News - Introducing the 2009 entries: United Kingdom | Eurovision Song Contest News - 2010 Oslo, Norway 

All entries in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest are known, but the actual contest is still three weeks away. As a warm-up, we introduce one of the entries every day in random order. Part thirty-seven is dedicated to the entry from the United Kingdom.

Basic information

Performer:	Jade Ewen
Song:	It's my time
Language:	English
Music:	Andrew Lloyd Webber, Diane Warren
Lyrics:	Andrew Lloyd Webber, Diane Warren
Draw:	23rd in the final

 

The song

It's my time is a classic pop/musical ballad. The lyrics are about finding one's place in life and achieving what he or she wanted. According to Diane Warren, it can seen as a reference to a person but also to a whole country.

 

                    I've got the will, I've earned the right
                    To show you it's my time tonight
 
                    It's my time, it's my time
                    My moment, I'm not gonna let go of it
                    My time, it's my time
                    And I stand proud
                    There's nothin' I'm afraid of
                    I'll show you what I'm made of
                    Show you all it's my time now

 

The singer

Jade Ewen was born in 1988 as the daughter of a Jamaican mother and father, who is half Sicilian. She would attend the Sylvia Young Theatre School, an insitution with famous graduates like Emma Bunton, Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis and also 1991 UK Eurovision Song Contest representative Samantha Janus. At the age of only twelve years, she starred as Nala in the West End production of the musical The Lion King (the same role in the same prodcution was also already played by Javine, UK representative in 2005).  

Later, Jade would make her way all to Australia, where she appeared in 14 episodes of the TV series Out there between 2003 and 2004. Other appearances as an actress followed, before she entered the music business in 2005. She became a member of the Trinity Stone, which was signed with Sony BMG. Some singles were released in the United Kingdom and Russia to minor success, but the group worked with American R&B singer Ne-Yo on his song Real Love. The group split up in 2007 and Jade has been persuing her solo career since. The online single Stolen love/Got you was released in 2008.

She entered the performer selection for the United Kindom's entry for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. She could win Your Country Needs You and she will therefore sing the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren composition It's my time in Moscow. In February, she signed a contract with Polydor and her debut album is expected to be released later this year. Gary Barlow of Take That will work on some of the songs.

 

The national selection

The United Kingdom's representative was chosen with a new format this year. Andrew Lloyd Webber had internally been chosen as composer for the country's song in Moscow and a nation wide talent search took place to select the singer. Six act competed in four live shows with one act being eliminated in each heat before the final. Jade could win the national final, although she was in the bottom two the week before. Andrew Lloyd Webber chose American songwriter Diane Warren as lyricist for the song, but it later turned out that It's my time was collaboration on both the music and the words. After 51 participations, it was the first time that the UK song was not chosen in a public selection (although the performers were selected internally on many occasions).

 

The United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest

The United Kingdom debuted in the second edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and the seventh place out of ten participants was definitely not an omen of later successes. After a break in 1958, the country returend in 1959 and has not missed an edition since making it the country with the most consecutive participations and, along with France, the country with the second most participations in total. In total, the United Kingdom won the contest five times, finished second 15 times and came third three times and is therefore proabably the most succesful country ever. However, over the last ten participations, the UK finished in the top ten only once and achieved its first two last places in 2003 and 2008.

 

                     We wish the United Kingdom and Jade Ewen the best of luck and a good result in Moscow!

 

Videos 

Jade talks to esctoday.com:

National final performance:

The preview video:

Performing The voice within in the second elimination round:

Trinity Stone with Move a little closer:

 

Other parts of this series

1. France
2. Portugal
3. Romania
4. Denmark
5. Netherlands
6. Cyprus
7. Latvia
8. Ireland
9. Malta
10. Armenia
11. Germany
12. Serbia
13. Belgium
14. Greece
15. Croatia
16. Poland
17. Czech Republic
18. Iceland
19. Moldova
20. Switzerland
21. Slovenia
22. Andorra
23. Ukraine
24. Spain
25. Sweden
26. Montenegro
27. Finland
28. Lithuania
29. Russia
30. Turkey
31. Azerbaijan
32. Bulgaria
33. Belarus
34. Norway
35. Israel
36. Slovakia

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Hungarian entry. 

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