Professor composes ‘perfect’ Eurovision song

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By University of Leeds Saturday, May 14, 2024

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With this year’s Eurovision Song Contest looming, Professor Derek Scott from the University of Leeds has written what he believes to be the ‘perfect’ entry.

Professor Scott, Professor of critical musicology at the University's School of Music, has analysed over fifty years of Eurovision entries in a bid to investigate the secret to success in the competition. His song, 'Be Nice to Nice People', is based on the findings of his research and incorporates elements which he believes to be key to avoiding the dreaded 'nul-points' and taking the coveted top spot in the biggest music event of the year.

Criteria for the 'perfect' pop song include: the song should be in a major rather than minor key, it should contain a quirky verse followed by a tuneful sixteen bar refrain, and evoke in the listener a party mood or the power of love.

Professor Scott, who is Professor of critical musicology at the University of Leeds' School of Music, said: "The UK has a really mixed track record in Eurovision history, but if you look closely certain successful themes and styles do shine through.

"The most successful songs remain those that retain a universal yet quirky retro style.

"There has also been little enthusiasm for songs that have a strong cultural association with the country they represent. Despite the rise of political voting, it remains important for any budding entrant that their song is quintessentially European."

Scott's song is based on a chapter from his forthcoming book, Musical Style and Social Meaning. The chapter, Imagining The Nation, Imagining Europe, analyses hits such as Cliff Richard's 'Congratulations' (1968),  Lulu's 'Boom Bang a Bang' (1969) and Belgium's 1986 entry, 'J'aime la vie'.

The full ingredients to Professor Scott's recipe are as follows:

  • The song must be solo or duet;
  • It should be of a happy mood rather than sad;
  • Lyrics should bring to mind a party mood or the power of love (but this love should not suggest only the unmarried);
  • Anything political should be mild in the extreme;
  • To be performed in major key rather than minor;
  • A fast pace (because it allows more repetition), but not too fast.
  • A strong two-beat rhythm;
  • A quirky verse followed by a tuneful 16-bar refrain;
  • The song should present the opportunity for some dramatic or comic gestures;
  • It should modulate upward in the course of the song (e.g for the final chorus) and
  • It must be retrospective in style, but avoiding waltz time.

Musical Style and Social Meaning was released late last year from publishers Ashgate.

You can watch Professor Scott discussing and performing an abridged version of his 'perfect Eurovision song' - as well as discussing the UK's prospects in this year's contest - here.

For more information:

Contact Steve Akehurst at the University of Leeds press office on 07939696839. 

Notes to editor:

1. The University of Leeds is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK with more than 30,000 students from 130 countries. With a turnover of £450m, Leeds is one of the top ten research universities in the UK, and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities.

2. The Faculty of Performance, Visual Arts and Communications (PVAC) consists of four schools; Design, Fine Art, Music and Performance and Cultural Industries, as well as the Institute of Communications Studies. Subject areas include those from the creative arts and humanities, social sciences and science and technology.

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