Can a TikTok star win the Eurovision Song Contest? Sam Ryder will give it a go.

Last year, James Newman performed his song ‘Embers’ on behalf of his native U.K. at the Eurovision Song Contest. Ironically, ‘Embers’ was not hot enough, and the U.K. finished in last place at the annual continental competition.

If the Union Jack is going to rise up the Eurovision ladder in 2022, the U.K. needs a representative who can blow away the competition with top-notch singing skills, so the island nation has turned to someone whose powerful voice has made him a TikTok star. Sam Ryder, who has attracted more than 12 million followers on the popular video app thanks to his stirring covers, will represent his homeland during the 2022 edition of Eurovision.

Ryder’s signature song is called ‘Space Man,’ and he will perform it in the Eurovision 2022 final, which is scheduled to go down on May 14 in Milan. Italy gets to host this year’s contest because its 2021 representative, glam rockers Måneskin, defeated representatives from 38 other nations.

During the pandemic, Ryder gained fame on TikTok by covering artists like Adele, Alicia Keys, and Taylor Swift. According to Variety, Ryder is now the most-followed British musician on the Bytedance-owned platform.

“Having been a fan of Eurovision since I was a kid I am so honored to

have been presented with the opportunity to sing at an event alongside some of Europe’s most talented creatives, performers and songwriters,” Ryder said. “I hope to sing my head off in a way the U.K. can be proud of, and to showcase a song I wrote with my friends last summer makes the whole experience even more special.”

If a successful Adele cover doesn’t convince that Ryder has the chops needed to compete with the Eurovision field, remember that the annual event ultimately boils down to a popularity contest. Måneskin won in 2021 by dominating the public vote, and the group went on to cultivate a huge following on YouTube (and performed at the 2021 Streamy Awards. Since Ryder already has a large social following, he can give the U.K. a head start of sorts. You know, in addition to the head start the country already gets by being automatically advanced to the finals.

The 2022 Eurovision Song Contest will begin on May 10. Artists representing 40 different countries will participate in the festivities, and you can check out all of their songs on the Eurovision YouTube channel, which is quite a popular hub in its own right. It has received more than 5.8 billion lifetime views.