分类： entertainment

The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Vienna to mark the iconic competition’s 70th platinum anniversary, delivered a stunning upset when Bulgarian pop star Dara claimed the nation’s first ever victory with her high-energy dance track *Bangaranga* — a surprise win that capped a night of political tension, unexpected results, and memorable live performances.

Going into the grand final, Dara was far from the favorite to win, with bookmakers having favored Finnish duo Pete Parkkonen and Linda Lampenius for weeks and many commentators tipping Australian star Delta Goodrem to take the trophy. But the 27-year-old Bulgarian talent, already a household name in her home country with more than 80 million combined streams and views and a coaching role on Bulgaria’s *The Voice*, defied all pre-contest expectations. She dominated both the jury and public vote to finish with a massive 516 points, a nearly 200-point lead over second-place finisher Israel’s Noam Bettan. Third place went to Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu, followed by Goodrem and Italy’s Sal Da Vinci to round out the top five.

Beyond its catchy, unforgettable chorus and high-impact choreography, *Bangaranga* carries a deeply personal meaning for Dara. The track’s title, often mislabeled as just another whimsical Eurovision nonsensical phrase, translates to “uproar” in Jamaican patois, and its lyrics explore her journey managing anxiety and ADHD, a diagnosis she received just one year prior. Her dynamic performance drew inspiration from Bulgaria’s ancient Kukeri tradition, where masked performers drive out evil spirits, with whiplash-inducing choreography that earned her the pre-final award for best staging, voted on by contest commentators including the UK’s Graham Norton. After accepting the crystal microphone trophy, Dara told backstage reporters: “I want to thank everybody who felt the Bangaranga and felt connected to the force.” Bulgarian National Television has since confirmed that the 2027 Eurovision contest will be hosted in the country’s capital, Sofia.

This year’s contest was overshadowed by significant political controversy surrounding Israel’s participation, sparked by widespread anger over the Gaza war’s civilian death toll. Five countries including Spain, Iceland and seven-time winners Ireland boycotted the event, and large public protests were held in central Vienna in the lead-up to the grand final. Anti-Israel chants interrupted Bettan’s semi-final performance, and the singer was booed during the final when he briefly held the top spot on the leaderboard, though no major disruptions marred his performance of the heartfelt Mediterranean love song *Michelle*. Bettan ultimately held on to secure second place.

For the United Kingdom, the contest brought another disappointing result, marking the third time since 2020 that the nation has finished in last place. UK entry Look Mum No Computer, a YouTube creator best known for building unusual musical contraptions, earned just one single point for his synth-driven track *Eins, Zwei, Drei*. The artist had pre-emptively acknowledged the song’s divisive appeal, calling it “Marmite — you either love it or hate it”, and maintained a positive attitude after the results, saying “I always say to expect nothing, because if you expect nothing, you lose nothing.” Norton noted after the final that “He gave it his all, it just clearly didn’t shine with the audiences across Europe.”

Several other unexpected moments shaped the night’s competition. Pre-contest favorites Parkkonen and Lampenius failed to meet expectations, their duet *Liekinheitin (Flamethrower)* finishing in sixth place, outside the top five. Goodrem, tipped to become Australia’s first ever Eurovision champion, delivered a viral vocal performance of her power ballad *Eclipse* from a stage platform borrowed from Beyoncé, but the track was ultimately seen as too dated to claim the top spot, finishing fourth. Romania’s Căpitănescu faced controversy over her track *Choke Me*, with campaigners accusing the song of glorifying sexual violence, but the artist explained the track is actually about the suffocating weight of self-doubt. Her nu metal-influenced performance resonated with voters, pushing her to a surprise third-place finish.

