The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 39 competing songs in Eurovision 2021. Next we turn to Denmark where Fyr & Flamme have “Øve os på hinanden”. Did the song get us all fired up? Read on to find out!
Fyr & Flamme – “Øve os på hinanden”
“Øve os på hinanden” reviews
Kristin: To have Denmark think so much outside the box is delightfully surprising, considering that they have been known for choosing so middle-of-the-road songs that they almost have a visible dotted line. And this particular bulletproof Danish ’80s-inspired pop is everything good in this world, and then some more. This is different, it’s fresh and it’s a boatload of fun! And the joyfully ambiguous lyrics are the sweet sweet icing on this kærligheds kage that is “Ove os på hinanden”. I get that this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but don’t be haters of fun! Fyr og Flamme are bringing us good ole fashion party like its 1985, and we should cherish them like the national treasure they are. Cause this song is pure, it’s a masterpiece in its simplicity and Fyr og Flamme are a gift that I’m not so sure we truly deserve. Now, excuse me while I spray gallons of Studioline in my hair and join them on the dancefloor, wearing a light blue dress.
Score: 9.5
William: My enduring memory of this comes toward the end when the lead singer jumps off his platform and swings around with the mic stand. He could have just taken the mic, but he wanted to leap around the stage with a large metal object, which he may have been pretending was an oversized magician’s wand. It sums up the zaniness of this — they are here to have fun, to sing a song that could have competed in the 1980s and to wear clothes picked from the depths of DR’s wardrobe department all because they want to. They do it with panache and buckets of charisma. It makes it rather hard for me to say anything negative at all.
Score: 6.5
Pablo: This song makes me unreasonably happy. On a landscape full of singers evoking the eighties into a modern age, Fyr & Flamme unapologetically bring every single aspect of the music scene of the period to today: the good, the kitsch, the garish and I can’t thank them enough for that. Coupled with amazing lyrics and a really good Italodisco beat, this is authentic, creative and a big risk for a country I’ve usually deemed safe. “Øve Os På Hinanden” is a very welcome addition to the lineup and a bold, stark and colourful reminder of where the current musical trends the mainstream fawns over originated.
Score: 8.5
Josh: “Øve os på hinanden” attempts to ride the wave of ’80s inspired pop that we’ve seen in the last few years in national selections. The problem is that it just doesn’t do its job as effectively as some of the others. That’s not to say there is nothing redeemable here — the chorus is catchy and the authentic energy Jesper and Laurits try to bring to it gives the song some needed lift. It’s just not enough. The only thing I’m left thinking is “it’s ok, it’s alright, it’s middle of the road, nothing more”.
Score: 5
Robyn: I love the energy and spirit of “Øve os på hinanden”. For a song that’s about dancing, it’s a very good sign that makes me want to dance. Some will point out the song’s 80s style, but I’ll tell you this — most synth-pop was never this big and glorious in the actual ’80s. It’s also great that Denmark have resisted the temptation to enter an English translation of the lyrics — “Øve os på hinanden” is strong enough to carry the Danish lyrics so why not let Rotterdam dance to a little dansk?
Score: 7
Fyr & Flamme – “Øve os på hinanden” rankings
In the Wiwi Jury we have 24 jurors but only have room for five reviews. The remaining scores are below:
| Antranig: 3.5
Calvin: 5 Deban: 4.5 Diego: 3.5 Erdi: 2 Esma: 7 Jonathan: 6 Jordi: 4.5 Julian: 2 Lauren: 1 |
Lucy: 3.5
Luis: 7 Natalie: 4 Oliver: 3 Renske: 6.5 Ron: 3 Sebastian: 6 Tobias: 1.5 Tom: 7 |
We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average. This is to remove outliers and potential bias. We have removed a low of 1 and a high of 9.5.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 4.84/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
My number 1 this year. This, I think, will surprise.
