The list of participants for this year’s Danish final reveals a lot of well known names, this count for singers as well as songwriters. Quite some of the names have had international success and Irish songwriter Ronan Keating, who co-wrote last year’s Danish entry, is trying once again.
Below you can see the list of the participants in the order they will be performing at for the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix on the 6th of February:
Song number 1: Bryan Rice – Breathing (Written by Peter Bjørnskov) – Wildcard
Bryan Rice received international success with his debut hit No Promises from 2005. His first album from the same year sold gold in Denmark, in 2007 he released Good News and he is currently working on his third album.
Last year Bryan Rice participated as a songwriter when Christina Undhjem sang his song Underneath My Skin. This year is the first time Bryan, whose born name is Brian Risberg Clausen, is in the Danish final as a singer.
Song number 2: Joakim Tranberg – All About A Girl (Written by Lars Halvor Jensen, Martin Michael Larsson and Ronan Keating)
Joakim Tranberg won at the age of 19 a talent competition on TV where the price was a part in a musical. This was in 2008 and now he is ready for his debut at the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix where the song is written by Lars Halvor Jensen, Martin Michael Larsson and Ronan Keating who also wrote last year’s Danish winner Believe Again.
Song number 3: MariaMatilde Band – Panik (Panic)(Written by Maria Sejer, Matilde Kühl, Mads Haugaard and Marcus Winther-John)
MariaMatilde Band is a Danish girl-duo that has existed for four years. Aside from their singing their own music they have also written songs to others. Maria has just been writing a song for a Japanese band and Matilde has written for the TV program Paradise Hotel.
Song number 4: Simone – How Will I know (written by Jacob Launbjerg and Andreas Mørck)
Simone became known when she won a TV talent show in 2004 at the age of 14. Her debut album from 2005 where she interpretive Disney songs became the third most sold album in Denmark that year. Her fourth and latest album came in 2008. In 2007 she was interval act at the first Danish semi-final.
The composer Jacob Launbjerg is quite familiar with writing a winning song as he wrote the Danish entries Talking To You from 2005 and All Night Long from 2008. Both of them qualified for the Eurovision Song Contest final.
Song number 5: Jens Marni – Gloria (Written by Svend Gudiksen, Johannes Jørgensen and Noah Halby)
Jens Marni is Faroese where he has become quite a well known name as his debut album in 2008 earned him awards like “Album of the year” and “Best male singer”- This is his debut in the Danish final.
One of the songwriters, Noam Halby, participated in the Danish final last year together with his band Johnny Deluxe. Their song Sindssyg ended on a tied third position.
Song number 6: Chanée & N’evergreen – In A Moment Like This (Written by Thomas G:son, Henrik Sethsson and Erik Bernholm.
Thomas N’evergreen is born in Denmark, but has had most of his career abroad. He is currently based in Russia where he is one of the biggest names. He has had international success with songs like Every Time (I See Your Smile), Since You’ve Been Gone and Just Another Love Song. He reached the top of the Russian charts for the first time in 2004 and last year he participated in the Russian national final with the song One More Try.
Christina Chanée is half Danish, half Thai, but lives in Denmark where she also has her career. She has been leadsinger in a couple of cover bands, has been singing on a few film soundtracks. She released a solo album in 2005.
One of the songwriters Thomas G:son doesn’t need much introduction for Eurovision Song Contest fans. He has participated in more than 40 national selections around Europe and been at the Eurovision Song Contest four times before – for three countries, twice for Sweden and once for Norway and Spain.
Song number 7: Kaya Brüel – Only Tonight (Written by Kaya Brüel) – Wildcard
Kaya Brüel is out of a very well known music family in Denmark and her grandmother represented Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965. Kaya herself has a long list of album releases on her CV and has participated in several musicals as well. She has been trying her skills in various genres such as pop, jazz and old children songs. With the musical performance “Woyzeck” she has been touring in Europe, USA and Japan with success.
Song number 8: Thomas Barsøe – Just Like Rain (Written by Patrick Jonsson, Joakim Övrenius and Thomas Karlsson)
Thomas Barsøe is one of the biggest names in Asia, but the Danes have hardly heard about him. His debut album Better Man from 2005 became a massive success in Asia – and that has since been his market. He has been topping both album and single charts in Japan and been “most requested” on the Japanese MTV. His second album from 2008 was also released in Denmark where it however didn’t get much attention.
Song number 9: Sukkerchok – Kæmper For Kærlighed (Fighting for Love)(Written by Lasse Lindorff, Martin Michael Larsson and Lise Cabble) – Wildcard
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Sukkerchok is back in the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix after last year’s tied third position with the song Det’ Det. The three girls have had quite a successful year on the Danish charts and now they are make to try again.
Their song is once again written by Lasse Lindorff and Lise Cabble. The latter became known from the quite successful Danish Band Miss B Haven, but to Eurovision Song Contest fans she is mostly known from having written Fra Mols Til Skagen, the Danish entry from 1995 which ended 5th, but became an even bigger success among the fans.
Song number 10: Silas & Kat – Come Come Run Away (Written by Lise Cabble and Simon Munk)
Silas is not actually a singer, but one of Denmark’s best known dancers. He became Danish champions in 2004 in Latin dances, was educated as a dancing instructor in 2005 and has been in many theatre shows – as a dancer. In 2008 and 2009 he has participated in the Danish edition of Dancing with Stars as one of the professional dancers.
Katrine Thisted is leadsinger in the Danish band called The Kat. They made themselves noticed in 2006 with the song Fuck Me I’m Beautiful which benefitted the victims of women trade. The song received platinum in Denmark.
The song is written by Lise Cabble (See the previous song) and Simon Munk. They met each other at the Danish final in 2007 where they participated with each their song. Simon won as co-writer on Drama Queen.
The 2010 Dansk Melodi Grand Prix takes place in Aalborg on the 6th of February. It will be hosted by Felix Smith, who also hosted last year’s Danish final and Julie Berthelsen. Keld Heick, who has won the Danish final 9 times, and Jørgen de Mylius, Danish host 11 times and Danish commentator 24 times, will be there as experts to help guiding the Danish population to pick the song with best chances of winning the Eurovision Song Contest.
Once again a jury will help picking the songs that will qualify for a super final. This year it consist of Paw Lagerman from the successful Danish band Infernal, winger Camilla Jones, choographer Kenneth Kreutzmann, composer Bent Fabricius Bjerre and three more names which hasn’t yet been announced.