Ah, it’s so good to be back…I think I was feeling rust beginning to form…

Although it’s almost seven months to the day before the 2013 Eurovision Grand Final in Malmö, Sweden, it’s not to early to shake off the moss and scribble down the first name on the roster of performers.  After a bit of back-and-forth from broadcaster TROS (will John deMol return to the helm of a National Final, will major stars be pitted against talent-show rookies, or will there be an internal selection, a la 3Js?), we finally have a bit of clarity from the Dutch delegation.  Veteran rock-chick Anouk, one of her nation’s biggest stars, has been internally selected to represent the Netherlands this May.  With seven studio albums under her belt (including her most recent release, 2011’s “To Get Her Together”), Anouk has been an enduring force in the country’s music scene ever since her 1997 debut.

Anouk will reveal her song for Sweden in February, and it is presumed to be entirely the artist’s choice.

She bounded onto the Dutch and Flemish radar with her breakout single, “Nobody’s Wife”, which seemed to fit in perfectly with the confidence and attitude of Transatlantic contemporaries like Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow:

As time has progressed, Anouk’s style has evolved.  Here is her 2005 hit, “Lost”…:

…and a live performance of the lead single off of “To Get Her Together”, “Down and Dirty”:

The Netherlands have not broken out of the Semifinal level since 2004, and haven’t made a Top Ten since 1999.  However, TROS, by experimenting with a number of different formulas for song selection over the past few years, seem to be taking their continued participation seriously.  Obviously, it is way too early to presume Anouk’s chances in Sweden this May.  She has the benefit of being a known entity in various parts of Northwestern Europe, having charted in Belgium, Norway, Germany, Sweden, and Finland as well as in her home country, and she has a record of performing in front of large crowds.  Then again, many people also said the same things about France’s Anggun in 2012.

As the field for Malmö fills up, Europundits will have a better chance to dissect 2013’s offerings.  If this first bit of news from the participant list is any barometer of things to come, however, we might have a few wonderful months ahead of us.  I hope you continue to join me on the journey!