It’s no secret! The UK has a large pool of talent, but many have found it difficult to make an impression on the Eurovision stage. Since finishing fifth in 2009, the UK has failed to make the Top 10. After a rather disappointing last place finish at Eurovision 2019, we look to a sizzling hot lineup of acts gracing the Brighton Pride and Love BN1fest stages this weekend. From global superstar headliners like Kylie Minogue and Grace Jones, you’ve got your pool of interval acts to follow in the footsteps of Justin Timberlake and Madonna. With chart-topping acts gracing the stage with emerging artists, this LGBT event is slaying on every level. Could one of these acts take the UK to the left side of the scoreboard next year? Let’s take a deeper dive.
Jessie J
A former judge on The Voice, Jessie J is no stranger to show-stopping performances to millions of TV viewers at the London Olympics, Glastonbury Music Festival and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert. Her soulful vocals have notched her a trio of UK Top Five albums – Who You Are, Alive and Sweet Talker – as well as chart-topping singles including “Price Tag”, “Domino”, “Bang Bang” and the brilliant “Laser Light,” featuring David Guetta. If LOBODA could represent Ukraine, British Eurovision fans should campaign to have Jessie J represent them.
Clean Bandit
Starting out as part of a string quartet, Clean Bandit have notched 10 Top 10 hits in the past 5 years. They consistently push the boundaries of radio-pop with a blend of electronic, dancehall, classical, R&B and pop. Their 10 million-selling single “Rockabye” featuring Sean Paul and Anne Marie shot to number one in 40 countries. They recently received two Brit Award nominations for their 2018 smash hit “Solo” featuring Demi Lovato, which became their fourth UK number 1. They know a thing or two about the right vocalist for the right track. Perhaps they could help to reverse The UK’s fortunes at Eurovision after performing at Brighton Pride.
Grace Carter
A music college graduate, Grace Carter is an emerging pop star. Championed by BBC Introducing, 21-year old Grace Carter grew up on the music of Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone. Her powerful songwriting shows emotional and musical depth and prowess. She has a delicate but powerful stage presence.
Zak Abel
With two critically acclaimed EPs under his belt, singer/songwriter Zak Abel caught the attention of tastemakers everywhere with EPs Joker Presents… and One Hand on the Future. Including collaborations with emerging stars and featuring stand out tracks such as “Say Sumthin” and “These Are the Days”, the EPs garnered over 3 million streams on Soundcloud alone and received widespread support from music professionals. He will perform at Brighton Pride and could be the candidate to bag the jury vote at Eurovision 2020.
Fleur East
Fleur East is no stranger to Europe-wide chart success. She started out as a finalist on The UK X Factor and scored her first No.1 on iTunes with “Uptown Funk”. She followed this up with “Sax”, which peaked in the Top 10 for seven weeks. Internationally the song went Top 10 in Mexico, certified Gold in the Netherlands and Australia, topped the airplay charts in Hungary and Croatia and peaked at No.2 in Costa Rica. She could be just what the UK needs to break the spell of Bottom 5 finishes.
About Brighton Pride
Brighton Pride takes place this weekend with many acts performing on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August.
The colourful pride parade sets off at 11am precisely at Hove Lawns, and can’t be missed. It will wind its way along the seafront and finish in Preston Park. Putting campaigning at the forefront of Pride, this week also saw the launch the 2019 campaign #WeStandTogether, a call to action for the LGBTQ+ community and allies to stand up to all types of discrimination.
The campaign will be highlighted across all the lamp posts in the city in the run up to Pride, focusing on some of the appalling hate crime statistics that are currently in the news, and calling out transphobia, biphobia, racism and homophobia. The activism turns to celebration at Preston Park. Main Stage Tickets are available HERE.
Are you excited about this year’s Brighton Pride lineup? Who are you most looking forward to seeing? Do you want any of these artists to represent the UK? Let us know in the comments section below.
Jessie J should defo do eurovision. Get her a big Whitney style ballad and she’ll carry us all the way to the top 3
I completely understand that there is a large LGBT eurovision fan demographic but thinking that only acts who perform at pride events will be picked for Eurovision is ridiculous. None of these acts are realistic in the slightest. Why would an established artist do Eurovision for the UK at the moment? We’ve done terribly for so many years, the BBC give the artists no control what so ever… What would be the point of them doing it? It would be amazing if we could get a big star to sing for the UK, but people just need to understand that… Read more »
I would love to see Grace Carter next year! She’s incredible!
Fleur East…..is this a joke. Dropped by the record label after flop singles and disappointing album sales. She appeared on Im a Celebrity to relaunch her musical career, but that failed. Not a powerhouse in the music business exactly.
The problem for the millionth time is not the artist, that’s not the problem, what our problem is, is that we can not find a good song to match the artist, we could send Little Mix, or One direction if they got back together, but probably still rank low if the song wasn’t up to the highest standard. So realistically we need a national final for only the songs, and if we could find an unknown passionate ordinary singer, who has a great song, that’s where we wont end up coming last next year.
Fleur East could be so cool with a bop like “Sax”, she can both dance and sing at the same, she surely would nailed it.
BBC Introducing should be the basis for the U.K. selection. We used it only once to find Molly – a superb but short-lived approach to sourcing the British act.
Twice actually. Electro Velvet were chosen through that method as well if I remember correctly.
why is no one talking about ash morgan, he would be perfect!
Tenuous
Gurrrl please… As if any of these acts would actually consider going to Eurovision! It hasn’t happened in the last decade, it sure as hell ain’t happening next year! There’s a higher probability that we’ll see the likes of Electro Velvet or Josh Dubovie back on the Eurovision stage!
Zak Abel is phenomenal, would be great if he were to represent the U.K., but it’s never going to happen. His Instagram stories back in May referencing Scooch were pretty clear about what he thinks Eurovision still is. Bloody Scooch, cursing the U.K. over a decade later.
Lol, another article about the artists and NOT on finding a good song…..
This upcoming decade needs to be the comeback of the UK. The BBC need to get their heads outside their backside and start taking Eurovision seriously again. Maybe after coming last, my pathetic broadcaster will wake up at bit and send some quality songs!
“start taking Eurovision seriously again” Again? Like when did they ever?
Before 2003
I think you’d have to look beyond such stars as Jessie J and Fleur East since they’d risk their career if they placed anything but Top 5. But the lesser-known names mentioned I see as a welcome addition.
Fleur East has got a career?!
Ha ha that’s exactly what I was thinking.
Could be a duo with Rita Ora & Dua Lipa….
If not for UK then maybe for Albania…
They would never do Eurovision. They have worldwide careers! When they have the careers they have, they don’t need this (it’s better for singers wanting to make a career out of it) for example, Molly Smitten-Downes in 2014.
More chance of me representing Libya with a song praising Netanyahu
Fleur East or Clean Bandit would be a dream come true for the UK, even only a song from them would be great.