He’s confirmed to represent the host nation once more at Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam. And now we know where The Netherlands’ Jeangu Macrooy will perform in the grand final — 23rd!
Jeangu Macrooy will perform 23rd in the Eurovision 2021 final
The news was confirmed by the EBU via its social media on 19 November.
Those with a decent memory will recall that this is the same position Jeangu was due to sing in at the cancelled 2020 contest.
Following the earlier announcement that the semi-final allocations will remain the same as 2020, the Reference Group has now decided that the Netherland’s grand final spot will also be unchanged.
The placing was originally drawn at the Heads of Delegation meeting last March. While the Eurovision running order has been producer-led since 2013, host nations still draw their spot at random. This ensures producers don’t weight the running order to favour their own act.
While the artist and the running order position are unchanged, the song will be new. Shortly after Eurovision’s cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, show organisers confirmed that all new songs would be required for 2021.
A history of performing 23rd at Eurovision
There is some host nation history with spot 23.
Denmark’s Basim performed in the same spot at Eurovision 2014 and scored a very resectable ninth place. It has produced mixed results since.
Georgia’s Nina Sublatti made it to 11th place in 2015 and Belgium’s Blanche placed in the top five in 2017. On the other hand Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz placed 20th in 2016 and in the two most recent years acts performing 23rd have placed 18th both times.
The most successful act in the 23rd club is Lativa’s Marie N. She won Eurovision 2002 with “I Wanna”.
How Macrooy will perform from the position remains to be seen.
Are you happy with the EBU’s decision? Is 23rd good for Jeangu? Let us know below.
He needs a very good song to stand out because they usually put big favourites near the end of the final. Like Switzerland, Italy 2019, Cyprus and Israel 2018, Bulgaria, France , Sweden, Belgium 2017, Armenia, Ukraine 2016, Italy 2015 etc.
And they’d have put intense and/or energetic songs around Grow like, in the case of what we would have had this year, those of Ukraine, Armenia, Lithuania or Malta (or whichever ones were drawn in the second half), so as to maximise contrast.
Regardless of the reason why they kept his slot as it was, I don’t care since they must spend so much more money hosting Eurovision due to corona. Let’s give them the spot without conspiring why, I doubt it will make or break the entry if the entry is strong or weak.
But would they keep this spot if the Netherlands were drawn 2nd or 3rd? That’s the real question.
I think sticking with the semi final draw was fine, but IMO they should’ve changed this. Makes me wonder if they kept it because 23rd is fairly late in the show, which would benefit Jeangu?
I wonder if this slot would make him change the nature of his song. My fave part of Grow, in my personal top 10, was its soothing last minute, providing a relaxant to put intense songs like Ukraine, Armenia, Lithuania, Malta or Greece around. I wonder if Macrooy will make changes accordingly for the slot, such as trying to make the song more instant. I think Grow would have been top 17, but I do wonder if fans would want a more upbeat home song, though Grow is up with Oro and If I Were Sorry as my fave host… Read more »
Although I would’ve been fine with a brand new placing, I think the 23rd spot fits Jeangu and The Netherlands well, so I’m fine with this decision.
Those who have performed in the 23rd spot in the last 5 years (excluding the 2020 contest):
Very nice!!!!