A minor technical disruption interrupted Czech entrant Daniel Žižka’s performance, when a camera error distorted the video feed and briefly cut away from the singer. Žižka requested an opportunity to restart his performance, but contest organizers declined, noting that the audio and core performance had not been affected by the “small camera issue”.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the contest, which launched in 1956 as the European Grand Prix with just seven participating nations, organizers put together a star-studded tribute to seven decades of iconic Eurovision music. Former winners joined special guests to reimagine classic hits: Finnish rock winners Lordi performed a heavy metal rework of Brotherhood of Man’s *Save Your Kisses For Me*, Ukrainian icon Verka Serduchka delivered a playful version of Sandie Shaw’s *Puppet On A String* accompanied by an Oompah band, Finnish star Erika Vikman recreated ABBA’s iconic 1974 winning performance of *Waterloo*, and Norwegian winner Alexander Rybak gave Cliff Richard’s *Congratulations* a hoedown twist. The tribute closed with a mass audience singalong of *Nel blu, dipinto di blu*, the 1958 Italian winner that has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide, and remains the only Eurovision track to ever top the US Billboard charts.

Across the 26 competing entries, the 2026 final showcased a wide range of themes and styles, from the opening number from Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund that set a tone of raw passion, to Croatia’s folk band Lelek, who told the untold story of Catholic women’s resistance during the Ottoman Empire through haunting harmonies and symbolic face paint. Lithuania’s Lion Ceccah delivered a commentary on algorithmic culture, painting his entire body silver to illustrate his message of reclaiming humanity from digital systems, while Greece’s Akylas wove a sweet story of working to lift his parents out of poverty into a high-energy techno performance full of theatrical stunts.

It’s hard to believe that just two years ago, the 11 members of all-female Irish traditional music supergroup BIIRD had never played a full set together. Many had only met hours before they stepped onto London’s Trafalgar Square stage on St. Patrick’s Day 2024, dressed in bold, theatrical costumes, to perform for a crowd of 10,000. Today, they’ve sold out headline venues across the UK and Ireland, opened for global pop star Ed Sheeran on stadium tour dates across three continents, and built a devoted worldwide fanbase — all before releasing their first studio record. This staggering, organic rise has been fueled almost entirely by electric live performances and word-of-mouth buzz, a testament to the group’s one-of-a-kind energy and vision.

For Miadhachlughain O’Donnell, a County Down-based singer and flautist, the group’s current trajectory felt entirely unthinkable in the chaotic aftermath of that first show. “It was mental, to be honest,” she shared in an interview. “It all came together in the blink of an eye… We didn’t have another gig lined up for a couple of months, and I had no idea where it would go from there.”

While the group’s early path was uncertain for its members, BIIRD’s founder Lisa Canny, a seven-time All Ireland champion for harp and banjo from County Mayo, had nurtured the concept for a full decade. Often described as a rule-breaker in the traditional Irish music scene, Canny set out to create what fans now call the “Spice Girls of trad”: a collective that reimagines what women in traditional Irish music can look like and sound like.

“Beyond creating incredible music, our core mission is to reframe the narrative and image surrounding women in trad and folk music,” Canny explained. “Big global Irish productions like Riverdance, Celtic Woman, and Lord of the Dance have brought so much attention to our art form, but their representation of women still relies on outdated, one-dimensional tropes that don’t reflect the modern reality of female musicians in this space.”

Unlike many musical collectives built through formal auditions and strategic casting, BIIRD grew organically out of Canny’s existing professional network in the Irish traditional music world. Every member was hand-picked for their unique voice and talent, and the group’s size — which fluctuates between 8 and 11 performers depending on the show — was never part of the original plan. As Cavan-based concertina player Zoran Donohoe put it: “Once she handpicked all of us, we got to 11 and she just said, ‘We’re keeping all of them — every one of these women deserves a spot on this stage.’ We’re all so different, with our own individual projects and styles, and she wanted all of those voices to be heard.”

What stands out to audiences as much as the group’s size and all-female lineup is their intentional, boundary-pushing aesthetic. Partnering exclusively with Irish fashion designers including Simone Rocha, Paul Costelloe, and Sara O’Neill, the group prioritizes sustainable, dramatic couture that stands in stark contrast to the understated, casual look long associated with traditional Irish folk performance. Corsets, glitter, heavy eyeliner, and dark moody palettes shocked the traditional music world when the group released their first promotional photos. “I won’t say we broke the internet, but everyone in the trad community was asking ‘what is happening here?’” Donohoe recalled. “None of us were used to dressing like this — I’d always worn trackies to gigs before, it was a total learning curve. But now we love it; every show feels like putting on a performance from the moment we get dressed.”

