The UK’s entry to the 2023 Eurovision has been announced as Mae Muller. She’s the first female to represent the UK in 5 years, the last being Lucie Jones.
By now a renowned name in the music industry Muller has been making moves since her debut release Close in 2018. Not only has she received nominations for the MTV, VMA and EMA awards, she’s also worked with the likes of Marshmello , J Balvin and Little Mix earning her the title of pop sensation. The singer is arguably best known for her platinum selling single “Better Days” which reached top ten in the US charts.
With her hit tracks like; I don’t want your money,Therapist and I just came to dance her song for Eurovision adds to the pattern of success. Her song written specifically for the contest, I wrote a song, is already a fan favourite and will be sure to stun the audience this may. Muller hopes she can follow the success of last years winner, Sam Ryder.
“Sam Ryder was so amazing last year and proved the UK can be back on the left-hand side of the leaderboard!“I’m so excited to participate in Eurovision this year and represent the UK! I’ve loved watching Eurovision all my life, so to compete in such a massive music competition is simply brilliant.” Mae Muller
I wrote a song is a classic revenge song, with an empowering beat and rage filled rhythm many of the audience will be able to relate to the anger that swiftly follows a heartbreak. It is an ode to friendship coming together to fortify the hearts shield against betrayal, bullshit and belittlement. This semantic of union is sure to permeate this years theme for the contest, celebrating each other and hoisting one another up to the same level.
“Instead I wrote a song
’bout how you did me wrong
I could’ve cried at home
and spent the night alone
Instead I wrote a song”
I wrote a song lyrics
It is also an ode to the individual, about empowering yourself to empower everybody else, do not allow someone to weaponise their own behaviour against you, rise above, remember who you are and reiterate your identity, This powerful piece achieves that, emboldened by Muller’s incredible voice and colourful accompanying video.
Being the UK’s Eurovision representative sure beats her previous claims to fame, that she once made Labrinth a cup of tea whilst working as a runner for her Aunt who works as a music video director. Although she was also the girl in the green dress in MILA’s Grace Kelly music video which is also pretty cool.
Sometimes being OK doesn’t mean being happy and that is actually OK
Black Honey by Harriet Brown
Are you happy? A question you may have been asked by a concerned friend or parent or by that odd drunken character who’s seen you down 10 tequila shots in a sitting. They want you to be happy, you want to be happy but sometimes to stretch yourself into a smile seems too much.
OK by Black Honey
Ok by Black Honey is a musical remedy to this pressure. Wanting someone to be happy of course, for the most part, comes from a place of genuine love and concern or a person’s well-being but when it is not wrapped in the context of the person’s situation it becomes dismissive. A depressive episode can fluctuate, happening for years or just days at a time, it is a reoccurring spiral that often has no trigger or tunnel light. Of course, happiness is the optimal feeling, even when it is fleeting, but when it feels like a mountain climb then smoky being okay is enough.
Black Honey Captured by Eva Pentel
The devotion to friendship comes through with a battle cry as the thudding drums drive the distorted guitar riffs. This raw, empowered intro is met with Phillip/s cascading vocals that pour over the pulsating bass before booming in the chorus. OK is a shield against the happiness myth, the belief that if you are not happy you are not normal, reminding us that sometimes when life gets too much or the rain is just too heavy that to be unsettled, to b dissatisfied is okay.
Released as part of their upcoming album A Fistful Of Peaches, set to come out on the 17th of March, it is clear that this new honey era will expose a more personal side. A kaleidoscope of emotional corridors, ranging from the monstrous to the manic, the hopeful to the panic, the love and the loss, a trip round the colourful house of life. This new album promises to continue the roadmap that has seen them find homes from Brighton to national stages. There is an obvious introspective take in this new sound with limited external influence this is a journey into the psyche, the unseen bits.
“You think that you’ve got this, don’t ya? I sound like a hypocrite right now Maybe you don’t need a hero Maybe this was all just one big mistake” Black Honey OK lyrics
Ok is self-reflective, lead singer Izzy Baxter Phillips critiquing herself for “trying to be a Romeo-style hero when I’m so utterly ill-equipped to help anyone. “Whilst moth of us don’t have a degree in phycology or a qualification for therapy, having basic empathy is a human trait, wanting another to be okay and trying to get them there is heroic in its own way. Of course, most ailments cannot simply be solved with a cup of tea, a conversation and possibly a hug it is a starting point. Remember not to project or over-protect, listen to them.
If a friend is in therapy, buttress their progress, be patient with them you wouldn’t ask someone with a broken leg to go on a run so follow a similar principle when it comes to mental health. On describing the story behind the song Phillips explained “it’s a love story I wrote for my friend who was getting high all the time to dull anxiety. I didn’t want them to be struggling anymore and this song is like ‘I will stand by you and if you need a weird 10 mins where you smoke weed after drinking 8 pints till you whitey. If that’s what you need to do then it’s okay’.
The music video for OK is also out. Directed by the incredible James Noise this video exudes art-deco and looks like a dream. The transiting neon and pastel blend represent the focus on chaos when we should be enjoying the colour.
Happiness is a heavy weight that sometimes we must rest upon, this song is not only a love story to friendship it is an ode to forgiveness. Forgive yourself, fight for yourself and most importantly love all versions of yourself. Love you when you can’t get out of bed, the version who was recognised by your boss at work, the version that singly loudly and badly in the shower and the one who cry on their weekend away. You have an unknown number of days with yourself in that time allow yourself to fall, to burn bread and then bake more, when you are being kind you are doing enough.
If you or a friend has been affected by mental health below are some useful resources.
