Through our Best of the Bunch series, we gave a recap on the Eurovision entries from 2006 to 2015 and gave you the opportunity to choose your Best of the Bunch. As you may remember, the current Best of the Bunch winners were put into our ‘Ultimate Eurovision’ but it’s time to see which of the latest three entries have remained as your favourites! In our Best of the Bunch: The Trials series, we are going to recap the entries from a certain nation starting with 2016 and continuing through to the latest Eurovision season of 2018. Your job is to simply enjoy the music, and vote for your Best of the Bunch winner!
Today we are taking a closer look at the recent history of the Netherlands, a nation which has had mixed success at the contest. If you are new to Eurovision, you may think of the Netherlands as a fairly strong nation, having qualified all but one year from 2013 onwards, but before that was a mammoth non-qualification streak that lasted no less than 8 years! We explored those years in our Best of the Bunch post previously, but today we will be looking specifically at the latest three entries. Once we have recapped the entries, it will be up to you to decide on the Best of the Bunch!
Netherlands 2016
After the slight hiccup of their 2015 non-qualification, the nation was back on track with what was becoming their signature style. Opting for another country music style song seemed like a smart move after both Anouk and The Common Linnets finishing in the Top 10. It was decided that Douwe Bob would represent the nation with his song Slow Down which had a mixed reception when it was released. At Eurovision, they presented a seamless performance with flawless vocals so it didn’t come as a surprise when the nation qualified. In the final, the nation finished in a respectable 11th place.
Netherlands 2017
We were getting used to seeing soloists and duos represent The Netherlands, but in 2016 we saw a familiar trio. For those who follow Junior Eurovision, it would have been a pleasant surprise to learn that sister trio O’G3NE would be representing the Netherlands at Eurovision. Their song Lights and Shadows was an emotional one, as it was relating to their mother’s illness. The personal story and their emotional performance was enough to help them qualify to the final in a very comfortable position, and in the final, the talented vocalists and sisters managed to match the result of the previous year, which was 11th place this time with 150 points.
Netherlands 2018
That brings us to the most recent Dutch entry, which as you will remember was Waylon, who was also a familiar face at Eurovision. We first saw Waylon at Eurovision back in 2014 as part of The Common Linnets, but in 2018 he was returning alone with his track Outlaw In ‘Em. It was once again a country music style song, but this time mixed with rock which we don’t often hear at Eurovision. At Eurovision, the staging was also unexpected, with the use of krumping throughout the song. It divided opinions, but provided a point of difference for Waylon and the Netherlands, and ultimately it worked, as the nation was in the final once again. The nation finished in 18th place with 121 points.
So now you’ve seen all three performances, it’s time to vote for your Best of the Bunch!
If you want more Best of the Bunch from The Netherlands, check out our original series:
If you want to check out who made our Ultimate Eurovision, check it out here: