Firstly let’s all remember what the day just gone, September 1st, is all about. The official rules refer to this as the “release date”, meaning songs considered for the following year’s Eurovision Song Contest are fair game from this point. At first glance, the rules seem quite clear that any competing song “must have not been released and/or publicly performed”.
If only it were that simple. The next paragraph explains the process if this rule is broken, which ultimately ends up being a judgment call from the EBU Executive Supervisor as to whether the song has had an “advantage” over other songs due to its early release.
Is This An Unbreakable Rule?
As a general rule, any such rule-breaking has been applied as softly as possible. Emmelie de Forest performed ‘Never Alone’ before it went to Anja Nissen in 2016, and the EBU checked before MGP and said it was fine. ‘Requiem’ and ‘1944’ had similar prior performances as well.
The Ukrainian broadcaster has recently claimed that the restriction is tougher from the EBU, but on paper, the rulebook still states this competitive advantage clause leaves the same amount of leeway, and in reality, this means there are likely thousands if not tens of thousands of songs that would be allowed to compete in Malmö already released. We live in a world where statistics show that over 40 percent of tracks on Spotify have been played less than ten times. I’d argue should any of these tracks threaten to shine across Europe next year it would be easy to argue they hold no advantage due to their early release.
It’s worth saying that as a general rule, many broadcasters are far stricter about this rule than the EBU, likely dreading a slippery slope where they lose control of where the boundaries are and leave their National Final results open to possible scandal.
You Can Lose The Contest Before September 1st
But with or without this rule and its grey areas, think also about the other side of the Eurovision circus. For many the journey is already over. Most of the songs to be submitted for national selections, especially in the Nordics, have already been written, and have been or are about to be submitted. Thousands of those songs will never reach your ears, thrown away by broadcasters across the continent.
It’s likely some of the artists may have already started conversations with broadcasters about national final or internal selection opportunities. Some of those conversations have even finished, so for every Belgian who isn’t Mustii, their dream is already over for 2024.
For many, it’s time to pack up and try again next year (image: Ewan Spence)
Yes, for us in the community, this knowledge that any new music now can equal Eurovision competitive action is worthy of excitement. But in reality, this cut-off is vague, and across the continent, those journeys to Malmö have already begun for many.
The September 1st start of the season is a wishy-washy line, rather than the absolutism many treat it as defining the start of the season.