Despite their modern styling and contemporary edge, BIIRD’s sound remains firmly rooted in Irish tradition. Their high-energy sets blend classic trad instrumentation — fiddles, flutes, harps, banjos, cellos, and concertinas — with Irish lilting and a pop-infused energy that comes from years of playing intimate pub céilís, house parties, and regional folk festivals. “We’re not here to reinvent traditional Irish music,” O’Donnell emphasized. “We’re just here to bring a new perspective to it.”

Their big break into mainstream fame came by chance, during an impromptu jam session at a County Wexford pub during the 2024 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, where Ed Sheeran caught their set. Sheeran, who famously collaborated with Irish trad group Beoga on his hit “Galway Girl”, immediately invited BIIRD to join his ongoing *Loop* world tour as opening acts, alongside other up-and-coming Irish artists. “He just came up to us after the jam and said, ‘You guys are incredible, come on tour — what do you need from me?’ It was surreal,” Donohoe said.

Since then, the group has joined Sheeran for sell-out stadium runs across the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and is set to join the tour for North American dates later in 2026. Between tour stops, they’ve been recording their debut album of original compositions at the iconic Decoy Studios in Melton, England, with the project on track for release in the near future. Donohoe says the recording process has been seamless, thanks to the close bond the group has built over two years of touring: “We’re all used to each other now, we can be honest about what works and what doesn’t, and it just flows.”

For the members of BIIRD, the success they’ve found is about more than sold-out shows and global tours: it’s about paving the way for the next generation of female traditional Irish musicians. O’Donnell says young girls have already reached out to the group to say they’ve been inspired to pick up traditional instruments after seeing BIIRD perform. “I hope we’re laying the groundwork for something that lasts longer than our time as a group,” she said. “In 10 or 20 years, there might be new groups like BIIRD taking this space, and that’s exactly what we want. Our mission was never just about us — it was about changing the scene for good.”

As the 70th Eurovision Song Contest grand final prepares to kick off in Vienna this Saturday, the family of the UK’s representative is overflowing with excitement and pride for the hometown musician set to take the global stage. Performing under the stage name Look Mum No Computer, experimental electronic artist Sam Battle – originally named Sam Bartle and raised in the small Cambridgeshire village of Yaxley near Peterborough – will go head-to-head with 24 other competing acts from across the continent in one of the world’s most watched live music events.

Battle’s older sister Jodie Bartle shared her overwhelming joy in an interview with BBC, saying she has long believed her brother was born for a massive break in the music industry. “Sam’s always been destined for something massive, and I’m so happy that he’s finally been given the opportunity for the world to see how unbelievably talented he is as an individual,” Bartle said. Even as the family celebrates his Eurovision selection, Bartle admitted that the opportunity to compete on the iconic contest stage came as a happy surprise.

What sets Battle apart from many other contemporary pop acts is his distinctive artistic niche: he hand-builds one-of-a-kind, unconventional electronic instruments that blend vintage tech with unexpected playful elements. Some of his most famous creations merge the deep, resonant tone of traditional organ pipes with dozens of retired Furby interactive toys and retro handheld Game Boy consoles, creating a signature sound that has earned him a dedicated global fanbase.

Battle’s journey to Eurovision began decades ago in his home county of Cambridgeshire, where he cut his teeth playing live gigs in the 2000s. Early in his career, he performed both as a solo artist and as a member of local bands Yellow Snow and Zibra, building a reputation for energetic, unpredictable sets that caught the attention of BBC Introducing, the network’s platform for emerging UK talent. That early recognition helped propel his career toward bigger opportunities, culminating in this year’s Eurovision selection.

In a remarkable twist, Battle takes the Vienna stage just five weeks after welcoming his first child, a son named Max. Bartle says the milestone makes the moment even more special for the whole family: “He’s got a five-week-old baby at the moment that in the future is going to be able to say ‘my dad’s done Eurovision’, which is absolutely epic.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire presenter Dotty McLeod, Battle shared that his competing entry, the upbeat electro-pop anthem *Eins, Zwei, Drei*, came together in roughly 12 days of writing and refining. For the artist, the contest is as much about personal joy as it is about competition: “I am just going to try my hardest for the UK, for me and my mates and family,” he said.

