With the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 all wrapped up, we're now looking ahead to the 2022 contest.
Over the next couple months we will be looking at Australian artists who we would love to see compete at 'Eurovision - Australia Decides' and get their opportunity to represent Australia at Eurovision.
Today we explore Ricki-Lee, a Kiwi-born Aussie pop star who came to prominence thanks to Australian Idol in the early 2000's. We look at her career and then delve into why this Aussie superstar would make an outstanding artist to compete at 'Eurovision - Australia Decides'!
Who is Ricki-Lee?
Ricki-Lee Coulter is a New Zealand born Australian pop star. She first rose to fame when she was a contestant on the second season of Australian Idol in 2004.
She was a fan favourite due to her likeable persona and powerful vocals, and was seen as the front-runner to win Australian Idol. Upon unexpectedly landing in the bottom two, she was eliminated in 7th place due to a lack of votes from the public, sending shockwaves throughout viewers and the nation.
Ricki-Lee's undeniable talent and popularity with the public was capitalised on and she was quickly signed to a record deal which resulted in her releasing her first album titled 'Ricki-Lee' in 2005. Her debut single 'Hell No!' reached No. 5 on the ARIA Singles chart.
The 'Ricki-Lee' album spawned 2 top ten singles including the enduring breezy, feel-good summer pop song 'Sunshine'.
In 2006, Ricki-Lee joined the girl group the 'Young Divas' which consisted of herself and three other Australian Idol fan favourites, Paulini, Emily Williams and Kate DeAraugo. The group was brought together to showcase each ladies individual talent and to promote their solo careers.
Together, the Young Divas achieved 2 top ten singles with Ricki-Lee before she departed the group to continue her solo career. Ricki-Lee was eventually replaced in the Idol supergroup by future Australian Eurovision legend Jessica Mauboy. Mauboy had just herself become the nations sweetheart when she finished as the runner-up in Australia Idol season 4 to Damien Leith.
Ricki-Lee released her sophomore album in 2007 entitled 'Brand New Day' from which her most famous and highest charting single came from, the uptempo pop banger 'Can't Touch It'.
This song peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA charts and remains one of the peaks in her career. The song even received some late fanfare from American audiences when the song was featured in the end credits to the global hit movie 'Sex and the City 2'.
In 2011 with a new record label behind her, Ricki-Lee revamped her image and became a dance-pop diva with her album with her highest charting album 'Fear & Freedom' released in 2012.
The resulting singles from the album 'Raining Diamonds' and 'Do It Like That' both received high levels of airplay and were eventually certified platinum.
While both songs peaked in the top twenty in Australia, 'Do It Like That' was a surprise hit in Japan where it peaked at number seven on the Japan Billboard Hot 100!
To date, as a soloist Ricki-Lee has achieved 11 top forty singles including 5 top ten hits, 2 ARIA chart gold certifications and 3 ARIA platinum certifications.
Why Ricki-Lee would be good for 'Eurovision - Australia Decides'
Ricki-Lee is a versatile performer who could bring a song from almost any genre to the Australia Decides and potentially the Eurovision stage. Throughout her career she has released R&B and pop inspired songs and in recent years she has performed many stripped back adult contemporary versions of popular songs released to her YouTube channel.
Ricki-Lee could easily perform an uptempo pop song with high levels of choreography or a stripped back ballad with ease.
First debuting on Australian Idol and being the nations sweetheart, she can easily tap back into this goodwill and I'm sure bring in some high televote figures from the Australian viewing public.
Seeing how well previous Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan did in Australia Decides 2020, Ricki-Lee could find herself with similar success.
I have faith that she can smash any performance, it would purely come down to the choice of song and whether the Australian public connect with it.
The below performance shows what Ricki-Lee could bring to the Australia Decides stage and why she would make Australia proud at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.
Ricki-Lee for Australia Decides!!