Basim's Bruno Mars Homage Fronts Denmark's Home Year

MAY 15 2014 · 12:00

Basim · "Cliche Love Song" · Denmark · 2014 Placement: 9 · Score: 74 · Language: English · Composers: Basim, Daniel Fält, Lasse Lindorff · Venue: B&W Hallerne · Host: Copenhagen, Denmark · Type: performance innovation · Broadcast: streaming era Basim, a Danish-Moroccan performer, fronts Denmark's home contest in a slim burgundy suit, backed by a brass section and finger-snapping dancers staged like a Motown revue. The song is unapologetic Bruno Mars pastiche — doo-wop chords, retro horns, 'Uptown Funk' swagger a year before Ronson and Mars released it. The arena — a converted shipyard on Refshaleøen — roars. 9th place is considered a respectable host-year finish. Context Denmark was hosting after Emmelie de Forest's 2013 Malmö win. DR gambled heavily on B&W Hallerne, a sprawling industrial venue requiring complete retrofit. Basim had placed 2nd in Dansk Melodi in 2008 as a teenager; 'Cliche Love Song' was his second attempt at six years later. Legacy Basim represented the first highly visible Danish-Moroccan Eurovision artist, reframing Danish pop identity for a generation. The retro soul template he introduced influenced subsequent Dansk Melodi entries. 'Cliche Love Song' is still a wedding-reception staple in Copenhagen. The B&W Hallerne venue, reportedly overbudget by DKK 112 million, remained a cautionary tale in host-city budgeting.