Denmark, Basim, 3

Today the Wiwi Jury – our in-house panel of music un-professionals – we touched down in Denmark and spent the morning relaxing on picturesque Funen – the birth place of noted author Hans Christian Anderson. After spending the morning as culture vultures we moved on to Copenhagen and over cocktails in the harbour listened to Basim’s ‘Cliché Love Song’. Where we won over by his charm or underwhelmed by that hair? Read on to find out! 

Angus: After a few listens I definitely skuba duba dubda didi-don’t want to suffer ‘Cliché Love Song’ again. Bruno Mars’s songs are tiresome and an imitation of one is even worse. Basim has charisma and a killer vocal but the parody’s so painful it’s difficult to put him or the song anywhere above mediocre. Despite an amazing draw and the recent jump in the betting odds I’m betting ‘Cliché Love Song’ is going to stay in the mid-table right where the Danes wanted it. After all if they were actually interested in winning they’d have picked one of the good songs from their national final wouldn’t they?

Score: 5/10

Billy: Overrated. Denmark’s entry this year is nice, happy, with lots of energy. I like the group atmosphere and the general style of the song. Its presentation is also satisfying. What I find really disturbing is the style of Basim, something simillar to the amazing Bruno Mars, although Basim is (as regards talent) as close to Bruno Mars as I am to the moon. This “skuba duba dabda didida” is really annoying, and generally, to me, this song doesn’t deserve the top-5 on the night. It’s just overrated.

Score: 8/10

Bogdan: Basim has an inspiring success story back in Denmark, as the son of Moroccan immigrants living in a housing project who somehow became a pop star and went on to represent his country at Eurovision. I just wish his song was better. It’s not exactly bad, but it resembles a bit too much the music style of an American superstar who I’m not going to name because I’m sure everyone else is. However, his “Cliché Love Song” is delivered with gusto, the live performance at the DMGP final was impressive (despite a rather flat staging) and the rhythm eventually becomes quite infectious, in a good way. I find myself saying “I don’t like this” but my feet are dancing under the desk. Hm!

Score: 7/10

Deban: The Dansk Melodi Grand Prix is a tough competition to bag. Basim’s entry betrays original composition, choreography and musical delivery. However, the clue is all in the title- It’s a cliché love song!  This Moroccan Dane jams up a pastiche of Iyaz’s sound, whilst firmly duplicating Bruno Mars’ swagger and performance style. Although everything I’ve learnt about music tells me to hate this, I have to admit, it’s achieved the opposite effect. I can’t stop tapping my toes to my favourite guilty pleasure.

Score: 7.5/10

Wiwi: It’s true the number takes inspiration from Mr Mars. It’s a toe-tapping ditty that mixes reggae, soul and R&B. But it does so with flair and style and without any pop pretence. Basim, who appeared on stage looking like a slightly disheveled cherub, is too adorable to be despised and too normal to cast as a superstar. He’s a Joe Schmo who happens to be able to sing. It’s all rather endearing. Lyrically the cliché comes off as witty and fresh. He puts a mirror in front of all the gooey sentiment of love songs, has a giggle, but ultimately accepts there is a lot of truth beneath the sugar.

Score: 8.5/10

Katie: With a song that opens with “Scooba-dooba-dab-dab-dibi-day”, I can’t deny the resemblance to Bruno Mars, you’d be mad not to see it. But at the same time, so what? It’s hardly plagiarism and it’s good little song no matter who’s the inspiration. Isn’t Basim just the cutest thing? So happy and smiley, you just want to put him in your pocket! Oh yeah, and his voice is great. The whole thing is one big falsetto and he’s one of the most talented singers at Eurovision this year. I will be very disappointed if I don’t see everyone smiling and those slightly strange dancers in May. Good luck to him, I hope he does well.

