Look, you’re just going to have to get over Stien den Hollander’s stylising of her name as S10, it’s just not worth the annoyance. It’s pronounced Stien if you say it in Dutch, not Sten, Sdix, Szehn, Sdiez, Stio or Sdeset. Geddit?
It’s the Dutch here that’s important, not only in S10’s name but also because we have our first entry in Dutch since Sieneke’s Ik ben verliefd in 2010. Like Sieneke’s sha-la-lies S10 has some oohs, ahs and daddadas to break up the guttural sounds for the international audience, but overall it’s wonderful to me to hear the language back at the Contest.
The challenge for S10 is that she’s chosen to enter a song that’s in a similar style to approximately 734 other entries this year. On the plus side, hers is one of the better. This is lyrically stark, once again this year mining the theme of love and the anxiety and pain of losing it. Despite its bleakness this is very engaging, and endearing, and the choice to stick in Dutch works. It’s a brave move; it’s a language that will limit some of its appeal, but after holding the reins for two years and delivering one of the best Contests in years last year the Dutch have nothing to prove. They can take this risk in the full knowledge that whatever happens in May De Diepte is a great song.
My marks: S10 points (what else could I give her?)