Does Dani Im have what it takes for Australia to make it back to the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm?
After seemingly proving themselves by placing in the top 10, Australia is back for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest as well. This time, however, they won't get straight to the final stage in Stockholm - they'll need to pass through a semi-final before getting to Saturday's competition. This year, they've chosen to send former X Factor winner Dani Im - how does "Sound of Silence" stack up?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EG_Jtw4OyU
As far as this year's crop of Eurovision ballads go, this one's definitely near the top. From the lyrics, there's some sort of "digital distance to our love" thing going on but it's competently written and sung (which, for a country whose national language is English, is a very low bar to clear). As much as I like this every time I hear it, there's a lack of "stickiness" that keeps the melody in my head. I think a strong performance will easily get Australia through to the final (especially since they're still the new, beloved kid in the competition), but it has me wondering if the song will get lost in the larger competition as a whole.