Michael Schulte's road after Eurovision

After several disappointing results at the Eurovision Song Contest, German broadcaster NDR overhauled its national selection process for 2018.

From Germany's national selection for Eurovision...

A panel of international experts was commissioned for the 2018 national selection. The experts were involved in the selection of the 6 participating artists as well as the songs. To prepare for the German national selection, Unser Lied für Lissabon, Michael Schulte locked himself in his studio for the entire month of January, coming up with 10 new compositions.

One of these tracks was You Let Me Walk Alone, which quickly became a favourite to enter into the competition. In what is perhaps his most personal song to date, Michael opens up about his feelings after losing his father and the thoughts, emotions and problems one has to face when a parent passes away too soon. Michael was only 14 years old at the time of his father's death.

To 4th place in Lisbon

On 4 May 2018, Michael stepped on the Eurovision stage in Lisbon for the first time to rehearse his song. Through his performance, he took us on a trip down memory lane as he sang in front of projections of black and white pictures of children and their parents. Those pictures were sent in by Eurovision fans from around the world.

During the Grand Final on 12 May, Michael sang his song to an audience of around 182 million people and finished 4th place (340 points), right behind Austria's Cesár Sampson (342 points).

Life after the Eurovision Song Contest

Since the Eurovision Song Contest, Michael has not been standing still. He has been touring a lot, got his first gold record in the Netherlands for You Let Me Walk Alone, became a father and released his album Highs and Lows in October 2019. About his Eurovision participation, he said:

Eurovision did open many new doors to me, I'm very grateful for that experience. It was a big adventure. It's kind of a different world. There is so much love, you can feel the passion with all the people, from the artists to the press.

Participating in Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light

Back in February, Michael teamed up with Ilse Delange, who represented the Netherlands in 2014 in The Common Linnets with Calm After The Storm. They worked on a new song, called Wrong Direction, which was released early in May.

Their partnership was such a good match that they combined strengths in Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light, the show honouring the songs and artists that would have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 after the event had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus.

Together they sang Ein Bisschen Frieden, Nicole's winning entry from 1982:

Eurovision Home Concerts

Michael not only took part in Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light, he also took to the Eurovision Home Concerts home stage in episode 5. Check out his rendition of You Let Me Walk Alone and his cover of Ryan O'shaugnessy's Together below:

Any advice for future Eurovision participants?

We asked Michael if he has any advice for future Eurovision participants. He said: "You shouldn't try to be anyone you're not. Don't party too much. Concentrate and work to that one day. That is your moment."

Currently, Michael is touring around Germany for his 'autokinokonzerte'. Check out his Instagram page for more information.