Eurovision in Malmö is now just over a month away. In the lead-up to the start of rehearsals, we will get to know a bit more about this year’s artists, their discography, and their Eurovision 2024 journey so far. Next up, we will preview the United Kindom’s 2024 representative Olly Alexander.
Olly Alexander’s Eurovision Journey So Far…
Olly Alexander was internally selected by British broadcaster the BBC late last year. Following on from this, Olly later went on to release his Eurovision 2024 song “Dizzy”. It was later confirmed that Olly will perform fifth during the first Eurovision 2024 semi-final in Malmö on May 7th.
Olly is performing as an interval act during the show and not as a competing artist. Olly’s first and only competitive performance will be in the Eurovision Grand Final on May 11th.
What do we think of “Dizzy”
The team at That Eurovision Site have reacted to the United Kingdom’s entry for Malmö. Shiloh gave his thoughts on “Dizzy”, which you can check out below, you can also check out our written review here:
At the time of writing Olly is confirmed to be performing at the London Eurovision Party on April 7th. Alongside his home pre-party Olly will also perform at Eurovision in Concert on April 13th, as well as the Nordic Eurovision Party on April 14th. Olly has also performed at Pre-Party ES24 in Madrid on March 30th.
Who is Olly Alexander?
Olly Alexander’s career started in 2008 with acting roles, his musical career later launched in 2010 with Years & Years. In 2012 Years and Years released their debut single “I Wish I Knew”. In 2015 Years and Years went on to release their most successful single “King”, which became their first ever Number 1 single. Alongside King, the band went on to release their first Number 1 album “Communion” later that year.
Two albums followed Year and Year’ debut “Palo Santo” in 2018 and “Night Call” in 2022. While “King” remained the group’s only Number 1 single they had several other Top 10’s in the U.K. In early 2021, Olly Alexander starred in critically acclaimed drama “It’s a Sin. Off the back of this appearance Olly also released a cover version of the Pet Shop Boys’ track “It’s a Sin” alongside Elton John. In 2021 Olly also announced that the Years and Years project would become a solo project for himself.
“Dizzy” was written by Olly himself alongside Daniel Harle. Daniel Harle also produced the track alongside Finn Keane.
The United Kingdom’s Eurovision Journey
The UK is one of the most successful countries at the Eurovision Song Contest. Debuting at the second edition ever of the Contest in 1957, the United Kingdom won the competition on five separate occasions. The most recent win for the UK was in 1997 with Katrina and the Waves, singing “Love Shine A Light”. The UK also holds the record for the number of second place finishes – currently at 16.
In 2023, Mae Muller represented the UK on home soil in Liverpool with her song “I Wrote A Song”. At the close of voting, the UK finished 25th in a field of 26, earning a total of 24 points. Of these, 15 points came from the jury, whilst the remaining 9 came from the televote.
What do think about “Dizzy”? Are you excited for the United Kingdom’s participation at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2024!
News Source: Olly Alexander/ That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Richie Talboy
Rory Gannon