The SBS have announced that Jaguar Jonze, Isaiah Firebrace and Paulini are set to perform as part of the 2022 edition of Eurovision – Australia Decides, a competition to determine who will represent the country at next year’s primary Eurovision Song Contest.
It’ll mark the third incarnation of the 2.5-hour-long special, having debuted in 2019 with a battle won by Kate Miller-Heidke.
Montaigne succeeded Miller-Heidke last year, winning with her track ‘Don’t Break Me’. Eurovision 2020 was ultimately scrapped due to COVID-19, and Montaigne re-entered this year with ‘Technicolour’, which she performed remotely from Australia.
Returning to vie for his second Eurovision stint is pop singer-songwriter Isaiah Firebrace, who previously represented Australia at the 2017 contest (coming ninth place overall with his song ‘Don’t Come Easy’). Firebrand also won the 2016 series of The X-Factor Australia, and that December released his debut (and currently sole) album, ‘Isaiah’.
Jonze also competed in last year’s Eurovision – Australia Decides competition, injuring herself in the process when she dislocated her left shoulder.
Take a look at the SBS’ trailer for the 2022 Eurovision – Australia Decides announcement below:
“When I first represented Australia at Eurovision in 2017, I was 17, it was my first time in Europe and I feel like everything was a blurry dream that went by so quickly,” Firebrace said in a press release.
“I’ve grown so much as a singer, a performer and as a person since then and I’ve definitely got unfinished business! I can’t tell you anything more except that I’m singing a duet with someone incredible and that we co-wrote the song.”
Touching on her own return to Australia Decides, Jonze said she was “honoured and bubbling with excitement”, noting that she’s inspired by “the imagination, creativity and talent of the performances”, and considers the stage “such a special place to express yourself as a musician and an artist”.
She continued: “My song is going to be a moment that celebrates our resilience and the little steps that lead to big change, as well as push my creative boundaries to another level. So much has happened since we were all together, and being back with the added strength of my Eurovision family and fanbase will make it a show worth waiting for.”
Jonze’s second appearance in the Eurovision – Australia Decides competition comes on the back of the NME cover star’s ‘Antihero’ EP, released via Nettwerk back in April, and its standalone follow-up ‘Who Died And Made You King?’.
Paulini – who made her comeback last year with the single ‘Twenty Twenty’ after a five-year hiatus – said: “I’m super excited to be part of Eurovision – Australia Decides, after all it’s been ages since any of us have really been able to perform to anyone other than our families. That also means it’s been a little while since I’ve been able to belt out any of the big notes I’m known for.
“But that is something the audience can definitely expect to hear in my new single which I’ll be performing at Eurovision – Australia Decides on the Gold Coast in 2022. Eurovision to me is like the Olympics for singers! It brings together so many countries and cultures – and while it’s a competition I see it as uniting much of the world through music.”
The 2022 edition of Eurovision – Australia Decides will air on the SBS at 7:30pm on Saturday February 26.