Every year for 'Eurovision - Australia Decides' SBS and Blink TV receive hundreds and hundreds of songs from artists, songwriters and musicians that are submitted in the portal and are ultimately selected for Australia's Eurovision national final.
This year there were 700 song submissions in the song portal. With only 11 songs selected to compete in this year's 'Eurovision - Australia Decides', MANY songs will unfortunately miss out.
Since the inaugural Australia Decides in 2019, SBS has revealed songs that made the shortlist.
Previously Voyager and Jude York featured in the 'Eurovision - Australia Decides' 2020 segment of the shortlisted and this year they went on to be competing artists in the contest.
Let's take a look at this years shortlisted songs and artists!
Angus Brill Reed - 'Start At The End'
Angus Brill Reed was previously shortlisted for 'Eurovision - Australia Decides' in 2019 with the song 'Small Stuff'. This year the young singer songwriter from Adelaide was shortlisted again for Australia Decides with 'Start At The End'. Angus has collaborated with ARIA award winning Peter Holz and has won various national and international songwriting competitions.
During the show on Saturday Angus said:
"I've grown a lot since I was shortlisted in 2019. My music is much more dance focused now. This track 'Start At The End' is great for Eurovision. It's positive, it's upbeat, it's got that anthemic feel. I really hope you enjoy it."
Devy - 'I Don't Have A Fake'
Devy is a familiar face at Australia Decides. In 2020 at just nine-years-old she opened the show and Kate Miller-Heidke's performance of 'Zero Gravity'. The now 11-years-old singer and songwriter recently won the St. Kilda Fest New Music Competition 2022. Devy has also won the National Song Writing Competition by Australian Children's Music Foundation and a semi-finalist in international song writing competitions. Her song 'I Don't Have A Fake' was short listed for Australia Decides this year.
Elki - 'Tiger'
Elki is an independent artist who back in 2019 released an EP followed by sold-out shows in Australia. Elki co-wrote 'Paper Dragon' with Dami Im back in 2020. 'Paper Dragon' was set to be Dami's entry for Australia Decides 2021, which of course didn't eventuate due to the Covid pandemic.
This year Elki was short listed with the song 'Tiger'. During the show on Saturday Elki said:
"We recorded me hitting my lip gloss and water bottle and all kinds of weird things to get some conventional sounds for the groove and just went nuts with the vocals."
Laura Clare - 'Fearless'
Laura is a songwriter from the Gold Coast who submitted her song 'Fearless' into the song portal. She explained in the segment what her song was about: "It's about reminding myself that no matter what I've been through I was born without fear so I can always remain fearless."
Penrose - 'Mars'
Penrose is a 23-year-old pop artist from Sydney. She is a semi-finalist in the International Song Writing Competition 2021 with her song 'A'. Penrose released her music video for 'Mars' just today which was directed and filmed by Petey Boy. 'Mars' was shortlisted for this years Australia Decides.
During the show Penrose shared:
"For artists like myself this is the big break we have all been working so hard to achieve. I know the little girl from Tamworth would be so proud to see the writer I've become."
Congratulations to all the shortlisted artists and songwriters this year, hopefully we get to see them and their songs on the Australia Decides stage in the near future!