Singer-songwriter James Newman will represent the
UK at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, it has been revealed.
James – who, yes, is indeed the brother of fellow musician John Newman – was confirmed as this year’s UK entry on Thursday morning, with his competing song My Last Breath receiving its first play on both the Radio 1 and Radio 2 breakfast shows.
The My Last Breath
music video has shared online later that morning, showing James walking around some icy mountains in the border between Poland and the Czech Republic.
He said: “It’s such an honour to be representing the
United Kingdom this year at Eurovision – I still can’t quite believe it!
“I’m also so proud to be taking My Last Breath as the song. I wrote it with some of my best friends, who are amazingly talented songwriters in their own right.”He added: “I knew it was ‘the one’ after first recording it. I just loved the simplicity and universal message of the song.”
In the past, the singer has co-written top 10 hits for Little Mix and Jess Glynne, not to mention chart-topping tracks for Rudimental and Calvin Harris, the latter of which was a collaboration with James’ famous brother.
He has also worked with former One Direction singers Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, as well as Olly Murs and Kesha.
My Last Breath was co-written by James, alongside Ed Drewett, Iain James and Adam Argyle, whose past credits include One Direction, Dua Lipa and James Bay.
Last year, the UK was represented by former All Together Now winner Michael Rice, who finished at the bottom of the pack with just 11 points in total.
Following this, it was revealed that the
BBC would be taking a different approach to the competition in 2020, beginning with axing the Eurovision: You Decide shows, which allow the public to vote for which act and song are sent.
Instead, it was revealed the BBC would be collaborating with the record label BMG to decide on a song and artist to send as the UK’s representative.Eurovision 2020 will be held in Rotterdam, following Duncan Laurence’s victory for The Netherlands, the first time they had won the competition since 1975.
The UK last won Eurovision in 1997, with Katrina And The Waves’ song Love Shine A Light.Bucks Fizz from
Britain, 1981 All the (primary) colours of the rainbow. Photoshot via Getty ImagesVerka Serduchka from Ukranie, 2007 Disco ball-meets-WW2 garrison caps. We'll be in the bunker. SVEN NACKSTRAND via Getty ImagesD'Nash from
Spain, 2007 This is 10 years too late to even be acceptable, guys. SVEN NACKSTRAND via Getty ImagesJedward from
Ireland, 2011 That hair. Sean Gallup via Getty ImagesJedward again, 2012 Back again, in silver armour. Pablo Blazquez Dominguez via Getty ImagesRuslana from
Ukraine, 2004 Ruslana: "So there's this TV show called "Xena: Warrior Princess'..."Costumer: "Say no more." Christopher Furlong via Getty ImagesScooch from Britain, 2007 Britney's Toxic costume went to Butlin's and it didn't quite come back the same person. HEIKKI SAUKKOMAA via Getty ImagesAbba from
Sweden, 1974 Velvet, yaaas. Ruffles, yaaaaas. Chained shoulder pads, YAAAAS. Imagno via Getty ImagesEric Papilaya from Austria, 2007 Is this some kind of metaphor? The Austrian singer rising like a sequined phoenix out of the flaming ashes of dead dancers? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Johannes Simon via Getty ImagesNaviband from Belarus, 2017. Just a lot of lace. NurPhoto via Getty ImagesYohanna from Iceland, 2009 Frozen before Frozen was even Frozen. Oleg Nikishin via Getty ImagesJordan from Britain, 2005 Ok so technically she didn't make it through to the actual show, but Jordan - aka Katie Price's bid for Eurovision glory in a latex catsuit with sparkly corset while heavily pregnant is TV history. REXJoci Papai from Hungary, 2017. Is a red bull near? Michael Campanella via Getty ImagesNina Kraljic from Croatia, 2016 So metallic. So futuristic. Vyacheslav Prokofyev via Getty ImagesSakis Rouvas from Greece, 2004 Simon Cowell prepares his imaginary friends for attack. APMORE EUROVISION: The UK Did Even Worse At Eurovision Than Originally Thought As Score Is Lowered
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