Dua Lipa’s team to choose the UK’s Eurovision 2022 entry
Dua Lipa and Elton John have publicly supported the move to overhaul the BBC’s approach after consecutive last place finishes
By Grace Almond
TaP Music, the global management team behind Dua Lipa, Hailee Steinfeld, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Lana Del Rey, is set to work with the BBC to choose the UK’s entry for the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest.
The move comes after a string of last place finishes for the UK. The 2022 contest will be held in Turin, Italy after the country’s entry Måneskin won the contest this year.
This isn’t the first time the BBC has changed its Eurovision selection process – in 2019, it scrapped the use of public vote to decide who would represent the country in the competition. Unfortunately, this year, the UK finished in last place when singer James Newton became the only contestant to score zero points.
The co-founder of TaP Music, Ben Mawson, has described how excited the management company is about the announcement of the partnership: “We’re really excited to be teaming up with the BBC for this event and will use Eurovision to authentically reflect and celebrate the rich, diverse and world-class musical talent the UK is globally renowned for.”
Since the news broke of the BBC’s new partnership with her management team, Dua Lipa has expressed her support for the change: “I’m a proud Brit whilst also being a proud Kosovan. I’m happy to lend my manager to the cause. I’ll be cheering them on!”
The artist is currently at number one on the UK Official Singles Chart with her track, ‘Cold Heart’, in collaboration with Elton John. The track uses elements of some of his earlier hits, including ‘Rocket Man’ and ‘Sacrifice’. The track rose to the number one spot after three consecutive weeks at number two, and is Elton John’s first UK number one in 16 years, since he featured on 2Pac’s posthumous 2005 single ‘Ghetto Gospel’.
Elton John has also thrown his weight behind the announcement of TaP Music’s partnership with the BBC: “There aren’t many televised events that are as big and global as Eurovision, so it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to remind the world yet again of the depth and diversity of our talent. I can’t wait to see what gems our friends at Tap Music will unearth.”
41 countries will take part in the 66th Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in May 2022. The final is scheduled for May 14.