Sam Ryder was joined on stage on the Eurovision Music Contest by Queen drummer Roger Taylor through the competitors’s grande remaining.
This 12 months’s instalment of the competition happened in Liverpool. Whereas Ukraine received final 12 months and would usually host underneath the foundations of the competitors, the continued political battle meant it was held within the UK, who had been runners up final 12 months with Sam Ryder.
Nevertheless, the opening phase of the ultimate was devoted to Ukraine, with their 2022 entry Kalush Orchestra opening the competition with an emotive rendition of their successful track, ‘Stefania’.
The opening additionally noticed the band joined by musicians and well-known figures from afar. Throughout one phase of the track, it lower to a clip of Ryder enjoying guitar on the track from on high of Liverpool’s Liver Constructing.
Different contributions by way of video included ones from Joss Stone, Miss Banks, Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Princess of Wales, who performed piano on the track.
Ryder then later returned to the stage after the finalists to carry out his newest single ‘Mountain’ with Taylor making a shock look on drums.
Ryder final joined Queen on stage for a rendition of ‘Someone To Love’ on the Foo Fighter’s Taylor Hawkins tribute live performance.
You possibly can watch the second right here:
The UK’s entry from final 12 months, Sam Ryder, gracing the Eurovision stage as soon as extra with one other anthemic track 🎸 #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/TblEAbZ23B
— Eurovision Music Contest (@Eurovision) May 13, 2023
I would climb a mountain for Sam Ryder #Eurovision2023 pic.twitter.com/TxgF4wfC34
— BBC Eurovision (@bbceurovision) May 13, 2023
Simply earlier than Ryder’s efficiency, Mae Muller closed this 12 months’s contest with the UK entry, ‘I Wrote A Music’.
Bookies favorite Sweden went on to win the competitors general, after incomes 583 factors from the mixed choose and viewers voting. The successful entry ‘Tattoo’ was carried out by musician Loreen who additionally received the competitors in 2012. She made historical past with the win, turning into the primary lady to win Eurovision twice.
- READ MORE: UK Eurovision entry Mae Muller: “I needed to put in writing one thing that made folks really feel empowered”
After the jury votes, Sweden stood in first place at 340 factors; as soon as mixed with the general public vote, this elevated at 583. Finland and Israel got here in second and third place respectively.
Talking to NME about her historical past at Eurovision forward of the competition, Loreen mentioned: “It began with the track [‘Euphoria’]… It was simply an embryo on the time, however I may sense that there was one thing with this track and me that was going to occur,” she mentioned.
“My preliminary response [to re-entering the competition] was ‘No’ as a result of I’m objective pushed. I’ve to know why I do issues: ‘Why stand on that stage?’, ‘Do I’ve something to say?’ However each time I mentioned, ‘Possibly I’ll do it’, there was this sense of positivity in me. The method felt very simple and easy.”
Explaining the which means behind ‘Tattoo’, she informed NME that the observe is one in all acceptance, and studying that we now have to endure the hardships of actuality to totally admire the world round us.
“It’s a love track and I let all people interpret no matter they need,” she defined, “however what I’m attempting to say is that there isn’t a day with out evening, and there’s no love with out the other both. It’s all obligatory.
“We are inclined to suppose that the grass is greener on the opposite aspect however if you wish to expertise this deep, genuine love, it’s a must to remember that the battle must be there too. We are able to’t run off the second we really feel just a little little bit of ache.”
The UK’s entry, Mae Martin, closed the performances along with her entry, ‘I Wrote A Music‘, however the track did not win many votes from both the judges or the viewers and subsequently completed in second to final place with 24 factors.
Elsewhere, the present featured a phase the place earlier Eurovision contestants paid tribute to Liverpool’s music historical past throughout a track medley in addition to a particular video message from ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus who paid tribute to Eurovision and its significance in ABBA’s profession.
Maintain checking again on nme.com for extra Eurovision updates
