Eurovision Song Context

Episode 80: Tiny Vinyl & Big Eurovision with Jesse Mann and Ruben Planting

February 12th, 2026  |  48 mins 46 secs

collectible vinyl, esc, eurovision, eurovision 2008, eurovision 2024, eurovision song context, joost klein, joost klein europapa, mini vinyl, music collectibility, physical media, sebastian tellier divine, tiny vinyl, vinyl manufacturing, vinyl sustainability

Here’s a clean, listener-facing episode summary — tight, confident, not defensive:

What happens when you shrink vinyl down to four inches — but keep it fully playable?

In this episode, Bradley is joined by Jesse Mann, co-founder of Tiny Vinyl, and Dutch vinyl manufacturing consultant Ruben Planting to explore the resurgence of physical media in a streaming world. Tiny Vinyl is a fully playable four-inch record format that turns songs into collectible keepsakes — part merch object, part design experiment, part cultural artifact.

We talk about vinyl manufacturing, sustainability in pressing plants, the realities of scaling physical media, and why people still want something they can hold in their hands.

And because this is Eurovision Song Context, we test the idea on two entries that feel tailor-made for the format: Sébastien Tellier’s “Divine” (France 2008) and Joost Klein’s “Europapa” (Netherlands 2024).

Is Eurovision the ultimate collectible culture? And does tiny vinyl capture that spirit?

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 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 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.

Episode 63: Bonus: Eurovision 2025, Anglosphere in Crisis? Australia, Ireland, the UK

March 12th, 2025  |  1 hr 2 mins

emmy basel, esc, eurovision, eurovision 2025, go jo, remember monday

Russ and Suzie from Euroriffs join me for an emergency recording to discuss whether two-thirds of the anglosphere won't make it to the Eurovision Grand Final. Also: possible hygiene issues on ice cream trucks.

Episode 22: (Part 2) Master-pieces

September 12th, 2023  |  58 mins 35 secs

esc, eurovision, georgia, go_a, jamala, ogae, poland, russia, solovey, stephane & 3g, ukraine, we don’t want to put in

This episode's guest is Elka Krajewska. She’s an artist, poet, and activist. I'll talk to her about her current life in Warsaw, and her previous live in New York-- where she notably ran the Salvage Art Institute. The Institute famously deals with what remains of fine art that has been seriously damaged, which in insurance circles is called salvage. We’ll talk about the Rodin and Calder sculptures semi-destroyed in the attacks on 9/11, and the fragments of a very famous balloon dog sculpture. Elka’s now working in Warsaw. We’ll talk about Eastern Europe, about where she is now. About the human experience, art, impermanence. We’ll then chat about some iconic submissions from 2020, 2016, and 2009, including Go-A, Jamala, and Stephane & 3G. I always encourage you to go to the showpage at eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm and watch the submissions before we talk about them.

One last note, this episode includes 3 swear words that I haven’t edited. Hide your children.

Episode 21: (Part 1) Master-pieces

September 12th, 2023  |  50 mins 13 secs

esc, eurovision, georgia, go_a, jamala, ogae, poland, russia, solovey, stephane & 3g, ukraine, we don’t want to put in

This episode's guest is Elka Krajewska. She’s an artist, poet, and activist. I’ll talk to her about her current life in Warsaw, and her previous live in New York-- where she notably ran the Salvage Art Institute. The Institute famously deals with what remains of fine art that had been seriously damaged, which in insurance circles is called salvage. We’ll talk about the Rodin and Calder sculptures semi-destroyed in the attacks on 9/11, and the fragments of a very famous balloon dog sculpture. Elka’s now working in Warsaw. We’ll talk about Eastern Europe, about where she is now. About the human experience, art, impermanence. We’ll then chat about some iconic submissions from 2020, 2016, and 2009, including Go-A, Jamala, and Stephane & 3G. I always encourage you to go to the showpage at eurovisionsongcontext.fireside.fm and watch the submissions before we talk about them.

One last note, this episode includes 3 swear words that I haven’t edited. Hide your children.