Who is Australia's Eurovision 2019 entry Kate Miller-Heidke?
Everything you need to know about the Zero Gravity singer and songwriter
After only debuting in 2015, Australia has become a major force in Eurovision, finishing in the top ten in three of their four years competing.
However, the country slipped up massively last year, achieving a 20th place finish (they still, of course, finished four places above the UK).
So who is Australia hoping will reclaim their glory? Kate Miller-Heidke. Here’s everything you need to know about her…
- When is the Eurovision Song Contest 2019?
- Meet the acts competing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019
- Who is the UK’s entry at Eurovision 2019?
Who is Kate Miller-Heidke?
She’s a pretty big deal down under. After earning a music degree at university, Miller-Heidke (now 37) became an award-winning classical performer and sang in operas such as The Turn of the Screw and Jerry Springer: The Opera.
She has released four hit studio albums, three live records and even a greatest hits compilation.
Miller-Heidke is also an accomplished songwriter, having penned the music and lyrics for musical Muriel's Wedding. She also won the 2008 International Songwriting Competition – the first Australian to do so.
https://youtu.be/GL2_DMIVL_c
Why isn’t Courtney Act singing for Australia at Eurovision 2019?
Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race were delighted to hear that Courtney Act – who won the 2018 edition of Celebrity Big Brother UK – had put forward an entry to compete at Eurovision 2019 for Australia.
However, in the country’s national selection process, Eurovision: Australia Decides, Courtney finished in fourth place, her song Fight For Love failing to impress both the judges and viewers at home.
https://youtu.be/Kjup_olMNgo
What is Australia’s Eurovision song called?
Kate Miller-Heidke’s entry is called Zero Gravity. Or, as she sings it, Ze-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ero Gra-a-a-a-a-a-a-avity.
It’s a real mishmash of genres: mainly opera with EDM, complete with an indie-pop chant-provoking finish.
https://youtu.be/D2WGWG9RkeA
The song was penned by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. The lyrics refer to Miller-Heidke’s struggle with post-natal depression and the feeling of weightlessness as she recovered.
What will Australia's Eurovision 2019 song look like on stage?
During the national finals, Kate Miller-Heidke performed in a giant raised dress as a woman attached to a bendy pole flew around behind her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlpBPO9_L4E
It’s hypnotic. It’s bizarre. And we're seeing MORE bendy sticks on the Eurovision stage, with another background dancer added to the staging.
https://youtu.be/5YI623ePilI
What are the odds of Australia winning Eurovision 2019?
Australia could do very well this Eurovision, with bookies predicting a top 5 finish.
What happens if Australia win Eurovision 2019?
Then Eurovision 2010 WON'T be hosted in Australia. Instead, they'd co-host the contest within a country in Europe, Germany being the first choice here. However, if Germany can't host then the honour would fall to – take a deep breath – the UK!
How did Australia do at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest?
Singer Jessica Mauboy (essentially Australia's version of Beyonce) finished in a disappointing 20th place on the final leaderboard.
The Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final takes place in Tel Aviv, Israel, on May 18th 2019