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Could Jersey enter Eurovision? And what would our entry sound like?
Important questions from the Express team ahead of this weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final which will take place on Saturday night in Liverpool, after last year’s winners Ukraine were unable to host.
According to the detailed set of rules produced by the contest organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the invitation to participate in the contest is sent out to all active members of the EBU or member states of the Council of Europe.
The bad news is that Jersey falls under the UK's jurisdiction when it comes to the European Broadcasting Area and the Council of Europe.
The good news is that "associates of the EBU may also be eligible to enter the Eurovision Song Contest, this is decided by the Reference Group, the governing body of the Eurovision Song Contest, on a case-by-case basis."
Attempted applicants have included China, the Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein, and Wales.
Pictured: Wales have previously attempted to send their own entry, and succeeded in Junior Eurovision 2018.
The hot favourite tipped to win this year's contest is Sweden, with another Scandinavian country – Finland – looking to be stiff competition.
But what if Jersey could be the ones to give the Scandinavians a run for their money?
Express spoke to a local musician, among others, who gave us a couple of ideas...
Rich Allo, a singer who was born and raised in Jersey and specialises in making pop-rock tracks.
He said: "I've always associated our island with the summer, the sea and sunshine, so if Jersey had a Eurovision entry I would love it to be an explosive pop-rock track. Something with a huge chorus and lots of warm, bright instrumentation. Perhaps the kind of thing you'd expect from The Killers or One Republic."
Asked whether he would like to write Jersey's entry, Rich said he would "love to", although there would be "a lot of pressure to get it right. You can't please everyone but I'd like to think I could bring an energy to make everyone smile and get up on their feet."
As to whether Jersey could win, Rich said: "I think we'd have to produce something extra special. It would have to match the standards of what Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands have produced in the past."
His favourite this year is Ukraine's "Heart of Steel": "the lyrics are very motivational and empowering."
He also added that one of his tracks produced recently and available on Spotify, sounds similar to what he would produce for Eurovision.
Other ideas came from the AI taking the world by storm, ChatGPT.
Pictured: Could ChatGPT write the entry for our Island and honour its heritage in the lyrics?
When asked if it could produce some lyrics for a Eurovision entry from Jersey, it offered:
On the western shores of Europe
A jewel in the English Channel sea
A land of beauty and history
Jersey, that's where we wanna be
Chorus:
Jersey, Jersey, let's sing it loud
A land of sunshine, sand and sound
From the rugged cliffs to sandy coves
A place to dance, to laugh, to love
From Mont Orgueil to Elizabeth Castle
The island's fortresses stand tall
A rich heritage we'll never lose
From the past, we'll build our future anew
Chorus:
Jersey, Jersey, let's sing it loud
A land of sunshine, sand and sound
From the rugged cliffs to sandy coves
A place to dance, to laugh, to love
Jersey, where the tides rise high
A place where dreams can touch the sky
A friendly welcome, a warm embrace
Jersey, our island of grace
Chorus:
Jersey, Jersey, let's sing it loud
A land of sunshine, sand and sound
From the rugged cliffs to sandy coves
A place to dance, to laugh, to love
Outro:
Jersey, Jersey, we'll raise our voice
Our island home, a paradise of choice
Let's celebrate, let's sing and cheer
Jersey, we'll love you year after year.
Perhaps next year, an amendment should be lodged to the Government Plan and an application made...
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