Mae Muller has been confirmed as the United Kingdom’s 2023 Eurovision Song Contest entry. The English singer will perform in Liverpool in May - the first time the competition has been held in the UK in 25 years.
Speaking of her signing, Mae said: ”I'm so excited to participate in Eurovision this year and represent the UK. I've loved watching Eurovision all my life, so to compete in such a massive music competition is simply brilliant. I’m a huge fan of so many of the artists that have found success at Eurovision, from ABBA to Måneskin.
“Sam Ryder was so amazing last year and proved the UK can be back on the left-hand side of the leaderboard. I wrote the song ‘I Wrote A Song’ a few months ago when I was going through a hard time and wanted to feel empowered about relationships, so for it to be chosen for this year’s UK Eurovision song is honestly a dream.”
Read more: Eurovision 2023 UK entry: Mae Muller to represent the United Kingdom
But who exactly is Mae Muller? Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s UK Eurovision entry.
Who is Mae Muller?
Holly Mae Muller was born in 1997 in Kentish Town, North London. Her parents separated when she was six, but Mae stayed in London with her mum, a costume designer, while attending school in Tufnell, where she taught younger children creative writing.
Mae’s aunt is a music video director, and she used to spend afternoons as a runner for artists like Labrinth. She has never confirmed her aunt's identity but it is likely to be Sophie Muller, the director of videos like No Doubt's 'Don't Speak', Bjork's 'Venus As A Boy' and Beyoncé's 'Deja Vu'.
What was Mae’s debut performance?
Mae’s entrance into the world of music came at the tender age of nine. She starred in the video for Mika's breakout single, ‘Grace Kelly’.
"I actually got it based on how [messed] up my teeth were, apparently,' Mae said on a recent episode of Never Mind The Buzzcocks. "I guess they saw all the auditions and he went, 'She's got some real intense teeth. That's good, we like that'."
Who inspired Mae to go into music?
Mae cites American singer Gwen Stefani as an idol. She told Wonderland Magazine in 2018: "I wouldn't say she influenced my music and songwriting, but after discovering Gwen I knew that I wanted to do what she did."
Mae has also admitted to being a fan of Florence and the Machine and Lily Allen.
When did Mae write her first song?
Mae has said that she wrote her first song when she was 19 years old. The singer was taking a train from her father's house in Cornwall back to London when the Wi-fi cut out, and she started writing a tune about her boyfriend to stave off the boredom.
Speaking to The Line of Best Fit, she said: "I opened Notes [on my phone] and started singing melodies and anything that came into my head. I just said how I felt and tried to make it into a song and it worked.”
How did Mae Muller become famous?
Mae first received mainstream attention after releasing the single 'Better Days' in 2021, with Swedish music collective Neiked and American rapper Polo G. It went on to chart in the Top 40 in both the UK and America.
In 2019, Mae released her debut studio album, titled Chapter 1. She also supported popular girl group Little Mix on their 2019 tour.
Following the tour, she released a single titled 'Therapist', which she had performed on the tour prior to its release. Alongside the release of 'Therapist', Mae announced her first national tour, visiting five cities across the UK.
What is Mae Muller’s Eurovision song?
Mae will be singing the song, ‘I Wrote A Song’, in this year’s contest. 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. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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