The Netherlands NETHERLANDS 2021 - Jeangu Macrooy - Birth of a New Age

[escYOUnited]

Skin as rich as the starlit night
Your rhythm is rebellion, your rhythm is rebellion
Deep currents running in the rivers of your eyes
Your rhythm is rebellion, your rhythm is rebellion
They spat on your crown and they poisoned your ground
Your rhythm is rebellion, your rhythm is rebellion
They burned your heroes at the stake
But your voice will echo all their names
This ain't the end no
It's the birth of a new age

Yu no man broko mi
Yu no man broko mi
Yu no man broko, broko mi

Soul blazin' like a hurricane
Your rhythm is rebellion, your rhythm is rebellion
Spirit roaring wild like untamed flames
Your rhythm is rebellion, your rhythm is rebellion
They buried your guts, they imprisoned your thoughts
Your rhythm is rebellion, your rhythm is rebellion
They tried to drain you off your faith
But you are the rage that melts the chains
This ain't the end no
It's the birth of a new age

We are the fruit born in the legacy
Of every forgotten revolutionary
Born in resilience, proud like a lion
We are the birth of a new age

Yu no man broko mi
Yu no man broko mi
Yu no man broko, broko mi
Mi na afu sensi​

 

[Flamenkax]

Downgraded to , there is absolutely no appeal in this song.
Will surely stay in my bottom 5.

 

[Yazy]

Okay, so I heard this song first time in one of the recaps of currently selected entries.
I honestly didn´t know what to think of it.

Then I listened to the full version first couple of times.
And once again, I didn´t know what to think..................................................................

.......................................................but I just kept coming back.

Now I´m listening to this non stop on a repeat and I´m loving everything about it!

I don´t know why do I find this particular entry so captivating, because this not the first time that I´m hearing these types of songs that are embracing and celebrating the music and culture that traces roots from African continent.

I´m guessing its just the combination of his voice, the choir and ambient sounds in the background.

Considering how I just didn´t care at all about his entry last year and how much this one here pleasantly surprised me, I would list Jeangu somewhere on top when it comes to "how much better do I like returning artist´s song from this year than the one from last year".

I´m not fooling around, this is 12 points for me!

 

[Brandt]

This entry can stand out quite well with a very atmospheric and ritual-ish stage performance, would make the song have a charisma.

 

[LakZaNokte]

Hate it.
Do not want to start a fight so I will leave it on this.

0 pts, sorry

 

[ESC94]

Well, I really liked Jeangus entry last year, but sadly that´s a huge downgrade from last year.

You have to know that I´m not a big fan of gospel influenced songs, but sometimes there are some exceptions, but this isn´t among them. This entry reminds me soo much of songs sung in these archconservative, evangelical churches in the where the pastors preach very disturbing things, so I can´t really enjoy it. Since the melody isn´t the most memorable either there´s little to be positive about.

All in all I give just , as much as I like his voice I simply can´t give more.

 

[cripesdude]

I think this entry is being HORRENDOUSLY underrated.

It’s very well crafted; sincere, interesting... I love the bass throughout. His voice is great.

In my top 5 at the moment.

 

[Morpheus]

This may come as a shock, but: I like this song. Don't ask me to quantify it, just let me like it.

 

[MrLordi]

You know my broccoli

 

[ayzelto]

I really don't understand why hosts don't work harder on their entries. Last year was bad, this year is even worse. At least someone will be competing with Spain for the last place. 1 point.

 

[ag89]

It's funny, Grow came to life live while this one is so much better with the official video. I find myself driving and singing that broko thing, obviously this can get stuck in your head. I enjoy it.

 

[lasse braun]

the nederlands trying a lot not winning again.

 

[Gitte]

I see we got to see a glimpse of a cult worshipping a guy called william brokovich

 

[mauve]

This song is not so bad afterall ... when I first listened to it, it was a mess to me. But I had listened to the live version and I was still under that influence when I gave 2 pts. Now I upgraded to 6 pts. Might be a grower!

 

[Fluke]

I wonder how they're planning to stage this. I really hope they're not going for a overly political Bilal Hassani-style staging, the song really doesn't need it and it won't be popular this time either.

 

[A-lister]

A-lister's review:

Just like last year's entry this is just bland and boring, and if possible it's even worse than the 2020 entry, and yes, I know he doesn't sing about broccoli but that is what everybody hearing this will think. It's a quite bad remark to a song that the only thing that can save it from being completely forgettable is a "funny misheard lyric from a foreign language"-situation. Bottom 5 material for me.

 

[RevNet]

THE GOOD:

• The ethnic beat is nice.
• The vocals are good. He even sings some high notes, which I can appreciate.

THE BAD:

• The song does tend to drag on and on towards the end.

THE VERDICT:

This is a good song with a good message and I appreciate that. That's all that really needs to be said. 8 points

 

[Pål Nordahl]

After seeing this song in so many Top 10’s recently, I was expecting this thread to be full of great reviews and interesting talking points. But it feels like a funeral in here.

 

[Ladynoir]

This song is bit of a grower for me because I couldn't listen to it fully before but know I can find myself humming it.

The chorus is my only problem, I don't like the rythm as much as I do regarding the rest of the song. But otherwise it's a beautiful contribution with a good energy. I can see why it doesn't have any appeal for some people tho, it's quite an unique contribution.

 

[Zeus]

Never disliked a Dutch entry this much since Sieneke.

 

[Shadowfuxcs]

Turns out it was a great mistake to present the song with the live performance. The instrumentation did not do it any favors. I only listened to it one time when it premiered, didn't care much about it so I never came back.
I listened to the studio version for the first time a few days back and it was much better, it has production value and fitting instrumentals that were ditched from the live. Now I can confidently say that the Netherlands is in my top 20.
Which is not great as "Grow" was my no.2 last year and could have been no.1 if it was allowed to extend to 4-5 min which is what I felt the song needed to shine more. I believe that with a fitting staging it would gotten a top 5 spot, but could also finish in the bottom if the presentation was not creative enough.
On the other hand, this year's song is hopeless in terms of competition. The thing with automatic qualifier songs is that by being pre-qualified they get robbed of the success of qualifying from the semis, which would be the bigger achievement certain songs can get.

Despite that, I cannot find words to express how much I appreciate the fact that the Dutch dared to have this as their hosting entry. It is a song that genuinely embraces the result of years of colonization. It does so from the perspective of its victims instead of going through the sugar coating route of appropriating elements of the colonized cultures as gimmicks and soundbites. Too bad the song itself is not very creative and sounds more like an interval act rather than something that is actually competing.

All in all I respect this entry even though it does not light up my fire.