Who is the UK’s Eurovision entry, Sam Ryder?
Hello Europe, this is Turin calling.
The 2022 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is imminent – with the semi-finals taking place on 10th and 12th May, with the Grand Final being staged on Saturday 14th.
And already, talk has turned to the Eurovision betting odds, where Ukraine are the odds-on favorite to win – despite not yet advancing from their respective semi-final. Equally as talked about, is the United Kingdom entry this year.
Looking to go one better than last year’s ‘nul points’ effort from James Newman, is Sam Ryder. Read on, as we delve into this year’s entry – and here’s hoping he’ll turn around the fortunes of the nation.
A TikTok sensation
Ryder rose to stardom during the first lockdown in early 2020, when he set up a TikTok account dedicated to covering songs. From the likes of Queen and Lady Gaga to Justin Timberlake and Sia, the Essex-native singer and songwriter has since amassed over 12 million followers and 100 million likes on the platform alone.
Not only has his channel garnered support from his ever-growing follower list, Ryder has also received positive comments from celebrities too. He notably covered Alicia Key’s hit ‘If I ain’t got you’, with the American R&B singer filming her reaction to the cover, saying:
“Yo, he killed this. This is hard for me to sing.”
A decade in the industry
It was this success that drew the attention of Parlophone, through whom Ryder released his debut EP last year. The Sun’s Gonna Rise was streamed over 100 million times worldwide, and led to his most recent tour being a sell-out! He also signed a deal with management agency TaP Music – who had previously managed the likes of Dua Lipa – collaborating in conjunction with the BBC to internally select this year’s Eurovision act.
However, it was back in 2009 that the 32-year-old began working in the industry, as a singer and guitarist. He was a backing artist for several groups, including the Canadian rock band Blessed by a Broken Heart, and the Texan group Close Your Eyes – prior to his social media successes.
Spaceman at Eurovision
On March 10th, he was selected to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision, and fans had suspected this would be the case. The singer from Maldon had been touring between March and May and the eagle-eyed had spotted he cancelled a gig on May 15th – coincidentally the day after the Eurovision Grand Final. The song he will be performing at Eurovision, ‘Spaceman’ was also named record of the week on Radio 1.
Ryder co-wrote ‘Spaceman’ alongside Amy Wadge (best known for co-writing Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’) and Max Wolfgang (who has worked with plenty of acts in the past, including Celine Dion and Years & Years).
And he’s excited about representing the United Kingdom and performing on the continent’s biggest stage. He had previously said in a statement:
“Having been a fan of Eurovision since I was a kid, I am so honoured to have been presented with the opportunity to sing at an event alongside some of Europe’s most talented creatives, performers and songwriters.”
Despite the UK’s poor record in recent years, at the time of writing, Ryder can be found at odds of 10/1 for winning the contest – only behind the likes of Ukraine, Italy, and Sweden.
