Delta Goodrem’s Journey to the Eurovision Final
Delta Goodrem, an Australian singer-songwriter, made a stunning appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest, captivating audiences with her performance of “Eclipse.” Dressed in a gold gown adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals, she looked every bit the part of a potential winner. Her performance secured her a spot in the contest’s final, marking a significant milestone for Australia in this prestigious event.
Not only has Goodrem made it to the final, but she has also gained considerable support from fans and industry experts alike. Online prediction polls have moved her up from fifth place to second, suggesting that she might actually have a chance to win. Even renowned UK television presenter Graham Norton acknowledged the possibility of an Australian victory on Joel Creasey’s podcast, highlighting the growing excitement around Goodrem’s participation.
Despite the odds, Australia has a history of not performing well in the Eurovision Song Contest. Since entering the competition in 2015, the country has failed to qualify three times, with notable participants like Montaigne, Electric Fields, and Go-Jo not making it past the semi-finals. However, Goodrem seems to be changing this narrative, showing promise and potential for success.
On Sunday, Goodrem will face off against fellow finalists from various countries, including Bulgaria, Ukraine, Norway, Romania, Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Denmark, and the Czech Republic. They will join the 10 successful countries from the first semi-final: Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Moldova, Israel, Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland. Additionally, they will compete against the so-called “Big Five”: France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, as well as the host country, Austria.
Predictions and Support for Goodrem
According to major Eurovision outlets like Aussievision and Eurovisionworld, Australia has made it to the “Top 5” in winner prediction lists, coming just below Finland and edging out heavy-hitters like Greece and Denmark. This is a significant achievement for Goodrem and highlights her strong performance in the contest.
Courtney Act, an Australian drag queen and lead commentator for SBS’ Australian Eurovision coverage, has been closely following Goodrem’s progress. Act praised her performance, noting that it contained all the necessary elements for victory: solid vocals, impressive production design, and intoxicating energy. “She’s so beautiful. Her voice is just so pure. The pitch is perfect, the song is wonderful, the production is brilliant, and it just builds and builds and builds,” Act said on their Instagram story.
Guy Sebastian, who represented Australia at Eurovision in 2015, also showed support for his fellow participant by sharing voting details on his Instagram story, and noting that Goodrem was “killing it.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese even expressed his belief that Goodrem deserved to win, stating, “She’s at the stage of her career [where] she doesn’t need to do this at all. She’s doing this because she wanted to represent Australia … I hope that she cracks it – she deserves it.”
Expert Opinions and Public Reception
Goodrem has also received positive feedback from international commentators. Rylan Clark and Angela Scanlon, hosts of the BBC’s Eurovision coverage, noted that audiences were lapping up her performance. “In the rehearsal yesterday, there [was] definitely excitement about having somebody of that ilk on stage, and she didn’t hold back,” Scanlon said during a segment on This Morning Britain ahead of the semi-final.
Mark Savage, the BBC’s music correspondent, also highlighted Goodrem as a contender, stating that her odds have been shortening all week. He praised her song, a classic ballad in the Celine Dion style, which is guaranteed to appeal to both the public vote and the juries of professional songwriters.
Georgina Hall-Brown, a popular Eurovision content creator and vocal coach, has added Goodrem to her list of potential winners, praising the singer’s vocal strength and referring to her as a “queen.” Similarly, vocal coach Tim Welch, who has worked with artists like Lauryn Hill and Keshi, applauded Goodrem’s tonal quality and her voice’s ability to stand on its own.
Challenges and Historical Context
While the odds are in Goodrem’s favor, predicting Eurovision results remains challenging due to its complex voting system. Vote-harvesting campaigns can sometimes disrupt the already fragile voting system. Goodrem is also performing in the first half of the final on Sunday, meaning she will likely have to work even harder to remain in the audience’s mind over the following hours of the finale.
History indicates that luck hasn’t always been on Australia’s side. Despite several previous Australian participants cutting through, none have officially won. Dami Im managed to win the professional jury vote with Sound of Silence in 2016, but she was edged out by Ukraine’s Jamala once the public televote was added. Kate Miller-Heidke, known for her daring performance of Zero Gravity, only secured ninth place. Guy Sebastian, who helped make Australia a permanent fixture in Eurovision after 2015, only managed to come fifth with his soulful performance of Tonight Again.
Now, all eyes are on Goodrem to see if she can break this run of bad luck. As a seasoned professional singer, known globally for hits like Born to Try, she is uniquely placed to impress both the professional jury and the public vote. The only question is whether this will be enough to help her pip Finland’s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen for the win.
SBS will air the Eurovision grand final live at 5am AEST on Sunday. Semi-final 1 will be repeated at 7.30pm AEST tonight; semi-final 2 and the grand final will be repeated at 7.30pm AEST on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
