Will Denmark cook, or are they cooked? I hope it’s the former, but it could easily be the latter, too. I’m going to stay optimistic, though.
There was no opening act, just a very typical Nordic greeting that took slightly over 5 minutes. This means I don’t have a lot of things to say, but at least I have some time to set up the rest of this review. Also, they’re still using the ESC 2014 stage-ready sound in DMGP, which is just so cute.
The songs start with a very typical Danish pop song. She’s a good performer, and the melody is very pleasant. It’s a very nice effort.
This also sounds very Danish, but now I mean it negatively. It’s just so damn cheesy - and you know me, I have a very high tolerance for cheese. It doesn’t make me super mad, but I really don’t like it. I have to admit that the staging was effective though.
Well, this was unexpectedly fun. It had a nice boppy rhythm to it that just invited me to dance along, the performer was cute and charismatic and the performance itself was really nice to look at. It’s also just a catchy song, which means I really enjoyed it.
A token song in Danish is more than what Denmark had last year and more than what Norway has this year. That might be why I’m feeling a little soft about this, even though it’s a little generic. At least he’s clearly enjoying performing it, and it feels very warm and inviting, so it’s pretty much impossible to hate.
Here’s how to make screaming work in a ballad. I already liked the studio cut, but the live really elevated it for me. Firstly, I think she tried to sing a little lower, which really worked for a song like this, pushing a little higher in the choruses, which created a nice contrast between the two parts. And I suppose the screaming in the choruses was supposed to make it sound like she was gasping for air (or not, but I hope it was).
I don’t like his voice, sadly. It’s so nasally that I can’t handle listening to it a lot. Otherwise, the song is fairly enjoyable, though the music lacks the energy for me to honestly remember it.
She’s a very good singer and I actually like the sorta “digital” backing track too. It’s a very fun 2010s throwback song that could attract some votes for sure. My biggest criticism is the staging, which just looks empty and unappealing. I can’t believe I’m suggesting this again this season, but it needs backing dancers to make it look more fun and exciting.
To be honest, this is kinda weak. There isn’t one specific weak part, it’s just a weak effort overall. It completely fails to grip me in any way and completely flew out of my mind the second it finished.
While very few of the songs here were unpleasant, basically none of them stood out. The performances were good, but most of these songs will get lost in the competition. Still, the winner was definitely correct overall. In fact, if Denmark was in the first semi-final this year, I would’ve been predicting a qualification. Alas, they got drawn with all other female singers, so qualifying will be a much bigger struggle.
As for the show, I thought it was well-made. There was no wasted time and I really like Birthe Kjær’s interval act - as well as her massive red dress (I wonder if she took a little inspiration from Manizha). And Vi maler byen rød will always be a classic, of course. But can they please ditch the superfinal? Every country should ditch it, of course, but Denmark should ditch it as soon as possible.