Doomsday Blue

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"Doomsday Blue"
Intimate version cover artwork
Song by Bambie Thug
from the EP Cathexis
Released13 October 2023 (2023-10-13)
Length3:03
LabelSelf-released
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tylr Rydr
Music video
"Doomsday Blue" on YouTube
Eurovision Song Contest 2024 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Language
English
Entry chronology
◄ "We Are One" (2023)
Official performance video
"Doomsday Blue" (First Semi-Final) on YouTube

"Doomsday Blue" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Bambie Ray Robinson, known by their[a] stage name, Bambie Thug. Self-described as "an electro-metal breakdown", it was written by Robinson, Olivia Cassy Brooking, Sam Matlock, and Tylr Rydr. The song was self-released on 13 October 2023 as part of their first extended play, Cathexis, and is representing Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. "Doomsday Blue" became Robinson's first charting song in their home country.

Background and composition[edit]

"Doomsday Blue" was composed by Bambie Ray Robinson, Olivia Cassy "Cassyette" Brooking (who also provided uncredited backing vocals), Sam Matlock and Tylr Rydr. In interviews given out by Robinson, Robinson claims the song is about heartbreak, deception and the pain of unrequited love, describing it as "explosive" and "hard-hitting" but also "sweet" and "soulful".[1] In an interview with ESCBubble, they said that the song was originally written in Wembley. They explained that whilst writing the song with Rydr, they intended to include as many different genres as possible, describing the song as "genre-defying".[2] They described the song's composition as a mixture of alternative rock, pop and jazz. They also described the song as "an electro-metal breakdown" that shows their music style and performance, including using a variety of genres and "switching things up" at the end of the song.[2]

The song's lyrics feature numerous "spells", including the incantation "Avada Kedavra", a phrase often mistakenly attributed to a derivation of Aramaic or Hebrew[3] which was popularised by the Harry Potter franchise, in which it is used to refer to the "Killing Curse", a curse that causes instantenous and painless death. In a post on Twitter, Robinson stated that, as a non-binary person, they were "not a fan" of J. K. Rowling due to her views on transgender topics, but instead a "fan of being clever with language".[4][5]

According to Robinson, they initially applied for Eurosong 2024 to "curse out" memories of being raped in May 2023 by an unnamed acquaintance, around three weeks before they were set to make their debut festival performance.[6] When applying for Eurosong, they decided that out of the songs they had considered, "Doomsday Blue" worked best for Eurovision and the Irish audience.[2] On 11 January 2024, Robinson was officially announced as a participant in Eurosong 2024.[7]

Music video and promotion[edit]

An accompanying music video was released on 8 March 2024 and was produced by Dublin-based production company CAMP. According to Robinson, they initially intended for the video to be "very dark", but relented after hearing that children liked their song, instead making it "a little more cutesy, spooky and comedic".[8] The music video features a young witch writing in a "blaze bible" to cast a boyfriend, later transferring into a "candy-coloured dream world" that Robinson claims was inspired by the colors of the transgender flag. The boyfriend later ends up turning into a creature with the world breaking down, signaling the start of a toxic relationship and for Robinson, "how quickly a situation can turn unsafe [for queer people]".[9]

To further promote the song, Robinson confirmed their intent to participate in several Eurovision pre-parties throughout the months of March and April, including Pre-Party ES 2024 on 30 March.[10] the London Eurovision Party 2024 on 7 April,[11] and Eurovision in Concert 2024 on 13 April.[12]

Critical reception[edit]

"Doomsday Blue" has drawn praise from numerous past Irish Eurovision entrants. Johnny Logan, who won Eurovision for Ireland in 1980 and 1987, stated in the Sunday World that he believed the song could win the contest, praising the song's uniqueness and staging visuals.[13] Ireland's 2022 entrant, Brooke Scullion, also believed that the song could win.[14] Multiple beat reporters have also praised the song; Rita Dabrowicz, a writer for the indie music review site Vanadian Avenue, praised the song, stating beliefs that "[Robinson] will bring a hell of a spectacle with them that surely will be remembered for a long time".[15] Ed Power, writer for The Irish Times, praised the song as a "sugar-and-spice mix of pop and industrial metal [that] will undoubtedly land with a splash in Malmö."[16]

