Eurovision gets Dutch pop singer Trijntje Oosterhuis
With no controversy or mudslinging in sight, pop and jazz singer Trijntje Oosterhuis is going to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Festival 2015 in Vienna with the song ‘Walk Along’. The lyrics were written by pop singer Anouk who represented the Netherlands in 2013 with the song ‘Birds’ and took ninth place. The music for ‘Walk Along’ was written by Swedish-born California-based heavyweight songwriter Tobias Karlsson.
Last year’s second place win ‘Calm After the Storm’ by The Common Linnets, which received its share of criticism, is now the one to beat. Unfortunately, there’s nothing special about ‘Walk Along’: it sounds like typical Dutch radio music, it’s well interpreted by Oosterhuis and some say it’s a bit catchy. However, the chorus is too repetitive (‘ay ay ay’). I think it’s going to flop because it’s sound like everything else on the radio in many countries.
The song that popped in my head when I heard ‘Walk Along’ was Natalie Imburglia’s ‘Torn’, originally written and recorded by American band Ednaswap, which I had to look up and realised that version was way better.
I was wrong last year about The Common Linnets whose song went down really well abroad and the Internet has a lot of positive comments for Oosterhuis, so judge for yourselves:
(Photo of Microphone by visual dichotomy, some rights reserved)
I didn’t start getting into Eurovision until 2013, and it was because of Anouk. After hearing the song she did with Trijntje (Knocked Out, one of my personal favorites) I had high hopes for something similar. Birds was thus a disappointment. It is hauntingly beautiful, but just not what I was hoping for.
I had hopes for Ilse last year as well. But “Calm” was too mellow for me. I liked Latvia a lot, but didn’t have high hopes (they didn’t make it to the finals, but I’m still humming “Cake to Bake”). When I saw Conchita Wurst, I knew we had a winner. Not because of the song, because when has the song been the most important song in a song contest, but because of the gimmick. I didn’t see the Common Linnets getting second, though.
With this new Trijntje song, I was again disappointed. And you nailed it, the chorus is way too repetitive. I haven’t looked at the full field. I expect Trijntje to make it to the finals, but am unsure how high she will make it there.