Heart Shaped boxes are back in store, personalised gift cards and chocolate galore.February 14th, the marmite of the holidays. Either you’re frantically scrolling titktok for that perfect last minute gift idea or you’re in your local buying booze and chocolate for yourself before tipsly crying to Love Island.
I could recomend some love songs but I feel quite cynical, lets have a collective cry together to the tune of these break up ballads.
RAYE- Escapism
RAYE Escapism
What doesn’t this tune have? RAYE encaspulates the washing machine of emotions you rinse though in the few weeks after a break up. The drunken denial, depressive episodes flung out in bed, nights spent out with neglected friend’s, dressing up and doing it all over again. Pouring drinks, taking shots, spilling yourself over blurred men. The weight of what RAYE has been through serves to her strength in this song as she learns to have fun with her feelings, she may be broken hearted but she’s still that bitch ;
“At least it’s the Prada two-piece that I’m trippin’ in And I’m already actin’ like a dick, know what I mean? So you might as well stick it in”
The inability to acknowledge the loss of a lover, the need to feel numb and the escape that comes with this denile and its distractions are all rife in this song. For a heavy topic the beat of the song still sends you in to your own groove when that wine hits or the tears flow. When you’re feeling a certain way escapsim,featuring 070 Shake,becomes a dance party in your ears. You feel RAYE’s rage and channel it through dance.
Escapism has been released as part of RAYE’s new album; My 21ST Century Blues which she has described as,
” A mosaic of different fragmented pieces from the last seven years of my life
with no sonic consistency, and no holding back.”
RAYE ,born Rachel Agatha Keen, went viral on titktok with this song landing her a number one on the UK offcials single charts.Not to steal her spotlight but we jumped on the Raye Tiktok wagon with our own creation;
Can’t have a morning routine without music. Head over to EVOLVE MUSIC to discover so many talented people and revisit a few familiar faces! @raye #music#podcast#spotify#makeup#fyp
Raye is a household name in the music industry relasing songs such as Confidence, Tequila and You don’t know me ,to name a few, but after parting ways with Polydor records last year her new album echoes promises of a powerful era for the singer.
Maisie Peter’s – Body Better
Another break up ballad you may want to retreat into comes from Maisie Peters.
Body Better has been described by Peters as a song about;
“Insecurity and vulnerability, about giving a lot of yourself away to someone who decides they don’t want it anymore and knowing where to go from there.”
Writing it in the aftermath of a break up, the song is indepth as we all are when we reflect on every minor detail of a premature departure. The tone of a text message, regretting getting annoyed the bin hadn’t been emptied, being proud you had defended your decisions all become our focus, forgetting who we are. This disorientation in the face of reflection resonates throughout this song. Were we enough? Were we too much? was it you, was it them? What happened? This internal interogation has one destination; Tears. You can text them, you can call, you can relive it all in your head but what sort of freedom is that?
Peter’s remains self assured in this song, her soul bearing lyrics serving as a reminder that we did our best, we were enough, they just didn’t appreciate that. Sometmes it is not what has been done, or even what has been said, sometimes you’re just sleeping in the wrong bed.
“Cause it was nothing I did and nothing I said And I know I gave you all of myself, one hundred percent”
Whilst this song may not warrent a dance party you can still have a bedroom rave to it, or a power walk round your neigbourhood, strutting past all those entwined together.The track itself is very joyous, with an encouraging drumbeat. The bouncy nature of the tune detracts from the weight of the lyrics which are littered with negative comparisons, critising yourself, fearing that your love is not enough when it is your only weapon agaisnt someone you believe has been chosen for their ‘better body’.
Body Better has been released to tease Peters upcoming album- title still to be announced. She’s also touring with a few tickets left! Find out more here.
I have loved her music since Psycho, Blonde and then (more recently) Not another rockstar which again I just had to do a TikTok too, as well as writing a blog piece about.
Finally, we’ve all been inspecting our jam jars recently, analysing its levels with a side eye to our signifcant other. If you have no clue what I am talking about, how have you not seen the TikTok dances to Shakira’s, now iconic,disstrack. Aimed at her cheating ex boyfriend Gerard Pique, Shakira holds nothing back remaining confident and cut throat throughout.
It is full blown Shakira, empowered, independent and fierce sick of disapointments and betrayed by the missing jam she leaves the situation.
Her now ex boyfriend Pique was a professioanl centre back, a champion in his league but Shakira was way out of his and he gave her “the worst version of himself”. Claiming herslef back as the ‘She wolf’ she is Shakira seems unphased by his lack of remorse, she is over his actions and empowered by her new found singlehood. The beat before the chorus has very quickly become inconic with its wide use on tiktok dance trends- no this time I haven’t made one but there is still time-
A lose translation of her lyrics shows how strong Shakria is, monetizing the opportunity and moving on’
“Women no longer cry, women get paid”
Alongside Miley Cyrus’s Flowers (which I did create a TikTok about) Shakira’s disstrack has been dubbed one of the most iconic songs in break up history.
Shakira met Pique way back in 2010 when he starred in her music video for Waka Waka, the offical song for the world cup that year. They went public with their relationship in 2011, sharing a kiss on stage at Shakira’s show in Barcelona. The broke up back in 2022 , after 11 years together. Initally Shakira wanted to stay silent about the reasons for the split but it wasn’t long before Picque was seen with another woman. The betrayal became clear.
Shakira has described the disstrack as “cathartic” dedicating it to the “millions of owmen who rise up against those who make us feel insigniciant, women who stand up for what they feel, think and raise their hand when they disagree. They are my inspiration”
However you spend Valentines day whether it be wrath, lust or love look after yourself, each other and remain respectful and true to yourself. Whether you’re searching for love or searching for youself, stay strong and stick some tunes on.
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