XTRA Preview & Review: Denmark – Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2018

The national final season is in full swing. On 10 February, the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix is going to take place. We’ve taken a look at the entries and the procedure below, so here is the XTRA Preview & Review!

XTRA Preview: Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2018

This is Denmark’s big final to select their entrant into the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. Ten songs will compete for the right to represent Denmark in Lisbon in a two-hour long show.
The show will start at 20:00 CET and we will be tweeting live from @ESCXTRA.
The ten participants are, in the order that they will perform:

1. Ditte Marie – Riot
2. Anna Ritsmar – Starlight
3. Rasmussen – Higher Ground
4. Sannie – Boys on Girls
5. Sandra – Angels to My Battlefield
6. Lasse Meling – Unfound
7. CARLSEN – Standing Up for Love
8. KARUI – Signals
9. Rikke Ganer-Tolsøe – Holder fast i ingenting
10. Albin Fredy – Music for the Road

The betting odds currently have Rasmussen, Anna Ritsmar and Carlsen as the three favourites to win the contest. The current results of DR’s poll agrees with this, with Anna Ritsmar in first, Carlsen in second, and Rasmussen in third.

XTRA Review: Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2018

Ditte Marie – Riot

Dominik: This is such a brilliant bubble-gum pop <3 Catchy, uplifting and strong. A song I will hear more often this year. Would make a nice entry.
Score: 8/10
Luke: Ditte Marie…where’ve I heard that name before…OH, Overflow girl! Wait, this is Overflow girl? But that was such a bop and this is so screamy and amateurish? I don’t know what this is trying to do, but either way, I don’t like it.
Score: 4/10
Ryan: It’s a very anthemic opener, not too dissimilar to Ida Una’s “One” that opened last year which I loved. A strong, solid pop song that should be in with a chance of the superfinal. RYAN RYAN RYAN! (I imagine she says that anyway).
Score: 8/10
Nick: This is what you call Danish. The rhyming is so easy, a four year old could have done it. Vocally, this is a very demanding song. I doubt she’ll be able to handle this one. It’s solid, but that’s where it ends. To talk about the end… That’s boring. Beige.
Score: 5/10

Anna Ritsmar – Starlight

Dominik: This is on the one hand modern, but at the same time different. Love the little music elements in this song. Great to hear, but might not get appreciated enough at Eurovision.
Score: 7/10
Luke: It’s…..cute. But, it feels like it’s constantly building up to something amazing and it never gets there. By the end you’re left feeling kind of let down.
Score: 6/10
Ryan: A wonderful quirky voice, an adorable singer and an adorable song. I’m pleasantly surprised this is considered a contender as this sounds like a song made for my taste but not necessarily everyone else’s. There’s a little Julia Michaels influence here too, I think this stands-out in a very charming way.
Score: 9.5/10
Nick: One thing is for sure: Lise Cabble knows how to deliver. This is a cute little bop with got me humming along. It fails to make much of an impact, though. It lacks a punch.
Score: 7/10

Rasmussen – Higher Ground

Dominik: This is the favorite I think. It sounds like a winner. Powerful, new and outstanding. This could do very well! Love it!
Score: 9/10
Luke: It’s incredibly unique and this could have an amazing stage show. Unfortunately, looking at just the song itself…I don’t think it really has much playability? You hear it once and feel “That was cool”, but then you don’t really get much of an urge to listen again and again.
Score: 7/10
Ryan: Very atmospheric with an anthemic quality. I imagine this is very much going to be elevated by a live performance and it definitely stands out amongst the pack.
Score: 8/10
Nick: Schlager gone viking? Get a few torches out on stage, get a male chorus behind this guy and off we go. That build/key change near the end should’ve been more bombastic.
Score: 8/10

Sannie – Boys on Girls

Dominik: This would definitely stand out at Eurovision. I just don’t know, if it’s positive or negative. All I can say is, that I love it 😀
Score: 7/10
Luke: I have to admit, this does get you sort of dancing a little in your seat! Unfortunately though it gets a bit repetitive after the 342nd “Girls on girls and boys on boys and girls on boys and boys on girls”.
Score: 5/10
Ryan: This is such an earworm, with the tongue twister of a chorus. The use of the whistles in the chorus are fantastic and there’s a hypnotic quality to this.
Score: 9/10
Nick: Hypnotic quality, 342 repeats – Ryan and Luke have summarised this song perfectly. All I can say is that this is a bop of the highest order and this will be so over the top on the DMGP stage. I can’t help it. I should hate it, but I love this.
Score: 10/10

Sandra – Angels to My Battlefield

Dominik: This is a great modern ballad. I like this. I can imagine this with great visuals on stage. Very radio friendly and powerful!
Score: 7/10
Luke: This is a great modern ballad. I like this. I can imagine this with great visuals on stage. Very radio friendly and powerful!
Score: 9.5/10
Ryan: After such a strong start to this final, this feels a little bit bland in comparison. However, it is still a solid track that I’d happily listen to again. The production reminds me of a slower version of Rasmussen’s track.
Score: 7/10
Nick: Is this not just a bog standard ballad like you can hear everywhere in the national final season? It’s bland, inoffensive and beige. In other words: Danish.
Score: 5/10

