Welcome to The Xtra Files, our series which will give you an insight into what the team at ESCXTRA think of your favourite entries into this year’s contest! Today, we review Denmark.
Now that all the songs have been released, we are able to review each and every one of them. Our honest and brutal reviews will keep you entertained until the rehearsals start on 30 April! We will also each give a score out of 10 for every entry, and create an ESCXTRA leaderboard of the entries!
Today we have reviews of the Danish entry, ‘Higher Ground’ by Tormund Giantsbane Rasmussen, from Lisa, Matt, Riccardo, Tim, Vincent and Yassia. Let’s get started!
The Reviews
Lisa
Sweden’s MOR little brother taking a song from their reject pile again. This is why I’m never really fond of Denmark. tt’s very ‘Masters of Chant’ from Unser Lied 2016, especially with the Viking meets ‘Game of Thrones’ staging. The drums and the electronic melody running throughout do help make me appreciate this more than I otherwise would. There are much worse songs in the 43.
Matt
If you’d told me beforehand that Denmark would be send vikings to Eurovision, I’d have rolled my eyes! However, there is real storytelling on stage here. I think it could do really well given that it’s won a national final already and the staging is a visual feast!
Riccardo
Great way to transport the audience to a fantasy movie or flashback to how the Vikings would have done Eurovision? Either way, this is amazing! Quirky, different and fresh. Hoping that the staging will also look great in Portugal.
Tim
Do I hear Game of Thrones is finally participating in the Eurovision Song Contest? (sorry I just had to do that…), now on with the song…. I really like it, I love how well produced it is, and how his vocals blend very well with the backing vocals and I am in love with the staging and how much props are being used for this.
Vincent
I remember listening to that in my bed and immediately making sense of the lyrics… A pacifist Viking crossed with a wildling from Beyond the Wall is maybe the most Scandinavian thing ever for Eurovision! And it works: the performance and the music have a heavy atmosphere and I love the melody of the chorus!
Yassia
This entry is like a soundtrack to some Hollywood adventure movie (Pirates of the Carribean? Robin Hood?). Don’t you have the same feeling?;) I must admit that the song is quite outstanding for me. I think the music is epic and his voice is just mmmmm…absolutely amazing! The whole combination of everything just works for me. I hope they will deliver on stage. My top 3!
Scores
Dominik | 9 | Nick | 7 | Tim | 5 |
Hlynur | 2.5 | Riccardo | 8 | Tom | 7 |
Lisa | 4 | Rigmo | 8 | Vincent | 7.5 |
Luke | 7 | Rodrigo | 7.5 | Wiv | 6 |
Matt | 8 | Ryan | 7 | Yassia | 9.5 |
Miki | 6 | Sami | 8 | ||
Nathan | 5.5 | Simon | 2 |
Therefore, the average score for Denmark is 6.55.
Leaderboard
Denmark reaches 10th place with a score of 6.55.
- Finland – 7.66
- Bulgaria – 7.63
- France – 7.50
- Sweden – 7.21
- Poland – 7.08
- Germany – 6.95
- Ukraine – 6.92
- Austria – 6.79
- Australia – 6.76
- Denmark – 6.55
- Lithuania – 6.50
- Italy – 6.39
- Azerbaijan – 6.05
- Portugal – 6.05
- Estonia – 5.86
- Latvia – 5.61
- Albania – 5.50
- Serbia – 5.05
- Belarus – 4.97
- Moldova – 4.92
- Romania – 4.73
- Montenegro – 4.71
- Hungary – 4.65
- Armenia – 4.29
- Georgia – 4.18
- Iceland – 4.18
- San Marino – 4.03
Tomorrow, it will be the turn of Israel to be reviewed.
Do you agree with our reviews of Denmark? What are your thoughts on Higher Ground?
Let us know in the comments below and on social media @ESCXTRA!