His off-kilter performance may have become a meme. His dorkiness on stage may be
one of the biggest contributors to the United Kingdom becoming a punchline at
Eurovision. That being said, “Teenage Life” by Daz Sampson is my Eurovision guilty
pleasure.
An early example of a national final gone awry to many, Daz’s odd rap about the
downtrodden teenagers of the UK won over the British public to earn the ticket to
Eurovision. The song still stands out to me after many years due to its sincerity and
catchiness. The song has a legitimate message, the backing singers are on point and
Daz can never be accused of not giving his all. In fact, for a former footballer, his
rapping is better than many who have graced the ESC stage.
Also, and perhaps most importantly, the song sounded like many British rap songs on
the radio at the time. Rough and a bit cheeky. That’s what was making the British radio
back then. In fact, one of the main reasons for the recent UK struggles at Eurovision
has been the inability to send songs that feel like a snapshot of Britain at the moment.
While not the highest finishing song, that is certainly a criticism that can’t be pinned to
Sampson’s “Teenage Life.” The song was and still is pure mid-2000’s Britian and will be
a favorite of mine for years to come.