As an older ESC fan Denmark this year really takes me down memory lane and makes me smile, It reminds me of the good old days when ESC wasn’t so cool and didn’t take itself so seriously. The fun has gone out of ESC for me, instead we have many performers of questionable talent singing awful rubbish and trying to hard to make an impression as if their lives depended on it.
I’d vote for this!
I think if this plays the “happy song” card it can surprise. Also it’s massive performance on the Danish airwaves bodes well for Nordic support where songs like this have their fandom. I’d love to get some surprises this year in the qualifications just to shut the fans who only like certain kinds of songs—even if they are bad representation of genres.
This is my absolute number 1 this year. I’ve played it more than all the other entries combined so far. 12 points from Belgium!
I wish good luck !
At first, I didn’t like it but it has grown on me a little bit. It’s kind of enjoyable and harmless. Different to what we are used in Eurovision, so that’s always fun and welcome. 6.25/10 Denmark stands around the middle of my top. 2. Ireland (8.25) 6. Spain (7.5) 7. Finland (7.5) 8. Sweden (7.25) 12. Czech Republic (7.25) 15. Ukraine (7) 17. Belgium (6.75) 18. Cyprus (6.75) 19. Norway (6.75) 22. Slovenia (6.25) 23. DENMARK (6.25) 24. Austria (6) 25. Azerbaijan (6) 26. Latvia (6) 28. Russia (6) 31. Israel (5.5) 33. Germany (5) 34. Serbia (5) 35.… Read more »
Not exactly “quality” music, but it doesn’t aspire to that level. This is sheer fun, it stands out and I wouldn’t be surprised if this scores big time! It just needs smart staging that expands the fun factor to an even higher degree. One of my favorites this year for sure.
Ooh this is just so much fun! I really really really really like this, I have no idea why but it’s totally captivating. And finally Denmark is taking some risk.
DENMARK – Finally, after 21 long years, we get to hear a song in Danish on the Eurovision stage. This charming duo brings us some throwback disco music. How much of a throwback, you ask? Well, to the point it might have been made in the 80s. The song is upbeat and has a nice sing-along quality to it. Still, it feels a bit unpolished and uncompetitive. The lyrics are a humorous take on a couple’s first dancing or an innuendo to something more, hmm… intimate. I think they still remain laid back and inoffensive. It’s a party song which… Read more »
For some reason I was expecting for this one to become one of our biggest grades differences this year, but we actually have very similar opinions on that. I would say this shares a tiny sub-group with the Moldovan entry, both aren’t musically sophisticated and (spoiler alert) won’t get pre-contest rave reviews from me, but they can work like magic in an Eurovision contest if staged with the right spirit.
Were you expecting for me to love it or to really dislike it? I think it’s okay. Definitely more fun than stylized, and I do agree that Moldova has similarities in that regard. That one has a bit more favorable review on my part, as I see they have a clear concept, and I see a big staging potential. Still, several of my ratings aren’t locked yet, including Moldova. ”Guilty pleasure” entries are usually among the hardest ones for me to rate. It’s because their replay value usually outmatches their actual depth. 🙂
I was expecting this one to grown on you, because you have way more tolerance than me for acts like Jendrik and Twosome. But maybe you’re having the same problem I had to figure out if they’re mocking old school schlager or geneuinely appreciate it. If the final product tends to be something in the middle, I’ll probably enjoy it. I’ll also give a slightly better grade to Moldova because I agree the concept there is clearer. I love how silly the video is. And it’s also true that I trust the country with their staging skills, especially for the… Read more »
Wiwi Juries’ current TOP 21 Ireland (7.7) Cyprus (7.45) Finland (7.34) Ukraine (7.32) Russia (7.18) Sweden (7.14) Croatia (6.75) Azerbaijan (6.57) Israel (6.45) Latvia (6.34) Belgium (6.16) (=) Czech Republic (6.16) Serbia (6.09) Albania (5.89) (=) Norway (5.89) Spain (5.34) Germany (5.14) Estonia (5.07) Austria (4.89) Denmark (4.84) (=) Slovenia (4.84) My personal TOP 21 Ukraine (My 7th) Belgium (My 10th) Finland (My 11th) Estonia (My 12th) Russia (My 13th) Serbia (My 14th) Cyprus (My 17th) Czech Republic (My 18th) Ireland (My 20th) Albania (My 25th) Azerbaijan (My 26th) Israel (My 27th) Austria (My 28th) Croatia (My 29th) Sweden (My… Read more »
This song is just a 4,5/10
Not my taste….i am sorry but i just don’t like this…i think its a little bit too old for me
This isn’t an 80s throwback song. This feels like a genuine 80s song. I swear, did these guys walk into a TARDIS When it landed in Copenhagen in 1983 Ended up in 2021?
