| Eurovision Song Contest 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  Netherlands | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Internal selection | |||
| Selection date(s) | Artist: 25 November 2013 Song: 12 March 2014 | |||
| Selected entrant | The Common Linnets | |||
| Selected song | "Calm After the Storm" | |||
| Selected songwriter(s) |
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| Finals performance | ||||
| Semi-final result | Qualified (1st, 150 points) | |||
| Final result | 2nd, 238 points | |||
| Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
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The Netherlands participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with the song "Calm After the Storm", written by Ilse DeLange, JB Meijers, Rob Crosby, Matthew Crosby and Jake Etheridge. The song was performed by the Common Linnets, a duo consisting of DeLange and Waylon, two well-known and popular Dutch artists, and formed by DeLange as a platform for Dutch artists to create country, Americana, and bluegrass music. In November 2013 the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced that they had internally selected The Common Linnets to represent the Netherlands at the 2014 contest in Copenhagen, Denmark, with their song first presented to the public in March 2014.
In the weeks leading up to the contest, the Netherlands was considered by the bookmakers to be one of the countries most likely to qualify for the final. In the first of two Eurovision semi-finals "Calm After the Storm" came first of the sixteen participating countries, securing its place among the twenty-five other countries in the final. In the Netherlands fifty-fifth Eurovision appearance on 10 May, "Calm After the Storm" finished in second place, receiving 238 points and full marks from eight countries. This was the Netherlands best finish in the contest since 1975.
After the show, the song went on to chart in several European countries, reaching number one in Belgium, Iceland and the Netherlands, as well as reaching the top ten in several other European countries. The group's self-titled début album, released in May 2014, was also a success in the Netherlands and several other European countries. The success of the Common Linnets in the contest was met with wide praise, with many commenting that their triumph was a boost to the musicality and credibility of the contest.