Australia: SBS releases video teasing first four acts in national final

In February, Australia is due to hold its very first national final, Eurovision – Australia Decides. Over 700 songs were received and now broadcaster SBS has started to drop hints as to the first four artists who will compete in the competition.

SBS released a video clip which included obscured images of four artists who will be competing in the national final. While it’s not clear exactly who the four acts are, that hasn’t stopped fans from making educated guesses. Let’s take a look at the four.

The paint

This is one of the most difficult images to make out, but if you look closely you can see two heads. The ear of the left head is right in the middle of the image.

But not only are there two heads, they appear to be covered in some sort of decorative paint, possibly even glitter paint. Oh yes.

The big fan buzz suggests this image belongs to The Presets, a two-piece electro-pop group.

The group have been around since the mid 2000s and have enjoyed a long, successful career in Australia. They’ve also had a few singles reach the UK singles chart and the Billboard Dance chart, showing there’s potential for international appeal.

The wild face paint also suggests another pop duo, The Veronicas. The twin sisters have long been on many Eurovision wishlists and they have previously spoken positively about the song contest.

But until we figure out who these fascinating faces belong to, here’s The Presets 2009 single “My People”.

The eye

It’s not just any average eye — it’s a super glamorous eye, suggesting there’s an equally glamorous diva attached.

Three names have emerged from fan chat. The first is Ricki-Lee Coulter. The Australian Idol star is another long-running fan favourite for Eurovision, and has also said she’d be up for it.

Delta Goodrem is another potential owner of the eye. She was strongly rumoured to be Australia’s internal selection for 2016, and has already has a Eurovision connection as she penned Bella Paige’s Junior Eurovision 2015 song “My Girls”.

Less likely but still on many fans wishlists is Samantha Jade. The X Factor Australia winner has her supporters — there’s even a Facebook campaign for her to represent Australia at Eurovision this year.

Here’s Ricki-Lee’s new single “Unbothered” — clocking in at less than three minutes.

The tux

This is the act that there seems to be the most agreement about. Everyone is clear — this dapper gent has to be the tenor Mark Vincent.

The popera star came to fame in 2009 when he won Australia’s Got Talent at the tender age of 15.

He has since released eight albums, including his new release, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Il Volo and Jacques Houdek have shown that — done well — there is room for popera at Eurovision. Could Mark Vincent bring some crossover style to Tel Aviv?

Here’s his 2013 cover of Beyoncé’s “Halo”.

The guitarist

Despite showing a clear shot of a guy with a guitar, there’s still a lot of uncertainty of who this could be.

One name that’s been brought up is Reece Mastin. He won the 2011 series of The X Factor Australia and has evolved from being a teen idol to a classic Aussie rocker.

Now just known as Mastin, the singer has recently release the EP Suitcase of Stories, which seems to be channelling the spirit of Barnsie.

The sight of a guitar has also prompted some fans to wonder if the Australian boy band 5 Seconds of Summer are involved. While we’d love to see them at Eurovision, the band is currently busy promoting their new album.

In the meantime, here’s Mastin performing his new single live.

What do you think? Who could these four acts be? Who else would you like to see competing in the Australian national final? Share your suggestions below!

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