Australia is still reeling from the shock of seeing Jessica Mauboy place 20th at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.
The unexpected outcome has almost overshadowed her stellar performance as fans struggle to comprehend the news. Jess scored lowest on the all-important public vote and fell outside the predicted top ten.
After she placed fourth in the semi-finals on Thursday, the 28-year-old was a strong contender coming into the grand final.
Wearing her signature one-shoulder purple dress, which has been her stage outfit for the duration of the competition, the Darwin-born singer was in her element. She encouraged the crowd to sing along, while flawlessly displaying her vocal range.
But during voting, her position dropped dramatically and she finished with just 99 votes.
The winner was popular singer Netta of Israel, who sang the quirky hit, “Toy”.
It is the first time our nation has placed outside the top 10. Many fans believe she was ‘robbed’ and have been left scratching their heads.
But the We Got Love singer isn’t holding any grudges. In fact, she’s celebrating.
“Robbed is a very harsh word and I don’t feel that at all,” she says with a smile during a press conference in Lisbon, Portugal.
“I’ve been strong in my vocals, my routine and the crowd. I focused on all of those things and i sung my heart out,” she says. “I don’t feel that sadness, I feel celebrated.”
For Jess, making the semi-final was “wild”.
“To get through that semi, I felt like I had won anyway,” she says. “To see Netta [of Israel] be so empowered on that stage was everything; she’s incredible.”
Netta of Israel won the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.
When the chart-topper heads back to Australia, she wont be slowing down. She already has plans for an album to be released and she hopes to tour in the near future.
“I want to tour,” she tells TV WEEK. “That’s my future mission. There are so many opportunities trailing and I have new music out so it’s just building on that and getting ready to share it live.”
