This year Australia has chosen heldon Riley as its representative on Eurovision 2022 that will take place in Turin next May with the song “Not The Same”. But who is Sheldon? In this article you will have the opportunity to know more about Australia’s singer for Eurovision 2022.
About Sheldon
Sheldon was born on 14 March 1999 to a Filipino father and Australian mother and despite being only twenty-two years old, he is a regular on music talent shows. In 2018 he tried his hand at The Voice Australia, in the seventh season of the competition. He participated in Boy George’s team, where he eventually managed to achieve a creditable third place, being in the favourites group since his blind audition, which went viral in Australia.
All the outfits he wore during all the galas were home-made, where the artist himself commented that it was all thanks to his father, who helped him in the execution and bought him a sewing machine to be able to shine week after week.
He was left with a thorn in his side and the following year he tried again as an All Star contestant, where in the blind auditions, after a few notes he was recognised by the juries. This time he decided to join the Delta team, where he was only one gala away from the grand final. Curiously, in this second opportunity, the former Eurovisionist Guy Sebastian, was a coach who also fought for Sheldon to join his team.
Last year, he tried again, but this time on America’s Got Talent, he performed a version of “I don’t wanna be you Anymore” to a full house of judges including Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel. He was finally eliminated in the quarter-finals.
In all his appearances he has stood out for his appearance, wearing different haute couture models and his usual mask of small crystals. An image that leaves no one indifferent and makes him recognisable.
He always defends freedom, feeling oneself, and above all, despite his Asperger’s syndrome, feeling the person he has always wanted to be.
Lyrics
I was told at six years old
They’d avoid me if my heart was cold
Found it hard to talk and speak my mind
They never liked the things that I would like
‘Cause you’re told to play, but you’re not the same
As the other kids playing the same games
Try to jump on in, but they push away
So far away
I’m not the same, no
I’m not the same, no
Years went by, I tried and tried
My father asked me if today I smiled
I said, “Yes, I did”, but that’s a lie
Oh, I always tell those lies
Then you run and hide, hide the break inside
‘Til you realise that the light shines bright
Through those, oh, who’ve broken inside
I’m not the same, no
I’m not the same, no
I’m not the same, no
I’m not the same, no
‘Cause you never want to be the kind of person
Who can’t work it for those ones who cannot word it
‘Cause you’ve been the kind of person who felt this pain
Oh yeah, I felt this pain
So you go and leave the pain and find another way
To make yourself another game
Maybe one for all to play
‘Cause it’s not just me who’s not the same
We’re not the same
We’re not the same, no
We’re not the same, no
We’re not the same, no
We’re not the same, no
Australia in Eurovision
Australia has long been an island of Eurovision fans, with SBS having broadcast the show every year since 1983. In fact, a number of high profile Aussies competed in the Contest for other nations, including Olivia Newton-John and Gina G, before the country was officially invited to join the party in 2015.
Australia were initially invited to take to the Eurovision stage as the (non-competing) interval act in the Second Semi-Final of the 2014 Contest – Jessica Mauboy performed the song Sea Of Flags (and four years later would represent her country with the song We Got Love).
In 2015, Team Oz were invited to compete for the first time to commemorate Eurovision’s 60th anniversary, sending Guy Sebastian with Tonight Again. Initially conceived as a one-off contribution, Australia is now confirmed to participate until at least 2023.
The best Australian result so far was thanks to Dami Im with her song Sound Of Silence; winning the Marcel Bezençon Award for composition, the jury vote, and finishing as overall runner-up.
Australia also holds the distinction of being the first nation to compete remotely. In 2021, due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, SBS confirmed that Montaigne (and the rest of the delegation) could not travel to the Netherlands and would compete from home, using their ‘live-on-tape’ performance.