Eurovision 2016: Review: Netherlands: Douwe Bob: Slow Down

Going Dutch: Douwe Bob will slow it down in Stockholm

Following last year's inauspicious showing by the Dutch when Trijntje Oosterhuis failed to make the final, the Eurovision fortunes of The Netherlands this year are in the hands of the 23-year-old singer-songwriter, Douwe Bob. Another graduate of a reality TV show, he was chosen as the Dutch representative in late September last year. However, we all had to wait until the beginning of March to discover that the song he'll perform in Stockholm is called Slow Down.

The Netherlands return to the guitar-driven, laid-back country styling which The Common Linnets so satisfyingly provided in 2014 - only this time the rhythm and the melody possess a lighter, upbeat quality. Co-written by Douwe Bob, one can imagine sitting in an American bar somewhere in, say Tennessee, and this track playing in the background.

It's very simple in its construction, but also very instant. The hook in the chorus is strikingly memorable and the positive message to try and abandon many of the pressures of life is likely to resonate with much of the audience across Europe.

If there are any doubts about the entry, then the repetitive nature of the lyric in such a short song duration may not be to everyone's taste. However, Douwe Bob seems quite the charmer and if anyone can sell this song, then he can.

Of course, much of this entry's success will depend on its staging. Hans Pannecoucke, the Flemish video director, will return once more to help the Dutch in this respect following his involvement in 2014 and 2015. If his vision matches or exceeds the expectations of the Eurovision audience, then Slow Down should fly into the Final with ease.

Once there, the song could prove to be a surprise. Perhaps, not the revelation that The Common Linnets produced a couple of years ago, but an Anouk-style Top 10 finish is not out of the question.

What do you think?

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