2016 Reviews – Netherlands – Douwe Bob – Slow Down

We waited months and months between the announcement that Douwe Bob would represent the Netherlands, and the actual song reveal, which was all time to create the perfect Eurovision song to follow on from some of the recent successes of the Netherlands revival.

Post Anouk, I think the nation realised that simple, well written songs were the songs that would ultimately bring the Netherlands more douze points. This year, Douwe Bob has presented just that, a simple song, however this is in no way a bad thing. I absolutely adored this song from first listen. I think I may be the only one in the Eurovision world who passionately loves Slow Down. The actual slowness of the song is so enveloping, and his voice matched with the country feel of the song is something I would never gravitate towards, but this just does it for me. It’s comparable in feel to the Common Linnets song in 2014, however I think this is miles above.

The intro hooks you in, and although repetitive in the chorus, I think it allows people to sing along immediately. After the first listen, I could already remember the melody of the song and sing it back, which I definitely couldn’t do with some of the other less coherent songs of the year. This first listen excitement is what works for Eurovision, as for most viewers, it will be the first time this song is heard.

I don’t think any extravagant staging tactics will be used for this song – or at least I hope not. A simple band set up on stage will work perfectly for this song, as it will give a chance for Douwe and his song to shine.

I think this yet another Eurovision 2016 song which is severely underrated, but it seems to be the case that people either love it or hate it. Safe to say that I am one of those people who absolutely loves it, enough to give it a 10/10 without hesitation.

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