Score: 7/10

basim-denmark-eurovision-2014

Mike: The Danish people are very clever people, also when it’s about Eurovision. When you listen to Danish songs from the past years, there was always this beat, lyrics or last year’s flute that makes you having the song in your head for a whole week when you hear it, and this year’s Scoobidoobidaptapdiditai is nothing different! This together with the fact that most of the songs from the host country always have a good staging and atmosphere I think this song could place really well! But please Denmark work on that, cause Basim’s staging was almost as boring as Robin Stjernberg’s last year…

Score: 8.5/10

Vebooboo: The best way to describe this song is that it’s “cute”. Basim is cute, as are the little whistles in the song, and the whole stage presence. However, where this song fails is in the middle. The first minute is amazles, then it takes a big dive as the composer clearly struggled how to entertain us for three minutes. Then all of a sudden it pops again and confetti falls from the ceiling. While I’m usually awakened by random stage tricks, I fear that some more educated and sophisticated viewers will actually expect the song itself to carry for the full three minutes, constantly building throughout. We will have been two years in a row on the Oresund Bridge, but I don’t think we will be a third next year.

Score: 6/10

Padraig: Emmelie de Forest’s shoes were always going to be next to impossible to fill (and not just because of her aversion to footware). Sensibly Basim has distanced himself from the reigning queen, opting instead to mimic the boy next door charms of Gianluca Bezzina. As with Malta’s most famous doctor, Basim is pedalling an inoffensive, safe and instantly familiar sound. But take a closer look at the lyrics and you’ll realise that Basim is decidedly more risqué. He sings of how his girlfriend is like the “I Kissed A Girl” era Katy Perry, she even tastes of the other lady’s cherry lip gloss. Now I’m not an expert on women’s lip-care products but I’m fairly sure a brief peck isn’t going to linger on the kissed lips for very long. So does that mean that Basim, his girlfriend and her friend are all together in the same room at the same time? Hmmm…skuba duba dabda dididaj indeed.

Score: 5.5/10

Francheska: I have a theory about host country entries: they overcompensate when the Contest is in their home turf. Sabina overcompensated with theatricality, Robin with the dancers, and now Basim with the catchiness. He’s a Bruno Mars rip-off (and I don’t even like Bruno Mars), shamelessly mentions Katy Perry, and is trying to engage us in a tongue-twister sing-off (whenever I try to sing the chorus, I somehow always end up saying “Scooby Doo”). It’s definitely an ear-worm, and I will attempt to dominate the dance moves, but, Basim, hon, you’re trying too hard. Basim and Norwegian goat cheese have one thing in common: they need to mature a lot.

Score: 3/10

All 19 members of the jury review each song, but we only have enough space to share 10 written reviews. Here are the remaining nine scores. 

Anthony: 7.5/10

Mario: 7/10

Maxim Montana: 8/10

James L: 6/10

Zach: 3/10

Ramadan: 1/10

Patrick: 6/10

Sami: 7/10

William C: 6.1

The highest and lowest scores are removed before calculating the final score. We have dropped a low of 1 and a high of 8.5.

The Wiwi Jury Verdict: 6.36/10

You can check out our latest Eurovision 2014 reviews and rankings on the Wiwi Jury page. You can keep up-to-date on the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.

26 Comments
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Rob
Rob
9 years ago

The chorus is a total rip off of Britains brlliant THE REAL THING “You To Me Are Everything” from the 1970s. NOW that was a great song!

Michael
9 years ago

The danish contribution ( performed by a Moroccan in childish english ) is violating the copyrights of the american funk/soul-group from back in the seventees named The Real Thing.
Just listen to the tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86_W5ovNP7k

Additionally he really cannot perform without auto-tune so he will defintely have a problem tonight as auto-tune is not allowed in the MGP live-final.

Leon
Leon
9 years ago

A fun song that’s good but won’t get too far in ESC 2014, a year of great songs. 6/10

Chesco
Chesco
9 years ago

This is such a silly song, a half-hearted spoof of typical boy-band-teenager-generic crap. I was prepared to like it, but frankly, that scubba-dubba-dapp refrain is so annoying as to put me off the whole number. Which is a pity, really, because it is delivered with such a joie-de-vivre that it deserves better.

Nitzan
Nitzan
9 years ago

In my top 10 this year, Denmark’s ace this year is their own Bruno (Basim) Mars. A really charming performer with a perfect sing-a-long for the home crowd. Well done Danes.

Arda
Arda
9 years ago

Can’t wait to see your review to Molly! She is a winner!

