Following their first rehearsal yesterday, our Tim got a chance to catch up with Reiley to discuss their Liverpool experience so far.
Watch our interview with Reiley right here:
During their interview, Tim and Reiley talked about how his first rehearsal went and his emotions when taking to the stage for the first time. He also tells us about the comparisons between his performance at Dansk Melodi Grand Prix and in Liverpool. He also tells us what to expect from him as he opens the second semi-final on the 11th of May.
Reiley’s Eurovision Journey so far
Reiley earned Denmark’s ticket to Eurovision 2023 by winning the 53rd edition of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix. Of the eight competing acts, Reiley advanced to the three-act superfinal after the first round of voting. He then placed first with the televote and tied for second with the professional jury to win DMGP with 43% of available points.
In the lead-up to Eurovision 2023, Reiley performed at several of the pre-parties this season, including Melfest WKND, the Polish Eurovison Party, Pre-Party ES, Eurovision in Concert, and the London Eurovision Party.
On Monday, Reiley performed on the Eurovision stage for his first rehearsal. You can find out more about his first rehearsal, and our thoughts on that here.
Who is Reiley?
Reiley is a Danish singer-songwriter who originally hails from the Faroe Islands. In fact, he is the first Faroese artist represent Denmark at Eurovision!
Reiley first gained traction in 2020 by posting covers of hit songs on TikTok, where he has since amassed 11 million followers and over 1 billion views. He released his debut single “Let It Ring” in 2021, followed by first EP brb, having an identity crisis, which included the single “Superman”. In 2022, he released the songs “blah blah blah” and “Moonlight”. Reiley has also gained a sizeable following in South Korea.
“Breaking My Heart” was written by Reiley, Bård Mathias Bonsaksen, Hilda Stenmalm, and Sivert Hjeltnes Hagtvet.
Denmark’s Eurovision Journey
Denmark first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1957 and notched their first win in 1963 with Grethe and Jorgan Ingmann’s “Dansevise”. The country left the contest after 1966 but returned in 1978, and achieved mixed results in the next two decades. Denmark earned two third-place finishes in 1988 and 1989 but was then relegated three times in 1994, 1996, and 1998.
They finally achieved their second victory in 2000 with the Olsen Brothers’ “Fly on the Wings of Love”, and have only missed the grand final five times since the introduction of the semi-finals. A six-year qualification streak from 2008 culminated in its third win in 2013 with Emmelie de Forrest’s “Only Teardrops”.
Denmark’s recent participation saw them being represented by REDDI with the song “The Show”, which managed to place 13th in the semi-final where they received 55 points from the Jury and Televoters.
What do you think of our interview with Reiley? Do you think he will qualify for the final this year? Where would you like Denmark to finish this year? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we cover the rehearsals of Eurovision 2023!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming / EBU
