As a nation, the UK's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest has been a mixed bag over the years, with only a handful of stand-out performances going the distance - such as Bucks Fizz, winners in 1981, Sandie Shaw in 1967, Lulu in 1969 and Katrina and the Waves in 1997 as well as Sam Ryder, who came second last year but whose musical career has absolutely skyrocketed since.
This year, the Eurovision Song Contest is being held in the UK for the first time in 25 years. It'll take place at Liverpool's M&S Arena and is being hosted by the UK on behalf of Ukraine - who won the competition last year.
With this year's entry to the competition being 25-year-old Mae Muller, the UK has high hopes for another success story with her hit song I Wrote A Song, which became the first UK entry in ten years to make the Top 40 singles chart in its first week.
Mae's first EP was released in February 2018 - After Hours - before her debut album, Chapter 1, came in April 2019. But who is Mae Muller? Here's everything we know so far ahead of the competition.
Who is Mae Muller?
Mae Muller is a 25-year-old singer and songwriter from London who has found fame with her Eurovision song entry, I Wrote A Song, but also various other hits such as 'Better Days' in 2021 in collaboration with Neiked - a Swedish music collective - and American rapper Polo G.
Mae isn't new to the music industry and even made her first appearance on television as a child appearing in Mika's music video for his hit song Grace Kelly in 2007. Recalling getting the part, she said on an episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks: "I actually got it based on how [messed] up my teeth were, apparently. I guess they saw all the auditions and he went, 'She's got some real intense teeth. That's good, we like that'."
Her music career, however, flourished when she uploaded a clip of her singing to Instagram and was soon discovered and signed by her manager. In 2018 came her first EP, After Hours, before her second, Frankly, was released just six months later. In 2019, she released her debut album, Chapter 1, under her record label Capitol Records UK and supported Little Mix on their 2019 LM5: The Tour.
Following this, she began making waves in the industry and worked with a plethora of artists on a variety of tracks before she was announced as the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entry in March 2023.
The three-minute song had its radio debut on Thursday, March 9 on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. Mae Muller co-wrote ‘I Wrote A Song' with Brit-Nominated songwriter Lewis Thompson (David Guetta, Joel Corry, and Raye - Bed) and Karen Poole, who has written for Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen, David Guetta and Alisha’s Attic.
When is the Eurovision Song Contest?
The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is when viewers and music fans can see Mae perform her hit song live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, will take place on Saturday, May 13.
The semi-finals of the competition will occur on Tuesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 11. However, as the UK is one of the Big Five countries, Muller will not have to perform during either of the semi-finals taking place this week, instead, she will go straight through to the final where she will be one of 26 acts to compete. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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