The secret to writing a song for Eurovision, it turns out, is to not actually realise you’re writing a song for Eurovision. That was what Mae Muller discovered after unwittingly composing the United Kingdom’s 2023 entry with a little help from her friends.
When Capitol/EMI-signed Muller polished off I Wrote A Song in a studio session with renowned hitmakers Karen Poole and Lewis Thompson, the thought of it being a Eurovision contender had not even entered their heads.
‘At the end of the day, we had the song pretty much done,’ Muller tells M Magazine. ‘And then a few days later, Eurovision was put on the table and I was like, “I feel like I've just written a Eurovision song, this is so strange.”’
Strange though it may seem to her, Muller will indeed be flying the flag for the UK at the May 13 contest at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, having been selected by the BBC and heavyweight management company TaP Music. Speaking at Universal Music Group HQ in King’s Cross, Muller considers why she was given the nod.
‘The whole ethos of Eurovision is about being yourself and it can bring the confidence out in each and every person no matter what you look like or where you're from – that's in my music and especially with this song,’ says the 25-year-old.
‘It's a bop about not letting people take you for an idiot, but also how do we get through that? And at the core of Eurovision is that no matter what we have to overcome as people, music can always bring us back together.’
‘It's a bop about not letting people take you for an idiot, but also how do we get through that? And at the core of Eurovision is that no matter what we have to overcome as people, music can always bring us back together.’
Thompson, a veteran of smash collaborations with acts such as David Guetta, Becky Hill and Little Mix, recalls the fateful studio meeting had deviated from the original script.
‘Me, Kaz and Mae had a session booked in about two months before and it got cancelled for various reasons,’ he says. ‘And by the time we actually did do a session for Mae, she came in and said, “My album's done, we don't need to write for me.” So to be honest, in my head I thought, “What are we doing this session for then?”’
‘I remember saying, “If we're not doing something for your album, let's just have some fun today and make something weird,” and we built it from there. I remember thinking it was pretty good and I’d had a good time, but that it was never going see the light of day.’
Thompson’s outlook changed markedly, however, when his manager called to inform him the track was in the running for Eurovision.
‘The file was only created two hours before that phone call, so my initial reaction was, “How on earth have they heard it?”’ he laughs. ‘I didn't really believe it, but after a few more phone calls I was like, “Oh my God, this is actually happening.”’
Thompson, who shared production duties on the track with Alfred Parx, reflects: ‘When I listen back to the song now, there are a lot of European references in there – it has an almost Greek or Latin feel to it. None of it was intentional, which I think is beautiful. I'm a big believer that there are these creative orbs in the universe and maybe that day there was this orb of Eurovision knocking about and we picked up on it somehow.’
Poole, who has penned hits for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Sugababes and K-pop stars NCT, fills in the remaining blanks.
‘I'd been wanting to work with Mae for a long time so I was quite excited, and she came into the session with quite a lot of the idea already, so it was a relatively simple day,’ says Poole. ‘She had a great concept and the lyrics to the pre-chorus, and then we went through the chorus and came up with something super-hooky. We were done within five or six hours.’
She adds: ‘I'm published by TaP so they managed to hear the song before a lot of other people. Within a couple of days, we had the, “Don't tell anyone but this could be something for Eurovision” conversation. So we had to go back in and think about a middle-eight.’
Had she been tasked with co-writing a Eurovision entry from the start, Poole suspects she would likely have gone down the ballad route – but believes things have turned out for the best.
‘The song perfectly fits the mood of where we are right now and Mae as an artist,’ she asserts. ‘She's an empowering person for young people. She's got a great attitude; she's super-enthusiastic and I'm really happy to be involved with a bit of positivity.’
Staged by the UK on behalf of 2022 winner Ukraine, this year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be the first to be held on British turf since Birmingham in 1998.
'The early signs are positive: I Wrote A Song became the first UK Eurovision entry in over a decade to go straight into the UK 40, and is expected to be given a second wind once the May contest rolls around.'
‘With it being on home soil, I think there is a bit of extra pressure,’ suggests Muller. ‘But I feel like that pressure is good because it drives me to do well and work even harder – and what an amazing thing to get to host on behalf of Ukraine. I think it is really, really important that they feel celebrated too, because it's their year really, but it's an honour to host on their behalf and that makes it extra special.’
On the heels of Sam Ryder’s runner-up spot – the UK’s best finish in almost quarter of a century – the country is approaching Eurovision with a renewed sense of optimism. And the Space Man star has been more than happy to share a few tips of the trade.
‘He's been kind enough to give me some advice,’ reveals Muller. ‘He said, “It's such a whirlwind, but just enjoy every minute and take each day as it comes, because you don't want to look back on it and go, ‘I wish I took that in a little bit more.’” So that's what I'm trying to do.’
The last of the UK’s five winners, Katrina And The Waves’ Love Shine A Light, triumphed in 1997 – the year Muller was born. A lucky omen, perhaps? The early signs are positive: I Wrote A Song became the first UK Eurovision entry in over a decade to go straight into the UK 40, and is expected to be given a second wind once the May contest rolls around.
But win, lose or draw, Team Muller are determined to enjoy the moment – and are hopeful the night will elevate the singer/songwriter to a new plateau regardless.
‘Mae is incredible,’ says Thompson. ‘She's really fun, her energy is amazing – no ego, really collaborative. I believe in her and I hope this is the platform that she's going to need for everyone to realise how good she is.’
‘This platform is perfect for her as an artist and I think it's going to be the beginning of something quite exciting,’ adds Poole. ‘Will I be going? I hope so – if I can get a flipping ticket! I love Eurovision and I'm super-proud of being involved in it. We went to the pre-party the other night, which was hilarious. It was such a warm atmosphere and Mae absolutely smashed it.’
‘It's a one in a million experience,’ finishes Muller on a high note. ‘I've been doing this for five, six years now so I thought I knew what there was to know, but I'm learning so much.
‘Obviously we've got tunnel vision for Eurovision right now, but I've got my debut album coming, which I'm so excited about, and I will be going on tour as well, so hopefully the party doesn't stop. For whoever wants to carry on this journey with me, let's go. Let's carry it on baby!’
