Is Copenhagen ready for another Eurovision, or is Anti Social Media still a little too now to win?
Country: Denmark
Song Title: "The Way You Are"
Artist: Anti Social Media
Semi-Final: First, Position 13
Last year's entry: "Cliche Love Song" - Basim (9th Place)
It's only been a year since we were last in Copenhagen, so it'd be understandable if the Danes wanted to send an entry that was nowhere near their best work this year so that they didn't have to throw another massive party in 2016((although their set design and general setup was one of my favorites in memory)). That said, I just don't think it's their way - Danish pop is really good stuff that straddles the line between individuality and what's going on with mainstream music. Last year's entry maybe got a little too close to the mainstream side - Basim's "Cliche Love Song" totally sounded like Bruno Mars to me((sound familiar, Australia?)), and for that reason was a nice selection for their year as winner - something to prove they deserved the win the previous year, but nothing that would make them need to host twice. What about this year - are they in it to win it again with Anti Social Media's "The Way You Are"?
Here's the deal: I like this song, but it wasn't my favorite of the national final. I get why it won things over - in an age where it feels like half the internet is freaking out over Zayn leaving One Direction, it's clear that the boy band is back. The boys of Anti Social Media((which: fantastic name)) have a nice little ditty that feels 60s-sh and even early Beatles-esque, but still has a freshness that I think will stick out in this year of duets and ballads. On the other hand, while the chorus is completely stuck in my head, the verses themselves are super generic and don't really stick with you.
From a staging perspective, I think Denmark has the right idea here, but I'd love to see Anti Social Media take things bigger if they really want to stand out from the pack and prove that the Danes could totally rise again. Do I think this is the winner this year? No. Could it do well? Of course, with the right performance.