The wait is finally over! Today during a press conference held by Dutch broadcaster TROS, Anouk revealed the song that she co-wrote with (incredulous) Swedish producer Tore Johansson for the Netherlands. After weeks of humming the snippet that she teased us with, we can finally enjoy the beautiful “Birds” in full.
In fact, we can actually here two versions of it: the pre-recorded one and a live studio performance. Amazingly they sound very similar. Anouk can really sing, y’all!
Pre-recorded:
Live at Wisseloord Studios on March 11:
It is, as expected, absolutely gorgeous, and a serious contender to take the Eurovision title this year. It’s in a league of its own! The sweeping ballad really is the “killer song” that the Anouk threatened us with and that the Dutch have been anxiously waiting for. Not only can they hope it to end the “Eurovision curse” that has been plaguing the Netherlands since 2004, but they are right to dream of Amsterdam 2014.
What do you think? Does “Birds” change your Eurovision 2013 predictions? Or, in a year full of ballads performed by one diva after the other, will Anouk’s “Birds” really fall down like raindrops in Malmö? Should she have stuck with her usual rock sound or are you glad that she is basically bringing Adele and Lana Del Rey on the Eurovision stage? Sound off below!
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Wonderful haunting song, beautifully sung with fabulous arrangement. Brilliant work Anouk and Tore. More like that please!
And for those who have trouble with the logic in the lyrics. A bird is slang for a girl (e.g. Blackbird by The Beatles is about a black girl). Reading the lyrics with this in mind it makes you realise that the song is about suicide.
Stunning song! After so many disastrous years and gimmicky songs finally a winner. Anouk #1!
It seems that the story told in the lyrics of Birds may be too complicated for the simple WTF minds
Great song and beautifully sung!
If this song won’t make it to the finals, then I suggest that we stop with the Eurovision Contest. Because Anouk is the best we have and if it’s not enough, then I’ve no idea what to do next.
It’s a delicate song and her voice is beautiful, I hope for the best!
What a gloomy nonsensical song. “With my one wing I can’t fly
With sunrise embrace my
Dreams tight and that’s why” WTF? Can’t someone pass these lyrics to a native speaker before putting it on tape? What a joke.
Beautifull voice!!! Beautifull song!!!
Anouk is number 1!!
anouk is nr1
The stage performance must be good to beat the rest, but Anouk is a world known artist so she will manage that 🙂
I hope the jury takes the time to really listen. The first time you hear this beautiful song, you might think it’s dated, depressing or whatsoever…
Listen well, and you can hear the quality
I’m dutch… and i really hope she will break our negative record, It’s very different then all the other songs. The jury will have a hard time with all the ballads in semi 1. I’m just hoping, I’m already happy with a 26th place in the final. Just to be in the final is already a win for us. Go Anouk!
The dark horse of 2013, I really hope the staging will be as brilliant as the song and singer. Could win.
@Joyces
I agree with most of it, but can’t say this is “new concept” altogether. She is discovering the depressing balladic sound and her voice has always been suited to something like that. I just don’t see those hardcore, having-fun on the night, fans voting for a dark, depressing ballad rather than some of the lively dance acts. In order to win it all, they will need a lot of choreography to strengthen the emotion. After the total failures of the Dutch acts these last few years, I am a bit worried they won’t know how to present it.
After one week the song “Birds” of Anouk hit the number 1 of the Dutch top 50 !! I heard her play live a several times and she has an amazing voice !
@AIAIekoff The hype is not that hard to understand I think! There are acually many people that think this is a fresh completly new thing she brought up. This is a new concept on eurovision…it’s not the standard eurovision song!!! The melody and also his lyrics are from another demension. She is taking a big gamble here…and I am glad to see that also many people and fans of eurovision acually appreciate it. The timing is also right I think because this year is much different then last year, most songs are blank now and very predictable and not that… Read more »
It is strong and enjoyable, but I don’t get all the hype. The song might struggle to attract the party-tuned fans on the night and I just don’t see it winning…at all. A top 5 finish is a bit more realistic.
“In a year full of ballads”
Too bad for them! Being in the same cage with something powerful as “Birds” is going to be more trouble for the other ballads than for Anouk’s.
It certainly is, considering what we’ve had in the past years..
If this won’t appear in the final evening , i’ll kill all of those who r now saying will vote for Anouk..this should at least finish in top 5!!!
Show them girl!!
P.S Not Dutch
Yesterday listening to this song, I thought, this is not Anouk. Now, today, this is Anouk, listen to her great voice, her wonderful lyrics! I think that this song can be a winner this year. It’s indeed mature and mysterious. Well done, Anouk.
It’s not easy to discripe this song, but I just read on the internet a great discription about Birds:
“Birds is a beautifully crafted song with a carefully considered and brilliantly written arrangement. It meanders gently from pensive verse to wonderfully rich chorus and back again. The seemingly natural transition from the gloomy verses to the sunny expanse of the chorus is musical mastery of the highest order! This song is what beats headphones were made for!”
Finally, finally Anouk’s Birds. A great song that lives already in my heart and mind. Thanks for the 12 points Bosse!
Fantastic Song. Thank you Netherlands for providing great quality in a very weak ESC year.
This year I’m seriously missing everything everyone else sees. Denmark, Norway, Israel, and now Netherlands, do nothing at all for me.
as a great Anouk Fan first time listening I was ” shocked” this is SO not Anouk!! but listening to it a few times it certainly has the ” Anouk catch ” It proves again what a musical CHICK she is!!! whether it’s a winner.. should we care? She has done it again and for sure she has come out with another hit!
12 points HAVE to fall from the rooftop… two thumbs up for one of the best entries this year…different, hypnotic and definitely worth to go straight to the final…crossing? my fingers and best of luck from Germany!!!
Looks like Bonnie Tyler is in for some stiff competition this year!
best song so far,great lyrics.and beautiful voice ,touch your soul
Prachtig!! hopelijk denkt de jury er ook zo over tussen al het overige “geweld”
I like it, but no really as an overall winner. I feel it’s more of a Disney song for a fairy tale type of movie. There is some magic, but more like a background song than on its own.
Spooky, atmospheric, emotional…she could really make a great stage show with this. It’s a stand out for sure.
agree with jimmy…
Just look to the bookmakers….Anouk is a rising star:))
Keep on dreaming, this song is dated, has no appeal whatsoever and will barely reach the final.
Instant favourite.
She could almost get away with total arena blackout as ”staging” if not for the television audience.
FINALLY! The Netherlands will finally make the final! In a crap year this stands out. But even if this were a strong year it would still stand out. Mature. Lovely. Sophisticated. It’s like an Adele song! BRAVO!