Numerous far-right personalities and groups have criticised the song and Robinson. Hermann Kelly, leader of the far-right Irish Freedom Party, posted a tweet comparing Robinson to 2008 Irish Eurovision entrant Dustin the Turkey and calling the song "woke nonsense [typical] of the Irish Establishment" that "celebrat[es] Satanism".[17] By 6 February, over 2,000 people signed a petition calling to disqualify Robinson from competing at Eurovision, on the basis of "[Robinson] making a mockery of [Irish] national culture".[18] Two days later, Father Declan McInerney, an Irish Catholic priest, also heavily criticized the song and Robinson, stating in a sermon that "the poor devil can neither sing nor dance", while also claiming that Robinson was trying to push "certain orientations" on the Irish public and declaring that "[Ireland] is finished as a country".[19]

Eurovision Song Contest[edit]

Main article: Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024

Eurosong 2024[edit]

Ireland's national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) broadcast a Eurosong 2024 special episode of The Late Late Show on 26 January 2024 to select the Irish entrant for Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The edition was the eighth iteration of the national final in this format. The winning song was selected via a combination of international jury, national jury, and public voting, which each group having a third of the total vote.[20]

Robinson performing "Doomsday Blue" on The Late Late Show after winning Eurosong 2024.

"Doomsday Blue" was announced to compete in Eurosong 2024 and premiered on 11 January 2024 on an episode of The Ray D'Arcy Show broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1.[7] It was drawn to perform second.[21] In the grand final, Robinson came in third with the international jury, scoring eight points. However, Robinson was able to win both the televote and the national jury votes, securing two sets of 12 points, combining for a total of 32 points. The total was eight more than the second-place finisher, Ailsha with "Go Tobann". As a result, the song won rights to perform as the Irish entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.[22][23]

At Eurovision[edit]

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is taking place at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and consists of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 7 and 9 May and the final on 11 May 2024. During the allocation draw on 30 January 2024, Ireland was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.[24] Robinson was later drawn to perform fourth in the semi-final, behind of Lithuania's Silvester Belt and ahead of Ukraine's duo of Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil.[25]

For its Eurovision performance, Matt Williams was appointed as the staging director.[26] The performance featured the heavy use of smoke along with a circle of candles.[27] Robinson wore a black outfit adorned with antlers, with an accompanying male dancer performing "balletic choreography" around Robinson.[28][27] Midway through the performance, Robinson removes the black outfit, revealing an outfit inspired by the colors of the transgender flag.[29] Robinson was originally slated to wear line makeup that featured the message "ceasefire" and "freedom for Palestine" in Ogham as a medium of support for a ceasefire amongst the Israel–Hamas war.[30] However, according to Robinson, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) forced them to remove the message, only allowing the message "crown the witch" to be displayed.[31][32] Robinson, who considers themself pro-Palestinian, also faced numerous calls to withdraw from the contest due to Israeli participation for that year's contest; they rejected it, stating that withdrawing "would mean one less pro-Palestinian voice at the contest".[33] "Doomsday Blue" was able to secure a position in the grand final on 7 May.[34]

Track listing[edit]

Digital download/streaming[35]

  1. "Doomsday Blue" – 3:03

Digital download/streaming – Intimate version[36]

  1. "Doomsday Blue (Intimate)" – 4:16

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for "Doomsday Blue"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[37] 37

Release history[edit]

