‘Hey friends. Just a couple thoughts’…
Sam Ryder might just be the friendliest of the UK’s Eurovision entries since the country’s debut contest in 1957. And the self-confessed “golden retriever” more than lives up to this reputation in one of his latest TikTok videos, addressed to his 13 million strong following. To watch it yourself, visit @samhairwolfryder here.
Setting the precedent for next year’s contest, Ryder perfectly addresses the news that the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be held by 2022 runners-up the UK . As it traditionally would be hosted by the previous winners, in this case the Ukraine – thanks to Kalush Orchestra’s brilliant performance of folk-rap song ‘Stefania’ – Ryder expressed that his ‘heart is heavy’ knowing that Kalush and the Ukrainian delegation cannot bring the contest home due to the ongoing Russian invasion.
The Eurovision Press Award winner eloquently surmised the essence of his message from the outset. Starting strong, he stated:
‘It’s Ukraine’s Party. We’re just inviting them to throw it at our house.’
Perhaps the message could not have been clearer than Ryder’s metaphor, but he continued to reassure his audience, especially ‘anyone watching this from Ukraine’, by enthusiastically declaring that ‘we know how to throw a party here in the UK’.
A necessary change
Initially, both Kalush Orchestra and Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky hoped to be able to host the contest in a ‘Free, peaceful, restored!’ Ukraine, from the city of Mariupol. Although this has been deemed unsafe by the European Broadcasting Union, President Zelensky was not mistaken that Ukraine’s ‘courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe!’
Promising that the UK are ‘just loving facilitators’, it is evident that the priority of next year’s hosts is to provide ‘an event that celebrates Ukrainian culture, history and music, and to stand in solidarity with the rest of the globe shining a unified light.’
For those of you left wondering what elements of Ukrainian culture might be at the forefront, we need only look at the previous Eurovision Song Contest’s held by the country. As this is their third win, the shows from 2005 and 2017 might be useful for hinting at what they are most proud of. Known for: the national Hopak dance (performed by Cossacks), clothing such as the Vyshyvanka, Easter eggs, the national dish Borscht, and seven UNESCO world heritage sights, it is safe to say that the Ukraine has a wealth of culture to share with Europe from the British Isles.
Sam ends the video confidently, with ‘no doubt in my mind that we will all come together in the spirit of unity that Eurovision has always been about to celebrate the wonderful people of Ukraine. I love you and I’ll see you soon. Peace.’ Now all we have to do is wait until next year…