RTE have unveiled the first two potential hopefuls for Eurovision 2022 - as they announced the return of the Eurosong contest.
Ryan Tubridy launched Ireland's bid for Eurovision 2022 glory live on his RTE Radio 1 show on Monday morning announcing the revival of the popular song selection show.
The top RTE host then pressed play on the first two potential songs for the first time - I'm Loving Me, sung by Rachel Goode, and Real Love, performed by former Eurovison hopeful Brendan Murray.
They will go up against four more selected songs, which will be unveiled live on air every morning throughout the week, to battle it out for the chance to represent Ireland at the Eurovision song contest in Italy this summer.
The six songs and hopefuls were selected from over 300 entries received by RTE following a callout for submissions last September.
The artists will perform the selected songs on a special Late Late Show on February 4, where the winner will be chosen by a combination of national jury, international jury and public vote.
It comes following calls from fans and past performers, including Jedward, to introduce the televised selection process again.
Commenting on the return on Monday morning, Michael Kealy, Executive Producer of Eurosong told Tubridy: “It is a bit like football coming home isn’t it? It is coming back to the Late Late Show. It has been awhile."
“Every year we look at what we can do better and differently and we took a different attack. So we decided this year to go back to it..
"And after an exhaustive process we got 330 songs and whittled it down to these six you are going to hear this week."
On choosing the final six, he said: “It can be difficult because you can’t listen to them straight after each other. You have to get a sense of what they are and if they do well."
However, the EP, who has been the head of the Irish delegation for years, said he's confident in their choices.
“We have six very, very good songs and I would be happy nearly with any of them, whichever one the public and jury pick I would be happy with.”
The Eurovision enthusiast also shed light on where Ireland have been going wrong in recent years, after decades of failed bids since the glory days in the 90s.
“To set the record straight, we haven’t done great in the past few years, that is true," he said.
"But if you look at say the past 10 or 11 years we have qualified about five times in the 11 years which is pretty much representative of an average country."
Noting qualification rule changes as a major factor, he added: “The rules changed at the end of the 90s and that sort of mitigated against us really.
"They introduced semi finals where previously there was an automatic qualification for the final and everyone can sing in english beforehand only two or three could.
"So the rules have changes and in a way it is an entirely different competition to the one we were winning in the late 90s, not to detract from any of our great winners.
“So there are 43 countries involved. So if you take the law of averages it would be every 43 years that we would win.
“It has become tougher.. There is no doubt about it…But I think every year we go with what we hope will be the best shot.”
But he feels the introduction of an international jury to the selection process could enhance the chances of success before heading to the contest in Turin, Italy in May.
"Because it is an international competition it is worthwhile thinking what other European countries think of our entry. It is something that a lot of countries abroad do, so it is something I thought we would just try to enhance out chances.”
Michael said a winning song must have an 'X Factor' quality internationally, but said he wouldn't rule out a traditional Irish song if it had potential to win.
He said: “If a song comes in the door that has that X Factor and is that typical trad arrangement or an Irish song or even if it is Irish we are more than happy to consider it.
“It has to have a universal appeal of sorts too. Something that would do well on radio and that you think would be a hit.”
The Eurovision Song Contest 2022 is set to take place in Turin, Italy, following the country's victory at the 2021 contest with the song "Zitti e buoni" by Måneskin.
Song 1: I'm Loving Me
Artist: Rachel Goode
Composers: Joakim Övrenius, Thomas Karlsson, Johan Mauritzson, Anna Engh.
Who is Rachel Goode?
Rachel is a classically trained soprano from Ballinasloe, Co Galway.
Passionate about her craft, Rachel sings a crossover of genres from classical to pop and country. She is no stranger to the stage and has performed in many of Ireland's major venues including the National Concert Hall and Bord Gais Energy Theatre.
She recently performed on the Ivory Sessions and released her first single.
She is inspired by singers such as Patsy Cline and Mary Black and her love of music has no bounds.
From singing at country social dancing to singing with full orchestra her voice can glide seamlessly through various genres and she is totally at home when on the stage.
She says: “When I am singing, I am in my own world, nothing else seems to matter in that moment and it’s the best feeling ever”
Song 2: Real Love
Artist: Brendan Murray
Composers: Brendan Murray & Darrell Coyle
Who is Brendan Murray?
Brendan is already a familiar face and voice to Eurovision fans, having already represented Ireland in the Song Contest 2017.
Brendan first found fame on the X Factor, where he was described as being in ‘a completely different league’ by judge Simon Cowell, after reaching the semi-final and finishing in 5th place.
A member of Irish boyband Hometown from 2014-2016, he went on to do the X Factor Tour in 2019 performing in 20 different arenas around the UK, including two Wembley shows in London.
Commenting on his second Eurovision bid, Brendan says: "The meaning behind Real Love is not realising what was right in front of you the whole time.
“You’ve ignored and put the thought of it to one side but then you come to that realization that you should have said what you felt a long time ago.
“You’ve convinced and made excuses for yourself when you really should have told that person how you really felt."
