John Lydon and Public Image Ltd. will compete for Eurovision entry
Sex Pistols’ post-punk offspring Public Image Ltd. have announced their intentions to compete for entry into the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
The band’s representatives announced earlier today that they would attempt to compete for Ireland at the international song contest. John Lydon, formerly known as Johnny Rotten, will offer his characteristic vocals to ‘Hawaii’, a new and particularly personal track he penned as a love letter to his wife Nora, who is living with Alzheimer’s. Back in 2020, Lydon revealed that he had abandoned a PiL album in order to care for her.
“It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most,” Lydon said of the new song in a statement, adding: “It’s also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all.”
The 2023 contest is set to take place in Liverpool in May. The Beatles’ hometown beat Glasgow to the mark to take hosting duties on behalf of Ukraine. Eurovision organisers decided that, with the ongoing conflict following the Russian invasion, Ukraine was not safe to host.
PiL are set to hit the audition stage next month as a candidate to represent Ireland. The show can be live-streamed as part of The Late Late Show from 9.30pm on February 3rd. The announcement of the new song comes two months after the band’s guitarist Keith Levene died aged 65. “Rest in Peace Keith Levene,” Lydon’s Twitter account wrote upon the news breaking. “Condolences to his family and loved ones from everyone at PiL Official.”
Listen to PiL’s new single, ‘Hawaii’, below.
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