Coming in at number 16 on the Eurovision Top 100 list, the United Kingdom scores again with “Better the Devil You Know” from 1993.
Sonia produced yet another Top 100 performance for her country, in a contest that ended up with three songs on this list. One song is behind it on the countdown, and another is in front of it. This means that even though this song is way up at number 16, it was not our douze points song for 1993. You can only imagine how highly we regard our top entry, and later on the countdown, you will see it for yourself.
Even though she did not win the Eurovision Song Contest in Millstreet, Sonia lit up the stage with one of Britain’s most memorable performances ever.
Vital Information: “Better the Devil You Know”
| Song | Better the Devil You Know |
| Performed By | Sonia |
| Written By | Dean Collinson & Red |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1993 |
| Language(s) Performed In | English |
| How It Fared | 2nd Place (164 Points) |
| Was It Fair? | Actually, yes |
What I Liked
I have watched and graded over 1,700 Eurovision songs and I consider this in the top handful of catchiest entries of all-time. This was such a fun performance. In order to succeed in a strong Eurovision year such as 1993, Sonia had to perform her tail off, and she did just that. Everything about the live show was on-point, from the staging, energy, costuming, and vocals. I can say with zero hesitation that she delivered the best performance she possibly could have that night. It was easy to tell that she was a professional.
1993 was still in the era – barely – when Eurovision crowds sat quietly during the performances and there was no concert feel. This made for a very strange contrast between Sonia’s explosion of energy and the crowd’s passiveness, none of which is her fault. I have no doubt an audience like today’s would have been into it.
Other Facts
- Sonia is a Liverpudlian, and when the Eurovision Song Contest went to Liverpool in 2023, she performed in the interval of the grand final.
- Prior to the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993, Sonia had already established herself as an up-and-coming pop singer in the United Kingdom. She scored a number one hit song in 1989 at just 18 years old, “You’ll Never Stop Me Loving You.” (Nobes, 2024)
- The United Kingdom went 19th out of 25 songs in the newly-expanded 1993 contest.
- Sonia received four douze points scores; only Ireland received more (7). Ironically, the UK gave winning Ireland their 12.
“Better the Devil You Know” on YouTube
Don’t tell no lies or make her cry – make sure you watch the 1993 performance.
References
Nobes, M. (2024, June 6). Whatever happened to the 80s singer Sonia? – 80s heaven. 80s Heaven. https://80sheaven.com/sonia-80s-singer/
