We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Denmark.
Reiley
Reiley won Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, the Danish final for the Eurovision Song Contest. His song, “Breaking my heart”, was written and composed by Reiley himself with Bård Mathias Bonsaksen, Sivert Hjeltnes Hagtvet and Hilda Stenmalm.
Reiley (real name: Rani Petersen) is the first ever Faroese representant in the Eurovision Song Contest. His career started on TikTok, where he published a song in 2019 and meanwhile has over 10 million views. His first single was “Let it ring” in 2021, followed by “Superman” and an EP, “BRB, having an identity crisis”. In 2022 he also released a new single, “Blah blah blah“. Reiley worked together with K-Pop band AB6IX for the single “Moonlight”. 25 year old Riley was chosen in February to represent Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Dansk Melodi Grand Prix
Danish entries for the Eurovision Song Contest have always been chosen through a national final with multiple artists. Already the first national final, in 1957, had the name Dansk Melodi Grand Prix. Only in 1965, Birgit Brüel was chosen internally. We saw the Olsen Brothers taking part very often, from their first Melodi Grand Prix song “San Francisco” in 1978 until their last one, “Little yellow radio” in 2005. And let’s not forget their winning song “Fly on the wings of love”, or the Danish version “Smuk som et stjerneskud“. Another one coming back year after year was Tommy Seebach. Three times he managed to win the contest. However, his “Hipp hurra – det’ min fødselsdag” became a Grand Prix classic.
Another one we will not forget to mention was a song from 1979: “Faders bøn“, sung by Rasmus Lyberth. It was the first ever song in Greenlandic in Melodi Grand Prix.
Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest
Denmark’s debut in the Eurovision Song Contest was a very remarkable one: Birthe Wilke and Gustav Winckler sang “Skibet skal sejle i nat”, a song about a fisherman saying goodbye to his girlfriend. The song ended with a very long kiss, especially when you know that we are talking about 1957. The first Danish win was also a duo: Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann got the trophy in 1963 with “Dansevise”. However, unsatisfied with the way the voting went, Denmark withdrew in 1967. Europe had to wait for their comeback until 1978. The country became quite successfull after this comeback, with several top-5 places. The victory came in 2000 with Olsen Brothers and “Fly on the wings of love”. A third victory was for Emmelie de Forrest and her “Only teardrops”.
Bookmakers
Currently, Denmark has a 29th place in the betting odds. The specified top-10 for the 2nd semifinal gives a 10th place, so Denmark might reach the final but will not do very well there. Is it true? Or will the TikTok viewers vote Reiley into a high place.
The song:
And of course, here is the song:
