Mae Muller strutted into Liverpool 2023 with one of my pre-contest favourites - a slick, sassy breakup bop that screamed radio hit. The recorded track had it all: catchy hook, confident attitude, and the kind of chorus you imagine an arena chanting along to. Hopes were sky-high, especially with the home crowd behind her.
And then… the live performance happened. Vocals that never quite landed where they should, staging that somehow felt both busy and empty, and camera shots that made you wonder if the director had wandered off. The attitude was there, but the delivery? Let’s just say it was more “awkward karaoke” than “pop powerhouse.”
The UK had hyped it like it could follow Sam Ryder’s runner-up magic, but instead it limped to second last place, leaving the Liverpool crowd cheering in sympathy more than celebration.
Still, I can’t help loving it - I go back to the studio version all the time. It’s a guilty pleasure in the purest Eurovision sense: a great pop song wrapped in a gloriously messy three minutes of live chaos.
