Eurovision 2023: Denmark

Artist: Reiley
Song: Breaking my Heart
Currently with bookmakers: 31st (100/1-500/1)
Place 2022: 13 out of 17 in semi 1
Wins: 3 (1963, 2000, 2013)
 

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Reilley is 25 and the first person from the Faroe Islands to represent Denmark in Eurovision. Reilley won Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2023 more due to the jury vote. The public wanted Nicklas Sonne, but he got half the jury vote that Reilley achieved. Reilley's position with the bookmakers confirms the public might have been right. 

Breaking My Heart Was almost withdrawn from the Danish final because it was found it was performed in Korea at the "Slow Life Slow Live" festival in October last year (the day after Sam Ryder performed at the festival), which is in contravention of the Danish final rules. Breaking My Heart also seems to borrow from everything from Bieber to Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere". Lack of originality doesn't hurt a Eurovision song but the general consensus is that this song has nothing much going for it except that the kid singing it seems sweet. 

Denmark is not known for originality. Tommy Seebach took "Disco Tango" to Eurovision in 1979 and you could almost believe he was going to break out into Paint it Black. 

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Eurovision 2023: Italy

Artist: Marco Mengoni
Song: Due Vite

Currently with bookmakers: 9th (25/1-60-1)

Place 2022: 6th in the final

Wins: 3 (1964, 1990, 2021)

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Marco Mengoni returns to Eurovision 10 years after he first graced the stage with "L'essenziale" which finished 7th at Malmö. Other than his two Eurovision entries, he has also competed in San Remo, which is used to select the Italian Eurovision artist, in 2010 with Credimi Ancora. He is quite the prolific recording artist with 7 studio albums, 4 live albums and 6 EPs released in the 14 years since he debuted on X-Factor in Italy in 2009. He is the gift that keeps on giving.

Due Vite has one glaring problem, it runs 45 second longer than the 3 minute limit allowed at Eurovision. Italy often has longer songs which they make fit at Eurovision. "Grande Amore", one of the best songs to go to Eurovision ever, was the same length as Due Vite, but some slight and subtle adjustments including in the speed of the song managed to make it fit into 3 minutes without noticeably changing the song, so the 45 seconds probably won't be a problem. We will find out soon.

From one repeat offender to another. In 1967 Claudio Villa for a second tilt after finishing 9th in 1962. He finished 11th. Hopefully Marco can go up rather than down. 

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