Silver star.
she posted about someone dated for more than 2 years abused her, she only dated Jasper for one year
It is on purpose, and part of their -a bit homophobic, someone could say- humor
I don’t actually like that song, but it should get at least 5/10
What the h*ll, do you know that there is literally no proof she refers to him and not someone else?
Until proven that it is him, maybe you should get help.
Like it or not Denmark is a qualifier.
Sometimes I suspect I’ve been possessed by the ghost of euro disco. However hard I try to explain my love for “Ove os pa hinanden”, I always end up writing myself into a corner. After all, infatuation is, by definition, irrational, so perhaps justifying it is pointless. Nonetheless, I will spare no effort. Danish entries often lean toward that pitch-perfect cocktail of cheese and charm, and this time is no different. The song is as glittery and tawdry as Fyr & Flamme’s garish outfits. Stuck somewhere between ‘70s sound and ‘80s aesthetics, Jesper and Laurits are so admirably smiley and… Read more »
I love this song but it’s anything but ‘fresh’.
34th: Denmark. This is fun. It isn’t GOOD fun, but it is fun regardless. This song switches up SO many times it’s insane. It’s a whirlwind of vague enjoyment and, to a person from the early 2000s, it feels like a snapshot into an era that I wasn’t around for. I do find the hook to be a bit lazy – everything else around it is so full of variation and constant switch-ups that the chorus is a bit of a melodic let-down. And while I can enjoy this while it is on, I am under no delusions that it… Read more »
Thanks for the giggle, Tibor. I needed that!
i feel like this song reflects the danish people’s taste very well, but it has zero international appeal, and i can’t say that i enjoy any of it unfortunately
Any link, please?
Come on, surely sexuality has nothing to do with looks or personalities. Sorry about my boring comment, I am just tired of the stereotype – The irony of me being a gay man, writing on a Eurovision fan page, is not lost on me 😉
38) Denmark –
I totally 100% get that many people enjoy this. When I think about the whole “return” per-se of 80s/90s/whatever in music, I think it should have some sort of modern twist, which this to me doesn’t. Yeah, it’s pretty joyful but at the same time, it makes my teeth itch. Personally this isn’t for me and it’s not something from Eurovision I’d be listening to again after the contest ends. I’ll end on a positive, though: At least it has character and personality in it, which is why it’s not my last place. 3/10
Good song for Eurovision Song Contest 1985
The best Nordic entry for me this year.
Finland and Iceland far better than this even Sweden maaybe.
29th on my list. The song doesn’t do anything for me, but it’s inoffensive. I can understand some finding more fun in this entry, if it captures an energy and spirit of the 80s that they recognise and miss. Fyr & Flamme seem like sweet, kind guys, with a sense of humour—but I find the song and performance lack the two key ingredients the duo claim to have: where’s the flame and fire? “Øve os på hinanden” is simple rather than inventive, it’s derivative rather than experimental—neither of which are necessarily bad things, but it comes across as twee rather… Read more »
Denmark 6,5/10
I’m still too sleepy to absorb the whole review, so I’ll just pick a random sentence to focus on. It will be “So, you guessed as much, this is my personal winner”. I always knew you had a soft spot for the Danish entries!
