Public Image Ltd to compete to represent Ireland at Eurovision with new song ‘Hawaii’

Public Image Ltd are to compete to represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest with new song ‘Hawaii’.

The 2023 competition will take place in Liverpool in May, who beat Glasgow to stage the contest on behalf of Ukraine after organisers deemed the country unable to host the event due to their ongoing war with Russia.

PiL’s new song ‘Hawaii’ is a love letter to John Lydon’s wife Nora, who is living with Alzheimer’s. In 2020, Lydon said he threw out a planned album with the band 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,” he said of the track in a statement, adding: “It’s also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all.”

The band will compete in a televised competition next month to decide who will represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023.

The show can be live streamed here as part of The Late Late Show from 9.30pm on February 3.

Listen to ‘Hawaii’ below.

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.”

Others to pay tribute included PiL bassist Jah Wobble and Ride‘s Andy Bell.

Ahead of Eurovision 2023, a call out has been made for creatives to take part in a cultural festival, which is to be held alongside the Liverpool contest.

As per the BBC, Culture Liverpool stated that the planned event would celebrate UK music, Eurovision and modern Ukraine. They added that they were welcoming applications from creatives who live in the nations competing in Eurovision 2023, particularly artists from Ukraine and Liverpool.

In other news, the Eurovision Song Contest has announced major voting changes for 2023. Next year’s event will see professional juries scrapped from the semi-finals, meaning that viewers alone will choose who qualifies for the grand final rather than a mix of jury and viewers.

Although the people’s votes will count in the semis, the professional juries will return to contribute to the grand final.

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