The Netherlands have won the ESC four times, but the last six years the big finale has been held without them – basically because they keep sending one terrible song after the other which have left Europe thinking; What is wrong with the Dutch? Is it a joke or is this what people in Holland actually like? Just look at the Toppers from 2009 and Sienke from 2010, it’s hard to know what to make of that. They seem to be stuck on that old schlager remedy which worked so well for them 40 years ago, while the rest of Europe moved on a long time ago and hence have been giving the Netherlands two thumbs down every year.
But it seems to finally have gotten through to the Dutch that there needs to be some serious changes done if don’t want to be the joke of the contest anymore. “Never Alone” sounds contemporary, fresh and cool, sure – it’s not masterpiece that you’ll find on the top of that charts, but in this context it works rather well. 3JS consists of three guys who’s name starts with – yeah that’s right the letter J, two of them are in their 30s and one guy is 50 something. Perhaps a little dull, they’re definitely not the coolest or sexiest in the ESC, but they’re quite alright and they work well together on stage. Lead singer Jan Dulles has a good voice and his performance is heartfelt and authentic – a big plus in a contest that has so many show-numbers.
This could easily be played on any average radio station across Europe, and it’s one of those songs that could pick a few points in most Western European countries. I’m not going to recommend a bet on a fifth victory for the Netherlands this year – you would probably end up losing that money, but it is nice to see that the Dutch seem to have realized that old schlagerpop is dead. This is the best they have produced in a long time, and they deserve to be in the big finale this year.
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