Bartle echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the family’s support does not depend on Battle’s final score. “All I want for him is to just enjoy it,” she said. “We’re proud of him no matter what, and he should be proud of himself as well. The song I think is good enough to get points, and just hopefully the world also agrees with that.”

VIENNA, May 17 — The 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest wrapped up Saturday at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle arena, with Bulgaria securing its first-ever victory in the contest’s seven-decade history. Singer Dara’s high-energy party anthem “Bangaranga” outperformed 24 competing acts, winning over both professional national juries and global public viewers with its infectious rhythm and tightly choreographed stage performance.

Hosted in the Austrian capital, this year’s anniversary competition brought together 25 finalist acts from across Europe and beyond, showcasing a wildly eclectic range of musical styles that has become the event’s signature. From Finnish fiery violin-pop and Moldovan folk-infused rap to Serbian heavy metal and Italian classic crooning, the 2026 contest delivered the over-the-top stage production and diverse talent that has made it a global cultural phenomenon, drawing hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.

While the celebration of music took center stage, the 2026 contest was overshadowed for the third consecutive year by growing political controversy over Israel’s participation, amid ongoing conflict in Gaza. Five longstanding participating nations — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — withdrew in protest of Israel’s inclusion, marking one of the largest coordinated boycotts in the contest’s modern history.

Israel’s contestant Noam Bettan ultimately finished in second place with his multilingual rock ballad “Michelle,” though his appearance was met with mixed reactions from the audience: loud cheers from supporters were punctuated by scattered boos, and four attendees were ejected earlier in the week after attempting to disrupt his semifinal performance. Street protests unfolded in Vienna in the lead-up to Saturday’s final, with hundreds of demonstrators marching near the arena holding signs reading “Block Eurovision” and organizers hosting an alternative “No stage for genocide” outdoor concert. “Inviting Israel to this beautiful stage is an affront to everyone who believes in humanity, love and togetherness,” said Congolese-Austrian artist Patrick Bongola, one of the protest organizers. Demonstrations were smaller in scale than those seen at the 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden and the 2025 event in Basel, Switzerland.

Despite the political tensions, the 2026 final showcased the genre-blending creativity that defines Eurovision. Finnish duo Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen entered the final as pre-show betting favorites with “Liekinheitin” (Flamethrower), a high-octane blend of pop vocals and virtuosic classical violin backed by dramatic pyrotechnics. Other standout acts included Moldova’s Satoshi, whose upbeat party rap “Viva, Moldova” framed as a love letter to Europe from the aspiring EU member; Greek artist Akylas’ playful commentary on post-crisis economic inequality with “Ferto”; and Australian star Delta Goodrem’s showstopping performance of her ballad “Eclipse,” which featured Goodrem lifted above a glittering grand piano for the song’s climax. Female solo artists dominated the 2026 lineup, with standouts including Germany’s empowering power ballad, Poland’s gospel-infused R&B, Ukraine’s ethereal folk-pop, and Sweden’s pulsing techno-pop. The contest also featured strong male solo performances, from Malta’s R&B to Norway’s rock, plus a retro-techno set from Austrian hometown favorite Cosmo.

For long-time observers of the contest, political friction is far from a new development. “Eurovision has always had its share of political controversy,” said Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic. “The first boycott came back in 1969, ironically by Austria, which refused to participate in the contest hosted by Franco’s fascist Spain. Every politicized edition in recent years has faced similar tension, but Eurovision persists.” Vuletic added that the contest has always been a platform for underdogs: “It’s never been a competition for already established global superstars. Fans love seeing rising artists, and artists from smaller, less wealthy nations, claim the spotlight.”

As has become tradition, the winner was selected through a combined voting system that weights scores from professional national juries and public viewer votes. Viewers in participating nations can vote up to 10 times for acts outside their home country, while fans in non-participating nations including the U.S. can cast votes online through the official Eurovision website. The winning nation earns the right to host the following year’s contest.

The boycott has created tangible headwinds for the event, which drew 166 million global viewers last year, with organizers expecting losses to both viewership and advertising revenue. Even so, the Eurovision organization is moving forward with expansion plans: a new spinoff competition, Eurovision Song Contest Asia, is scheduled to launch in Bangkok this November. Contest director Martin Green urged global audiences to set political disagreements aside ahead of the final, framing the 2026 event as a “brilliant, wonderful, heartfelt celebration of music that brings people across the continent together.”

The world’s most iconic live music competition, the Eurovision Song Contest, will crown its 2026 champion in a star-studded grand final this Saturday night, held this year in Vienna. With acts ranging from rags-to-riches underdogs to A-list pop stars, this year’s contest delivers everything Eurovision fans love: unexpected twists, dramatic stagecraft, viral controversies, and genre-defying music from 25 competing nations. For UK viewers, the full event will broadcast live starting at 20:00 BST across BBC One, BBC iPlayer, Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, with continuous live coverage hosted on the BBC News website. Below is an exclusive preview of the most anticipated acts and storylines to watch for on competition night.

Few underdog stories hit harder this year than that of Greece’s entry Akylas. Just eight months ago, the 27-year-old singer was working as a waiter in Athens before quitting to busk on city streets to make ends meet. Speaking to the BBC, he recalled the constant doubt he faced while chasing his dream: “I had so many people telling me that I was wasting my time. People would bully me in the street [while] I was busking, trying to pay my rent and my bills. I was struggling – so it’s crazy that now I’m representing my country at Eurovision.” His competitive entry *Ferto* is a high-energy dance anthem that blends rave synths, retro video game sound effects, and traditional Greek string instrumentation like the lyra. Lyrically, the track reflects on his childhood growing up amid Greece’s prolonged financial crisis, honoring the sacrifices working parents make to give their children better opportunities. Bookmakers currently predict he will land a top three finish in Saturday’s voting.

Australia has become a surprising staple of Eurovision ever since the nation fell in love with the contest following ABBA’s iconic 1974 win. Invited for a one-off wildcard entry for the contest’s 60th anniversary in 2015, the country’s overwhelming enthusiasm earned it a permanent invitation back every year. This year, after an unexpected semi-final elimination in 2025, Australia is pulling out all the stops to claim its first ever Eurovision win, sending platinum-selling global pop star Delta Goodrem to compete with her power ballad *Eclipse*. The track features a powerhouse chorus that rivals the iconic vocal delivery of Celine Dion, pairing a baroque piano interlude with a dramatic final key change that has wowed audiences and bookies alike. Following Goodrem’s smooth advance through the semi-finals, bookmakers drastically cut her odds of winning, elevating her to the ranks of top frontrunners. One lingering question hangs over an Australian victory, however: where would the 2027 contest be hosted, given the country’s location outside Europe? Speaking on the *Wanging On* podcast this week, long-time BBC Eurovision commentator Graham Norton shared insider gossip: Australian broadcasters have a prearranged deal to host the contest in a partner European country if Australia claims the win. When approached by the BBC for comment, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) organizers declined to confirm details, saying only that they are focused on the 2026 grand final, and discussions about 2027 hosting will begin after a winner is crowned on May 16.

Heading into the final, Finland holds the position of overall favorite to win, with its dramatic love song *Liekenheiten*, performed by chart-topping Finnish pop star Pete Parkonnen and world-renowned classical violinist Linda Lampenius. Lampenius describes the unexpected collaboration as the Finnish equivalent of Harry Styles pairing up with elite classical violinist Nicola Benedetti. All pre-event buzz has centered around one death-defying stunt in the performance: Lampenius must sprint the full length of the stage catwalk in high heels while holding a priceless 1781 Gagliano violin, valued at roughly £500,000, before jumping onto a chair set next to a stage fire effect. “I run and jump up and down on a chair, and I’m standing next to a fire. So I’m quite nervous during those three minutes. I’m thinking about the violin all the time,” Lampenius admitted ahead of the final.

Moldova is celebrating its return to the Eurovision grand final this year, after missing out on qualification for two consecutive years. The country’s entry, *Viva, Moldova!* performed by 27-year-old singer and amateur boxer Satoshi, is a boisterous patriotic party anthem written to mark the 35th anniversary of Moldova’s independence. Satoshi has an unusual pre-performance routine to prepare: 30 seconds before stepping on stage, he simulates jumping rope to boost his energy. The routine has become such a running gag backstage that a venue microphone handler gifted him his own jump rope to practice with. The track name-checks some of Moldova’s most beloved cultural icons, including poet Grigore Vieru, whose alphabet poetry collection taught generations of Moldovan children – including Satoshi – to read.

This year’s contest has not been without controversy. Five countries have announced a full boycott of the 2026 event over Israel’s participation, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and rising civilian death toll. During Israel’s semi-final performance earlier this week, contestant Noam Bettan was met with a mix of cheers and booing from the live arena audience, and four protesters were removed from the venue by security. Bettan told the BBC he was surprised by the intensity of the reaction, though he added he had already practiced performing through boos during rehearsals, after Israeli contestants faced similar demonstrations in 2024 and 2025. Further protests are expected during Saturday’s grand final, but Bettan’s sincere, soulful ballad *Michelle* – which blends electronic production with traditional Middle Eastern instrumentation – is still predicted to earn a high placing in the final rankings.

One of the most dramatic pre-final moments involved Sweden’s entry Felicia, who wears a custom protective face mask during performances to address body image insecurities, not public health concerns. During her semi-final performance, Felicia suffered a wardrobe malfunction that caused the mask to slip off unexpectedly. Within 24 hours, she lost her voice entirely and was ordered to undergo strict vocal rest to recover. “It’s a catastrophe for me because I hate being silent!” she shared on social media, adding that she was following doctor’s orders to rest and stay hydrated. Fortunately, Felicia’s voice had fully recovered in time for Friday’s final dress rehearsal. Her entry *My System* uses the metaphor of an infection to describe overwhelming emotion, and could make history if it wins: a Swedish victory would break the country’s current seven-way tie with Ireland, making Sweden the most successful nation in Eurovision history. When asked about the historic milestone, Felicia laughed and said simply, “No pressure. That would be crazy.”

The UK is hoping to break its years-long dry spell at Eurovision this year, after a string of bottom-of-the-leaderboard finishes that have come despite sending major pop stars and accomplished vocal groups in recent competitions. This year’s hopeful is Sam Battle, better known by his stage name Look Mum No Computer – an inventor, popular YouTuber, and museum curator from Ramsgate with a famously quirky persona. His entry *Eins, Zwei, Drei* was composed on a custom synthesizer he built from scratch in his garage, and blends the raucous energy of British football chants with the minimal electronic sound of Kraftwerk. Battle acknowledges the track is divisive: “What we’re doing is Marmite – you either love it or hate it – but I think there’s a slot open for our sort of thing.” If the act fails to climb the leaderboard, Battle says he’s already prepared to lean into the joke with a custom “Look mum, no points” t-shirt.

Norway’s entry Jonas Lovv was ordered to revise his raucous rock performance of *Ya Ya Ya* by contest organizers, after the singer did too many hip thrusting movements during early rehearsals. Lovv told reporters bluntly: “Without joking: too sexy.” Mads Tørklep, head of the Norwegian Eurovision delegation, confirmed that the team was ordered to tone down the act’s sex appeal to meet the contest’s family-friendly content guidelines, specifically calling for a reduction in overtly sexualized rhythmic movements. The performance has since been adjusted to meet PG content standards, though Lovv still adds a playful wink and small playful waggle to the camera for long-time fans.

Beyond the frontrunners, this year’s grand final features a host of standout performances. Bulgarian singer Dara’s entry *Bangaranga* – a high-energy tropical pop track named for a Jamaican patois term meaning “joyful chaos” – features the most creative stage design of the competition, with dancers twitching and shaking on plastic chairs to the song’s shifting tempo, in a sequence that evokes a surreal mix of a twelve-step meeting and a psychological horror film. Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu has faced criticism from campaigners over her track *Choke Me*, which they argue glamorizes sexual violence; Căpitănescu counters that the song is actually a metaphor for feeling suffocated by unrealistic societal expectations, with a performance that finds her tethered to her guitarists by giant neon ropes. Ukraine’s gentle ballad *Ridnym* features the longest sustained high note in Eurovision history, clocking in at 30 seconds, while Serbia’s metalcore group Lavina closes their entry *Kraj Mene* with a chilling, audience-shaking scream. Closing out the standout acts is 17-year-old French singer Monroe, this year’s youngest competitor, whose pop-R&B track *Regarde!* features a showstopping operatic vocal. The song carries a message of universal calm, she says: “It’s about taking the busy moments in your life and just saying, ‘Shhhh, everything is going to be fine’.” After a week of covering the contest in Vienna, that quiet, hopeful message feels just as relevant to fans around the world as it does to the teams backstage.

BARCELONA, Spain — From their glossy eye-catching covers to depictions of impossibly muscular heroes clad in skintight costumes, American superhero comics draw readers in instantly with the promise of high-stakes battles, triumph over villains and thrilling adventure. For decades, these slim, serialized publications have carved out a one-of-a-kind space in global pop culture, often contrasted sharply with other regional sequential art forms.

Against Europe’s more literary, substantive graphic novels, traditional American superhero comics are often dismissed as flimsy, juvenile entertainment. When stacked against Japanese manga’s sprawling, genre-spanning narratives with complex thematic layers, American superhero stories read as earnest and uncomplicated, rooted in a bygone era of American cultural identity. Once sold for mere nickels and dimes before climbing to quarter price points, today single issues typically cost as much as a coffee shop latte — a clear marker of their place as a product of American consumer capitalism, widely labeled as junk-food literature: eye candy for casual readers, light entertainment that requires little deep engagement. But this surface reading overlooks the deeply American identity that has been baked into these 32-page monthly stories for generations.

The turning point for modern American superhero comics came in 1961, when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby launched the Fantastic Four. In the team’s origin story, a fateful unplanned space journey exposes four explorers to cosmic radiation, leaving them with extraordinary abilities they never asked for. This origin rewrote the rules of superhero storytelling: for the first time, all-powerful heroes were also reluctant, relatable figures, shaped by the unintended consequences of scientific progress and random chance — flawed, modern people first, heroes second.

This blueprint shaped countless iconic characters that followed. Spider-Man, the Hulk, Wolverine, and dozens more were marked by their otherness: their incredible powers turned them into outcasts, casting them as imperfect, burdened messiahs rather than perfect, unflappable paragons. Tied to a core thread of the American cultural psyche, nearly all of these characters abide by Peter Parker’s iconic moral mandate: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Like a distinctly American reimagining of the Greek myth of Sisyphus, they are bound to an endless cycle of sacrifice, repeatedly stepping forward to save the world even when victory offers them no personal reward.

What could be more fundamentally American than this core belief: that when raw power is anchored to a commitment to justice, it will ultimately prevail? It is a worldview that is simultaneously deeply honorable and unapologetically naïve, a reflection of the national identity that has shaped the country for centuries.

Today, even as storytelling has grown grittier and more complex, the two giants of the American comic industry — Marvel and DC — continue to reimagine what American character looks like for new eras. Long sidelined as supporting players to white male lead characters, female fan-favorites including Gwen Stacy, Jean Grey, and Susan Storm have emerged as central leaders in recent years, breathing new life into iconic sagas for Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. DC’s *Absolute Wonder Woman* has pushed creative boundaries with groundbreaking, cinematic artwork, while half-Latino, half-Black Miles Morales has become the Spider-Man for a new, more diverse generation of readers.

Even with these evolutions, the core tensions that have long defined American superhero stories remain unchanged. Bruce Wayne, the Batman, is unable to form deep meaningful connections with anyone beyond his longtime butler Alfred — a perfect portrait of the isolated individual in modern, atomized American society. Steve Rogers, Captain America, carries the weight of representing the World War II “Greatest Generation,” forever an outsider out of time even in his own country. And Lex Luthor, Superman’s villainous megalomaniacal nemesis, stands as one of the most iconic depictions of a power-hungry tech tycoon meddling with humanity’s future for his own gain — a trope that feels just as relevant today as it was decades ago, leaving readers to joke that the modern world could use a mild-mannered Clark Kent keeping watch on powerful elites, just in case.

This feature is part of the recurring series “American Objects,” created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, exploring the everyday and cultural items that have shaped the nation’s identity over its history.