This year a record number of songs were submitted to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. According to the AVROTROS channel responsible for the participation, there are more than 600 songs.

Registration closed last weekend. The majority of entries are in English. About a hundred songs in Dutch. Songs with French, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish and Italian lyrics were also presented.

In the coming period, the selection committee will study songs that, according to AVROTROS, represent all musical genres. Selection committee chairman Tuan van de Nieuwenhuizen speaks of a “big task”.

“We are obliged to pay a lot of attention to all the requests submitted,” he said this morning on NPO Radio 2. According to him, it will take almost an entire work week to listen to all the songs.

Artists, composers, songwriters and producers were able to submit songs this year. Although the committee prefers to combine an artist and a song, the committee can also search for a suitable artist for the submitted song.

The artists recorded have not been announced. A number of artists have indicated their desire to represent the Netherlands. They include musical actress April Darby (The Bodyguard, Aida) and rapper Joost Klein, who had a hit in Germany this summer with his song. Freisingung.

Last year there was a lot of criticism for entering the Netherlands. Then Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper failed in the semi-finals. According to critics, the two had very little experience. They had never performed together like this before.

The song also turned out to be quite a challenge for their voices. To prevent a repeat of this disaster, the selection committee was expanded this year to include more people from the music industry.

The panel now consists of Tuan van de Nieuwenhuizen, singer Jaap Risema, singer Jacqueline Govert (Krezip), presenter Cornald Maas, radio DJ Sander Lantinga, comedian Caroline Borgers and presenter Hela Noorzai. AVROTROS director Erik van Stade and former Eurovision singer/presenter Jan Smit left the panel earlier this year.

The last time the Netherlands won the Eurovision Song Contest was in 2019. Duncan Lawrence won the song. corridor. Last year, Loren won on behalf of Sweden with the song tattoo.

It is expected that the song and artist who will go to Malmö on behalf of the Netherlands will be announced in mid-December. The Eurovision Song Contest will take place on May 7 (first semi-final) and May 9 (second semi-final). The grand final is on May 11.