SBS, TikTok and production partner Blink TV have announced the inaugural Eurovision - Australia Decides TikTok Wildcard winner - singer, songwriter, Erica Padilla. Erica is the 11th artist to join Eurovision - Australia Decides 2022, rounding out a diverse line-up of artists from across the musical spectrum.Hosted on the Gold Coast and broadcast live and exclusively on SBS on Saturday 26 February, the event will feature some of Australias biggest acts for their chance to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Italy.
Erica Padilla attracted millions of views across her Eurovision TikTok Wildcard submissions and grew her following to more than 1.2 million fans across the world.
Erica Padilla said:
I feel like somebody needs to pinch me because I always hoped but never thought this could actually be possible! Eurovision has made some of the GREATS and to be chosen as the TikTok Wildcard gives me so much hope. From performing to my phone in my bedroom to performing at Eurovision - Australia Decides and potentially the biggest stage in the world this year in Italy - now that would be a dream come true.
Ollie Wards, Director of Music TikTok Australia / New Zealand, said:
Australian artists are finding fans and being discovered on TikTok. Eurovision is one of the worlds most loved music moments with the power to create global stars, so its exciting to bring the two together and see the incredible Erica Padilla enter the competition as our TikTok Wildcard. Were already so proud to support Erica onto this stage and no doubt her millions of TikTok followers as well as new fans are going to get behind her.
Erica joins dynamic duo Evie Irie and Isaiah Firebrace, avant-garde performance artist Sheldon Riley, powerhouse entertainer PAULINI, multi-media artist Jaguar Jonze, six-piece girl group G-NAT!ON, charismatic pop star Andrew Lambrou, pop newcomer Charley, the fabulous Seann Miley Moore, Perth's metal quintet Voyager, and singer-songwriter Jude York.
Renowned lover of music, Dylan Lewis, will be joining Joel Creasey and Myf Warhurst on the Gold Coast as Eurovision - Australia Decides' first-ever Green Room host, bringing the nation closer to the artists and Eurovision action.
Dylan Lewis said:
I live for music. I write it, perform it, teach it, collect it, present it, talk about it and need it. Since hosting the Recovery music show back in the day, I've presented a pile of other music TV shows and done a pile of radio too playing music. Yep. I bloody love music. So to get to be involved in the world's most eclectic, colourful, diverse and magical music show is a dream!
Yes. I'm excited to announce that this year, I'll get to bring a little bit of mayhem and a whole lotta love to Eurovision - Australia Decides. Wooo! I'll leave Myf and Joel to do the hard work, while I get to join the party reporting with all the action straight from the green room, to you! I've always been passionate about supporting local artists, and I'm so glad we can showcase our talents to the world on the Eurovision stage. I can't wait to see who'll go on to represent Australia in 2022. Let's do this.
But wait, there's more Joining the star-studded line-up for an unforgettable half-time performance is the winner of the 2020 Eurovision - Australia Decides, Montaigne, who returns to the Gold Coast stage where it all began.
Montaigne said:
It will be fun to perform Technicolour again for the first time in ages, especially to the audience who cares about it so much. I'm also excited to intro all these new artists to the world of Australia Decides and Eurovision-at-large! I think it'll just be a really neat night.
SBS can also reveal three new songs following their exclusive teaser drops on TikTok this week: Evie Irie and Isaiah Firebrace's When I'm With You, Paulini's unforgettable We Are One and Jaguar Jonze's blaze of reckoning Little Fires.
Evie Irie and Isaiah Firebrace said:
We are super stoked that When I'm With You is out today!!! We have been waiting to release this song for almost a year now and it's surreal that people are finally going to hear it after all this time. Neither one of us could have imagined that a random day in the studio together would turn into the chance to go all the way to Italy for Eurovision 2022, and would take us on this wild journey together.
Paulini:
The world is hurting so its time to bust out with a little hope, unity and joy. Theres no better way to do that than with big sounds, and some big notes, PAULINI said of the track written by songwriters Rick Price and John Capek.
Im tired of being the person of colour, Australians are tired of lockdowns due to the pandemic, and the world is tired of being divided by religion and fear. Its time to remind everyone that we are all humans standing on the same Earth, breathing the same air.
Jaguar Jonze said:
Little Fires is a reminder about where we've come from, what we are fighting for, and what we can achieve when we work together. And, it's a reminder that we are not alone. I wanted my Eurovision song to be for those moments where it was hard to stay strong, for those times I felt overwhelmed by what I had taken on.
I am constantly defining what vulnerability means to me. Growing up, vulnerability was seen as a weakness, but now to me, I see vulnerability as strength. And I'm seeing this reflect in my lyrics and songwriting. Little Fires is a moment for me to share a vulnerable side of me that I haven't before.
Get a preview of the songs you'll see performed at Eurovision - Australia Decides here on TikTok. Check out G-NAT!ON's Bite Me teaser and Charley's I Suck At Being Lonely. Andrew Lambrou's Electrify is set to drop on February 11, Sheldon Riley's Not The Same will
