As one of the final names released to join Australia’s first Eurovision national selection Australia Decides, Australian rock legend Ella Hooper has has been hyped as a strong contender to make her way to Tel Aviv on experience, alone.
And with that, Hooper has showcased what just experience can do – releasing her entry for Australia Decides, titled “Data Dust”.
Specifically penned for Eurovision by Sydney-based composer Alice Chance ,”Data Dust” marks a return to Ella’s rock roots of the 1990s, but for a current audience. It’s a melding of pop and rock, scattered with happy-clappy vibes that get the audience going.
Singing about the dominance of digital media, “Data Dust” is about taking a break from the devices that control our lives – looking inside ourselves rather than looking at a screen. It’s a healthy promotion of the ‘digital detox’ trend, delivered with sass and attitude. Vocally, Ella delivers with punch and gusto.
Speaking of her Eurovision experience, Ella has told us of her dream of bringing pop-rock to the Eurovision stage:
“It’s very exciting to be involved in anything that is the first of its kind (in Australia Decides), and in recent years I have become more and more fascinated with Eurovision, so it’s perfect timing! I’m hoping to bring a bit of traditional rock ‘n’ roll energy to a bombastic performance of a meaningful pop song.”
Who is Ella Hooper?
Singer and media personality Ella Hooper has been a staple of the Australian rock scene since the 1990s, as a teenaged member of rock group Killing Heidi. She Beyonce’d out of the group in 2012, since then recording solo singles and performing across Australia regularly. Also a songwriter, she has won several ARIAs to APRA awards, both music and performance arts awards, to date.
Her latest single, “To The Bone”, was released in 2018 – so no doubt her Eurovision appearance will tie strongly with her upcoming album release, scheduled mid this year.
Australia’s finalists for Eurovision 2019 are Sheppard, Aydan, Mark Vincent, Electric Fields, Leea Nanos, Courtney Act, Kate Miller-Heidke, Alfie Arcuri, Ella Hooper and Tania Doko. Australia Decides will be presented at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 February.
It’s no Killing Heidi but I still really like it.
It draws you in immediately! It’s fresh, modern and sassy. It sounds like it doesn’t have a chorus but I think it needs the live performance to elevate it. Good job!
I like it a lot
I’m surprised that this is my favourite, but my favourite it is. Ticks my boxes – feels Australian, not overproduced, distinct from the fied of Eurovision entries (depending on what else we get, but I doubt we’ll get anything else like it), fun.
Well done Ella! This is really cool. There is a definite “Blondie” vibe going on in this track, and I’m really getting it. Also cool that you went with the other way of pronouncing “Data”… you may upset “Star Trek: TNG” fans, but it’s very authentic-sounding. Thank you for the song. 🙂
🙂 yes!
I thought of TNG too. I like that the song doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be anything, it’s not trying to fit a mould, it’s just having fun.
So many Australia Decides songs are pushing at the barriers rather than trying to fit inside them, and it’s a great thing.
Next, please. The only interesting thing I found here is the speculation about the demo of the possible Dutch entry, which I only like partly, but is certainly enough to keep me interested.
Just WOW!! If this turn out to be true, it’s going to be very difficult to see other song topping my personal ranking. They say it isn’t his Eurovision entry, but maybe they can change their mind observing the public reaction.
People said it’s not the official entry.
Apparently this is NOT the song we’ll hear in May. It was just confirmed…. I’m so sad, I already fell in love with this song. :/
They might be lying , and then be like: surprise! It actually was the song. They actually wanted to keep the song a secret until the 7th of march after all.
Other supporting evidence is that the song is exactly 3 minutes long, and the day before his eurovision announcement, All video footage of him singing the song dissapeared off youtube. Hmm…
I mean “hope never dies”, I guess…
I’m pretty sure it’s it and they’re playing coy. Too good not to be. Right length, meets the description of what they were talking about. They’d be foolish not to send it unless there’s an even better song we haven’t heard.
it didn’t disappear on the day of the announcement. i watched the performance hours after the reveal ++ about a day later again. also the song is actually longer, the person who posted that ‘demo’ (which is literally a filtered version of his graduation performance) just cut it to 3 minutes.
Why did you have to destroy our hopes like that? 🙁
@William Lee Adams Listen, if you’re only gonna delete the comment I replied to and not the whole thread, my comment seems completely out of context. Delete the whole thread or delete nothing at all, please.
Are we gonna make a big deal about the huge Eurovision convention happening in Hannover this summer? There’s gonna be a gala concert w a live orchestra and everything. I want to go very badly but getting to Tel Aviv has been a stretch enough. Not gonna push my luck.
Wait, live orchestra? You mean the performers will perform live with live arrangements?
Yep! The first confirmed guest is Chiara, and seeing as its in her hometown, Lena will probably show up.
I’m impressed already, and it hasn’t even started yet.
I imagine the Wiwi team is gonna say something about it soon. It’s a big production, a great immediate cure for post-Eurovision depression, and will probably have more former competitors in one place than ever before. Absolutely seething that I probably can’t be there.
Tickets are up and more info about it is on another fan site that I can’t share the link to or they’ll take it down but it’s one of the big ones
Sorry for going off topic, but the demo of the dutch entry just leaked and it sounds like this will be very good!
https://youtu.be/DH-Hq1uIlEE
Woah! This has to be their entry. I don’t like overhyping songs early but wow. Netherlands must let this be it.
Kate Miller Heidke’s song is already out as well.
I really like Kate’s song. Modern style meets opera.
And yet this rubbish gets a full article.