Meet the 29-year-old Perth pop star ready to shake up Eurovision
Go-Jo, a rising pop star from Western Australia, will represent Australia at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in May, following in the footsteps of Guy Sebastian, Dami Im and Kate Miller-Heidke, broadcaster SBS has confirmed.
This year also marks Australia’s 10th anniversary in the competition, which means the 29-year-old, whose hit single Mrs Hollywood racked up 60 million digital streams and one billion views across multiple platforms, has his work cut out for him.
Go-Jo, bound for Eurovision.Credit: James Brickwood
“Growing up with all the siblings I had [four brothers and a twin sister], I feel like I’ve got a competitive nature,” he says, confirming he has victory in his sights. “Winning is definitely is something that I am wholeheartedly striving for, definitely, but also having fun.”
The song Go-Jo is taking to the Eurovision stage in Basel, Switzerland, is titled Milkshake Man, and is described by SBS as “a slippery dip of childlike nostalgia into a swirl of infectious hooks and glossy, larger-than-life production”.
Go-Jo, whose real name is Marty Zambotto, says growing up with a French father meant the family was well-versed in Eurovision. “I remember seeing the Waterloo performance by ABBA [on a VHS tape],” he says. After that? “Hallelujah, by Lordi,” he says. Lordi, a Finnish metal band, won in 2006 and are remembered for outlandish costumes and an intense stage performance.
“That told me everything I needed to know about Eurovision, being so expressive and extraordinary,” Zambotto says, “I love that aspect of it. That performance, I thought it was the coolest thing ever.”
Zambotto grew up in a small rural town just outside Manjimup, in south-west Western Australia. The family home was off-grid, with no running water, electricity or phone reception, and built by Zambotto’s father out of recycled materials.
Zambotto says his parents were always supportive of his plan to embark on a pop career. “I always thank them for this,” he says. “That’s the way they brought us up, and they made me feel like there was no pressure with anything that I wanted to do. They just wanted to know that I have a smile, and it makes me happy.”
As the character Go-Jo, Zambotto has amassed 1.4 million followers across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. In 2023, he was the ninth-most streamed Australian artist in the world, and toured Europe, United States and South-East Asia.
Milkshake Man is, he says, a song about confidence. “It’s a song I hope inspires people to express themselves individually and wholeheartedly because the song, the lyrics, they’re creating an environment,” he says.
The song was written by Zambotto, and members of Australian pop band Sheppard: George Sheppard, Amy Sheppard and Jason Bovino. The single was released by Chugg Music and Rix Records.
While the Eurovision Song Contest is officially apolitical, it has never been too far from political controversy. Recently, geopolitical tensions have amplified over Israel’s inclusion and Russia’s expulsion, among other issues.
“I am very focused on just performing and going to the stage and just showing the world what Australia has,” he says. His diplomatic mission? “To make sure everyone knows Australia is a really fun place.”
Singer/songwriter Marty Zambotto, aka Go-Jo.Credit: James Brickwood
Australia has been in Eurovision since 2015. Last year’s Australian entrant was Electric Fields, who performed One Milkali (One Blood). Our best result was in 2016, when Im came in second place after stunning the competition with Sound of Silence.
When SBS and Beyond Productions told Zambotto he was Eurovision-bound, he says he immediately looked around expecting it to be a prank. “I thought I was being punked,” he says.
“Then, straight after, I remember having a thousand thoughts, I had to call Mum, I had to call Dad, I had to call my manager,” he says. “And I remember, while they were talking to me, it was so hard to concentrate because I just wanted to go straight to my phone and just call everyone.”
Since then, he has had to keep the news confidential, a task he admits was tough. “It’s like eating a whole candy store and letting the sugar go into all the parts of your body, and then being tied down immediately,” he says.
“It’s not easy, not easy at all,” he adds. “You just want to run to every corner and be proud to be representing such a beautiful nation. It gives me goosebumps every time I say it and think about it. It’s such an honour and it’s so exciting. I just can’t wait to do Australia proud.”
The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will air May 14-18 on SBS and SBS On Demand.
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