Admirable Reading and Comprehension, Sabrina.
Well, it got easier since I know about Tibor’s enduring love for DMGP. 😀
We all knew we would get 80’s inspired songs in Rotterdam, but I guess not many of us were expecting something that went so overboard with the trend to the point I’m honestly not sure if it’s a light-hearted parody, a nostalgic throwback or both. It revisits (with splendid accuracy) a part of the decade that nowadays wouldn’t be considered cool, but “schlagery”. The result is endearing, but also kistchy. I hope they find the balance with staging. In DMGP the performance looked amateurish. 5/10
I appreciate that it’s in Danish, it’s been so long since we heard that last at Eurovision. It’s great to see a country remember that it has a whole distinct language at its disposal instead of coming up with cliche English lyrics to fit in. Nice to see one of the Nordics remember that too. However that is where my positivity ends. I can’t get this, it represents a Eurovision of a different time in not a good nostalgia way either, more in a “oh god yeah that era!” kind of way. I’m sure Fyr og Flamme are nice guys… Read more »
It was meant to be ‘fun’.
But it wasn’t really. In general, their sense of humor is quite ironic, to the point it gets slightly annoying.
My guilty pleasure this year!
A banger. And probably a shock qualifier.
This is going to qualify. Mark my words.
I´m absolutely by your side !
For me, it is the knit-browed concentration with which he attacks those dance moves in his too-small jacket, like a motivational speaker at an Ikea corporate training. I don’t even particularly rate the song, but if I were drunk enough I would throw this a vote on that basis alone.
Note also, Spotify keeps throwing up The Proclaimers after this song, which is possibly the most unintentionally poetic commentary I’ve seen yet.
I can totally see this situation happening all around Europe! I believe they could pull a Serhat by closing the night.
The song itself is not really my cup of tea. But I do have a lot of respect for the them because they have the courage to sing in their own language. And who knows, they might do better than we think.
This is an entry I personally don’t understand the appeal of, so I will leave it to others to argue it’s redeeming qualities.
I totally wrote this off when it won DMGP, but I’ve found it’s the one song on the ESC album that I always skip back on to listen again (and again). The live DMGP performance was pretty ropey though, so not holding out much hope of qualification, but fantastic if it does.
I really REALLY enjoy this song. I don’t understand why is SO underrated
I’m not really into this one. Even the narrative of ‘Practicing on each other’ feels like a big euphemism to losing your virginity. Then again, those two are comedians, so that was probably intentional. Still, for me it’s rather cheesy and dated. It’s my 2nd to last only ahead of Georgia, sadly.
It’s a fun song and I do think it has a good chance to qualify.
Love love love this song!
The song is a throwback to an era I’ve never lived in. That’s probably why I can’t feel to connect with it or enjoy it. To be it just sounds out of tune with times. They’ve not made the 1980s sound in tune with the 21th century sound. The NF performance wasn’t very inviting , seemed awkward to me. Needless to say I liked atleast 4 songs more and hence I wasn’t pleased with this winning. People who can relate to this sound would probably appreciate the entry. Nothing in the song entices me , nothing repulses me either. It’s… Read more »
30. Denmark: An 80’s throwback that is very tacky and messy in my opinion. Though pleasant, it fails to capture my interest. Performing last in its semi could help it qualify though.
4. Denmark – Fyr Og Flamme – Ove Os Pa Hinanden – 9.5/10 – wow, what a party tune! This is an essential throwback to disco days and Hollywood movies starring Eddie Murphy. A gigantic ball of happiness from the very first beat, this has a sweet and prescient message, laced with comedic charm, about what a post-Covid world might look and feel like. The two charismatic front men have open arms as wide as their smiles, welcoming us into a world of groovy fun. And for UK viewers of a certain age, it is great to see Joe Pasquale… Read more »
STOP UNDERRATING DENMARK!