Sea of Flags facts for kids

Quick facts for kids "Sea of Flags"
Single by Jessica Mauboy
Released	8 May 2014 (2014-05-08)
Recorded	2014
Genre	Synthpop
Length	3:54
Label	Sony
Songwriter(s)	Jessica Mauboy Ilan Kidron Stuart Crichton
Producer(s)	Stuart Crichton
Jessica Mauboy singles chronology
"Never Be the Same" (2014) "Sea of Flags" (2014) "I Believe – Anything Is Possible" (2014)

"Sea of Flags" is a song by Australian singer Jessica Mauboy. She wrote it with Ilan Kidron and Stuart Crichton. Stuart Crichton also produced the song. Jessica performed "Sea of Flags" live for the first time on May 8, 2014. This happened during the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, Denmark. The song was released for digital download in Australia and Europe right after her performance. Jessica also sang "Sea of Flags" at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

About "Sea of Flags"

On March 25, 2014, it was announced that Jessica Mauboy would perform at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest. She was chosen by SBS, Australia's public broadcaster. Jessica performed during the break of the second semi-final. This was a big deal because it was the first time Australia was officially represented at Eurovision.

Australia's Eurovision Debut

Eurovision is a huge music competition, mostly for European countries. Australia has loved watching it for over 30 years. The organizers wanted to thank Australia for its support. So, they invited SBS to choose an Australian artist to perform. They picked Jessica Mauboy.

Her performance made her the first solo artist from a non-European Broadcasting Union country to be a guest performer. However, other Australians had competed before for the United Kingdom. These included Olivia Newton-John, The New Seekers, and Gina G.

Creating the Song

Jessica Mauboy wanted to use her Eurovision chance to tour Europe. Before her performance, she kept the song a secret. She said it was an original song written just for Eurovision. She also mentioned it would show her Indigenous background. It would also connect with the different European cultures.

Jessica hinted that the song would sound like her 2013 song "To the End of the Earth". On May 6, 2014, the song's title was finally revealed as "Sea of Flags". After her performance, the song was immediately available on iTunes in Australia and Europe.

How the Song Was Made

Jessica Mauboy, Ilan Kidron, and Stuart Crichton wrote "Sea of Flags" in just two days. Stuart Crichton also produced it.

Music and Lyrics

The song is an upbeat synthpop track. It uses four main chords. You can hear a guitar riff and tribal drum sounds. It also has "synthesized" backing vocals. The beginning of the song has sounds played backwards. The final chorus includes extra vocal parts and harmonies.

The lyrics of "Sea of Flags" are special. They reflect Jessica Mauboy's Indigenous Australian culture. They also connect to the Eurovision tradition of waving flags. Fans wave flags to support their favorite countries in the competition.

Andrew Le from Renowned for Sound said the lyrics talk about a "united world." He noted lines about "colours connecting, dancing and hope." He also pointed out that the tribal drums honor Jessica's and Australia's Indigenous heritage. He said her voice is "steady" in the verses but gets "higher and louder" in the chorus.

Jessica spoke about writing the song in an interview. She said she wanted it to feel "spiritual" and "tribal." She wanted it to represent her home in the Northern Territory, Darwin. She added that the song was about her upbringing and inspiring the next generation. It also includes some ancient dreaming stories.

Promoting "Sea of Flags"

Jessica Mauboy's Eurovision performance of "Sea of Flags" was shown on SBS in Australia. This happened on May 9, 2014.

Road to Eurovision

The day after, SBS aired a documentary called Road to Eurovision. It showed Jessica's journey from Darwin to Denmark. On May 16, 2014, she performed "Sea of Flags" on the TV show Sunrise. This performance took place at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.

Commonwealth Games Performance

On August 3, 2014, Jessica sang the song at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. This was during the closing ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She performed to mark the handover of the Games from Glasgow to Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The Gold Coast hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Eurovision Performance Details

Jessica Mauboy performed "Sea of Flags" for about 20 million TV viewers. This was on May 8, 2014, in Denmark. Before her performance, she met Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and her children. The Princess wished her good luck.

Her performance started with a video. It showed SBS host Julia Zemiro and Australians in front of the Sydney Opera House. They were asking Eurovision organizers to include Australia. The video then showed the whole Australian continent being lifted by helicopters. It was dropped onto Europe to make Australia eligible for the contest.

Then, dancers appeared on the Eurovision stage. They were dressed as funny Australian stereotypes. These included budgie smugglers, drag queens, lifeguards, and giant koalas. They performed a musical number about Australia making itself at home in Europe.

As Jessica sang, images of the Australian landscape appeared on giant screens. The crowd waved flags and cheered. At the end, a man dressed as an astronaut floated onto the stage. He waved both an Australian and an Aboriginal flag. He said, "It's one small step for Europe, one giant leap for Australia."

Reviews of the Performance

Critics had mixed reactions to Jessica's vocals. Helen Davidson of The Guardian said her vocals were "a little shaky at first." But she added that Jessica was "clearly enjoying herself." Al Newstead of Tone Deaf also noted "wonky notes" in her singing. Nastassia Baroni of Music Feeds said Jessica "dusted off some initial flat notes." She then gave a "high-energy performance." Peter Vincent of The Sydney Morning Herald agreed she had a "nervous start." But he said she "quickly grew into the performance." He concluded it was "worthy of an international dance pop diva."

Many praised the overall performance. Alex Patrikios called it "typically spirited" and "infectious." News.com.au described it as "stunning" and "strong." They said the audience "embraced her" as her "powerful voice rang out." V Music said Jessica "absolutely killed it."

However, the musical number with the dancers received some criticism. V Music noted the dancers were "embarrassingly obvious stereotypes." Sophie Joske of Out In Perth called it "the most nauseatingly stereotypical Australiana." Tom Mann of Faster Louder described it as a "spectacularly cringe-worthy celebration." Mike Wass of Idolator called it "a hot mess." But he added that Jessica "looked (and sounded) great." She "saved face (and national pride) by delivering a soaring rendition" of "Sea of Flags."

Aboriginal fans reacted positively to Jessica's performance. One fan said, "I guess you could say you don't have to be Neil Armstrong, we can aim for the moon too." After her performance, Jessica Mauboy became a trending topic on Twitter in the United Kingdom.

Song Details

Track Listing

• Digital download

1. "Sea of Flags" – 3:54

Personnel

• Vocals – Jessica Mauboy
• Songwriting – Jessica Mauboy, Ilan Kidron, Stuart Crichton
• Production – Stuart Crichton
• Programmer – Stuart Crichton
• Recording engineer – Stuart Crichton
• Mixing engineer – Miles Walker
• Mastering engineer – Leon Zervos

Charts

Release History