Eurovision Song Context

Episode 79: (Part 2) Zero Stars, Nul Points: June Thomas on Failure, Cynicism, and Eurovision

January 7th, 2026  |  55 mins 17 secs

all’s fair, ambition, criticism, cultural criticism, cultural failure, culture, cynicism, esc, eurovision, eurovision analysis, eurovision flops, eurovision song contest, go-jo, jeangu macrooy, jendrik, june thomas, lucy mangan, media criticism, music competition, olly alexander, one star reviews, outward podcast, pop culture, remember monday, slate, taste and identity, television criticism, the waves podcast, working podcast, zero points, zero star reviews

In this episode, Bradley is joined by writer and longtime Slate culture critic June Thomas for a conversation about criticism, failure, and what it means for a work to be “truly bad.” They explore the difference between a one-star work and a zero-star work — the kind of cultural object that isn’t just unsuccessful, but “fascinatingly, existentially terrible.” This leads into a discussion of Lucy Mangan’s Guardian review of All’s Fair and questions about ambition, tone, intentionality, and when something collapses under its own concept.

From there, they bring these ideas into the world of Eurovision, using several entries — from joyful chaos to critically praised underperformers — as case studies in how audiences and critics respond to risk, camp, sincerity, and cynicism. Together they ask whether it’s better to flop than be forgotten, why some failures linger while others vanish, and what Eurovision reveals about our tastes, expectations, and the strange afterlives of cultural failure.

Episode 78: (Part 1) Zero Stars, Nul Points: June Thomas on Failure, Cynicism, and Eurovision

January 7th, 2026  |  56 mins 19 secs

all’s fair, ambition, criticism, cultural criticism, cultural failure, culture, cynicism, esc, eurovision, eurovision analysis, eurovision flops, eurovision song contest, go-jo, jeangu macrooy, jendrik, june thomas, lucy mangan, media criticism, music competition, olly alexander, one star reviews, outward podcast, pop culture, remember monday, slate, taste and identity, television criticism, the waves podcast, working podcast, zero points, zero star reviews

In this episode, Bradley is joined by writer and longtime Slate culture critic June Thomas for a conversation about criticism, failure, and what it means for a work to be “truly bad.” They explore the difference between a one-star work and a zero-star work — the kind of cultural object that isn’t just unsuccessful, but “fascinatingly, existentially terrible.” This leads into a discussion of Lucy Mangan’s Guardian review of All’s Fair and questions about ambition, tone, intentionality, and when something collapses under its own concept.

From there, they bring these ideas into the world of Eurovision, using several entries — from joyful chaos to critically praised underperformers — as case studies in how audiences and critics respond to risk, camp, sincerity, and cynicism. Together they ask whether it’s better to flop than be forgotten, why some failures linger while others vanish, and what Eurovision reveals about our tastes, expectations, and the strange afterlives of cultural failure.

Episode 77: [Bonus Content] The JESC Holiday Party Episode, Featuring Very Questionable Gifts

December 10th, 2025  |  1 hr 27 mins

euro culture, europe music, eurovision, eurovision fans, eurovision podcast, eurovision song context, festive episode, holiday episode, holiday special, jesc 2024, jesc review, junior eurovision, music commentary, panel discussion, podcast roundtable, secret santa, song review, white elephant

n this special holiday edition of Eurovision Song Context, Bradley gathers a spirited panel of Eurovision aficionados—including Jody, Mies, Mike from The EuroWhat Podcast, Sheldon, and Russ—for a chaotic, cozy, laughter-filled deep dive into Junior Eurovision 2024. Together they break down standout entries from Georgia to San Marino, debate what JESC should be, mourn the unfolding drama in “grown-up” Eurovision, and exchange an unforgettable round of white-elephant gifts ranging from Rolexes to psychedelic Conchita kaftans. Part party, part analysis, part therapy session for Eurovision fans everywhere—this is your festive escape into glitter, culture, and sheer Eurovision joy.

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.

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.

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?”.

Episode 72: Accordions in Eurovision with Zydeco Accordionist Dwight Carrier

August 12th, 2025  |  44 mins 19 secs

Zydeco & Eurovision Accordions (with Dwight “Black Cat” Carrier)
Louisiana Creole zydeco, the accordion as a lead instrument, Dwight’s family legacy and touring stories, plus how the accordion shows up on the Eurovision stage (Mandinga, Eliza, Zdob și Zdub, Verka Serduchka) and what makes an unforgettable accordion hook.

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

Bradley speaks with Donato Lospalluto, Ground Station Engineer and Operations Architect at the European Space Agency (ESA), about Waltz Into Space — an extraordinary project created with the Vienna Tourist Board to broadcast all 13,743 notes of Johann Strauss II’s “Blue Danube Waltz” into deep space.

They discuss how ESA converted the music into electromagnetic signals, transmitted it via a 35-meter deep space antenna in Spain, and sent it across the solar system toward Voyager 1 — correcting what the team calls a “cosmic omission” from NASA’s original Golden Record. Donato explains the physics of antennas, how ESA communicates with spacecraft millions of kilometers from Earth, and what it feels like to merge engineering, art, and human imagination.

They also talk about Strauss’s 200th birthday, Vienna’s cultural storytelling, public engagement with space science — and yes — a little Sanremo.

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

Bradley speaks with Donato Lospalluto, Ground Station Engineer and Operations Architect at the European Space Agency (ESA), about Waltz Into Space — an extraordinary project created with the Vienna Tourist Board to broadcast all 13,743 notes of Johann Strauss II’s “Blue Danube Waltz” into deep space.

They discuss how ESA converted the music into electromagnetic signals, transmitted it via a 35-meter deep space antenna in Spain, and sent it across the solar system toward Voyager 1 — correcting what the team calls a “cosmic omission” from NASA’s original Golden Record. Donato explains the physics of antennas, how ESA communicates with spacecraft millions of kilometers from Earth, and what it feels like to merge engineering, art, and human imagination.

They also talk about Strauss’s 200th birthday, Vienna’s cultural storytelling, public engagement with space science — and yes — a little Sanremo.

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

Bradley speaks with Donato Lospalluto, Ground Station Engineer and Operations Architect at the European Space Agency (ESA), about Waltz Into Space — an extraordinary project created with the Vienna Tourist Board to broadcast all 13,743 notes of Johann Strauss II’s “Blue Danube Waltz” into deep space.

They discuss how ESA converted the music into electromagnetic signals, transmitted it via a 35-meter deep space antenna in Spain, and sent it across the solar system toward Voyager 1 — correcting what the team calls a “cosmic omission” from NASA’s original Golden Record. Donato explains the physics of antennas, how ESA communicates with spacecraft millions of kilometers from Earth, and what it feels like to merge engineering, art, and human imagination.

They also talk about Strauss’s 200th birthday, Vienna’s cultural storytelling, public engagement with space science — and yes — a little Sanremo.

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

June 12th, 2025  |  1 hr 3 mins

eurovision