So we’re still waiting for the final decision about the Eurovision 2017 host city in Ukraine. Thankfully Jamala has taken some time out of her gas station promotions to give British fans something else to chew on, since they can’t yet book flights or hotels.

In an interview with OK! Magazine, Jamala suggested the UK struggles on the scoreboard partly because they fail to connect with people emotionally, particularly on world issues.

“I think you guys don’t take it seriously! And that’s why good musicians don’t always take part. But I think in 2016, something changed with my song ‘1944’. Can you imagine a Crimean Tatar, electronica, my gown, the tree? All of these things together are very unusual for Eurovision, even the fact it was a sad song in a fun event. My song was not an easy song to sing back or remember, and it wasn’t written especially for Eurovision — but my instinct was right. People said my song was too political, but it’s about real life, something that really happened. People connected with that, and it won. Maybe the UK should do that, something real.”

Jamala knows a thing or two about keeping it real, and not just when it comes to singing about the forced deportation of Crimean Tatars under Stalin.

She recently performed at G-A-Y in London, telling the audience that her gay fans are particularly special to her because of their passion, adding that they are her “birds”.

As for her musical realness, Jamala told OK! that she looks up to plenty of British musical acts including Radiohead.

“The last Radiohead album especially, it’s a masterpiece,” she said.

She was also stoked to learn that Adele praised her song at a concert in Amsterdam. As well she should be.

READ MORE UKRAINE EUROVISION NEWS

Photo courtesy of EBU

29 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Polegend Godgarina
7 years ago

The UK has been sending meaningless songs for a while so she isn’t wrong.

mad-professor
mad-professor
7 years ago

Well, that’s a bit ridiculous: “Hey, we’re the UK and we’re going to sing a song about how we, France, the US and Russia ruined the world!”

maarikaa
maarikaa
7 years ago

Lol what do you expect from a singer who sees a song contest solely as a political platform? ..

oooops
oooops
7 years ago

Katy, or a mexican who sing “DonaldTrumpMakesMeWannaSmoke…”… You know the rest of the title

Katy
Katy
7 years ago

OK then – that’s a Polish immigrant with a song about Brexit settled then.

Nirgal
7 years ago

Just because it worked for her doesn’t mean it should work for everybody.

Marc
Marc
7 years ago

@Ewan You can’t compare all the propaganda and marketing behind Jamala to Boggie.
Yes, she was maybe smart.. but look where she is now, totally forgotten.

Marc
Marc
7 years ago

@Hello Yes, in UK and other countries (mine as well) ESC is seen as a joke, nothing important and relevant, and most of the people think is all politics and it’s all cheating. It looks like this is not gonna change until we have winners and songs that can survive outside Eurovision (Big flops like 1944 doesn’t help).. if your song is really good you won’t need promotion to succeed, ordinary people respect Euphoria, Satellite, Heroes or Calm after the storm besides Esc, or this year “If I were sorry” and “J’ai cherche” became a radio hits despite not winning.… Read more »

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

@Ewan is totally right.

Ewan
Ewan
7 years ago

Boggie sends a song generally talking about war and persecution and no one complains, Jamala sends a personal song related to war and persecution and cops all the flak??? @fikri who cares if she didn’t win either vote? I am sick of hearing this complaint. Last I checked winning the televote or jury vote =/= winning the whole thing 100% of the time. She won overall, that’s what mattered in the end. You make it sound like not coming 1st in either vote means she came dead last yet still won, but 2nd place in both is still outstandingly good?… Read more »

Hello
Hello
7 years ago

Even if big artists and rising singers would love to take part, their record label won’t let them and if they did, their career would be over. Just go and ask Blue, Bonnie, and other artists before them such as Daz, who before taking part was a rising singer. Jade Ewen, despite coming 5th place, is nowhere to be seen today in the music industry. Jamala is right when she says the UK should take it more seriously but she has to understand that different parts of Europe see Eurovision in different manner. UK sees it as a joke act.… Read more »

cheesecake
cheesecake
7 years ago

Wow, are you guys really still pissed about her victory? Let it go.
If she’s asked, she’s gonna answer. Simple as that.

Leo Valdez
Leo Valdez
7 years ago

So many butthurts here
LOL

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

#GoJamala

Haters gonna hate, don’t listen to them 🙂

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

@oooops

Sweden’s song stood out, the UK’s didn’t. I think that both of them are mediocre but I can understand why Sweden did much better.

oooops
oooops
7 years ago

So agree with fikri, Lazarev and Dami Im should be the so called experts.

@(J)ESC Fanatic, I actually thought they would place high, like Frans, they did it very simple, do not underrate simpleness. But simpleness didn’t fit UK, so the best thing to do is to promote the contest, so artists like Adele participate. Or maybe send all big 5 countries to the semi finals.

Lina
Lina
7 years ago

I don´´t trust a single word this lady is telling. She´s so fake. She have lied in so much things. Her song was sooooo political.

Yole
Yole
7 years ago

of topics that divide there are already enough even take them because of eurovision ?, next year we do all countries bringing songs about the atrocities of the wars and persecutions rekindle old wounds? . We bring a united Europe songs, in diversity, we become popular idea of all countries. we do not fall into the trap of fear and some politicians

Marc
Marc
7 years ago

Poor girl, nobody in Europe remember her and 1944 is so dead.
UK could not win as she did.. it’s not that easy for other countries.

Olga P
Olga P
7 years ago

One thing we need for sure is songs about war and killings as if Europe does not have enough problems at the moment… What about keeping this platform free of hate and war and keep singing about higher ideas such as love and personal development and togetherness ? Maybe people will get optimistic and inspired ?

Harut
Harut
7 years ago

Just stop bringing the sadness and politics to Eurovision..Hate 1944 ..I know what happened with Crimean tatars and I understand but girl stop it…its political message.

MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
MoreMusicLessGlamourPlease
7 years ago

she is both right and wrong Send a song about politics? Why? For the sake of it?? Political lyrics never make a song better in my book. And their are banned in ESC anyway What I DO agree with – UK indeed should take ESC more seriously! Even this year, with their first NF for years, it was a letdown. So many generic songs for the contest, Swedish penned ones even. Not good for such a leading nation of pop / rock, importing… And the overall feel of the contest, was confirming the silly predjuices many people have of the… Read more »

WOW
WOW
7 years ago

Adele didn’t have a concert in Malta! 😛 She simply mentioned Malta and the Ukrainian song in one of her concerts in Europe

Fergy
Fergy
7 years ago

I agree with her that the bbc should send something more unusual and different. Two things which the bbc always mistakes for kitsch with our entries when they try to label it as different. But I don’t want every winning song to have a “message” or for songs like that to increase. I just want a good song in any genre without a connection it to something bigger than the actual song.

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

@kostas stathopoulos

Out of pure luck?? LOL, some people are still butthurt! 😛

(J)ESC Fanatic
(J)ESC Fanatic
7 years ago

I agree with Jamala, the UK has to take it seriously! Their song this year was nothing special and I never understood why they were so high in the odds. Their result was not surprising, there were much better songs.

@fikri

Yes, but she won Eurovision and that’s what matters the most.

kostas stathopoulos
kostas stathopoulos
7 years ago

she won the Eurovision song contest out of pure luck and now she has become an expert. never liked her or her song.

fikri
fikri
7 years ago

she didn’t even win the televotes and jury votes and now she’s an expert on what BBC should send? girl, please…

Adam
Adam
7 years ago

i think she’s telling only 100% truths, but joe and jake had a wonderful song this year with a youthfully innocent and flawless performance!