Olly Alexander scores at Eurovision
Eurovision is done and dusted and Olly Alexander did what needed to be done.
The track was Dizzy and it was a performance that Olly Alexander can be proud of.
Visually and conceptually it was a strong presentation – it felt like the UK was, for once, taking the whole thing seriously. Olly’s vocals were better in the performance in the final than they’d been during the semi-final run-through – the whole thing felt more confident and intentional.
It’s really powerful to see artists leaning into their sexuality and the homoerotic potential of music, and there’s no better platform than Eurovision to showcase unapologetic queerness.
Once all the jury and public votes were counted, he came 18th overall. Finishing in 18th place doesn’t sound great but it is actually a really solid result considering how disconnected the UK is from the song contest – compared to the relationship that other countries have with this iconic cultural tradition.
Obviously, the political context in which Eurovision is taking place is problematic. While the organisers have tried to pretend that music exists in some kind of ethical vacuum, it self-evidently doesn’t. Throughout the process, Olly Alexander has followed the rules and towed the line. It will be interesting to see how he navigates things now that the competition is behind him.