Lasse Meling – Unfound

Dominik: This is great. Catchy, strong and has an uplifting melody. Don’t think this is for Eurovision, but it’s great for radio and that’s very good. However, I think the end could be a bit stronger.
Score: 6/10
Luke: I feel like this is what Starlight is TRYING to be. THIS works well, this progresses well and goes somewhere. Take notes, Anna!
Score: 9/10
Ryan: A strong start, although the chorus feels a little cheap in both its lyricism and production. The verses definitely outshine the chorus here.
Score: 6.5/10
Nick: Hi there, Shawn Mendes. That’s my issue here as well. Is this Lasse’s identity or did the songwriters think ‘oh this boy could do our Shawn Mendes song!’… In any case, it’s current, but leaves me cold.
Score: 6.5/10

Carlsen – Standing Up for Love

Dominik: The beginning is very strong. The chorus could be stronger. I still get a feeling of some kind of love anthem, when I hear this. This is super! Maybe some years too late, but still a great song. And a keychange! Great!
Score: 7/10
Luke: This is just too cheesy and cringy for my liking. I listen to this and I can just see the singers smiling massively and flicking their hair around in a wind machine in slow motion with sparkles flying around them. It makes me want to vomit.
Score: 2.5/10
Ryan: This is just too cheesy and cringy for my liking. I listen to this and I can just see the singers smiling massively and flicking their hair around in a wind machine in slow motion with sparkles flying around them. It makes me want to vomit.
Score: 4.5/10
Nick: We all need a dated girl band who are just past their prime to take part in a national final in sparkly dresses to show us they’re still there. This would fit in every Scandi NF, with the pyros at the end of the song, a key change and all. Sure, why not!
Score: 7.5/10

KARUI – Signals

Dominik: This is very different. The uniqueness makes it catchy. The chorus could be a bit more powerful. Love the verses.
Score: 6/10
Luke: Stop it. Just stop it. This is painful to listen to, it’s trying to be something super modern and hip, and it’s just falling flat on its face into a steaming pile of excrement.
Score: 0/10
Ryan: This is wonderfully experimental for DMGP and would sound perfect on today’s radio stations. I’m intrigued to see how this translates to a stage performance, but as an audio track this is one of the strongest here. If I was to compare it to another Eurovision track, I’d compare it to “Love Injected”.
Score: 8/10
Nick: Alicia Keys called from 2005. She wants her song back… On second thought: No, she doesn’t. Not this. When you give me nothing, she sings. She gave me nothing, indeed. At least her voice is good, so points for that only.
Score: 2/10

Rikke Ganer-Tolsøe – Holder fast i ingenting

Dominik: This is such a bop! Love this from beginning to end. Super modern. The Danish language makes it even more outstanding. Very good song and I would love to see this in Lisbon!
Score: 9/10
Luke: Ooooh yes! This reminds me of one of the Danish MGP Junior in 2014, Det’ for sent nu. This is seriously catchy, and something that could really stand out in Lisbon. Danish I usually think is hideous but it sounds so cool in this song! Please send this one Denmark!
Score: 10/10
Ryan: A typical scandipop entry here, it’s nothing more than pleasant for me. It’s very well produced and it’s nice to hear a variety in language. It feels like a grower to me!
Score: 7.5/10
Nick: The Danes always feel they need one song in Danish there. Just to fill it up nicely. And somehow, those songs are often the most bopworthy. Sadly, the juries and televoters will let this crash. Sadly, as this is really good. Beige in the best way possible.
Score: 8/10

Albin Fredy – Music for the Road

Dominik: It has a bit of a country vibe. THe chorus is super strong. It kinda is what I would love from Denmark. Strong pop songs are what they can do very good. Love the modern influence here. Love it!
Score: 8/10
Luke: Well SOMEBODY has been listening to Måns Zelmerlöw. The chorus comes out of nowhere and really hits you hard, and it’s amazing. I feel like the hook is going to be stuck in my head for the next few weeks. Denmark, sending this would be such a good idea…
Score: 10/10
Ryan: I do love country music, and I’m very fond of the country twang and influence in here. The comparisons to “Heroes” and Avicii’s “True” era are obvious but valid. This could really come alive on stage, especially with this running order slot.
Score: 8/10
Nick: Oh, a country start to this. Welcome to Nashville, y’all! The chorus then moves on to be a rather standard pop tune, with country influences. It’s like they were writing this and then thought ‘Guys, this is a bit too much. Let’s tone it down.’ – You should not tone it down. Ever.
Score: 7.5/10

Who do we want?

The XTRA Jury, this time consisting of Dominik, Luke, Ryan and Nick, has spoken. Below you can see the average each song achieved. Their favourite for tomorrow’s show is Rikke Ganer Tolsøe’s “Music for the Road”!

1. Rikke Ganer-Tolsøe – Holder fast i ingenting: 8.6
2. Albin Fredy – Music for the Road: 8.4
3. Rasmussen – Higher Ground: 8
4. Sannie – Boys on Girls: 7.8
5. Anna Ritsmar – Starlight: 7.4
6. Sandra – Angels to My Battlefield: 7.1
7. Lasse Meling – Unfound: 7
8. Ditte Marie – Riot: 6.3
9. Carlsen – Standing Up for Love: 5.4
10. KARUI – Signals: 4

Below, we’ve included a playlist for you. Which of these ten do you like best? Make sure to let us know who you like by commenting!
[ypt playlist_id=PLZ3d9QGKTiyWtu1km2qC3VS-khhe9ZqRm]  
What do you think? Do you agree with us? Who is your favourite to win Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2018?
Let us know in the comments below and on social media @ESCXTRA!