Their new single “What the Future Holds” hit #1 on the UK iTunes chart almost immediately after its September 11 release. And on November 27, Steps will drop their latest album via BMG, the label helping the BBC to choose its Eurovision 2021 act. Could the future finally hold a spot at Eurovision for Claire, Faye, H, Lee and Lisa?
Well plenty of Eurovision fans are ready for them to Light Up the World — and the Rotterdam stage — with some Steptacular moves…and we are here for the Buzz. So, without any Tears on the Dancefloor, here are 5 reasons we’d love to see Steps at Eurovision.
Steps don’t play — they slay
Three years ago Steps staged the UK’s most successful comeback of the decade. Following a five-year hiatus, they dropped their fifth studio album Tears on the Dacefloor, entering the charts at #2. Unlike other reunions that are built on hype, but little else, they stepped it up, proving they still have all that chemistry and all those harmonies. Best of all they gave us gems like “Scared of the Dark”, which came with accessible choreography for all of us on the couch.
Eurofans love them
Speaking of “Scared of the Dark” — the song won the 2018 OGAE Song Contest. That is, of course, the annual event organised by OGAE — the Organisation Générale des Amateurs de l’Eurovision, or General Organisation of Eurovision Fans — in which member clubs of OGAE compete with an original song released in their countries. The UK club chose “Scared of the Dark” — and Europe named it their winner. Could they do it again at the real song contest?
The time is right
What’s better than a Eurovision star? A Eurovision star with new music to promote! Steps will be hungry to hit the road (while minding social distancing rules, obviously) to share their new tunes. And BMG is promising that there will be tunes. Their press office writes:
“What The Future Holds is their sixth studio album and their most ambitious album to date that showcases the big melodic choruses of their top-tier bangers but also brings back the harmony-laden ballads and some atmospheric mid-tempos.”
Sia — yes, that Sia — even wrote the title track, which is already on loop in the House of Wiwi.
They describe it this way: “Built around a typically Steps-esque bittersweet refrain of ‘one foot in the past and one foot in the future,’ the album’s thundering, gloriously dramatic title track was penned by pop queen Sia and is the perfect statement for a band who have taken a wave of nostalgia and alchemised it into an album full of future anthems.”
They “could” do Eurovision
In July 2019, Claire Richards told BANG Showbiz that the group have a habit of texting each other about participating in Eurovision and that they “could” do it.
But apparently she gets nervous. “I am always the one who goes, ‘No, absolutely not!’, but then I watch it and think well, we could do it.”
The fact that they’re willing to think about it shows how in-tune they are with prevailing trends. The whole world is talking about Eurovision after the recent Netflix movie. We’d love to see Steps in the conversation.
They love Saara Aalto
Their talent, charisma and music aside, we have to give them props for supporting Finland’s Eurovision 2018 singer Saara Aalto. The group kindly enlisted her as their support act on their UK tour that summer.
Speaking to us at Kew the Music in London, Saara said that Steps were incredibly supportive and had been watching her opening act and knew all her songs. We love their love!
Are you hoping to see steps at Eurovision? Do you love their latest single as much as we do? Shout out your thoughts down below!
Normally I’d share William’s enthusiasm but having followed Steps since their 1997 breakthrough, I can’t recall one TV appearance where they haven’t mimed. It’s all been about their dance routines, as their name implies. They have some super songs, but I just don’t think they are strong enough singers. If they compete, they’ll get loads of hype, a lot of people in the UK think they’ll win, they’ll draw second half, viewing figures will be up, Graham Norton will describe their performance as ‘flawless’. And then they’ll finish 19th.
Dear Lord! The UK has already sent Bonnie Tyler and Humperdink and it did not work. Steps are so last century. Let them stay where they belong- on the CD players of the “eurovision experts”!
Irrelevant to the topic ! But you should check this performance of Eleni Foureira for a Greek tv show ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lJuklXn3Us&list=RD3lJuklXn3Us&start_radio=1
I hope the world will learn the mistake we’ve made after this.
