Pop Star Faces Big Career Setback: Latest on Olly Alexander

British performer Olly Alexander has encountered a significant professional hurdle following his disappointing Eurovision showing earlier this year. The artist recently confirmed his departure from record label Polydor after a decade-long partnership.

Alexander addressed speculation about his status in a social media comment where he clarified: “They aren’t dropping me, they just aren’t renewing my contract. It’s okay and honestly for the best. I’ve been on a pretty terrible deal for ten years — it’s time I do something new. But I’ll still make music in the future.”

The news follows Alexander’s underwhelming 18th place finish at Eurovision 2024 in Malmö, Sweden, where his entry “Dizzy” received zero public votes despite earning 46 points from the jury. This professional setback comes on the heels of his latest solo album, Polari, which debuted at number 17 on the UK music charts last month—the first of his releases to miss the Top Five—and failed to produce any Top 40 singles, the Daily Mail reports.

Alexander initially signed with Polydor in 2014 as part of the band Years & Years, experiencing considerable success with their debut album Communion, which featured hits including “King,” “Shine,” “Desire,” and “Eyes Shut.” The group’s configuration changed when bandmates Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen departed, leaving Alexander to continue as a solo act under the same label.

In a February interview with Attitude magazine, Alexander discussed challenges he’s faced expressing his sexuality throughout his career. “I was much more popular when I was in a band with two straight people,” he remarked, describing industry resistance to his creative vision. When asked if he had to fight to express his sexuality authentically, Alexander responded: “Yes! When the label saw [the visuals for] Palo Santo, which was Years & Years’ second album, they were like, ‘What the f— is this?’”

He further elaborated on facing “extreme resistance and, sometimes, some hostility” despite having proven his commercial viability. “Our debut album had sold millions. I’d recouped for my record label. But I felt like the choices and creative decisions I was making were being met with extreme resistance… I suppose they were thinking that I was about to take a machete to my marketability. But f— it.”

Beyond music, Alexander gained additional recognition in 2021 for his acclaimed performance in Channel 4‘s drama It’s A Sin and has expressed interest in returning to acting. When asked about potential co-stars in a future film project, he named Kirsten Dunst, stating: “I would love to be in a movie with Kirsten Dunst. Because I could be like, ‘omg Kirsten Dunst, you are an icon.’”