Release history and formats for "Doomsday Blue"
Country Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various 13 October 2023
EP track Self-released [35]
22 April 2024 Intimate version [36]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Bambie Thug uses they/them and fae/faer pronouns; this article uses they/them pronouns for consistency.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ten Veen, Renske (11 January 2024). "Ireland: Bambie Thug releases Eurosong 2024 song "Doomsday Blue"". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c ESCBubble (22 January 2024). "Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue / Eurosong 2024 Ireland Eurovision / Interview". Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Caruso, Steve (29 January 2014). "Abracadabra is NOT Aramaic".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ @Bambiethug (11 January 2024). "ts origins can be traced back thousands of years to the Aramaic language it means ' to destroy'. I was a Harry Potter fan as a kid but obviously as a nonbinary person I am not a JK Terf fan. I am however a fan of being clever with language xx" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ^ Ó Liatháin, Concubchar (27 January 2024). "From Macroom to Malmo: Cork's Bambie Thug chosen to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2024". Echo Live. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  6. ^ Hammond, Saoirse (31 January 2024). "IRISH EUROVISION STAR BAMBIE THUG OPENS UP ABOUT THEIR 'BATTLE TO GET THROUGH EVERYDAY' FOLLOWING SEXUAL ASSAULT NIGHTMARE". Goss.ie. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Bambie Thug revealed as fifth Eurosong hopeful". RTÉ. 11 January 2024. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  8. ^ Adams, William Lee (8 March 2024). "Hex on the ex! Bambie Thug shares "Doomsday Blue" music video — and gives Eurovision song a cutesy twist". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  9. ^ Reilly, Nick (8 March 2024). "Eurovision: Ireland's Bambie Thug shares 'Doomsday Blue' video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  10. ^ Garnett, Georgia (16 March 2024). "🇮🇪 Bambie Thug to perform at Pre-Party ES 2024". That Eurovision Site. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  11. ^ Melvan, Mario (13 March 2024). "Bambie Thug from Ireland will bewitch at London Eurovision Party 2024". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  12. ^ Gannon, Rory (6 March 2024). "🇮🇪 Bambie Thug to perform at Eurovision in Concert 2024". That Eurovision Site. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  13. ^ Rowley, Eddie (28 January 2024). "Johnny Logan says Bambie Thug could 'win Eurovision with this song'". Sunday World. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  14. ^ Mallon, Sandra (31 January 2024). "Former Eurovision star makes bold claim about Bambie Thug representing Ireland". The Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  15. ^ Dabrowicz, Rita (24 January 2024). "Bambie Thug – Doomsday Blue single review". Vanadian Avenue. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  16. ^ Power, Ed (27 January 2024). "Late Late Show's Eurosong special review: Bambie Thug wins as Patrick Kielty avoids any cringe moments". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  17. ^ Fetherstonhaugh, Neil (27 January 2024). "Bambie Thug's Eurosong victory strikes sour note for far-right". Sunday World. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  18. ^ Cunningham, Kieran (6 February 2024). "Kieran Cunningham: Bambie Thug is nothing new in the world of music". Irish Daily Star. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  19. ^ Mallon, Sandra (8 February 2024). "Priest slams Bambie Thug and says Ireland is 'finished' in controversial sermon". Irish Mirror. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  20. ^ Matthews, Jane (26 January 2024). "'Same energy as Russia': Two of Ireland's Eurovision hopefuls say Israel should be cut from contest". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  21. ^ Conte, Davide (26 January 2024). "🇮🇪 Ireland: Eurosong 2024 Running Order Revealed". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  22. ^ O'Donoghue, Denise (26 January 2024). "Revealed: Cork singer Bambie Thug will represent Ireland at the 2024 Eurovision in Sweden". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  23. ^ Veen, Renske ten (26 January 2024). "Bambie Thug will represent Ireland at Eurovision 2024". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  24. ^ "Eurovision 2024: Semi-Final Draw results". Eurovision.tv. EBU. 30 January 2024. Archived from the original on 30 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  25. ^ Adams, William Lee (26 March 2024). "Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final Running Order Revealed". Wiwibloggs. Archived from the original on 27 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  26. ^ Álvarez, Jesús (12 March 2024). "¿Cuáles son los equipos de trabajo de las diferentes candidaturas de Eurovisión 2024?" [What are the working teams behind the various entries for Eurovision 2024?]. ESCplus España (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  27. ^ a b O’Donoghue, Anna (7 May 2024). "'Crown the Witch': Bambie's Eurovision show will be like something from a fantasy film". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 8 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ Power, Ed (7 May 2024). "Eurovision 2024: Ireland's entry Bambie Thug performs tonight in first semi-final – can they win and who are the favourites?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ Blake Knox, Kirsty (6 May 2024). "Bambie Thug to make statement about trans rights on stage during Eurovision performance". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 7 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ Ampatzidis, Ioannis (6 May 2024). "Ireland: Bambie Thug calls for ceasefire from Eurovision stage!". Eurovision Fun. Retrieved 7 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ Brophy, Daragh (8 May 2024). "Bambie Thug says EBU 'ordered' change to make-up that spelled out pro-Palestine messages in Ogham". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 8 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ "Eurovision 2024: Organisers asked Bambie Thug to change secret Ogham body markings before performance". Irish Independent. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  33. ^ Becker, Kendra (7 May 2024). "Ireland's Eurovision Entrant Bambie Thug Calls For 'Ceasefire' During Dress Rehearsal For Semi-Final". Goss.ie. Retrieved 7 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. ^ Adams, William Lee (7 May 2024). "Eurovision 2024: Semi-Final 1 Results and Qualifiers". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 8 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. ^ a b "Doomsday Blue - Song by Bambie Thug". Apple Music (US). 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  36. ^ a b "Doomsday Blue (Intimate) - Single by Bambie Thug". Spotify. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  37. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
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