Is Steps known outside of the UK? Not being rude–I just don’t know if they have a following in continental Europe…I loved Scared of the Dark more than this new track…it would really could come down to the song…I can see them flopping (especially with juries) but could also do very well inside the bubble which would drive up their odds which often then makes juries be more favorable to countries which are perceived as ‘favorites’…I don’t think Steps would compare to Englebert or Bonnie Tyler, I think they are more aligned with Blue who did quite well
NO NO NO NO
NOT ANOTHER NOVELTY ACT FOR UK
Fun article, William! It would be fun and I’m sure they’d have a blast if they do decide to enter!
They’re a lot of fun for sure but, unless they sent their best piece of work in decades, the music and production might be a bit too frothy and lacking in substance for them to get a good result at ESC. If they sent something that wasn’t as good as their biggest hits, they’d probably struggle in the same way that Blue and Cascada did at ESC, especially if the performance wasn’t pitch perfect. They do have Keiino vibes, but it’s electro-pop minus the Sami folk. I’m not sure they would win, but if they sent the best of their… Read more »
Susan Boyle or Katherine Jenkins could do the Sami bit?
I think it would be really cool for the UK to send something in Cornish, Gaelic, or Welsh. That’s almost as likely to happen as Sweden sending something in Swedish.
Or Austria or Cyprus sending something in French!
I think “DJ” by H and Claire would have secured a Top 10 finish.
Their language about Eurovision softens every time they are asked. It was hard no for many years….I have confidence we will one day wear them down and they will do it.
Manufactured pop from the late 90s that tried foolishly to emulate the ABBA sound … as desired acts to represet the UK in the ESC?
Jesus lord … please take the wheel … #aintnobodygottimeforthat
The UK just needs someone unique. Steps are fine, but they aren’t unique. The UK often have the pieces they need for successful entries (strong singers, especially – say what you will about their last four entries, by which I mean Lucie through James, but they were all great singers), but there’s an impersonal quality to a lot of them. I’m not saying a team of songwriters can’t make great things, but I will say that all but two of the songs in the top ten (Russia and North Macedonia) were at least co-written by their performers.
I agree! Steps representing the UK at Eurovision in the 2020s is probably better for Steps than the UK at Eurovision.
For me Ian would have to share the vocals. I would not want Claire doing a “solo performance” and the others grinning and saying tra-la-la (possibly pre-recorded)
Which is funny, because I heard their resistance comes from thinking Eurovision would be bad for their career (and I’m not from the UK, where bubblegum acts like Steps can co-mingle with international superstars like Ed Sheeran or Ariana Grande and not stand out like sore thumbs – how huge are they over there? We don’t really have much in the way of huge pure bubblegum pop acts anymore. Most of them were wiped out in the grunge/hip-hop wave of the early ’90s, and the ones that have broken through since then had to be really, inescapably huge to pull… Read more »
That’s also where the UK is more connected to the rest of Europe than some may care to admit: acts like Steps, S Club 7, or JLS building and maintaining the popularity they have in the UK is a distinctly European phenomenon. Only in Europe (primarily) can acts like those claim the same amount of clout as an internationally-successful local act like One Direction or an international superstar like Beyonce. That hasn’t happened in the States since at least the ’70s.
If they aren’t that popular, I don’t see the point in making a big fuss about getting them to compete
Does anyone else get a Keinno vibe from them, with the same sort of 90s club vibe. Keinno won the televote, so steps if given a cracking song could make top 10 with the televote and would be a great come back for the UK after the terrible result in 2019
No matter what, I think the UK needs!!! An up beat banger as Europe just expects ballads from us at this point
for each of the 5 reasons you’d love steps to sing at eurovision i can think of 10 reasons why i wouldn’t
5 reasons to go and 5000 not to
I’m not really a fan, but I know Charlotte Perrelli took over an album they were working on shortly before they fell apart. Gone Too Long. Another Eurovision connection!
The UK has sent pop bands and artists that have had their day before and it hasn’t worked for them, even iconic names like Bonnie Tyler.
I don’t see how Steps could be any different. Being a famous name in the 90s isn’t going to cut it at modern ESC. If the UK want to send a well known but not too well known act to Eurovision, their best bet would be an act like Rak Su or Mabel.
I feel like STEPS are the best option to perform at the contest when we next host. they would be a great interval act.
