United Kingdom: It’s James Newman with “My last breath” to Rotterdam

Thursday, 27 February 2020

• After months of silence and ongoing rumors, the British broadcaster, BBC , revealed today during the Ken Bruce show on BBC Radio 2 that James Newman will represent the UK at the 65th Eurovision Song Contest with the song “My last breath”.

  Change of direction for the UK for Eurovision 2020, as the country after 4 years of national finals through the Eurovision: You Decide format, decided to swtich to an internal selection. Although rumors referrred to John Newman as UK’s next ESC act eventually, his brother James Newman will fly the British flag in Rotterdam next May.

  The entry “My last breath” is a contemporary pop song that features intensed percussion instrumentation. According to the lyrics of the song James is talking to his love one declaring that even in the darkest times even when on one else will be there he will be there to give his last breath!

  The sobg is signed by  by Ed Drewett, Adam Argyle and Iain James. Among others, they’ve written numerous hits for established acts, including Little Mix, Dua Lipa, One Direction and Olly Murs. Iain James is also a past Eurovision winner as he was co-writer of the ESC 2011 winning entry “Running Scared” by Ell & Nikki for Azerbaijan.

  ABOUT JAMES

  James Newman is an English singer-songwriter based in London and  hails from Settle, Yorkshire, in North England.. He is the brother of pop star John Newman. At the 2014 Brit Awards, Newman won the Brit Award for British Single of the Year as a co-writer of “Waiting All Night” by Rudimental. He has also co-written hits such as “Blame” by Calvin Harris (feat. John Newman) and “Love Me Like You” by Little Mix.

  James is no stranger to the Eurovision family as he was co-writer of “Dying to Try” by Brendan Murray, who represented Ireland at ESC 2017, in Kiev. He has also collaborated with the Australian ESC 2015 act, Guy Sebastian, in his track “Keep Me Coming Back” which is included in his album entitled Conscious.

  The Eurovision Story so Far

  The United Kingdom participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1957 and has been crowned winner five times (1967, 1969, 1975, 1981, 1997). The UK holds the record of finishing in the 2nd place the most times than every other country in the contest, specifically 15 times. Although big names of the music scene have represented the country in the past ( Sandie Shaw, Olivia Newton John, Lulu, Buckz Fizz, Brotherhod of Man, Cliff Richard, Sonia, Gina G, Bonny Tyler and many more) in the latest years its results are rather disappointing for a country with such a big share in the international music industry.

  In the latest years, UK followed the same formula of national selection in 2016 to select Joe and Jake who finished 24th. In  2017 through the same process Lucie Jones was decided to represent the UK ending in the final 15th while last year Eurovision You Decide 2018 winner, SuRie finished in the 24th place in the grand final.

  Last year Michael Rice won the national selection Eurovision You Decide 2019 and represented the British colours in Tel Aviv with his entry Bigger than Us, but scored another disappointing result for the Uk as he finished last in the Grand final.