UK Eurovision fans underwhelmed by Olly Alexander Eighties-inspired entry: ‘Meh’

Fans are questioning whether Eighties-influenced dance bop is enough to secure the UK a top spot in this summer’s competition

(Getty Images)

Olly Alexander has unveiled “Dizzy” – the song that will represent the UK in the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest.

Alexander, 33, will perform the track at the annual competition taking place this May in Malmö, Sweden, following the Scandinavian country’s victory last year with “Tattoo” by Loreen.

The Years & Years singer and star of Channel 4’s 2021 hit LGBTQ+ series It’s A Sin was announced as the UK’s representative in December.

On Friday (1 March), he released “Dizzy” – the Eighties-inspired dance bop which he will perform at the song contest this summer, alongside the accompanying music video.

The song was co-written with British producer Danny L Harle, whose previous credits include Dua Lipa’s comeback singles “Houdini” and “Training Day” as well as Caroline Polachek’s critically acclaimed album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.

“Dizzy” takes its cues from Eighties acts such as The Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, and DJ Adamski.

The song has divided many fans, however, with many Eurovision devotees debating its chances of winning on X/Twitter.

“I REALLY like Olly Alexander’s Eurovision song,” one person wrote. “That’s MUSIC baby.”

(Getty Images for Sky)

Another called it an “amazing British pop song” and predicted that it would place in the top 15.

One fan said: “Our Eurovision entry (which will not win despite the very lovely and talented Olly Alexander’s best efforts) has a whiff of something. Steps?”

“The UK Eurovision entry this year is actually pretty darn good!” said a fourth person, while someone else  argued: “It’s bloody awful”.

Others called the song “forgettable”.

“Mid-tempo pop will have neither [a very memorable tune or great stage act,” wrote one person, predicting that the UK will place “bottom third”.

“A great song for the UK this year at Eurovision. How it will do in the Final will depend very much on 1) How much Olly tours Europe between now and May 2) How well his vocals sound on the night 3) Staging, Staging, Staging 4) Staging,” said another.

“Meh, it’s ok that was a let down,” said someone else. “It won’t be last but it won’t win either.”

In a three-star review of the “satisfactory” track, The Independent’s music editor Roisin O’Connor questioned whether the dance bop would stand up against this year’s batch of contenders.

“Can ‘Dizzy’ match the giddy highs of ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’, the ferocious metal-tinged stomper from Croatia’s entry, Baby Lasagne? Or the frenzied insanity that is ‘No Rules!’ by Finnish duo Windows95Man?” writes O’Connor.

“Alexander has enough experience performing live (including at arenas, something previous entries have notably lacked) that he’s bound to put on a dazzling visual spectacle. Maybe ‘Dizzy’ is enough to get the judges’ heads spinning.”

This year’s competition will take place in Sweden following Loreen’s victory (PA)

Meanwhile, other Eurovision fans have called on Alexander to withdraw from the annual contest in protest of Israel’s participation.

Commenting on Alexander’s Instagram post sharing “Dizzy”, one person wrote: “I strongly urge you to reconsider participating in Eurovision until and unless they bar Israel from participation.”

In December, Eurovision rejected calls from fans for Israel to be removed from the competition amid its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

The same month, it was revealed that Alexander had previously signed a letter from an LGBT+ organisation in solidarity with Palestine, which referred to Israel as an “apartheid regime”, hitting out at the country and “Zionist propaganda” amid its war with Hamas.

The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest final will take place in Malmö, Sweden, on 13 May.

Mae Muller has announced a debut album which she described as “vulnerable and empowering”. (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

Published in the wake of military action by Israel in Gaza in retaliation for the 7 October attacks by Hamas, the letter said: “We are watching a genocide take place in real time.

“Death overflows from our phone screens and into our hearts. And, as a queer community, we cannot sit idly by while the Israeli government continues to wipe out entire lineages of Palestinian families.”

The revelation that Alexander had signed the letter prompted criticism from the Conservative Party, with a source accusing the BBC of “either a massive oversight or sheer brass neck” in selecting the pop singer as the UK’s Eurovision representative.

Britain Eurovision Song Contest Dress Rehearsal (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Meanwhile, the Jewish charity Campaign Against Antisemitism insisted that the BBC “can and must” cut ties with Alexander.

Last year, the UK finished in second-to-last place with Mae Muller’s performance of “I Wrote A Song”.

The UK fared better in 2022 with Sam Ryder’s “Space Man” which came in second after Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra.