Mae Muller, the singer who represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, has revealed her plans to step away from the music industry. The 28-year-old artist, who finished second-to-last in the competition with her track I Wrote A Song, expressed her struggles during a candid TikTok video.
A Difficult Journey After Eurovision
Muller's Eurovision appearance came on the heels of Sam Ryder's impressive second-place finish in 2022 with Space Man. While Ukraine won that year, the UK hosted the 2023 contest in Liverpool due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Muller's performance, which included tributes to local icons like The Beatles and Melanie C, earned only 24 points, placing her near the bottom of the leaderboard.
Six months after Eurovision, Muller released her debut album Sorry I'm Late under Capitol Records. Despite promotional appearances on shows like The Graham Norton Show, the album peaked at number 33 on the charts. She later parted ways with her label to become an independent artist, releasing a single titled Tell You That in April 2024.
Emotional Plea to Fans
In her TikTok video, Muller opened up about her frustrations: 'I’m just gonna be vulnerable for a second because you guys are my close friends. This music thing, I need you guys to tell me not to quit because why is it so hard? I feel like I’ve been doing it for so long now and I just feel like all the joy and fun has been sucked out and it’s kind of making me miserable.'
She continued, 'I don’t know guys, I need you guys to remind me why I like doing this cos I absolutely love ya’ll, I love you, I love making music, I love performing, I love everything about it but I just feel like what it’s turned into, I don’t know if I have it in me guys. I do have it in me but I’m getting to the end of my tether and I don’t wanna be miserable, I wanna be happy. Tell me not to quit. I don’t wanna quit on you guys, but it’s testing my last nerve, I can’t.'
Acting Career and Controversy
Alongside music, Muller has ventured into acting, playing Kelly in the 2023 film Gassed Up and voicing Prancer in the 2024 festive film The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland, alongside Gerard Butler, Emilia Clarke, and Simone Ashley.
Her Eurovision journey was also marked by controversy after resurfaced tweets where she stated she 'hated the UK,' referencing the government at the time. In interviews, Muller stood by her comments, saying, 'No, because that’s how I felt. I do, though, regret people taking them out of context. Me saying, ‘I hate this country’ is not ideal as I am representing this country.' She added that the BBC did not ask her to change her personality, and she values her ability to speak her mind.
What's Next for Mae Muller?
Muller's aunt is renowned music video director Sophie Muller, who has worked with stars like Annie Lennox, Kylie Minogue, and Beyoncé. Despite her family connections and past successes, Muller feels the music industry has drained her passion. Whether she will follow through with her plans to quit remains uncertain, but her fans have rallied to support her during this difficult time.
