Eurovision Song Context

A podcast where we bring in smart people. We talk about smart things, then veer into glitter, wind machines, and geopolitics. Experts. Insight. Eurovision chaos.

About the show

We start with expertise and end up in Eurovision. It’s kind of our thing.

Eurovision Song Context is a monthly podcast that looks at the Eurovision Song Contest through an unexpected lens: expert insight. Each episode, a guest from a different field — psychology, fashion, politics, design, linguistics, and more — talk about their work and how it helps us understand 2–3 Eurovision entries in a whole new light.

Are these songs genuinely good? So bad they’re good? Or just weirdly unforgettable?

Longform episodes come out on the 12th of every month (the "douzeth"). We're where brilliant minds meet bad key changes.

Eurovision Song Context on social media

Episodes

  • Episode 75: (Part 2) Eurovision: When Life Drops a Plot Twist

    November 12th, 2025  |  1 hr 13 mins
    alienation, breast reconstruction, brotherhood of man, cancer journey, candid conversation, cesár sampson, comfort songs, creativity, cultural identity, dark humor, eurovision, eurovision analysis, eurovision podcast, eurovision songs, feeling displaced, identity, keiino, konstrakta, left-handedness, loïc nottet, marginalization, mastectomy, michael schulte, music and emotion, music critique, resilience, s10, salvador sobral, songwriting

    In this episode we talk with Sheldon about his Journeys I–III essays, identity, alienation, and what it means to belong. We move into a conversation about cancer, resilience, and the books we’re both reading right now — Let Them and Open When. Then we build a Eurovision-powered playlist designed for life’s hardest emotional moments.

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    Episode 76: (Part 1) Eurovision: When Life Drops a Plot Twist

    November 12th, 2025  |  1 hr 26 mins
    alienation, breast reconstruction, brotherhood of man, cancer journey, candid conversation, cesár sampson, comfort songs, creativity, cultural identity, dark humor, eurovision, eurovision analysis, eurovision podcast, eurovision songs, feeling displaced, identity, keiino, konstrakta, left-handedness, loïc nottet, marginalization, mastectomy, michael schulte, music and emotion, music critique, resilience, s10, salvador sobral, songwriting

    In this episode we talk with Sheldon about his Journeys I–III essays, identity, alienation, and what it means to belong. We move into a conversation about cancer, resilience, and the books we’re both reading right now — Let Them and Open When. Then we build a Eurovision-powered playlist designed for life’s hardest emotional moments.

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    Episode 74: Personal Note

    October 16th, 2025  |  59 secs

  • Episode 73: Vienna 2026! Helena Steinhart on Vienna in Culture, Inclusivity & ESC

    September 12th, 2025  |  1 hr 11 mins
    austria, conchita wurst, esc, esc history, euphoria, eurovision, eurovision culture, eurovision podcast, eurovision song contest, loreen, merci cherie, rise like a phoenix, teya & salena, udo jürgens, vienna, vienna tourist board, who the hell is edgar

    Vienna has twice hosted Eurovision and remains one of Europe’s great cultural capitals. In this episode, Bradley talks with Helena Steinhart from the Vienna Tourist Board about the city’s food, culture, and inclusivity — and what fans can expect from a future contest in Vienna. They also revisit four iconic songs: Conchita Wurst’s “Rise Like a Phoenix”, Loreen’s “Euphoria”, Udo Jürgens’ “Merci, Chérie”, and Teya & Salena’s “Who the Hell Is Edgar?”.

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    Episode 72: Accordions in Eurovision with Zydeco Accordionist Dwight Carrier

    August 12th, 2025  |  44 mins 19 secs

  • Episode 71: Bonus: Sanremo Fashion with Donato Lospalluto

    July 12th, 2025  |  8 mins 53 secs
    donato lospalluto, eurovision, kate miller-heidke, sam ryder, sanremo, strauss, voyager, waltz into space

  • Episode 70: (Part 2) Sending Strauss into Deep Space with Donato Lospalluto and the European Space Agency

    July 12th, 2025  |  1 hr 3 mins
    donato lospalluto, eurovision, kate miller-heidke, sam ryder, sanremo, strauss, voyager, waltz into space

  • Episode 69: (Part 1) Sending Strauss into Deep Space with Donato Lospalluto and the European Space Agency

    July 12th, 2025  |  1 hr 26 mins
    donato lospalluto, eurovision, kate miller-heidke, sam ryder, sanremo, strauss, voyager, waltz into space

  • Episode 68: Bonus: Eurovision 2025 Postmortem with Suzie & Russ!

    June 12th, 2025  |  1 hr 3 mins
    eurovision

  • Episode 67: EXPERIMENTAL BONUS: Live Commentary Turquoise Carpet 2025 with Suzie & Russ!

    May 11th, 2025  |  2 hrs 24 mins

  • Episode 66: Staging & Body Language Analysis in Eurovision 2025 with Mark Bowden!

    April 13th, 2025  |  1 hr 20 mins
    austria, bara bada bastu, behavior analysis, ebu, esc, estonia, eurovision, eurovision 2025 esc2025, eurowhat podcast, georgia, johannes pietsch, kaj, mark bowden, martin osterdahl, melfest, remember monday, sauna, sweden, tommy cash, united kingdom

    In this episode, Bradley is joined by body language expert and author Mark Bowden (The Behavior Panel) to break down performances from Sweden, Estonia, Georgia, Austria, and the United Kingdom. They also take a closer look at Martin Österdahl’s body language — and his choice of Rolex.

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    Episode 65: Bonus: Eurovision 2025 Festival da Canção / Sanremo with Sheldon Rocha Leal

    March 15th, 2025  |  1 hr 5 mins
    achille lauro, bombazine, eurovision 2025, fedez, fernando daniel, festival da canção 2025, francesca michielin, italian music, jéssica pina, lucio corsi, marco rodrigues, margarida campelo, olly, portuguese music, sanremo 2025, the kolors, willie peyote