Malik Harris represented Germany at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and came last with his song “Rockstars”. However, not only did he receive criticism for this, but above all the NDR, which is responsible for the pre-selection of the candidates. In response to the displeasure, the station said it wanted to change the selection process.
Germany always does badly at the ESC
Based on a survey, the 24-year-old Harris was already predicted to be in the lower midfield. However, the fact that it wasn’t even enough for that was not exactly surprising: the German entry was also unable to assert itself in the last two rounds of the competition and took last place. In 2018, Michael Schulte took fourth place with “You Let Me Walk Alone” after things had looked bitter in 2016 and 2017. Even before that, the titles sent by Germany into the race had mostly placed in double digits.
It hails criticism against the NDR
The Norddeutscher Rundfunk provided the jury again this year, which made a pre-selection of acts and songs. The audience could then choose from this selection. Both the lack of transparency in the selection and the adherence to established patterns were criticized. The NDR has “learned nothing from the defeats of the past few years,” said the “Berliner Zeitung” in a comment.
The selection process should change
That should change now: In a statement, the NDR stated that it would take the “poor result very seriously”. Therefore, the “selection process for the ESC 2023 […] look different than that for this year’s ESC,” it says. It is not yet clear how the new procedure will work. However, it was made clear: “The responsibility for the German contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest continues to lie with the NDR – with the clear goal of achieving a top position,” said a spokeswoman according to “ntv”.
+++ This article first appeared on musikexpress.de +++