Sheldon Riley I “Not The Same”

Once again, Sheldon Riley has brought tears to our eyes with his latest single and Eurovision entry track “Not The Same”, ahead of his performance debut at Eurovision – Australia Decides at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday 25th February and Saturday 26th February. This orchestral and emotional stripped back yet epically cinematic track has dark elements which can be found in many of Riley’s viral live performances. Unlike his last singles “Left Broken” & “Again,” “Not The Same” lyrically is a more obvious story ready to be heard, followed and visualized which ties in beautifully with the views, values and celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest.

​Speaking on the backstory of the track, Sheldon said, “I actually wrote this song back around late 2015, I had sent myself the lyrics on my old Facebook account. It was more of a poem back then though, more reflecting on how far I had come, recently coming out to my family and feeling so free to speak my mind more and more each day. When I was young (and still to this day) I connected to Darker Disney Animations, characters that were perceived to be different, evil, misunderstood and weren’t given a chance to explain parts of themselves that they ultimately couldn’t change. Maleficent, Cruella DeVille, Ursula. It probably explains my dark aesthetic.

I mention this because Eurovision really was my first real life Disney fantasy, filled with outcasts and artists who just didn’t fit the mold of mainstream music and the competition gave them a loud enough voice that reached me all the way in Australia. That is what I connected so strongly to. I wanted to put a song forward that came from that same place.”

​At 22 years young, Sheldon Riley has forged a strong, authentic and inclusive path since establishing himself as a musician and artist to remember during his appearances on Australian and US television. ‘Not The Same’ is another reminder of his raw talent shown through his powerful introspective pieces of art. Turning his own experience into hypnotic, brooding songs seems to be Sheldon’s strong suit, and we can’t wait to see his performance at Eurovision Decides 2022!