Fil-Australian Sheldon Riley is set to compete in Eurovision 2022

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-Australian singer Sheldon Riley is set to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song contest in Turin, Italy from May 10-14, 2022. 

Sheldon was chosen to be Australia’s representative after winning the national final Eurovision: Australia Decides.

In Turin, he will perform the song “Not The Same,” which he wrote together with Cam Nacson and Timi Template. He will be competing against 39 other participants, and will perform on the second day of the semi-final rounds on May 12. 

In an interview with DNA magazine, Sheldon described “Not the Same” as a “storytelling song.” “It’s dark, it’s orchestral, it has this big moment. I’ve been telling people to just…be prepared. It builds…and then visually there’s this massive thing that happens, that gives an answer…and helps people understand me,” he said. 

Born to an Australian mother and Filipino father, Sheldon Riley (whose real name is Sheldon Hernandez) opened up to SBS Filipino about what it’s like to come out as gay. The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter said that his relatives and friends were instrumental in him coming to terms with his identity as a person and as an artist. 

“For me, queer representation in music, media, sport, anything is important. The more voices out there…on TikTok…and Mäneskin…their comfortability of just being human has inspired a generation of people that could’ve easily been influenced in other directions,” the 22-year-old told DNA. 

Sheldon said that he’s always been a Eurovision fan. “Eurovision is a main goal. It has always been my thing as a little kid watching. They’re just so weird and so different and so accepted for doing absolutely everything,” he was quoted in SBS Filipino. 

Prior to the Eurovision Song contest, Sheldon also joined X Factor Australia in 2016, The Voice Australia in 2018 and 2019, and America’s Got Talent in 2020. – Rappler.com