Blue Bares All: They Can

WHILE WAR-TORN EUROPE REBUILT ITSELF IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE W.O II, THE EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION SEARCHED FOR A WAY TO BRING THE COUNTRIES TOGETHER AROUND A LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME. THIS INITIATIVE RESULTED EVENTUALLY IN THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST. A UNIQUE COMPETITION IN WHICH EACH COUNTRY WOULD PARTICIPATE IN ONE TELELVISION SHOW TO BE TRANSMITTED SIMULTANEOUSLY TO ALL COUNTRIES OF THE UNION. THE IDEA WAS TO MAKE IT AN ANNUAL EVENT, HAVING THE WINNING COUNTRY HOST THE NEXT EDITION. THE FIRST CONTEST WAS HELD IN 1956 IN LUGANO, SWITZERLAND, IN WHICH 7 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED.

This year Europe – and even countries outside – will be able to enjoy the 56th edition of the Eurovision Song Context, and even though the format has changed over the years, the basic rules are more or less the same as they were back in 1956. Most of the original 7 countries still participate, but as the face of Europe has changed, so has the number of contestants, bringing the total for 2011 to 43. And so you can imagine that if you want to win, you better come with something good. Something unique and never done before. The United Kingdom might have found the solution for this.

The rules have changed and since a few years it is allowed for participating countries to release their submission before the actual day of the contest. And so, if your song is good enough, and your marketing budget large enough, you can already make sure your song is popular and known enough to receive a warm welcome on the Eurovision stage. So what else can you do to be outstanding. To guarantee success? The UK found the answer in Blue. Blue was created in 2001 and enjoyed several international successes until Lee Ryan, Duncan James, Antony Costa and Simon Webbe, the four band members, decided in 2005 to each go their own way. In 2009 it was announced the Blue would reunite with a new album and a new tour and but eventually the fans had to wait another two years when it was revealed that Blue would reunite to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Blue is not only easy to listen to, the four band members are also very nice to look at. And since presentation besides musical performance is quite important for the contest, the United Kingdom probably made a very good choice this year. And to underline that fact, and maybe give a whole new meaning to their competing song “I Can”, Blue decided recently to bare it all and pose naked for UK’s best selling gay magazine Attitude. The lucky team to photograph and edit the four singers were Attitude’s own Pantelis and Leon Sanli and they did a wonderful job, showing the quartet in all their glory but still leaving enough room to anticipate. It remains to be seen if it will help bringing the UK the 2011 victory, but you can’t say they didn’t try. What ever happens, for us Blue proofed they truly can. –BM-

Photography by Pantelis and Leon Sanli for Attitude | Attitude: The Naked Issue.

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