Lots of supports from Turkey to her. 🙂

sj
sj
9 years ago

For me dark horse in final , but we must see the reharsal.
My prediction TOP 10 in final, after reherasal clips from semi finalist without semi finalist are
1.Denmark
2.Armenia
3.Sweden
4.Ukraine
5.Azerbaijan
6.Norway
7.Romania
8.Israel
9.Hungary
10.Spain
Austria for me deserve TOP 5 in final, but i think that they don t get points from many countries from eastern european countries and from very conservative western countries

MoMo
MoMo
9 years ago

Cliché Bruno Mars.

Mike B
Mike B
9 years ago

It’s fun…….for 1 minute

Woz
Woz
9 years ago

This song and this staging is what Eurovision should be all about. Period.

Pastora Soler haha
Pastora Soler haha
9 years ago

Nice song and he is a lucky man in a ballads’ year

cheesecake
cheesecake
9 years ago

This is just average. First time since 2010 that Denmark isn’t in my top 5.

Marcelo N
9 years ago

@ Eugene UK I hear you. I’m just so revolutionised about some of the entrants this year (which I consider a very good one regarding songs, prior to the show) that I can’t help speaking against this one 😛

davve
davve
9 years ago

Sweden is the favourite now…. but Sanna Nielsen is half danish so the danes will like that.

mateusz
mateusz
9 years ago

My top 37 (I finally finished rating all songs today)

1 Armenia

2 Denmark
3 France
4 Greece
5 Israel

6 Sweden
7 Azerbaijan
8 Germany
9 Ukraine
10 Ireland

11 Slovenia
12 Poland
13 Estonia
14 United Kingdom
15 Italy
16 Norway
17 Switzerland
18 Montenegro
19 San Marino
20 Portugal
21 Netherlands
22 Hungary
23 Spain
24 Malta
25 Finland
26 Austria

27 Romania
28 Macedonia
29 Albania
30 Latvia
31 Belarus
32 Moldova
33 Iceland
34 Lithuania
35 Georgia
36 Belgium
37 Russia

mateusz
mateusz
9 years ago

I really like this song, it grew on me and it’s now my number 2 !! I like it way better than last year’s Emmelie whose song I just couldn’t digest (sorry).

Ryanireland
Ryanireland
9 years ago

Top 5 for sure, will stand out on the night. Good luck Denmark 😉

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
9 years ago

@Dhani: Aye! Methinks Poland much better, too!

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
9 years ago

@Angus, Francheska: Aye! Too much Bruno Mars in his performance and in the song. And yes, Paul; maybe a bit of Olly Murs. I had to dock him big points for that. Bookies think he’ll finish 3rd, but I think he will end up in the same region Robin Stjernberg did (middle of the pack) the year after Loreen won.

Marcelo N
9 years ago

@ Eugene UK – I’m working up a storm inside my head here, hehe… I expect you mentioned the jury’s “latitude” meaning their lenience: apart from bring a rampant copy of Bruno Mars (hey, even Basim’s hair got Mars-ified!! A tad too much, right?) he will tear up his butt to hit the notes.
But cliché it is, there’s no denying it!

Dan RO
Dan RO
9 years ago

Yaaaaaaaawn! I’m so bored after this, that I can’t even find the strength to elaborate further (nor do I find it necessary). What’s next?!

Easpag
Easpag
9 years ago

Total lack of originality, his voice is annoying, stage performance was kinda boring, and the scoobidoobydabvaboopa thing is just really annoying. Just a bad song.

Fatima
Fatima
9 years ago

Oh dear, this is one of the most annoying songs I’ve ever heard at the contest. Sorry Wiwi, I don’t think lyrics like “she was looking so damn fine” and “OMG let’s go” are witty and fresh. Even if I didn’t know who Bruno Mars was, I’d know Basim was copying someone or other with his cod-American act. I’d rather hear Three Minutes To Earth 93 times in a row than this one once.

Dhani
9 years ago

how can you rate this shit higher than My Slowianie??? WTF WIWIBLOGGS

bav
bav
9 years ago

Top 5 is guaranted

Paul
Paul
9 years ago

I’d say he’s both Bruno Mars and Olly Murs