Tonight, eight acts competed to represent Denmark at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. After two rounds of voting, Fyr & Flamme took home the trophy.

This year’s Danish final, the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, featured eight acts instead of the traditional ten. COVID-19 once again affected the national final which last year became that moment Eurovision fans realised that the pandemic would be likely to impact the beloved Eurovision Song Contest. The day before the final, Danish Prime Minister forbid large gatherings and broadcaster DR reacted immediately and cancelled audience. A year later, vaccinations have started in many parts of the world, but it’s still not at a level where audience would be allowed for such a show.

In tonight’s show, we saw a good mix of up-coming talents as well as established acts. Among the latter, we find Mike Tramp, who as a part of Mabel represented Denmark at the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest. To get more familiar with the participants, we recommend our Get-to-know article.

Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2021 – result

The result tonight was decided by 100% public vote. At first DR had told that it would be 100% APP voting, but after being critiqued for favouring the acts appealing to the younger ones, they changed it to also include SMS voting.

After all eight have performed, it was time for the first round of voting. Three acts made it to the second round:

• Fyr & Flamme – Øve Os På Hinanden
• Chief 1 & Thomas Buttenschøn – Højt Over Skyerne
• Jean Michel – Beautiful 

Eventually, only one could win. And after yet another performance from the above three, we got a result:

• 1st place: Fyr & Flamme
• 2nd place: Jean Michel
• 3rd place: Chief 1 & Thomas Buttenschøn

Interview with Fyr & Flamme

This duo consist of musician Laurits Emanuel and actor Jesper Groth on vocal. In the summer 2020, they broke through with their debut singles Kamæleon and Menneskeforbruger. Both became hits, and now they are back with their 1980s inspired sound.teu

Laurits released a solo album six years ago, and Jesper is a well known actor known from among others the TV series Sygeplejeskolen.

Laurits Emanuel wrote their Dansk Melodi Grand Prix entry Øve Os På Hinanden.

To get to know this group better, check out our interview with them in the video below.

The show

We kicked off at 20:00 with hosts 57-year-old entertainer Martin Brygmann and 43-year-old sports journalist Tina Müller. To back up all eight competing acts, broadcaster DR provided a 15-piece orchestra. This stands in big contrast to how the songs will be performed at the Eurovision Song Contest. Another significant difference is that everything must be live in Denmark, also the backing vocals, which this year is otherwise allowed as playback for Eurovision.

Let it be said right away, DR really got things right this year. Not having audience, they have been re-thinking the entire stage concept, and it worked really, really well. Rather than the classical “open stage”, where an audience can see the acts from all sides, the Melodi Grand Prix stage looked more like a corridor.

One of the acts had decided to have the orchestra right with them on stage, while the others used the ‘orchestra pit’ at the very back of the stage. Instead of greenroom, we had online video streams to family and/or friends or songwriters for each of the participants displayed on the sides of the corridor. Instead of audience in the arena, focus was instead of that the whole of Denmark was watching. A so-called ‘audience wall’ featured audience at home watching. They were many, and it fits the slogan with choosing ‘vores sang’ (our song). And also a way to empathise that they don’t just broadcast from one place, they broadcast from the entire Denmark, which was also was what the hosts talked about in the beginning of the show.

Thumbs up to DR for high production value for this show! In general, DR’s way of doing this national final works better than what we have seen in many other countries this year. AVROTROS, were you watching?

Normally, we see a lot of acts using all kinds of dancers, sometimes too much, but not tonight. In fact, we had to get to the very last song before any dancers were used.

Tonight, we had three kinds of interval acts. A short one from host Martin Brygmann where he was edited into several  Eurovision stage acts through the years. Reading it, it might not sound fun, but it was hilarious. Totally Life of Brian style. We also had a little quiz with the audience wall, and finally we were treated to Andreas Odbjerg performing Denmark’s 1995 Eurovision entry Fra Mols Til Skagen.

Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest

With three victories and 26 top 10 results, Denmark is doing fairly OK at the Eurovision Song Contest. They have however had a lot of ups and downs in the recent decades. While two victories and eight top 10 results in the period from 2000 to 2019 sounds quite alright, they have in the same period failed to reach the final four times.

Denmark’s last victory dates back to 2013 where Emmelie de Forest charmed most of Europe and beyond with her Only Teardrops. Before that, they won in 2000 with Olsen Brothers hymn to women in all ages; Fly On The Wings Of Love and finally all the way back to 1963 and Dansevise.

Denmark last finished in top 10 in 2018 where Rasmussen reached a 9th place with Higher Ground. No one knows how Ben & Tan selected for the 2020 contest would have scored as unfortunately that contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.