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Sam Battle, known by his stage name Look Mum No Computer, has been confirmed as the United Kingdom’s representative for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. The musician expressed surprise at the BBC’s choice of his entry, describing his track, Eins, Zwei, Drei, as “completely wacky” and quite different from the polished pop that has traditionally featured in the competition. The song itself is a richly layered mix of catchy chants and distinctive keyboard sounds, deliberately steering away from conventional Eurovision styles.
Eins, Zwei, Drei blends elements from both German and British culture, featuring a chorus partly sung in German alongside verses that pay homage to traditional English desserts like “roly poly with custard.” Battle reflected on the BBC’s decision to select such an unconventional piece: “I was like, ‘This is not going to be taken seriously because the BBC love the conventional stuff, and this is not conventional. So they’re taking a bit of a risk – but who knows?’” This entry certainly marks a bold departure for the UK, which has struggled for high placements in recent years.
Despite the nation’s ups and downs at Eurovision—after a strong second place for Sam Ryder four years ago, subsequent acts struggled to score well in public votes—Battle remains positive and focused. He takes a philosophical attitude toward the voting dynamics and the UK’s reputation within the contest: “Whether it’s winning or whether it’s not winning, I just figured the best thing to do is just try my hardest… There’s a lot of stuff going on with the voting, a lot of favouritism and stuff, and maybe the UK isn’t everybody’s favourite when it comes to the Eurovision.” His aim is simply to be authentic, hoping that judges and viewers alike will appreciate his genuine character.
Musically, Eins, Zwei, Drei is a quirky combination of influences, drawing on Battle’s favorite artists like Elvis Costello and The Human League. It also incorporates various nods to styles and elements from other iconic songs, such as Ian Dury’s sprechgesang vocal technique and keyboard flourishes reminiscent of the Steve Miller Band, alongside a melodic twist similar to Britney Spears’ Womanizer. The song’s unique flavor even includes more German lyrics than the German entry itself, which is sung entirely in English. Battle’s background as an experimental musician and YouTuber—known for creating bizarre and inventive electronic instruments—feeds into the distinctiveness of his Eurovision performance, which will be staged by Swedish choreographer Fredrik Rydman, famed for working with the 2024 contest winner.
Having built a career blending indie rock roots with avant-garde synthesisers, Battle also holds the Guinness World Record for his gigantic “drone synth,” which produces a thousand simultaneous tones. This passion for building custom instruments aligns with his hands-on approach to music production, as does his Eurovision track, composed on one of his self-made synths affectionately named Kosmo. After unexpectedly contacting the BBC’s Eurovision team last September, initially intending to pitch a song for another artist, Battle found himself in the spotlight as the contest’s official UK entrant. He described the song’s origin humorously, recalling how the phrase “Eins, Zwei, Drei” came about while moving a sofa, sparking the creation of the track just hours later.
As he prepares to bring Eins, Zwei, Drei to the Eurovision stage, Battle acknowledges the challenges ahead but remains optimistic. Against a backdrop of political tensions causing some countries to withdraw from the contest, he hopes his song delivers a hopeful message of unity and togetherness among European nations. “The idea
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