But i just dont want to see one of my fave bands in the world potentially be in the bottom half of the leaderboad. They are icons and deserve to be treated as such
Yaaass! They always slay! I know the public in Rotterdam would go crazy! 12 points from The Netherlands!
Overrated claptrap
6. Hearing Lisa Scott Lee live
Tears on the Dancefloor was an amazing comeback album, and I’ll be very interested to see whether they can maintain that level of quality with their next release. I’d be thrilled for Steps to have their chance, they can really deliver a live performance (the comparisons with Scooch are a bit harsh) and we need more bands in the contest anyway.
It would bring the whole “ABBA” thing full circle. Hope and pray that Lee’s lovely backing vocals would not be “pre-recorded’…..
Let’s face it, Steps are almost as sacred as The Queen. They of course would be amazing in Eurovision as they are in fact amazing at everything they do.
The UK themselves would like it, but other countries, apart from maybe Ireland, wouldn’t really care so much.
um steps- scared of the dark sounds like ;double trouble; from the eurovison movie!
tbh dont know who they are maybe its because im under 30 lol but if cascada didn’t do too well then…
I pretty like Scared of the dark, it makes me think of Abba’s sound I don’t know why, to be honest I didn’t see them winning the ogae contest 2018 but why not. I’m not a big fan of their new song, I find this a Iittle bit dated, and paradoxically I feel they try too much to appear modern, it doesn’t work for me but I can see this having its fans. I can see them competing in Esc they have the good profile for that, same style as Keino, but only with a very very very good song… Read more »
They love Saara Aalto… yeah that’s a realistic reason why this band should represent the UK. When talking about an artist it’s their talent that should be the decider on who goes to Eurovision not how LGBT friendly they are. Yes, being LGBT friendly is a great thing but it’s not the main factor of a good song for eurovision. If steps actually did Eurovision, it would probably feel like scooch all over again. We need someone who is going to be taken seriously with a song that would be at home in the UK charts. I’m still hopeful James… Read more »
I am tired of the Scooch bashing. They were a credible act with a good back catalogue. It is not their fault they were saddled with that song, which, after all, was chosen by the public, was fun, and had its place in the contest.
This sounds like something the UK would do. This sounds like something Europe would expect the UK to do. But no, I don’t think this is a direction the broadcaster should go in if they are serious about doing well at the contest and would once again, show that the UK have no clear plan whatsoever. Just my opinion.
The guy who sang for Sweden in 2013 wrote a song for their new album, too!
Actually I already got to hear some of their past songs and as well as their recent song so I would really like to see them next year and they really can bring uk to a better result than late, but at the same time I will really feel bad for James as he loses his chance to do eurovision (even though MLB is my 37th and I think that if the 2020 eurovision would’ve happened so uk would’ve gotten another bottom 3 result)
Besides, they’re covering “Something In Your Eyes”, which was in Melfest 2011 with Jenny Silver and was written by the same team as Denmark 2010…
I don’t like “Scared of the dark”, it is so cheesy, I don’t think it would’ve done well, their songs sound very dated.
“Scared of the Dark” is a bop and screamed EUROVISION. it would have done amazing in 2017. Their new song is fine, but not as massive as Scared of the Dark.
I think they would be up for ESC if BMG and BBC asked them to do it but i am afraid that BBC will ask James again 🙁
I think Steps should do it IF they have a HIT like Scared of Dark. Fingers crossed, it would be good promo for their new album and forthcoming tour.
I literally discovered them the day before yesterday with their song “Scared in the Dark”. I really like the band! 🙂
I think calling them a “band” is a bit of a stretch – no disrespect to Steps as I quite like their stuff actually, but they’re a bit too manufactured to be a band as such. And as for them in Eurovision…. I’m conflicted. They do have good songs, but trade on the sense of nostalgia and feel a bit passé in terms of their sound, and though that attitude might have done well 10-15 years ago, the last decade has really pushed Eurovision towards more contemporary music and it’s that which we should be focusing on if we want… Read more »
Respectfully not. Nothing against them personally, and they have a good repertoire, but I don’t think they would end up changing the UK’s fortunes.