Sam Ryder knows how he feels — and he’s sticking with his gut. Throughout his Eurovision promo tour the TikTok star, who counts more than 12 million followers on the app, has deftly fielded questions about whether he faces extra pressure since the UK has repeatedly tanked at the contest. The ease of his answer suggests he’s sincere — and not just well-trained to deal with the media.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning, he once again batted away concerns about where he might finish on May 14.
“If you tell yourself you’ve got pressure — with my personality, you’re starting off on the wrong foot,” he said.
“Singing, song-writing and performing — it shouldn’t be about a score-board.”
“Singing, song-writing and performing shouldn’t be about a score-board.”
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) April 27, 2022
TikTok sensation Sam Ryder speaks to #BBCBreakfast ahead of representing the UK at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest ???https://t.co/QFGUYd0oOr pic.twitter.com/MuZU5BmFC1
Sam Ryder meets Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst at BBC
Essex-born Sam also met with Eurovision 2014 winner Conchita Wurst in an interview featuring some of the finest facial hair in the business. The two exchanged thoughts on music and performance.
Sam started with a question.
“We were just talking about how important your mindset is — it’s not simply about singing. How did it feel for you — that 40 seconds before you walked on to that stage?”
Conchita said he felt totally at ease on the Copenhagen stage thanks to the many rehearsals that drilled a routine into his head.
“I couldn’t wait to go on that stage,” Conchita said. “You did it all over and over again, and it’s so good because you know every move, every person you’re going to meet on the way to the stage. For me, it made me really comfortable.”
In one funny exchange, Conchita suggested that Sam — like most performers — enjoys a bit of attention. He was a bit embarrassed, saying…
“I guess if we’re singing and sharing what we’re doing there’s an element —”
Conchita interrupts.
“I’m bathing in it….you have to be there and people have to believe what you’re telling them.”
“When I enter a room and every gasps, this is exactly what I want.”
There’s nothing like a pep talk from Conchita Wurst to get you ready for Eurovision! ???
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) April 27, 2022
The former winner meets this year’s UK contestant Sam Ryder on #BBCBreakfast ?https://t.co/QFGUYd0oOr pic.twitter.com/ylSv3olpSP
Conchita keeps her finger on the pulse of Eurovision and has been reading the tea leaves stirred by Eurovision fans.
“You’ve got tough competition,” she said. “The buzz in the Eurovision community is, ‘Oh, the UK is participating again.'”
“You know, no offence to all the other artists who have come before, they are all brilliant, but this year it feels like, ‘They mean business. OK. OK.’”
Do you agree with Conchita? Do you feel the wave of positivity from fans toward the UK this year? Do you think Sam can win it all? Let us know in the comments box down below!
The last few years I have usually skipped over listening to the UK entry before the contest. This year I have seemed Spaceman out. I love the chorus and the film clip. The song is likeable, Sam is likeable. The UK entries the last few years have been forgettable, not bad. This year Sam has been talked about
The easy thing that the BBC can do is to tell its media commentators to stop denigrating the contest as a defense mechanism for not doing well. By making a contest into a joke they translated that into poor performances and non-interest by good artists. All you have to say is that you can’t do well every year with over 40 countries participating but you should still do it’s best.
“Singing, song-writing and performing — it shouldn’t be about a score-board,” he says.
It’s cute and he definitely should feel his best at Eurovision (e.g. enjoying the fun that is Eurovision), but it’s called a competition for a reason…
I really hope that the UK doesn’t finish last this year (if it’s deserved, but we can’t confirm yet), because the song itself is far from the worst this year and his vocals are amazing.
I think you’re missing the point. There are hundreds of songs from Eurovision that don’t win the contest but are still our favourites or personal winners. The British press say to him in every interview is say “we came last for the past 2 years, what are you going to do about it?” and the locals say “we must win or it proves everyone hates us”. Sam loves to perform and he will put 110% into it and if people enjoy his performance that’s a personal win for him. He doesn’t look at comments because he wants to be true… Read more »
It’s the 110% bit which worries me slightly Hannah. I can imagine him over-singing it like Lucie Jones. That might look good on TikTok, but not on the Eurovision stage. So I hope that he or his team do read the comments on his rehearsals, so that things can be dialled back if necessary.
110% in energy towards the contest but at the same time he treats it as a celebration of music. Some Dutch fans on a forum + the host at EIC said they were surprised at how engaging Sam was on stage and they can see him doing well with cameras.
I know where you’re coming from but I think (hope) it will be fine and everything is in check. Some people (not you!) think he’s a complete novice who hasn’t performed outside his bedroom and will crumble but that’s not true at all lmao.
I am absolutely sure that he’ll deliver a great vocal and a confident stage presence. The actual staging could still go either way but HE won’t be the problem.
Peronally I don’t connect with the actual song – I guess tastes differ – but I don’t think anyone needs to worry about what Sam is going to bring to the table live.
I hope you’re right. I’m going to be worried about the live vocal until it’s over because, at the end of the day, the Eurovision stage is a huge leap from what Sam is used to. As someone said above, making sure that they pay close attention to how everything comes through during the rehearsals and making those adjustments is going to be huge.
Spaceman is a song that goes as far as the vocal takes it. If he gets it right, the sky’s the limit (I did what I did there).
I worry about the same thing. i loved Lucie Jones and I think she did ok on the night. James was a bit flakey with his vocals on the night. if I see any styrofoam spaceship nonsense for the staging (which we completely suck at) then I might lose it.
this deserves a few points but … that just means we need to get enough to register as points. It doesn’t necessarily mean no one votes at all.
Lucie Jones is the UK benchmark but this isn’t the generic love love peace peace songs that the UK’s other entries have been over the past decade. The British can’t see that but Europeans can. Lucie had the voice but she didn’t move for 3 minutes and in the wide shots she blended in with the staging – too much gold. The song was drowned in a sea of ballads that year Never Give Up on You had weak instrumental that needed a revamp. Space Man is authentic and you feel the warmth and joy from Sam it’s part of… Read more »