In the final days before what would have been the grand final of Eurovision 2020, I warmed up my Skype connection and zoomed in on Ireland’s Lesley Roy. The “Story of My Life” singer was ready to reveal as she sat in her familiar apartment discussing everything from songwriting to her hopes for Eurovision 2021. I use the word “familiar” because her sitting room has been seen in everything from the Eurovision Home Concert to the Wiwi Jam of late. “I’ve been trying to be a bit of light, a bit of hope for people, or even a bit of fun, during this time,” she says. “I think that’s what’s great about art and music — when we are going through such hell, we can listen to a song and at least get three minutes of hope.”
If you drew a line from Stockholm to Nashville to Los Angeles via New York and Dublin, you’d be retracing the many movements of Lesley. In our 40-minute interview, she discusses her various lives and various homes, including the differences in songwriting and production in the cities where she’s worked. Along the way we discuss Swedish producer Max Martin, her collab with Katy Perry and, of course, the possibility that she might sing at Eurovision 2021 for Ireland.
Will Ireland confirm Lesley Roy for Eurovision 2021?
Naturally we had to ask: Would Lesley accept an offer to sing at Eurovision 2021 if Irish broadcaster RTE invited her? Well it looks like it’s in the works — albeit with a major caveat.
“I’ve had a couple of great conversations with Michael Kealy at RTE, our head of delegation, and to quote him so I’m not getting in trouble: He believes it would be national justice for me to come back next year since I didn’t get the shot this year.”
“However, we both feel that the song needs to be there. It has to be as big if not even better now than ‘Story of My Life’ to carry that much over and for it to be fair and equal and right as far as an international selection goes. I will do my best. I’ll get straight into the studio as soon as the travel bans are over and I’ll start working on what that would look and sound like as quickly as possible.”
And where is that studio?
“Sweden. We’re going to go to Stockholm. Just to start. Obviously we’ll check in with Dublin, we’ll check in with the ‘Story of My Life’ guys in Nashville. But I’ve already been talking to some Swedes who have had some success this year, so I’ll be seeing them very, very soon.”
Eurovision 2020 staging concept
Lesley also spoke to us about her ideas for staging. As our readers will remember, she planned to work with This Is Pop Baby. Self-professed “theatre makers, club creatives and good time gurls”, ThisIsPopBaby are behind some of Dublin’s most outlandish stage productions of recent times. Their shows include Alice In Funderland — “a colourful tale of camp magic, mischief and machinations in an acid-trip Dublin” and the award-winning Riot. The latter starred Ireland’s most famous drag queen Panti Bliss and Britain’s Got Talent 2017 semi-finalists Lords Of Strut.
“They were actually filming some of the light work the day of the cancellation,” Lesley tells me. “They were far along on what that was going to be. It was gong to be spectacular. The fact that RTE had hired [creative director Philly McMahon] and were handing over a lot of the creative direction to someone new for Ireland, it really helped the hype of the song. I hope that both of us will be able to carry some of that over for next year.”
More recently, Lesley teased some of her team’s inspiration on Instagram. She wrote: “Excited to share a TINY sneak at the footage shot working towards @thisispopbaby and @algorithm.ie staging for the Eurovision 2020. They shot crystals, ice and semi precious metals to make high fashion textures! Fingers crossed we get to work together next year on a new piece!”
Are you excited by everything that Lesley has teased? Do you think she’ll slay even harder with a Swedish collab? Let us know down below!
Q: “Hey Lesley, what was your 2020 staging supposed to look like?”
A: “Bismuth.”
You got my point! This is the reason why I considered Ireland a sure non qualifier
Also it’s a sure nq because it got to perform between Lithuania and Russia
Ireland’s semi was very strong. Lesley is very good but if the 2020 contest had happened, I’m not confident of Ireland’s qualification. If 2021 has a new allocation draw, Ireland might qualify if the songs are generally weaker.
But I don’t think that’s likely, but Ireland have a shot with Lesley for 2021
I like her a lot but for me, I’d like her song to go in a completely different direction next year (if she goes). SoML did nothing for me.
I might be minority here but I thought “Story of My Life” was the best Irish entry in a long long time. I think it could have reached Jedward 2011 territory. Hope she comes back with more bangers!
Just shows how bad the others must have been Denis! I think the best recent Irish entry by some way was Ryan Dolan
No matter the song, she deserves the ticket for Ireland in 2021
Of course I want the song to be good and I even liked her 2020 entry so I believe she’s capable of bringing us something as good next year 🙂
It probably would be a national injustice if she didn’t go to ESC 21, but honestly I wont be totally mad if she doesn’t.
The song was good but not good too. Best of luck working on something new in Sweden. A more modern/current sound and it could be worth talking about next year.
I do think though that it is PARAMOUNT and NECESSARY that ThisIsPopBaby come back next year! They really could have lifted SOML into something worth talking about this year ala Eleni Ferreira.
But yeah, we’ll see how things go.
My son heard her song for the first time and joked about her being far too old for this song. I have to say that I agree.
Wow
Much ageism
Sorry did I miss something. When did I mention that the problem was her gender. That was put forward by you. Shame on you. Try to be more embracing.
You are totally missing the point. Why do some people have to read more into something when it wasn’t there to begin with. We are saying that the song is far more suited to a singer who is much younger. Think early Avril Lavigne or Kelly Clarkson. When the term age appropriate is used it’s not meant to be derogatory in any way.
Maybe try to understand how ageist that statement is based on the amount of downvotes, yodenman. 🙂
Of course I want to see her again. Story of my life is a great song(albeit too much katie Perry vibe) and if she comes with another banger like this she deserves a 2021 invite.
I think RTE will want to know the type of song she wants to perform before selecting her
If she brings a wannabe Katy Perry song again, she should stay in Ireland next year.