The voting Danish public preferred two other songs to it, but thankfully Sand by Saba received enough votes from the international juries to give it the ticket to represent Denmark at Eurovision this year. 

Penned by Pil Kalinka Jeppesen, Jonas Thander and Melanie Wehbe, Sand is memorable, impactful and Eurovision-ready. The track’s production is gold standard. That shouldn’t be read with the tone of surprise given the back catalogue of both Thander and Wehbe especially. 

The repetition of “bits and pieces” in the pre-chorus is the only questionable element, but it does help to solidify the literalness of the metaphor the track is built on. 

Sand’s chorus is catchy and simple. The looping “ooh-ooh–ooh-ooh” hook is addictive, and Saba’s powerful, unwavering voice gives it staying power. 

If there’s any justice, Denmark is heading back to the Grand Final of Eurovision for the first time since 2019, and maybe it’s not a coincidence that Melanie Wehbe was involved back then too.