Australian Eurovision Hopes Shattered In Shocking Results
Image: Image: SBS Eurovision
Australia has officially had their 2024 Eurovision hopes put to rest after the semi-final results were announced.
Despite an incredible performance at Malmo Arena in Sweden, Electric Fields failed to receive the votes needed to progress in the competition.
However the pair remain in good spirits and are already looking towards the future.
Electric Fields eliminated in Eurovision semi finals
Everything looked positive for Australia heading into the Eurovision semi finals this year.
Adelaide duo Electric Fields prepared a unique song for their entry One Milkali (One Blood).
The powerful anthem which was sung partly in the Indigenous language of Yankunytjatjara was well received by the live audience, but ultimately failed to captivate viewers.
However when the results were delivered Australia fell short of qualifying with Electric Fields landing in the bottom five and failing to advance.
This makes the 2024 Eurovision results some of the worst for Australia to date.
The last time Australia failed to qualify for the semi finals was the 2021 results when Montaigne also fell short of the finals.
Speaking after the results were delivered Electric Fields were still pleased with their performance.
“We did a killer performance”
Vocalist Zaachariaha Fielding spoke of how well the pair performed and were received by the crowd.
“We did a killer performance.”
“We felt like rock stars. That audience, they were just giving. It’s going to be a memory that will be embedded with us for the rest of our lives.”
Fielding reflected on how the experience will influence their work in the future, even alluding to a future song about it.
“We can write about these things.”
“We’re creative people. We’re going to create songs out of it because that’s what we do. You can write songs of heartbreak.”
Keyboardist Michael Ross said that the pair had come to Eurovision “with open hearts, we’re so proud of what we’ve just done.”
“It’s been a major undertaking for a lot of people.”
However despite being surprised at their loss Michael is preparing to move on and look towards future work for the pair.
“But I am relieved now because we can move on with the path that is ahead of us, which is albums and New York and [a collaboration with] the Darwin Symphony Orchestra.”
“Keep an eye on our story because even though Eurovision is a major, major deal, a major moment, it’s actually not the best of what we’ve got coming,” he said.
“Keep your eye out.”
The pair helped make it a particularly queer year for Eurovision. As openly queer musicians they contributed to the representation in the event. They joined seven other openly queer competitors in the competition, including gay singer Olly Alexander who is representing the United Kingdom.
They must have had their earplugs in too tight to not hear how essentially brilliant their whole package was. Yet seeing glimpses of others that past through, look & sound decidedly dull & like you’ve seen it all before. Well they got to introduce themselves & that is something they can build on from there. I hope Electric Fields (I WILL say it again, great band name) will keep performing “One Milkali (One Blood)”, along with more sensational sounds yet to be gifted to us. I sure haven’t stopped playing it since it came out months ago now. I am also more aware of other music & shall looking & listening with what comes next with super keen interest.