A “Glorious” Choice in Germany
Valentine’s Night brought us a plethora of Eurovision news, none more exciting than Germany’s National Selection show, “Unser Star für Malmö”. A dozen songs ranging in genre from swinging-60’s to brash brass band to Gregorian chant to electropop took the stage in Hanover, leaving themselves to the mercy of a professional jury, a public televote, and feedback from radio stations from all over Germany.
In the end, only one act could take the victory. After a heart-pounding vote, internationally-acclaimed house act Cascada claimed the win with “Glorious“, nabbing the top score from the public on the night.
Coming in tops (in overwhelming fashion) with the radio listeners was LaBrassBanda with “Nackert“, and the maximum score from the jury went to Blitzkids mvt. with “Heart on the Line“.
Cascada is arguably one of Germany’s most commercially successful acts on an international level, with hit singles such as “Everytime We Touch“, “Evacuate the Dance Floor“, and “What Hurts the Most” (a cover of the megahit previously recorded by Jo O’Meara and Rascal Flatts, among others). Since the release of their first album in 2006, the band has made it to the Top Ten in the charts of at least ten nations, including the United States.
More than a few Eurofans out there have been claiming that “Glorious” is a copy of “Euphoria”, and merely trying to leech off the success of last year’s overwhelming winner. I, however, personally feel that such claims are unfounded. “Glorious” may share some similarities with Loreen’s hit, but it also follows the furrow that Cascada’s previous singles have plowed over the past few years. As I said two years ago when Finland’s Paradise Oskar was criticized for “copying” Belgian performer Tom Dice, potential artists look at what was successful in the previous year’s competition and see that there is a place for their style of work. That isn’t the same as copying. When an artist has an established track record in a genre, as Cascada does, the claim of plagiarism does not hold the same weight.
But what do you think? Leave a comment, and keep the dialogue going!
Posted on February 17, '13, in 2013, Germany and tagged Cascada, eurovision, Germany, Glorious, Unser Star für Malmö. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
The ESC Insider 
I think it’s an okay song, which hopefully will extend Germany’s “good” streak from the last few editions. I don’t think the song is plagiarism, but neither is it innovative or cutting edge current. That said, I hope it’ll do nicely and score a higher mid-table result.
An extra kudos goes out to Brainpool and NDR for producing such a high standard, high production valued, entertaining national final. The atmosphere was amazing, the variety and quality in postcards was stunning and it simply had a great flow and vibe. It’s up there with the dutch national final of 1998 and some of the vintage melodifestivalen. It’s been quite a while since I was this thoroughly entertained during a national final. Please blueprint this!
I always hate it when musicians get falsely accused of copying other people’s songs, which happens more often than not. But this one’s got my eyebrows raised.
It absolutely doesn’t rise to the level of prosecutable plagiarization, and is no cause for being disqualified from anything. But I don’t see how this track can escape the comparison to Euphoria. The arrangement has too many similar elements that can’t be explained away by “oh it’s just the same Eurodance music Cascada has always done”. Clearly a Loreen-a-like, and clearly an inferior one to boot, without Loreen’s look or choreography (or snow or Ausben).
I don’t think the voters will be amused.
Meanwhile we now have two Americans, and one group that has had American chart success, participating in the contest. Do you think anyone in the USA will broadcast the darn thing this year?
Naaaaahhh.
Okay, my sister had Everytime we touch on her ipod and we would dance like crazy to this. I had no idea this was cascade (just knew, oh this is pop music I actually like). Sadly Everytime We Touch is a better song… but I still like Glorious.