”? You write like teenage girls did 6 years ago.
Not fall out choice here…We might expected how many others favorites australian acts to get the chrism by SBS 4 Vienna but its really OK 4 me.. 🙂
*Guy Sebastian* seems pleasant and is definitely hideous looking! <3 😉
I hope that he makes a good enough song 4 my ears & taste so i will gonna actually like the Australian entry in the Diamond Vision.. 🙂
Good Luck 🙂
He will win with his song “One of us” if ever chosen ! The song has edge and I think it’s not yet released as a single so maybe that will be their entry Ü
A Sebastian fan from JAPAN !
Yes he is too “nice”. Just because he shaved his afro off and got some tattoos doesn’t mean he isn’t as boring as he was 10 years ago.
They’re is so grit or any substance to him as an artist.
To actually say all he would get is a trophy and high fives if he won. What an arrogant fuck wit. Clearly not gong into this because he cares for eurovison in the slightest but just some publicity for another failing australian artist.