Kate Miller-Heidke: A star performer of Eurovision 2019

Australia’s star of Eurovision Kate Miller-Heidke stunned the world with her magical performance, but she says one part of the song contest was like an ‘artist torture device’. WARNING: SPOILERS

Australia’s star performer Kate Miller-Heidke may not have won Eurovision but she is flying high after pulling off a game-changing pop performance with her song Zero

Gravity.

Kate Miller-Heidke performs the song Zero Gravity during the Grand Final of the 64th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. Picture: AFP

The singer dazzled fans with her performance at the song contest. Picture: AFP

Some say her dazzling performance will go down as the iconic Song Contest’s best ever.

Wildly popular with the other 40 competitors, the contingent of more than 800 press and now a significant bloc of new European fans, Miller-Heidke finished ninth at the singing Olympics in Tel Aviv.

Miller-Heidke looked energised and still high on adrenaline a couple of hours after her performance, she declared the Eurovision voting countdown to be the most intense experience of her career.

Eurovision crowns popular winner

Kate Miller-Heidke certainly delivered some magic to Eurovision this year. Picture: AFP

“I said it was like an artist torture device,” she said, laughing.

“Obviously that’s the competition. It’s funny I actually did find myself feeling strangely calm, I was more nervous at Australia Decides. I guess I was being fatalistic about it.”

The Muriel’s Wedding composer and pop chart topper said it was surreal to watch Zero Gravity being “ranked” by juries and fans because it was such a personal song, penned about emerging from her battle with post natal depression.

“When we are up on those poles, I feel so powerful, it feels like flying. It was one of the most electric things I have ever experienced,” she said.

“It’s an immensely satisfying creative experience and that’s all I wanted. It was on a scale which I have never been able to attempt before and possibly never will again and I feel just so-so lucky.”

Kate Miller-Heidke performing "Zero Gravity". Picture: AFP

She remains proud of the song and the innovative creative collaboration she forged with Strange Fruit.

Team Australia was named the winner of the Marcel Bezoncon Award for Best Artistic Achievement before the contest final kicked off.

“It’s an immensely satisfying creative experience and that’s all I wanted. It was on a scale which I have never been able to attempt before and possibly never will again and I feel just so-so lucky,” she said.

Australia’s Head of Delegation Paul Clarke said he was pleased with our top 10 finish despite the crazy jury voting.

“I do think we have a bit of a voting bloc. I think the Scandinavians always support us,” Clarke said.

The song was a hit with Eurovision fans. Picture: AFP

Kate Miller-Heidke at Eurovision. Picture: AFP

“And there were votes that extended east (Poland and Romania) and we were hoping because of the beauty and magic of what we presented it would actually attract other voters.

“I was really happy to see the public vote came back to us this year. In the previous two years it has been really low.”

The 2019 Eurovision Song Contest was won by overwhelming favourite Duncan Laurence of The Netherlands, who will now host next year’s event.

While the focus for the diehard fans was firmly on this unique musical contest’s dizzying collision of kitsch and talent, pop superstar Madonna joined the party as part of her Madame X album campaign. Her performance of Like A Prayer, which celebrates its 30th

anniversary this year, and new single Future featuring rapper Quavo didn’t pack quite the wow punch she may have planned.

But she did use the performance to address the political tensions which shadowed the event by displaying Israeli and Palestinian flags on the backs of her dancers.

Miller-Heidke’s top 10 result was a vast improvement on last year when Jessica Mauboy finished 20th. Our best result was Dami Im coming second in Sweden in 2016.