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Public Image Ltd in the running to represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023

John Lydon and co. will enter with a personal new track called 'Hawaii' – listen here

By Tom Skinner

Public Image Ltd press image
Public Image Ltd. CREDIT: Press

Public Image Ltd (PiL) are competing to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, it has been announced.

The United Kingdom is set to host this year’s competition on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine. As confirmed last October, the grand final ceremony will take place at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on May 13.

Today (January 9), John Lydon‘s PiL have revealed that they’re in the running to represent Ireland with a personal, previously-unheard track called Hawaii, which you can listen to below.

The emotional ballad has been described as a “love letter” to Lydon’s wife Nora, who is living with Alzheimer’s.

“It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most,”  the singer explained in a statement. “It’s also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all.”

Tune in here:

PiL will compete to take part in Eurovision 2023 during an episode of Ireland’s The Late Late Show on February 3 – you’ll be able to live-stream the programme here from 9:30pm GMT.

A limited edition 7″ vinyl version of ‘Hawaii’ is due for release later this year.

Additionally, it’s been confirmed that PiL will be releasing a new studio album at some point in 2023. The group’s tenth and latest full-length record, What the World Needs Now…, came out back in 2015.

PiL’s current line-up is completed by Lu Edmonds, Scott Firth and Bruce Smith.

In 2020, Lydon said he’d scrapped some new Public Image Ltd material to prioritise caring for his wife. “It was a very difficult time even before the lockdown, because of Nora’s Alzheimer’s, which had just kicked in,” he told MOJO (via NME).

“We were in a recording studio in the middle of the country with nothing but sheep about and her mind just freaked out. All my attention was on that, and the bits of songs we did put together were rubbish-y and confused.”