From Eurovision success to radio hit: ‘It’s incredibly difficult’

In 2019 Duncan Lawrence won the Eurovision Song Contest with his arcade song. A great honor, but the success of the song does not stop here. Two years later, the song is still a hit, and has peaked at number one on the Billboard charts in the United States. Duncan was also given permission to appear on Ellen DeGeneres’ show.

Beat in the United States

Water Hardy, the producer of the internationally acclaimed song, also notices. “You never know what will happen on a path like this in 2019. In general, a path like this will slowly deviate a little bit. But then you hear that the United States joins,” he tells ADTNL.

It brings extra pride. “And because it’s separate from the Eurovision song competition, it’s such a hit in such a big country. It’s so wonderful for a Dutch producer.”

Business card

In the end, Duncan Lawrence is the face of the song, but its success affects Hardy’s life as well. “This is an invitation card anyway. Artists from the United States call me to ask if I want to work with them, otherwise you will not get it easily.”

Performance at Ellen also had big consequences. “It’s definitely such a big audience. You’re already someone when you stand there. But people then look for the person behind the song. And then they end up with me, which’s so awesome.”

Holy Grail

The success of the arcade outside the Eurovision Song Contest is unique, as is the case with music journalist Stephen Rodgever. “It’s definitely very clever. It’s really the Holy Grail that European artists get scoring in the United States.” Arcade is the most streamlined Eurovision song of all time. “He did a great job,” he tells ADTNL.

It often does not happen that a song rises above the Eurovision song contest. “That too is very difficult. Those songs are linked to that competition. When the competition is over, you think as an artist: I won, I’m here. But no, then you have to start.”

From Eurovision hit to radio hit

According to him, the textbook example of how this should be done is Loren’s song ‘Euphoria’, which won the festival for Sweden in 2012. “It has become a hit that has always ended up in clubs and radio and tops the list of best Eurovision songs.

The moment a song wins a festival, according to Radjeevar, the artist must do everything to turn it into a European hit. “It goes beyond the festival and ends at radio stations.” Who knows, this could soon surpass Arcade’s streaming figures.